Eric Butler's Blog, page 5

The Surrogate available Super Sunday

My next Extreme Horror Story, The Surrogate, will be out this Sunday on Godless and up for Pre-order over at Amazon. I'll have links on the next post. This is a smidge longer than Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny, but still a quick, fun, and gory read.

The eBook will be under a buck at Godless.com , and available for $1.99 at Amazon. There will be a paperback also for $5.99. The audiobook will be available soon after, and as always, Micah Cottingham knocks it out of the park. She's the perfect voice for my twisted tales.

PS5 and shell out for PlayStation Plus, you can get Evil Dead: The Game for free. I'm really excited about this since I'm cheap enough to not buy it when it came out but not so cheap I don't get this service every year (FYI, if you go to CDKeys.com you can get many codes for cheaper than straight up purchases)

I haven't played it yet, but hope to share that this game is as awesome as the movies. Fingers crossed.

Blurb - Step into the shoes of Ash Williams or his friends from the iconic Evil Dead franchise and work together in a game loaded with over-the-top co-op and PVP multiplayer action! Play as a team of four survivors, exploring, looting, managing your fear, and finding key items to seal the breach between worlds in a game inspired by all three original Evil Dead films as well as the Starz original Ash vs Evil Dead television series.

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Published on February 10, 2023 05:33

Some new movies to HULU

It's a new month, and that means new movies coming to your favorite streaming services.

I wanted to share 3 I noticed popped up on HULU.

First up is an animated Syfy action adventure called MFKZ.

Blurb: In Dark Meat City, a young man develops supernatural powers after an otherwise uneventful scooter accident.

https://youtu.be/k1Qor3xMfW0

Next up is the film Joe starring Nicolas Cage. This is Tye Sheridan's 3rd movie and you can see the talent he possessed at an early age.

Blurb: An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.

https://youtu.be/QbWjxlhmlu0

Last up is Jeeper's Creepers Reborn. I'm a huge fan of the original, but I haven't watched this one yet. I was excited to see it pop up on a service I have. I've been pretty swamped with projects, but I'm hoping to carve out a couple of hours to check it out.

Blurb: Forced to travel with her boyfriend, Laine begins to experience premonitions associated with the urban myth of The Creeper. She believes that something supernatural has been summoned - and that she is at the center of it all.

https://youtu.be/6D0yFgZnmYM

This Wednesday, we discuss Cycle of the Werewolf and Silver Bullet. Head over to the page and subscribe to get the reminder. Click here: ,YouTube.

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Published on February 06, 2023 05:30

Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny is now on Amazon and an interview I did for JD Allen

My newest Extreme Horror short is now available on Amazon. Watch the Book Trailer and then head over to Godless or Amazon and check it out.

https://youtu.be/TKc9SHdUjC0

Godless: ,Click Here

Amazon: ,Click Here

Audibles - coming soon

In case you missed it, I did an interview on J D Allen's Facebook page. You should give him a follow and check out his novella, THEY’RE COMING TO GET YOU, BARBARA!

SKULL TO SKULL – CRANIUM # 7J.D. ALLEN INTERVIEWS ERIC BUTLER

JDA - The life of a writer can be filled with unexpected plot twists and misadventures. Tell us some of the highlights in your life story.

EB – The 2 biggest highlights were meeting my wife in college, and the birth of my son. Although the road to meeting my wife was full of twists and turns. My father was in the Army twice, which led to me being born in Germany and returning a second time when I was 4. It was here that my family became close to another family stationed in the same building complex. It was here I met the people I consider my brother and sister. They are still a big part of my life, 40+ years later. My parents divorced when I was heading to Middle School. My mom remarried – to another Army guy – and we moved to Panama for my Junior Year in High School. After 1 year there, I was able to move to Texas to stay with the family we met in Germany (like I said they’ve always been a big part of my life). I graduated from High School and then after a year or so of working and getting my basic classes out of the way at the local Community College, I went to The University of Texas in Arlington. It was here I met my wife, and the rest is history. I wouldn’t have ever pursued my writing without her support and encouragement.

JDA - Since storytelling can often be as difficult as extracting brain cells from the frontal lobe and making them live on a page, what compels you to write?

EB – I always used writing to stretch my creative legs, but the stories were always just for me and a few close friends. It never occurred to me to pursue it as anything else. As life got more complicated, and work responsibilities piled up, I stopped writing for the most part. Instead, I would jot down ideas and fragments of stories, thinking one day I might get a chance to flesh them out. Once or twice a year, I experienced an overwhelming need to get some words down, but often life would get in the way. My son was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2015, and in 2019 I stepped away from my job to stay at home to help him get through High School. He no longer could go to school, and we found a good online program. It was during this time that I dove in to writing with the expectation of sharing it with others.

JDA - Who or what influences your storytelling?

EB – If we’re talking writers, I think the 2 biggest influences are Richard Laymon and Robert Jordan. When I first discovered laymen, he just clicked something on in my head. It was a true “a-ha” moment. I’ve always loved Jordan’s style, and the way he lets us peak inside his character’s heads while having those characters tell the story through their point of view.

JDA - Do you have any writing rituals or routines? Any tips for aspiring writers?

EB – I would suggest just writing, if not every day, then as many days as you can during the week. Set realistic word/chapter/page goals and build off of your success. Don’t forget to make time for editing, but don’t always try to edit while you are writing. You can always go back and fix something, and I’ve had whole days wasted because I let editing get in the way of putting words on paper. It’s not going to be perfect the first time. The first time is for getting it down.

JDA – Your debut novel, THE SHADOW WITHIN, is considered an extreme horror tale. What can you tell us about this story without giving any spoilers?

EB – It’s what I like to call a love letter to laymen. The main story is about Jill who is going on an extended vacation with her boyfriend for the first time. The catch is his children, who are older, will be going as well. At the same time, a man returns home with the need to create nothing but bloody mayhem. Too bad for Jill, it’s at the same time.

JDA – THE SINS OF THE PAST (THE EPHRAIM GODWIN CHRONICLES) has been called a Lovecraftian tale set in the world of Victorian era spiritualists. What can readers expect from this tale, and will the saga continue as indicated?

EB – I didn’t write this one to be as extreme in nature as my other works as my wife isn’t a fan of horror and I wanted something for her to read. It’s very Lovecraft meets Sherlock Holmes but with a definite supernatural vibe throughout. Its very character driven, and I have at least 2 more books in mind with the series. The plan is for the second one to be out before 2023 ends.

JDA - Arguably one of your most successful and critically acclaimed stories is THE POPE LICK MASSACRE, another extreme horror novel. For what should readers brace themselves when picking up this dark tale?

EB – I wrote Pope Lick to come across as frantic, and a bit scattered. I wanted the tension to flow throughout and I feel like it does a good job of ramping up as the reader turns the pages. It’s a fun and bloody creature feature.

JDA – With five publications set on a timeframe spanning over a century, you’ve created a town (and Magnum Opus) from THE DONN, TX COLLECTION. It’s a town with a dark and sordid history told over many creepy and foreboding interconnected stories. What inspired this epic web of tales, and can readers expect to make another trip to this brooding burg via new stories in the future?

EB - I originally planned for every year to be shorter tales. You can see this with 1969 and 1865. The plan was to release them as eBooks until there were enough pages to fill a paperback collection. I was able to follow this blueprint for the first 4 years: 1952, 1969, 1865, and 1926. They comprised the Vol 1 collection. However, 1926 started a trend of the next story being much longer than the year before. I decided to release 2002 and 1978 as their own paperback, and I believe the next one I release will also be long enough to release that way. The fun part about reading, and writing, Donn, TX is each story is self-contained but also builds on the overall mythology of the town. You can read them in any order. I decided to skip around by year to keep the world fresh and fun for me, and hopefully, that comes through to the reader. I have plans for at least 1 more in 2023, but I have outlined 6 or 7 more stories for the future.

JDA – When scratch & sniff books become a routine thing, I can think of no title more deserving of an edition than your novella KISS ME WHERE IT SMELLS FUNNY, lol. But that title is somewhat misleading. This is a tale about a beast of urban legend, not misplaced affections. Available exclusively at Godless, what can readers expect from this story?

EB – They can expect a bloody good time within a quick read. The story is the first in a series of one-shots I’m releasing on Godless throughout the year. The next will be out February 12th. After a month, I will also put them up on Amazon.

JDA - What kind of plot twists can fans of Eric Butler expect from the upcoming chapters of your life?

EB – The biggest plot twists will be me showing up to events. I’m more of a homebody, and really not someone who likes going to things. I am going to Scares That Care 2, Texas Author Con 2, and Killer Con this year. Other than that, I hope to keep pumping out entertaining and fun books of horror.

JDA - Thank you, Eric, for allowing me to metaphorically x-ray the ole cranium to expose the brain of a published author to readers, fans, and aspiring writers. I look forward to whatever that brain of yours comes up with next.

EB – Thanks for the opportunity. I appreciate it.

JDA - Eric Butler’s books can be found on Godless and Amazon.

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Published on February 03, 2023 05:36

My case for being team Jason

I'm finishing up the manuscript for my February 12th release, and since I'd love to get more eyes on this article I wrote for a now defunct web-magazine from last year, I'm going to share it one more time ...

Team Michael vs Team Jason

I was asked the other day what my favorite franchise was between Friday the 13th and Halloween. There is no hesitation for me when presented with this question. It’s always been Friday the 13th. Now this isn’t to say I dislike Halloween or Michael Myers in anyway, but they don’t hold a candle to the Voorhees franchise. Growing up as a latch-key kid in the 80’s & 90’s, I survived on a steady diet of horror movies on cable and VHS. Often that meant one of three Friday the 13th movies: Part 3, Part 4, or Part 6. Rarely did I reach for a Halloween film. In fact, I often only saw Halloween in the theater and then never again. There wasn’t anything there to draw me in, to pique my interest in the franchise. Halloween is one note, and while you might argue the Friday the 13th franchise is the same, you’d be wrong. To demonstrate the difference, we can divide the Friday the 13th movies into a few different collections. First up we have the original, Friday the 13th. By now many people know Sean S Cunningham was just trying to capitalize on the success of Halloween by copying the format of a holiday-based slasher horror film. So, points to Halloween for being the spark, but the two movies are vastly different.

Friday the 13th tells the story of a young boy who drowned while the counselors who were supposed to watch him, snuck off to have sex. The camp closed down, but years later is looking to reopen. Pamela Voorhees is determined to stop it by killing everyone involved. It has a nice structure, and some cutting-edge kills. The movie is very entertaining and ends with a great jump-scare/dream sequence gag.

While the first Friday the 13th is by itself, we can group Friday the 13th Part 2 & Part 3D together under the heading Friday the 13th: The Steve Miner years. In Part 2 we discover that not only did Jason not drown all those years ago, but he is a grown man – a grown man with his mother’s head on a shrine. He decides to follow in his mother’s footsteps and goes to kill all the camp counselors who’ve shown up to open Camp Crystal Lake. Part 2 does have a major plot issue, but once you accept that Jason is alive and well, it’s easy enough to ignore. My introduction to horror and the franchise was catching the end of this movie streaming on TMC (The Movie Channel) when I was around 7-years-old. It scared the hell out of me but burned into my soul an unending love of the genre.

Part III, in 3D, and not the super 3D we got in the 2000s, but the really crappy red and blue lens, gave us the iconic look of Jason. They replaced the sack mask with the hocky mask. Once he pulled the machete from his shoulder, his look is complete. This movie is fun and full of crazy kills trying to take advantage of 3D. Since Milner directs them both, they have a similar look and feel.

The next three films can be put under the heading, Friday the 13th: The Tommy Jarvis Trilogy. Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter is supposed to be just that, the end of the Friday the 13th franchise. It picks up right were Part III left off but more importantly introduces us to the Jarvis family. While the movie takes place by Crystal Lake, it focuses on a group of friends staying near the Jarvis household. The movie ends with Tommy, played by Corey Feldman, killing Jason. So, franchise over, right?

Not so fast. Friday the 13th V: A New Beginning is released less than a year after The Final Chapter. This film shows us an older Tommy, and he’s not doing well. He’s been committed to a mental health facility because he’s haunted by Jason and the events of Part IV. We know Jason is dead, but everyone is shocked when he shows up and starts killing other patients and doctors. In the end, we learn it’s just a copycat, but it solidifies Tommy’s resolve to make sure Jason is truly dead.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is possibly my favorite of the franchise. It was when I was a kid and into my teen years. After rewatching it recently, I think it was so popular overall because of the director’s approach to the film. He embraced the need for the audience to suspend their belief for the movie to work. He does all this with well-placed humor, a touch of sexual tension, and the idea that Jason is much more now than he ever was in the previous films. This movie ends the Tommy Jarvis connection but leaves us with a more powerful and seemingly unkillable Jason Voorhees.

The next three films could be placed under the Supernatural Jason Voorhees or the beginning of the end for the franchise at Paramount. While Jason is dormant, and at the bottom of Crystal Lake, he is not dead. Enter his next nemesis, Tina Shepard, in Friday the 13th: The New Blood. The catch here is Tina has telekinetic powers so she can match Jason toe-to-toe. He once again returns to the lake after killing just about everyone around.

Jason is reawakened in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. And while the idea of Jason walking around New York City is silly, it adds a new dimension to the movies by giving us a new backdrop. This is the final film by Paramount within this version of the franchise and ends with Jason getting washed away by toxic sewage.

The final film in this supernatural Jason phase could also be the beginning of the New Line Cinema phase, since they finally were able to buy the rights to the character after Jason Takes Manhattan fell flat. While they were able to get the rights to Jason, they did not get the right to use Friday the 13th in the titles. Enter Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Jason is resurrected and finds the FBI hunting him around Crystal Lake. This one is filled with a ton of supernatural themes and ends with Jason being dragged back to hell. It felt like the end of the franchise. But 8 years later, New Line Cinema decided to give it another go and made Jason X.

Jason X is set in the future and shows us what happens when you wake up a supernatural demon in space. The movie is fun and gives us an interesting what-if kind of story. It expands the franchise into a more science fiction realm, while staying true to the franchise’s slasher roots.

Two years later, New Line Cinema finally does what everyone was hoping for in the 80s, and pit their original slasher, Freddy Krueger, against Jason Voorhees. While I imagined this movie would be a waste of time, I watched it for the first time a few months back and found it a perfect mix of the 2 franchises. Freddy vs Jason is filled with great kills and humorous dialogue. It shows off both characters and gives us idea of what it might be like when these titans of horror face off.

In 2009, New Line Cinema and Paramount team up to produce a reboot of the franchise. Friday the 13th is a mash-up of the original 2 movies and does a much better job explaining how Jason is alive. I love this movie. It takes all the fun of the early movies but increases the brutality and violence to match movies coming out around this time. The Jason in this version is smarter, more cunning, and way more frightening. Just going over the franchise’s filmography shows just how diverse and interesting the Friday the 13th movies are compared to the one-note you get from the Halloween franchise. Other than Season of the Witch, you don’t get any real variety with the Halloween movies. Even the creators of the newest Halloween movies agree as they choose to simply ignore everything after the first one. Friday the 13th offers you more laughs, more variety, and more horror over its twelve movies.

Tell me in the comments what's your favorite Friday the 13th.

*originally published in HOS Halloween issue 2022

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Published on January 30, 2023 05:33

Whoops

The wife was off this week, so I got my days mixed up. This new schedule is supposed to make life easier, lol. I've been working hard on the next release for Godless, and getting Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny over to Amazon - it will be available on eBook, Paperback, and audio.

I'll have more info on the new one soon. I hope everyone has a great weekend, and Go Niners!

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Published on January 27, 2023 22:26

Splatterpunk Awards help

If you are so inclined to help an indie horror writer out ... I would be grateful.

The nominations for Splatterpunk Awards are now open through the 29th. If you are interested in nominating any of my works, I've made an easy list to cut and paste from. Also, you can vote for any of the collections under anthologies. You have to email your choices to splatterpunkawards@gmail.com

In the subject line, please put Splatterpunk Award Nominations for 2022.

Novel:Donn, TX 2002

Novella:Donn, TX 1978

Short Story:Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny By Eric Butler

"In Search of the Blue Footed Booby by Eric Butler" - The Horror Collection #13“The Best of Friends” by Eric Butler - No Anesthetic 2"El Muerto" By Eric Butler - Trapped"The Princess of Pope Lick" by Eric Butler - Cyptid Carnage

If you vote for only 1 think on my list, I'd love to see Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny on the nominations list. It would be a nice boost.

I also wanted to tell you about ,PC3 Horror . Here's what it is in the author's own words:

PC3 Horror

Home of PC3's Horror and Exploitation Movie Scale of Awesomeness--PHEMSA--a 100-point rating system that conveys where a film kills it and where it falls flat. Also, expect updates on the wonderfully depraved horror fiction by Patrick C. Harrison III!

It comes to your email, and I've enjoyed the range of movies he's selected so far. There are some well known flicks, but also some deep cuts. It's a great follow.

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Published on January 23, 2023 05:37

2022 was great, looking to make 2023 greater

I released 2 more chapters of the Donn, TX saga, a "short" story released on Godless, and had 4 stories released in amazing Anthologies. Links below for you to check out in ebook, paperback, and in some cases, audiobook.

,Donn, TX 2002

,Donn, TX 1978

,Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny

,No Anesthetic 2 - "The Best of Friends"

,Cryptid Carnage - "The Pope Lick Princess"

,The Horror Collection Sapphire Edition - "The Search for the Blue Footed Booby"

I stepped out of my comfort zone and participated in Drew's amazing Godless reads project. He had me close out the 1st season with my short story "The Best of Friends". I was coming off Covid but I think it came out pretty cool. Drew's added special effects to really make it pop. You can listen to it on YouTube: ,Godless Reads. If you do head over, please click the like button.

I also participated in my first live convention event with the Texas Author Con. It was a great experience, and I'm heading back to the 2nd event this July. I'll have more info as we grow closer.

I am also heading to VA to participate in Scares That Care 2: Author Con 2. I'm excited to meet all the amazing writers and readers who head to this event.

I'm also planning on heading down to Killer Con in Austin to hang out with all my fellow extreme horror writers. That event is usually in August, so I assume it will be again this year as well.

While planning for these events, I also have plans to release a few new books and collectibles. As I get closer to completion, I'll share the particulars. That said I am working on the next Godless release for Feb 12th. I'm also looking to release Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny on Amazon as a small paperback and ebook. I'm working on a loose sequel to Pope Lick Massacre and hope to have that out before Scares. Finally, I also plan on at least 1 more Donn, TX story.

This doesn't included some other projects where I will be providing stories throughout the year. As they get closer to release, I will be sure to share.

2023 is going to be big and I want to say thanks for coming along for the ride.

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Published on January 16, 2023 05:33

Move over Halloween, Horror's true holiday is here, Friday the 13th

I wrote an article for a now defunct publication* and today is a perfect day to break it out ...

It goes without saying, but there are spoilers ahead.