James Dorr's Blog, page 197

Holiday Horror On Halloween Sale; Another Great Review for The Tears Of Isis

One week and counting ‘til Halloween and Untreed Reads Publishing has announced a celebratory sale through the end of October, including selected full-length titles for $2.99.  My bird in this bush is a story, “Appointment in Time,” which is the lead-off selection in YEAR’S END:  14 TALES OF HOLIDAY HORROR.  “Join 14 horror authors as they reveal the dark side of our end-of-year celebrations.  This anthology of a holiday gone horrifyingly wrong contains stories by James S. Dorr, Richard Godwin, Nicky Peacock, John Stewart Wynne, Steve Shrott, Leah Givens, George Seaton, Kathryn Ohnaka, Jeremy K. Tyler, Betsy Miller, Byron Barton, Steve Bartholomew, Ali Maloney and Foxglove Lee.”  Granted it’s aimed toward the end of the year, but the chills are good for the entire Halloween to New Year’s Day holiday season.  Moreover, while it can be ordered through Untreed Reads’s store, the sale price is offered at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple’s iBookstore as well.  For more information, press the link here.

Also, though exclusively at the Untreed Reads site, all stand-alone short story titles are being offered at $0.50 each, including two by me, I’M DREAMING OF A. . ., an also holiday-themed chiller but this time for Christmas, and VANITAS (a third Untreed Reads title by me, the novelette PEDS, remains priced at $1.50).  For more info or ordering on these, press here.  (Hint:  once there, don’t look for books through categories, but enter “James Dorr,” or other author or title of choice, directly in the “Enter keyword here” box on the upper left).

“And here is a read for you just in time for Halloween.”  So begins Christine Rains’s blog for today which is featuring THE TEARS OF ISIS, including a blurb, a bio of me, and a very nice review by Christine.  “A well written collection of short stories to chill you to your core.“  To read the whole review click here, but a word in the interest of full disclosure.  Christine is a member of my writer’s group and a personal friend and, just to be completely honest, in the review which also appears on Amazon’s page for THE TEARS OF ISIS she gives it only 4 stars out of 5 .

Nightmare Stalkers & Dream Walkers Rolls Out on Lulu

“Welcome to the dreaded night realm . . . lingering just beneath your eyelids, where the hellish things borne of fear eagerly await your arrival.  Prepare to be whiplashed to the darkest regions of 32 wicked minds, and forced to stare into their collective abyss.  This world is chock-full of the stuff dreams are made of, but more than likely, if you find yourself in the minds of one of these authors, you’ll awaken to a nightmare.  This fear you’re experiencing is like a virus, it will spread to every inch of your body, sending not only a chill down your spine but reaching into the very depths of your soul. . . .  You’ll journey to the darkest corners of these author’s minds, as you confront the living, breathing entity that is fear.”

So reads the rollout of Horrified Press’s NIGHTMARE STALKERS & DREAM WALKERS (cf. September 23, 20, et al.) on Lulu, edited by Suzie Lockhart and Bruce Lockhart 2nd.  What more can one say?  My dozer in this dormitory is a tale called “Flesh,” about . . . well . . . flesh and why, in a dream, a man is told that he needs to have more of it.  On his body, that is — he needs to get fat.

To find out more, a print copy of  NIGHTMARE STALKERS & DREAM WALKERS can be obtained by clicking here while, for an electronic edition, click here.

Electronic Splatterlands Available Now (Print Edition to Follow); New 5-Star Review for The Tears of Isis

Walking home from the library across a wooded part of the university campus I found myself greeted by the cawing of crows which, hereabouts, is a true sign of fall.  Crisp air.  Football.  And Halloween coming!  So it’s an appropriate thing as well that various horror books are being released these next few weeks.

The one today is Grey Matter Press’s anthology SPLATTERLANDS (cf. October 12, September 17, et al.), but only exclusively on Kindle on Amazon for the time being.  “After many long months, our collection of personal, intelligent and subversive horror with a point that seeks to return to the essence of the original Splatterpunk movement has arrived.  Going beyond simply gore for the sake of gore, we introduce to you, SPLATTERLANDS.”  It is my understanding that a print edition will be out at a later date, for which keep posted.

My tale in this is called “The Artist” and is what I would consider a noir crime story.  For more detail, including a table of contents with story-by-story synopses and information on Grey Matter Press’s special “Read ‘Til You Drop Sweepstakes,” readers can press here, or to order the book directly press here.  Grey Matter Press also invites people to check out its Facebook page by pressing here.

Also today, there’s a new 5-star review of  THE TEARS OF ISIS on Amazon, courtesy of horror writer Dustin LaValley, for which I have the deepest appreciation.  Praise by one’s peers is always the greatest!  To see for oneself one need only click here.

Electronic Splatterlands On Sale Now (Print Edition to Follow); New 5-Star Review for The Tears of Isis

Walking home from the library across a wooded part of the university campus I found myself greeted by the cawing of crows which, hereabouts, is a true sign of fall.  Crisp air.  Football.  And Halloween coming!  So it’s an appropriate thing as well that various horror books are being released these next few weeks.

The one today is Grey Matter Press’s anthology SPLATTERLANDS (cf. October 12, September 17, et al.), but only exclusively on Kindle on Amazon for the time being.  “After many long months, our collection of personal, intelligent and subversive horror with a point that seeks to return to the essence of the original Splatterpunk movement has arrived.  Going beyond simply gore for the sake of gore, we introduce to you, SPLATTERLANDS.”  It is my understanding that a print edition will be out at a later date, for which keep posted.

My tale in this is called “The Artist” and is what I would consider a noir crime story.  For more detail, including a table of contents with story-by-story synopses and information on Grey Matter Press’s special “Read ‘Til You Drop Sweepstakes,” readers can press here, or to order the book directly press here.  Grey Matter Press also invites people to check out its Facebook page by pressing here.

Also today, there’s a new 5-star review of  THE TEARS OF ISIS on Amazon, courtesy of horror writer Dustin LaValley, for which I have the deepest appreciation.  Praise by one’s peers is always the greatest!  To see for oneself one need only click here.

The Tears of Isis Spotlighted Today in Kate Hill’s Haunted Library; Dark Bits Now Available as 2014 “Weekly Planner”

Today is the day for our visitor’s pass to Kate Hill’s HAUNTED LIBRARY, a collection of profiles of books each day of October until Halloween.  Once in the door, we can peruse all the authors in the Paranormal Section by clicking here or, cutting specifically to not just THE TEARS OF ISIS but my recommendations for the best classic horror novel and movie here — aside, of course, from the stories in my own book.  And while we’re about it, we can also visit librarian Kate’s blog, specific for today, the 21st, by pressing here.  Find out “what’s the sexiest paranormal creature” — as if you don’t already know what I’ll say.  But as if even that weren’t enough, there’s also Kate’s original interview of me on August 13, still findable by pressing here.

For a second item, we may remember DARK BITS (cf. September 20, et al.) the 52 story plus one extra flash horror fiction anthology from Apokrupha.com.  Now in addition to paperback, hardback, and various electronic editions, Lulu is offering it as a spiral bound weekly planner for 2014.  “Each story now fits on one page, with the facing page being the week planner. The Lulu preview lets you see the first few stories and calendar layout.”  Or as the announcement further states, “52 weeks, 52 tales.  Short, but not sweet, they move quick to grab you.”  And, need I add, I have an offering in this oubliette too, a tale of intrigue and those perhaps not dead enough called “The Third Prisoner.”

So how will your New Year be?  To help plan it out now, check Lulu by pressing here or, to compare that with other formats, Apokrupha’s site for DARK BITS is here.

Surrender the Sasquatch Received Today

“SURRENDER THE SASQUATCH AND NO ONE GETS HURT is the seventh installment of PROSPECTIVE,” the back cover blurb begins.  “Continuing the tradition of blending poetry and fiction with cryptozoology, many of the pieces explore the animalistic traits of man, and a return to the freedom of nature, whether it is retreating to the woods or accepting one’s true self.”   And there it was, adventuring itself to my mailbox this morning, the latest issue of  PROSPECTIVE:  A JOURNAL OF SPECULATION (see August 22, et al.), noted for its quirky past issues on Angels and Sirens and Cthulhu Love Stories, and other such exotic fare.  This issue has one poem of mine called “A Slice of Cheese,” having to do with a family picnic in the forest — and what was found afterward.

Edited by Lauren Stone, PROSPECTIVE:  A JOURNAL OF SPECULATION is published by Loyal Stone Press and sometimes issues seem hard to find.  For this one, however, as well as guidelines for their winter issue (on the subject of “A Tradition as Old as Kwanzaa”), one need but press here.

Andromeda’s Offspring Vol. 1 Release Date Set for November 9; Other Unveilings Scheduled for this Site in Halloween Run-Up

A spot of illness slowed things a little, but the announcement came yesterday that publisher Fringeworks Ltd. has set a  release date for ANDROMEDA’S OFFSPRING, VOLUME 1.  This is the anthology,  not the British fanzine of the same name (though both are edited by Theresa Derwin), for stories featuring “classic SF tropes (alien species, space opera, time travel, etc.) with strong female protagonists.”  My offering in this one is another reprint (so okay, I don’t write that much straight science fiction these days) called “Golden Age,” and was originally published by physicist/author Catherine Asaro, herself an example of a positive female science fiction role model, in the Spring 1994 issue of  MINDSPARKS.

So for those who’ll be in England three weeks from this Saturday, in the editor’s words, “I have booked a launch slot for AO Vol 1 on Sat 9th Nov at 16:30 pm in the downstairs bar of the Park Inn Hotel Nottingham UK as part of Novacon.”

For me it’s been a busy month right here in the US, especially with Halloween around the corner.  In fact I have two more interviews in the “to do” folder right now (finished the greater part of one just a half hour ago), although these will most likely not be used until November.  But to give a quick preview of what’s up for me in the run-up to Halloween — only two weeks from today! — on the coming Monday, October 21, Kate Hill will hold a “Halloween Promo” for me in her HAUNTED LIBRARY; three days later on the 24th (that’s one week from today), author, friend, and fellow writers’ group member Christine Rains will offer a new review of THE TEARS OF ISIS on her CHRISTINERAINS-WRITER blog; and on the Monday after that, on October 28, Cassie Carnage is scheduled to interview me on CASSIE’S HOUSE OF HORROR.

See you all then?

Miseria’s Chorale Contents Updated, Submissions Extend to Oct. 30

Forgotten Tomb Press has released a current list of stories accepted for MISERIA’S CHORALE (cf. June 11), as well as extended the deadline for submissions to October 30.  Edited by David Nell, “MISERIA’S CHORALE  is a planned anthology of horror short stories comprising the best in the genre from both established and new voices.  This will be the first volume in what is set to be an annual release.  The topics of your stories can be far-ranging, however originality is key.  . . .  We are particularly interested in dark, atmospheric literary fiction that shows a proficiency in language and tone.  Terrify us.  Challenge the boundaries of horror.”

One bit of warning:  there is no pay, but a number of known names are listed in the table of contents so the prestige value may be high.  In some cases these may be reprints although the guidelines don’t encourage them, mine for instance, “The Cherry Tree,” a tale of ghosts that goes back to the Civil War was originally published in SONGS FOR DEAD SINGERS (Catalyst Books, 2002).  As the publisher’s announcemnt puts it, “If you don’t know these writers yet, I’m sure you will love them. I’ve read stories from some of them already, and I am very impressed. I’m also looking forward to the thrill of discovery with the contributors that are new to me.”

Interest piqued?  Guidelines with further information can be found by pressing here.

And here is a look at the current lineup:

“Becoming the Beast” by Christian A. Larsen

“Bedfordshire” by Peter Crowther

“Trauma Children” by Lucy Taylor

“The Face of Death” by Paul Kane

“Tomb of the Initiate” by Aaron J. French

“The Cherry Tree” by James S. Dorr

“Visit” by Richard Godwin

“When Karen Met Her Mountain” by Todd Keisling

“The Banquet” by Fred Skolnik

“The Gatehouse” by Anna Taborska

“Worm Garden” by Patrick Lacey

“Exit To Dove’s Tail” by Ken Goldman

“The Catacomb Enigma” by Jon Michael Kelley

“Instantaneous” by Christopher David Rosales

“The Eye That Ate The Sky” by Alexandre Mandarino

“From Suicide Station” by Adam Millard

“Give Me Convenience” by Shaun Meeks

“King of a Distant Star” by Tim Jeffreys

“In Green Remembered” by Christopher Nadeau

“Cicada” by Caren Gussoff

“Evacuation” by Jay Wilburn

“Asrai” by Carmen Tudor

“What Lurks Below” by Peter Baltensperger

“That Sinking Feeling” by Lance Mannion

“Motel Impression” by Michael Thomas-Knight

“The Wind” by Ryan Neil Falcone

“Happy Thoughts” by Nick Kimbro

“Letters” by Christina Murphy

“The Shadow On The Hill” by Peter Mark May

“One” by Cameron Suey

“Kicks” by Carl Barker

“Thrall” by Richard Farren Barber

“The Watching Room” by Glen Damien Campbell

“The Story” by Aurelio Rico Lopez III

“Formaldehyde Fairies” by Alana I Capria

“Hiding” by Pete Aldin

“Extremity” by B.T. Joy

“A Feeble Gleam of Stars” by R.W.W. Greene

“Tug” by Douglas J. Ogurek

“Because The Night Is Dark And Full Of Monsters” by Sergio Palumbo

HWA Halloween Haunts Special, French Vampires; Lobster Boy Stars in Welcome to Your Nightmare

The Horror Writer Association’s Halloween Haunts October extravaganza (cf. September 30) has rolled around to me this Sunday for a pre-Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving Day review of the Québécois opera  DRACULA:  ENTRE L’AMOUR ET LA MORTE, complete with a link for seeking out a libretto — or at least individual translations of the songs — in English.  But English or French, the music is great, the staging and acting terrific, and the DVD well worth getting for a different kind of Dracula movie if you have the chance.  Also reviewed here on May 31 2012, it has now hit the big time at the HWA’s blog site and can be viewed by pressing here.

Then, speaking of Halloween, Saturday’s mail brought two copies of WELCOME TO YOUR NIGHTMARE:  AN ANTHOLOGY OF SCARY STORIES, edited by Yvonne Mason.  This somewhat rough and ready collection of stories and poems, published by Dressing Your Book, is described as “an anthology of things that go bump in the night. Written by an exciting diversity of talented writers, some not previously published and some published abroad [with stories and poems]as unique as the authors who penned them and no two are alike…some are extremely dark and foreboding, others are quaint while yet others are scary and perhaps even shocking, guaranteed to entertain and delight any reader.” My fox in this hen coop is “Lobster Boy and the Hand of Satan,” originally published in CYBER PULP’S HALLOWEEN ANTHOLOGY 2.0 (Cyber-Pulp, 2003), a tawdry tale of sideshow artistes on a trick-or-treat break for Halloween night.  The book itself can be found on Lulu by pressing here or in Kindle format by pressing here.

“Semi-Official” Table of Contents, Cover for Bizarro Bizarro; Splatterlands to Publish October 22

It’s semi-official because, according to the announcement from Bizarro Pulp Press (cf. October 7), “[t]his list is subject to slight change between now and when the book actually releases.  This is also what we are thinking of for the order of the stories that will be featured in this book! I am Very excited about this thing.  We have a lot of great names and great stories.  If you will notice, we have a super secret story to complete the anthology.”

And so, here it is (at least for the time being):

1. Wol-Vriey, Lucy in Brain Ceiling World

2. Jeff Burk, The Satanic Little Toaster

3. Robert Harris, A Smashed Up Salmon

4. Dustin Reade, Night Butterfly

5. Marcin Kiszela, Dreamsource

6. James Dorr, Mr. Happy Head

7. Alan M. Clark and David Conover, Ugly Shirt’s Quest

8. Edmund Colell, Fuck Your Death, Keep Working

9. Robert Harris, Pixelated Nostalgia

10. Sean Leonard, Dope-elganger

11. Emily Hundrwade,l Body Snatcher’s Remorse

12. Bruce Taylor, Four Dreams in Miniature

13. Alan M. Clark and Randy Fox, Not About Mrs. Maridu

14. Daniel Gonzales, Sitcom Hell

15. Aaron French, Shoes

16. Max Booth III, A Prescription for Shut the Fuck Up

17. Vincenzo Bilof, The Swamp of Girders and Chains

18. P. A. Douglas, Pussy Apocalypse

19. Danger Slater, The Monster, the Man, the Building, the Bomb

20. MP Johnson, Vagalyn’s Flying Head

21. Todd Nelson, Moon Love

22. Ethan C. Evans and  Daniel J. Pendergraft, Wildberry Christ

23. Jan Maszczycsn, Toy Soldiers

24. G. Arthur Brown, The Pitfalls of Modern Gardening

25. Craig Saunders, Sleep and the End

26. Meghan Acuri, Plaything

27. Michael A. Rose, Civics of Consequence

28. Christopher T. Dabrowski, Big Bang

29. Andrew Adams, Forget Me Not, Filet Mignon

30 William Cook, The Colony

31. Robert Harris, Schluck!

32. Alan M. Clark and David Conover, All His First Born

33. Tony Rauch, Refugees from the Future

34. James Reith, As One

35. Gabino Iglesias, Looking for Gloria

36. Nick Cato, A Path for the New Bride

37. ????

Then in other news, Grey Matter Press (cf. September 17, et al.) has just announced that “SPLATTERLANDS:  REAWAKENING THE SPLATTERPUNK REVOLUTION will publish in time for Halloween 2013. The company’s second collection of dark fiction will be available for purchase on October 22, 2013.

“’Almost three decades ago, a literary movement forever changed the way we now look at horror and the entertainment industry’ explains Editor Anthony Rivera.  ‘The Splatterpunk movement of the nineteen eighties resulted in a complete overhaul of our underlying concept of entertainment. From Clive Barker’s stunning literary horror, to major motion pictures like Saw and Hostel, to now what we watch on television each week in shows like Breaking Bad and American Horror Story.  Without Splatterpunk, none of this would have been possible. It was a movement that, literally, changed the world.’

“Grey Matter Press intends to breathe new life into that movement as they reawaken the true essence of the Splatterpunk revolution by publishing SPLATTERLANDS: REAWAKENING THE SPLATTERPUNK REVOLUTION, a collection containing stories of personal, intelligent and visceral horror.”

And so here that is too.