Do you like FREE BOOKS?
Honestly, this post title is rhetorical. Of course you do! Why else would you be lurking around my blog? We are readers, and we all want book-scented cologne and perfume this Christmas.
I wanted to take some time out of your day to let you know of important changes going forward. In the past, I’ve done quite a bit of book giveaways, posting scads of contests here and on my social media pages.
Going forward, if you want to be in it to win free signed books, ebooks and more, you’ll need to be signed up for my Dark Hunter Newsletter. That’s where I’ll make announcements and draw winners. And trust me, there are going to be a lot of giveaways in 2023! Below are just some of the books that will be in the mix. Trust me, there’s lots more, including books by some of your favorite horror authors.
So, if you’re in the mood to read, sign up for my Dark Hunter Newsletter today and please forward it to anyone else you know who enjoys horror! You’ll be happy to be a newsletter Hellion.
Book Giveaway – Signed Hardcovers of GHOST MINE
Howdy Hellions! Who’s ready for a book giveaway? I need y’all to help get the word out about GHOST MINE and I’m happy to send out some mighty fine rewards. How does a signed hardcover of GHOST MINE sound to ya?
So, here’s how it works. Hop on over to my Twitter account and retweet the pinned tweet I have for GHOST MINE (here’s what it looks like) :
I’ll pick 4 random retweeters to win a signed hardcover. The only catch is that you have to live in the U.S. Never fear, I’ll have an upcoming giveaway for all you non-U.S. Hellions. Contest ends on Friday, June 21.
Ok then, time to saddle up and mosey on down to Twitter. Good luck!
Crazy Swedes – I’m Big In Stockholm
Ok, that may be an understatement, but I am IN Sweden. All righty, I’m not personally there, but Creature was just spotted on a bookshelf in the Science Fiction Bookhandlen, which I’ve been told by an awesome resident, Dan J., is the premier horror/scifi bookstore in all of Stockholm. Now I know I have to leave the US to find a horror section in a bookstore!
It’s kinda cool to see Creature between Rice and Straub and right next to Jeremy Shipp.
Flame Tree Press, for those who don’t know, is a UK publisher, so I guess it’s only natural the book would find its way into stores in Europe. Fun fact, my favorite candy as a kid was Swedish fish. They cost a penny a fish and the corner store owner would count them out by twos whenever I slapped my money on the counter, sweeping them into a small brown paper bag when he was done.
Since I’m bound to New York for the foreseeable future, I need your help. If you find Creature in the wild, aka – on a shelf in a bookstore – take a pic and send it to me at huntershea1@gmail.com along with where you found it. I’ll share the pic and thank you by sending you a free book!
Happy hunting!
Why You Should Join Patreon
Although you may all be my hellions, there’s a special level of hell you can find only on Patreon. Why would you want to descend deeper into the pits? First, Patreon hellions get to read, be a part of, and vote on the weekly novel, CLASH OF THE CRYPTIDS. Join now and catch up on the story and find yourself IN this exclusive tale of murderous cryptids.
Now, on to number two of why you should become a patron. You’ll get FREE BOOKS, sometimes before they’re even available for the public! For instance, this month, my Patreon hellions are given the chance to receive a free copy of Rattus New Yorkus a month before its publication date. Cool stuff like that pops up all the time on Patreon.
Third, you’ll also get access to Patreon-only deals on signed print books. If you were a Patron this past week, you would have gotten a special deal to purchase a signed, discount copy of MAIL ORDER MASSACRES. And there’s plenty more to come.
Last but not least, you’ll be part of a pretty awesome community of like minded lunatics who all have a passion for horror. So what are you waiting for?
Join Patreon today!
Only 1 Week Left For Samhain Horror
Ho ho ho, Hellions! Still recovering from a holiday with the family? Or is Uncle Bill with irritable bowel syndrome still living in your guest room?
Oh, the horror! And now that we’re on that subject, Samhain horror is about to say bye-bye forever. When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, the dozens of great books they published over the past 5 years disappear. Poof! Some may find homes with new publishers, but a lot may never be seen again.
So, if you got some cash or gift cards this year, why not spend a few bucks on some Samhain titles before they go the way of the Dodo? Then you never need to say goodbye to books by outstanding authors like Jonathan Janz, Brian Moreland, Russell James, Catherine Cavendish, Ron Malfi, Tim Waggoner, Glenn Rolfe, David Bernstein, Alan Spencer, Frazier Lee, Megan Hart, Kristopher Rufty and so many more?
I was fortunate enough to publish 6 novels and 3 novellas with Samhain and the greatest horror editor of all time, Don D’Auria. I can tell you now that some of my titles will find new homes and new incarnations, but others may go out of print for good. I’m still talking to publishers and deciding what to do. Odds are, even the ones that will resurrect won’t be available for quite some time. I invite you to hop on over to my Amazon Author Page and take a gander and see which titles you’d like to grab before there ain’t no more to grab.
This is a great week to curl up with a good book and take a well deserved break. I hope you choose a Samhain horror book to be your post-holiday buddy.
For those who rode along with us during this 5 year journey, what were some of your favorite books and authors? I just may reward random people who post their favorites with some free Samhain ebooks. Here’s to hitting new heights in 2017!
The Jersey Devil Hits The Road
Over the course of writing The Jersey Devil, the elusive cryptid and I have gotten pretty close. He recently told me, over a cup of what he said was mulled wine, but I suspect it was something far more disquieting, that he wanted to get out and travel the country, if not the world. After over 200 years in the Pine Barrens, it’s time to spread his wings, so to speak.
“There’s just one teensy weensy little problem,” he said to me, tapping his cloven hoof on his chin. “I’m afraid there are too many monster hunters out and about nowadays. You see them bumbling about with their night vision cameras. I fear for my safety as much as my anonymity. The last thing I want is to be featured on some reality paranormal show…or shot!” Shivering, he added, “I don’t know which would be worse.”
Point well taken. We sat against the pygmy pines in the dark of night, contemplating his dilemma. As a cloud obscured the moon and the howl of a nearby Sasquatch got our attention (“Oh, that’s just Larry,” JD said), an idea came to me.
“How would you like to live vicariously through my book?” I asked.
Old JD flicked his tail excitedly. “How so?”
Knowing he’s a big fan of Instagram and Twitter (whereas Bigfoot prefers SnapChat & the Loch Ness Monster is partial to Facebook), I told him that I and my Hellions could take the book wherever we go and post pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #JerseyDevil. That way, he could see the world while in the relative comfort of his forest preserve.
“Oooo, I like that. Can you take me to a cemetery first? I’m so tired of the ones around here. It’s so…so…dead out here in the Barrens.”
The next day, I did just that, taking the book to the oldest cemetery in my city.
He wrote me back immediately on Instagram. “Love it! So nice to see new headstones. Where to next?”
Indeed. Where to next?
That’s where you come in. Help old JD out and tote your copy of The Jersey Devil with you when you’re out and about, on vacation, even in the house puttering around. Post your pic on Instagram using #jerserydevil and @huntershea2017 or Twitter using #JerseyDevil and @huntershea1 so the beast and I can collect and enjoy this little travelogue.
We’ll pick people at random every week to receive free books from the Hunter Shea library!
It’s the holiday season. Be kind to cryptids. And have fun doing it. It will be interesting to see where The Jersey Devil ends up. Plus, it’s always a smart idea to keep a monster happy. You wouldn’t want an angry Jersey Devil tapping on your window late at night, would you? Don’t end up the main ingredient in his ‘mulled wine’. Just saying.
Review The Jersey Devil, Get A Free Book!
I have a very special offer for all the Hellions out there who have dared to take the plunge into the Pine Barrens. If you go to Amazon and post a review for The Jersey Devil, send an email to huntershea1@gmail.com with a link to the review and the ebook you’d like to receive as a way of thanking you for taking the time to spread the word. In the world of writing, reviews and the buzz they create are more valuable than advances and royalties. Not to mention, after spending all that time writing alone with just the voices in my head, it’s nice to hear what you think of the book. Even if it’s just to tell me I need professional therapy (or in my case, more professional therapy)!
Sure, I write because I love it (sure isn’t about the moolah when you scribble horror), but more importantly, I write to entertain Hellions and non-Hellions alike. The world isn’t always such a nice place. Finding some time to escape, even if it’s curling up with a monster, is important just to keep our sanity.
And if you already posted a review before this offer, follow the same process and I’ll get a book out to you.
There are 4 books you can choose from : I KILL IN PEACE, SWAMP MONSTER MASSACRE, THE DOVER DEMON & THE WAITING. Happy reading!
Show Some Jersey Devil Love and Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card
Howdy Hellions, just wanted to let you all know there’s a fun little giveaway running over at Night Owl Reviews where you can win some cold, hard Amazon cash. It’s all to spread the word about The Jersey Devil. The giveaway runs until the end of September.
If you’ve read the book, please leave a brief review on Amazon. If you want to pick up a copy of the book, please buy it through the Amazon link in my bookstore. Both help a lot and keep me writing day and night to give you nightmares or make the little monster in you giggle just a tad. And thank you to everyone who has already gone to the deep corners of the Pine Barrens with me.
Just click the image below to enter the giveaway. Good luck! Hope a Hellion wins.
A Live Jersey Devil Release Party – Join The Madness!
Alright ya nutty Hellions, I’m calling on you to join me next week for a live Facebook event to celebrate the release of my latest foray into monster insanity – THE JERSEY DEVIL! That’s right, on Wednesday, August 31st from 7pm ET on, I’ll be live on my Facebook Fan Page talking about the book, sipping cocktails and answering your questions with zero filter. This could be the end of my career, so watch the crash and burn. 😉
Oh, and everyone who takes part is eligible to win a super secret prize pack that’ll be like Christmas in August! I’ll also be giving out random books throughout the evening.
Early reviewers are digging my take on the Soprano state’s favorite beastie –
“THE JERSEY DEVIL, by Hunter Shea, is a fast paced rampage of the type of “old-school” horror I’ve always loved.” — Horror After Dark
“Plain and simple – this book is just pure bloody fun. High-octane action, guts galore (in terms of both gutsy characters and actual guts dropping onto the forest floor), and enjoyable characters make this a stand-out creature feature.” — Author Michael Patrick Hicks
If you plan to buy the book on Amazon, I ask you to please do so through this page or my bookstore. That way, I get to keep the lights on and my ass planted in a seat writing more insanity for you.
And just up today is an interview over at 2 Book Lovers Reviews where I do a little devil talk and reveal whether I prefer David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar.
So please set a reminder to join me next Wednesday and think of crazy/fun/bizarre questions and topics. A little Patron might help, too.
A Box of Jersey Devils for Reviewers
6/14 UPDATE : Due to the incredible response of reviewers requesting a copy, we’re ‘sold out’ at the moment. However, if you want to be included in our official list of reviewers and receive an ARC over the summer, please contact us at huntershea1@gmail.com with your name and mailing address.
I think I’m the only one in the neighborhood who gets monsters in the mail – and digs it. They all used to say, “There’s something wrong with that boy.”
This latest special delivery is a box o’ advance, uncorrected proofs of my next Pinnacle cryptid tale, THE JERSEY DEVIL.
So, here’s what I want to do today. If you’re a book reviewer and love horror and monsters as much as I do, shoot me an email at huntershea1@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can send you a copy before it hits the shelves in September. I’ll send a copy to the first 5 reviewers who contact me, so act fast!
Hunter Shea 