The Hit List - Hunter Shea

Hunter Shea is one of my favourite authors. He always delivers a scary, suspenseful, rattling good tale and his latest - I Kill in Peace - is no exception. I am proud to welcome him to my blog today. The stage is yours, Hunter:

Some people have a bucket list. 

I have a hit list. 

Maybe not the best thing to say, especially from a guy who studied and practiced Buddhism for 7 years, but I’m trying to be honest here. Now, I’m a laid back guy – a family man with a solid day job and a closet devoid of skeletons (ok, maybe a few stray bones, but nothing you don’t have in your own!). I’m not the type to hold a grudge, write people off, or rant on social media or op-ed pages. 

My list doesn’t contain the names of particular people. For those of you who thought you might be on it, you can exhale now. No, my hit list is more general, and it contains types of people and things. Care to talk a walk down my hit list? Quick, hold my hand. 

Now, I think most of society would agree with the following types that need to go. These types bring nothing to the table but sorrow and anguish and broken lives. I’ll start with an easy one – child predators. These bastards are so reviled, even prisoners hate them. Let’s just get rid of them. Maybe we can colonize Venus and send them there, kinda like an interplanetary Australia, only hotter. And while we’re on the subject, let’s throw in rapists, male and female. Get aboard the shuttle! The inflight movie will be Ernest Scared Stupid on a continuous loop. 

School shooters need to go. Hell, anyone who thinks shooting at masses of people on a campus, movie theater or mall is a good idea gets a one way ticket. 

Bullies, especially punks in middle grade and high school. My kids endured that shit for years. Bye bye. 

I’d like to say politics and politicians, but we need a governing body to kind of hold things together. So let’s whack the political process and straighten things out. And I’m adding political correctness to the list. It’s a coward’s way of thinking and speaking and acting. Dumb idea that’s gone on too long. 

Diseases like cancer, AIDS, diabetes, lupus, you name it. Hit the road. You’ve been axed. No one asked for you. You won’t be missed. 

You see where I’m going with my list? I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that if you made your own, we’d pretty much mirror one another. 

It was a Christmas break spent thinking of my hit list that inspired my latest novella, I KILL IN PEACE. There’s so much wrong with our society. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who could set things right? Enter Peter Blades, an everyman with a scimitar, fiery red Mustang, and a whole lot of bad things running through his brain.

For every action Peter takes, there’s the inevitable reaction, only he’s not sure what that is. If I did it right, you won’t either until the very end. So scribble down your list and hop in Peter’s muscle car. Sometimes, it’s good to let the Id run free. 

 Killing gets easier…with practice. 

Peter Blades is, in every sense of the word, an ordinary man. Hard worker, father, husband, a man content with small-town life. Except for one small fact—he’s slowly being turned into a ruthless killer.

Compelled by mysterious texts to murder, he’s provided a fiery red Mustang and an ancient sword to carry out an ever-growing hit list. His jerkoff boss is victim number one. You always remember your first.

By the time his sword sings through the air to dispatch a would-be school shooter, taking lives is as easy as breathing. And if the world is going to hell around him, all the better. No one wants to burn alone.

 

Biography

Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weaned on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.

Publishers' Weekly named The Montauk Monster one of the best reads of the summer in 2014, and his follow up novel,Hell Hole, was named best horror novel of the year on several prestigious horror sites. Cemetery Dance had this to say about his apocalyptic thriller, Tortures of the Damned – “A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book!”

Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.

He wrote his first novel with the express desire to work only with editor Don D’Auria at Dorchester (Leisure Horror). He submitted his novel to Don and only Don, unagented, placed on the slush pile. He is proof that dedicated writers can be rescued from no man’s land. He now works with Don, along with several other agents and publishers, having published over ten books in just four years.

Hunter is proud to be be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with his partner in crime, Jack Campisi. It is one of the most watched horror video podcasts in the world. Monster Men is a light-hearted approach to dark subjects. Hunter and Jack explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun. They often interview authors, crytid and ghost hunters, directors and anyone else living in the horror lane.

Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray’s Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.

You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com, sign-up for his newsletter, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Praise for Hunter Shea

“This wholly enthralling hulk of a summer beach read is redolent of sunscreen and nostalgia, recalling mass market horror tales of yore by John Saul, Dean Koontz, and Peter Benchley.” — Publishers' Weekly — Voted one of the best reads of summer, on The Montauk Monster

“Bloody good read!  This guy knows his monsters!”- Eric S Brown, author of Bigfoot War and Boggy Creek: The Legend is True, on Swamp Monster Massacre

“Hunter Shea is a great writer, highly entertaining, and definitely in the upper echelon in the current horror scene. Many other writers mention either loving his work and/or having the man influence their own, and for just cause. His writing suits anyone with a taste for the dark and terrifying!” –Zakk at The Eyes of Madness/The Mouth of Madness Podcast

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Samhain

 Follow along this tour with the hashtags: #IKillinPeace #HunterShea #evilancientswords

An Author's Early Influences - Matthew Franks

Matthew Franks' new novel The Monster Underneath has been one of my favourite reads so far this year - and with so much great new horror around, that's saying a lot. He's an exciting new talent. Here he talks about his early influences and you can find out more about his latest book:

The year was 1984. I was eight years old and my preferred reading material was Mad Magazine. I discovered many movies through that magazine. For example, the legendary Mort Drucker's famous parody of The Godfather led me to later watch the film and changed my life forever. It was in that same year that I saw two other movies that would also impact me in such a way that they set the stage for a novel I would write thirty years later.

The first film, Dreamscape, introduced me to the idea of someone entering and participating in another person's dreams, a.k.a. dreamwalking. In this classic movie, Dennis Quaid plays a psychic that uses his abilities to assist the great Max Von Sydow in developing a program to help people work through their dreams. This is all good and well until a fellow psychic played by Twin Peaks alumnus David Patrick Kelly enters the picture and conspires in a plot to murder the president in his dreams, thus stopping him from signing a peace treaty with the Soviets that would eliminate the need to produce more nuclear weapons. In the end, the two psychics face off in an epic battle of good versus evil complete with a terrifying snake-man and unresolved father issues. 
 

In retrospect, wrapping such a high concept around my eight-year-old head didn't prove as difficult as actually seeing the movie. Given its "PG-13" rating, I had to prove to my parents that it was okay for me to see five years before the suggested viewing age. Luckily, the poster for the movie looked like an Indiana Jones type adventure (brilliant marketing by the way). Seriously, you could transfer Kate Capshaw’s image to the movie poster for Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom standing behind Harrison Ford and no one would know the difference. But I digress. Since I'd already watched Raiders of the Lost Ark and lived to tell the tale, I was able to watch Dreamscape unhindered by the MPAA.

Seeing the next film I'm going to discuss, however, didn't prove so easy. To see it, I would have to be more tactful, even cunning. I would have to call upon an ancient resource that many a young person went to in times of desperation. I would have to call upon my friend-with-the-permissive-parent and watch it at his house. And that's how A Nightmare on Elm Street came into my life. 

Like Dreamscape, the horror classic incorporated dreamwalking into the story. Only, in this case, there was no good supernatural power to combat the bad. In this case, it was straight up evil in the form of horror icon Freddy Kruger played by the incomparable Robert Englund. For roughly an hour and a half, I witnessed helpless teenagers getting murdered in their dreams and ultimately never stopping their pursuer. After all, horror isn't necessarily about defeating evil. Sometimes evil wins and comes back again and again and again. And then it's a franchise.

Years later, other dreamwalker movies came along. There was The Cell, which was visually stunning and featured Jennifer Lopez in a wetsuit. Then there was the hugely successful Christopher Nolan film, Inception. I enjoyed both films but not as much as Dreamscape and A Nightmare on Elm Street. There was something about seeing them when I was younger that, one day, ignited a spark to create a dreamwalker story of my own. I hope you'll check it out. 

Reality can be the difference between a dream and a nightmare…

Max Crawford isn’t a typical prison therapist. He uses his unusual psychic ability to walk with convicts through their dreams, reliving their unspeakable crimes alongside them to show them the error of their ways.

Max always has to be on his toes to keep himself grounded, but the FBI agent waiting for him in his private office immediately puts him on edge. The bureau wants Max to go way outside his comfort zone to enter the dreams of suspected serial killer William Knox.

To get a confession and secure the future of his prison program, Max must gain Knox’s trust by any means necessary—and survive the minefield of secrets waiting inside a murderer’s mind. Secrets that could turn Max’s reality into a living nightmare. 

Biography of Matthew Franks

Matthew Franks lives in Arlington, Texas with his beautiful wife and children. He studied psychology and creative writing at Louisiana State University then obtained a Master’s Degree in counseling from Texas State University. When he’s not working on his next story, he’s counseling adolescents or trying to keep up with his three highly energetic daughters. You can connect with Matthew at: authormatthewfranks.com.

Praise for The Monster Underneath
“An assured, gripping, totally engaging debut, Matthew Franks will have you burning through the pages of this taut supernatural thriller at breakneck speed. If Christopher Nolan and Stephen King ever teamed up to write a novel, this would be it. Highly recommended!” –Ronald Malfi, author of Little Girls

“What if you could see inside the dreams of anyone you came in contact with? Would you dare to look? Could you handle the things you’d find within? The Monster Underneath is a real nail-biter – one of those ever-spiraling stories that you just can’t put down until you reach the surprising end!” –John Everson, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Covenant and The Family Tree

“The Monster Underneath is an intense and clever debut in which reality is more terrifying than the nightmares and twisted dreamscapes of a madman. Author Matthew Franks is a name to remember, his stories you won’t soon forget.” –Rena Mason, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Evolutionist and East End Girls

“Matthew Franks’ debut novel takes you through the darkest, twisted alleys of a killer’s mind and then drags you several steps further, beyond the status of observer and into the disturbing realm of accomplice. A harrowing tale of murder and delusion and moral ambiguity.” –Hank Schwaeble, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Damnable, Diabolical, and the dark thriller collection, American Nocturne
 
Purchase Links

Amazon US

Amazon Australia

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Samhain

Follow the tour, using the hashtags: #TheMonsterUnderneath #psychologicalhorror #dreamsvsnightmares

Writing Nasty: Human Monster

Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow horror author, Glenn Rolfe. He's here to talk about the art of writing characters who, well let's just say, they're not the sort of people you would want to take home to Great Aunt Maud...The stage is yours, Glenn

For my latest novella, THINGS WE FEAR, I brought in a real nasty piece of work in the form of antagonist, Matt Holmes. Matt’s got a smile worth a million bucks, he’s fit and he’s friendly, and he’s also a psychotic, serial rapist. Nice guy, right? As a writer, sometimes creating a despicable character like this is draining. People think because we write horror we can wallow in this sludge and come out smiling. Well, maybe some can, but I’m not one of them. When I write someone like Matt or Dennis Greely, the main character in my short story, “Flaws,” I walk away carrying the grime and the filth of the character as if I’d just fell in the sewer. You can take a shower and wash away the sewage, but the mental scum lingers. And that’s true of the places you allow your mind to go when putting together a human monster like Matt or Dennis. At the same time, that’s when you know you’ve created something or someone that’s going to make people react. 

The other challenge here is crafting a devil so mean with the economy of words you’re allowed in a novella (or short story). The author in you always wants to write more… always, but you have to decide how much or how little you can do to make the character get across the appropriate amount of jerk/scumbag and still be believable. It can be very tricky, but if you’re disciplined in your writing and are able to step back see the overall piece, it can be accomplished.

Some of my favorite shorter pieces with horrible people:

RED by Jack Ketchum (see McCormick, Danny and McCormick, Michael)

A DARK AUTUMN by Kristopher Rufty ( see Lucy, Helen, Amanda, and Michelle)

My all-time favorite character to hate due to despicability? You have to go to a novel-length work to find him, but beyond the shadow of the demon on your bedroom wall….that character for me is Dale from Wrath James White’s novel, THE RESURRECTIONIST

Do yourself a favor and find those titles. I hope you’ll also give my thriller, THINGS WE FEAR, or my three novella collection WHERE NIGHTMARES BEGIN a chance. Feel free to find me on Facebook, Twitter, or GoodReads and let me know what you think.

Things We Fear

Summer has just begun, and fear is in season.
 
School’s out, and the faculty at Fairington Elementary School are free for the summer. Emily Young can’t deny her attraction to Aaron Jackson, the Ed Tech from her classroom, but she’s afraid of being hurt again. Meanwhile, Aaron is determined not to let his phobia of drowning prevent him from enjoying the sun and the sand of Maine’s best beach town.

But they’re about to learn real fear. Fairington is home to a monster. Phys Ed teacher Matt Holmes has more to offer the ladies than a perfect smile. He’s a killer and he’s got his sights set on Emily.

Who at Fairington will conquer their fears? And who will fall to a psychopath’s hellbent rage? 

Where Nightmares Begin

(A collection of the three novellas Boom Town, Abram's Bridge, Things We Fear)
 
Monsters can hide anywhere. Under a bridge, below the earth…or behind a smile.

Abram’s Bridge
When Lil Ron realizes the beautiful girl he met under Abram’s Bridge is a ghost, he sets out to make things right for Sweet Kate. His quest leads him into a tangle of small-town secrets as he uncovers a story of heartbreak, violence…and fear.

Boom Town
Thirty years after a notorious UFO encounter, the town of Eckert, Wisconsin, is besieged by mysterious rumbles from deep in the earth. As the earthly tremors grow stronger, two pre-teens discover a dislodged pipe spewing a strange, bubbling ooze. Their curiosity unleashes an afternoon of unbridled terror for the entire town.

Things We Fear
Emily Young can’t deny her attraction to Aaron Jackson, the Ed Tech from her Fairington Elementary classroom, but fears she’ll be hurt again. Aaron is determined to overcome his drowning phobia and enjoy the sun and the sand of Maine’s best beach town. But real fear lurks closer than they think. Fairington harbors a psychopath seething with hell-bent rage—and he’s got his sights set on Emily.

 About the Author

Glenn Rolfe is an author, singer, songwriter and all around fun loving guy from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King and Richard Laymon.

He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

He is the author of the novellas, Abram’s Bridge, Boom Town, and his latest, Things We Fear (March, 2016), the short fiction collection, Slush, and the novels The Haunted Halls and Blood and Rain (October 2015). His first novella collection, Where Nightmares Begin, will also be released in March 2016. His next book, Chasing Ghosts, will be coming by 2017.

He is hard at work on many more. Stay tuned!

Praise for Things We Fear

"Things We Fear is a compulsively readable tale of obsession and dark suspense, with one of the creepiest villains I've encountered in recent years." -- Tim Waggoner, author of The Way of All Flesh
 
"Glenn Rolfe's new thriller is addictive. A quick, compelling read. Rolfe creates tension with a minimal amount of words. His characters are so well-drawn they come alive (before they die)." -- Duncan Ralston, author of Salvage

"Fast paced and tense, with one of the most interesting monsters I've read about in recent times." -- Patrick Lacey, author of A Debt to Be Paid
 
"Glenn Rolfe is quickly establishing a name for himself as one of a number of excellent new writers to ensure the horror genre is kept alive and well. His previous books – Abram’s Bridge, Boom Town and Blood and Rain – have also served to show the extensive breadth of his imagination and Things We Fear carries on that trend. Quite simply, each story is fresh, new, exciting, and unpredictable." -- Catherine Cavendish, author of Dark Avenging Angel
 
"In this frighteningly real look at true horror, Rolfe manages to up the ante of tension while balancing genuinely heartbreaking moments, while showcasing his talent for creating unforgettable characters placed in equally unforgettable moments." -- David, Beneath The Underground

"There is a definite old school feel about this novella. It isn’t an over the top gore fest. Instead, what we have is a tense, psychological thriller that builds steadily towards a fitting climax." -Adrian Shotbolt, at Ginger Nuts of Horror

Praise for Abram's Bridge (a novella within Where Nightmares Begin)

"This is a stellar debut from Glenn Rolfe, a tale that will give you chills as much as it will make you question the hardness in men's hearts and the spirit of redemption." -Hunter Shea, Author of The Montauk Monster and Island of the Forbidden

"If you're looking for a page-turning who-done-it with a touch of the supernatural and a solid all around story that satisfies, then look no further." -David Bernstein, author of Goblins and Unhinged

Praise for Boom Town (a novella within Where Nightmares Begin)

"Short and sharp, Glenn Rolfe’s BOOM TOWN packs in in for a novella. An excellent blend of horror and sci-fi, with way more character development than you usually see in a shorter work like this." -Russell James, Author of Q Island

"Boom Town is a fun, fast-paced read packed with action, copious amounts of alien slime and an aura of creepiness that is sure to appeal to both horror and science fiction fans." -Rich, The Horror Bookshelf

Things We Fear and Where Nightmares Begin are both published on March 8th. Here are some of the outlets where you will find them:
 
Things We Fear
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Samhain

Where Nightmares Begin
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Samhain

Don D'Auria - The Editor Who Changed My Life

“Welcome to the Samhain family…”

I stared long and hard at those words. They danced around the ipad screen as I turned it one way, then another. But, whether vertical or horizontal – or on their way in between – those magical words flashed across my stunned and disbelieving brain.

“Welcome to the Samhain family...”

The first sound I managed was a sort of squawky yelp that sent my cat diving for cover under the nearest chair and my husband dashing into the room to find out what on earth I’d done to myself.

Incoherent, I jabbed my finger at the screen and thrust the ipad at him. He read the email that had just changed my life.

“Oh, well done,” he said, giving me a big hug and kiss. “I knew you could do it.”

So, what had I done to create all this excitement?

Well, “Samhain” referred to Samhain Publishing – who are celebrating their 10 anniversary this very week. Happy Birthday Samhain! The person who had written the lifechanging email was in sole charge of their entire horror line, Don D’Auria. Don’s editorial pedigree would rival any in the business and outclasses most – certainly in horror - if truth be told. He has worked with many of the greats – including one of my heroes, multi-award winning master British horror author, Ramsey Campbell.

 And Don D’Auria, of all people, had picked a story I had written to be one of four winners of the Samhain Gothic Anthology Competition.

I had to remind myself how to breathe. In…out…in…out… I swear it was a real effort in those first few heady minutes.

My winning novella – Linden Manor – was specially written for the competition. When I saw the details, I knew I had to enter. Gothic, ghostly, creepy houses, with dark corners and mysterious, sinister histories have always been the stuff of my favourite reading and writing. The anthology was called, What Waits in the Shadows, and within a day or two I had the germ of a storyline. It grew organically and virtually wrote itself, the way some stories do. 

 I was further stunned when I read the other winning entries – Blood Red Roses by Russell James, Castle by the Sea by JG Faherty and Bootleg Cove by Devin Govaere. Fabulous, creepy. Scary and Gothic. Each one original and individual. I was in esteemed company.

Coincidentally, a day or so before I received the stunning email from Don, I had submitted a full length novel manuscript – Saving Grace Devine – a ghostly horror tale with a timeslip. I mentioned this in my ecstatic reply and within 24 hours, Don had come back to me. He loved it. He was offering me a contract!

 All my Christmasses and birthdays had arrived at once.

Working with Don is such a pleasure. He never tries to imprint your work with his stamp. As a result, Samhain has benefited from having some for the most original, daring, entertaining and diverse modern horror writing around. Over the past four years, he has built up an amazing body of work from a hugely talented bunch of authors, including some of today’s hot new names.

I have had the privilege of working with him on a further novel – The Pendle Curse – and a novella – Dark Avenging Angel. In both cases, his suggestions were always spot on and he never once tried to alter, amend or in any way change my ‘voice’.

 Sadly, joy turned to shock yesterday with the news that this will be Don’s last week with Samhain but, wherever he moves onto, his knack for finding talent, nurturing it and letting it grow and bloom will, I am sure, continue - I hope for many more years to come. I certainly trust that I will again have the pleasure and the privilege of working with him. Indeed, I look forward to it.

Whatever happens in the future, I shall always be able to point to four works of mine and turn to the page that reads, ‘Edited by Don D’Auria’.

As a horror writer, I can’t say better than that.

Thank you, Don. I know it sounds over-dramatic, but to have someone with your reputation believe in me has been, for me, truly life-changing.