There are two sorts of surprises—those readers expect, and the text that stuns the reader with its cleverness. Either of the two will do, but at least one of the two is vital to your story hooking its reader and holding them.

In our last post, we alluded to a recent, viral best-seller, which said that vampires sparkle. Without mentioning the name of the book, you know it. The surprise element itself has taken on a life of its own, and propelled the book series into the stratosphere. It has been said that there aren’t any new elements in horror to write. Well, that author certainly found one. The best quality about it was that, it was clever and subtle. Only a small thing we had never been told about such creatures before and it stunned readers.

We are earnestly looking in our regular submissions for just such a gem. Every publishing house is looking earnestly for the same thing. Not every author will produce that magical note, but each author has that potential, if they continue to play at their creation with such a note in mind.

When is the best time to reveal this element? Retail Marketing has been reducing that answer down to a specific formula. The first sentence. But, we are in a new generation of publishing, and it is time to admit that readers are more patient than that formula suggests. They will not wait several chapters, however. The first few pages of a narrative, certainly, must at least hint at the surprises to come. The marketing blurb for the book, absolutely must let the reader know there is something unique about the story. Once it is firmly established in the reader’s mind that the story is special and entertaining, they will be patient and continue reading.

Readers have always rushed to books that appeared with a surprise as we have just described. What of the writer who writes in a series of books? How do they continue to please their readers? Their narrative must have a surprise element that brings out an entirely new thought; a new character quirk; a setting never visited; a foe never imagined. Writers who write in very familiar genres face this challenge with every page. Most imagine that the best surprise is a clever plot twist. We would suggest that it is not, because plot twists fall into the category of surprises which readers expect. Readers are always deeply satisfied by the ‘gotcha’ style of plot twist, but they crave the surprising surprise.

Can Science Fiction writers surprise us anymore? Hasn’t the genre been written to death by now? Obviously not. It is a genre which continues to thrive because of surprises, and yes, they are becoming more subtle with each generation because the grander themes have been expressed. It may be true, Sci-Fi writers face much larger challenges to surprise the reader now than any other genre. But, Sci-Fi is learning, as Horror writers learned long ago, the story can honor every familiar element in the genre and readers will appreciate that. Tell them those familiar things in a surprising way, and the book will receive praise reviews.

Readers have been pleading with authors, for years, “Tell us something new. Take us somewhere different. Make us feel something we did not expect to feel.” So, publishers devote vast energies to finding those special books and putting them into print.

Have we ever found one? Yes, indeed we have. We recently awarded author Brett J. Talley for his book That Which Should Not Be. The entire book is a surprise. It is receiving rave reviews for the beautiful way it honors the best elements of cherished Horror fiction. There are ‘gotcha’ moments within the text, and there are new ways to be frightened. Brett mastered the entire spectrum of surprising his reader, and they are blessing him for it.

We had the pleasure of surprising him, with his Grand Prize.

Pazuzu’s Girl

By: Rachel Coles

ISBN:  9781936564361

Expected Publication:  February 10, 2012 by JournalStone

Available format:  Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: ★★★★★

Publisher’s Synopsis:  Morpho Wilson thought her life was difficult enough. Her father is Pazuzu, the Mesopotamian demon of plague and the Southwest wind. As a teenager Morpho struggles against her father, while trying to adjust to high school in a new neighborhood. The family is constantly moving in an attempt to elude Pazuzu’s murderous ex-wife, a demoness known for killing children.

Then something unique happens. A socially-impaired classmate becomes so intrigued by Morpho that he pursues her, despite the mystery surrounding her family and the danger that accompanies it.

But before their romance can grow the demoness tracks Morpho down, and now only needs an ancient artifact called the Tablet of Destiny to complete the destruction of the world. The tablet confers on its owner the ability to control the fate of everything and everyone on earth.

Once the tablet is discovered in the Middle East, the oldest and most powerful gods begin a battle for its possession, with the human population caught in the middle. Morpho, her family, and her new friend must decide, do they escape from the horrifying demoness or fight for their own destiny. How far will Pazuzu go to save his daughter from a hellish fate? Will his banishment from Heaven so many millennia ago end up being a curse…or a blessing?

I love working with JournalStone because I have been fortunate enough to get an early look at so many amazing novels. Pazuzu’s Girl is definitely in those ranks!  It has such an interesting, unique plot and is so well written. I continue to be impressed by the caliber of writers who are being discovered or re-discovered by this company.

One thing that always snags me is when the seemingly bad characters, Pazuzu in this case, turn out to really be the good guys. Pazuzu is almost like any other normal, single father, trying to raise his rebellious teenage daughter right. Sure, he can dissipate into a swarm of locusts, and he’s been known to spread a plague or two. A guy has to make a living, right? Deep down, Pazuzu has real heart, and the author does such an amazing job developing his character, keeping in his scary side and melding it with his humanity. We all have a scary side; admit it.

Another great thing about this novel is Morpho’s character. We get to see her grow and come into herself, much like the butterfly she is named after.  We get to see her in the normal, angsty teenage life of an outcast. Our heartstrings are tugged as she finds love, and then we are crushed when her whole world comes apart around her. Morpho is able to find her strength, cling to her morality, and stand up to the evil that plagues her life and the world as a whole.

There are so many familiar yet revamped ideas included in this novel along with a lot of great, new aspects and characters. I love anything that has to do with gods and goddesses. Heck, you might even find a zombie or two in this one as well—or are those ghosts—or demons—or…??  Hmmm…guess you’ll have to read to find out!

Review by Cassie McCown

In August of 2011, the Navy SEAL community suffered its worst single day loss of life in its more than 50-year history when a team of SEALs aboard a special operations helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Like everyone with ties to the Naval Special Warfare, writer Jeffrey Wilson was deeply affected by this event. Everyone in the community is connected in some way to the families devastated by this tragedy.

Together with JournalStone Publisher Christopher C. Payne, Jeffrey has set out to raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides direct support for wounded SEALs and others from the Special Warfare community, and provides support and comfort for the families left behind when SEALs are killed in the line of duty. 

For the entire month of February, Jeffrey Wilson will donate 100% of his royalties from his novel THE TRAITEUR’S RING to the Navy SEAL foundation. In an incredible show of generosity and support, Chris Payne at JournalStone has agreed to not only match this donation, but in fact donate 100% of JournalStones’ February profits from this book during February. 

Jeffrey Wilson, a vascular and trauma surgeon, was deployed multiple times supporting the Navy SEALs as a combat surgeon. Although he left active duty in late 2007, he remains an active reserve member. Still assigned to the SEALs, Wilson runs a training program for SEAL medics. 

In Wilson’s novel, Americans confront terrorism; injured soldiers regain their health; sacrifice is rewarded; flashbacks and terrifying childhood memories serve the greater good; ancient (and infallible) wisdom is available to true seekers; and emotional connection binds people together for an eternity. Wilson is currently available for interviews. His publisher, Chris Payne, is also granting interviews. Please let me know if you’d like additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Author Bio: Jeffrey Wilson

Jeffrey Wilson, the son of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who later joined Pan Am as a pilot, spent much of his childhood in Berlin, Germany at the height of the Cold War (1970 – 1975).  He has worked as a musician (fife and drum corp) and actor; a firefighter/paramedic; and pilot and flight instructor. That was before he completed his residency in general Surgery and rejoined the Navy. He was a featured physician while the chief resident on trauma in an episode of “Trauma: Life and Death in the ER” on The Learning Channel during this time. 

Wilson did a Fellowship in Vascular Surgery at USF from 2002-2004. He reported for duty as a Vascular Surgeon to Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in July 2004. There he was the Director of Vascular Surgery research and director of the Non-invasive vascular Lab. In January 2005, he deployed as a Combat surgeon assigned to a FRSS team (the so-called “Devil Docs” who set up battle field surgical support with the Marines). They were in the Al Anbar province of Iraq for 6 months.

Upon his return, he was recruited by Naval Special Warfare to provide surgical support as a combat surgeon with the Navy SEALs. He left active duty in Late 2007 but remains in the reserves, still assigned to the SEALs where he runs a training program for SEAL medics. He works as a Vascular Surgeon at the VA and as a Trauma Surgeon at Tampa General Hospital with the University of South Florida. 

THE TRAITEUR’S RING is his first published novel, and is part of a three-book contract with his publisher. THE DONORS is due out next summer and FADE TO BLACK the following year. He is currently working on his fourth book.

Publisher Bio: Christopher C. Payne

Christopher C. Payne was born in DeSoto, Ill., in January 1967. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, graduating in 1990. Currently he lives in San Francisco, Calif. In his spare time, he enjoys biking and snowboarding with his wife and two daughters.

Holding down a corporate accounting/finance job, Payne embarked on a literary career, delving into the world of writing with no preconceived idea of what to expect. He wrote three novels and edited an anthology before realizing his calling was more in tune with publishing. 

JournalStone was established in 2009, became a publishing company in late 2010 and published its first novel in the spring of 2011. Publishing over 10 novels in 2011 was quite an accomplishment for a budding small press but 2012 holds the promise of some enormous potential for JournalStone Publishing. 

Link to purchase the book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Traiteurs-Ring-Jeffrey-Wilson/dp/1936564173/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327378437&sr=1-4

Book Information:

The Traiteur’s Ring

By Jeffrey Wilson, M.D.

JournalStone

ISBN: 978-1936564170

www.jeffreywilsonfiction.com

Contact Information:

Stacey J. Miller, Publicist

S. J. Miller Communications

Randolph, MA

http://www.bookpr.com

mailto:sjmiller@bookpr.com

telephone: 781-986-0732

90 Minutes to Live

Brad Carpenter wrote, Godforsaken, one of the short stories included in 90 Minutes to Live and Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be was kind enough to conduct the interview.

So sit back, relax and get to know what makes Brad Carpenter tick and how he came about writing horror.

Brett:  Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living when you aren’t writing?

Brad:   I was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. However, I recently moved to Los Angeles. I live with my wife, Melissa, and my daughter, Paisley, and our crazy Weimaraner named Penny. Unfortunately, I am still serving tables and slinging drinks at the Cheesecake Factory. It is a good job, but damn…. I wish I could write all day long.

Brett:  What made you decide to submit your story, Godforsaken, to the 90 Minutes to Live Anthology?

Brad:  Well, I met Chris Payne (President of JournalStone) at the Horror Writer’s Association Conference last June. We became friends and he encouraged me to submit a short story. I did and got second place. Bo-ya! 

Brett:  Godforsaken is probably the most disturbing story in the entire anthology. In fact, it was so disturbing, the editors decided to use a scene from the story for the cover art. How did you feel about that?

Brad: Delighted! I was on a mission to disturb and I believe I succeeded! 

Brett:  Godforsaken makes me think of a movie version of the most disturbing aspects of Dante’s Inferno. What was your inspiration?

Brad: The Divine Comedy is an obsession of mine. Everything I write ends up having some aspect of Dante in it. “Godforsaken,” stole massive amounts of Dante because half of it is set in hell, or in a hell-esque environment.  The theme was 90 minutes to live… so I thought, what is something that’s 90 minutes long? And then it hit me… most films are that long. What if I could put people into a film, where they had the entire length of the movie to escape. If not…. well you know. And then, it turned into what if the devil came to earth and made a movie, what would it look like? I’d be a Grindhouse film. Wow, can you imagine the mind-blowing special effects!?!

Brett:  One of the problems with writing horror is people look at you funny when they read some of the stuff you write. Has your story “Godforsaken” had that result with anyone?

Brad: Constantly. No one in my family will read anything I write. My wife does, but that’s about it. Especially not my parents. They raised me up to be a hardcore Baptist, so this kind of thing makes them terribly uncomfortable. 

Sometimes it comes up at work that I write. Their eyes light up and they ask, “Oh really, what do you write?” When I say horror I see their interest suddenly wan. However, I have a suspicious feeling that it wouldn’t matter what genre I said, unless I wrote about teen vampires. Then, they’d be interested. 

Brett:  You obviously have quite a talent for short stories. What is your favorite short story? Do you have a favorite from 90 Minutes to Live?

Brad: Wow thanks for saying so, very nice of you. You’re making me blush. My favorite short story I’ve ever read is “Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar” by Neil Gaiman. As for the anthology, I’d have to say my favorite is “Acapulco Blue,” but each one is great.

Brett:  What author has inspired your writing the most?

Brad: Well we’ve already covered how much I love Dante. But I’m also inspired by: Michael Chabbon, Dan Simmons, George RR Martin, Jesse Bullington, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Douglas Clegg,  and of course the big three of horror: Poe, Matheson, and King.

Brett:  What does your writing process involve?

Brad: Very extensive notes. I have writer friends who hardly ever use notes, they just wing it. Hell no. Not me. Plan, plan, plan. Even after so much planning, I write myself into walls all the time. So, once I get stuck… I plan again and get unstuck. Then, eventually I’m at the end of the novel.

Brett:  What is it about horror that attracts you?

Brad: Genre fiction attracts me. Be it fantasy, sci-fi, or horror. I love going to worlds unseen. I love putting normal, everyday characters into “x-files-type” situations, love to see how they react, how they cope.

Brett:  Obviously the electronic book is on the rise. What do you think about that? Greatest thing ever? Or creeping Communist subversion?

Brad: Hahaha, somewhere in-between great and communistic. This makes me think of Stalin holding a Kindle or a Nook and reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Brett:  Now that self-publishing has become easier and less expensive, a lot of writers who might never have had their work see the light of day can be published. How do you think authors can separate themselves from the pack, and what advice do you have for readers who are trying to sift the good from the bad now that some of the gatekeepers are gone?

Brad: It is all about networking. If someone has a self-published book, one can almost judge the quality of content by how much time the author has spent trying to pedal their work, and by all the buzz it generates.

Brett:  What book is next on your list to read?

Brad: Well I’m reading The Magician King, by Lev Grossman right now. After that…. uh…. dunno. Perhaps The Prague Cemetery by Umbeto Ecco, Or Bernard Cornwalls got a new book coming out, maybe that. Or maybe I’ll finally get around to reading that Jo Nesbo series people have been talking about. Only time will tell.

Brett:  If you could give one piece of advice to new writers, what would it be?

Brad: Read. Socialize. The latter is sometimes hard, but it is a must.

Brett:  What is your next big project?

Brad: Writing a novel called Hangman’s Highway.

Brett:  Where can we follow you and your career on the web?

Brad: Happydagger.net

90 Minutes to Live

Bruce Golden wrote, Acapulco Blue, one of the short stories included in 90 Minutes to Live and Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be was kind enough to conduct the interview.

So sit back, relax and get to know what makes Bruce Golden tick and how he came about writing horror.

Brett:  Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Where are you from?  What do you do for a living when you aren’t writing?

Bruce:   I was born, raised, and still live in San Diego.  Even though I decided I wanted to write fiction as a teenager, for most of my life I made a living as a magazine editor/writer, a radio editor/reporter, and a TV news producer.  These days, all I do is write fiction–a “starving artist” as it were.

Brett:  What made you decide to submit your story, Acapulco Blue, to the 90 Minutes to Live anthology? 

Bruce:  It seemed to have all the elements the editors were looking for.

Brett:  Acapulco Blue is one of the science fiction entries in the anthology.  Do you write primarily in the Sci-Fi genre, or were you just looking to branch out? 

Bruce:  All of my fiction to-date is of the speculative variety.  My novels are all science fiction, but my short stories are both scifi and fantasy.  Many of my stories have been described as “Twilight Zone” types of tales–which I take as a compliment.

Brett:  Acapulco Blue is as much about a car—a classic Ford Mustang—as the characters who drive it.  What was your inspiration for the car? 

Bruce:  Actually, the car in the story is based on the first car I ever owned–a 1965 Mustang which I had painted in a color designated as “Acapulco Blue.”  Though I had to sell that car when I was drafted into the Army, I drive another ’65 Mustang today.  I’ve owned it for 25 years–though it’s red, not blue.  Friends say I’ll be buried in it.

Brett:  One of my favorite parts of the story was the invention of futuristic slang that the young people use.  How’d you come up with that? 

Bruce:  I’ve always loved playing with dialects and creating my own words or phrases.   When you write about the future, or about fictional societies, you get to do that.  My favorite creation of that type was in my novel Better Than Chocolate.  But you’ll have to read the book to find out what exactly “pow-whammy” means.

Brett:  How is writing a short story different than writing a novel? 

Bruce:  A short story normally only plays with a single idea, one or two main characters, and I can usually write the first draft in a day or two.  A novel, for me, is a product of various ideas pieced together–many of which may have been in my drawer for years.   My novels have all had numerous characters–from walk-ons to those whose viewpoints carry the narrative.  I make it a point to hone the characterizations of even minor characters.  And though a short story can occasionally call for some research, a novel can takes weeks of research to ensure accuracy.  And, of course, the biggest difference is the time it takes to write.  Barring any outside interruptions that life can throw at you, it takes me about six months to write the first draft of a novel.   Then I have several categories of re-writing that take at least a few months.

Brett:  Who is your favorite author?  Favorite book? 

Bruce:  I grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe, Robert E. Howard and Mark Twain, but Robert Heinlein was always my favorite.  Stranger in a Strange Land was my favorite book.  Years later I grew to love the Dune series.  These days I don’t have a favorite, but I like Greg Bear, David Brin, and writers of that ilk.

Brett:  What’s the most disappointing book you have ever read?

Bruce:  (can’t think of one offhand)

Brett:  What does your writing process involve? 

Bruce:  I outline pretty thoroughly and then push through on the first draft,  just letting the words flow  out, knowing I can go back and “fix it up” during the rewriting process.  But just because I outline doesn’t mean that sometimes the story takes off on its own tangent.

Brett:  What is it about science fiction that attracts you?  Why not write books about ponies? 

Bruce:  I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of other worlds–unique societies–and I guess I enjoy the chance to create my own.  Science fiction is also a good way to comment, indirectly, on our own societies, and on humanity.

Brett:  Obviously the electronic book is on the rise.  What do you think about that? 

Bruce:  Greatest thing ever?  Or creeping Communist subversion?  I like the idea of a book I can hold in my hand, and I like the idea of copies of my books on library shelves.  But I understand, if for no other reason than economics, e-books are the wave of the future.

Brett:  What are your opinions on self-publishing vs. the more traditional publishing route? 

Bruce:  Every writer wants a major publishing house to publish their book, and, barring that, a smaller publisher.  However, technology has made self-publishing a more viable option for those who get ignored.

Brett:  What book is next on your list to read? 

Bruce:  Actually, I’m going to read the other stories in 90 Minutes to Live.

Brett:  If you could give one piece of advice to new writers, what would it be? 

Bruce:  Write in the genre that you love to read, and read as much as you can in that genre.  And just keep trying.  When I started out trying to sell magazine articles, it took me more than four years before I got my first sale.  Many of my short stories, including Acapulco Blue took years to find an editor who appreciated it.  If you want to do it, you just have to keep on keepin’ on.

Brett:  What is your next big project?  

Bruce:  I’m in the final rewrite process of my fourth novel Red Sky, Blue Moon.  Its speculative ingredient:  What if alien beings visited Earth long ago, and culled people from dissimilar cultures and transplanted them to another world?  How would their various cultures develop?

Brett:  Where can we follow you and your career on the web? 

Bruce:  My website is http://goldentales.tripod.com/ and you can find links to my books there.  Occasionally I’ll tweet a twitter @goldenmissive or you can just Google my name and find my latest work online somewhere.

Cemetery Club

By:  JG Faherty

ISBN:  9781936564231

Expected Publication:  March 16, 2012

Available Format:  Paperback, Hardback, ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Four rebellious (completely normal) teens find themselves bonding over booze and joints in an old cemetery mausoleum in the little town of Rocky Point. They eventually become known as the Cemetery Club. One night, Todd shows up with a box of pilfered snacks and none other than a Quija board game.  That fateful night the four mistakenly awake an evil that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Twenty years later, after they were sure it had been destroyed, the evil has returned and is torturing their town once again.  They must quickly learn exactly what it is they awoke in order to stop it, this time for good.

It’s no secret I’m a Faherty fan, and he did not disappoint this time around either.  When I was told it was a “zombie” book, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was thinking moaning, emotionless undead rising and multiplying and taking over the town.  Well, in a way, that is what happens, but there’s so much more to it than that.  Rather than a lot of looting for supplies and blowing out zombie brains, there really is a substantial story underneath it all.  And, are these things even zombies at all anyway?

One thing I love about this book is that Faherty gives us little clues, little pieces of the puzzle that slowly and seamlessly come together in the end with a definite impact.  We get to know each of the characters, their past, thoughts and feelings; then we get to see them all come back together, rebuild relationships, and bond again over something that is frighteningly all too familiar to each of them.

There’s a perfect amount of creepiness mixed with emotion, even a tiny bit of romance, and yes, some pretty gruesome death scenes.  All the different elements fit together perfectly, and the reader remains fully entertained right through the very end.  Another favorite horror novel in my growing list…

So what exactly is taking over the town?  Is it ghosts, zombies, demons, aliens?  You’ll just have to read and find out for yourself!

Review by Cassie McCown

90 Minutes to Live

Jeffrey Wilson, “The Writer”, is one of the short stories included in 90 Minutes to Live and Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be was kind enough to conduct the interview.

So sit back, relax and get to know what makes Jeffrey Wilson tick and how he came about writing horror.

Brett:  Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Where are you from?  What do you do for a living when you aren’t writing?

Jeff:  Hey, Brett. I’m a Virginia boy, mostly, though I moved around a lot and spent much of my childhood in Berlin, back when the wall was still up. I live in Tampa now with my family. When not writing I still work with the Navy and also work as a Vascular and Trauma surgeon. Of all the things I do, writing is by far my favorite.

Brett:  What made you decide to submit your story, “The Writer,” to the 90 Minutes to Live Anthology?

Jeff:  Well, like you and JG Faherty, I have a great relationship with the publisher and was very excited to be a part of a project to raise money for Rocky Wood, the HWA president and a terrific writer, to help him with his fight against ALS. I liked last year’s anthology and was pleased to be in this one, especially for such a great cause.

Brett:  I found “The Writer” to be an excellent story, maybe because it preys upon that secret fear that all writers have—what if somehow, some way, the things I wrote actually came to pass?  Do you ever have that fear?

Jeff:  I guess that as a fear, it might be somewhat unique to writers of our genre, right? I mean, most people would be okay if their story about the cure for cancer bringing about world peace came to pass, but horror– no real upside there. I’m not sure I have the fear of my writing coming to pass. Maybe it’s more the other way around. Maybe I have some fears already and let them come to life in my writing. This story was just kind of a fun muse, I think, but once I started writing, it kind of took on a life of its own.

Brett:  What scares you?

Jeff:  That shouldn’t be a hard question, but it is… I’m scared of situations where you have no control over the outcome. Not like will you get a raise or win the lottery, but situations where the outcome could be deadly but you don’t have control. That’s horror to me, and really most horror stories can be boiled down in some way to that loss of control. I used to be a pilot and I hate not being in the pilot’s seat. However it turns out, I would rather be in control of my destiny.

Oh, and clowns. God, I’m terrified of clowns.

Brett:  You spent time in the military (special forces, if I remember correctly).  How does that experience affect your writing, particularly your novel, Traiteur’s Ring?

Jeff:  The Traiteur’s Ring , more than my other works, was inspired by my experiences working with the Navy SEALs overseas. It was the greatest honor of my life to serve beside these men and those experiences affected a lot of aspects of that book. My deployments showed me a lot about evil, the real life evil that exists in the world. In my books, that evil is usually an outside force, wreaking havoc and begging to be defeated. In war you see a more terrifying evil, a real evil that can exist inside man. I think you can write more comfortably about fictitious evil when you have experienced the consequences of real evil first hand. Another way my experience took on life in my book was in the characters of The Traiteur’s Ring. The book is about a small team of Navy SEALs, especially the team’s sniper and medic, who discover both an evil force while on deployment in Africa and also amazing powers that the main character inherits from a primitive village elder. I tried to write those characters, not as the super hero, larger than life characters we frequently see SEALs depicted as in film and books, but as the real people I know from that fraternity. They are fathers, husbands, friends, and sons–everyday guys doing extraordinary things. They have incredible skills and courage, but at their core they’re Shakespeare’s everyman, but  with an impossible job that they do, with little fanfare, and then come home to their families. That is the men I know and the characters I tried to create for The Traiteur’s Ring.

Brett:  How is writing a short story different than writing a novel?

Jeff:  In a lot of ways, for me at least, it’s a lot harder. When you have a 100,000 words or so in which to tell your tale, you can kind of relax and let the plot develop and unfold comfortably (I have been accused by some of taking a bit too much advantage of that). In a short story, you have to be concise, tell the story with a lot more economy, but somehow still develop your plot and characters in a way that brings them to life. I find it a lot more challenging, to be honest, and have a world of respect for folks that do it consistently well.

Brett:  Who is your favorite author?  Favorite book?

Jeff:  I grew up loving King, Koontz, Straub– the greats of our genre, but also loved the thriller writers like the old Ludlum books and John Le Carre. I still love King and actually find his later works even better than his older stuff. I’ve become a fan of Joe Hill and particularly liked HORNS. My favorite fiction book so far is King’s BAG OF BONES and my first pick non-fiction was Marc Luttrell’s LONE SURVIVOR.

Sorry, you just wanted one of each, didn’t you?

Brett:  What’s the most disappointing book you have ever read?

Jeff:  Truthfully, I never read a disappointing book far enough to really be disappointed. If I don’t care about what’s happening pretty early on I tend to put it down and move on.

Brett:  What influences you the most when picking something to read?  Cost?  Word of mouth?  Cover art?

Jeff:  That’s tough. A lot of books I pick because I know I like the author or have heard from friends that a book really rocked. If it’s an author I don’t know, cover art is important– it gets you to pick the damn thing up, but then the summary has to grab me.

Brett:  What is it about horror that attracts you?  Why not write books about ponies?

Jeff:  Ponies? Really? You know I think you tend to write what you love to read. I’ve always had pretty eclectic reading taste, but my favorite has always been horror or thrillers with at least a supernatural twist. I’m not really a gore fest kind of guy, but I love an exciting, character driven story where the writer makes me feel like I know his characters well enough to really care what happens to them when he or she places them in some terrifying situation. You get to ride along through such an incredible range of emotions when you read a well written book like that. Also, like most everyone who reads the genre, I LIKE that heart pounding exhilaration of being scared out of my wits. When you write horror you remove a lot of boundaries for how you develop your characters and what sides of them you can really show.

Brett:  Obviously the electronic book is on the rise.  What do you think about that?  Greatest thing ever?  Or creeping Communist subversion?

Jeff:  Wow, you live in a black and white world of real absolutes, don’t you Brett? I think the rise of eBooks is a great thing. It gives readers greater, easier access to books at a lower cost. It gives writers and publishers easy access to potential readers. Now having said that, I’m still one of those love-to-hold-a book-in-my-hands kind of guys. I’ve read a ton of eBooks on my device, but when a book is released that I’m really excited about, I am definitely more likely to buy it in print. One things for sure, though– like it or hate it the eBook market is sure to stay and likely to continue to grow. No way around it, and no real downside to that fact from a writer’s point of view.

Brett:  What are your opinions on self-publishing vs. the more traditional publishing route?

Jeff:  I remember when self publishing was completely taboo, but a lot has changed over the last few years. I still feel that a new author will have a great deal of difficulty finding true success by starting off in that realm. My writing and editing skills have improved dramatically as a result of working with professional publishers and editors in the traditional publishing world, though I know there are some notable exceptions to this. I think that self publishing is fast becoming an attractive alternative for established authors, who bring with them a good sized fan base. There are a lot of big name authors enjoying better creative control and financial independence by going to self publishing back list and even new titles. For a new author, though, I still don’t think it represents a real route to success, at least not yet.

Brett:  What book is next on your list to read?

Jeff:  I am about 50 pages into Richard Godwin’s first novel APOSTLE RISING and I really am captivated by both the story and the writing. I already highly recommend it. I just finished King’s newest book 11/22/63 and I loved it.

Brett:  If you could give one piece of advice to new writers, what would it be?

Jeff:  Write ‘cause you love it and stick with it. If you don’t love the process it will really be tough to make it, because the road to publication is long and full of painful rejection, often by people who never read your stuff. If you love the writing process itself, you can keep going because the writing becomes its own reward. I was at a lunch where Tom Clancey told the group that he hated every minute of writing and that if he could find another way to make the same living he would do it in a second. I remember at the time thinking that had to be bullshit, because how could you possibly write any length story if you didn’t enjoy the writing? Maybe it’s true for him, and if so he is way more disciplined and committed than I am.  I love to create a story and if I didn’t I could never do this.

Brett:  What is your next big project?

Jeff:  Well, like I’ve said in other interviews I’m weird about talking about unfinished work. The book I’m finishing up now involves a little boy with a supernatural gift that terrifies him, a Dad with a secret past, the ghost of a murdered little girl, a collection of long dead pirates with evil intent, a sailboat, and the family sailing vacation from hell. There is also a mallet, but I’ve already said too much.

I am also waist deep in edits (my least favorite part of writing) for my novel THE DONORS, which will be released this summer by JournalStone Publishing. It’s sort of a horror meets medical thriller book:

A powerful and evil force is at work in the Hospital where little Nathan is recovering from injuries at the hands of his Mom’s abusive ex-boyfriend. Demonic looking men with pale faces and glowing eyes lurk in the shadows and, worse, it appears that someone is harvesting skin and organs from living– and awake– donors against their will. In his dreams, little Nathan can see these demons in their true form– evil creatures who feed on the fear and hatred they help create in their victims. Nathan’s only ally is the young Doctor who cares for him. Bound together by their shared legacy of abuse, they also seem to share the ability to see the creatures for what they are. Together they must find a way to destroy the demons before their own loved ones become the next victims and the evil creatures grow too powerful to stop.

Brett:  Where can we follow you and your career on the web?

Jeff:  My website is updated frequently with information about current and upcoming works and also has a link to send in comments and questions. Find me at  www.jeffreywilsonfiction.com . You can also find stuff about all the JournalStone authors and books at http://journalstone.com

This interview was conducted by Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be.

90 Minutes to Live

JG Faherty’s Univited, is one of the short stories included in 90 Minutes to Live and Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be was kind enough to conduct the interview.

So sit back, relax and get to know what makes JG Faherty tick and how he came about writing adult and young adult horror.

Brett:  Before we get into your writing, why don’t you introduce yourself?  Where do you live?  What do you do for a living when you aren’t writing?

Faherty:  Hi, Brett! Well, let’s see. I live in a small town in Rockland County, NY, about 40 minutes north of Manhattan. When I’m not writing, I’m writing – my business is writing resumes and other employment search documents. I also do the occasional newspaper article, plus some proofreading and editing. So, basically, I’m at the keyboard all day long.

Brett:  What made you decide to submit your story, “Uninvited,” to the 90 Minutes to Live Anthology?

Faherty:  Well, there were a few. First, it’s for a great cause. Rocky Wood, the current president of the Horror Writers Association, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and proceeds will be going to help him buy some much needed medical equipment. On top of that, it’s being put out by people who besides being professional associates, I also consider friends. And it was a chance to appear in a book with some excellent new and established writers.***

Brett:  Uninvited tells the story of a couple kids who build a transporter in their basement capable of bringing alien lifeforms into our world.  Where’d you find your inspiration for the story?

Faherty:  Ideas come to me in funny ways. This one was one of those, ‘hmmmm, what if’ moments. As in, all these kids movies about aliens always show the alien as a basically nice guy. What if two kids accidentally brought a real bastard of a life form to Earth?

Brett:  You know, “Uninvited” reminded me of that television show The Outer Limits.  Did you ever watch that?

Faherty:  I take that as a real compliment. As a kid, I loved reruns of Outer Limits and Twilight Zone. My father introduced them to me.

Brett:  You’re also the author of critically acclaimed young adult novel, Ghosts of Coronado Bay.  Tell us a little bit about that novel and your inspiration for it.

Faherty:  That was another ‘what if.’ This time, it was, what if the Ghost Whisperer was a young girl, and instead of just talking to ghosts, she could make them real? From there, the story just took off. Naturally, her powers get her into trouble with some bad ghosts.

Brett:  Both “Uninvited” and Ghosts of Coronado Bay are young adult stories.  What draws you to that style of writing?

Faherty:  Actually, nothing, which I guess isn’t the answer you were expecting! For me, the story writes itself. I get the idea, and it’s either an adult story or one for teens. There really isn’t much difference, anymore, except you cut back a little on the violence and sex for the teen books.

Brett:  C.S. Lewis once said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”  Do you agree with that statement?

Faherty:  Absolutely. I still read YA books – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, the Wendy Ward series. Those stories are just as good – sometimes better – than adult books.

Brett:  Given that both adults and young adults can enjoy them, what do you think is the real difference between young adult novels and other novels?

Faherty:  Well, as I said earlier, a little less overt sex and violence. Of course, it depends on the age group. Just think TV. If you’re writing for the pre-teen group, your book should be the equivalent of a Nickelodeon show. A little older, and you can go with regular night time TV. Once you’re writing for the over-15 crowd, then it’s basically HBO R-rated movies. Ghosts of Coronado Bay is the equivalent of network TV. Only a few curse words, no sex scenes. But virginity is discussed, and a ghost tries to assault the heroine of the story. And people die.

Brett:  What’s your writing process?  Do you outline or just dive right in?

Faherty:  Both. I start with a basic premise, maybe a paragraph or two summary. Then I write the first couple of chapters. Then I usually get stuck and start forgetting stuff, so I have to create an outline summarizing each chapter in 1 paragraph. Then I do the actual writing, and usually I stick to that outline about 75%. I did write my first novel, Carnival of Fear, without any outline or summary. It all came right from my head, after I had a dream about it. But I haven’t been able to create like that again, at least in the novel format.

Brett:  How is your process different when you are writing a short story instead of a full length novel?

Faherty:  I don’t outline, for one. I go right from that initial summary paragraph to the story. And I write short stories fast, whereas books often take me a long time.

Brett:  Who are your favorite authors?  Novels?

Faherty:  That’s a tough question. Growing up it was Stephen King, Peter Straub, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Alan Dean Foster, F. Paul Wilson, Roger Zelazny, and several others. Nowdays, it’s Michael McBride, Shaun Jeffrey, Brian Keene, Greg Lamberson, and probably still Stephen King. No one does a better short story than Jack Ketchum or Stephen King. Also, Manly Wade Wellman and Karl Edward Wagner were great short story writers. God, there are so many good writers out there, and then there are the new writers who are making big noise – you should know, you and I are a couple of them, ha ha!

Brett:  If you could quit your day job and write full time (and still eat) would you do it?

Faherty:  Maybe. It depends. I hate deadlines. I don’t do well with them. I could never be one of those writers like Brian Keene who pitches a book and then agrees to have it done in four months. I like to write when I want and what I want. Now, if each book made me a few hundred grand, and I could do one every two years, then yes, I’d do it full time. But if I had that pressure looming over me every month that if I didn’t finish something on time I couldn’t pay the mortgage, then no, I wouldn’t. Because I think that pressure would take the fun out of it for me, make me less creative. Sometimes when you go from a hobby to a job, you lose something. The passion. It becomes ‘work’ instead of ‘fun,’ and then the next thing you know you’re complaining about the time you spend in front of the computer, instead of looking forward to it. 

Brett:  What are you working on now?

Faherty:  A sequel to Ghosts of Coronado Bay. A new adult horror novel. And 3 or 4 short stories. My usual schizo work pattern. Each day I sit down and work on whichever project excites me at that moment. 

Brett:  What do you think about the growing trend toward e-readers, like the kindle or nook?

Faherty:  Initially, I wasn’t a fan. Much like Capt. Kirk, I believe that there’s no replacing the feel of holding a book in your hands, smelling the paper, seeing the cover art. But then I bought a Kindle, and I’m hooked. It’s totally great. You can go on vacation and have a whole library with you, instead of lugging 6 books in your suitcase. You can buy books for a lot cheaper than $30. And from a writer’s point of view, it’s opened a whole new revenue stream, which is always good. Reading will never go away, even if books become the 8-tracks of the reading world. But I don’t think they will. They’ll be more like vinyl albums, respected and cared for by collectors and forgotten by the teens. Which is okay, as long as those teens are reading something, even if it’s digital. Hell, I don’t care if they’re beaming the words into their brains – we writers still have to write the stories. 

Brett:  Where can people follow your writing career?

Faherty:  My website is www.jgfaherty.com. On twitter I’m www.twitter.com/jgfaherty.  And on facebook I’m www.facebook.com/jgfaherty.

This interview was conducted by Brett J. Talley, author of That Which Should Not Be.

90 Minutes to Live – Purchase on Amazon

Rocky Wood’s Bio:  Rocky Wood is the author of an acclaimed series of books about the works of Stephen King, including the Bram Stoker Award nominated ‘Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished’, ‘Stephen King: The Non-Fiction’, and ‘Stephen King: A Literary Companion’. He also writes graphic novels, including ‘Horrors! Great Stories of Fear and Their Creators’ and the upcoming ‘Witch Hunts!’ A publisher writer since the 1970s, he lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Joel Kirkpatrick’s Bio:  Joel Kirkpatrick lives with his lovely wife and their two boys in Southwestern Colorado. He has authored four novels and is currently working to complete his fifth book. Not content with any one genre, he is attempting his first Alternative History, with very real characters. The research is driving him mad.

Rocky:

Cassie:  I have to say I am a little star struck!  I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed anyone with their own Wiki J.  So, here’s what I’ve learned about you this week:

• You live in Melbourne and probably have (my favorite) an Australian accent.
• You are the president of the Horror Writers Association.
• You have won the Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Non-fiction, among other awards.
• You are THE Stephen King expert (my husband loves you already).
• You have been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Is there anything else you’d like to add to all that?

Rocky:  Well, actually I have not won the Bram Stoker Award – I have been nominated twice, for Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished and for Stephen King: The Non-Fiction.

I am originally a Kiwi (New Zealander) and have dual citizenship. My accent has morphed to largely Australian after 30 years, but I have also lived in Belgium and England and travelled extensively, so the accent is a bit confused to the ear of some! I admit to being a leading expert on the work of Stephen King (guilty, as charged).

Cassie:  What was your reaction when you were told that JournalStone would be dedicating 90 Minutes to Live to you? 

Rocky:  I was honored of course. I have a lot of respect for JournalStone, which has published tremendous work in its short history. Genre fiction always needs dedicated new publishing outlets, and horror has a great tradition of them – to me JS is adding to that tradition. And by honoring me, JournalStone also draws attention to a disease not many know about – ALS (Motor Neurone Disease, or ALS here in Australia), sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This is an awful disease, 100% fatal, that medical science has made very little progress in combating over the last 70 odd years. The more people know about it, the more likely it is they might donate to medical research on ALS, or to one of the community groups that support sufferers and their families. The disease is a great burden on all, as it slowly removes one’s ability to speak, walk and finally to move at all (except eye movement). Obviously, we who suffer bear a high burden, but I wonder if that is not a lesser burden than that carried by our caregivers – family, friends and professionals who have to give up some of their lives to care for us and who have to watch their loved ones suffer.

Cassie:  My heart truly goes out to you and your family and friends.  I cannot imagine the range of emotions that you all must deal with every day.  I commend you for being such a strong voice for the ALS community, and I pray that one day there WILL be a cure! 

Cassie:  Do you have a favorite story from the anthology?

Rocky:  Not really a favorite. What I like about the anthology is that it straddles a wide variety of strong new fiction, showcasing some exciting talent.

Cassie:  What have you been working on most recently?  Anything new we have to look forward to?

Rocky:  Two things – one is a King project that I can’t talk about yet as it hasn’t been announced. The second is a graphic novel – my second such book, titled ‘Witch Hunts – A Graphic History of the Burning Times’. I co-authored this with Bram Stoker Award winner Lisa Morton and it’s illustrated by the rapidly up and coming author/illustrator Greg Chapman (an Aussie). It was very interesting conducting the research and understanding what drove the witch-persecution craze of the Middle Ages – greed, lust, misogyny, politics, religious schism; and to see the full circle the Christian church went through – from not believing in witches about 1150 through to not believing in them again by about 1650! In the meantime, thousands of women, and men, were tortured horribly and died ghastly deaths. We document the whole crazy episode and call out some of the men who were most responsible. McFarland (who also published my first graphic novel, Horrors!, will release the book about April.

Cassie:  I’m keeping an eye out for that King project.  It’ll make a great gift for my husband!

Cassie:  Do you enjoy gummy bears?

Rocky:  Not me!

Cassie:  I’m not a huge fan, either, but don’t tell Joel! J

Joel:

Cassie:  Who decided on the theme for this year’s anthology?

Joel:  That was a committee choice. We created a list of a few dozen ideas, and finally moved them all aside for 90 minutes to live, and a lock of hair. At first, there were quite a few questions whether we desired both themes or just one of them. The authors must have liked both, because nearly every entry had them woven into the narrative.

Cassie:  How did the decision to dedicate 90 Minutes to Live to Rocky come about?

Joel:  That is a question for Chris, as I learned the good news when the dedication was made.

Chris says:  I wanted the anthology to be about a cause and Rocky Wood is somebody I hold a tremendous amount of respect for.  I wanted to do something specifically for him so I decided to dedicate this year’s anthology to Rocky Wood.  He is an incredible man.

 I just decided it was the right thing to do. 

Cassie:  How many stories were submitted?

Joel:  Close to sixty. We required a certain minimum number of words, and there were a few too short to include in the judging. I still read every one of them though. 

Cassie:  Which genre received the most entries?

Joel:  That was surprisingly even. Horror had the most, by just a very few. To my pleasure, we had a very strong showing in YA submissions and Fantasy as well.

Cassie:  How were the winning stories chosen?

Joel:  That was less work than it might seem, even for a single judge with sixty entries to read. I had a perfect foundation from our 2011 Horror Competition, which awarded Brett J. Talley with his well-earned prize. We developed scoring sheets and tracking tools for that contest, and I just repeated the process. I could easily read several entries each day in the judging phase, as they were nearly all under 10,000 words.

I first began to read and score by the guidelines. That separated the top tier from the rest. I then began to look at them in terms of how they used the themes, and whether the story had any special qualities I really enjoyed as a reader. I was quickly in dire straits; they were all so very good.

Cassie:  I think I’d really enjoy judging short stories.  I think it would be easier to score and compare them.

Cassie:  Do you have a favorite?

Joel:  Yes, I certainly do. It would not be fair to name it. Did it actually turn out to be the contest winner? No—because it really was too short to meet our minimum word count. It is a sublime little story though. A fairer question might be: did any of them surprise me? There was at least one in each category, which really turned me on my head as a reader. I found a couple of them shocking, too. We were thrilled to have that happen. But, readers will soon learn when they open the book; there are a gazillion ways to frighten people. Half of those will be shocking and in-your-face, and the other half will creep under your skin and give you nightmares a couple of days later…. You will find several in 90 Minutes to Live that are terrifying from any angle.

Cassie:  What’s next on the agenda for JournalStone?

Joel:  We’ve barely put the ink to the pages of 90 Minutes to Live and are already in motion with our next Horror Novel Competition. 2012 will award another $2000 Grand Prize, and Brett J. Talley is on the panel to judge the entries. If you have been watching the catalog of published titles as it grew this year, you will have noticed a wide range of authors and themes are represented. We constantly seek and request submissions in Horror and Sci-Fi, our foundations, but are thrilled to receive so many good works in YA and Fantasy. We promise to publish the next outstanding book that we discover…

Cassie:  I can’t wait to read some of the horror competition entries! 

Cassie:  When you eat a gummy bear, do you start with the head or the tail?  Which color is your favorite? J

Joel:  Brilliant question! I’ve heard there are different flavors in the little buggers and I don’t believe it. No sane person eats a gummy bear; they eat gummy bears. Six to ten in a mouthful and perhaps a Mountain Dew chaser… Never stop until the bag is empty, then go get another bag. J

Cassie:  I think my teeth don’t like Gummy Bears, but I do enjoy a good, cold Mountain Dew!  Thanks guys!  This was so much fun and an incredible honor…

You can find Rocky and his work at:

http://www.horror.org/wiki/index.php?title=Rocky_Wood

http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Wood/e/B001K8V99W/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rocky-Wood/104103519625535

You can find Joel and his work at:

http://www.thetaleisthething.blogspot.com/

http://brownbrushbooks.com/

Interview by Cassie McCown – http://www.gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com

Editing is about mechanics. Criticism is about content. When either of these monsters raise their head, a writer should never run and hide. The entire effort to write the book will have been in vain, if the writer cannot agree to make changes when they are pointed out as necessary.

A first book is a major achievement for anyone. The list of authors who published that first book, sold several million copies, who never wrote anything else… Well, that’s a tiny list. A first book is a foundation. If done well, that first book will lead to the second, and readers will be waiting. Readers also hope, and fairly demand the second book be better than the first. That is not going to happen if the author refuses to learn from the first work. Writers must be open-minded to the feedback they receive.

They should also be willing, when all the feedback agrees—to accept that the first novel may not be ready for publication after all. Try and make a list of authors who only had a third, fourth or fifth book published at last; there are several hundreds of those fine writers to list.

The key to making a good book better is the willingness to keep writing, even in that first book. The best editing, as mentioned in our earlier discussions, is the spare, subtle editing. The best revisions to make are those that bring great improvement with just a small adjustment to the story. Yet, sometimes an entire chapter is the problem. Perhaps a whole character is completely out of place in the story. Several very famous authors have admitted in fawning interviews that they removed things that weren’t really fitting into the story. Bestselling authors everywhere have tackled the monsters of ego and pride, and put the book first.

Poetry is one of the few written expressions that an author can create, and then say, “That’s what I said. Live with it.” Songwriting is another—sometimes. Book publishing is undergoing a revolution this very minute because of technology. Millions of writers are writing. However, a published novel is a committee creation. That reality will never change.

The entire publishing industry is about making the best product possible. The mathematics applied to the business of books is as extreme as anything NASA uses. Every person who handles the text before publication is charged with making the book better. Even in small publishing houses, like JournalStone, each team member has a duty to improve the book. The large publishing houses have an army of frontline workers who weed out the poor stories, the mediocre stories, and the unskilled writers. They also screen out writers who are difficult to work with…. The number of book submissions is too vast to count. An author has won a great victory to get so much as a request for a first chapter from any agent. Every door of opportunity will suddenly close, if an author refuses to accept the work of altering their book to improve it.

All this work is applied so that first book will please readers. Everyone involved hopes the second book will be praised. The goal is to have a third book ready; to keep feeding readers, to keep creating sales. Those rewards only ever come to authors who apply all their skill to their work, even to admit they must change what they have written because the committee agrees it should be done.

Within that effort, may lay a tremendous amount of room for the committee to argue and hash out any points of contention. An author, who gets their way with a publisher, is a lucky writer. Readers have been going mad recently about vampires that sparkle. Just imagine the committee arguments about that theme in the book.

What a perfect segue to our next subject for this discussion: Surprises. Authors, who can surprise their readers, will always sell books.

90 Minutes to Live

Compiled by Joel Kirkpatrick

ISBN:  9781936564330

Published December 2011 by JournalStone Publishing

Available Format: Paperback

My Rating:  ★★★★★

90 Minutes to Live is the 2011 edition of JournalStone’s annual short story anthology.  This year, the competing authors were given two themes that must be included in the stories:  a timed demise and a lock of hair.  From horror and science fiction to paranormal, fantasy and young adult, readers will find thirteen stunning tales sure to entertain.  You’re certain to find a favorite while you answer the question:  who will survive?

JournalStone has managed to find another group of extremely talented authors for this year’s anthology!  I’m sure they had to turn away a few as well.  I say, why not make several anthologies?!?  Alas, there is only one, and it is an amazing compilation, as always.  The majority of stories fall under the horror and sci-fi categories, but there are some notable fantasy, paranormal, and young adult submissions as well.  Some stories will completely creep you out while others leave you guessing; some will make you cry and some will give you a case of the giggles.  Either way, there is definitely something for everyone to love.

Grab yourself a copy of this fantastic anthology and finish out 2011 in a great way!

Review by Cassie McCown

The Demon of Renaissance Drive

By:  Elizabeth Reuter

ISBN:  9781936564255

Published November 18, 2011 by JournalStone

Available Format:  Hardcover, Paperback, ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★★

The Demon of Renaissance Drive secured fourth place in JournalStone’s 2011 Horror contest.

So, maybe hell really isn’t all that bad…if you are a demon king or succubus! The Demon of Renaissance Drive tells the tale of Annabelle, a succubus that is thoroughly fed up with her life in hell. She is tired of being used to populate her world with more and more demon spawn. She is tired of the politics. She is tired of it all. One day, on her way back from a trip to Earth with her friend Samantha, Annabelle sees a glimmer of hope in one of the tortured souls of the underworld. She makes an impulsive decision to snatch the soul and take him back to her home. Naming her new pet ‘Harry,’ she begins working to rehabilitate his tortured mind. She knows she can’t keep him locked away in her bedroom forever, so she begins making deals with other demons to secure passage for her and Harry to have a ‘normal’ life on Earth. Life on the surface cannot possibly be easy for a royal succubus and her stolen poltergeist. Will they be able to rehabilitate Harry? What dangerous secrets will they uncover about his previous life? How far will Annabelle go to keep him safe?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

This novel is comfortably paced, charming and funny, and peppered with a little Dante.  The imagination and creativity that went into creating this story is fantastic.  Who would have thought I would be reading about hell and actually enjoy it?  The different characters of both hell and earth are all humanly flawed yet highly entertaining, and Reuter does a great job writing each and every one of them.  Annabelle is one kickass chick, and you know I always love a strong heroine in the story.  Harry undergoes a dramatic transformation, and I think Jimmy is probably one of the most relatable and funny characters I have read in a while.

The last chapter was my absolute favorite. I won’t give away the ending, but this last chapter absolutely pulled the entire book together, the way it should have. Of course, we’re left hanging a bit, which hopefully means Reuter will give us a sequel. I can’t wait to read more about Annabelle and Harry!

You simply must get yourself a copy of The Demon of Renaissance Drive and check it out for yourself…

Review by Cassie McCown

Title: Parallels The Black Eyed Susan

Author: JA Clement

ISBN: None

Format: Ebook

The Black Eyed Susan serves as a prequel to On Dark Shores and takes place ten years before. The Captain of the ship goes to see Copeland about getting more time to pay off his loan.

If you have read On Dark Shores, then “Parallels, The Black Eyed Susan” is definitely a must read.

JA gives you a little glimpse of what exactly called some of the events to take place and offers up the motive of reason for one character in On Dark Shores who is seemingly about to strike against the dastardly Copeland!

She also gives you a look see at Blakely when he seemed to enjoy doing Copeland’s dirty work for him.

I truly enjoyed reading this story and honestly was surprised at the ending as it answered a HUGE question for me. JA Clement gives you more of the dastardly Copeland, a character that you really love to hate. I can NOT wait for her to finish this series because I am just DYING to see Copeland get what he deserves.

The question is this: will he actually get it?

Definitely looking forward to more great work from this author!

Review written by: Jenn P.

Author: Cambria Hebert

Format: Ebook and paperback – Publication date: Dec 18

Publisher: OtherWorld Publications

One night while coming home from the library, Heven is viciously attacked and left for dead. Heven wakes up in the hospital with the left side of her face horribly scarred and no memories of the horrid event. She is even begins to wonder if she did it herself.

Like anyone who would have gone through such an atrocious ordeal, Heven becomes a recluse. Dressing in baggy clothes, using her hair to hide her face and doing anything to avoid bringing any attention to herself is how she now lives her life as opposed to her once outgoing and lifestyle Before.

Feeling alone and scared all the time, watching the shadows, Heven lives in a constant state of panic and fear. No one can comfort her or make her feel normal again, not even her best friends.

All that is about to change when a new hottie student named Sam arrives out of nowhere.

The attraction to him is immediate for her and she can’t fathom why he seems to feel the same for her. Heven doesn’t see her inner beauty as Sam does, or does he? Is Sam really JUST a new student? Or, is there another reason why he is there and trying desperately to win her affection.

And what REALLY happened that fateful night at the library?

One person knows the answers to all of her questions about that night, the question is, who is it and can she trust them?

Masquerade begins shrouded in mystery and quickly catapults to suspense. Just when one question is answered, another one is thrown at you and I love it! Cambria Hebert is a masterful storyteller in the way that she sets the scenes for the reader. With her descriptions of the characters, I can envision them clearly in my mind.

The way she wrote the story, what Heven has gone through and the emotions she experienced, I can feel the pain and sadness myself. And the fight scenes, those are EPIC! With so much detail, and yet, without going overboard, I can see it all so clearly and makes me not want to run into Hebert in a dark alley!

Masquerade is also told from several viewpoints of different characters to give you the inside look of each characters thought process. This technique is not easily done, however, Hebert writes it in such a way that it is easy for the reader to follow and gives you more insight to the characters, making it a much more entertaining and enjoyable read.

I love the fact that Cambria Hebert has given us a flawed heroine to read about. So many stories today give you a perfect beauty as the main character or a plain Jane with potential. Not Hebert—she gives you a heroine with a tragic injury, leaving the character full of self-doubt without sounding whiny.

You find yourself empathizing for Heven instead of secretly hating her. You are willing her to win and cheer when she finally accepts who she is. To be quite honest, I was about to give up on reading any and all YA paranormal books due to the fact that they all seem to be about the same thing with just a different title.

I am so glad that I gave this book a chance!

Cambria Hebert breathes new life into the genre, giving me hope for its future.

In short, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking for a fresh new take on YA or just looking to read an amazing book in general.

I eagerly await the next installment to see what the rest of Heven’s journey holds and to also follow Hebert of her own amazing journey of what’s sure to be the next “Big Thing!”

Review By: Jenn P.

Author: Cambria Hebert

Format: Ebook

Publisher: Otherworld Publications

Christmas is just around the corner and Grace has decided to spend some time at a secluded cabin in the woods before going to see her family, when she comes upon an injured animal at death’s door in the forest.

She does what any good Samaritan would, she takes the animal home to try to nurse it back to health.

The questions is, can she save this life and survive the trouble coming her way?

This story, without a doubt has become one of my most favorite reads and that is NOT an easy feat. So many aspects made this story extremely enjoyable for me! Hebert writes characters with such detail that you can envision them in your mind and find yourself thinking of them as real people that you would love to meet. She gives you dialogue and banter that leave you both breathless and at times laughing.

Let’s not forget the suspense and action that Hebert was also able to weave into this short tale.               Writing a short story that can captivate, hold your focus, keep you turning the pages, contain all the elements of a great story such as action, romance, suspense and comedy and leave you with a fulfilling ending is no easy feat!

Yet, Cambria Hebert does it effortlessly.

This is one story that I will read over and over again and believe that you will, too! Hebert shows more than just promising talent, she is delivering it in every book that she writes. She has found a huge fan in me and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us!

In short, I recommend this short story to anyone and everyone who is looking for a great read especially if you are short on time.

It will give you a great introduction to this phenomenal author and leave you clamoring for more!

Review written by:

Jenn P.

Title: Before

Author: Cambria Hebert

Format: Ebook

Publisher: Otherworld Publications

“Before” serves as a prequel to Cambria Hebert’s debut novel, Masquerade. Heven is your normal teenage girl, her biggest worries are if her crush likes her, what to wear to school and if she will be made the head cheerleader. You know, the stuff majority of girls think about or even dream about when they are little. Heven has it all in this story, she is beautiful and popular and it seems like everything is going her way. But the question is, how long can it last? Cambria Hebert was able to capture the average teenage female thought process perfectly. So well, in fact, I found myself rolling my eyes at the trivial things that Heven and her friends talked and obsessed about in the story. But, I had to remind myself that I was once a teenager too (What? I was) and admittedly acted the same way. Don’t get discouraged or turned off though, the happy happy joy joy feeling of the story doesn’t last long. Something wicked this way comes after Heven. What is it? Why is it after her and what happens to Heven? Hebert drops a bomb on you like nobody’s business leaving you dying for more. I believe that this is a great introduction to her next book, Masquerade, and will definitely have you running out to get it and find out exactly what happened and where this series is going to go. If “Before” is any indication of what to look forward to, this is gonna be one heck of a ride!

Review by: Jenn P.

The Three Musketeers

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring:  Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, Luke Evans,

Ray Stevenson, Logan Lerman, Orlando Bloom,

Freddie Fox, and Christoph Waltz

Released in theaters October 21, 2011

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure action violence

My Rating:  ★★★★☆

This movie is loosely based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.  The hot-headed D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) heads to Paris in hopes of becoming a Musketeer like his father, only to learn the group has been disbanded.  Through a little humorous fate, he manages to bring them all back together in order to save the kingdoms of France and England from going to war.  Will they succeed?  Only time and probably a sequel will tell.

Where to start…  On one hand, I am a bit disappointed.  I think this movie could have been a little more in the Sherlock Holmes direction.  There was just a spark of something missing here, maybe something darker.  It didn’t hold my attention quite like I felt it should have.  On the other hand, it was good fun.  Most of the characters were delightfully quirky, especially King Louis.  Matthew Macfadyen is a favorite of mine, and he brought something interesting to Athos.  Each of the Musketeers actually shined in their own way, even D’Artagnan with that hair.  Christoph Waltz was a perfect Richelieu; he is just so good at being so bad!

The plot is simple and straightforward, which means predictable, but that’s okay because it is so much fun!  There are some interesting twists and contraptions involved and some pretty entertaining action scenes.  The scenery and cinematography is really beautiful.  There’s a little bit of everything except a lot of drama.  It’s fast paced, so you’re not getting bogged down with deep, emotional scenes.  There’s definitely action and adventure with an enjoyable sprinkling of comedy and romance mixed in.

Is this one to own?  Probably.  It at least made for a relaxing Sunday evening with the family.

Review by Cassie McCown

Silence

Becca Fitzpatrick

SIMON & SCHUSTER

ISBN: 978-4424-4960-2

Format Available: Hardcover & ebook

Nora Grey can’t remember the past five months of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks- with no one knowing where she was or who she was with- she tries to get her life back on track: go to school, hang out with her friend, Vee, and dodge her mom’s creepy new boyfriend.

But there is the voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows. And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.

Then Nora crosses paths with a very sexy stranger, who she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers… and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

If I could describe this book in one word I would and guess what, I’m going to: amazing! I couldn’t believe how much this book drew me in. When I read the summary and learned that Nora lost her memory I was really kind of nervous. I didn’t think I would enjoy it that much, but then he came back into the picture and I was smiling like a schoolgirl. As I read the book I found myself laughing, smiling, wanting to scream, tear my hair, and really really punch someone whose name starts with a H. I ended up finishing the book and hardly being able to wait for the fourth installment in Fall 2012. If you have yet to read this series I can honestly say you should! It’s great and you won’t regret it!

Plot – ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Nora is back but things have gone from bad to worse: she’s lost her memory and can’t remember anything from the past 5 months. She wakes up in Coldwater Cemetery and has no knowledge of how she got there. After a lot of news that it’s not the month she thinks it is and that she has been MIA for only three months. She doesn’t understand any of it and is determined to get down to the bottom of it. The plot was very good I couldn’t keep the book closed for more then a few minutes without picking it back up and beginning to read it again.

Writing – ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ The writing was great! It drew me in and I couldn’t kept my nose out of this book! It was that good. The writing is detail and you feel as if your there as a invisible bystander as the story progresses. The writing hasn’t changed at all and I love that about it.

Characters – Nora and Patch are back and I found myself squealing like a fangirl when Patch showed back up. I couldn’t get enough of the characters and I can’t wait to read the next book in the Hush, Hush series!

Overall I give this book ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ – no more and no less!

Review by Lura

Title: The Haunted World

Author: Mark Powers

Created by: Mark Powers and Chris Lie

Artwork by: Caravan Studio

Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: Sea Lion Books, October 2011

Format: Graphic Novel

Do you believe in the Supernatural?

Do think that there are things that go bump in the night?

If you don’t, maybe you should. If you don’t you might change your mind once you read The Haunted World.

This graphic novel follows the lives of several people, several people that have been touched by the paranormal world…people who have never met but are connected in unnatural ways.

The first man: an injured solider. A man wounded in combat. What happened on that mission? Why did he survive when his comrades did not? He is clear headed and knows what happened but the military won’t listen, they think he suffers from PTSD.

Another man: a paranormal scientist. His fingerprints have been discovered at several violent crime scenes and now he sits in a jail cell. He tries to tell his lawyer he’s innocent. Unfortunately his public defender is overworked and without patience. He doesn’t hear when he is told that this man visits the scenes of crimes searching for paranormal activity. But then his jail mates start dying…the cause? No one knows.

Yet another man: involved in a bombing. The news had dubbed it a terrorist attack. But is it? I don’t think so. You won’t either. There is a ghost or some form of supernatural at work here.

How are all these events linked?

How are these men linked?

We don’t know. But there is a politician, a man who has his eyes on becoming president, who wants to find out. When he starts digging it’s hard to tell what he will find…

The Haunted World, the first chapter, is a great beginning to what promises to be a supernatural ride. I am unsure yet as to how all these people and events are linked, only knowing that they are. I enjoyed the idea that there is a greater power at work here. I am eagerly awaiting who and what the motive is for such chaos.

The illustrations were very well done and of high quality. It is a quality that I am beginning to expect from Sea Lion. They bring only the best to their readers.

The plot line is intriguing and the chapter ends in a way that made me want to keep reading. This is a story that I will continue to read because I want to know what indeed haunts this world.

So there you have it. My opinion.

This review is written by Cambria Hebert