100 Episodes of Monster Madness
It’s been 5 years and now 100 episodes of Monster Men! Wow. I wish I counted the number of beers we’ve had while filming all that time. It would be a pretty impressive number.
100 episodes. That’s a lot of aarrghs! And a lot of movie/book reviews, interviews, wine and beer tasting, ruminations on horror classics and general tomfoolery. I can’t wait to see what the next 100 bring. Thank you all for watching and encouraging our errant behavior.
I’m going to give away a signed copy of TORTURES OF THE DAMNED to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment here with your favorite episode.
Now, on to the show!
As always, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, rate us and post comments and follow our blog.
I Kill In Peace Early Reviews & A Giveaway
The countdown to the release of my novella, I KILL IN PEACE, has begun! April 12th is the big day, and the early reviews are starting to come in. Now, I knew this book was going to get pretty strong reactions, both good and bad. It’s out there, kinda like me, dealing with some delicate subjects. In fact, there were times I wasn’t sure Samhain would even touch it with a ten-foot pole. Thank you to my former editor Don D’Auria for giving it this chance. A writer will be hard pressed to find an editor who champions their creativity and vision more than Don.
So, what are people saying?
From uber reviewer Michael Patrick Hicks : “Of the handful of titles I’ve read from Hunter Shea, I Kill In Peace easily stands at the top of the stack as my hands-down favorite. It’s bloody, it’s violent, it’s mysterious, and it’s wickedly entertaining from start to finish as Shea hurtles readers from one crazy kill to another.The way Shea strips back the layers of his big reveal is completely terrific, and I Kill In Peace may be his most masterful bit of writing to date.”
Or how about this one from The Examiner : “What started off to be an interesting story got a much stronger pay off than I had expected and shows just how good a storyteller Shea really is. I Kill in Peace is a rare treat that is sure to thrill not only Shea’s fans but also fans of horror in general and is further proof that Shea is a talent that deserves to be read by a much wider audience.”
Now, either the book isn’t as crazy as I think it is, or Michael and Josef from The Examiner are truly demented, in which case I welcome them to the asylum.
I KILL IN PEACE was written over the feverish course of 3 weeks just after Christmas in 2014. It starts in a small Maine town (the same one I call my home away from home) and ends up in a very, very bad place. I remember at the time pondering all of the evils in the world and wondering how we – meaning humanity – could ever get our heads extracted from our asses. What if there was a way to right all our wrongs? What would happen if someone dared to take that first step?
You can pre-order I KILL IN PEACE directly from Samhain for just $2.45 (the ebook is priced at $3.50). Or grab a copy at Amazon so it can be delivered as soon as the clock strikes midnight on April 12th.
Or you can answer this simple question to be eligible to win a signed copy. I’ll announce the winner on April April 4th. Here it goes – If you could change one thing in this world, albeit it violently but guaranteed you won’t be caught, what would it be? (I foresee a lot of Trump jokes) Just post and answer in the comments section and I’ll draw a winner from there. Good luck and dig out that kill list!
The Truth Behind THEY RISE -A Ghost Shark Killer Thriller & Giveaway
First, thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy of my deep sea thriller, THEY RISE. Sales and reviews have been fantastic. You all make my monster heart grow 3 sizes.
Jack and I finally got an episode together to talk about THEY RISE and reveal what is real and what isn’t. You also get a little inside poop on how deeply personal the first chapter was for me. Plus, we give some shout outs to a few of our uber Monster Men fans!
But wait, there’s more! If you comment on the video, you’re eligible to win a free copy of They Rise. Winner will be announced on March 17th.
If our little gab fest has you in the mood for an entree of chimaera fish with a side of seaweed, hop on over to Amazon and snag a copy on your fishing line.
Robert E Dunn’s Highway To Hell – THE RED HIGHWAY
I first became acquainted with Robert E. Dunn when I read his alien novel, BEHIND THE DARKNESS. You know I’m a sucker for anything that deals with aliens, especially nasty ETs. Since then, we’ve spoken quite often, becoming pen pals of sorts. I was very fortunate to get an early read of his brand new release, THE RED HIGHWAY, a road trip to hell and redemption and other dark and light places.
Well, Robert’s here today to talk a little about the wiring of a horror writer and to give you a peek of THE RED HIGHWAY. Buckle up, baby!
Horror Writer? How Weird Do You Have To Be?
I have a lot of people in my life, friends and family, strangers at the supermarket, and the occasional random e-mail ranter/fan, that ask me how do I write a novel. The subtext of this is usually, how do I write the novels I do-scary, weird, gory, and sometimes a bit desperate. Most of my characters seem to have a bit of desperation in them and they look at me, a regular guy kind of guy, and wonder about the secrets in my basement. I’ll tell you this, no one goes into my basement. Don’t even ask. What I’ll tell you about writing my books is that I have my own way of doing things and my own love of the macabre.
To tell you the truth, I think most people would be disappointed to meet a horror author. We’re the normal guys. Genre writers in general, I think, are the grounded ones. It’s the unique individuals that write In Cold Blood or Catcher in the Rye. Our basic normality comes from a life-long love of the kind of stories we end up writing. I grew up loving the old Universal horror movies and reading Tales From the Crypt. When I discovered Vampirella I turned my hand to art trying to draw beautiful vampires in skimpy costumes. My drawing skills never really improved that much but the stories and art that inspired me stuck. Monsters and weirdness infected my mind while at the same time inoculating me against the petty poisons of the real world.
Looking back, it was the same way with the kids that had a love of cowboy culture, literary readers, math geeks, jocks, drama kids…etc. Young people that have something to love, to inspire, have a framework that is both refuge and community. That makes for strong, healthy people.
Something that the rest of the world is just beginning to realize, is that almost all culture, is geek culture. We’re all geeks about something and it’s normal to be passionate about the things that give us understanding of who we are in the world. A guy who paints his body to attend a football game is no different from a gamer girl that cosplays at a ComicCon. We’re all normal and I think it’s in large part due to our connections to touchstones that speak to us.
All of that raging normalcy allowed me to write THE RED HIGHWAY, a novel about how a homeless drunk, a porn star, a foul-mouthed dwarf, two preachers, and a reporter save themselves and a burning city from an ancient evil. I’m telling you it takes a sane person to write about monsters that demand sacrifice and imagine a world where ghosts can forgive us.
All of that being said-stay out of my basement.
Now I’d like to give you a little synopsis of THE RED HIGHWAY and invite you into the weirdness.
In January of 1992, the fading life of Paul Souther, a homeless veteran, is changed by two events. He witnesses a murder committed by a big black man who, for a moment, seemed to have wings. And, as Paul hides from the man in a XXX theater, Mary Prince, the adult actress on screen, begins to speak directly to him.
On the other side of the country, the real Mary encounters the same big man when she visits the site of the Rodney King beating. He infests her life and her mind then traps her in a mental health ward, impossibly, pregnant.
In LA, two other black men, a tabloid reporter, and a celebrity TV preacher, are on the trail of the same mysterious man. They follow the tracks of rage and race leading throughout the city. At every hot spot the man is seen pulling strings and spreading the message of race war.
Paul and a mix of outcasts is called to Mary’s side just as the baby is born. None of them have any idea that the city of LA is sitting on a ticking bomb of anger. As riots explode, the big man, who now claims to be a god, reveals himself to be an ancient, dark power using the rage of the people to stoke his own, literal, fires. He demands the child as sacrifice to keep the city, and perhaps the nation from burning. It falls to Paul, a faithless man, and a drunk with blood on his own hands, to make the impossible choice between a child or a city and to save the people he has come to care about.
Twenty years later, as the grown child is spreading her own message of practical faith, as protesters picket and shout a new hate, a mysterious man shows up in the new crowds. This time his message is, God Hates Fags.
The Red Highway, Synopsis
Necro Publications/Bedlam Press
PAGES: 282
ISBN: 978-1-939065-82-7 Trade Paperback (List: $12.95)
Distribution: Trade Paperback: Amazon, LSI and CreateSpace eBook: Kindle, Smashwords, Baker & Taylor, Nook, LSI, Apple, Kobo, Sony and others.
In 1992, as Los Angeles begins to simmer in the heat of racial injustices, one dark man appears everywhere, spreading his message of race war. At the same time, Paul Souther, a homeless drunk, joins a strange group of outsiders. Some black and some white, they all carry the weight of broken lives and lost faith. They are all drawn to LA, for the arrival of a child, impossibly carried by Mary Prince, a sterile porn star.
Through back roads and freeways everyone is pulled into LA and Mary’s side just as the baby is born. None of them have any idea that the city is a ticking bomb of anger. As riots explode, the mysterious man reveals himself to be an ancient, dark spirit using the rage of the people to stoke his own, literal, fires. He demands Mary’s child as sacrifice to keep the city, and perhaps the nation from burning. It falls to Paul, a faithless man, and a drunk with blood on his own hands, to make the impossible choice between the child and the city, and to save the people he has come to care about.
Biography, Robert E. Dunn
Robert E. Dunn was born an army brat and grew up in the Missouri Ozarks. He wrote his first book at age eleven, stealing, or novelizing, as he called it at the time, the storyline of a Jack Kirby comic book.
His college course of study, philosophy, religion, theatre, and film/TV communications, left him qualified only to be a televangelist. When that didn’t work out, he turned to them mostly, honest work of video production. Over several years he produced everything from documentaries, to training films and his favorite, travelogues. Still always writing for the joy of it he returned to writing horror and fantasy fiction for publication after the turn of the century. It seemed like a good time for change even if the changes were not always his choice.
He lives in Kansas City with three daughters, a young grandson, and an old dog. He tweets sometimes as @WritingDead but makes no promises how interesting those little posts will be.
Praise for The Red Highway
“The Red Highway is not one of the best books that I’ve read so far this year, or that I’ve read in a long time…it’s one of the best books that I’ve ever read! It was an incredible read, one that has so many layers that I was completely enthralled with the story.” –2 Book Lovers Reviews
“A thoroughly gripping read. Dunn is a writer with guts and the chops to grab his readers by the eyeballs and dare them to look away.” –Hunter Shea, Author of Tortures of the Damned
Purchase Links
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Red-Highway-Robert-Dunn-ebook/dp/B0158WMEOE
Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-red-highway-robert-e-dunn/1122623132
Necro Publications
Giveaway!!!
Enter for your chance to win either a copy of The Red Highway, Behind the Darkness, or a print of the beautiful cover artwork from The Red Highway done by Erik Wilson! You can do multiple things each day to gain more entries! Just click the rafflecopter link. Forward any questions to Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, at hookofabook@hotmail.com.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjMxYWEzMGI1ZDE2MGYyYTgzYjk4NzVhYzhmMTdmOjI3/?
Book Giveaways And Sick Cats
Little Iris Shea is sick for the first time in her 9 years on this blue and green globe. As a lazy house cat, she has it pretty darn good. I’d love to go 9 years without an illness. Hell, some years, I’ll take 9 weeks. Turns out she has an eye infection and a small heart murmur. We knew something was wrong when she woke up looking like Popeye and moved around the house less than usual. She wouldn’t let me take a pic of her bad eye, but this is pretty much her position at my feet for the entire day…
She did tell me she wants me to spread the word about the Rafflecopter giveaway for a signed copy of my apocalypse love song, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED. You have until Sept 24th to enter. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter apocalypse special! Reviews have been excellent and the ending is definitely causing a stir.
OK, that’s all for now. I have to go light up the BBQ and roast some weenies. I’ll be using my father’s tried and true method for grilling – each meat requires a certain number of beers to be imbibed before it’s good to go.
To get all the latest news and giveaways before the rest of the world, sign up for my Dark Hunter Newsletter today!
Guest Post With Russell James – Déjà vu Writing
I had the honor and privilege of reading an advance copy of Russell James’s latest foray into the world of magic and dark terror, Dreamwalker. I absolutely loved it and think it’s his best to date. It’s finally out and ready to be devoured by hungry horror readers. Here, in the Magic Man’s own words, is how the fiction became stark fact…
This time around, my novel creeped me out.
When I wrote Dreamwalker, I wanted to set it in a location that emphasized the duality that the
main character, Pete Holm, lives in. I’d read about Atlantic City and how the promise of casinos hadn’t
created the promised city-wide rejuvenation. Atlantic Avenue divided the city, separating the glitter of the
high-rise hotels from the poverty of the rundown residential areas. The location seemed perfect.
I’d never been to Atlantic City, or Philadelphia, another location in the book. But MapQuest is
amazing, and I used grids of the streets to flesh out my fantasy versions. Pete takes a bus, so I Googled
the bus station locations and schedules just to make sure such places existed.
After the second draft of the story was completed, I had a free weekend in Maryland and decided
to visit these places I’d so casually created based on a few thin facts. I headed to Atlantic City, hoping I
could work in some real-life observations to the story.
I drove through the city and went into shock. Locations I’d created in my mind’s eye were here in
real life, almost doorframe for doorframe. The restaurant Pete works in, the rundown homes, the decaying
basketball court. It didn’t feel like I was exploring someplace new, it felt like I was returning to
someplace familiar.
In the late afternoon, I drove to Philadelphia, taking the same route my character takes when he
tries to find the identity of the girlfriend in his dreams. In the city, I followed my invented route to her
fictional hospice. There was no hospice, but there was a doctor’s office with an entrance that looked just
as I’d imagined the hospice’s did. It gave me chills.
Dreamwalker is about a college student who enters an alternate reality when he dreams. Did I
enter some alternate subconscious reality when I invented the locations for my book? I don’t know. If I
could, it would sure make writing the next novel is much easier.
Dreamwalker is the sixth novel that Russell James has published with Samhain Horror under legendary horror editor Don D’Auria!
Dreamwalker Synopsis
Two realities. One hope.
What if you lived in two worlds, and could die in either? Pete Holm can. He is a dreamwalker, able to travel to the realm of dreams, including the devastated world of Twin Moon City, where an evil voodoo spirit holds living souls in terror with his army of the walking dead.
In the waking world, drug lord Jean St. Croix knows only the power of the dreamwalker can stop him, so St. Croix vows Pete must die.
Pete is the only hope to rescue the lost souls in Twin Moon City…unless St. Croix kills him first. Can anyone survive when two realities collide?
Purchase Links
GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23563310-dreamwalker
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dreamwalker-Russell-James-ebook/dp/B00P15GV98
Samhain Horror:
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5295/dreamwalker
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreamwalker-russell-james/1120666682?ean=9781619227682
Giveaways
- Open reviewer giveaway: Anyone who reviews Dreamwalker on Amazon and one other site like GoodReads, etc. and sends Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, their links to hookofabook@hotmail.com will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card. This contest ends on Feb. 28, 2015.
- Rafflecoper giveaway for two copies of Russell’s previous books. Two winners will each win one of two books, Black Magic and Dark Inspiration. US only, no international shipping. Must use a valid email that you can be reached by. By entering the giveaway, you consent to allow Russell to have your email for very infrequent newsletter updates. Contest ends Feb. 28, 2015. Other contest questions can be referred to Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, Hook of a Book Media at hookofabook@hotmail.com.
Direct Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/231aa30b16/?
Praise for Russell R. James
“James has a talent for combining action-packed vignettes into a powerful, fast-paced whole.”
—Library Journal on Black Magic
(Five Stars, A Night Owl Top Pick) “I loved the story so much that I’m eagerly waiting to read more from him. He carefully and very intricately wove his storyline to have elements of mystery and suspense throughout. I now have a new favorite book I’ll read over and over again.”
—Night Owl Reviews on Dark Inspiration
“The book had me at the edge of my seat. The writing is so vivid I even jumped a few times. If you’re a fan of the genre, love ghosts and are drawn to the supernatural, then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book!”
—Long and Short Reviews on Dark Inspiration
Russell R. James, Biography
Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Dark Inspiration, Sacrifice, Black Magic, Dark Vengeance, and Dreamwalker. He has two horror short story collections, Tales from Beyond and Deeper into Darkness. His next novel, Q Island, releases in 2015.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
Visit his website at www.russellrjames.com and read some free short stories.
He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
To find out more about Russell R. James, please visit his Website or follow him on Facebook! Join him on Twitter, @RRJames14. Also, feel free to drop him at a line at rrj@russellrjames.com.
A Chance To Win Some #Free Books!
As part of the ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN blog tour, there’s a Rafflecopter giveaway with 5 books up for grabs to the lucky winners who enter. Here are the details :
Enter to win one of five Hunter Shea books being given away! Two signed copies of Montauk Monster, one signed copy of Sinister Entity, and two e-books of choice of his titles are up for grabs! One book to each winner, given in order of random drawing. Enter to win at the Rafflecopter link. Must use valid email that winners can be contacted by. Print books are U.S. residents only. Contest ends Feb. 28, 2015. Direct Link to Rafflecopter
In addition to that, I’m giving away 1 signed copy of ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN on my Facebook Fan Page. All you have to do is click the FB link and answer one simple question, which is really an opinion. Come join the fun toay and throughout the weekend. A winner will be announced next week on FB.
Thank you to everyone who has bought Island, given it a review, or taken part in the blog tour. It’s come out of the gate strong! Ghost power!
A Very Sinister Entity
With the Halloween season creeping up on us like Jason with a new hockey mask, it’s time to start getting our scare on. I figured I’d kick things off with an excerpt from my terrifying ghost novel, Sinister Entity. Read on, but keep the light switch nearby and make sure to keep your foot tucked in the covers. Oh, and don’t fear going to the bathroom in the dead of night…too much.
Let me know what you think of the excerpt (or the book) and I’ll give away a free signed copy to a random person who posts a comment.
———————————————————————–
The small bathroom was just off the kitchen and was her father’s sanctuary. A magazine basket filled with well-thumbed copies of Sports Illustrated and Newsweek sat between the toilet and sink. She took a moment to lean against the sink and calm her nerves. Even if Jessica and Eddie somehow managed to make everything go away, she wasn’t sure she could ever spend another night in this house.
Being scared or anxious always made her have to pee, and she was surprised she had lasted this long without letting off the mounting pressure on her bladder. She unbuttoned her shorts and pulled them down with her panties.
“Oh my God that feels good.”
It felt as if she hadn’t gone to the bathroom in weeks and the stream came out in a never-ending rush.
As she went to pick up a Newsweek, the light suddenly went out, immersing her in total darkness. The bathroom had no window, so she didn’t even have the weak glow of twilight to see by. 
There was a soft tap on the tile floor, and she gasped when air in the cramped room changed, becoming icy and thick. It was like trying to draw a breath through a cold, wet towel. Her heartbeat burst into high gear until she could hear the pounding of its overworked valves in her ears.
She bent down to pull up her shorts and shrieked when a pair of arctic hands clutched her wrists, pinning them to her sides.
She barely managed to cry out, “No!”
The rest of her words were cut off. She was being suffocated. Something blocked her nose and mouth and she struggled to draw a breath while the cold, invisible hands moved to her thighs, slowly creeping inward.
Want To Be A Character In My Next Novel?
As the summer winds down, I’m putting the finishing touches on a secret project that will be revealed soon, I promise.
That also means I’m gearing up for my next project, which will be book 3 in the Jessica Backman series. Things are going to take a wicked turn as our fearless ghost hunter takes on a case that will forever change the way she sees the worlds of the living and the dead.
As I start to gather the pieces for that book, I need some character names. That’s where you come in. Everyone who responds to this post will be in the drawing to become a character. I’m going to pick 3 winners and announce them next week. If you’re a winner, I’ll work with you to create a character that is truly your own.
You can also go to Goodreads this week and enter a drawing to win a signed copy of Sinister Entity. This is your chance to get your hands on the book that Literal Remains says : “This is the real deal. The fear is palpable. Horror novels don’t get much better than this.”
The giveaway ends August 23rd.
Click on the Sinister Entity cover below to enter. 
The Reviews Are In…
I’ve been told I need to ‘brag’ a little more about my own work, in between talking about ghosts, black eyed kids and various monsters living under our beds. I just want to be mini-Leonard Nimoy and live in my In Search Of world. Since my latest book, Sinister Entity, has been out for a couple of months now, I thought I’d share some of the great things that reviewers have said about my foray into ghost hunting a doppelganger. I suck at tooting my own horn, so I’ll let some outside tooters do it for me. 🙂
If the reviews below entice you to take the plunge and you purchase Sinister Entity, simply email me at huntershea1@gmail.com with proof of purchase and I’ll send you an e-copy of the Hunter Shea book of your choice.
“5/5 For a great suspenseful read, paranormal elements that wouldn’t let go and characters that feel so alive, they have become people I actually want to know in real life. Dialog and action are perfect!” — Zombie Girl Shambling (my personal favorite blog name)
“Shea weaves together a skillful blend of supernatural terror and blood-chilling suspense; the result is an intriguing and unique tale that will leave your heart pounding in your chest long after the final page has been closed. Make no mistake: this is not a book you want to read in the dark.” — Matthew Baker for Shattered Ravings
“Looking for a book to completely freak you out and make your hair stand on end? Shea brings his smooth and easy writing style, well-developed and emotional characters, hauntingly good paranormal dilemmas, and enough gusto to scare me out of my seat. I wouldn’t read this alone and especially not in the dark.” — Oh For the Hook of a Book Reviews
“Recommend for anyone who is interested in hours of tense, action-packed, horror-filled reading. Sinister Entity isn’t for the lighthearted but it’s well worth taking the plunge.” — Overflowing Bookshelves
“The story culminates in a climactic showdown between human and spirit that keeps you glued to the pages.” Horror Novel Reviews
“Wow wow wow! What a book! Mr Shea may well be proudly listed with my favourite Authors from now on.” — Sarah Fae Books
Hunter Shea 