Podcast Alert – INSIDE JAWS
A few months back, I told you all about two amazing limited run podcasts, Inside The Exorcist and Inside Psycho. They were 6-7 episode deep dives on the making of those landmark movies, both produced by Wondery.
Well, just in time for summer, they’ve started the Inside Jaws podcast. As of today, there are four episodes available and they are awesome. The historical shark attack recreations in the beginning of each episode are brilliant. The series takes you from a young Steve Spielberg to a struggling Peter Benchley and all the issues that plagued the set of Jaws. This is masterful podcasting. Best part is, Inside Jaws is free! So download the episodes, head to the beach and listen while you scan the waves for fins. (Available on iTunes and everywhere podcasts can be found)
Book Deal of the Week!
Howdy Hellions! While I’m out and about on vacation this week and getting ready to jump into a brand new career next week, I just wanted to pop in and let you all know that MAIL ORDER MASSACRES is now on sale for just 99 cents-a-roonio! “Whaaaaaaat?” you say. That’s right! For the same price as a McChicken on the McDonald’s dollar menu, you get three insane novellas all rolled into one! I’m not sure how long this sale will last, so grab it while you can.
Sea monkeys. 3-D specs. Hypno-coins. Ant farms. Kryptonite rocks. Miniature submarines made from cardboard. All available for a buck or less from the back page of comic books. And we blew our weekly allowance on these rip-offs, only to be disappointed when they turned out to be total crap. But what if these bogus products had side effects not advertised? In horror master Hunter Shea’s MAIL ORDER MASSACRE, sometimes you do get more than you paid for . . . JUST ADD WATER It’s been years since David and Patrick flushed away the dead Sea Serpents they got in the mail. After thriving in the toxic stew of pollution, strange, slimy creatures now rise from the sewers. Once the screaming starts, David and Patrick realize that their childhood pets really did come to life. With a vengeance. They’re massive monsters. . . and ravenous for human flesh! OPTICAL DELUSION Martin punishes his son for wasting his allowance on a pair of cardboard X-ray specs. But when Martin tries them on, he’s stunned to see through walls and clothes. But the novelty becomes a waking nightmare when the glasses burn into his face and he starts seeing horrifying apocalyptic visions no mortal man was ever meant to see. Images that turn him from a husband and father to a bloodthirsty homicidal maniac . . . MONEY BACK GUARANTEE With her son’s heart set on piloting his own nuclear submarine, Rosemary orders the craft advertised on the back of a comic book. But when her son nearly drowns in the swimming pool, an enraged Rosemary complains to the Better Business Bureau. The company’s customer service center retaliates with threatening phone calls. Then her son and husband disappear. Now it’s all-out war. Plus, Rosemary wants her $1.99 back! Praise for Hunter Shea “A lot of splattery fun.”-Publishers Weekly
The Man Eating Iguanas Have Landed!
That’s right, Hellions! JURASSIC FLORIDA is finally here, ready to chew up your e-readers and phones.
The early reviews have been phenomenal. Hey, what better time than the summer to munch on a quick monster mayhem romp? Here’s what some folks have to say:
“Jurassic, Florida is a hell of a romp, too, filled with monsters, gore, and carnage, with the pace cranked up to rapid-fire. There were a few moments that manage to surprise me with just how blackhearted Shea can be.” — Michael Patrick Hicks Reviews
“I highly recommend this fast paced and exciting 5 star read.” — Horror Maiden Book Reviews
“Shea delivers the chomp’n’stomp in epic fashion.” — Sc-Fi & Scary
“Mankind’s on the menu–go get em’, champs! Dinner bell’ s rung!!” — The Haunted Reading Room
This is just the first in my new, One Size Eats All trilogy. Hope it leaves you hungry for more. 🙂
CLICK HERE TO ORDER JURASSIC FLORIDA TODAY!
Cover Reveal – RATTUS NEW YORKUS!
I can’t believe I finally got to write about killer swarms of rats in New York City. And no, these rats aren’t content to just drag slices of pizza around. Here is the absolutely wonderful cover for my upcoming novella, RATTUS NEW YORKUS, available this August through Lyrical Underground. This is book #2 in my ONE SIZE EATS ALL series.
Doing research for the book, I met with exterminators to learn about rat and mouse behavior and how hard they are to, let’s just say, ‘make them swim with the fishes’. I was horrified by the stories they told me. I walked away feeling 100% sure that the rats will eventually own big cities.
And now, a little about the book….
HEY’RE BIGGER
Deep in the sewers of New York City, the rat population is growing. Dr. Randolph Finch is determined to break the cycle. His new rodenticide, Degenesis, doesn’t kill rats. It sterilizes them from reproducing. But nothing adapts faster than a New York rat . . .
THEY’RE SMARTER
City exterminators and soon-to-be divorced Chris and Benita Jackson think they know how these rats think. They know how rats breed. And they fear that Degenesis has only made these rats stronger. More aggressive. More intelligent. And more ravenous than ever . . .
TONIGHT’S DINNER SPECIAL: US
After a noticable surge in rat den activity, the Jacksons witness something strange. Without warning, the rats disappear—only to reassemble in a massive lair beneath Grand Central Station. Millions upon millions of them. Working together. Operating as a hive mind. Feasting on the flesh of the homeless below—and planning their all-out attack on the unsuspecting humans above . . .
RATTUS NEW YORKUS will be available in ebook only, at least for now. Here’s hoping we get a print edition like MAIL ORDER MASSACRES.
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER RATTUS NEW YORKUS TODAY
“Hilarious Creature-Feature Gorefest” – Publishers Weekly Reviews JURASSIC FLORIDA
Talk about your pleasant surprises! Publishers Weekly just dropped a review for my upcoming Lyrical Underground novella, JURASSIC FLORIDA, and it looks like they dig it! Here’s the review :
The tiny town of Polo Springs, Fla., is the epicenter of this hilarious creature-feature gorefest from pulp horror maven Shea (The Jersey Devil). Eighteen-year-old Ann Hickok is the town’s mayor, and she’s got two problems: Hurricane Ramona is bearing down on Polo Springs, and the city is infested with tiny iguanas. When Ramona makes landfall, Ann learns that lurking beneath the ground are the giant lizards spawning all the little critters, and they’re about to unleash hell. Few of the 317 residents will be spared. Shea introduces a variety of characters, including a wayward New York City mobster, but readers shouldn’t get too attached to them. What the book lacks in plot, it more than makes up in twisted humor and campy horror. Those looking for a brain break and a bloody mess will revel in this promising series launch.
Folks at Lyrical Underground suggested I start making merch that says PULP HORROR MAVEN. Hmmmmm. I just love that the reviewer totally gets the vibe of the book. To say I’m thrilled about the PW review is the understatement of the year. This is the best start for my ONE SIZE EATS ALL series I could have asked for. If you’re looking for a fun beach read with lots of monster stomping fun, this is for you.
JURASSIC FLORIDA comes out on June 19th wherever ebooks are sold. You can pre-order your copy today by clicking here.
BookExpo Appearance – Advance Copies of CREATURE
Talk about book porn. Ticking another line off my bucket list, I’ll be appearing at this year’s BookExpo at the Javits Center in New York City on May 31st! I’ll be with my new publisher, Flame Tree Press, who has graciously provided 100 advance copies of my debut novel with them, CREATURE, to sign. That’s right. You can get your hands on my CREATURE three months before the official release date.
Oh, but as you can see from the image above, I won’t be alone. My buddies Jonathan Janz, Tim Waggoner and John Everson will be on hand as well signing their books. Each of us will get an hour for their signing. I believe mine will be between 2 and 3 (even though on the BEA site, it’s listed as 3-4).
What is BookExpo (formerly Book Expo America), you say? Well, my friend Wikipedia sums it up pretty well – “BEA is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. Nearly all significant book publishers in the United States, and many from abroad, have booths and exhibits at BEA, and use the fair as an opportunity to showcase upcoming titles, sell current books, socialize with colleagues from other publishing houses, and sell and buy subsidiary rights and international rights. Authors, librarians, and buyers for book retailers also attend the event.”
So come on down and get high off the smell of new books filling and entire convention center. And while you’re there, stack your TBR pile with this year’s freshest horrors.
Top 10 Ways To Increase Your Writing Productivity
As I struggle today with getting my butt in gear to hit my own writing goal, I thought, why not share some of the things that have helped me write 24 books over the past 7 years? No one ever said writing is easy. Okay, this guy I call Three Chins said it once, but he’s full of beans. So, Three Chins, this one is not for you.
10. READ – Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know reading isn’t writing, but it is essential. I’ve said it time and time again. You cannot be a writer if you’re not an avid reader. The act of reading both educates and inspires. You might come across a book and declare with your fist raised above your head, “I can write better than that!” Renew your love of the written word every day and your need to create will follow.
9. TURN OFF YOUR WIFI – If you write on a laptop or computer, disable your wifi the moment you sit down to write. Doing that will prevent you from falling down time suck rabbit holes like checking Facebook or reading the latest rant against Trump. All of that mindless chatter is a distraction, and you need to avoid distractions. I do recommend that you go old school and have print copies of a dictionary and thesaurus on hand. The online versions are great, but then again, you need wifi to access them.
8. LOOK AWAY FROM THE TV! – There is no bigger time suck than television. Whether it’s network programming, Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, you need to limit the hours spent melting your brain. This is a tough one, especially now with so many quality shows turning up almost daily. Sorry, you’re not going to be able to watch all of them. Pick and choose, and make sure your TV time doesn’t gobble up your writing time. Baseball season is especially hard for me. If I had my way, I’d watch every Mets game. But my desire to be a writer far outweighs my need to let the Mets both elevate and crush my dreams.
7. MAKE YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE – How do you do this? Tell everyone that you’re going to be a writer come hell or high water. Have a good friend who will put the screws to you if they see you veering away from your declared ambition. Now that you’ve declared your goal to everyone around you, the pressure is on. As Woody Harrelson says in Zombieland, “It’s time to nut up or shut up.”
6. SET WORD COUNT GOALS – Writers judge their progress by word count, not number of pages. So why not set a daily word count in your mind? A typical novel is 90,000 words. If you made it a point to write 1,000 words a day, your first draft will be done in three months.If 1,000 words seems too lofty, cut it in half. The key is to have a fixed word target. I know that life sometimes gets in the way and most people can’t write every day. So take your daily number and multiply it by seven for your weekly number. That way, if you miss a day or two, you know exactly how many extra words you need to pump out on the days you do write to hit your weekly quota.
5. LEAVE YOUR PHONE IN ANOTHER ROOM – I never, ever have my phone nearby when I sit down to write. It’s too easy to pick it up and get lost in messages and calls and apps. We’ve become little Pavlov’s dogs, instantly responding to every ding and chime our phones produce to let us know there’s something waiting to tear our attention away from our writing. Put that sucker in silent mode and leave it in a closet in the room down the hall. It’ll be there when you’re done. Plus, it’s good for the body, mind and soul to unplug for a while each day.
4. FIND YOUR BEST TIME TO WRITE – No two biorhythms are the same. My creative peak most likely won’t be close to yours. Experiment by writing at different times in the day to find your sweet spot. I remember hearing John Grisham talk about how he wrote at five in the morning before he had to go to court. I used to think I could never function that early. At the time, I was a seven PM writer. Well, cut to a decade later, and I’m now a six am writer. Your creative peaks change as you age, so if suddenly your noon schedule isn’t working, switch it up.
3. SET A DEADLINE – This ties in nicely with point 6 and 7. If you’re a first time writer, you’re not going to have an editor’s deadline hanging over your head. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. Set a deadline in stone. Write the date on a sticky note and paste it where you write. Tell everyone the date. Fixate on that date. If it gives you night sweats, good. Nothing inspires a writer more than a deadline. Tailor your word count goals so you can meet your deadline head-on.
2. HAVE MORE THAN ONE PROJECT TO WORK ON – Tackling a spy novel set in Bulgaria? Try your hand at romance novella or a series of articles on bee keeping. Create projects that match your experience or interests, or take on something new and challenging. You should always work on multiple projects. Why? Some days, that spy novel is going to hit a wall. You need your subconscious to work things out so you can go through or around that wall. To do that, you need to focus on something else, something completely different. That’s when you set to working on your side project. I guarantee, when you sit down the next day, you’ll be ready to jump back into your spy novel. Heck, that’s why I wrote this blog post! **Here’s a pro tip – If your first book lands a publishing deal, the next thing an editor will ask is, “So, what else do you have?” Don’t stand there with your mouth open. Tell your editor all about the other novel you’ve been working on (or if you’ve been really productive, send them the finished manuscript). Having more than one book in hand puts you head and shoulders above the competition.
1. DRIVE – Ernest Hemingway famously advised would be writers to Never think about the story when you’re not working. Remember what I said about your subconscious working things out for you? That soft and silent part of your brain is where everything comes from. You need to let it do its thing. The best way to do that is to drive. Get behind the wheel and let your conscious mind worry about getting from here to there. Most of my big aha moments have hit me in the car. I used to keep a voice recorder in the car so I could dictate the gold nuggets my subconscious allowed to float to the top. Now I use the app in my phone. If you don’t drive, walk. There’s something about being in motion that encourages ideas to generate. Just remember, while driving or walking, don’t think about your work in progress. Concentrate on not hitting that hybrid car in front of you or the scenery in the park you’re ambling about. Believe me, the rest will come to you.
