Jeff C. Carter's Blog, page 2

Halloween Roundup 2020

[image error]

Here is my 2020 roundup of original Halloween content

The Music Mix:   Spooky Scary Skele-tunes

The Guest Blog Posts:  

Delirium Tremens – 31 Questions from Ed Erdelac

Horror and Sons – article about the Real Ghostbusters

The Big Séance Podcast with Patrick Keller

[image error]

A Singular Season – 13 Seasons of Spooky Television for October

The Podcast Spooktaculars:

 The 6 Demon Bag podcast (part 1)

The 6 Demon Bag podcast (part 2)

The 6 Demon Bag podcast (part 3) Story Episode

Put Up Your Spooks – Happy Halloween Show

SpookYou’s Frightening Nights of Halloween – A Youtube special featuring my story ‘Take One‘ read by the haunting Matt Weisgerber

H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast -featuring four of my stories (currently available only to Patreon subscribers)

All Hallow’s Geek – exclusive preview of my story ‘Haunted House – 1 Star’

The Horror Bandwagon podcast read my poem ‘The Collection’

The Gothic Action Banana Puppet Video:

Let The Bodies Hit The Floor

I was also inducted into The Samhain Society !

[image error]

And of course, there is my book itself,

We Bleed Orange & Black – 31 Fun-sized Tales for Halloween.

[image error]

Reviewers are saying,

“This book is a MUST READ for Halloween lovers.”

-Jamie, 5 Star Amazon Review

“I LOVED THIS COLLECTION. The stories were well-paced, distinctive, and held my attention throughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to keep the spooky spirit alive this year.”

– Briana Morgan Books

“Each tale is unique and transports you to a different place or time, providing the perfect escape during a Halloween season that we will likely need it most.”

-All Hallow’s Geek.com

“I absolutely loved it and it was the perfect way to kick off October! “

Lexi, Goodreads

Get your copy for 99 cents here.

[image error]

I hope you had a safe and happy halloween!

Let the bodies hit the floor

I was hanging out with my buddy (mad genius) Ryan Gerossie, eating burritos, when he told me about his dream to make a music video for the song ‘Let the Bodies Hit the Floor’, but with bananas.

Naturally, I was on board.

What began as an innocent lark transformed into a gothic action-horror epic of homemade miniatures, movie making, puppetry and bananas.

Forget pumpkins! If you truly want to celebrate Halloween this year, watch what happen when we carve up these bananas.

[image error] It started with the band



[image error] and then Dracula showed up



[image error] and banana ghosts…



[image error] and hordes of rotting banana zombies

Once you’ve filled up on action, comedy and potassium, check out the making-of video and go behind the scenes to see all of the crazy detail that went into bringing this project to life.

[image error] From Storyboard



[image error] and test shoots



[image error] set design



[image error] and movie magic!

Fans of the band Drowning Pool eventually found the video and brought it to their attention, where it enjoyed a brief moment of fame with a local radio station.

As for me and Ryan, sometimes we still get together to have burritos, reminisce and ritualistically murder bananas.

Happy Halloweenana!

A Singular Season

October is the perfect season for horror marathons.

The two are almost synonymous. Not even Christmas, that twinkling 800-pound gorilla, can boast such round-the-clock programming. Of course, wintertime itself is a constant reminder of the year-end holidays, and there is truly no escaping all of the Christmas music, commercials, office parties, decorations, rampaging Krampi, etc.

Horror marathons are important because they set a mood, or what I like to call ‘Halloween Spirit’. Even if you can’t enjoy cascades of brilliant leaves and cozy hayrides, you can always open a portal to the moon-kissed realms on your television.

Here are 13 TV mini-series or single seasons for you to freshen up this year’s marathon.

Ultraviolet – BBC

This stylish techno-thriller is only six episodes long. It stars Idris Elba (!), with an appearance by Stephen Moyer as a vampire (!)

[image error]

Hemlock Grove – Season 1

The first season of this show has werewolves, vampires, monsters, and mad-science. The cast is great (Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgard, Dougray Scott, Lili Taylor) and so is their chemistry. And it’s DARK.

[image error]

Werewolf

This sleeper hit from the late 80’s was the most elusive thrill of my childhood. Every rare once in a while I’d manage to catch an episode and watch transfixed as colossal werewolves battled for dominance.

[image error]

Being Human

This low-key BBC series is about a werewolf, a ghost and a vampire who share a flat. The show runs for several seasons and was adapted in America, but Season One is a strong mix of character and horror.

[image error]

Juda

This Israeli production is a horror-comedy about a small time criminal who returns from a trip in Romania with new problems, powers and a terrible thirst. It’s suffers from a lower budget but makes up for it with mad-cap performances.

[image error]

The Frankenstein Chronicles

Also from BBC, this mystery set in the grimdark Victorian era follows Sean Bean(!) as he tracks down the one responsible for a rash of mutilated bodies. Season One is phenomenal – fortunately it is a complete story, so you can avoid Season Two. 

[image error]

The Passage

This vampire thriller only lasted one season on Fox, but the relationship between leads Mark-Paul Gosselaar and child actress Saniyya Sidney was fantastic. The secret power struggle with the psychic vampire master Jamie McShane is also great – the entire cast kills it in this one. Don’t worry about the show being cancelled – it wraps up at the end.

[image error]

Dracula

This NBC adaptation starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers is bonkers in a wonderful way. It functions almost like a prequel to the story we know, re-mixing and re-contextualizing the relationships and motivations between all the classic characters.

[image error]

Forever Knight

The last vampire show on this list is a 90’s gem about a vampire cop. One of the vampires from Forever Knight even made a blink-and-you’ll-miss it cameo on Buffy.

[image error]

Slasher

The first season of this show was more brutal, clever and fun than I expected it to be. If you like the ‘Scream’ franchise, you’ll like season one of Slasher.

[image error]

Scream

I’d also recommend MTV’s first season of Scream! A worthy addition to the franchise.

[image error]

Death Note

The animated adaptation of Death Note floored me, even though I’d already read the manga. This twisty supernatural saga about dueling geniuses and death gods has a global body count.

[image error]

Death Valley

MTV made a COPS style mockumentary show about an LAPD task force that handled the werewolves, vampires and zombies in the San Fernando Valley. Bizarre, gory, silly, fun.

[image error]

I hope you found something new on this list. If you’d also like to set the mood for October with a book, check out ‘We Bleed Orange & Black – 31 Fun-sized Tales for Halloween’.

[image error]

A twisted faerie finds a lost child, a teenage werewolf sneaks out during a full moon, and a legion of monsters begins the downfall of man. Explore Halloween from Appalachia to the Arctic Circle and journey from the Old West to Mars.

This spooktacular goody bag harvests all the joys and terrors of the best night of the year. If you love air crisp as cider and scented with burning leaves, if you greet the darkness with a jack o’lantern grin, and if you yearn for the veil between worlds to grow thin, then you bleed orange & black.

Get 31 stories for .99 cents

Spooky Scary Skele-tunes

[image error]

Anyone who’s ever seen a spooky scary skeleton rattle its bones or turn a friend into a xylophone knows that they are a jazzy bunch. After 10 years I’m thrilled to get some Jazz into the mix, but it’s not all dooting horns and startling shrilly screams – you’ll find many genres in this bone-nanza.

Here are 13 spine-tingling tracks to get your guests shaking their hip bones.

The Skeleton in the Closet – Louis Armstrong

Who better to strike up the band than Satchmo?

Rattlin’ Bones – The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

I heard these guys play while packed like a crawdad in a po’boy between the sweltering ramshackle walls of Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

Spooky, Scary Skeletons – Andrew Gold

The foundation stone of the Triple S tradition.

Skeleton Fight – Mack Allen Smith

Things escalate quickly in this odd-ball 60’s jam.

Graveyard Boogie – King Flamingo

You take your chances when you bring a date to the cemetery.

Nobody Likes You (When You’re Dead) – Zombina & The Skeletones

Don’t cremate, appreciate.

I’ve Got A Bone – Dan Bull

Apparently this is a Minecraft thing, I’m probably the last one to hear it, but I’m glad I did. I love the manic energy, brilliant word play, hilarious performance, driving synth and pitch-perfect theremin.

Do the Skeleton Scat! – The Wiggles

Do the Wiggles always kick this much ass? I think I’m a Wiggles fan now.

Cumbia de los Muertos – Ozomotli

If I get a chance to show some love for LA’s hometown heroes ‘Ozomotli’ I’m taking it.

Dead Man’s Bones – Dead Man’s Bones

Did you know that Ryan Gosling had a band? Did you know they’re spooky as hell?

Graveyard’s Full – The Growlers

This band’s sound is called ‘Beach Goth’. I don’t know if that’s an oxymoron, but I like it.

‘Taint No Sin – Lee Morse

This song may seem corny, but it gives me ‘Hellraiser’ flashbacks.

Skeleton Sam – LVCRFT

And finally, a little more saxo-bone and scare-emin to close this year’s list.

Click here to get my book ‘We Bleed Orange & Black: 31 Fun-sized Tales for Halloween’, including my Top Ten Tips for Becoming a Spooky Scary Skeleton.

Click here for more Halloween Playlists

Sign up to the mailing list here for more spooky treats

Free for 3 Days

We Bleed Orange & Black is FREE for the next few days!

[image error]

We Bleed Orange & Black presents 31 fun-sized tales of Halloween from author Jeff C. Carter.

Reviewers are saying,

“This book is a MUST READ for Halloween lovers.”

-Jamie, 5 Star Amazon Review

“I LOVED THIS COLLECTION. The stories were well-paced, distinctive, and held my attention throughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to keep the spooky spirit alive this year.”

– Briana Morgan Books

“Each tale is unique and transports you to a different place or time, providing the perfect escape during a Halloween season that we will likely need it most.”

-All Hallow’s Geek.com

“I absolutely loved it and it was the perfect way to kick off October! “

Lexi, Goodreads

The book is free 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/12 & 10/13. After that it’s only 99 cents! Grab your copy here

The word is out

There’s a great review of We Bleed Orange & Black over at All Hallows Geek and my in-depth interview just popped up on The Big Seance podcast. I wanted to post those links here before the swirling newsfeeds and social media moved on.

[image error]

“the perfect collection of short stories for Halloween in quarantine.”

All Hallows Geek has become a vital source of news for me amid the constant changes and upheavals with this year’s Halloween. I highly recommend you sign up to stay updated (and enjoy reviews and long form entertainment like the live streaming concert and behind the music with Sean Keller!)

[image error]

I had an absolute blast talking with Patrick on The Big Seance podcast. He’s working hard to present a bonanza of Halloween entertainment this year and is always keeping it spooky with paranormal investigations and ghostly topics. Listen to find out what happens when fudge meets salad!

I’ll have a few more interviews and reviews to share in the coming weeks, but these two were definitely highlights!

And of course, you get the book they’re all talking about here

[image error]

Available for Pre-Order Now

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Kindle and Paperback

182 pages

The Amazon link is: https://bit.ly/WeBleed

31 Questions with…

I sat down with Ed Erdelac over at the Delirium Tremens blog and answered 31 questions about all things Halloween.

Learn about my favorite monster, the most dangerous candy, the safest pandemic costume, and more!

[image error]

Of course, we also talk about my book ‘We Bleed Orange & Black – 31 Fun-sized tales for Halloween’, which is available for pre-order now!

[image error]

While you’re there, be sure to check out Ed’s many books and offerings.

Ed has been crowned as one of the great writers of the New Pulp tradition, and I second that coronation. If you like action, Ed’s got you covered from the wild Weird West to the seedy streets of 1970’s Harlem.

The Books of Edward M. Erdelac

The Samhain Society

I am proud to announce that I have been inducted into The Samhain Society.

The ceremony was as wonderful as it was bizarre. A black cat stirred a pumpkin spice latte with its tail. We dissected candy corns by color and sculpted the pieces into three homunculi. Autumn leaves were smoked, wax lips were kissed, and fates revealed in the toss of glistening pumpkin guts.  I felt right at home.

[image error]

The Samhain Society is a group of Halloween and horror content creators working together to grow our followings and the Halloween community. Together we ask and answer each other’s blogging/vlogging questions, receive feedback on our work, share each other’s latest posts/videos and, most of all, share our love of Halloween, horror and all things spooky!

You can follow The Samhain Society on Facebook and Instagram.

I’m looking forward to spreading the Halloween spirit with them all year round!

My New Halloween Book

WE BLEED ORANGE AND BLACK

31 Fun-Sized Tales for Halloween
is available for Pre-Order Now!

[image error]

A twisted faerie finds a lost child, a teenage werewolf sneaks out during a full moon, and a legion of monsters begins the downfall of man. Explore Halloween from Appalachia to the Arctic Circle and journey from the Old West to Mars.

This spooktacular goody bag harvests all the joys and terrors of the best night of the year. If you love air crisp as cider and scented with burning leaves, if you greet the darkness with a jack o’lantern grin, and if you yearn for the veil between worlds to grow thin, then you bleed orange & black. Get it now!

Kindle: 99 cents
Print: $5.50
Kindle Unlimited: Free

Release Date: October 6, 2020
Available for Pre-Order Now
Free Giveaway in October –
10/7, 10/8, 10/9 and 10/12, 10/13

 

 

Request review copies here
[contact-form]

With Great Power…

My story ‘Primum Nil Nocere’ has won the Reedsy contest for ‘Superpowers’. I had a lot of fun writing this one. My character Dr. Albright works as a guidance counselor for children with superpowers, and he uses his wisdom and abilities to change the course of their entire lives.

[image error]

Dr. Albright accomplishes his job by diving deep into the real world complexities, ramifications and drawbacks of different superpowers. This is one of my favorite nerdy obsessions, which I trace all the way back to the Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe. These were among the first comic books I ever owned, and their detailed lists of character aliases, powers, strengths and weaknesses definitely shaped my love for the genre.

I believe that engaging deeply with the concept of superpowers can open up new angles for story telling. If you only had one crummy power, how could you make the most of it? If you had no powers at all, how might you use your superhuman foe’s strength against them?

If you like your superheroes stories with a side of nitty-gritty (and a heaping helping of dark and gritty) then you’ll dig my novel CRITERION. You can buy it or try it here.

[image error]