Creature Features, Cow Carcasses and Kindle Deals
I know, Hellions, that’s one strange ass title for a blog post, but that’s exactly what it’s all about.
Thanks goes out to an old friend, Brenda B., for sharing this photo and story with me. Somehow, during my research into the Jersey Devil, I missed this! Back in the 60’s in New Jersey, a cow and a deer carcass somehow made it to the top of a telephone pole. Locals attributed it to their friendly neighborhood monster.
Cryptozoologists say the Jersey Devil has kept a very low profile since the early 1900s, but if you go out and talk to the people who live there, you’ll get a completely different opinion. And here’s another shocker – I can’t believe how many folks have first hand Bigfoot encounters in the Pine Barrens. I’ve spoken to quite a few, some of them still visibly upset, even if it happened years ago.
I wonder if this was the Jersey Devil’s idea of a pinata? Maybe she just wanted to throw a party for her horrid offspring.
And speaking of horrid offspring, Pinnacle has discounted all of my books for the month of February. You can snag an ebook of The Montauk Monster for $1.99, The Jersey Devil for 99 cents or Tortures of the Damned for 99 cents. Time to load up those e-readers on the cheap!
What’s the strangest thing ever found on a telephone pole? For me, we threw a Batman figure that had a parachute attached to our phone line. It stayed there for about 10 years, poor Batsy’s color fading with each year.
Signed Copies Of The Entire Hunter Shea Library
Hey there Hellions! Are you all having fun roasting this summer? I know I am. This is what they mean by hell on earth.
I have a little something new for you this time around. I’m offering signed copies of my books that I will mail out to anyone interested in the United States (international shipping gets a tad too steep). Each book will only be $10, which includes shipping. I have a limited supply, but you can get your hands on personalized copies of THE MONTAUK MONSTER, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED, THEY RISE, THE DOVER DEMON, ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, SINISTER ENTITY, FOREST OF SHADOWS, HELL HOLE and EVIL ETERNAL.
I realize that even with going to a convention and book signing here and there, I’ll never get a chance to see everyone. I also know that most horror fans prefer printed books over ebooks (as do I). So if you’d like a book or two or more, send an email to huntershea1@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there. The books can be made out to you or friends and family as gifts (if you don’t particularly like your friends or family). All payments will go through PayPal to keep things nice and simple. Books will be sent on a first come, first served basis until the shelves are bare.
And if you already have a book that you’d like signed, you can send the book to me and I can mail it back for just $4. Email me first at the address above and send your book to :
Hunter Shea, PO Box 232, Yonkers, NY 10710
Best way to beat the heat is to settle down with a good book by the air conditioner. Or, you could read one of mine by a fan.
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.
The Best Holiday Present Ever – Free Books!
All righty, I’m not exactly ho-ho-hoing just yet, but I am painfully aware of how few paychecks there are between now and the holiday season, no matter what day you celebrate. Sure, Festivus counts.
I’m going to make your shopping a wee bit easier. All subscribers to my Dark Hunter Newsletter are eligible to win several pretty cool gifts next month. First up, a 3 pack of signed Jessica Backman ghost novels. That’s right, FOREST OF SHADOWS, SINISTER ENTITY and ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, all wrapped up and ready to go under the tree.
Next up is the 6 CD set of the audiobook of THE MONTAUK MONSTER, expertly done by the incredible cast at GraphicAudio. You’ve never heard an audiobook like it.
Last but not least, I’ll also be giving away one signed copy of TORTURES OF THE DAMNED.
And all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter.
I also have some big publishing news to announce. Being a subscriber means you’ll be the first to know.
So, what are you waiting for? Help me play Santa!
Book Reviews To Get You All Caught Up
On the fence about picking up one of my 3 book releases this year? Take a gander at Erik Smith’s Low Budget Review show. He’s one of the few people out there doing video reviews of some of the best horror novels around. I think it’s pretty awesome that he takes the time to do this, with over 100 episodes loaded up on YouTube. I figured this is a great way for you all to get a preview of ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED and THE DOVER DEMON.
Best part is that I never had to pay Erik off for a positive review. 🙂 Subscribe to his channel to get reviews on all of the latest horror has to offer. Erik, take it away, my good man…
TORTURES OF THE DAMNED
“A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book.” – Cemetery Dance
“One of the best novel’s I’ve read this year!” – The Horror Bookshelf
THE DOVER DEMON
“A fantastic monster story! Hunter Shea gets horror, and knows how to make it work.” – 2 Book Lovers Reviews
“This is my favorite monster novel of the year and I can think of few others in recent years that can rival it.” – Examiner.com
ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN
“One of the top 10 books of 2015.” – iHorror
“A deep and great read.” – The Scary Reviews
Who Wants The New Issue Of Fangoria?
Growing up, I decorated my room with 2 things – pictures of beautiful women like Victoria Principal, Bo Derek, Cheryl Tiegs (I know, I’m dating myself here) and horrific images carefully cut out from the pages of Fangoria Magazine. It was a very confusing room for visitors, which is why I was ordered to keep my door closed at all times. When family and friends found out I’d become a horror writer, it surprised no one.
Fangoria and Famous Monsters of Filmland were my bibles, places where I could explore the origins of horror as well as the new wave of splatter terror that fueled the 80s.
So you can imagine my reaction when I saw this one page ad for Tortures of the Damned in the latest issue. Needless to say, I bought every copy that my local Barnes & Noble had. I’m tempted to plaster my walls with it.
And because I hate celebrating alone, I want to share this issue with you. I’m giving away 2 signed copies of Fangoria. How do you win? Anyone who signs up for my Dark Hunter Newsletter between now and September 28th and lives in the US is eligible. Just click the above image or go to the Newsletter tab on the site to enter. Already signed up? Refer a friend and if they win, grab it from their mailbox.
At the very least, you get a free copy of Fango. Come on and join the fun. Horrortober is just around the corner!
This is the cover of the new issue. Pretty creepy.
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!
Happy Apocalypse! TORTURES OF THE DAMNED Drops Today
When I was a kid, I used to fantasize about what I would do in a post-apocalyptic world, thanks in large part to the movie, DAWN OF THE DEAD. I’m talking the original, not the remake that was kinda cool, but still can’t hold a candle to Ken Foree kicking undead ass. Everywhere I went, I would check out my surroundings and look for escape routes or places where I could burrow inside to ride out the worst. And the end of the world didn’t need to have zombies (like everyone thinks today). I wanted to be Charlton Heston in THE OMEGA MAN (version #2 of Richard Matheson’s classic, I AM LEGEND), tooling around in a sports car, watching movies in a theater all by myself, having all kinds of guns at my disposal and knocking back scotch like a real man.
All those years of wondering, what if, have finally come to fruition with my latest paperback out with Pinnacle books today, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED.
The more I read about the various weapons floating around on the black market for any crackpot with a grudge to buy and unleash on innocent people, the more I want to slip away to some out of the way place, honing my doomsday prepping skills. In TORTURES OF THE DAMNED, I was able to live out my darkest fears, pitting an average family against impossible odds. Imagine going about your day only to see the sky erupt with strange explosions. First, everything electronic stops working. Communications are lost, planes fall out of the sky, cars careen headlong into one another. Then come dark clouds roiling with chemicals that can kill on contact. What do you do? Where do you run? And what depths would you sink to in order to survive?
The world the Padilla family finds themselves in is stark, bewildering and terrifying. It’s amazing to think how little it would take to throw civilization into the stone age.
So take my hand and let’s face the apocalypse together. I promise I won’t let go.
Some very early reviews :
“Everybody ought to read TORTURES OF THE DAMNED. It’s all too realistic, and far too plausible. 5 stars” – Mallory Heart Reviews
“Resoundingly exciting, punchy, and more than a little brutal. 4 stars” – Michael Patrick Hicks
“I couldn’t turn the pages of TORTURES OF THE DAMNED fast enough! 4 stars” – ck2s Kwips and Kritiques
You can grab a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and anywhere books are sold.
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.
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
Hunter Shea 