Lunch with a Chupacabra
Let me start by saying that I was having lunch at a beach/park in southern Connecticut, not a hotbed for all things chupacabra. However, the legendary “goat sucker” did roll around in the dirt by my bench. At first, I thought it was just a cat getting some sun. The more I looked, the more I felt it was a dog. Then it stood up, and I thought, is it a fox? I followed it around the park for 5 minutes, was at times just a few feet away, and I cannot tell you what the hell it was. In my opnion, it was a diseased dog or fox or some mutated cross breed. It looked very much like the way people describe a chupacabra and even had the same run/hop kind of gait.
It made me realize how easy it is to assign monster status to something that is probably more mundane than you can imagine. At least it made my lunch hour more interesting. I managed to take a couple of pics with my crappy blackberry. Here’s the best one. Hard to see what it really looked like. I feel bad for it, because it seemed like it needed a good meal and a home, no matter how bizarre and ugly.
The Countdown Begins
That’s right, there are now 13 days until the release of Forest of Shadows, and 13 has always been my lucky number. All of the authors of the new Samhain horror line kinda feel like X-Men, the first class. I call Professor X…unless Ramsey Campbell really wants it. For chits and giggles, pick an author below and tell us what X-Man they should be:
Ramsey Campbell / Brian Moreland / W.D. Gagliani / Kristopher Rufty / Ronald Malfi / Hunter Shea
Little Miss Zombie posted a very thorough blog that highlights all of the Samhain releases for the rest of the year. If you’re a horror junkie in need a a fix, especially after Leisure horror bit the dust, come get your fix.
http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-news-samhain-horror.html
Monster Men Podcast – Episode 4 – The Queen Mary Can Be Scary
Jack gets me to talk about my one night stay on the Queen Mary earlier this year. Wonderful old ship, fun ghost tour and an experience I’ll keep with me for a long, long time. And yes, my straw hat makes another appearance.
3 Must Read Novellas
I was recently at the Horrorfind convention and got to meet a ton of great authors. I picked up 3 small novellas put out by Thunderstorm Books (and when I say small, I mean the physcial books were actually tiny, about the size of my hand).
All are excellent, and each one is quite unique.
Here’s what you’ll get, in a very small nutshell.
For Emmy is poignant and creepy as hell.
Samson and Denial is gritty, outrageous and fun.
The Neighborhood peels back the epidermis of a neighborhood that holds more secrets than a mob informant.
Click on the cover images to read more and order a copy. You can thank me later.
Suffering for my craft
I’ve been feeling celebratory, now that my book Forest of Shadows is just weeks away from being released (and it’s available now for pre-order). So, what better way to revel in my happiness than subject myself to a tattoo? Actually, the pain isn’t bad at all. Reflexology is far more painful. I swear. It’s horrendous.
It took me a while to come up with something ‘writerly’ themed, and my wife pointed out words I had recently used myself to put under the image; Never Give Up. So true. I’m a firm believer in the Cool Hand Luke theory of life. If you want to do something, just do the damn thing and never, ever quit.
Huge thanks to Darren at Rising Dragon Tattoos in NYC. He has a great shop and is a damn good artist. He now has a customer for life and I urge anyone in the area looking to get ink to go there.
The Captain America shield has been sitting on my arm for years and didn’t even get me a free ticket to the movie.
I have a question for anyone reading this. How many times do you get ‘stabbed’ by a tattoo needle per hour of work? Just curious. Hit the comment bubble to send in your guess, informed or otherwise.
Also, what kind of ink do you have?
Another Mag, Another Curtain Call
This is bittersweet news. My story, Bottom of the Ninth, will be published in the next issue of Ethereal Tales at the end of the month. The sad part is, this will be the final issue. Keeping a magazine running is harder than you can imagine, and I thank Teresa Ford for allowing me to grace her magazine’s pages with a couple of my stories over the years. Finding quality horror magazines is becoming as difficult as the hunt for Bigfoot. Cemetery Dance is still the king of the prom, but lately the chasm between issues has been growing larger and larger (though I was recently assured by a staff member there that things will be picking up soon). I gues this is all part of the changing times in publishing. Anthologies are now the best place to get your horror shorts fix. But man, there’s something about magazines that I love, and miss.
Speaking of Cemetery Dance, they just announced the publication of Four Legs in the Morning, the newest book by Norman Prentiss. If you’re not reading his work, you’re depriving yourself.
So, back to Ethereal Tales, check it out and lay down a couple of pounds for a copy that will be full to bursting with new stories and great artwork.
Best Surprise Ever…I’m a Monster!
So I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday perusing the magazine rack when I spied the latest issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Now, when I was a kid, this was the greatest damn magazine ever. I didn’t get every issue that hit the newstands, but I treasured every single one that came into my possession. I still remember the cover with King Kong’s big ape face (the original, not the one with The Dude). That one held a special place amidst my comic book collection.
Imagine my surprise when I flip open the cover and see an ad with my book cover in it. I know that Samhain is going balls out to let the world know that they are the new place to get your horror fix, but I didn’t know I would ever see anything in a magazine that is nothing short of iconic for me and I’m sure loads of other guys my age (you know, kids of the 70s and early 80s). The little kid inside me has been smiling non-stop. This is the same kid who spent nights putting together glow in the dark Frankenstein and Dracula models, listening to reruns of spooky radio plays, and sneaking downstairs to watch Chiller Theatre.
Best of all, for those of you interested in being the first wave of readers of Samhain horror, and hopefully my book, Forest of Shadows, you can order now and get a 30% discount.
I just had to share. 
Monster Men Podcast #3 – The Decaying State of Zombies
OK, I ditched the straw hat and Jack and I got down to business talking about our favorite subject : zombies. George Romero completely rewired our brains and we’ve never recovered. So, grab a shotgun, find a safe haven (preferrably in an abandoned mall) and enjoy.
The Seismic Shift in Publishing
As a New Yorker posting an article the day after our little tremor, I couldn’t resist the title. Below is a blog by writer Brian Moreland on the state of bookstores and publishing. I couldn’t agree with him more…
Farewell to Borders; Hello, e-Publishing, By Brian Moreland
“According to the Association of American Publishers (AARP), sales figures for the first half of 2011…paperback sales dipped nearly 18% and hardback sales fell 23% compared to the same period the previous year.”
On the contrary, e-book sales are up 160% from this time a year ago. Every publishing professional I’ve talked to sees ebooks as the future for books.
The Dig – Now on Kindle
That’s right, I finally figured it out. And I got my first Kindle this week. I’ve been having an Amazon time. The Dig is 99 cents and ready when you are. The management thanks you for your support. To learn more or download your copy, just click the cover image.
Hunter Shea 