Hunter Shea's Blog, page 23

THE JERSEY DEVIL IS HERE! Sneak Peek Time & Goodies For The Hellions

Man, it feels like I’ve been waiting forever for today to come. My latest foray into cryptid monster madness, THE JERSEY DEVIL, is finally here, available EVERYWHERE. It’s going to be a week long full court press, with lots of fun along the way. Think of it like shark week, only with a killer creature birthed in the primordial Pine Barrens 200 years ago. If you plan to purchase the book on Amazon, please do so through my store or the links on this page.

First up will be an interview on the Horror Happens Radio Show with my main man, Jay Kay. This guy loves horror and is one of the biggest advocates for the genre. I’m scheduled to be on tonight at 7:30pm ET. We’ll be talking JD and other crazy stuff.

Wednesday is the big Facebook live event where I’ll be live and on camera answering your crazy questions and Lord knows what else I’ll get up to. Hellions who participate will be eiligible to win awesome new swag, free books and more! I’ll be giving the store away as we mosey along. I think we’ll need to come up with a drinking game. The party starts at 7pm ET and goes until I end up face down on the keyboard.

Aaaaand, here’s a sneak peek at the first chapter of THE JERSEY DEVIL. Hope you dig it, join the fun and let’s get our monster on!

Jane Moreland couldn’t believe how heavy Henry was, now that he was dead weight and starting to ripen. She should have done this last night, right when it happened, but she’d needed a clearer head. Polishing off the bottle of Knob Creek and passing out on the kitchen table hadn’t helped matters much.

            Well, no sense complaining. She’d been due a little me time.

            She woke up after noon, unsure what had transpired the night before until she saw him, lying there beside the sofa, neck all twisted to one side and his face blue as a Smurf.

            At least there isn’t blood all over the place, she’d thought. Just a little at the corner of his mouth. None on the carpet. One less thing she had to worry about.

There was no way she could get him in the truck during the day without anyone seeing. To kill time, she took a long, hot bath, washed and dried a load of laundry, drank three bottles of Coors that had been tucked away in the back of the fridge, watched a Jimmy Stewart movie on TMC and chain-smoked half a pack of coffin nails. The entire time, her eyes kept flicking to the clock then the window, waiting for the sun to check out. She found some old jeans and a .38 Special concert T-shirt, put on her scuffed cowboy boots and tied her blond hair in a high pony tail.

When it was half past six, she dragged an old throw rug from the garage, laid it next to her husband and turned him into it with a whole lot of grunting and sweat. She’d thought it would be as easy as rolling up a burrito. Back when she was in high school, she’d worked at a burrito joint owned by a pair of Chinese brothers with deep Southern accents. She’d never been able to reconcile the words coming out of those faces. It was a time before Chipotle, when a burrito was a mushy thing you got at a Mexican restaurant that tasted like crap. The job, and the place, didn’t last very long. In the two months she worked there, she became an expert at making burritos so fat, they were just about to bust out of their flour straitjackets.

            A dead Henry, she learned quickly, was a hell of a lot more to handle than shredded beef, beans and rice. Once she’d gotten the rug around him and cinched off the ends with duct tape, she sat propped up against his cocooned body and laughed, wondering how many burritos it would take to equal Henry’s total mass. Logic dictated that she should have been distressed at this point, perhaps freaked out or even, daresay, remorseful.

            “You didn’t earn my remorse,” she said to the rug-encased corpse, giving it a hard slap as she stood up.

            Good old boy Henry was a righteous bastard, a redneck from some pissant town in South Carolina who’d made his way to New Jersey via a construction job when he was in his twenties. They’d met at Dingo’s Bar when she was still two years from legal drinking age. At first, she’d been entranced, as young, dumb girls will, by his sweet Southern accent. She’d heard him order a Jack and Coke over the din of meatheads and was immediately drawn to the rugged cutie with long hair and five day stubble. He couldn’t have stood out more if he had worn an alien mask and bikini.

            They dated for six months, took a trip to Vegas and became a cliché. It took a whole year before the real Henry Moreland came out. He smacked her across the face in a drunken stupor one night because she didn’t hand him the TV remote fast enough.

            The rest is the same sad story that too many women confess to at shelters or police stations. After a while, Jane didn’t know who she hated more – Henry for being an abusive asshole or herself for not having the guts to run away.

            On nights she couldn’t sleep, she’d let her mind linger on all the different ways she could make him disappear. That was her happy place. Poison his dinner, cut the brake lines in his truck, loosen the top step going down to the basement, the possibilities were endless. Thinking about it always settled her down. But that’s all they were – private thoughts. Jane knew she was too chickenshit to actually do anything. Hell, she couldn’t even bring herself to jump in the car and just drive until she hit a border crossing, north or south. It didn’t matter.

            And then he came home last night, so drunk he could barely stand. He’d parked his pickup on the front lawn, stopping just a few feet from the house. Jane had been reading in her favorite lounge chair – the one with the little head cushion- on the ground level porch. It had been a nice night and even the bugs tapping against the overhead light didn’t bother her…much. If Henry had applied the brakes just a hair later, he would have killed her. 

This is a fine example of why you read to the end of a blog post. Starting September 1st, you can enter a contest on Night Owl Reviews to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Don’t say I never gave you anything!

A Live Jersey Devil Release Party – Join The Madness!

Alright ya nutty Hellions, I’m calling on you to join me next week for a live Facebook event to celebrate the release of my latest foray into monster insanity – THE JERSEY DEVIL! That’s right, on Wednesday, August 31st from 7pm ET on, I’ll be live on my Facebook Fan Page talking about the book, sipping cocktails and answering your questions with zero filter. This could be the end of my career, so watch the crash and burn.

Psychic Abilities 101

I’ve long been fascinated by the possibility of psychic powers. My grandmother was said to have the gift, and I did witness a couple of grandma’s intriguing premonitions when I was growing up. It’s why I loved writing about Eddie Home in SINISTER ENTITY and ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN. If we only use 10% of our brains, what the hell is the other 90% capable of doing? Some day, what we see as the paranormal will be the common and everyday.

To enlighten us a little more on the psychic world, I’ve invited guest blogger Emmery Rose to share her expert insights. Read on, Hellions, and ask yourself, “Do I have the power?”

The most common psychic abilities

 

Our brain often plays tricks on us. We all have dreams, projections and thoughts. Humans are able to create different mental constructions which help them cope with tragedy or to understand things which are otherwise unexplainable. Sometimes, it is hard to separate real from imaginary. However, there are cases when we are almost certain that there is something out of the ordinary with our psyche.

Simply put, there are people who are more sensitive than others. They are able to perceive things which are otherwise hidden. According to some of the experts, this may be due to high spirituality. No matter the case, they are able to perform various incredible feats such as see the future, observe distant places, project thoughts into other people’s mind, sense other individual’s energy etc.

Over time, we managed to classify various psychic abilities. In some cases, there are very small differences between two powers. One thing is for sure; if a person has one power, there is a high chance that he will develop another, similar ability. It needs to be noted that psychic abilities are often genetically passed from parent to child.

Here is our list explaining the most common psychic abilities which can manifest in a gifted person.

Seeing other people’s aura

First of all, we have to explain what aura is. This is an energy field surrounding a person, which comes in different colors. Each one of these colors represents a certain type of character. Gifted individual is able to perceive these colors instantly deciphering what kind of a person he is dealing with. Furthermore, even if person is unable to distinguish the meaning behind the colors, he will have instinctive feeling whether an individual is friendly or hostile and what kind of a behavior he can expect.

Mental or astral projection (as well as remote viewing)

Astral projection is the ability to detach your spirit from corporeal body and let it roam freely. It is something that is often practiced by Buddhist monks. Easiest way to do it is during meditation. Usually, this ability manifests itself during sleep. This is how most psychics notice that they have such a potential. Later on, it is possible to do it while being conscious, through focus and meditation. We also wanted to mention remote viewing. Although this is a different ability, it is very similar to projection. Here, individual is able to detach his spirit and see faraway places. The main difference between the two is that astral projection happens on a spiritual plane while during remote viewing spirit is attached to Earth plane.

Death warning

This power is something that is overused in popular movies and media. How many times have you heard stories where a person misses his flight due to a hunch and later on, it turns out that airplane crashed? Like most other psychic abilities, you have to be very cautious not to mistake a normal concern or fear for a special power. Death warning is something that is really specific in its form. It is type of hunch that is almost debilitating. In fact, it is something that can happen only once or twice in your life in comparison to people who are fearful by nature and have the same feeling over and over.

Precognition and retrocognition

Precognition and retrocognition are abilities to see the future and the past. Precognition is the ability to see future events. In some cases, the signs are not that clear and psychic may have issues finding meaning behind them. By the way, death warning is a type of precognition. Retrocognition requires a bit more explanation. As we mentioned, this is an ability to see the past. You might wonder, you already know your past so what is so special about it? That is the thing: when having a vision, person actually sees events which happened to someone else.

Empathy

Empathy is often regarded as a psychic ability. Now, we are all human beings and we can relate to those who have problems. But, in case of an empath these feelings are much more intense. In fact, gifted person puts himself in the shoes of another. Another big misconception is that empathy only relates to absorption of feelings. This is incorrect. Empath is able to absorb other individual’s feelings, thoughts and to look things from his perspective.

Scrying and divination

Here are another two abilities which have much more similarities than differences. In fact, the main thing which sets them apart is the way they are performed and not the results provided. Both scrying and divination are ways to tell the future or to see distant things by looking into various objects. They help us discover meaning which is otherwise concealed. While divination can be regarded as the older practice, it also has a ritualistic value. It is something that was practiced for the benefit of a village, by a gifted individual. On the other hand, scrying is something that can be done on a daily basis and it doesn’t have a social character.

Channeling

With this ability, individual is able to communicate with spirits of the dead. Channeling or mediumship is a procedure which is performed under special conditions. It is best if there are more people in the room to help out medium. Also, it is something that can be really dangerous if performed by a wrong person. During the process, psychic is able to get in touch with a dead individual. In some cases, he will be possessed by the spirit while sometimes he will only transfer the message.

Telepathy

Another ability that has many similarities with other abilities, telepathy is the power to read minds and instill thoughts into another person. If we had to compare it, it has a lot in common with empathy. However, the telepathy is specific because it allows psychic to establish a mental two-way connection with an individual. Also, unlike empathy which is a one way street, this power allows psychic to instill thoughts into another individual.

Have in mind that these are just some of the abilities which gifted individual may experience. The list goes on and on. Nevertheless, always remember that these powers usually do not stand alone. Sometimes, you might experience more than one power. They are usually intertwined and it might be hard for you to establish what kind of ability you actually have. For some, initial exposure can be quite devastating. However, you have to realize that psychic abilities are something that can be trained and improved. By improving your focus and training your mind, you are able to develop them up to a point where you can effectively use them to help yourself and the others.

Bio: Emmerey Rose is a blogger from the Philippines. She loves blogging about beauty, fashion and mostly about psychic abilities and powers. She works as an assistant to the psychic medium at Backpackerverse.com. Backpackerverse offers great, in-depth articles on psychic readings and reviews.

The Jersey Devil Gets The Publishers Weekly Seal of Approval

As my British friends would say, I’m always gobsmacked when I see a review of one of my books in Publishers Weekly. I mean, isn’t that the magazine that reviews real books? Not books about monsters, unless Stephen King wrote it. (and on a side note, who else is dying for King to tackle a new monster?)

My first Pinnacle book, The Montauk Monster, was called one of the best reads of the summer by PW back in 2014. Well, it’s two years and another cryptid/monster book later. Here’s what they had to say about THE JERSEY DEVIL…

Shea  delivers a tense and intriguing work of escalating tension splattered with a clever, extensive cast of bystanders turned victims.

Fans will appreciate the call-outs to his other work, and fans of cryptid creatures are likely to revel in this love letter to a legendary menace.

I looked over on GoodReads, where all us rabid readers loiter about, and it’s getting lots of love from the folks who have gotten an early preview of the book.

The Jersey Devil officially comes out on August 30th. If you’d like me to appear for a signing near you, contact me at huntershea1@gmail.com or via comment here and I’ll see what I can do.

And just for gits and shiggles, I’ll give away a signed copy of The Montauk Monster to a random responder to this post.

Enjoy the summer while it lasts. Because darkness is coming, and there be monsters lurking within…

A Summer of Full Time Writing

I have something important to report – bucking the system and pursuing your passion does not bring the world crashing down around your head! The rewards of doing what you love are immeasurable.

Well, I’m 2 months in to this whole full time writing thing and we’re not living in a cardboard box. The one strange thing is this : despite having all day to write, I still feel like there’s not enough time! It could be because I’ve taken on a ton of projects to work on. Every day is filled with both writing new material and editing. I’m certainly not spending my time watching daytime TV. I do wish I’d caught more Jerry Springer. An hour break to revel in humanity at its worst can’t hurt, can it?

My new office. Instead of an admin assistant, I have a squirrel that’s always in the branches above me. Hope he’s not stealing my ideas!

But here’s the thing – I go to bed every night feeling as if I haven’t worked at all. Because it’s not work. It’s what I want to do. The only weird part to get over was this ingrained guilt at not being in a cubicle and miserable. We’re so used to this as the status quo that it takes time to detoxify.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

So, what have I accomplished? I finished my next novella for Severed Press, LOCH NESS REVENGE. It’s with my beta readers now and will be delivered to my publisher this month. Expect an October release. I’ve also started a new book for Severed set in a lost world packed full of cryptid madness. It’s pure nuttiness and fun.

A month back I mentioned I was working on a series of 3 novelettes for an undisclosed publisher. Well, I still can’t make the official announcement, but the first novelette is all done. I’ll start the second this month. They’re going to be set in the 70s and 80s and have something to do with comic books. That’s all I can reveal for now.

I also finished the book I started last October, WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING. It’s with beta readers now and will also be sent to my new publisher (another announcement I’ll be able to make soon) in early September. I heard that it’s going to be out in January, 2017.

Feeling like I wanted to branch out a bit, I wrote 2 children’s picture books. They’re with my agent now. Cross your fingers.

You’ll also be seeing writing tips and advice from the Shea trenches on THE VERBS blog this month. I hope to be a continuing contributor.

Now, here’s a brand new project that I think you’ll dig. I’m going to release a series of short stories called HUNTER SHEA’S FAST FRIGHTS. I’m shooting for a new story every month, priced at just 99 cents. The first story, an alien abduction tale, will be released in September. I’m tidying things up and artist Mike Chella is tweaking the cover art. FAST FRIGHTS will be quick hits of horror, a dose of what you need the most. Stay tuned for more about them because you, the readers, will be involved in the creative process as we move along.

“The writer walks out of his workroom in a daze. He wants a drink. He needs it. It happens to be a fact that nearly every writer of fiction in the world drinks more whisky than is good for him. He does it to give himself faith hope and courage. A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul and that I am sure is why he does it.” — Roald Dahl

Other than that, I’ve spent a lot of time with my family, which has been fantastic. My oldest daughter passed her road test, so I now have someone who can save me from making every run to the supermarket! Daughter number two gets all my attention now to prepare for her road test. Oy! We’re also getting things in line so my wife can have some major surgery. She’s having double knee replacement. I expect a lot of cursing when it comes time for rehab. She asked one doctor, “Will I be able to run once it all heals?” He said, “Were you able to run before they went bad?” She shook her head. “No.” To which he replied, “Well, then, no.”

I’m working with my local Barnes & Noble and library to help new writers by offering any kind of assistance they need. Always, always give back to others. It can’t all be about you, no matter what you do. I remember what it was like when I started out with no one around to lend me a hand. I would have given both legs for a published author’s guidance.

Having time to read, really read, has been a godsend. I surpassed my GoodReads reading challenge of 70 books for the year. Some books I truly enjoyed were Island Red by Matt Serafini, Go Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann, Robert Parker’s Kickback by Ace Atkins, Devil Red by Joe R Lansdale and A Living Grave by Robert Dunn.

As far as television and movies go, I absolutely loved Stranger Things on Netflix. I also really enjoyed Judd Apatow’s series, Love. In the movies, hands down, the best movie of the year is Hunt for the Wilderpeople. If you can find it near you, run and see it. It’s gotten a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for good reason.

The good news is that all of this is inspiring me and giving me the room to deliver more for you than ever! Oh, and I’ve been gearing up for the release of The Jersey Devil on August 30th. You’ll be able to find the paperback in bookstores, supermarkets, Walmart and everywhere. Send me pics of where you find those devils and I’ll share them and give some shout outs!

 

Terror Has A New Look – And A Lower Price! ASYLUM SCRAWLS Now Only 99 Cents

It’s summer. You want to be at the beach or BBQ, chilling or relaxing with friends. I get it. Which is why I think short stories are the best thing to read when the temps are high and the waters are calling. Need time to dry off before you head to the bar? The short stories in my collection, ASYLUM SCRAWLS, will be your short-term companion.

For the rest of the summer, you can get Asylum Scrawls for only 99 cents. And it has a whole new look thanks to a new cover by artist Mike Chella. The straight jacket has been replaced by a naughty chair and it looks like something’s gone terribly awry! On a side, note, Mike and I are working on a host of specials for you, coming this fall!

Demonic possession, serial killers, monsters, beasts, the insane and the damned – they’re all here, safely tucked behind the bars of the asylum. These seven tales of the macabre and bizarre are sure to haunt you until the icy fingers of the grave claim you for eternity.

Download your copy today and have fun on the beach!

The Magic of STRANGER THINGS

If you haven’t watched Stranger Things on Netflix yet, step away from the blog and binge. The 8 part series is a love letter to scifi and horror from the 70s and early 80s, with splashes of Spielberg (Close Encounters, Goonies), John Carpenter (The Thing) and Sam Raimi (Evil Dead). The Monster Men devoted an entire episode to wax poetic about the show and point out all the little homages sprinkled throughout the series. I compared it to finding the little bits in Mad Magazine’s margins. There are spoilers, but we throw up a warning before we dive really deep.

 

We also have some new headshots. Well, an improvement on our old headshot. Which one do you like best? I’ll pick a random response to win a signed copy of The Dover Demon, which is apropos when talking about Stranger Things.

Uno…

Dos…

Tres…

Forgotten Found Footage of The Jersey Devil- THE LAST BROADCAST

One year before the runaway hit, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (and now we know there’s a new one coming soon), the film that would usher in a whole new horror filmmaking subgenre – found footage – there was a chilling mockumentary called THE LAST BROADCAST. The quality may not have been as good as Blair Witch, but I think that’s what made it all the more chilling. Why didn’t it hit it big? It all came down to that new fangled thing, the internet. In 1999, The creators of Blair Witch used the power of internet viral marketing before it was even called viral marketing. In 1998, THE LAST BROADCAST didn’t have that same hype, with people assuming the film was real before it even came out. The producers had a web presence, but they weren’t quite as savvy. It came and went, largely ignored.

Which is sad, because in some ways, THE LAST BROADCAST is even scarier. When you watch it, you feel like you’re viewing something that shouldn’t be seen. I’m not going to say it’s the bees knees, but for one of the first entries in found footage, it’s up there with The Poughkeepsie Tapes (which can give you a case of the everlasting goosebumps).

Here’s my favorite part of THE LAST BROADCAST. In it, two guys with a local cable access show set off into New Jersey’s Pine Barrens to search for The Jersey Devil. Sign me up. I’ve been to the Barrens. Even without a legendary creature, the place is spooky as hell.

Check out the trailer :

I first saw the entire movie on YouTube, but it’s since been taken down. However, you can now grab a copy at The Last Broadcast website.

Now, remember, this is a low budget flick. Making the hosts some dudes with a cable access show was the perfect framework to set expectations in terms of film and production quality. It’s done that way on purpose, but also allows the viewer to make some concessions. Don’t expect any crazy creature effects. This is all about atmosphere and mystery.

If you’re a horror and cryptid completist like me, I strongly urge you to check it out. And I triple dog dare you to venture out into the Pine Barrens at night.

Signed Copies Of The Entire Hunter Shea Library

Hey there Hellions! Are you all having fun roasting this summer? I know I am. This is what they mean by hell on earth.

I have a little something new for you this time around. I’m offering signed copies of my books that I will mail out to anyone interested in the United States (international shipping gets a tad too steep). Each book will only be $10, which includes shipping. I have a limited supply, but you can get your hands on personalized copies of THE MONTAUK MONSTER, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED, THEY RISE, THE DOVER DEMON, ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, SINISTER ENTITY, FOREST OF SHADOWS, HELL HOLE and EVIL ETERNAL.

 

I realize that even with going to a convention and book signing here and there, I’ll never get a chance to see everyone. I also know that most horror fans prefer printed books over ebooks (as do I). So if you’d like a book or two or more, send an email to huntershea1@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there. The books can be made out to you or friends and family as gifts (if you don’t particularly like your friends or family). All payments will go through PayPal to keep things nice and simple. Books will be sent on a first come, first served basis until the shelves are bare.

 

And if you already have a book that you’d like signed, you can send the book to me and I can mail it back for just $4. Email me first at the address above and send your book to :

Hunter Shea, PO Box 232, Yonkers, NY 10710

 

Best way to beat the heat is to settle down with a good book by the air conditioner. Or, you could read one of mine by a fan.

What the heck are BookShots

And no, they are not inoculations to prevent you from getting the dreaded book worms. BookShots are, in fact, the brainchild of James Patterson, the man who sells more books than there are zombies playing Pokemon Go. They made their debut last month and are literally popping up everywhere.

BookShots are a very clever bit of marketing targeted to today’s dwindling attention spans. They are, in every sense of the word, novellas. You know, not quite a short story, not quite a novel. For authors who think in word counts, novellas tend to settle between the 25-50k word range. Novels, on the other hand, are typically 90k words or more. Novellas have been around forever and a day and night. What’s new with BookShots is the branding and availability.

They’re fast reads that pack a lot of punch in a little package. It’s usually hard to find novellas in print. They’ve become the darling of the ebook world. BookShots, on the other hand, are being  published in print with wide, and I mean WIDE, distribution. They’re designed for readers on the go who want to be thrilled or romanced in one or two sittings. According to Publishers Weekly, in the first week of sales, BookShots sold over 30,000 copies. Not too shabby.

The first BookShots were written by James Patterson – CROSS KILL (an Alex Cross thriller) and ZOO 2. These will be followed up with many more by a host of different authors, all geared to get your pulse pounding. I just found out that there’s also a romance line called BookShots Flames. I happened to stumble upon a copy of The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin in a supermarket. Jen and I share an agent, so even though it’s a romance (woven within a suspense story), I had to pick it up and I’ll be damned if I didn’t read it in two sittings, just like Patterson promised. And I dug it. I also downloaded Zoo 2 on my Kindle, even though I never read Zoo or watched the TV show. I had to see what all the hubub was about. It was fast paced, campy fun. Those are two sweet spots for me.

I have to admit, I’m actually kind of excited about this. Anything that gets more people reading is a major win as far as I’m concerned. As an author, I prefer writing novellas. And I’m not alone. Most authors I talk to love novellas, both writing and reading them. There’s something about knowing there’s a limit but also having the space to explore characters deeper than you can in a short story or just go for broke and let the rollercoaster run free.

As a horror writer, I hope Patterson casts his gaze in the genre’s direction. Novellas have always been a huge part of horror. Even today there are great horror novellas being published weekly by the likes of Severed Press, Sinister Grin, Deadite and so many more. It would be nice to see them in print at the airport or supermarket or any bookstore you happen to find.Why do you think shows like Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside and other half hour bites of terror were so successful? Because horror is best when it’s short, twisted and terrifying.

BookShots in print are a little wider than a mass market paperback. Kind of like a classic Goosebumps book. They feel so good in your hands. It’s book crack at its best.

I’m keeping a watchful eye on BookShots. Could it be a game changer? We can only hope. The success of BookShots means more readers and more good paying opportunities for writers.  Everybody’s happy, unless you’re Captain Beatty. (extra credit if you can name the book!)

And James Patterson, if you’re looking for a thriller writer who can send readers to dizzying heights within the warm confines of BookShots, give my agent a call. You already have her number.