Nikki Noir's Blog, page 2

Chewing the Fat w/ Mark Scioneaux

CHEW ON THIS! has been nominated for a Splatterpunk Award and I have the exclusive skinny with the authors.

Author de Jour: Mark Scioneaux

Nikki Noir: You’re featured in a food anthology, so let’s get this out of the way first: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put in your mouth—I mean weirdest thing eaten ;)

Scioneaux: I am an adventurous eater and foodie, and find that the best way to know and appreciate culture is through food. As a result, I will try anything at least once, and though there have been times I haven't cared for the dish, I can still appreciate the reasoning and history behind it. Personally, I love organ meats. Duck and goose hearts grilled with grapes and brushed with balsamic vinegar reduction is heavenly. Sushi...anything raw. Sweetbreads are some of my favorites, as is foie gras. But the weirdest may be this delicious Hungarian brown stew I had once made with potatoes and large pieces of tripe (intestines), and while it was absolutely delicious, there were still moments when the tripe would squish in between my teeth and the gag reflex had to be brought under control.

Noir: Tell us about your story in ,Chew on This!, and what inspired it.

Scioneaux: Originally it was for a carnival-themed anthology that I had been invited to write for with another publisher, about 8 years ago. For reasons unknown, the anthology was cancelled and my story went back in the draft folder. When I saw the call for this anthology, and a chance to work with the wonderful people of Blood Bound Books, I knew I had to polish this story to fit their anthology. This story was a joy to write, and when I started writing it, I didn't know where it would go. I just knew it had to be different than what the reader expected going into it. When the twist came half way through, it was a complete surprise to me and I ran with it. The rest is publishing history.

Noir: If you were a spice/seasoning, what would it be?

Scioneaux: I like big, bold flavors. For a spice, I would be allspice for my love of Jamaican Cuisine, or Chinese Five Spice. Shamelessly, I would also be Pumpkin Spice because I adore October and all things Halloween. My current hobby is making interesting spice rubs for smoking meats.

Noir: What’s the scariest real-life, food-related situation you’ve been in?

Scioneaux: One evening I was eating chicken wings with a little too much zeal, and while stripping the meat off a bone from the flapper portion, I inhaled and the bone shot down my throat. I had to freeze and basically stop my breathing so the bone didn't go further. I reached in my mouth and was able to pinch the end of the bone with my fingertips and pull it out. Was a terrifying moment, but I still eat chicken wings today...just with more care.

Noir: What does literary success look like to you?

Scioneaux: Just knowing the stories I have created are being enjoyed by people around the world means so much to me and is so humbling. I don't have a background in writing, but I have always been a storyteller and entertainer, and writing has allowed me to reach so many with my words and has also resulted in close friendships with those in the community.

Noir: If there’s one thing you want readers to know about you or the mission of your work, what would it be?

Scioneaux: I would want them to know that my work contains themes of things I have either experienced or am currently experiencing. The things I write are usually deeply personal and disguised within the story. Ultimately my job is to entertain the reader and when that person finishes my work, I hope they have enjoyed their time spent. I write for fun and I hope the reader experiences the fun that I have put into it.

Noir: What’s your next project and where can we stalk you?

Scioneaux: I have a novel coming out in 2021 with Source Point Press, but I can't reveal many details as things are still very new in the process. I will also be working on another project soon and that info will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. Again, sorry for the secrecy but things are new in 2021. As for me, I am on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I tend to focus more on Facebook than the other two. I have an author's page as well that I need to knock the dust off of.

While we wait with baited breath, you can check out his previous releases, especially Cannibal Fat Camp and America's Next Dead Model, and his author page !

Get your copy of CHEW ON THIS! here

Chewing the Fat w/Vivian

CHEW ON THIS! has been nominated for a Splatterpunk Award and I have the exclusive skinny with the authors.

Author de Jour: Vivian Kasley

Nikki Noir: You’re featured in a food anthology, so let’s get this out of the way first: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put in your mouth—I mean weirdest thing eaten ;)

Kasley: Haha, well, I’ll just dive in and be honest with this question. When I was around three-years-old or so, I caught a lizard while playing outside. I was hanging the lizard from my ear lobes and playing with the poor thing until it managed to eventually get away from me, but unfortunately not with its tail intact, that was still wriggling in my hand. Then for whatever reason, before my poor mother could get to me, I ate it. I don’t remember the taste or why I did it, but I still have to hear about it to this damn day! Other than that, I have eaten anything from stuffed lamb’s head, tripe, pigs feet, and Thai fish maw soup. What can I say? I like to eat weird shit.

Noir: Tell us about your story in ,Chew on This!, and what inspired it.

Kasley: My story, "Roly-Poly", is about an overweight young woman named Margot who gets a phone call out of the blue from an old best friend informing her she has something that will change her life. When Margot takes the plunge and decides to ingest what her friend has given her, she changes alright, but to find out how, you’ll have to read it! As far as what inspired it? I once watched an episode of one of those medical shows, I don’t which one it was—something like, ‘Untold Stories of the the ER’ or whatever—and this poor teenage girl came into the ER with her stomach bulging and they had to figure out what was going on with her. At first, they thought she was pregnant, but an ultrasound showed that wasn’t the case. Then, she screamed and raced to the bathroom and pooped a massive number of huge tapeworms! The worms were trying to get out of the toilet and everything! UGH. The worst part was, it was her own mother who gave her the pill to get her skinnier for a beauty pageant. Imagine that? That shit proper gave me the creeps.

Noir: If you were a spice/seasoning, what would it be, elaborate if you want.

Kasley: I’d like to think I’d be something that gives things the Umami factor. You know, I give that extra flavor to whatever you’re eating, so I’d probably be the Umami seasoning blend from Trader Joes. If you haven’t tried it, dooooo it! It goes by the name of, The Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. It’s a mix of kosher salt, dried porcini and white button mushrooms, dried onion, garlic powder, mustard seed, red and black pepper, and thyme.

Noir: What’s the scariest real-life, food-related situation you’ve been in?

Kasley: Other than the few food-borne illnesses I’ve had that caused fecal incontinence during inconvenient times; it has to be the mushroom incident that occurred when I was around four. I once (yeah, I know, here I go again with putting things in my mouth that I shouldn’t. Giggity. LOL.) picked a mushroom from outside and ate the entire thing. My brothers and I were playing in our babysitter’s backyard when it happened. I admit I did it because, one, I loved mushrooms, and two, my brothers were telling me not to do it, so I did it. In my defense, it smelled exactly like the ones we ate at home, so I figured what the hell and shoved the whole damn thing in my mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed. What came next was lots of crying and screams from both my brothers and the babysitter, then my mom had to get home and race me to the doctor. I vividly remember being cool as a cucumber the entire time…that is until being force fed the Ipecac the doc gave my mom. I think I vomited for hours! Turned out the damn thing was never poisonous to begin with. Figures.

Noir: What does literary success look like to you?

Kasley: Eons ago, I thought it was writing a novel and getting it published by a well-known publisher, but now, I think it’s writing something—anything—someone can enjoy, even if it’s only one person. If one of my tales can make someone laugh, smile, cry, or sleep with a light on, then that’s pretty darn cool. Also, getting any story published is always a wonderful feeling, especially when certain people who I won’t name told me it was too hard to do and didn’t really think I could achieve it. I tend to like to do things I’m told not to..

Noir: If there’s one thing you want readers to know about you or the mission of your work, what would it be?

Kasley: I didn’t go to school for writing and have had to learn A LOT as I go. Writing will always be a learning curve as far as I’m concerned. Also, Horror is not my only wheelhouse. I like to dabble in many genres. As far as my mission, it’s to try and write whenever I can, and hope that what I write will be enjoyed by others in the present and hopefully in the future. And while I’m here, I feel the need to thank all the writers, editors, and publishers for everything they have done for me, whether it was words of encouragement, rejections or acceptances, much needed edits and thoughtful comments, all of it has taught me something and for that I am extremely grateful.

Noir: What’s your next project and where can we stalk you?

Kasley: I am writing many stories at once that I hope to submit to different calls because I’m a freaking maniac and like to multitask. I have a wicked little novella due to come out with Sirens Call Publications in the near future and a short piece that was recently accepted by Vastarien. Who knows what else the future holds, cliché I know, but it’s true. I don’t have a Twitter (I should probably get on that I suppose) but here are some links that lead back to me and my work: Facebook and Amazon Author page.You can learn more about CHEW ON THIS! here

Chewing the Fat w/Armand

CHEW ON THIS! has been nominated for a Splatterpunk Award and I have the exclusive skinny with the authors.

Author de Jour: Armand Rosamilia

Nikki Noir: You’re featured in a food anthology, so let’s get this out of the way first: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put in your mouth—I mean weirdest thing eaten ;)

Armand Rosamilia: I am actually pretty wimpy when it comes to trying new foods. Drove my parents crazy growing up and now my wife. I don’t even eat most condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo… I once accidentally ate grilled snake and it wasn’t very pleasant.

Noir: Tell us about your story in ,Chew on This!, and what inspired it.

Rosamilia: My story is Pork Roll, Egg and Charnel, inspired by my love of pork roll. Don’t know what pork roll is? That means you’re not from New Jersey. It is a delicacy. You’ll have to go to NJ right now and try it. Available in every diner (and there are a lot of diners in NJ)

The story itself is about one man’s obsession with pork roll. I can relate.

Noir: If you were a spice/seasoning, what would it be, elaborate if you want.

Rosamilia: I was always a fan of Baby Spice. Wait… I am a big fan of lemon. I put Mrs. Dash lemon seasoning on everything. Huge fan. It is delicious. I have no idea why.

Noir: What’s the scariest real-life, food-related situation you’ve been in?

Rosamilia: I was at a diner in New Jersey (where I grew up) and they were out of pork roll. I kid you not. I was beside myself, and the nearest diner that was open that late was twenty miles away. Looking back now, I should’ve left and driven to the next diner. I will never make that mistake again!

Noir: What does literary success look like to you?

Rosamilia: I am truly blessed, because I am living the dream. This will be my ninth year writing full-time and earning a decent living doing it. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, since I was twelve. It took me into my forties to manage it, but it was worth the awful years of working retail management. Now I get to kill (in stories, of course) all those former bosses, coworkers, customers, etc.) over and over again.

Noir: If there’s one thing you want readers to know about you or the mission of your work, what would it be?

Rosamilia: I want a reader to enjoy my work, no matter the genre. I write horror, crime thrillers, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and so much more. I consider myself a pulp writer. Nothing fancy. Just want to tell a good story and keep readers involved. My goal is to keep writing stories that readers want to read.

Noir: What’s your next project and where can we stalk you?

Rosamilia: I have several books coming out in 2021. My Dirty Deeds 9 and Dirty Deeds 10 crime thrillers should be out this year. Keyport Cthulhu 3 (cowritten with Chuck Buda) as well as United States of Apocalypse 2 and 3 (cowritten with Mark Tufo) and I’ll be in a few really cool anthologies.

You can find me at https://armandrosamilia.com and I am very active on Twitter, too: @ArmandAuthor

His Amazon page is here and you can learn more about CHEW ON THIS! here

The Next Dish is Vivian Kasley

Chewing the Fat w/Chad Lutzke

CHEW ON THIS! has been nominated for a Splatterpunk Award and I have the exclusive skinny with the authors.

Author de Jour: Chad Lutzke

Nikki Noir: You’re featured in a food anthology, so let’s get this out of the way first: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put in your mouth—I mean weirdest thing eaten ;)

Chad Lutzke: When I was a teenager, my friend and I were at the store and saw a cow tongue in the meat section. We had to buy it. Not knowing a thing about how to prepare it, we just boiled it and ate it with our hands like two savages, passing the leathery thing back and forth.

Noir: Tell us about your story in ,Chew on This!, and what inspired it.

Lutzke: I don't recall anything that triggered the idea, other than remembering how exciting it was as a kid to dig through a box of cereal for the prize inside, hoping it wasn't something you already had.

Noir: If you were a spice/seasoning, what would it be, elaborate if you want.

Lutzke: Garlic, so I could hang around longer than invited. Plus, you'd call on me to keep vampires at bay, and that would make me feel special.

Noir: What’s the scariest real-life, food-related situation you’ve been in?

Lutzke: I was at the mall with a friend once, eating these licorice bites. I cracked a joke and made my friend laugh really hard, then I started laughing and sucked the thing into my throat, which blocked all air going in or out. I started panicking and pointed toward my back, trying to get him to pound my back or give me the Heimlich, but he thought I was still joking and started laughing even harder. Spoiler alert. I lived through it by coughing the thing up.

Noir: What does literary success look like to you?

Lutzke: It's changed as the years go by. What started as merely wanting a single book with a single story in it to put on the shelf has turned into several dozen books on the shelf. So, at this point success for me personally would be to make a comfortable living writing.

Noir: If there’s one thing you want readers to know about you or the mission of your work, what would it be?

Lutzke: My mission? To never be pigeon-holed. It's always been my desire to explore different dark subgenres and never stick to one thing, yet have a readership who's along for the ride.

Noir: What’s your next project and where can we stalk you?

Lutzke: I'm writing 4 books at the same time, most of which will be out this year (starting in March with SLOW BURN ON RIVERSIDE). You can do all your stalking at www.chadlutzke.com

His Amazon page is here and you can learn more about CHEW ON THIS! here

The Next Dish is Armand Rosamilia

Every Scumbag has a Story...

I cannot recommend this book enough... But it also comes with a warning.

They All Died Screaming is one of the darkest books, I’ve ever read. It’s not the violence or extreme sex earning it this title, although there is plenty of that. It’s the subject matter, and how it leaves you feeling gross and shocked that people like this exist in real life. At the same time, you can’t help but feel bad for the tragedies that turned them into what they became.

The year is 2020 and a pandemic has hit. It’s nothing like Covid-19 though. It’s called The Scream and once you get it, you can’t stop screaming. You keep howling until you go insane and die, alone or taking others with you. Things go downhill fast for society, and the story focuses on Chuck, a chronically unemployed pervert who joins a band of misfits to make his final stand during the apocalyptic plague.

Triana writes the best characters. You never know who you will meet in his stories, but they're always realistic and dynamic. In the case of They All Died Screaming, the characters are also scum in the eyes of society. Drunks, prostitutes, criminals. Not a hero in the bunch. Yet they're story is just as important as anyone else’s and deserves to be told.

There is a second story that runs parallel to the end of the world. The story of a young boy who has been kidnapped and forced to work on a farm with a demented old man. The boy grows to believe the lies the man tells him and goes along with his murderous intentions.

The pig farm crosses The Scream exposing a world full of monsters. Human monsters. What the reader comes to find is that even heroes have a dark side. That to me is the message of the novel. And Triana does an amazing job of blowing the reader's mind. The ending will have you questioning good and bad, and forcing you to think before you judge the next scumbag you see on the street. Because every scumbag has a story…

Start screaming with your copy of Triana’s newest book today

Interview with Candace Nola

Noir: Tell us a bit about Uncomfortably Dark and describe your brand of horror

Nola: Uncomfortably Dark is my brand and my mission statement of sorts. I like to bring out the most uncomfortable side of the human experience. The nightmares, the trauma, the pain and the obstacles that people must overcome in order to achieve greatness, no matter what greatness means to them, even if it means just getting through another day. There is a lot to be said for the “fun” type of horror, the zombies, the half-naked pretty girl running through the woods or monsters coming after you but it’s the darker side of life that truly makes us uncomfortable. The acts that humans can commit, day after day, behind closed doors, these are the things that readers do not wish to see but they must. In order for it to be brought to light, the darkness must be shed.

Noir: What’s your darkest fantasy? And why will you never act it out in real life? Or have you...?

Nola: Dark Fantasy......hmmm. Well, I have entertained a few of those in my head, but they are not for the ears of the sane or the young. I think that everyone has thought about hurting someone or has wished for the demise of someone that has hurt them. I know sexual fantasies are a thing that everyone has but rarely will anyone act out their darkest ones. Most people feel shame to even admit they have less than normal fantasies or fetishes, but I also think it is part of what makes us human. Often, those that have experienced the darkest side of humanity will also experience the darkest fantasies, which is perfectly normal and a well-known side effect of trauma at a young age.

Noir: What real-world situation terrifies you the most?

Nola: Not many things scare me anymore but if I had to choose one, any of my children being in danger would scare me the most as well as bring my most fierce side out. Mothers will do almost anything to protect their children, no matter their age and regardless of the danger to themselves. I am no exception to that rule.

Noir: Of all the character’s you’ve created, do you have a favorite and why?

Nola: I am very new to the writing field and only have two books to my credit so far, but the main character in Breach, named Laraya, is a favorite because she is very likable and grows into her courage and finds herself along the way as the story progresses. By the end of the story, she is much stronger and much more empowered within herself and more accepting of her past trauma.

My current work in progress is quickly becoming a favorite though. It is a story centered around the very darkest evil we can imagine, and a man named Hank Flynn is at the heart of this story. Hank is quite a character and I think by the time I finish this novel; he will be my favorite.

Noir: If there’s one thing you want readers to know about you or the mission of your work, what would it be?

Nola: My writing is my voice. I have never been a great speaker in life, having been born with a bad stutter. I hated speaking as a child and became very quiet, very introverted. I lived in books and read everything I could get my hands on. My writing became an extension of myself by the time I was eleven years old and was far more eloquent than I could ever be in real life. Even though I have mostly overcome the stutter now, I still struggle with it as an adult and my writing still carries a much stronger voice than my physical voice ever will.

As far as my mission, I want to bring people out of their comfort zone, into the dark, into the most uncomfortable situations that they can imagine. I want them to face their own fears, their most disturbing thoughts and find the courage to overcome them, both mentally and physically. Fear is in our heads, if we can find a way to overcome it on the inside, then we will be able to overcome it on the outside.

Noir: What’s your next project and where can we stalk you?

Nola: As I stated above, Hank Flynn is my current work in progress and will be a full-length novel. I hope to release that in June of this year, with two more novels and a short story collection to be released over the summer, and late fall.

You can stalk me at www.uncomfortablydark.com. I post new content every Saturday, including book reviews, new releases and author interviews. You will also find updates on my projects and some original content. You can subscribe to my newsletter over there as well by tapping the subscribe button on the home page.

I am also on instagram and twitter @cnola.author

Interview w/ Max Booth III

"I think writing is most exciting when trapped in a corner." - Max Booth III

We Need To Do Something is being adapted to the big screen, and I got the opportunity to chat with author Max Booth III about the process!

Nikki Noir: It was unique seeing a book with only one location—the bathroom—featured. What advantages did this give you in storytelling? Were there obstacles due to the limited setting?

Booth: I think writing is most exciting when trapped in a corner. Sometimes I find myself suffocating with too many options. Freedom isn’t always a good thing, especially when it comes to finishing a book. I like going into a short story or novel with a set of rules pre-established. In the case of WNTDS, the primary “rule” was that under zero circumstances would the family be allowed to escape the bathroom (except for possibly the end, which I am not going to spoil here). Knowing they would be stuck in this room for the entire book, I then started forming questions that I would have to answer on the page: How are they going to survive? How are they going to pass the time? What will they do for food and water? How will the family eventually start behaving after being trapped in the same room for such a long period of time? What really is going on outside this bathroom, and how will the family receive clues/information without physically being able to leave? Questions along those lines, and the answers became the story’s blueprint of how it would unfold.

Noir: What can you tell us about the inception of ,We Need to Do Something,? Were you scrolling through occult subreddits or did it start as a ‘trapped family’ story idea?

Booth: Definitely started with the “trapped family” concept. I live in Central Texas, where tornadoes are not exactly common, and even when we do get one it doesn’t cause much damage (at least in my experience). But, still, we live with two children, so when our phones start blasting a warning and advising local residents to take shelter, we play it safe and hang out in the bathroom for an hour or so, until the local weather announces it’s okay to resume our regular lives. It was during one of these warnings that I started trying to spook my family, asking them questions like, “What would happen if we got stuck in here?” and “How long do you think it’d take anybody to realize we were trapped?” They…did not like these questions, and told me to stop immediately. The scared reaction pretty much told me all I needed to know: this was an idea worth exploring in fiction.

The occult stuff came much later. I actually no longer remember what formed the idea to bring in those sorts of elements. I always find the occult fascinating whenever I encounter it in fiction, so I guess I wanted to try dabbling in it a little. It’s exciting!

Noir: What’s your take on magic in real life?

Booth: I am a lame person who doesn’t actually believe in anything like that. I think it’s cool to write and read about, but in real life I am very boring. It’s kinda like ghosts. I don’t believe in them, but I sure as hell would love to.

Noir: We Need to Do Something is being turned into a film. What was the process like and how did you get the book into the director’s hands?

Booth: This is where a film & TV manager comes in handy. My manager, Ryan Lewis, is responsible for getting the screenplay (which I also wrote) in front of Atlas Industries, who co-produced the movie with Spin a Black Yarn and Hantz Motion Pictures. The director, Sean King O’Grady, is the co-founder of Atlas, and we just sort of lucked out that he was hungry to direct his first narrative feature, and WNTDS happened to be very COVID-friendly, considering how small the cast is and the fact that the majority of it could be filmed in one room.

The process was great and very fun. In addition to writing the screenplay I’m also an executive producer on the picture, so I was involved in a lot of the early decision making, and was also on set for most of the shoot. I can’t wait to do it again.

Noir: The movie isn’t out yet, but are you pleased with how the material was handled? I often hear stories of authors who are unhappy with changes to the manuscript. How much say did you have in the final product? Was there anything you compromised on?

Booth: I am very pleased, yeah. I’ve heard the horror stories about book adaptations, same, but it was a little different here since I also wrote the screenplay, plus I was an exec. producer, so I had some say on how the production was handled. Of course, there were lots of compromises we all had to make, but in the end they were smart decisions to make the movie the best it could be.

Noir: Of all the characters you've created over the years, do you have a favorite and why?

Booth: Probably Isaac, from my novel The Nightly Disease. He’s the closest I’ve come to an autobiographical character. In the book, he works the night shift at a hotel and hates everything about life. When I wrote the book, I was also working the same job, and I honestly believe having the opportunity to air out my work-related stresses into fiction really saved my sanity during those long, endless nights.

Noir: What's something you want readers to know about you?

Booth: I don’t know how to whistle or blow bubbles. Please stop asking me to do these things whenever you see me on the street. I won’t be able to do it and you’ll just be disappointed.

Noir: What's your next project and where can we stalk you?

Booth: On the writing side of things, nothing in the near future. I recently quit my hotel job (after 8 years) and am doing writing/editing/publishing full-time, so hopefully I’ll have some more books written soon. I also co-run Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, which I hope to really start kicking ass with now that I have more time to focus on it. We just released ,Antioch,,, the debut novel from Jessica Leonard, and I’m really excited for people to check that out. Next up with PMMP will be ,Jurassichrist ,,from Michael Allen Rose, which we’ll release on Easter of 2021. Lots of other fun things coming next year, which you can keep track of by visiting www.PerpetualPublishing.com. My personal website is www.TalesFromTheBooth.com. I hope to start updating the blog section a little bit more going into the new year. I’m also on Twitter @GiveMeYourTeeth.

Nikki Noir is the author of the ,Black Planet ,,series. Her newest release is a dark sci-fi collaboration with S.C. Mendes. ,Algorithm of the Gods is available December 8th.

,Never miss a review, interview, or free story again! Connect with me on my newsletter.

We Need To Do Something by Max Booth III

We Need To Do Something is the perfect holiday horror book, because between Nov. 26th and Dec. 26th, most of us are going to find ourselves trapped with family members in close quarters. Hopefully, your holiday gatherings don’t spiral into the feverish nightmare from this novella.

I read the book in three nights—as a busy woman, three nights is fast for me, lol—and it’s because the suspense was well paced. There were only a few places where the book dragged, but I kept turning the Kindle page because I wanted to solve the mystery: What did Mel and Amy do just before the tornado hit?

The book opens with Mel rushing home from Amy's during a tornado warning. Her mom, brother and dad—who is drunk—are waiting for her, and they all hide in the master bathroom to wait out the storm. The reader can tell something is wrong with Mel beyond the fear of the storm. She's picking at a fresh wound on her arm and internally freaking about her girlfriend and ‘something’ they just did. Something that could ruin everything...

As the storm rips through Texas, a large tree caves in the house’s roof and lands in front of the bathroom door, barring their escape. Thank God, it's the master bathroom and they have a little space to spread out! As the hours tick by, the drama and problems of the family play out. We learn secrets the mom is hiding, the abusive past of the father, as well as what type of mischief Mel and Amy have been dabbling in.

My favorite thing about this story is that Max Booth takes a single location and makes it suspenseful. Think of the movie Buried or Devil. Most everything is limited to one location in those films. Booth does something similar, using a compelling story to take you on a journey even though you’re stuck in a bathroom with a family of four.

I went into this read knowing very little about the book, and it took a drastically different direction than I anticipated. I am happily surprised. I thought this might be a survival horror/drama, where it's family vs. cruel nature. However, there is a supernatural angle to the events that I enjoyed. I won’t speak more on that here otherwise it might ruin the twist.

Be warned, the younger brother Bobby is a bit on the annoying side. I don’t want to compare him to the boy in The Babadook…but maybe. Also, he is obsessed with butts and pee. I missed how old the kid was, maybe around six. However, many elementary-age kids have fascinations with bodily functions. In that regard, it’s very accurate to life.

Speaking of bathroom humor, I read Carnivorous Luna Activities, and like that story, We Need to Do Something is dialogue driven. Some of the back and forth dialogue seemed superfluous, but overall, I liked the way characters speak to each other. It was a good representation of how a family would probably bicker and swing between emotions of love and anger in an extreme situation such as this. A lot like the young brother and the butt jokes, it may not appeal to everyone, but it mirrors real life and that’s important to capture in a story.

That ending though! It was the type of ending that makes me pause and question if I liked it. I think a part of me wanted something else, but I did like how it finished, and it was the ending the story needed.

How about you, did you like the ending?

If you haven’t read this one, you need to do something about that!

I recommend you Check out a copy here

Nikki Noir is the author of the Black Planet series. Her newest release is a dark sci-fi collaboration with S.C. Mendes. Algorithm of the Gods is available December 8th.

Never miss a review, interview, or free story again! Connect with me on my newsletter.

Surprise! It's a new book...

S.C. Mendes and myself are excited—and just a little sad—to announce the release of our collaborative novelette Algorithm of the Gods on Dec. 8th! It’s a fast- paced, dark sci-fi thriller about virtual reality and the black market.

Why are we a little sad?

Our original plan was to release The Lockdown on this date. Unfortunately, not much has gone as planned in 2020. No matter what you believe about the pandemic itself, the path society took had drastic effects on some people, industries, and states more than others. We happen to fall into the camp of those who had their lives and day jobs completely altered. As a result, we were unable to complete The Lockdown. We’ll continue to work on the manuscript though, and when the time is right…you’re in for a treat!

Our readers are so awesome about leaving reviews and supporting us, that we couldn’t just cancel a book on them without having something to replace it. Enter Algorithm of the Gods. It's noir. It’s dark sci-fi. It’s got a kickass lady in it. And I am very proud to have had a small hand in creating it.

If you pre-ordered The Lockdown, you will now receive Algorithm of the Gods in its place. If you’re a fan of straight forward horror only, I understand returning the Kindle order. However, we hope you give this one a try, especially if you’re a fan of The City.

You can also catch both of us in Robert Essig's anthology Chew on This!

I’ll put these details out in my newsletter as well. If you’re not subscribed, please do because you don’t want to miss future announcements.

- Nikki

Start the first book in my occult thriller for FREE on Amazon

Body Art: A Second Screening...

“We’re already seen as scum, as monsters. So we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.” - Rutger Malone

Body Art remains my favorite Kristopher Triana book and I think I know why. When I finished the Director’s Cut—with the never-before-seen epilogue—I noticed that Rutger Malone’s description of the porn industry has striking similarities to the world of extreme horror. At least in my mind.

I’m not saying extreme authors are porn stars, but there’s definitely a stigma still. Even mainstream horror authors don’t always get a literary pass. If you had to pick a genre that was the black sheep of fiction, it would be horror. There’s been people who were originally supportive of my being an author only to become quite shocked and unsupportive after they learned some of my books belonged behind a beaded curtain with a warning label.

Right there, I already feel a little kinship with Rutger, Kandi, and Jessica of Body Art—though I’m not about to do a scene with them ever! The connection increases as the novel describes how the porn industry changed over time. It’s evolution seems to mirror extreme horror's history.

In the golden age of horror, brick and mortar stores had large sections of shelf space dedicated to the genre, and big names were able to slip extreme nuggets into stories with minimal pushback. Stephen King has child sex scenes in IT; The Long Walk is basically a novel of graphically killing teenagers (my review here). And he’s only one author in a long list from Clive Barker to Anne Rice featuring explicit manuscripts.

Despite the revolting nature of the subject matter, there is an art to writing these extreme scenes. You must be masterful in their delivery. There should be a reason for the gore and sex, characters we can root for, and a message that shows us something about ourselves, even if it’s something we’d rather hide.

In the Golden Age of Porn, Rutger and Kandi were masters. The acting and film production were good—well, they were at least decent, lol. There was a plot and settings that hoped to stimulate the mind.

“Good porn isn’t just about simple stimulation. You can get that at any titty bar. Quality adult films are about the music of the flesh, the art of the body. They have buildups that make you anticipate the action. Not like now. The actors barely say hello before they start boning. There’s no character, no chemistry. People forget that the mind is the strongest erogenous zone.” – Rutger Malone

Now adays, any frat boy with an iPhone and a couch can make a porno.

By many metrics, it could be argued that horror has declined since the early 2000s. Similar to the iPhone, print on demand companies have made it possible for anybody with a computer to crank out an extreme horror book. While it’s great that widespread access is available, such saturation can change how the genre is viewed. Scroll through Amazon and behind the flashy horror covers are a lot of no-talent BJ scenes on a couch.

It gets to a point that to be noticed, you have to break the mold somehow. But it takes more than just writing the most messed-up book to be crowned the King or Queen of Extreme.

“The amateurs have stolen our art from us. They’ve taken our rightful paychecks away. So, we turn to the black market. We do what the amateurs can’t. We break the mold once again, Kandi, and in doing so, we become immortal.” - Rutger Malone

Authors like Kristopher Triana seem to be like Rutger Malone and Kandi. They maintain a high-level of literary craft and add in the extreme, attempting to create a symphony of splatter, a revolting yet highly-moving story, that gets inside you and changes you. A blend of mainstream with extreme. That’s why Body Art is my favorite Triana book, because it’s the story of walking the line, of creating powerful art, but without succumbing to the pitfalls of the industry. Something that Jessica was unable to do in Body Art.

Porn can be a slippery slope that may negatively affect aspects of mental health if you’re not careful. Horror can be the same way. When authors push to create monsters on the page and describe the next revolting act, we have to be sure not to allow our thoughts to become too monstrous.

The masters of extreme horror may not even like the label 'extreme' because we are true authors and we strive for genius, not cheap fuck films. We do it by digging into the worst parts of society and human condition, then share the story, not just to shock you, but to arouse the mind. To take you into the darkness, expose you to the danger, and finally take you safely back to the beauty with an artful plot, writing style, and message.

If you don’t have those things in your story, you're just an amateur.

That's why I connect with this book, and if you haven't checked out Body Art yet, the Director's cut includes a short story fro Triana, Intro from John McNee and a never-before-seen epilogue. The original is out of print, but you can find a copy here while supplies last.

And if you’d like to see my style of extreme horror, Corpsepaint & Rabbithole is free here. It's a great way to see if you'll enjoy my full Black Planet series without spending any money up front.

My next short story appearance will be in Chew On This! from Robert Essig. This anthology also features Kristopher Triana and other extreme authors who are anything but amateur.