Glenn Rolfe's Blog, page 28
May 1, 2015
An Interview with BOOM TOWN Author Glenn Rolfe
If you missed it last week, here’s the guest spot I had on the lovely Mercedes Yardley’s blog. :)
Originally posted on A Broken Laptop:
I adore Glenn Rolfe. I adore him so much that he had a cameo in my novella Little Dead Red. I received emails saying that Glenn was their favorite character, and that doesn’t surprise me at all. Not at all.
Glenn just came out with his new novella, Boom Town.
Glenn was kind enough to sit for an interview, and he starts off by giving us a quick description of his book!
Glenn, gimme your pitch! Tell us about Boom Town.
A famous UFO sighting in Wisconsin. A couple witness a flying saucer blast a blue beam into the earth. The ground rumbles for miles. Thirty years later, a series of nightly mini-earthquakes, or “booms” as the locals refer to them, begin to happen in different parts if the Wisconsin town. Rumors fly as to what the actual cause may be. Two pre-teens (you can call them Brady and Kim…
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April 23, 2015
Two new interviews and the latest praise for Boom Town from Hunter Shea on Monster Men.
The Boom Town blog tour rolls on…
This week, I was interviewed by my fellow Samhain Horror author, the talented, Matt Manochio.
You can check out the interview HERE
Also, if you haven’t yet, check out Matt’s terrific Samhain debut, The Dark Servant.
I was also interviewed by Rich at The Horror Bookshelf.
To read that very in-depth interview click HERE
And read The Horror Bookshelf’s review of Boom Town HERE
And The Horror Bookshelf also hosted an exclusive short story of mine called, “The Astronauts” HERE
Thanks for everything Matt and Rich!
I was also the latest guest on Hunter Shea and Jack Campisi’s Monster Men. Check the video:
Be sure to check out Hunter’s latest novel, Island of the Forbidden.
Thanks to Jack and Hunter for putting me on Skype! and for saying such nice things about my hair.
I have some very exciting news coming down the pike for my “I only read real books” friends. We should also have the cover reveal for Blood and Rain in the not-so-distant future.
Stay tuned.
April 11, 2015
Boom Town is a Hit!
My new novella, Boom Town, has been out for less than a week, and I can’t stop smiling. The people have spoken and Boom Town is a hit! Check out some of the praise this piece has garnered.
“Boom Town brings a bit of the classic sci-fi horror feel back to a whole new generation of readers.” – Book Worm Reviews
“Boom Town is a fun, fast-paced read packed with action, copious amounts of alien slime and an aura of creepiness that is sure to appeal to both Horror and Science Fiction fans.” – The Horror Bookshelf
“I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next…Horror and Sci-Fi lovers everywhere will want to grab this 5-star read!” – Horror Maiden’s Book Reviews
“Glenn Rolfe’s writing is a breath of fresh air, followed by a jolt of adrenaline.” – Iain Rob Wright, author of The Final Winter
“I love Horror and Sci-Fi. Put them together in a well-crafted blend and I’m a happy reader. Boom Town proved to be just such a blend.” –Catherine Cavendish, author of The Pendle Curse
“Boom Town is an alien invasion novel with teeth…blue gelatinous teeth, to be exact. Rolfe weaves a wonderful tale of big, bad things happening to a small, good town. A sure winner!” – Hunter Shea, author of The Montauk Monster
I just want to say thank you to all of you reading this story, reviewing this story, and taking the time out of your busy schedules to let the world know what you think. You have had me gushing all week and I love you for it.
Special thanks to Tim Busbey for the rad new header for this site. Thanks, Tim! Cheers!
Click to order your copy of Boom Town HERE Be sure to follow the rest of the Boom Town Publicity Tour HERE 
April 9, 2015
Lessons in advertising my eBook (what worked, what didn’t)
My Samhain brother, Matt Manochio, did a promotional experiment to try and figure out how to move books. This is an absolute MUST-READ, for anyone with an eBook to sell. Check it out.
Originally posted on Scary Funny:
How many books do I need to sell to make a bestsellers list?
Every author at some point has Googled a variation of that question. Because let’s face it: most of us want to see our name on The New York Times bestsellers list right above or below whichever 50 Shades book is befouling that list, and there’s no shame in admitting that. (Yes, technically it would be nice to be #1, but you’ve got to start somewhere.)
So how do I get on the bestsellers list without cashing out my 401k and buying 9,000 copies of my book? (I read somewhere that 9,000 is the number of books you’d need to sell in a week to get on the NYT list. Whether that’s true, I have no idea. God bless what you read on the Internet.)
My point is you need people to buy your book. And for a…
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March 12, 2015
THINGS WE FEAR, BOOM TOWN, and HORROR HOUND WEEKEND!
As you guys may or may not have heard…my novella, THINGS WE FEAR, will be released from Samhain Publishing. I’m so grateful to Don D’Auria for believing in me my crazy little stories. Also, , big thanks to my pre-reader/editor/publicist/bud Erin Sweet-Al Mehairi for all of the incredible behind the scenes work she puts in for me. I’m sure the novella won’t come out until sometime next year, but in the meantime…
BOOM TOWN, my next release from Samhain, is available for pre-order at all of your favorite eBook dealers. It drops on April 7th. (click the cover to order through Amazon)
Terror from below!
In the summer of 1979, Eckert, Wisconsin, was the sight of the most unique UFO encounter in history. A young couple observed a saucer-like aircraft hovering over Hollers Hill. A blue beam blasted down from the center of the craft into the hill and caused the ground to rumble for miles.
Now, thirty years later, Eckert is experiencing nightly rumbles that stir up wild rumors and garner outside attention. The earthly tremors are being blamed on everything from earthquakes to underground earth dwellers. Two pre-teens discover a pipe out behind Packard���s Flea Market uprooted by the ���booms��� and come into contact with the powerful ooze bubbling from within. What begins as curiosity will end in an afternoon of unbridled terror for the entire town.
BOOM��TOWN��has kindly been mentioned alongside such great Horror Sci-Fi works as The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Tommyknockers. ��I ��have always been a huge fan of alien films and TV��shows, as well as Coast 2 Coast Am with Art Bell and George Norry. Writing an alien-based story was inevitable. I love this one and have already started work on another…
My promo blitz for this one is going to be kicking into high gear, so you have been warned!
I have a guest post this week over on Brian Moreland’s blog, Dark Lucidity. Check it out��HERE
You can also learn more about BOOM TOWN, as well as my first novella, ABRAM’S BRIDGE, and my debut,��THE HAUNTED HALLS, in my featured interview over at Horror After Dark. Check that out; HERE
Next week, I will be attending and meeting a bunch��of my Samhain brothers at Horror Hound Weekend. Looking forward to that! ��I’m sure I will have some more stories and plenty of photos to share. I mean, besides the Samhain gang, I ‘m going to get a chance to meet one of my childhood heroes…The Greatest American Hero, William Katt! �� Yeah, I used to sit on the swing out back of my house when I was a kid singing the theme song ALL DAY. My mom even made me a Ralph doll. I’m sort of psyched… ��:)
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March 5, 2015
Beware the Ides of March! New Releases from SAMHAIN HORROR
In the depths of the jungle lie mysteries drenched in blood.
Ethan Foster has spent a lifetime as a guide and bodyguard for archeologist Heathcliff Pascal. They���ve survived more adventures than they can count, but now, deep in the jungles of Central America, they discover a secret hidden from the world for centuries: the Cult of the Black Jaguar, presided over by an immortal goddess whose beauty is matched by her cruelty. She needs the blood of a virgin to bring her army back to life, and she���s found one in Heathcliff���s daughter, Jenny. It���s up to Ethan to stop her. It might seem an impossible task, but Ethan has secrets of his own. Dark secrets.
Before the night is over, blood will be shed, and only one man���or monster���will survive.
Pray it���s only paranoia.
Twenty years ago, journalist Joel Walker wrote a book about a ritual killing. It exploded into a bestseller and became part of the mass Satanic hysteria of the 1980s. However, his story and the evil he investigated were real and left him the victim of a nervous breakdown.
For the last two decades, his has been a quiet existence far from his former home in Massachusetts. But when one of his childhood friends is brutally murdered and rumored to have been involved in bizarre medical experiments, Joel is lured back to find out what really happened.
Joel must delve deep into the darkness once more, investigating all the way back to his own childhood, and the secrets he and his old friends buried there years ago. But where do paranoia and madness end and real evil begin? With the Orphans of Wonderland.
A modern ghost story.
Life was good for Beth, once. Now a car crash has left her confined to a wheelchair. To help her recuperate and rebuild her life, she���s leased Stillwater, a house with a lake in the countryside. But her dreams of peace and quiet are thwarted when she realizes she���s not alone. A girl who once lived at Stillwater���until she drowned in the lake���has never left, and she does not seem pleased by Beth���s presence. Beth sets out to solve the mystery of Stillwater. But can she find a strength she doesn���t know she possesses as she fights the fury of the dead girl, and tries to establish herself as the true mistress and keeper of the Stillwater house and lake?
Get your Horror on, people! ��For more great titles and authors check out Samhainpublishing.com
February 28, 2015
An Interview With Kristopher Rufty On His Dog Gone Bad Novel – JAGGER
Hunter Shea interviews fellow Samhainer, Kristopher Rufty
Originally posted on Hunter Shea:
I love being a horror writer. Sometimes, it afford little perks, like not only getting to know an awesome writer (and human being) like Kristopher Rufty, but also getting a sneak peek at his latest book.
The book in question this time is JAGGER, a tale about an enormous dog who goes from cuddly to bat crap crazy. When I was done, I actually said, ���Cujo who?��� out loud. This is one you���ll want to devour in one sitting.
Let me start off by saying I loved your new book, Jagger. Why don���t you tell folks what this nail biter is about?
Thank you so much! I���m happy you enjoyed it. Coming from you, that means a lot. I���m a huge fan of your work as well. Jagger is about a scumbag named Clayton who takes Amy Snider���s mastiff to use in some dogfights. His showpiece pit was killed in���
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February 16, 2015
This is Exactly Why We Need “Women In Horror Month,” You Jerk.
Amen.
Originally posted on A Broken Laptop:
Well. I���m mad.
I���m not trying to be inciting or hysterical. But I am angry.
A ���fellow��� horror writer lambasted a dear friend and amazing woman for doing book signings while in costume and���I���m not quite sure what else. Being a woman? He said women were especially bad at trying to grab attention (���claiming��� we���re horror writers when we aren���t) and most of us are hags anyway.
That���s right. Most of us are hags.
I���m sorry, but how did appearance even manage to worm its way into this conversation? This author has one book out and a second releasing soon. Yet he has the authority to decide who is really a horror writer and who isn���t? And bringing physical appearance into it is exceptionally personal. He doesn���t like the way most of us look? Next time I���ll be careful to wear a helmet while signing so I don���t offend readers���
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February 14, 2015
First 5 Star read of the year...
Grimm Mistresses by Stacey TurnerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
February is Woman in Horror Month. I just happened to receive an advanced reader’s copy of a terrific anthology celebrating this occasion. Ragnarok Publications is releasing GRIMM MISTRESSES (Feb. 23rd)
Remember the Grimm Brothers? Those dark fairy tales that made you leave the light on long before Disney went and sanitized them? Well, we do! Now the MISTRESSES GRIMM take back the night, five female authors who will leave you shuddering deliciously. Get ready to leave the lights on again with four pieces of short fiction bringing the Grimm Brother’s tales into the present. Be advised: these aren't your children’s fairy tales!
This collection features the talents of Mercedes M. Yardley, C.W. LaSart, S.R. Cambridge, Stacey Turner, and Allison M. Dickson. The standouts for me were “Little Dead Red” by Yardley, “The Leopard’s Pelt” by Cambridge, and “Hazing Cinderella” by LaSart.
“Little Dead Red” is easily one of the best pieces I’ve read in recent times. I was already a fan of Yardley’s writing, but this story oozes with a darkness only hinted at in her earlier works. It is terrific take on Little Red Riding Hood. Yardley manages to spin this brutal tale, leveling you with the spaces in between rather than the blunt vocab. What “Grimm” Marie goes through will haunt you well after you’ve finished the reading. An amazing achievement by a writer who is only getting better.
“The Leopard’s Pelt” while not as scary is a wonderful piece of fiction. The story of a man who is stranded on an uninhabited island during the Second World War, a chance to survive is presented. The cost? Seven years of selfless living or his soul. Cambridge takes us through a few different spots during his seven year challenge, perfectly weaving in a great love story as we follow along. The writing in this one is also top notch. I couldn't stop.
“Hazing Cinderella” is another favorite. LaSart, as an author, is as upfront and unapologetic as they come. I knew from some of her previous works what I was in for and got every bit of rough and ready horror I expected. It’s always awesome when an author delivers on their promise. What could go wrong when a new step-mom and her daughter move in? Jamie and her father are about to find out. This one is for anyone looking for a horror story that will punch you in the teeth, and maybe turn you on, if you’re into that sort of thing. Of all the stories in this collection, I hope this one will be developed into a full length novel. I’d love to find out more about these devilish ladies.
The other two stories, “Nectar” by Dickson, and “The Night Air” by Turner, also had their chilling or grotesque moments, and were worth the read, they just didn't stand out as well against my favorites.
This book will be released for public consumption of FEBRUARY 23rd! And it features a fan-fucking-tastic cover done by Brittany Smith. Mark your calendars and get ready to go steady with these Horror fiends.
View all my reviews
February 9, 2015
Abram’s Bridge and Boom Town gettin’ some attention from Hellnotes, Horror After Dark, Lucas Mangum, and Hunter Shea!
Okay, here’s some all about me stuff…I know, ego, right? Nah, but there’s some talk in different places about my first two Samhain Horror tales, so I thought I’d share them all in one place.
HELLNOTES.COM ��says: ��http://hellnotes.com/abrams-bridge-book-review
Abram���s Bridge, the Samhain Horror debut from Glenn Rolfe, is an entertaining, tightly written ghost story that reads like a classic ghost tale with modern sensibilities. The story flows from an innocent, even sweet, ghost story, to a story of father and sons, and finally one of small towns and the secrets they can harbor. Rolfe���s economy of words serves the story well, keeping it moving forward a fast clip. The characters are human and realistic and I found myself invested in their situations.
There are a few instances where the characters��� voices drop out of the dialogue, but it���s not enough to interfere with the flow of the story or make it less enjoyable. The occasions when the dialogue reads like someone wrote it rather than a character said it don���t affect the character���s arcs. Even in this short work, the main characters (five by my count) all evolve from beginning to end. Rolfe���s previous work, the novel The Haunted Halls, is very entertaining and worth reading, especially if you dig a more brutal sort of ghost story.
Abram���s Bridge marks significant growth as a writer, with its tighter story, sharper characterization and consistent pacing through to the explosive climax. I really enjoyed Abram���s Bridge and will continue reading Glenn Rolfe���s work going forward.
Pick this one up for an evening���s read, especially if the idea of a traditional yet modern and character driven ghost story appeals to you.
HORROR AFTER DARK was a little more critical, but still nice enough…http://www.horrorafterdark.com/2015/02/abrams-bridge-glenn-rolfe/
Abram���s Bridge is, at heart, a ghost story and I love ghost stories.
Sweet Kate is lurking underneath Abram���s Bridge when she was discovered by Lil Ron. As their meetings under the bridge continue, Ron realizes that Sweet Kate was murdered and he wants to help discover the killer. With a gritty cast of small town characters this novella has some memorable moments. I liked this premise and I enjoyed the characters. So why only 3 stars you ask? It was the writing.
I believe this is Mr. Rolfe���s first published work and I think he has talent, but the writing needs a little work. I���m not an editor or a publisher, nor do I pass myself off as some kind of writing expert. But when I read an awkward sentence like this one, it takes me out of the story:
��� Music is what got him through the mess life had decided to litter his path to adulthood with.���
Despite a few awkward sentences like this one, I truly did enjoy the story. It was intriguing and fast paced and the tale wound everything up very nicely. Overall, I do recommend this story and I will read more of Mr. Rolfe���s work in the future.
HORROR AFTER DARK is also running a giveaway for two E copies. CLICK HERE TO ENTER
If you want to know more about ABRAM’S BRIDGE from me….check out my guest post over on Hunter Shea’s website:
Last week’s interview with Lucas Mangum was fun, too:
And last, but not least…
Catherine Cavendish, author of The Pendle Curse, had this to say:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1194654294?book_show_action=false&page=1
“Alan Packard lives in a ramshackle house with his higgledy piggledy Flea Market on the ground floor. His is an unfulfilling life, more of a difficult day to day existence in a town which achieved notoriety among ufologists back in 1979. Now, the town is back in the news. There have been unexplained seismic rumblings, apparent mini earthquakes and a feeling that all is not right with the Wisconsin town. However meaningless Packard���s existence, it didn���t need the invasion of the awful blue slime that took over his house���and more.
Kim and Brady are two pre-pubescent kids. Best friends. Both from homes that have known tragedy and heartbreak. These two will grow up together. Probably date soon. That is until the day Brady discovers the broken pipe and the bubbling blue ooze���
I love horror and I love sci-fi. Put them together in a well-crafted blend and I am a happy reader. Boom Town proved to be just such a blend. I read the story in one sitting as I couldn���t put it down. I had to know what happened. It contained all the elements of mystery, suspense, scares, cliffhangers and a cast of characters who worked. I believed them. I rooted for them. I feared for them. This is a fast, satisfying read and I highly recommend it.” ��(5 star review)
All in all, some nice words from folks this week! ��My stories aren’t perfect, but I hope you enjoy them just the same.
Thanks to Tim, Charlene, Hunter, Lucas, and Catherine for making my week!
