Screams from Lord Froggy's Dungeon

Tartarus Press: The Silent House and Other Strange Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:08:00 +0000

Tartarus Press: The Silent House and Other Strange Stories: Tartarus Press is delighted to announce the publication on 18th Septermber of Sophia J. Unsworth's debut collection, The Silent House a...

Coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 03:44:00 +0000

The Supernatural Tales Blog: The Stoneground Ghost Tales

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:54:00 +0000

The Supernatural Tales Blog: The Stoneground Ghost Tales: A new publisher, The Midnight Press , has brought out a nice, reasonably-priced paperback edition of E.G. Swain's classic collection. ...

THE BEASTS ARE COMING...

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 18:04:00 +0000

http://westernlegendspublishing.com

NOW WE ARE SICK

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:11:00 +0000

NOW WE ARE SICK WINS TOP SPANISH LITERARY AWARD

Published in 2011 by 23 Escalones and illustrated by Irene León Guijarro, the bi-lingual Spanish edition of NOW WE ARE SICK: AN ANTHOLOGY OF NASTY VERSE edited by Neil Gaiman and Stephen Jones has won the 2012 Premio NOCTE Award for Best Foreign Book.

The annual award, sponsored by The Spanish Horror Writers Association, was one of several announced on October 13 by the President of NOCTE, Juan Angel Laguna Edroso, and Spanish author Roberto Malo at XXX Hispacón in the city of Urnieta Guipuzcoa.

For more information about NOCTE, go HERE.

TERROR SCRIBES: BRADFORD SATURDAY 27^th OCTOBER 1PM

Are asking that people donate something for a charity raffle, those who have been to previous meetings will know what we mean, thank you very much....details can be found via the Facebook page.

PS PUBLISHING SPECIAL OFFERS AND NEW BOOKS

After the whirlwind of frenzied activity that preceeded FantasyCon, PS Towers has thankfully settled into a period of relative calm. Although having looked down the schedule that Nicky has sent out, of titles that are due for release this year, things could be hotting up real soon.

And, boy, have we got some cracking books coming your way. Mike

SPARE PARTS IN eBOOK FORM

SPARE PARTS has been reissued as an ebook by Stumar Press Stuart dug up this interview from when the original Rainfall paperback was published. The interview was conducted by British Fantasy Award winning editor Pam Creais.

DARK PUBLISHERS CEMETERY DANCE WITH SICK CHICKS, AND PS CTHULHU AGAINST CANCER

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:08:00 +0000

ORIGINAL ART by Cyril Van Der Haegen, ORIGINAL WORDS by Brian Stableford (Editor: S.T.Joshi) The Womb of Time.

Raising $ for Van Der Haegen cancer treatment...Help raise money for Cyril Van Der Haegan's Cancer Treatment for sale on eBay.

100% of Sale Price will be donated...We are donating listing fees and shipping.

Includes ORIGINAL INK drawing by Cyril Van Der Haegan. 1st Edition signed by the Author, Illustrator, and Editor.

From Dark Regions Press we have Notes from the Shadow City, a new poetry collection from renowned poets Gary William Crawford and Bruce Boston is now available on the DarkRegions.com website. Gary William Crawford's collection The Shadow City was nominated for a Bram Stoker award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection.

Cover and eight interior images by Bruce Boston.

DarkFuse has officially released Lee Thompson’s latest, When We Join Jesus in Hell. This book is already getting some high praise on Goodreads and also this from Peter Schwotzer of Literary Mayhem:

“This book is heart-breaking and merciless, it has an emotional impact that is arresting and unnerving. It is not for the feint of heart. It will shock you, it will scare you, it will drag you kicking and screaming to the edge of the abyss, but most importantly it will leave its mark on you long after you have finished it. With When We Join Jesus In Hell Lee has cemented his place among the modern greats of dark literature and is a book you simply must read.”

Check out the official launch sent earlier today via an e-mail blast to the newsletter. This novella is sold out in limited hardcover, but available as an eBook.

Lee Thompson’s readership continues to grow as many more have discovered his work via the free serial novel posted at DarkFuse. When We Join Jesus in Hell may be the best place to start to discover one of the biggest new talents in dark fiction. It’s a standalone piece, not linked to his growing Division Mythos. You’ll get a great taste of Thompson’s dark imagination and emotional writing.

Richard Patrick Spencer has also emailed the following news from DarkFuse "I’m happy to let DarkFuse readers know that Tim Curran has signed a 3-year deal with us. Greg F. Gifune will be attached as editor for his novels and Dave Thomas as editor for his novellas. This deal will feature six new novellas from Tim in the next three years (2013, 2014, 2015), delivered two per year, and three new novels in the next three years (2013, 2014, 2015), delivered one per year.

Tim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh & Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things. Find him on the web at www.corpseking.com.

Curran has forthcoming from DarkFuse the novel Long Black Coffin which is scheduled for release in December 2012 and has published the bestseller The Underdwelling, Puppet Graveyard and Fear Me in the Delirium novella series.

Shane Staley, the managing publisher of DarkFuse, negotiated the deal and had this to say about the signing...Tim Curran is a veteran author who consistently puts out quality dark fiction—always entertaining, original and highly imaginative—and his work is always a fun read. He’s definitely a talent I want with my company long-term. He’s easy to work with, professional and one of the top horror authors working in literature today. I’m excited to see what he delivers to our readership in the coming years...You can check our DarkFuse’s official author page for Tim HERE.

Cemetery Dance books are pleased to announce Sick Chick Flicks by John Skipp will be shipping this week! This collection of three horror screenplays featuring "kickass" leading ladies has received terrific reviews, with many reviewers saying they forgot they were even reading scripts thanks to Skipp's compelling writing!

INTRODUCING THREE KICKASS LEADING LADIES FROM HADES!

Sit back and enjoy, as mad maverick author-turned-filmmaker John Skipp unspools this twisted TRIPLE-BILL of fierce, fun, f***ed-up mind-movies for the wild at heart:

AFTERPARTY

She's a caretaker for Hollywood's broken-hearted. He's a collector of artists and other lost souls. And Death is a party that never ends, in this haunting bohemian L.A. ghost story.

THE LEGEND OF HONEY LOVE

The outrageous adventures of a beautiful barmaid who – in thwarting a psycho killing spree – becomes a national hero. And the target of every wannabe psycho killer on Earth.

ROSE

Welcome to "Rose's Place," a crazed cable-access/internet puppet show where the songs, skits, and rescue stations run all night long. Or at least until the zombies get in.

PS Publishing head honcho Peter Crowther is talking about Tim Lebbon's latest collection NOTHING AS IT SEEMS, Intro’d by F. Paul Wilson and sumptuously designed by Pedro Marques. And, yep, no question: Tim Lebbon is right up there with the best when it comes to the art of tale spinning ...that arcane ability to be able to sucker your readers in like 10-year-old campers huddled around a forest fire, holding onto their peckers and casting a weather eye around the congregation as the storyteller whispers hoarsely.

Nothing As It Seems is just one of fifteen titles we’ve got planned for you at FantasyCon in just two weeks. Nicky is approving covers as I type this and already we’ve had in copies of Basil Copper’s The Curse of the Fleers, edited and intro’d by Stephen Jones. If you’re going to at the Con then do come and say Hi. Mike will be at the stand most of the time (except when he’s in the bar) and Nicky and I will always be easy to find—just listen out for my voice, Nicky says.

If you are one of those who will be in attendance at this month’s FantasyCon in Brighton, please also remember that, as well as Chômu Press having a table in the dealers’ room, Quentin S. Crisp will be signing copies of All God’s Angels, Beware! and Reggie Oliver will also be signing copies of The Dracula Papers, Book I: The Scholar’s Tale, late on Saturday morning of that weekend.

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK FOR BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS BANQUET

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:24:00 +0000

The deadline has been extended until the end of this week to book your place at the British Fantasy Awards Banquet on the Sunday afternoon at FantasyCon 2012. Always the grand finale of the convention, this is when the British Fantasy Society will announce the winners of this year’s prestigious British Fantasy Awards. Once bookings are closed we cannot take any further reservations.

The Banquet will be held in the Royal Albion Hotel’s Regency Lounge from 1:00 pm until around 4:00 pm on September 30, when it will be followed by the traditional Dead Dog Party in the convention bar. There are only a small number of places remaining, and these will be allocated on a first-come basis.

To book your Banquet meal click here, you will find a full choice of menu and details of how to pay.

Please note that you MUST be a registered attendee of FantasyCon 2012 when you book your Banquet meal, unless you are a British Fantasy Award nominee for this year.

Publishers and individuals who wish to pre-reserve a table should e-mail and supply a list of the ten (10) people that they will have on their table. Each person should have a meal booked and paid for before the table reservation is made.

Please remember that we would be also grateful if you could donate a prize (or, even better, prizes) to support the Fabulous FantasyCon Raffle. All donations – and we really do mean "all"! – are always welcome, and the presenters will do their best to name-check as many people and publishers as possible who have donated prizes in the time available. Please e-mail us on if you have something to donate, or go to RAFFLE for more information.

FantasyCon 2012 is being held at the Royal Albion Hotel in the historic seaside town of Brighton, East Sussex, over September 27-30, 2012. We now have fewer than 40 memberships remaining, so if you haven’t joined up yet, then please do so now. All you have to do is go to the How to Join page on the website, submit the form with your details and then pay via the PayPal buttons. Alternately, you can print out the form and mail it with a cheque to the address given. A limited number of Saturday-Only memberships are also now available.

Our Author Guests of Honour are legendary Texas "Mojo Story Writer" JOE R. LANSDALE, broadcaster and novelist MURIEL GRAY and New York Times best-selling fantasy author BRENT WEEKS.

Special Editor Guest is MARY DANBY, famous for her work on The Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories and other anthology titles, while our Special Media Guests are Sherlock and Doctor Who writer and actor MARK GATISS and ROBIN HARDY, the writer and director of the original The Wicker Man and the recent follow-up, The Wicker Tree. Britain’s best-selling horror author JAMES HERBERT will be making a Special Appearance on the Saturday only.

Meanwhile, our esteemed Master of Ceremonies is another New York Times best-selling writer, TIM LEBBON.

With numerous other authors, editors, publishers, artists and actors attending FantasyCon 2012, this is one convention you cannot afford to miss!

Most of the information is now up on the website, but do please keep checking online for updates, and we look forward to seeing you all again in Brighton at the end of this month!

The FantasyCon 2012 Team

SEND MORE BRAINS...AND NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:29:00 +0000

I've decided to resurrect this blog to publish genre news from around the world...all things horrible, fantastical and suspenseful - from books to cinema, comics to web zines and everything in-between - feel free to send news and I will add it to the days round up as follows:

DEAD STORY (aka HISTORIA MUERTA) is a Spanish gothic horror short film that won the Special Jury Remi Award in "Horror Shorts" at 45th WorldFest-Houston (Texas, USA) and the Best Foreign Horror Short Award at 16th Indie Gathering International Film Festival (Ohio, USA). One of our last screenings has been at 8th Grossmann Fantastic Film & Wine Festival (Slovenia), competing for the "Golden Méliès" nomination, and we'll be screened at Sitges 2012!!!

Let's have a look at what's going on with the Swan River Press!

THE OLD KNOWLEDGE

The reprint of Rosalie Parker's debut collection has now shipped, though a few more will go out on Monday/Tuesday. There's no difference from the first (other than a couple of cosmetic ones to the jacket), so if you've already got a copy, no need to order another. However, if you don't have a copy...

GHOSTS

I'm now taking pre-orders for the reprint of R.B. Russell's GHOSTS. As you may recall, this one sold out before it even got back from the printer. So here's another chance! I've got 100 copies of the bonus CD that was originally issued with the book, so if you intend to get one of those too, please be advised there's a limited supply.

OLD ALBERT

Brian J. Showers's OLD ALBERT is due back from the printer later this month. Still time to pre-order that one too! As Brian is a Dublin-based writer, we'll be able to do this volume signed/inscribed on request as well. Please be advised that we also have copies of Brian's award-winning collection THE BLEEDING HORSE, which is the precursor to Old Albert.

SELECTED STORIES

Finally, we're working on an edition of Mark Valentine's SELECTED STORIES, about which I hope to reveal more in the near future. We're looking at late October for this one, but I'll let you know as soon as pre-ordering is available.

Today we're pleased to announce two new eBooks have been added to the Cemetery Dance Store and they're both LONG Out of Print classics by Matthew Costello!

Homecoming by Matthew Costello

About the eBook: American hostage, Simon Farrell is coming home...to a world he thought he'd never see again. To a wife who has found a new lover. To sleepless nights of torment, haunted by the horrors he has witnessed.

An ex-convict is coming home, too... to kill for the pleasure of killing. To turn terrible memories of mental and physical abuse into brutal realities. To terriorize one perfect family...

By probing the tortured mind of Simon Farrell.

"A fast-paced, hard-edged killer of a book. Gripping, compelling..." — Dean Koontz

Midsummer by Matthew Costello

About the eBook: It began in Antarctica, where a naval research base uncovered a mystery both ancient and deadly. Only one man, Alan Ward, escaped alive. Or did he?

Now Ward has come home, to the small town of Stoneywood, to its annual Midsummer Carnival — and he's brought something with him. An infection, a living organism that is transforming Stoneywood into a savage, inhuman nightmare, one body at a time.

Once you've visited this carnival, you'll never be the same. In fact, you won't even be you.

Thanks, as always, for your continuing support!

We are delighted to announce that Reggie Oliver's short story collection, Mrs Midnight, has won the Dracula Society's Children of the Night Award for the most outstanding work of fiction in the Gothic/supernatural genre published last year. We would like to congratulate Reggie, and also wish him every success in both the British Fantasy Society Awards and the World Fantasy Awards later this year, in both of which the collection has been shortlisted.

Copies of the paperback reprint are still available from Tartarus Press.

In other, non-Tartarus news, some of our customers might be interested to know that my own new collection of short stories is now available for pre-order from PS Publishing. Leave Your Sleep contains 12 stories, and is available as a trade hardback and also a limited signed edition of 100 copies.

It will be launched at Fantasycon at the end of September, and will be published early in October.
With all best wishes - Ray Russell

COMING SOON from PS Publishing - Forests of Eden by Elizabeth Counihan

We get excited with every new title and with every cover—and why not . . . or what would be the point of our publishing them—but we’re just totally cock-a-hoop with Elizabeth Counihan’s FORESTS OF EDEN . . . particularly with Ben Baldwin’s remarkable cover. This one is gonna knock a few folks sideways . . . so don’t say we didn’t tell ya. Earth is fog-shrouded, the Amazon rainforest a desert.

Sir Barrington Monroe III, Knight Commander of the Terran Legion of Honour, Fellow of the Solarian Order, is the richest man in the inhabited worlds.

Not surprising, as from its base in the Alpha system, the Monroe Corporation has total control of tachyferite, the only substance to emit faster than light signals.

But Monroe is hiding a deadly secret, a secret that has ruined another man’s life and it’s up to a young journalist to uncover the truth. To do this he must brave personal threats and corporate intrigue and eventually centuries of star travel with one embittered companion.

Then, on a new, unblemished world he makes a decision which will change both their lives.

BIO Elizabeth Counihan is from a writing family. Her father was a BBC journalist and her grandfather a novelist. Elizabeth was a family doctor in the National Health Service for many years but is now concentrating on writing. Her stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Realms of Fantasy, Nature Futures, Interzone and several other magazines and anthologies. For many years she edited the British fantasy magazine Scheherazade.

And finally, in response to the many enquiries and inquiries (probably forty or fifty frantic fans of the fantastic), yes, PS will be publishing Ian Cameron Esslemont’s new epic, BLOOD AND BONE. It’ll be available in December (just in time for Santa to put one in his sack for you) in the now familiar two-book slipcased set, restricted to just 300 copies signed by Cam. Nicky is just starting work on the art chores—we’ll show you them as soon as they start coming in.

FANTASYCON 2012 WELCOMES JAMES HERBERT

FantasyCon 2012 is delighted to announce a special appearance by best-selling author JAMES HERBERT on the Saturday only.

James Herbert’s The Rats was published in 1974 with a first printing of 100,000 paperback copies (for the record, Stephen King’s Carrie was published a few months later). Within weeks that first printing was completely sold out, and the book has never been out of print since. Since then he has reigned as Britain’s undisputed #1 author of chiller fiction, with more than twenty best-selling novels to his credit, including The Fog, The Survivor, Fluke, The Spear, Lair, The Dark and The Jonah, Shrine, Domain, Moon, The Magic Cottage, Sepulchre, Creed, Portent, ’48, Others, Once, Nobody True and The Secret of Crickley Hall (set to air as a three-part drama on BBC1 this Hallowe’en).

With world-wide sales of more than fifty million copies, James Herbert is one of the world’s most popular novelists. His books are translated into more than thirty-five languages, including Russian and Chinese. James Herbert will be signing his latest novel, Ash, from Noon until 1:00 pm on Saturday, September 29th. Ash is the eagerly awaited third volume in the trilogy featuring psychic investigator David Ash, which began with Haunted and The Ghosts of Sleath.

And don’t forget to vote for your favourite ghost story of all time. Just fill-out the electronic form and submit it. No novels or novellas please, just short stories. One vote per person, and you cannot nominate your own work (otherwise your choice will not be counted). We will then tabulate all the votes and the winning short story will be announced during a panel at the convention on the Saturday evening. A carefully selected group of experts will discuss their own favourite ghost stories and what it is that makes a classic spooky tale before acclaimed author Ramsey Campbell reads the winning entry as the clock strikes the Witching Hour of midnight! This poll is open to EVERYONE – you do not have to be a member of the convention to vote. The more people who participate, the more representative the winner will be. So don’t delay – vote today!

FantasyCon 2012 is being held at the Royal Albion Hotel in the historic seaside town of Brighton, East Sussex, over September 27-30, 2012. We now have fewer than 60 memberships remaining, so if you haven’t joined up yet, then please do so now. All you have to do is go to the "How to Join" page on the website, submit the form with your details and then pay via the PayPal buttons. Alternately, you can print out the form and mail it with a cheque to the address given.

A limited number of Saturday-Only memberships are also now available.

Our Author Guests of Honour are legendary Texas "Mojo Story Writer" JOE R. LANSDALE, broadcaster and novelist MURIEL GRAY and New York Times best-selling fantasy author BRENT WEEKS.

Our special Editor Guest is MARY DANBY, famous for her work on The Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories and other anthology titles, while our Special Media Guests are Sherlock and Doctor Who writer and actor MARK GATISS and ROBIN HARDY, the writer and director of the original The Wicker Man and the recent follow-up, The Wicker Tree.

Our esteemed Master of Ceremonies is another New York Times best-selling writer, TIM LEBBON.

With numerous other authors, editors, publishers, artists and actors attending FantasyCon 2012, this is one convention you cannot afford to miss!

Most of the information is now up on the website, but do please keep checking online for updates, and we look forward to seeing you all again in Brighton at the end of September! —The FantasyCon 2012 Team

Win an Original Painting by Legendary Artist Alan M. Clark

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Enter to win an original Alan M. Clark painting inspired by his new novel, a heartbreaking tale of life in London during the Jack the Ripper killings.

Of Thimble and Threat: The Life of a Ripper Victim is a story about the intense love between a mother and a child, a story of poverty and loss, fierce independence, and unconquerable will. It is the devastating portrayal of a self-perpetuated descent into Hell, a lucid view into the darkest parts of the human heart.

Alan M. Clark is a World Fantasy Award-winning artist. He has illustrated the works of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Laymon, Brian Lumley, F. Paul Wilson, Brian Keene, William F. Nolan, George Orwell, Poppy Z. Brite, and Christopher Golden.

This is my entry... to find out more visit Bizarro Central for further info - review coming soon!

BIZARROCON: 11 Days 'til Portland

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:03:00 +0000

In ten days we fly out to Seattle, in eleven days we hit Portland and BizarroCon and already the book buying bug has hit big time - originally I picked out three titles - now there are at least SEVEN that will hopefully fit in the baggage for the trip home.

Meanwhile, for folks in the UK not able to attend here's a handy list with links:

Haunt by Laura Lee Bahr (Fungasm Press)

Cthulhu Comes to the Vampire Kingdom by Cameron Pierce (Eraserhead Press)

Amazing Stories of the Flying Spaghetti Monster edited by Cameron Pierce (Eraserhead Press)

A Town Called Suckhole by David W Barbee (Eraserhead Press)

Of Thimble and Threat: The Life of a Ripper Victim by Alan M. Clark (Lazy Fascist Press)

We Live Inside You by Jeremy Robert Johnson (Swallowdown Press)

The Eye Of Infinity by David Conyers (Perilous Press)

On Saturday evening I will be reading an original short story - flash fiction - as part of the Bizarro Showdown and at best I hope my particular brand of madness does not offend the natives too much.

Helen should be on hand to record a video as I'm a sucker for punishment and I imagine its payback for years of thrusting a camera in everyone elses face - my excuse - its a hell of a long way to travel just to be a passive observer.

For this I offer apologies in advance.

NIGHT OF THE ASSHOLES: A Mini Review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Night of the Assholes by Kevin L. Donihe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to agree with John Skipp when he wrote that Night of the Assholes would be a great book to turn into a movie, not that surprising I guess since its an excellent parody of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

Without trying to give too much away, I would ditch the weird clock and rooms...I personally did not feel that these elements fitted in with the books main narrative and almost felt added to up the bizarro factor.

But this is a mater of personal taste and does not detract too much from the enjoyment of this short novel.

Highly recommended for fans of the both the original film and/or Tom Savani's remake.

Recommended to anyone who likes cult movies and books in general.

Night of the Assholes if adapted would make be an excellent double feature to David Whitman's Deadfellas, another book that I would certainly develop into a movie if possible.

Hell, read both books back to back for the movie in your mind.

View all my reviews

Horror at Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Horror at Halloween

Edited by Jo Fletcher
Created by Stephen Jones

Stories by John Gordon, Stephen Bowkett, Diane Duane, Craig Shaw Gardner and Charles L. Grant

Part 1 published by Robinson:
3 October 2011

Full eBook published by Robinson:
31 October 2011

THIS HALLOWEEN comes a publishing first . . . an eBook-only serialisation of five super-scary horror stories, with the first installment made available as a free Kindle eBook for readers in the UK and the USA. The other four sections will come out over the build-up to Halloween, when the full version will be released.

There will also be a Twitter marketing campaign to get YA and horror readers on both sides of the Atlantic excited about the book, with different Halloween-themed prizes available to win for tweeting about each installment.

http://www.horrorathalloween.com/

www.twitter.com/#!/halloweenebooks

OXRUN STATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENT

Nobody can really explain it. You just have to understand that bizarre things happen there. They just do. Weird things. The kind of things you don’t even want to dream about in your worst nightmares. Like the tings that happen this Halloween to Sam Jones, Eleanor Trent, Tina Broadbent, Chuck Antrim and Cody Banning...

Trick or Treat is crazy enough, with ghosts and goblins and witches and warlocks and all manner of other horrors roaming the streets. But in Oxrun Station, the masks aren’t always made of rubber.

The fabric of the cosmos is unravelling and dark and dangerous things are leaking across the borders...

For five unsuspecting teenagers, their lives will never be the same again as they discover the hidden terrors lurking beneath the surface of their quiet town and experience the most horrifying Halloween of them all...

This year in Oxrun Station, THE TRICK IS TO STAY ALIVE!

ABOUT JO FLETCHER

JO FLETCHER lives in North London. As an editor, writer, poet and journalist, she has been published widely throughout the world. She has won an International Society of Poets Award, the British Fantasy Society’s inaugural Karl Edward Wagner Award, and the World Fantasy Award – Professional. In 1985 Jo joined the fledgling independent publishing company Headline and masterminded the launch of the imprint’s fantasy, SF and horror list. She has since worked in various editorial capacities at such British publishers as Mandarin, Penguin, Pan Books and Gollancz. In 2011 she launched Jo Fletcher Books (http://www.jofletcherbooks.com/), a genre imprint of Quercus Publishing.

ABOUT STEPHEN JONES

STEPHEN JONES lives in London, England. He is the winner of three World Fantasy Awards, four Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Awards and three International Horror Guild Awards as well as being a twenty-one time recipient of the British Fantasy Award and a Hugo Award nominee. A former television producer/director and genre movie publicist and consultant, he has written and edited more than 110 books. You can visit his web site at: http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/

ABOUT STEPHEN BOWKETT

STEPHEN BOWKETT was born and brought up in the mining valleys of South Wales. He began writing at the age of thirteen, and had his first book published in 1985. Since then he has become a full-time writer and qualified hypnotherapist. His early published work consisted of fantasy for teenagers. He has since diversified into teen and adult horror (the latter under the pseudonym Ben Leech), teen romance, mainstream fiction for pre-teens, fiction for younger readers, non-fiction, and poetry for all ages. The author still enjoys visiting schools and libraries to tell stories, but points out that ‘Although some of them are funny . . . others are very, very scary . . .’

ABOUT DIANE DUANE

DIANE DUANE was born in Manhattan (a direct descendant of the first mayor of New York City after the Revolutionary War). She now lives in rural Ireland with her husband, science fiction and fantasy writer Peter Morwood. She has written fifty or so novels and numerous short stories, as well as scripts for TV series (such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gargoyles, and Batman: The Animated Series), computer games, comic books and audio works. Diane is most widely known for her series of young adult books featuring ‘Young Wizards’ Nita Callahan and Kit Rodriguez, starting with So You Want to Be a Wizard. You can visit her website at: http://www.dianeduane.com/

ABOUT CRAIG SHAW GARDNER

CRAIG SHAW GARDNER was born in Rochester, New York, a place where it snows far too often. He has written more than three dozen novels, as well as several best-selling film and television novelisations, including The Lost Boys, Batman, Back to the Future Parts II and III, the Hallmark Entertainment miniseries Leprechauns and Jason and the Argonauts, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Battlestar Galactica series. Craig is a past president of the Horror Writers’ Association and has seen his short stories appear in numerous anthologies, including Shadows, Ghosts, Midnight and Doom City. You can visit his website at: http://www.craigshawgardner.co/

ABOUT JOHN GORDON

JOHN GORDON was born in Jarrow-on-Tyne and now lives in Norwich with his wife, Sylvia. As a child he moved with his family to Wisbech in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, where he went to school. After serving in the Royal Navy on minesweepers and destroyers during World War II he became a journalist on various local newspapers. His first book for young adults, The Giant Under the Snow, was published by Hutchinson in 1968 and gained praise from Alan Garner, among others. Since then, John has published a number of fantasy and horror novels including The House on the Brink, The Ghost on the Hill, The Quelling Eye, The Grasshopper, Ride the Wind, Blood Brothers, Gilray’s Ghost, The Flesh Eater, The Midwinter Watch, Skinners, The Ghosts of Blacklode, and Fen Runners. His autobiography, Ordinary Seaman, was published by Walker Books in 1992.

ABOUT CHARLES L. GRANT

CHARLES L. GRANT (1942-2006) was born in Newark, New Jersey. A former teacher turned writer, as a military policeman in the US Army in Vietnam during the late 1960s he was awarded the Bronze Star. During his career as a prolific author and editor, Charlie wrote in various genres under numerous pseudonyms and was described by Stephen King as ‘The premier horror writer of his or any generation’. His series of novels about the cursed Connecticut town of Oxrun Station comprises The Hour of the Oxrun Dead, The Sound of Midnight, The Last Call of Mourning, The Grave, The Bloodwind, The Soft Whisper of the Dead, The Long Night of the Grave, Nightmare Seasons, The Orchard, Dialing the Wind and The Black Carousel. A winner of three World Fantasy Awards and two Nebula Awards, Charlie was also a recipient of the British Fantasy Society’s Special Award and the Horror Writers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2002 he was named Grand Master by the World Horror Convention

REGGIE OLIVER: The Dracula Papers - mini review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:17:00 +0000

The Dracula Papers, Book I: The Scholar's Tale by Reggie Oliver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Forget any preconceived notions that you may have by having watched endless Hammer Horrors - this is the real deal, a book that should be read by those who simply enjoy the act of reading.

Forget genre for this book is legion. Dramatic, bursting with intrigue and adventure, fear and superstition Oliver's debut novel is stunning and as a reader I can rejoice in the knowledge that 3 further volumes are forthcoming.

I should also note that folks should not be put off from reading this because of the historical setting. The main narrator of the tale, Dr Martin Bellorius, draws you into the world of Castle Dracula with ease. The wants, desires and needs of the characters are really no different to our own, reaching across time to win our hearts and minds.

View all my reviews

A NEW BLOG / WEB PAGE

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:45:00 +0000

I decided not to renew the domain www.drblood.co.uk I need to save as much money for the US invasion as possible, and whilst SFLFD was in limbo I also created...

http://lordfroggy.wordpress.com/

...the question is - do I revert to these original pages or do I develop the new ones?

Whilst I ponder the decision, you might like to know that Stephen Jones has gone all 21st Century on our asses and has a handful of rather good books available on Kindle, with more formats to follow.

Just in time for Halloween!

Bromance - Chris & Mr. Hunk

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Chinois heaven - together we rule da world!

alt.fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Helen & Martin publicise FantasyCon 2011 & the British Fantasy Society @ alt.fiction.

THE ENGINES OF SACRIFICE: Lovecraftian fictiion from James Chambers

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:01:00 +0000

The Engines of Sacrifice by James Chambers, a collection of four novellas.In hidden places, they sleep and dream, and through their dreams they touch humanity -- but their touch brings only the stains of horror, death, and madness...until the day the Old Ones return.

In the Engines of Sacrifice, acclaimed writer James Chamber delivers four nightmare novellas inspired by the Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft.

Investigation 37: In the late years of the Vietnam War, Lavender May runs away from home to search for freedom and peace in New York City, but instead, she finds only a world of magic, witchcraft, and lies.

The Ugly Birds: Only one thing could save Carmin Darabon's comics magazine from going under: publishing the next chapter of the hit series "The Otherworlders." But what dark secret drives its creator --Carmine's ex-finance' -- to refuse to deliver it?

The Hidden Room: At the height of the Cold War, Doctor Calvin Lenox is a member of the Nuclear Emergency Search Team. With his life spiraling into despair, he confronts the mystery of a runaway Soviet defector and the death of three men, only to find himself at the mercy of...the Faceless God.

The Engines of Sacrifice: What is the power of words? Can they control the fabric of reality? In a horrifying new world, underground author Rowley Cray struggles against a totalitarian government gone insane and the possibility that he can control the souls of the dead.

Praise for James Chambers:

“Chambers is adept at striking the perfect balance of darkness and light…” –Dark Wisdom

“…Chambers writes stories that are paced fast enough to friction burn a reader’s eyeballs.” –Horror Reader.com

“This is one mean word jockey.” –CJ Henderson

Title: The Engines of Sacrifice

Author: James Chambers

Novella Collection

ISBN: 978-1-937128-08-1

Publisher: Dark Regions Press

Format: 6x9 Deluxe edition, signed and numbered edition, trade paperback edition, and e-book edition

Number of pages: 216

Publication: July/August 2011

Distribution: Amazon.com, libraries, specialty bookstores, etc.

Publicity contact information: support@darkregionspress.com

About the Author

James Chambers is the author of the short story collection, Resurrection House, published by Dark Regions Press. His numerous tales of horror, dark fantasy, crime, and science fiction have appeared in more than 30 anthologies and magazines, including: Bad Cop, No Donut; the award-winning Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series; Bare Bone; Cthulhu Sex; Dark Furies; The Dead Walk; the award-winning Defending the Future anthology series; The Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon; Dragon’s Lure; The Green Hornet Chronicles; Hardboiled Cthulhu; Allen K’s Inhuman; Lin Carter’s Anton Zarnak: Supernatural Sleuth; New Blood; No Longer Dreams; Warfear; and Weird Trails. He wrote the collection The Midnight Hour: Saint Lawn Hill and Other Tales, illustrated by Jason Whitley.

He can be found online at www.jameschambersonline.com

Dark Regions Press - P.O. Box 1264 - Colusa, CA, 95932

www.DarkRegions.com

The one & only pair of LexSpex sneakers in the world!

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:18:00 +0000

A 40th birthday gift, LexSpex was a joint venture between author and musician Craig Spector and artist Lexia Maree, who now flies solo under the LexiArt banner!

The Killing

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:35:00 +0000

One shot t-shirt printed to promote LexiArt at the BFS Open Night in London 3/6/11

A FOCUS ON: LexSpex Studios

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sat, 21 May 2011 12:24:00 +0000

LexSpex Studios is the artistic collaboration of German digital visualist Lexia Marie and American author/artist Craig Spector.

Founded in Fall 2010, LexSpex Studios is committed to the exploration of art through digital photographic mutation and manipulation.

One aspect of the LexSpex visual philosophy is re-imagining ordinary images. An original source photo is taken, then altered through a variety of digital imaging softwares until something wholly unique emerges.

LexSpex creates works of wonder, beauty, humor, pathos, horror, and just plain weirdness in postmodern 21st century expression.

Their slogan, "Zwei Doofe, Ein Gedanke", is a common German expression roughly translated to Two Fools, One Idea.

It's as good an explanation as any.

LexSpex Studios’ designs are available as Fine Art prints and posters, as well as on a variety of products ranging from Keds sneakers over ties to coffee mugs and other miscellanea. All products can be found at the LexSpex Studios store.

Another part of LexSpex Studios’ work are book/ebook covers.

More examples can be seen in the gallery.

Please feel free to inquire about prices and conditions.

You can contact LexSpex on their www.lexspex.mosaicglobe.com

on Facebook

www.facebook.com/LexSpex.Studios

or via email

lexspexstudios@aol.com

This is LexSpex: Art with an Attitude.

CRAIG SPECTOR: deviantART.com

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:35:00 +0000

FREE EVENT: British Fantasy Society - London 3 June

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:42:00 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: Perilous Press have confirmed that they would like to go ahead with an informal UK launch for Brian Stableford's The Womb of Time... 12 copies are en route this week and Brian is keen to sign 'em... keep an eye out for updates via the BFS website and Facebook.

British Fantasy Society members and non-members alike are welcome to join us at this FREE event on Friday evening of June 3rd 2011 from 6.00pm sharp.

If you enjoy Fantasy, Horror, or SF books, movies and television and have been waiting to cast of the shackles of an online social life and wish to be seen in public talking to fellow fans... this event is tailored made to suit your needs.

A healthy interest in beer is optional, but highly recommended!

The Mug House is a unique Victorian-style Wine Bar and Ale House that is situated in the last remaining arch of the original London Bridge in Southwark, a short walk from London Bridge Station and close to many of the attractions on the South Bank.

Past attendees of these infamous BFS soirees have included in no particular order Tim Powers, Clive Barker, Lauren Beukes, Pat Cardigan, Stephen Jones, Brian Aldiss in fact there's so many great folks attending these shindigs that my fingers would be reduced to tiny little stubs should I continue to list them...

....don't be strangers, come and play with madness, your reward with an experience money can't buy... but don't forget to bring your beer money!

PERVERT: Hot Chicks & Puppets

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:45:00 +0000

After a weekend of taking pictures at my sister in laws wedding (see previous post), I received some news today that I was waiting for to complete the next BFS eNewsletter and whilst in the process of editing said newsletter I came across this news, which begs the question AM I A PERVERT?

HOT CHICKS AND PUPPETS OF THE APOCALYPSE: SKIPP’S BIZARRO ZOMBIE FEATURE “ROSE” PUSHES FORWARD

John Skipp has just released two crazy new puppet-packed video shorts from ROSE, showcasing adorable machete-juggling, zombie-slaughtering powerhouse Chase McKenna in the title role.

Rose -- think Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets Night of the Living Dead -- is the story of a hot ex-mental patient with a cable access puppet show, who becomes an unlikely hero of the zombie apocalypse.

While the first Rose short, “Please Stand By”, focused on the undead epidemic, these two reveal the first on-set glimpses of her show.

“Moral Zombie Conundrum” features Rose with her puppet pals Jesus and Satan, weighing good vs. evil when it comes to dispatching the shambling dead.

“Profiles in History!” features Rose as Marie Antoinette or something, sharing quality time (and more) with one less fortunate than herself. And you thought zombies were scary!

“Taken together,” Skipp says, “you get a much better sense of this world we’re building. Except for the genuinely terrifying parts. We’re getting to that. I swear!”

More installments are in store, over the coming weeks. And Skipp assures us it’s not going to get less weird. “More puppets. Special guests. Musical numbers. And some hideous, violent death.” Stay tuned for further announcements!

ROSE: MORAL ZOMBIE CONUNDRUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOag7SfdfnI

ROSE: PROFILES IN HISTORY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me_UznGwrI4

ROSE: PLEASE STAND BY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aaUNNDw370

HELEN: A friend on FACEBOOK on FACEBOOK

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Sat, 14 May 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Eat my lunch!

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Roberts) — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Pizza pie - nom nom nom - a piss poor attempt to wide up the Bastard twins at work!