Come Get Your Scare On!
Okay, I’ve been talking alot about the fun that is soon to come at the SCARES THAT CARE WEEEKEND this Friday through Sunday. From authors, to celebs like Kane Hodder, Sid Haig and Kari Wuhrer, movie marathons, makeup wars and even tick or treating, the folks who put this all together have injected it with an HGH/steroid cocktail. I’m loading up the Monster Mobile and the entire Shea clan so we can descend on Williamsburg, VA like locusts from a Roger Corman drive-in flick. The beer is already cooling and the Shea women are piling up the treats to share with everyone who stops by our table.
I also just got a delivery of awesome Montauk Monster can cozies to celebrate the release of the audio adaptation by GraphicAudio. If you’re going to be drinking with me, you need to keep your beer cold! We’re going to run a special during the Scares weekend – buy 2 books and you get a cozy, fo’ free. (Modelo not included, but if you ask nice, I will share the beer I’ll have under the table)
For those who plan to come to my reading with Armand Rosamilia on Saturday, audience participation will be rewarded. I’ll be talking about the real Dover Demon incident in 1977 and tossing prizes to the peeps who can answer the monster trivia I throw out. Bone up on your cryptozoology if you want to bring home the bacon.
Like I’ve said before, I’ll have lots of copies of my upcoming releases, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED and THE DOVER DEMON. You can get a signed copy before the rest of the world, a Scares that Care exclusive. Naturally, copies of all of my books will be on hand as well. I think I aggravated my hernia when I tried lifting the container. Is there a doctor in the house?
If you’ve got some vocal chops – hell, even if you don’t – swing by the hotel bar for some scaryoke. Last year, I heard some pretty good pipes. Of course, as the night wore on, things got a little less than stellar, but hey, that’s what scaryoke is for!
So come one, come all, and know you’re getting your horror on for a very good cause, because when all is said and done, this one is for charity. Support the denizens of the dark and help those in need.
Dover Demon’s Comin’ To Town – The Last Box o’ Books For 2015
I honestly don’t know what feels better, finishing writing a new novel, or getting that first delivery of printed author copies in the mail. It’s a tight, tight race for supremacy. I especially had to savor this moment when my copies of THE DOVER DEMON arrived, because I won’t see another box like this until next year. Of course, it was a bit startling seeing that face and those cold, black eyes staring back at me!
You can pre-order the book on August 1st, or if you plan to attend Scares That Care on July 24-26th, I’ll be signing copies of the very books you see here.
If you want to be a writer, don’t do it for the money. Do it for the rush of getting your own box o’ books. Now, if I can somehow get my hands on a box o’ gold bars.
A Bookmark Correction
As my wife will sometimes remind me, I’m an idiot.
A couple of weeks back, I posted an offer for people to send me a self addressed, stamped envelope and I would send signed bookmarks for my upcoming releases, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED and THE DOVER DEMON. The only problem was, I transposed 2 of the numbers in the zip code. More proof why authors should never be their own editors.
So, I want to make it up to you in 2 ways. For people living in the United States, you can :
1. email me at huntershea1@gmail.com with your name and address and I’ll send the bookmarks to you.
2. send 1 copy of any of my books you’d like signed to the correct address below and I’ll mail it back to you on my dime.
Hunter Shea
PO Box 232
Yonkers, NY 10710
Yours truly,
The Idiot
Signed Bookmarks Are Here!
Gearing up for a crazy summer with two, count ’em, two releases – TORTURES OF THE DAMNED on July 28 and THE DOVER DEMON on September 1. Nothing like trying to cram all your fun into a small window of time.
I just got a delivery of bookmarks for both books and I’m happy to sign and send them to anyone who would like them. Thanks to Jerry Mulcahy for being my master designer. If you want the bookmarks, just send a self addressed, stamped envelope to : Hunter Shea, PO Box 232, Yonkers, NY 10710. I’ll sign those puppies and mail them right out.
Cover Reveal for THE DOVER DEMON
Yes, I’m diving back into the cryptid pool this September, this time training my sights on The Dover Demon, a bizarre creature spotted in a small Massachusetts town in the late 70s. The cover art was done by Kelly Martin and she knocked it out of the park. Pretty damn creepy.
I’d heard a little bit about this alien-looking creature, but didn’t get a true education on the legend until I met Loren Coleman on a trip to his International Cryptozoology Museum. In fact, the book is dedicated to Loren, who urged me to make the demon the star of my next show. And let me tell you right here, there’s more to this story, both the true accounts and my twisted take on them, than what you may think looking at the cover. This little cryptid defies classification. Gray aliens can kiss this beastie’s ass.
So, what’s it all about Alfie?
The Dover Demon is real…and it has returned.
In 1977, Sam Brogna and his friends came upon a terrifying, alien creature on a deserted country road. What they witnessed was so bizarre, so chilling, they swore their silence, their lives forever changed. Decades later, the town of Dover is hit by a massive blizzard. Sam’s son, Nicky, is drawn to search for the infamous cryptid, only to disappear into the bowels of a secret underground lair. The Dover Demon is more than they could have believed, and deadly. These creatures are not alone, and their desires cannot be stopped. Can Sam and his reunited friends battle a race of creatures so powerful, so sinister, that human history has been shaped by their secretive presence?
I know we have a whole summer between now and its release, but I had to share this cover. And if you’re in the Portland, Maine area on vacation, stop by the Cryptozoology Museum to check out the Dover Demon display. I promise, there will be no probing.
Inside The International Cryptozoology Museum
Hey, fans of Bigfoot, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Sea Serpents, Chupacabra and all creatures strange and undiscovered, did you know that there’s an International Cryptozoology Museum? I didn’t, and I have been vacationing right outside its doors for years! Located in Portland, Maine, it’s owned and run by world famous cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman. He’s the man who actually coined the terms for many now famous cryptids such as the Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon. You’ve seen him on TV and documentaries like Ancient Aliens, MonsterQuest and Weird Travels. The best part is, when you go to the museum, Loren is there to greet you and talk monsters.
As soon as I found out about it, I had to drag my kids to see it for myself. Located on a small side street off the main drag in downtown Portland, we were greeted by a flag depicting a Coelacanth, a large fish thought to have been extinct for millions of years until one was pulled from the depths in the 1930’s. Loren informed me that the prehistoric fish was the inspiration for my favorite Universal Monster, The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Loren quizzed us on what was on the flag and I passed the test!
Inspired by a fish!
The museum consists of two rooms jam packed with actual artifacts from cryptid investigations as well as recreations. I was immediately drawn to some of the Bigfoot plaster casts and the news stories accompanying them.
Squatch Feet
Loren actually owns the largest Bigfoot in the world and he’s happy to take pictures with everyone standing in front of old Squatchy. Being next to a legend in the field by a giant Bigfoot was the highlight of my trip.
Me, Loren and my favorite hairy dude
Once we got through the huge Bigfoot displays, there was a host of other mysteries and wonders to explore. Turning a corner into the other room, I came face to face with the legendary Fiji Mermaid, a bizarre, mummified creature that P.T. Barnum used to proclaim was an actual mermaid. It kind of looks like a shriveled up Yoda with boobs. I wonder of Lucas got his inspiration from this.
“Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.”
The second room had a little bit of everything, from a small Chupacabra display…
A little goat sucker under glass
To the Dover Demon, an alien-like creature that appeared in a Massachussets town over a 2 day period in 1977.
You can read about the Dover Demon in Loren’s book ‘Monsters of Massachusetts”
Turns out, Loren investigated the strange and creepy Mothman and was even friends with John Keel, the man who reported on the infamous cryptid. He was a consultant for the movie, The Mothman Prophecies and starred in a documentary on it. It’s my belief that what went on in that West Virginia town in the 60s is one of the weirdest events of all time. You can check out our Monster Men podcast on the subject here.
You could dedicate a whole museum to the Mothman
Loren told me that he was the man who gave the Montauk Monster its name. He also said it was just a decomposed raccoon. Bummer.
I don’t know, this doesn’t look like a raccoon to me
The museum has it all. For a guy like me, I could have stayed there all day, but it was getting late and we had a Duck Boat tour to take and a baseball game to see. So, if you’re ever in the Portland area, I highly suggest you check it out. It must be popular, because it was even mentioned on the Duck Boat tour. There are monsters everywhere….at least I hope.
Hunter Shea 