Mark Henry's Blog, page 3

PARTS & WRECK is OUTTIE!!!

The day has finally come (and it comes with some secret surprises I couldn't share with you until now), PARTS & WRECK has escaped into the wild of the internet and you can nab her for your very own eReader NOW!!!

Here's what people are saying about my first foray into paranormal romantic comedy!

“Like being on a roller coaster after drinking tequila shots: rollicking and hilarious. I loved this paranormal romance. Every adult on the planet should read it ... Now!”
- Michele Bardsley, National Bestselling Romance Author

  

"One of the funniest romances I've ever read. Who knew vivisection could be so sexy? A fun, frenetic frolic of a book."- Nicole Peeler, author of the Jane True series (Tempest Reborn)

Not only that, but now until the 30th of November you can take advantage of a very special offer!



From now until November 30th, PARTS & WRECK is priced at a low low low low low...

99 cents!

I shit you not! Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, everything 99 cents! It's crazypants cheap! Spread the word people!!!


There's even a CONTEST! Head on over to the Covet page to enter to win signed sets of all my books, ebooks, and gift cards!

One last thing. If you're going to be around today, the 25th of November at 5 PM est/8 PM pst we're having a Twitter Party to celebrate and do giveaways and scream and junk!

Follow me: @mark_henry for more info and to join in!

A Letter About the NEW Amanda Feral Novellas

Dear Glamazombies (and Glamazombies-to-be),

Not so great news today. As much as I hate being the Boy Who Cried Wolf, I'd hate it even more if I rushed to give you an Amanda Feral book that wasn't as perversely cruel and hilarious as it could be and should be. So, I'm going to push it back a bit and that means a few weeks at the most. I'd love nothing more than for you to have two of my books to read over the holidays so expect to pick up Beach Blanket Bloodbath and Parts & Wreck (you can preorder that NOW) in November.

I know what you're asking. What's the fucking hold up?

Well, Amanda is a tough character to wrangle. When I was writing the original trilogy, my mood and attitude was very much hers and vice versa. I was confident and biting. But things have changed and it's been difficult to step back into that loop. Plus, softening my edge for the YA audience didn't help. So, I'm busily eating glass and tripping school children to get my pitch black humor in order.

Additionally, this novella sets up the entire trilogy. While each of the Amanda Feral novellas will stand on its own and feature a self-contained story, there is an arc at play that has to be dealt with gingerly in Beach Blanket Bloodbath.

The draft is nearly complete and received a much needed kick in the ass this week via a tornado of news that I'm not at liberty to share, nor would I be happy to, frankly. So I'll leave it at that. The reboot of the draft has had me laughing and rubbing my hands together maniacally, so I'm definitely back in Amanda's good graces.

But be warned, if you see me walking down the street avoid me. I'm NOT nice when I'm this deep into Amanda's head. I repeat, NOT. NICE. I'm not going to eat your sweetbreads or go total zombie on you, but I might. It is the season for horrors.

So apologies. And I hope you'll hang on to the level of excitement you've shown so far, it's been extremely encouraging in a year full of transitions and upheaval.

Thanks for sticking with me!
Mark

All Entangled Eve Hop: Top 5 Halloween Musts

ARGH! I'm on deadline and totally forgot to write this post! Forgive my tardiness!
***
Every year, when October rushes in, leaves crinkling underfoot and skies graying with the promise of rain, I know it's time...TO GET MY SPOOK ON! I love all things horror, and Halloween fits right into my aesthetic. So each year...alongside the parties and trick-or-treaters there are several things that we do here at Casa Henry to make the season blight.

First up...
5. Decorations!
We have tons of Christmas decorations, most people do, but it says a lot about us that we have just as many Halloween knicknacks, wreaths and lights. Little known fact, in one of my incarnations, I was a manager at a halloween store and with that comes a discount. So on Oct. 1st, we open up the Halloween closet and let it puke all over our house.
4. Haunts!
The image of families trudging through soggy pumpkin patches might exemplify the season for many, but in my mind, those same spots are much more suited for a nighttime visit.  A lot of corn mazes (around here anyway) set up scary events and pull out all the stops. Pulling in broken down school buses, loading them with ghouls and having you claw your way through. The only place a jump scare belongs is in real life. In movies, it's just lazy.
3. TV
In the last couple of years, TV has made a huge turnaround when it comes to horror-themed television. A few of my favorites return this time of year. But I'll focus on two. American Horror Story: Coven and The Walking Dead. If you haven't started watching American Horror Story, know that it's not set up like a traditional series. Each season stands alone with the actors taking on new roles and operating within a new premise. This time it's witches and its definitely the most accessible of the three seasons! LOVING IT. The Walking Dead is just back and already feels like it needs some added freshness, but that said, it's leaps and bounds one of the best shows on television so jump on the train before the zombies get you!
2. Books
Duh. You're probably thinking, Mark has to say that shit, he's a writer, it's in his contract. But no. There's nothing in my contract...and might be the scariest thing of all (sob). Every October, I dump whatever literary fiction I'm currently reading and gather a stack of nasty horror to get me in the mood for...dismemberment. This year, I decided to read The Shining and its sequel, Doctor Sleep, back to back...and I haven't been disappointed. Stephen King is still the master and the growth of his writing is stunning from that third book, to Sleep, his newest.
1. Movies
Above all, every year, during the entire month of October, my wife and I make it a point to watch as many horror movies as possible. Now, we're aficionados, so we've seen as many as 750 at last count, but there are still so many to take in. A few of our favorites that we rewatch a LOT. (The Shining, of course, Suspiria and Halloween, which is required). I'd love to do a top ten post about all my faves so I could supremely geek out for y'all.
That I'm so obsessed with this grim holiday will come as no surprise to anyone who's already read my books and my latest, PARTS & WRECK (Nov. 25, available for pre-order now, from Entangled: Covet) is a romance inspired by some of my horror favorites. But don't worry, lightweights! It's a comedy! Here's the blurby:
Wade Crowson, a brutish and brooding playboy and veteran vivisectionist for the Parts Department, runs into more than he bargained for in new partner, Lucid Montgomery, a quirky beauty with a bizarre secret (an imaginary friend that has lingered since childhood) and a string of psychiatric diagnoses she tries very hard to keep secret. Loving Luce will stamp a demonic target on her back and thrust Wade into a frenzied whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings, blood-spattered bathrooms and, quite possibly, a stripping gig for empty-nesters. Can their love withstand the savagery of an exorcism (with or without the split pea soup)?
And NOW! The Contest.
As part of All Entangled Eve (click on the link in the sidebar for more giveaways), I'm giving away a copy of a pair of Entangled eBooks! Simply enter via the Rafflecopter thingie below for a chance to win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Those Amanda Feral Covers!!!

Other urban fantasy authors mete out their cover reveals slowly, making readers beg for it. Here at Mark Henry we like to play all our gruesome cards at once, especially when they feature fashionable zombies and a gay vamp! We slap 'em down and watch for the undead fallout. This time, each of our fashionable friends gets their own stylish cover and you get to see a close facsimile of the type of peeps I had in mind for Amanda, Wendy and Gil all along.

So. Without further adieu, I give you the covers for BEACH BLANKET BLOODBATH,  DAWN OF THE DEADUTANTES and SHIP OF GHOULS, the new Amanda Feral, Undead Socialite Trilogy!

BEACH BLANKET BLOODBATH (Coming: Oct. 28th 2013)

Amanda, Wendy and Gil descend on an idyllic seaside village for some rest, relaxation and consumption of cute coastal townsfolk but instead become embroiled in a mystery at the Miss Sand Flea Pageant involving overtly perky go-go dancers, the inevitable wereshark attack and an annoying octogenarian sleuth/writer. Will your favorite undead mean girls (and their gay bff) survive the weekend? Will one (or more) get some wereshark dick? Your guess is as good as mine!

Then there's these two bad girls (synopses-pending):


So you know who's who, right? Do you have a favorite? 
I know I do. Psst. It's Wendy's cover (and here's a secret, the wraparound story that links each of the stories is all about Wendy and Abuelita from BATTLE OF THE NETWORK ZOMBIES...someone's a drug lord!)
I'd love it if you added some zombie shiz on your Goodreads. Here are the links...
BEACH BLANKET BLOODBATH DAWN OF THE DEADUTANTESSHIP OF GHOULS
Next up: More info about Dawn and Ship and all kinds of stuff about Parts & Wreck! Wow, so much going on around here!

The Big News!

As many of you might have already guessed, after three years away in the world of young adult fiction (VELVETEEN as Daniel Marks, go buy it, we'll wait for you), I'm jumping back into the world of adult fiction and specifically...wait for it...PARANORMAL ROMANCE! Crazy, right?

Crazy like a fucking fox.

I'm so excited to announce the sale of my first humorous paranormal romance novel for Entangled's Covet line! There's a distinct possibility there'll be more, too, as this one is the set up for a series. So...gird your loins--I'm not sure what that means, but I'm told you need a stick of butter for it.


I'll hold off on the title reveal for now, as that's been kind of fluid, but I'm calling the series THE PARTS DEPARTMENT as it's set amongst the brave and/or possibly psychotic men and women of a secret organization that reclaim demonically possessed transplant organs, commando-style, the unfortunate consequence of which is the stuff of urban legends--the one where folks wake up in motel bathtubs with plenty of ice cubes but far fewer kidneys.

IT'S A COMEDY! Duh!

The first book, let's just call it--in complete disregard for what I just said about holding off on it--PARTS & WRECK (since that's been the working title forever, though is subject to change), is coming out VERY SOON! Here's the synopsis:

Wade Crowson, a brutish and brooding playboy and veteran vivisectionist for the Parts Department, runs into more than he bargained for in new partner, Lucid Montgomery, a quirky beauty with a bizarre secret (an imaginary friend that has lingered since childhood) and a string of psychiatric diagnoses she tries very hard to keep secret. Loving Luce will stamp a demonic target on her back and thrust Wade into a frenzied whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings, blood-spattered bathrooms and, quite possibly, a stripping gig for empty-nesters. Can their love withstand the savagery of an exorcism (with or without the split pea soup)?

So...yeah. Just your normal, everyday category romance.

This is probably going to be a shock to readers of my Amanda Feral series (HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED, etc) but I kinda dig the romance, though my idea of romance is probably a lot darker than most (also dirtier and much more irreverent) and I have to commend Entangled for getting into bed with me on this, they're taking a chance...you never know what's going to happen--unless you've brought the spatulas, squash blossoms and latex lederhosen, then yeah, you know. You're pretty much on board then.

While my books have always had a romantic element (some more than others--I'm looking at you STOCKING FULL OF COAL), I've never written anything that could be considered remotely "category." Which for the uninitiated involves utilizing a number of familiar tropes to bring a romance to life and get the reader through all the tension and build-up to a happy ending (not that kind, I mean, unless you're reading on the massage table, then more power to you, who am I to judge?).

My framework for romance is largely built around very quirky characters and often quite broken lives. In thinking about revealing this book (and possible series), I decided to make a collage of the kind of couples I find intriguing, ones I'm actually invested in.

Can you name the movies (or TV shows) in each of these shots? I'm a total sucker for oddly funny romances and even funnier banter between the hero and heroine, so expect that...but by God don't expect it to be appropriate! I've got standards and I don't want any of my fans thinking I've gone soft.

So yeah.

What do you think? I hope everyone is looking forward to this. And stick around for more details and news and covers and all that.

It's coming!

And while I've got you, don't forget to sign up for the newsletter and like my Facebook fanpage to enter to win one of three copies of the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology! Details HERE.

Seafoam: Available NOW!

Jeremy, an infamous foot fetishist doomed to the quirkiest 12-step group ever, falls off the wagon spectacularly when he meets Beverly. She is a "beneather", one of an alien species living alongside us after rising from the depths of the ocean. She is perfect for Jeremy. Smart. Beautiful. Great feet. But does Beverly's reciprocation smack of a sinister and slimy secret? Will Jeremy's probation officer revoke his freedom before he meets a bitter, sweaty end? And more importantly, did someone remember to bring donuts and coffee to the 12-step group?

In this short tale of aliens, foot fetishism and life choices gone horribly awry, Mark Henry returns to his roots, stirring up comedy and horror, muddling in a little sex and serving it up ice cold.

Buy now for just 99 cents!

The Great and Secret Contest*: Carniepunk

On this past Sunday, I gigantic bug crawled up in my ass and beseeched that I create some interest in both this website, my newsletter and my brand new facebook page. Albeit uncomfortable (as I'm pretty sure said bug is currently laying eggs), it has a point. My site has been so dormant that I've had to switch back to Blogger because something happened to it in the years since I've updated and I can no longer access the damn thing, but I at least could figure out how to redirect traffic here, so I'm probably not going to be eaten from the inside. Or maybe I will.

I'm clearly hinting at a contest. And so, I'll get on with that.

In the coming months, you're going to be hearing a lot more out of me. Certain things I'm sworn to secrecy about *cough* sicko romance *cough* while others (the return of a certain trio of supernaturally snarky assholes), I have no gag order on, so...that's happening. But at this point, it's like a tree falling in the woods--no one can hear it--so I'm trying to get the word out. And I have...

BAIT!
I'm giving away two downloads of the Carniepunk audiobook. I've listened to it and it's amazing, not least of all because Candace Thaxton, the actress who reads my story The Sweeter the Juice, nailed the snark to the wall like a juicy hunk of roadkill. I loved it and I know you will, too! In addition, I've got a paperback copy of Carniepunk to throw in the mix.

That's THREE chances to win! Plus more, because you'll get an entry for liking my Facebook fan page and an entry for signing up for my newsletter (see that form up there on the left hand side under the social media icons? Yep. That's the form).

So let's get to this.

THE NITTY GRITTY
I'm pretty sure the downloads can be international so at least a portion of this bad boy will be for everybody, but the paperback will be domestic only (cuz dayum that shit's expensive to send). The contest will run for a month, so until September 22nd at 12:00 PM PST.

GET TO IT!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*10 points for the reference (but no actual extra entries because I'm a stingy bastard)

Carniepunk: the Book and the Tour!

Today's the day, y'all. The Carniepunk anthology with my short story The Sweeter the Juice hits shelves, ereaders and headphones today! So if you're in the mood for creepy carnivals, circusfolk or, like me, just a bunch of junkies wrapped in cotton candy, then step right up and prepare yourself for some of the weirdest shit to hit the Urban Fantasy scene in YEARS!

The Sweeter the Juice tackles that time honored question: what the hell is a drug-addicted pre-op transsexual gonna do during a zombie apocalypse. Hormones are on short supply and surgeons are even fewer and further between. If you like a little, or a lot, of horror in your urban fantasy, this is the story for you. The carny element in this one takes a Mardi Gras approach, floats, dancing, dead bodies. The usual.

AND...there are tons of other authors who've contributed slices of their brains to Carniepunk, too! Including a group of folks I'll be hanging out with this week in Texas! If you're going to be in Dallas, Houston or Austin in the coming week, plan on checking out the following events!

DALLAS  Thursday * July 25th * 5 & 7 PM

Two Carniepunk events for you Dallas folks! First up: the ladies of Fresh Fiction are hosting a dinner with myself, Nicole Peeler and Jaye Wells with our special guest Liliana Hart (author of ) at Maggiano's Little Italy at 5 PM. As I'm not flying in until 2 PM, I'll have to entertain revelers with my Just-In-Town Sitz Bath. For FREE tickets click here!

Immediately following dinner, at 7 PM the four of us will head over to the Lincoln Park Barnes & Noble for the main event, readings, signings and an illegal amount of snark will be proffered for your sick amusement.

HOUSTON  Saturday * July 27th * 4:30 PM

Johnniecakes (alias) over at Murder by the Book was the one who got the train for this tour rolling in the first place by inviting all the authors in Carniepunk down for a ginormous release event. And lots of us bit. Houston is going to be full of degenerates on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 PM until we finish tattooing everybody--don't worry, we're amateurs so you'll be able to lie to your friends about "that one time in prison." Authors in attendance: Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne, Mark Henry, Nicole Peeler, Jaye Wells and moderating our heathen antics, Liliana Hart.

AUSTIN  Monday * July 29th * 7 PM

Last but not least, the original foursome will be dropping into the Book People for a full blown snarkfest. We'll have plenty of road stories back then so it's sure to be a good time for us, possibly the audience, too, it's hard to say. Feel free to pray for us in the aisles, we may need it. The show starts at 7 PM and ends when we've offended the last person!

Please note: If you're coming to see me as Daniel Marks, I'll be happy to sign copies of Velveteen, but be aware, these are not kid-friendly events. There may be smut-readings, foul language and plenty of things that might end us up in jail, soooo...there's that.

So don't forget to pick up your copy, download or listen of Carniepunk! The link will take you to the Simon and Schuster site so you can order from wherever your conscience allows!

Carniepunk Giveaway and Tour!

So, I’m sitting in my kitchen working at my laptop, as far as you know, when the doorbell rings. As any normal human being would, assuming there was a solicitor at the door or a sappy-eyed child selling diet-busting candy, I reached for my gun and slipped to the floor to avoid detection. Creeping across the hall, I lifted my head just in time to see the bestest shit-brown truck that ever existed barrel away leaving a puffy beige package on my doorstep, just like an unwanted baby…or THIS…

YESSSSSSS!!! Carniepunk ARCs came!!! Now, some of you may know that this literary wonder was the brainchild of my friend and fellow Reluctant Adult, Kevin Hearne, author of such Iron Druidness as HOUNDED and star of a certain Single Ladies Dance Spectacular, featured here (feel free to witness that particular madness as you continue to read toward the inevitable contest):

As excited as I am about my story in CARNIEPUNK (July 23rd), THE SWEETER THE JUICE (a post-apocalyptic zombie horror-comedy, with drug-addicted trannies and port wine stains), I’m just happy that this beast of a book will soon be in the hands of our friends and fans! As I was saying, Kevin brought this up quite a while ago and was diligent in making it happen. Much more than I would have been, because…wait, what, celebrity gossip? Distractible is the word you’re looking for. 



Anyway, as many of the League of Reluctant Adults as could make the time (Kevin and myself, Jackie Kessler, Kelly Meding, Allison Pang, Nicole Peeler, and Jaye Wells) and some other fun folks (Rachel Caine, Kelly Gay, Hilary Jacques, Delilah S. Dawson) offered up stories and time and lickety split (I don’t know what that means, but it sounds dirty) and with the help of Suzie Townshend, agent provacateur, the anthology was snapped up by the lovely and talented Adam Wilson over at Simon and Schuster, some other folks joined on (Seanan Maguire, Jennifer Estep, Rob Thurman) and now it’s in my sweaty palms, pages puffing with moisture. 



 You want it? Well, I’ll tell you how to go about that little miracle in a sec, but first…a TOUR!

So excited are we that you’ll be able to read this treasury of weird that we’ve organized a very brief regional tour. TEXAS to be exact. Me, Jaye Wells (Red-Headed Stepchild), Nicole Peeler (Tempest Rising), Kevin Hearne (Hounded) and Liliana Hart (Breath of Fire) will be visiting barbecue joints, roadhouses and occasionally a bookstore for signings. You can read all about that on our event’s facebook page! Go there and invite your Texan friends now (as that’s part of the contest). Don’t worry, there are lots of parts to the contest so you’ll get your shot even if you pussy out on helping our little tour be a success. No worries, we hate it when people come to see us, preferring rather to stare blankly into quiet spaces while our books gather dust…

Sorry. 

 Where was I? Ah yes, contest. Simply use the rafflecopter widget below to enter and follow us and do all that shit and you could WIN! The contest is open internationally and will go for a couple of weeks. I’ll announce the winner on May 6th! Now get to it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Cover Reveal, a Contest and Pimpin’

I’m a few days late getting on this but I had to share the final cover of my next short story (coming soon)!

It’s called PARK JOHN and it’s more grisly horror than comedy, so prepare yourselves. I really love the how the cover turned out and I can’t wait for you guys to get a load of this sick story!
In lieu of an official blurb (that’s coming), suffice it to say, Park John has the world’s most chill serial killer, a victim on the verge of insanity and bloody ice cream sundaes.
Unlike my first attempt at indie-pubbing, SEAFOAM (available now on Kindle for 99 cents!), Park John will be going up across multiple platforms. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you guys in the loop as to when that happens!
In other pubbing news, the Amanda Feral erotic trilogy is full steam ahead. I’m working on the second book currently and once it’s done, revised and I’ve got a healthy bite into the third, I’m going to bust those out in a GRAND way! If you’ve had a chance to read STOCKING FULL OF COAL, you already know that Amanda is not afraid to get KINKY and BIZARRE!
All this creative stuff has given me the boost I needed to get off my ass with the next Daniel Marks book and I’m a chapter in on that and loving the protagonist and the premise and the extremes of violence and fucked-upped-ness (it’s a word NOW). Anyways, wish me luck that the powers that be will love it as much as I’m loving writing it, ’cause if not, we’re going to have some problems. As for VELVETEEN, you can enter to win one of three copies from BOOKISH, I’ve even done up a little vlog for Evie’s MEN IN YA series about curing emotional dulling through embracing horror! There might be some horrendously dramatic pictures of me for the Men in YA calendar. Go check that out!

But enough about me, my good friend Kate Eden has a pair of brand-spanking new paranormal romances out now! Her Murdoch Vampires series kicks off with THE HOT SCOT!
Vampires and Scots? What? That ought to have you dreaming about some under-the-kilt thigh biting! So, go check that out pronto-like!
Depression check-in?
I’m going to keep busting ass to stay in this business, because I love it, honestly. I mean sometimes I hate it, but like most relationships, it fluctuates. But the key word there is “relationship.”
I’m gonna make it work.