Robert Gray

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shadows

2012-01-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

If you've read the first book in the Nightmare Series, then it should come as no surprise that the new book is titled EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHADOWS. What you probably didn't know is that it'll be available this summer.

Once again I've called on Shaun Lindow to handle the cover art. And once again I'm totally floored ... and this is just the concept sketch. If you're shopping for an artist, I highly recommend Shaun.

KDP Select: Part II

2012-01-18T13:14:00.003-05:00

Last month, I mentioned I was entering EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS into Amazon's KDP Select program. This month, I wrote an article about the experience. You can get yer read on over at Hellnotes.com.

Also, The Horror Writers Association has released the list of nominees for the Vampire Novel of the Century Award:

NOMINEES FOR VAMPIRE NOVEL OF THE CENTURYAWARD
TheHorror Writers Association (HWA), the international association of writers,publishing professionals, and supporters of horror literature, in conjunctionwith the Bram Stoker Family Estate and the Rosenbach Museum & Library,proudly announce the nominees for the Bram Stoker Vampire Novel of the CenturyAward, to be presented at the Bram Stoker Awards™ Banquet at World HorrorConvention in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 31, 2012. The Award will mark thecentenary of the death in 1912 of Abraham (Bram) Stoker, the author of Dracula.
Ajury composed of writers and scholars selected, from a field of more than 35preliminary nominees, the six vampire novels that they believe have had thegreatest impact on the horror genre since publication of Draculain 1897. Eligible worksmust have been first published between 1912 and 2011 and published in ortranslated into English.
Thenominees are:
TheSoft Whisper of the Dead by Charles L. Grant(1983). Grant (1946-2006) was a prolific American writer of what he called "darkfantasy" and "quiet horror," writing under six pseudonyms aswell as his own name. Grant also edited numerous horror and fantasyanthologies. The novel is part of Grant's series of 12 books set in hisfictional small town Oxrun Station, Connecticut. Grant was a former presidentof Horror Writers Association and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in1999.
Salem'sLot by Stephen King.First published in 1975, this was only the second work by the now-legendaryAmerican author of dozens of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horrorstories, comics, and novels. Set in the town of Jerusalem's Lot, it tells of aman's return to his hometown, where he finds a plague of vampirism. The bookhas twice been made into television mini-series and has been recorded by theBBC. King's work has won countless Bram Stoker Awards™ from HWA, and King(1947- ), a lifelong New England resident, was recognized with HWA's LifetimeAchievement Award in 2002.
IAm Legend by Richard Matheson.First published in 1954, the novel is set in the mid-1970's, when a plague hasswept the world, bringing with it zombie-like creatures identified as vampires.Richard Neville, the book's protagonist, may be the last living human. The workhas been filmed three times under various titles, most recently in 2007, underits original title, starring Will Smith. Matheson (1926- ), an American, haswritten screenplays as well as short and long fiction, and many of his workshave been filmed or made into teleplays. He wrote frequently for The Twilight Zone in its heyday. Matheson received HWA'sLifetime Achievement Award in 1990.
AnnoDracula by Kim Newman firstappeared in 1992. The novel imagines an alternate history in which Van Helsingand his cohorts failed in their attempt to rid England of Dracula. In thistimeline, Dracula went on to marry Queen Victoria, ushering in an era ofvampire aristocracy in England and elsewhere. The book is followed by two othernovels and a number of shorter works set in the Anno Dracula universe, all meticulously researchedto include numerous historical details and many characters of Victorian andmore recent popular literature. Newman (1959- ) is an English writer of fantasyand horror, as well as reference books in the field, and frequently appears asa host and critic for the BBC and other media.
Interviewwith the Vampire by Southern Americanauthor Anne Rice first appeared in 1976 and achieved enormous popularity,selling more than 8 million copies. The book introduces the vampires Louis andLestat, who, along with a dozen other unique individual vampires, appear in along series by Rice known as the Vampire Chronicles. The novel was filmed in1994 starring Tom Cruise as Lestat and Brad Pitt as Louis; another work in theseries, Queen of the Damned,was filmed in 2002; the novel was also produced as a Broadway musical in 2006.Rice (1941- ) has written numerous other gothic fantasy novels, selling morethan 100 million copies worldwide, and has won many awards, including HWA'sLifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
HotelTransylvania by Chelsea QuinnYarbro, published in 1978, is the first of a 25-book (so far) series featuringle Comte de Saint Germain, a 2000+-year-old vampire, whose adventures in manyhistorical periods are recounted. This novel overlaps in many details with thehistorical facts of le Comte de Saint-Germain, a mysterious figure. An Americanwriter, Yarbro (1942- ) publishes three or four books a year, under variouspseudonyms, in a variety of genres, including mysteries and romance tales. Shewas awarded HWA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Thewinning book will be announced on March 31, 2012. HWA will also celebrate itstwenty-fifth anniversary on that date.
Formore information, please contact Leslie S.Klinger, chair of the Bram StokerVampire Novel of the Century jury.
TheVampire Novel of the Century Award is sponsored by Jeremy Wagner.

New Interview + Giveaway

2012-01-06T16:22:00.000-05:00

If you have a minute, check out my latest interview over at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. You can also enter for a chance to win a copy of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. Check the site for details. Offer expires February 1, 2012.

2012 ... It's all down hill from here

2012-01-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

Spent a relaxing New Year with the family at Windham Mountain

Just some quick updates ... The winners have been announced in the EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS Goodreads book giveaway contest. Winners, if you happen to see this, you're books will be mailed out on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who entered. For those of you who didn't win, I'll try to do another giveaway soon, so better luck next time.

Also, the free Kindle giveaway has ended. Thanks to everyone who helped get EVE to number 1 in the free children's horror and number 10 in free children's fantasy over at Amazon. Never thought I'd see that happen. If you missed out, you can still borrow the ebook for free as long as you have a Prime membership.

And finally, a big thank you to the Pike County Library for making EVE one of the featured books this month. You guys are awesome.

Happy 2012, everyone!

Nightmare After Christmas

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you who found a shiny new Kindle under your Christmas tree and are hankerin' to fill it up with content, you might like to know the ebook version of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS is available for FREE until December 30th. My little gift to you.

If you miss out, no worries, you can still read it for free with your Prime membership until March 6, 2012.

If you prefer the feel of paper between your fingers, Barnes & Noble is currently offering the print version at the lowest price I've seen so far ($9.35).

Goodreads Book Giveaway

2011-12-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Enter for a chance to win a copy of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. Contest expires January 01, 2012.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks

by Robert Gray

Giveaway ends January 01, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The Five Best Books of 2011

2011-12-12T15:04:00.002-05:00

In honor of my favorite book this year, I give you THE FIVE BEST BOOKS OF 2011.

5. ROBOPOCALYPSE by Daniel H. Wilson

In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archosassumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter’s menacing “smart” toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a ‘pacification unit’ go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late.

When the Robot War ignites -- at a moment known later as Zero Hour -- humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.

4. FLASHBACK by Dan Simmons

The United States is near total collapse. But 87% of the population doesn't care: they're addicted to flashback, a drug that allows its users to re-experience the best moments of their lives. After ex-detective Nick Bottom's wife died in a car accident, he went under the flash to be with her; he's lost his job, his teenage son, and his livelihood as a result.

Nick may be a lost soul but he's still a good cop, so he is hired to investigate the murder of a top governmental advisor's son. This flashback-addict becomes the one man who may be able to change the course of an entire nation turning away from the future to live in the past.

A provocative novel set in a future that seems scarily possible, FLASHBACK proves why Dan Simmons is one of our most exciting and versatile writers.

3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

2. THE SILENT LAND by Graham Joyce

In the French Pyrenees, a young married couple is buried under a flash avalanche while skiing. Miraculously, Jake and Zoe dig their way out from under the snow—only to discover the world they knew has been overtaken by an eerie and absolute silence. Their hotel is devoid of another living soul. Cell phones and land lines are cut off. An evacuation as sudden and thorough as this leaves Jake and Zoe to face a terrifying situation alone. They are trapped by the storm, completely isolated, with another catastrophic avalanche threatening to bury them alive . . . again. And as the couple begin to witness unsettling events neither one can ignore, they are forced to confront a frightening truth about the silent land they now inhabit.

1. THE FIVE by Robert McCammon

The Five tells the story of an eponymous rock band struggling to survive on the margins of the music business. As they move through the American Southwest on what might be their final tour together, the band members come to the attention of a damaged Iraq war veteran, and their lives are changed forever.

The narrative that follows is a riveting account of violence, terror, and pursuit set against a credible, immensely detailed rock and roll backdrop. It is also a moving meditation on loyalty and friendship, on the nature and importance of families those we are born into and those we create for ourselves and on the redemptive power of the creative spirit. Written with wit, elegance, and passionate conviction, The Five lays claim to new imaginative territory, and reaffirms McCammon's position as one of the finest, most unpredictable storytellers of our time.

KDP Select

2011-12-08T14:50:00.001-05:00

If you're not familiar with Amazon's new KDP Select option for authors, you can get yer learn on here: Amazon's KDP Select. While the terms are not entirely favorable--for instance, I don't like the exclusivity clause--I've decided to give it a try with EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS.

What does this mean for Kindle owners?

If you're a Prime Member, enjoy yourself a free copy of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. Merry Christmas. If you're not a Prime Member, you can purchase a copy for $2.99.

What does this mean for non-Kindle owners?

At least for the time being--until March 6, 2012 to be exact--I am not able to distribute the ebook to any other reading device. This includes nook, iPhone/Pad/Pod, Sony readers, Kobo, and whatever else is out there. After March 6, Amazon's contract expires, which means you'll slowly see EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS reappear in various other e-formats. I'll keep you posted on this blog and over at Eve's website.

In the meantime, there's always the dead tree version--Print Edition ($12.99)--which looks much better under a Christmas Tree anyway.

Books N Stuff 2

2011-12-03T13:46:00.001-05:00

EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS is now available at Books N Stuff 2, located at the Old Lumberyard Shops in Milford, PA. You don't have to buy my book, of course, but stop on by and support your local bookstore. They have a great selection of new and used books, as well as games, a computer area with complimentary wi-fi, and some really comfy couches.

Exclusive Interview with Robert Gray

2011-11-28T12:30:00.000-05:00

I recently chatted with Susan Heim, parenting author and "Chicken Soup for the Soul" editor. You can check out the interview here:

Susan Heim on Parenting: Exclusive Interview with Robert Gray, Author of Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks

Black Friday Deals

2011-11-23T15:02:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I got one, too. Use the coupon code below and receive 25% off the paperback version of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. This coupon expires December 1, 2011.

J6U2UDZ8

My Revision Process

2011-11-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

There's a stigma attached to self-published books that they are poorly edited or not edited at all. Because a manuscript didn't go through the "proper" vetting process, there is a fair amount of truth to this. I've seen a lot of crap out there. (Truth be told, I've seen a lot of traditionally published messes, too.) With EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS, I never expected to achieve perfection (an impossible pursuit anyway), but I at least took that stigma to heart.

BOS went through 9 revisions total. The first draft, for me, has always been about exploration. I don't do outlines (on the other hand, I cringe at the term "panster"). I despise the very idea of an outline and believe they crush creativity more than inspire it. That being said, the first draft of BOS was a complete mess. The story branched off in all sorts of directions, with characters--ones I decided I didn't like all that much--disappearing at random. Not a big deal. All I wanted to accomplish with the first draft was to simply lay down the groundwork for the story.

Before I even began the second draft, I loaded the first draft onto my ereader and grabbed a pen and a notebook. Why an ereader, you might ask? Because my inclination is to tinker with the story as I'm reading though it, changing structure and grammar mistakes. But it was far too early in the process to worry about dangling participles, mostly because I knew I'd be cutting a lot out anyway. The second draft was about finding what I liked and what I didn't, and taking notes allowed me to focus exclusively on story flow. With my notes firmly in hand, I went back and revised.

The third draft was the biggest beast of them all. This one was almost an entire rewrite, taking at least twice as long as the first draft. Here, I focused on character, story arc, the overall thematic elements, and everything in between.

In the fourth and fifth drafts, I honed in on grammar and style, slaying any modifier that looked at me funny. Also, I cleaned up any glaring plot holes I might've missed in draft 3--I can never seem to find them all, and I doubt I ever will. With anything I write, I keep a list next to my computer of all the writerly sins I've committed in the past. Yes, that list is long. Yes, that list is somewhat embarrassing. This includes such gems as overusing look and turn; using weak verbs instead of ones full of vigor; and, perhaps my biggest sin, the dreaded "floating heads," where characters talk, but there's no sense of place, time, or emotion sprinkled around the dialogue. I probably could've spent the rest of my life in this phase of the revision process. Like I said, I'm a tinkerer. But what I needed at this point was some feedback (which is another way of saying, This story is burning me out, and I need a break from it). I hear a lot of writers say you shouldn't have family review your work, because they will be biased, but I don't subscribe to that logic. Main reason being, it's hard enough to find a reader as it is. Sure, family might put a nicer spin on things: "Oh, I loved it. But I love anything you write." But it is up to the author to read between the lines, regardless of the critic. It's all a matter of asking the right questions.

In draft six, I added and subtracted based on the comments I received. Pretty simple one.

From here, I sent my work off to my editor. For BOOK OF SHRIEKS, I hired the wonderful Kathy Ptacek (editor and publisher of the writers-market magazine, The Gila Queen's Guide to Markets) to proofread the story, and she made all the difference, let me tell you. We did two passes on the manuscript. The first one put the story under a microscope. Here, I learned just how bad a writer I really was. The second pass was more of check to make sure we didn't miss anything during the first round of edits.

The final revision was with a sample copy of the book in hand. More of a check on formatting issues and the like, but even still, I found a few head-slap problems I hadn't noticed in drafts 1-8 ... are you kidding me?

From there, I considered it a finished product. So what's the moral of the story? Really didn't have one, but I can quote entire passages of the book, and I even had a strange nightmare the other night in which whole chapters were misspelled, but, hey, it's all part of the process, right?

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks is now available

2011-11-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

It's been a long road bringing Eve to life (about two years to be exact), but today I can finally announce that EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS is available for sale. And to celebrate, I'm, er, sponsoring a contest over at Eve's website. The rules are simple: draw a picture of something "spooky" and email it to evehallows1031[at]gmail[dot]com. Enter your picture before December 1, and you get a free autographed book. The only requirement is to be a child ... or a child at heart.

At Eve's site, there is also a new bookstore open called Books & Brimstone where you can order the book in print or e-book formats. Below, is a list of sites where the book is currently available.

Print:
eStore

E-Book:

New Eve Hallows Website

2011-11-03T10:33:00.001-04:00

The new Eve Hallows website is now live for your viewing pleasure. Drop on over and say hi to Eve. As we get closer to the release of EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS, there will be some fun prizes and giveaways on her site, so check back frequently.

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

2011-10-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks

I've mentioned a bit about the creation process for the cover of Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks (If you want to read that earlier post, you can check it out here), but I thought on this freakishly snowy Hallow's Eve, I'd talk a little about the picture itself.

First off, let me introduce the characters. On the left, we have Maddie Hallows (Eve's Mom); hiding behind the tombstone is Sam Hallows (Eve's little ghoul of a brother); sitting front and center is Eve Hallows, and to the right is Bill Hallows (Eve's Dad).

In the picture, everyone is getting ready for a family photo, and, perhaps, the first question you may have is Why would they be taking a family photo at a graveyard? And the obvious answer is that they live in a monster world known as Gravesville, and to Gravesvillians the graveyard is as much a part of their world as the beach is to, say, Californians. You mean to tell me you can't see that from the picture?

Yeah, so, anyway, we have Mom, who is a gorgon, checking her face in a mirror and--What do you mean a gorgon can't look into a mirror without turning to stone? Well, guess what? This gorgon can. You'll just have to read the book to find out why that's possible, won't you?

And then there's Sam, who appears rather frightened. Perhaps he's annoyed Eve one too many times. And, of course, we have the star of the novel, Miss Eve Hallows, who looks simply miserable (she would say adorable, but I'm not gonna go there now). Makes you wonder why, huh? No? Really? Then you must want to know why Dad is checking his watch? And didn't I mention they are getting ready for a family photo? Shouldn't they be all happy and family-like? Guess that depends on your definition of "family."

Also, you must be asking yourself why do Mom and Sam appear to be monsters while Eve and Dad look all human. Hmm, very interesting.

Finally, you have to be wondering how the title and relates to the picture. EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. Sure, the "Eve Hallows" part is pretty obvious. There she is sitting on a tombstone. But what about the whole "Book of Shrieks" part. She isn't holding a book, and no one appears to be shrieking, and how can a book be about shrieks anyway. All very good questions.

So, in short, the cover makes very little sense at all, but for a nominal fee ($12.99 for the paperback or $2.99 for the ebook) all of your questions can be answered. Well, maybe not all of your questions. The book doesn't offer up the meaning of life or how to bake a cheesecake without it cracking, but it answers any questions you may have about the cover. After all, isn't that the point of a cover? To make you ask some questions? Well, covers also gives an author like me a big head because my name looks all nice and shiny, but that's a post for another day.

So what have you learned from today's post? Absolutely nothing. Did you really expect me to make a point? Absurd!

Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween. I'll send you off with this:

Eve Hallows Updates

2011-10-26T15:06:00.000-04:00

Finishing up some last-minute edits on Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks, which is currently on schedule to be released on or about November 8. The paperback edition will be available for $12.99 and the ebook-flavored edition for $2.99. More to come on that once we get close to the release date...

If you'd prefer a free copy (because everyone likes free, right?) then email me at EveHallows1031[at]gmail[dot]com. I'll have a limited supply of print books to give away and a whole lot of ebooks. All I ask is that you review the book on your blog, Amazon, B&N, or wherever you comment about the books you've read. You don't even have to say nice things about the book, I won't hold it against you. Promise.

EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS

For fourteen-year-old Eve Hallows, life can be summed up in one word—horrible. She has the most horrible friends. She lives in a horrible old castle. Even her family is a bunch of horrible monsters.

However, in the monster-inhabited world of Gravesville—a world where messages are sent through Ouija boards, jack-o’-lanterns get facials to suit their moods, and the worst thing Eve has to deal with are those annoying zombie tourists who overrun her favorite graveyard during the Halloween season—horrible means wonderful. And everything for Eve is perfectly horrible.

But her life is about to go head over heels when a mysterious group known as The Source starts terrorizing Gravesville. Now she must move to the human world—where everything is opposite ... and for Eve, that's absolutely adorable!

Think Different

2011-10-10T11:13:00.002-04:00

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. - Apple Inc.

Think Different.

Kindle Fire and the Nook of Doom

2011-09-29T14:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Jeff Bezos and company announced--to much fanfare--their latest line of Kindle products, which included the highly-anticipated Kindle Fire tablet. But the real stars of the show were the prices. Here's a breakdown:

Kindle Fire $199.99

Kindle (With Special Offers) $79

Kindle Touch (With Special Offers) $99

Kindle Touch 3G $149

According to Bezos, he's rather comfortable with slim profit margins and is banking on the sales of apps, music, movies, and books to offset those loses. A smart move, for sure. Amazon must've been taking detailed notes as they watched other tablet makers fail miserably. (I also, for some reason, can picture Bezos barking out laughter and rubbing his fingers together manically.)

Will these "non-premium prices" make that much of a difference? Probably. At $199, the Fire is a borderline impulse buy, and it will certainly spur a lot of interest from non-techies and families looking to buy their children tablets without having to drop Apple Bucks for an iPad. But I don't think the Fire will compete much against the iPad, though. The iPad is still a superior device, and people have come to rely on and fully embrace Apple's technology. Amazon has a rather spotty track record with hardware--1st gen Kindle, anyone? I do, however, believe the Fire will put a big dent in iPod sales, which has traditionally been Apple's gateway drug. If you're gonna drop $229 for an iPod, why not spend a little less for a Fire?

Of course, Amazon's main beef is not with Apple but with Barnes & Noble. Why go for the fast gazelle when you've got a perfectly good wounded elk close by? Fortunately for B&N--and I say this with loads of sarcasm--Amazon has been kicking B&N's ass for many years now. It's nothing new for B&N to play the wounded-animal role to the Amazonian Huntress.

Still, I think there's a lot of overreacting going on here, especially for devices that haven't even shipped yet. Everything looks great in a presentation, but how will the devices perform in the real world? Not to mention, once the nostalgia of The New dies down--and with technology that number's measured in nanoseconds--the Fire is just another tablet in an already crowded space. For that matter, the Kindle Touch is just another keeping-up-with-the-Joneses device, too, since it's essentially no different than what B&N, Sony and Kobo already offer. Sure, it's less expensive, but that brings me to my final point: vendor lock-in.

If you're not familiar with the term, here's a bit on it from Wikipedia. Bottom line, if you've already purchased all these apps, movies, books, etc. that are tied to a specific device, it might not matter how low Amazon prices their Kindles. In part, vendor lock-in is why the Apple iPad dominates the tablet market. Not because it's the best device out there or the least expensive, but because people have already invested heavily in apps, movies, and music for their iPhones and iPod Touches. You buy a dozen or so movies, a handful of iBooks, and some of them fancy shoot-'em-up games for your iPhone, you pretty much just justified the price difference between a Fire and an iPad.

There does seem to be growing movement for demand in vendor neutral services like Netflix and Pandora and so forth, and I imagine that trend isn't going to change, but for now, most people are tethered to their existing devices, and introducing more devices with their own propriety content just doesn't seem to be a game changer.

Either way, it's gonna be interesting to watch all this play out.

Horrorfind Weekend 13 Update

2011-08-19T16:18:00.009-04:00

Horrorfind Weekend 13 is fast approaching, now only a few weeks away (Sept 2-4). And once again, I'll be making an appearance ... I know, I know, you've waited all year to see me. Well, I can't wait to see all of you, too.

Last year, the convention drew a crowd of around 5000. This year, I'm expecting a much larger crowd, especially since both hotels sold out so fast.

As I've mentioned before, I'll be doing two readings at the convention: Saturday, September 3 (10:00am – 10:30am) and again on Sunday, September 4 (11:00am – 11:30am). Both readings will be held outside, underneath the carport at the rear of the Wyndham Gettysburg Hotel.

I'll be reading from my forthcoming children's novel EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS. Here's a brief descriptions of the book:

For fourteen-year-old Eve Hallows, life can be summed up in one word—horrible. She has the most horrible friends. She lives in a horrible old castle. Even her family is a bunch of horrible monsters.

However, in the monster-inhabited world of Gravesville—a world where messages are sent through Ouija boards, jack-o’-lanterns get facials to suit their moods, and the worst thing Eve has to deal with are those annoying zombie tourists who overrun her favorite graveyard during the Halloween season—horrible means wonderful. And everything for Eve is perfectly horrible.

But her life is about to go head over heels when a mysterious group known as The Source starts terrorizing Gravesville. Now she must move to the human world—where everything is opposite ... and for Eve, that's absolutely adorable!

Besides the readings, I'll also be giving away a limited number of special prizes--though you'll have to wait until the convention to find out what they are. I will say the story focuses heavily on Halloween, and since this is Horrorfind Weekend, expect the prizes to be, well, spooky.

Hope to see you there!

Thoughts on Books

2011-08-16T17:28:00.009-04:00

Last time I visited Washington, D.C., I went to the National Archives to see all those famous historical documents--Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and so on-- and I remember thinking how marvelous those documents are, not only because of their meaning, but because of their beauty. There's something about that old parchment and the hand-crafted, painstaking alignment of the text that exudes a majestic quality.

Farther along, I found the more modern-day documents, those that were typed on boring stationary and faxed over secure data lines. And though many of these documents were equally important, the packaging made the words insignificant and flat-out dull.

When I think of the future of the book form, I'm reminded of my trip to the National Archives.

Is there really anything wrong with eBooks? No, not inherently. Hell, I own an ereader, and I even use it on occasion. But ereaders are dull, lifeless creatures, the equivalent to secure data transmissions, and they make what I'm reading seem insignificant, perhaps because the words tend to take a backseat to the technology itself (especially in the case of devices like the iPad--not ereaders per say, but they usually gets lumped into the same category).

As writers, we need every outlet possible to get our work to our readers, and new technologies allow us to distribute to the masses at a very compelling price: Free.

But it saddens me just the same. Hopefully the day never comes when I'm visiting the National Archives to see that rare artifact called the book.

Borders

2011-08-09T14:15:00.015-04:00

The demise of Borders has been thoroughly picked apart by pretty much every person with an interest in the written word. Whatever circumstances led to their downfall--be it poor management, ebooks, Amazon--the result is the same ... It's over, Johnny.

What I find particularly sad is that ever since Border started its liquidation sale, my local store has never been busier. Even at a mere 10% discount, the place was packed and the lines snaked around the aisles. I've never seen anything like it. Like Black Friday meets Groundhog Day.

And for 10%? You get the same (or better) discount with a membership, people. Makes me wonder if Borders should've had a store-closing sale a few years ago. I'd made a comment about this to one of the employees last time I visited, and he told me that the place has been like something out of a zombie apocalypse novel ever since the sales began. I hope the employees are at least getting compensated for all their extra work.

Today, the Borders near me started selling off their furniture. I called up the store to inquire about some bookshelves and chairs, and the store manager who answered eagerly passed me off to the liquidator, which made me laugh. I could tell by the liquidator's tone that the manager has been passing anything and everything off to him. I'm sure I'd do the same.

Borders was one of my family's favorite places to visit. We each had our aisles of interest (mine being the horror section--a rarity in bookstores these days) and after we'd pick up a few books, we'd gather in the cafe and read our purchases and sip our drinks. It was a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I'll miss it deeply.

I did manage to procure a few pieces of furniture, so at least I'll have some memories of my favorite bookstore. I guess I'm sentimental that way.

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks - Cover Design by Shaun Lindow

2011-08-01T14:19:00.015-04:00

It goes without saying that if you've decided to go the self-pubbed route, you're job description goes far beyond writer. Some of that extra work is tiresome, and just about all of it distracts you from the main task of actually writing. That being said, it's not without some benefits--namely the ability to have complete control over your cover design.

Thanks to the ridiculous talent of artist Shaun Lindow, I couldn't be happier with the results of the cover for my forthcoming children's novel EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHRIEKS, so I thought I'd talk a little about the process of bringing the cover from concept to finished product.

Shaun and I tossed around some ideas early in the process. Basically, it was him explaining what works and me saying what I would like to see and the two of us meeting on common ground. Shortly after those brief discussions, Shaun sent me four concept sketches.

Already it was a hard decision. I liked them all! I felt the top right image truly captured Eve's moody attitude, but I also wanted the whole family on the cover. I told Shaun my concerns and he came back with something even better: How about a candid shot of the family getting ready for a photo? I loved the idea, and he sketched it out.

This was the one I decided to go with (above), so Shaun put together a more detailed sketch to make sure the colors and layout were exactly how I wanted them (below).

From there, I was like a nervous soon-to-be father pacing around my writing room. I've seen Shaun's work, so I trusted him completely, but there's always that worry: He didn't read the entire book. He doesn't understand the characters like I do ... and so on.

But then he came back with this, and all those little worries slipped away:

And here's the final design with spine and back cover.

I can't praise Shaun Lindow enough for his artistic talent and his ability to take my scatterbrained ideas and turn them into a beautiful cover. If you're shopping around for an artist, then you should add him to your short list of professionals who charge reasonable fees for quality work.

Proceed With Caution

2011-07-07T17:13:00.000-04:00

Instead of offering a list of rules you must not break, or a list of rules you must follow, in this month's Hellnotes article, I decided to give a list of rules that are sometimes okay if used sort of properly. Yup, just call me Switzerland.

You can check it out here: Proceed With Caution.

Pottermore Revealed

2011-06-23T10:17:00.019-04:00

J.K. Rowling today unveiled Pottermore.com, an interactive site pertaining to all things about The Boy Who Lived. The site will open to a million fans on Harry Potter's birthday, July 31, and then go live for the rest of us muggles in October.

The bigger news, in my opinion, is that Rowling plans to finally release the series in ebook format (also due out in October); however, the ebooks will only be available through Pottermore.com.

What does this mean exactly? For one, Rowling has just kicked both her publishers and every distributor to the curb, which is all too reminiscent of when Stephen King ventured off on his own and released THE PLANT via his website back in 2000. However, King did not have the benefit of e-readers, tablets, and smart phones. But let's put all that aside and focus on the effects this will have on the industry.

So far, sales of children's ebooks have been lackluster at best. Besides Rick Roirdan and a few others, we haven't seen much action in this area. And I suspect most of the people buying these titles are adults.

The most common speculation as to why children are not embracing ebooks is because the devices are still too expensive, but I don't buy into that theory. Most children have an iPod, Nintendo DS, Xbox, PlayStation, etc. Some kids have all of these devices plus an iPad. And every one of these devices costs more than a Kindle or nook. I believe the more reasonable answer is that kids just don't read enough to justify a dedicated ereader. Maybe the Potter-effect will change that, maybe not. Either way, it's certainly going to bring a lot of attention to the children's ebook market, and that's a good thing.

Overall, I'd say Rowling has just destroyed at least three of the publishing world's Horcruxes. She also might've just changed the whole landscape for self-published writers and the children's ebook market.

And she did it with this little announcement...

On Reading Horror

2011-06-01T15:38:00.001-04:00

This month's Hellnotes article is all about exploring the deep and rich history that the horror genre has to offer. It's about learning your craft the old fashion way: by watching a professional at work.

You can check it out here: On Reading Horror

Horrorfind 13 Author Schedule

2011-05-24T12:59:00.009-04:00

This year's Horrorfind Weekend (lucky number 13) will be held once again in Gettysburg, PA on September 2-4. And once again I'll be attending as both a fan and an author. The difference, however, is that this year I'll be doing a special reading just for kids. (Don't worry, folks. I won't be reading the story from last year.) The schedule is tentative, but as of now I'm reading on Saturday (10:00am-10:30am) and again on Sunday (11:00am-11:30am). So if you're in the area and you're bringing your kids, then stop on over and say hello. I might even have something special to give away.

Here's the complete schedule. If you don't catch my reading, chances are you'll find me all googly-eyed at many of these:

Friday

5:30pm – 6:30pm: Zombies – Authors Christopher Golden (moderator), Tim Lebbon, Jason Gehlert, Jeremy Wagner, and Scott Baker discuss why the dead just won’t stay dead, and why the literary zombie craze is far from over. (Reading Room)

6:30pm – 7:30pm: Ronald Malfi and Rio Youers (Reading Room)

7:30pm – 8:30pm: The Life of Forrest J. Ackerman – Author Deborah Painter discusses the horror genre’s favorite Uncle. (Reading Room)

8:30pm – 9:00pm: James Newman and Norman Prentiss (Reading Room)

9:00pm – 10:00pm: Women in Horror – Authors Monica J. O’Rourke (moderator), Kelli Owen, Mary SanGiovanni, J.F. Gonzalez, James A. Moore, Sheri White, and Lesley Conner discuss the history and contributions of women in literary horror, and their future roles. (Reading Room)

Saturday

10:00am – 10:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)

10:00am – 11:00am: Thomas F. Monteleone and Chet Williamson (Reading Room)

11:00am – Noon: What We’ve Learned So Far – New authors Kevin Lucia (moderator), Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, Stavros, Jacob Haddon, and Bryon Morrigan discuss the perils, pitfalls, and lessons learned from publishing in the new millennium. (Outside – Rear Carport)

11:00am – Noon: James A. Moore and Mary SanGiovanni (Reading Room)

Noon – 1:00pm: Jason Gehlert and Jeremy Wagner (Reading Room)

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Politics and Religion in Horror – Politics and religion are two things many prefer not to discuss, yet horror fiction examines them regularly. Authors Kim Paffenroth (moderator), Andersen Prunty, Ronald Malfi, Kelli Owen, Rio Youers, Norman Prentiss, and James Newman discuss why. (Outside – Rear Carport)

1:00pm – 2:00pm: Tim Lebbon and Christopher Golden (Reading Room)

2:00pm – 3:00pm: Monica J. O’Rourke and Nick Cato (Reading Room)

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Brian Keene and Kelli Owen (Reading Room)

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Dustin Warburton (Reading Room)

5:00pm – 7:00pm: Bizarro World – Authors Andersen Prunty, Jeff Burk, Gregory Hall, Eric Mays, William Pauley III, Jordan Krall, Kevin Donihe and Nick Cato discuss the origins and future of the Bizarro genre, and offer some select readings and performances. (Reading Room)

5:30pm – 7:00pm: Author Q&A – Authors Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, Brian Keene, J. F. Gonzalez, Kelli Owen, Mary SanGiovanni, Chet Williamson, and Thomas F. Monteleone answer your questions about anything in this no-holds-barred Q&A. (Outside – Rear Carport)

Sunday

11:00am – 11:30am Spooky Stories for Kids with Robert Gray (Outside – Rear Carport)

11:00am – Noon: Charles Colyott and Brent Abell (Reading Room)

Noon – 1:00pm: Sheldon S. Higdon, Lincoln Crisler, and Bryon Morrigan (Reading Room)

1:00pm – 2:00pm: Robert Ford and Kevin Lucia (Reading Room)

2:00pm – 3:00pm: Jeff Burk and Scott Baker (Reading Room)

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Jacob Haddon and Lesley Conner (Reading Room)

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Wesley Southard and Jay Franklin (Reading Room)

25th Anniversary of Stephen King's IT

2011-05-23T13:17:00.012-04:00

Following the announcement that Cemetery Dance is releasing three special editions of Stephen King's masterpiece IT this fall, their server went down. The announcement was that big.

As you can imagine, I'm a huge fan of IT. In fact, it is my favorite horror novel of all time. So, yeah, you better believe I refreshed my screen about a thousand times until my order went through. Good news is the server is back up at CD, for those who have been waiting patiently.

The 25th Anniversary Special Editions are full of extras, including an amazing wrap-around cover (above) by Glen Orbik, a brand new afterword by the author and nearly 30 pieces of artwork by Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells.

For more information, go to Cemetery Dance's Website. And hurry. I imagine this one's going to sell out faster than Pennywise can tear off poor little George Denbrough's arm.

No $500,000 Contract Here

2011-04-21T16:18:00.005-04:00

So I decided to take the plunge into self-publishing. It wasn't a hard decision--no $500,000 contract to pass on--just a very long decision. It took me about four years of rejections to realize that the publishing industry is not patiently awaiting my arrival. Not that rejection is a bad thing, or even a reason to stop trying. In most cases I agree that my stories needed too much work and all those rejections helped me learn how to better myself as a writer. But the times they are a changin'. The reality is even if I managed to get a book published through a traditional outfit, I don't think it would help my career. The publishing system is built around big name authors and celebrities. There isn't much room for anyone else. Especially new writers.
Let's take ebooks as an example. How can I possibly expect someone to pay $9.99 or more for my ebook when new authors and veteran mid-listers are charging $2.99 or less? Ever worse, I'd be priced at the same level as the heavyweights in the industry. Now my little ebook has to compete with them as well. You gonna go with the Great Unknown when you can spend the same money for the latest Stephen King? Nope. I lose on both fronts if I go with a traditional publisher. The way I see it the only avenue available for me is self-publishing. And don't get me wrong, self-publishing ain't no light at the end of the tunnel either. 'Cause the flood gates have opened, and getting a name through the noise is about as easy as navigating through ten miles of thorn bushes. Still, it's the lesser of two evils.

The New Writer's Rejection: Zero Purchases

2011-03-28T12:09:00.006-04:00

Thinking of self-publishing? You might wanna check out this month's Hellnotes article before you dive in.

You can check it out here:

GRAY MATTER – THE NEW WRITER’S REJECTION: ZERO PURCHASES

Happy St Paddy's Day

2011-03-17T11:31:00.001-04:00

Before You Begin

2011-03-02T10:19:00.012-05:00

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL WRITER:

Buy the most expensive computer imaginable, with a monitor as wide as a bay window.
Fill your writing room with a really big desk ('cuz you need to fit that monitor somewhere). The bigger the desk, the more important and author-ish you will feel.
Get yourself a nice pen. I suggest one of the Writers Edition pens from Montblanc. My personal favorite is the Edgar Allan Poe. You won't need it for writing, but it looks good on a big desk next to a big monitor.
Refuse advice from friends, agents, editors, other writers or anyone else who has an opinion on how you should write. You and I both know what opinions are like anyway.
Expect immediate success. In fact, demand it in your query letter --of which there will be only one.
After you complete your first draft, your manuscript is done. Refuse to make changes. You are an artist. It's time you start acting like one.
Most important of all, read my latest article on Hellnotes. It's called BEFORE YOU BEGIN.

If you still have questions on how to approach this whole writing thing, the video below will explain everything.

And so the snowman apocalypse begins...

2011-02-01T11:38:00.017-05:00

As much as I'm sick of the snow ... and sleet ... and ice--I'm really hating the ice!--the weather does allow me to finish some projects I've been neglecting.

Which means my latest article is now up at Hellnotes. You can check it out here: Write What You Know. Ever wonder how to apply that advice to horror fiction? Well wonder no more.

Write Everyday ... The Right Way

2010-12-22T15:34:00.007-05:00

Sitting down to the page is often personal. A solitary thing. Just you versus your ability to transcribe your thoughts. It's sometimes elating, sometimes depressing, and sometimes, well, you start to forget why you wanted to do it in the first place.

Around the time I started questioning my own faith, so to speak, I saw that horror master Jack Ketchum was teaching a workshop. I figured what the heck, I'd give it a shot.

Turns out, it was exactly the kick in the butt I needed to get back on track.

This month's Hellnotes article talks a little about the redemptive powers of workshops. More than that, it talks about how writing everyday alone does not help you improve your craft.

You can check it out here: Write Everyday ... The Right Way

The road to hell is paved with form rejections

2010-10-27T09:55:00.006-04:00

This month's Hellnotes article is all about rejection. Sadly, I've become something of an expert in this area, and I'd like to share with you some of my own experiences on what has worked for me over the years.

So grab a cup of coffee, make sure the boss isn't lurking around the corner and enjoy THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH FORM REJECTIONS.

All Hallow's Read

2010-10-26T09:49:00.023-04:00

Neil Gaiman has been promoting the idea of giving a scary book to friends and loved ones this Halloween. He's calling it All Hallow's Read.

I found this rather amusing because my family and I have been doing this for several years (though ours has remained nameless until now.) The idea came about because my wife and I wanted our children to read more, and we decided Halloween would be a fun day to celebrate books. In our version any book is acceptable, not just scary stories, though because I have a love for the unquiet coffin, I usually ask for something with an extra helping of blood in it.

If you're looking for some ideas, I'll let you know how we've been doing it:

After we finish decorating for Halloween, we each write our name and a list of five books we want on a piece of paper. Then we fold up our lists and drop them into a cauldron (and here I'd suggest you be as creative as possible. Think HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.)

Each of us picks a name from the cauldron (without knowing who has who) and buys three of the five books.

We wrap the books up in some fun Halloween paper and place them under a Halloween tree (a poor little dead thing.) Keep in mind: The books also make great decorations while you're waiting to open them!

On All Hallow's Eve we light some pumpkin scented candles, turn off the lights and turn on some creepy music. Then we commence to opening our books (usually with a Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Spice coffee in hand.)

What started as a let's-try-it-out sort of thing has turned into a mandatory tradition in my house, and I guarantee your family will love it too.

Give the gift of Garbage this Halloween

2010-10-22T09:54:00.013-04:00

For a limited time--or to be more precise, until Halloween--you can get a free copy of GARBAGE, INC. Just click here and use the promo code LU44B to download to your favorite e-thingy.

And while I'm in full salesman mode--excuse me whilst I's adjust my tie--I noticed on B&N's ereader blog they are running an awesome Halloween deal. For just $2.99 each, you can get Brian Keene's DARK HALLOW, Richard Laymon's AFTER MIDNIGHT and John Everson's SIREN.

So there you go, horror fans--three novels and a short story for 10 bucks. That should keep you busy until All Hallow's Eve.

Paying It Forward

2010-09-27T09:40:00.005-04:00

While most of my Hellnotes articles provide the individual writer with some fundamental rules for crafting a story, this month's article goes in a different direction by focusing on the horror genre as a community.

With all that doom and gloom thrashing around the publishing world, it's important to remember that the burden is not yours alone. So this month I thought I'd bring attention to how we can help each other in a little article I threw together called Paying it Forward.

Horrorfind Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-09-07T12:04:00.022-04:00

Let me start by saying if you're a fan of horror, then you need to attend Horrorfind Weekend. I have never had more fun at a convention of any kind. The celebrities were fantastic--which of course can be said of a lot of conventions--but this one was so laid-back it was surreal.

I knew it was going to be that way once I got on the elevator and standing next to me was George Romero.

Or perhaps it was when I went into the lounge and saw Jack Ketchum.

Oh, now I remember. It was when I went to get a bite to eat, and sitting next to me was Brian Keene.

And every single one of them was so nice and approachable.

There were far too many highlights to single out one, but I did enjoy the authors' panel: I Will Not Apologize For Art. The veterans offered great insight into the craft of writing and the business--the hell with horror stories, just have one of these guys talk to you about the publishing industry and you won't be able to sleep for a week.

Once I fed my inner geek, and I remembered I was actually there to do a reading, I was amazed at how organized and accommodating everything was for the authors. Brian Keene and the staff at Horrorfind went above and beyond to make sure we were treated just as well as the other celebrities.

Thank you guys for all your hard work.

Then came my reading. Let me tell you, I'm usually a puddle of panic when it comes to public speaking of any kind. My thinking was, Well, I'm at a horror convention, so if I puke during my reading, maybe everyone will think it's part of the act. But the audience was wonderful and very supportive, and to be honest, I don't think I completely sucked. If I get the opportunity, I'll try to upload the audio file for anyone who wants it.

I want to give a special thanks to those of you who came to my reading. There were a lot of better things to do at Horrorfind, and for you to take time to listen to little-old me ... Thank You!

I would like to submit one complaint, however. It was near impossible to get a drink with Freddy and Jason slicing up all the bartenders....

Horrorfind Weekend Update; New Short Story Now Available

2010-08-30T10:20:00.005-04:00

Horrorfind Weekend is almost upon us. So if you live near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, or you got a hankerin' for a road trip, come check it out. It'll be going on Sept 3-5. My reading is scheduled for somewhere between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on the 5th.

This year I'll be reading Garbage, Inc., a heart-warming tale about a man, his dead prostitute and a mysterious garbage man. If you'd like to check out the story now, it's available for just one dollar at these fine locations--

Amazon

Scribd

Smashwords

Looking forward to seeing you all there....

Horrorfind Weekend Update

2010-08-12T13:55:00.005-04:00

I've been busy lately preparing for my reading at Horrorfind Weekend (now only 22 days away), trying to get my story all neat and tidy, which includes, among other things:

Compacting the story I'll be reading, so it doesn't go over my allotted 15 minutes
Practicing voices in the mirror (which I should record and post; it is a rather comical sight)
Rewriting entire chunks that worked okay on paper, but really suck when read aloud

So what story will I be reading? Here's a hint. One of the links to your right no longer works.

For those who need a break from it all

2010-07-27T09:33:00.005-04:00

April 2010: A time when the weather was cool and comfortable, when the barrage of snow finally seemed to be drawing to a close, when the BP oil disaster was still in its infancy... And when I originally published Replenishing Your Creative Well.

I'd like to bring us back to those simpler, less oily times once again ... Enter cheesy time-warp effects here.

Replenishing Your Creative Well

Another one of those pesky articles

2010-07-26T13:11:00.010-04:00

Another month goes by, another Hellnotes article goes up. Need a refresher on those five narrative parts that make up a story? You can get your learn on here:

The Five Narrative Modes of Fiction

And don't forget: Horrorfind Weekend is creeping up, now only 39 days away. Do you have your tickets yet? I've heard the first hotel is sold out, but there are still rooms available at the sister hotel next door ... at least for now.

Happy J4

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance: The Return

2010-06-28T17:07:00.008-04:00

This month I thought I'd bring another how-to article back from the dead. Well, it's not actually dead, and it never really lived ... And what the hell am I talking about?

Anyways, here for your eyeballing pleasure is Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance, a touching romantic comedy that is sure to lighten the heart.

And as always, I'd like to thank the folks at Hellnotes for letting me push my drivel on them first. The original article is still available there, along with more great horror news and reviews.

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance

Time to get edumacated

2010-06-21T14:57:00.004-04:00

My latest article, which is all about pacing yourself, is now available on Hellnotes.

You can check it out here:

On Pacing

Just living the dream ...

2010-06-11T15:59:00.005-04:00

What three days of writing in a hotel room in Minneapolis looks like ...

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Horrorfind Weekend ... It's Official

2010-06-10T14:23:00.012-04:00

You probably thought this year's Horrorfind Weekend couldn't get any bigger. With horror icons like George Romero, Bruce Campbell and Doug Bradley lurking about; and authors like Clive Barker, Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale and Brian Keene* feeding sweet madness into the recesses of the mind, what more could you possibly ask for ...?

Well, ME!

Yup, this year I get put on the chopping block. I'll be performing a reading on Sunday, September 5, from 1pm to 2pm, so if you're in the area, stop on by and check it out.

Here's the full schedule:

FRIDAY:

5:30pm – 6:30pm: Greg Lamberson and Jason Gehlert
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Mark Justice and Brian J. Hatcher
7:30pm – 8:30pm: Norman Prentiss and Kelli Owen
8:30pm – 10:00pm: Panel: “Vampires Don’t Sparkle” – Joe Garden, Janet Ginsburg, J. F. Gonzalez, Monica J. O’Rourke.

SATURDAY:

10:30am – 11:30am William Carl, Amy Grech and Lesley Conner
11:30am – 12:30pm Thomas F. Monteleone and Matthew Warner
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Brian Keene and Bryan Smith
1:30pm – 2:30pm Joe R. Lansdale and Chet Williamson
2:30pm – 3:30pm Jack Ketchum and Monica J. O’Rourke
3:30pm – 4:30pm Ronald Malfi, Gord Rollo and Kim Paffenroth
4:30pm – 5:30pm The Bizarro Power Hour: Andersen Prunty, Jordan Krall, Eric Mays and D. Harlan Wilson.
5:30pm – 7:00pm Black Bed Sheets Meet & Greet: Meet the publisher, editor and authors of Black Bed Sheets Books.
*5:30pm – 7:00pm Panel: “I Will Not Apologize For Art” – Clive Barker, Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, Bryan Smith, J.F. Gonzalez, Chet Williamson, Thomas F. Monteleone.

SUNDAY:

11pm – Noon: Robert Ford, Kevin Lucia and Sheldon S. Higdon
Noon – 1:00pm: The Dru and Lu Show
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Jacob Haddon, Robert Gray and Nathan Rosen
2:00pm – 3:00pm Lisa Manetti and Charles Colyott

*A very special thanks to Brian Keene for putting this schedule together.

13 Tips for Writing Horror Fiction

2010-05-18T13:09:00.004-04:00

It's that time of the month again. Of course, I'm talking about my latest Hellnotes article, which is now available for your reading pleasure. Check it out.

13 Tips for Writing Horror Fiction

This blog entry is in no way affiliated with the movie poster for Friday the 13 or Paramount or Jason Voorhees. I simply needed the number 13 and it was just too easy to take ... Like stealing candy from a homicidal maniac.

Those things that refuse to remain dead and buried

2010-05-17T15:04:00.003-04:00

While Hellnotes will continue to receive all of my how-to articles first (in fact my latest should be available tomorrow), I'll be putting some of the older ones on Scribd.

The first one, The Three Requirements of Dialogue, is available now.

The Three Requirements of Dialogue

Replenishing Your Creative Well

2010-04-20T09:50:00.004-04:00

This month's how-to article is now available on Hellnotes. It's all about how to keep your creative gas tank full, so you don't get stranded in that wrong part of town known as writer's block.

As always, if you have a suggestion on why you like the article, or why you think I have no idea what I'm talking about, please drop me a comment here or on Hellnotes.

Replenishing Your Creative Well

A Brief Interlude

2010-04-07T11:00:00.015-04:00

Last week I got the chance to see the Grand Canyon. It was my first visit, and though I've seen it at least a hundred times in pictures--and I had a good idea of what to expect--I was still completely and totally amazed. It was like I had been transported to Ray Bradbury's Mars or Frank Herbert's Arrakis.

Anyways, here's some more pics...

Even more amazing than the canyon was this dinosaur made of giant steel chains, which would fall into the category of Huh? Where'd that come from?

The Latest Results Are In ... FORM REJECTION

2010-04-07T10:22:00.010-04:00

I've been spending a lot of time lately submitting out various works to agents and small presses, and I've been gathering an impressive amount of rejections. (Hell, I think I even sent my wife a query on what's for dinner, and that one got rejected, too.) Of all the rejections, though, the malodorous form rejection is the one that really stinks up my inbox. It is a reminder that you're just bothering someone and they need to swat you away with a generic letter that has all the charm of slap in the face.

For anyone trying to be a writer, rejections are an all too dismal reminder that a very small percentage of us succeed, and an even smaller percentage of us can sustain a career.

One look at this month's submissions, and part of me starts thinking about that minuscule percentage of writers that succeed, while another part of me thinks about all those writers that managed to beat the curve. Eventually I forgot about that small percentage and focus on those curve beaters. I like to think of myself as one day being a curve beater, and maybe that's why I keep on keepin' on.

Or maybe it's because I have short-term memory, and I forget about all those rejections.

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance

2010-03-16T10:43:00.005-04:00

My latest article is available on Hellnotes. This month's topic is on how to make your endings resonate with your readers. So pop on over and check it out:

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance

Some Gum under the Desk

2010-03-10T11:35:00.012-05:00

Over the weekend, I saw Tim Burton's updated version of Alice in IMAX 3D, and I was sadly disappointed. Visually the movie was stunning; the actors performed well enough; and through a good part of the beginning, I thought for sure Burton hit this one out of the park. Unfortunately, it was just a long foul ball. By the middle of the movie, the plot had become hardly serviceable, and the characters were losing their luster. By the end, I felt cheated and annoyed.

I have to wonder, though, if it was even Burton's idea to have a third-act battle. It seemed so pointless to the story that it reeked of some uncreative think tank crying out, "We have to have a war scene! People love a good war scene! Think of the children, man! Look at Lord of the Rings ... at Avatar!"

I did, however, enjoy the trailer for Tron Legacy, which surprised me because I didn't care for the original movie or the game. It was the soundtrack and the lightcycle scene at the end that left the biggest impression on me ... I amuse easily that way.

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it.

Scribd Goes Mobile

2010-02-25T12:08:00.007-05:00

Scribd has started a new service that allows you to send any of their more than 10 million documents directly to your choice e-reader or smartphone.

Here's the details from Publishers Weekly:

Scribd's Going Mobile, Moves to Open Content

And lookey here ... I have some free short stories that are available on Scribd for you to try:

Garbage, Inc.

The Leaves Fall in Springtime

All Too Cozy

The Flowers

The Three Requirements of Dialogue

2010-02-12T15:16:00.002-05:00

My latest how-to article is now available on Hellnotes. This month's topic is all about dialogue, which I cover in more detail than a normal person really should.

Check it out, and let me know what you think:

The Three Requirements of Dialogue

Some Stuff

2010-01-19T12:13:00.005-05:00

I spent the past weekend in Manhattan, visiting family and enjoying the sites. I had the pleasure of taking my daughter to see Neil Gaiman perform with the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra. They did a rendition of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. It was a wonderful production, and my daughter and I enjoyed it very much.

After dropping the kiddies off, we headed over to Keat's on 2nd Ave for some cocktails and karaoke. If you missed my butchering of Empire State of Mind, then you missed a real treat. Oddly enough, I've frequented Keat's plenty of times, but this was the first time I realized that right next store is the steak house Palm Too. Haven't heard of it? It's the restaurant Stephen King refers to in On Writing when he discusses description. What a weird and smallish world.

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Happy 201st Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe. Some articles of interest regarding His birthday.

Nevermore? Mystery birthday visitor to Poe grave is no-show, breaking tradition

Poe and the Philadelphia Gothic: An Interview with Ed "Philly Poe Guy" Pettit

A New Gig

2010-01-12T13:55:00.007-05:00

It's official. Meet the newest writer for the Bram Stoker Award-winning newsletter Hellnotes. The title of my monthly column is Gray Matter, and it will focus on the craft of writing horror fiction, a subject I absolutely love to discuss. I've recently submitted my first article, and it may be available as soon as tomorrow for your viewing pleasure. I'll post it on the right under a section called Gray Matter when it becomes available.

If there are some particular subjects you would like me to focus on, please let me know.

I suggest you include Hellnotes into whatever your choice RSS reader is, but I'll also be posting the articles on this blog, as they become available of course.

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During the Great Blog Shift, I forgot to put back those free short stories available on Scribd. They're back.

Typewriters vs. Computers

2010-01-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

I imagine you're all busy sticking to your resolutions, Dear Readers, so I'll keep this post short and with a sugar substitute.

I've managed to plow through the first draft of my apocalypse novel, and though there's some good stuff there, most of it won't make the second draft. Better stated: My first draft is Crap. That's okay though. It's how I write. Some writers can put down a first draft that is almost complete. Look at Kurt Vonnegut. Guy would only write a page or two a day, but when the manuscript was finished, the book was finished. And while Vonnegut is an exception, I sometimes wonder if his discipline, at least in part, comes from a typewritten mindset. My first two drafts, sometimes even the third, are complete rewrites. By about the third cut I got something I can work with. I can't say for sure why that is, but I suspect it has to do with the ease in which manuscripts can be edited on a computer versus a typewriter. Maybe the seduction of the keystrokes, like some writers suggest. Or perhaps a computer is like a thruway, and a typewriter is like a horse & buggy. You can drive the same thruway a hundred times before you realize you pass an airport. On horse and buggy you know the color of every stone you pass.

So what do you think, Dear Reader?

Most Improved

2009-12-30T13:45:00.004-05:00

Unless it's your birthday, the second-to-last day of the year has all the qualities of a Most Improved trophy. So here's to you, December 30, 2009, at least you're not the most depressing day of the year.

I am constantly reminded that we live in a world where winning is a battle of me versus you, us versus them, or, more specifically, the groups we belong to versus every other group that does not let us in. I'm reminded of this every time I get a form rejection; I'm reminded when I read about some idiot celebrity that sells a bazillion books after saying how stupid books are; and I'm reminded when I see hardworking authors struggle just to get some of the scraps left by the big dogs. So when I read Jeff Vandermeer's post Using Your Leverage, I thought he nailed so much of what is wrong with the publishing industry, if not every industry.

Sadly, Jeff's message will fall on deaf ears because the people who believe what he is saying don't have to be told, and the rest just keep on keepin' on.

Maybe today, the second-to-last day of the year, is a good reminder that winning isn't always an achievement of this group versus that group, or me versus you. That we can all get by with a little help from our friends.

Happy New Year.

Apocalypse Fiction

2009-12-29T13:21:00.003-05:00

If you've been coming around here over the past--gasp!-- year, you've probably noticed some changes. For one, the layout is new and improved. For two, I've changed the name of the blog to Shades of Gray. While the site is still a work in progress, I think it's coming along swimmingly. So let me know what you think, Dear Reader.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I began a new story. This latest is a YA apocalyptic novel about a young group of people who are exiled from their village and journey to the far away land of New York City. I've been calling it Stand by Me meets The Road. So far I'm in about 50k words, and I have no idea where I'm going with it, but I'll save the post about creative wells for another day.

This story is a different direction for me, but one I've been tinkering with for some time. I've always wanted to write an apocalyptic novel, something as a homage to some of my favorite childhood apocalyptic novels like Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Stephen King's The Stand and Robert McCammon's Swan Song.

But mostly I'm writing an apocalyptic novel because these authors seem to get on Oprah's book club. Just look at the success of Cormac McCarthy's brilliant novel The Road. I mean who cares that it won a Pulitzer Prize, it was featured on Oprah for Christ's sake!

Another Decade Nearly Gone ... Whatever the Hell Its Name Is.

2009-12-07T09:52:00.021-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, the decade is coming to a close, and I still have no idea what to call it. I will miss the 80's, 90's and the ... Ones and Zeroes? The 0's? And while I'm brooding over this decade, what about the next decade? Is it the Mostly Teens? The 11's? It's like the whole he and she business; a very confusing mess that will never have a solid support system.

I demoed the nook over at my local Barnes & Nobles today and was fairly pleased with it. There was no, Oh my God! I need to pre-order one now, and then complain endlessly when it doesn't arrive on the promised date ... more like a, that's cool, can't wait for the next version.

Most of the issues I had with the device could be fixed with some minor firmware updates. Coming from an iPod Touch world, which has a really intuitive touchscreen, I was less than impressed with the nook's touchscreen, or what I like to call in more technical terms: the touch-flick thingy. The nook's touch-flick thingy reminded me of browsing the apps store on an iPod Touch with a bad Wi-Fi connection ... you know, that bit of lag you get while the images are waiting to load? Well, that's the nook's whole browsing interface in a nutshell.

I also found features like search, dictionary and highlight a bit awkward and jerky. The main problem with all of them is that they were slow and cumbersome. For example, I could easily pick up a dictionary and find a word faster than it took me to look up a word in nook.

But overall it's about the reading experience right? And in that area I was mostly impressed. The screen is pleasing to the eyes. After a few pages I could see myself even forgetting I'm reading on an electric device. Unfortunately, some of the books I previewed were formatted poorly, the spacing and paragraphs looked choppy, and some of the letters were hacked off at the corners. This, I was told, was a problem with the publisher not properly converting the book for an e-reader, but it was annoying. It would be like buying a movie and seeing green screen instead of the intended special effect, and the sales guy saying, well, you know, not all movies are formatted properly for your television, but whatever.

So my verdict is I'll wait until they make a few more firmware updates before considering a nook. It also gives me some time to see how Amazon and Sony respond.

Later Fiends,

The Chronicles of Commuting

2009-12-03T12:30:00.015-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, welcome once again to another installment of complete nonsense from your pal Robert Gray.

When I left for work this morning it was pouring rain and the wind was banging my little car around the road. By the time I got to work the sky was cloudless, the sun warm, and I was pretty sure at some point the storm had carried me away to an alternate world. Though I'm fairly certain that I didn't leave this world--I have yet to see any talking lions, munchkins, or gunslingers-- I'm still a bit suspicious....

In the next issue of Fangoria magazine, which will be available December 15, Stephen King talks about those things that scare him. A snippet of the article is available on Fangoria's website.

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Something else I saw at Fangoria, which should help you all get into the Holiday spirit, is the trailer for Silent Night, Zombie Night.

And finally, here's a treat for those who managed to make it to the end: a rare interview with Dean Koontz. You can click here to see the full interview with Dean Koontz from the Tavis Smiley show.

Later Fiends,

Happy Turkey Day

2009-11-26T00:00:00.003-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, while you're all getting fat and happy off your turkey feasts this Thanksgiving just remember: sometimes they come back!

Image courtesy of Kidchuckle.com

Later Fiends,

Kris Kuksi's Beast Anthology

2009-11-25T13:32:00.008-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today I saw a dead turkey on the side of the road. I think it was a suicide.

Kris Kuksi's sculptures are like arriving upon an alien world, traveling through the various atmospheric layers, discovering unique and amazing caverns and oceans, some new and unusual forms.

And you can visit these worlds too. Kuksi will be exhibiting from November 21 to December 19 at the Joshua Liner Gallery in NYC.

Later Fiends,

Publishing Extravaganza

2009-11-24T14:57:00.009-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, grip your ankles and say your prayers 'cause the shows about to get started. Prepared to be mystified and delighted by this publishing extravaganza.

Based on the PW article called What Do Te ens Want?, it seems an overwhelming majority of teen readers want books that don't suck. Wonder who they had to pay for that insider knowledge?

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I spoke briefly the other day about Stephen King's new book Under the Dome, and I wanted to mention something interesting that literary agent Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary Agency found--or rather something he didn't find--in the book.

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Cormac McCarthy gives a rare interview to the Wall Street Journal to discuss his novel The Road. Here's a snippet I personally enjoyed:

WSJ: How does that ticking clock affect your work? Does it make you want to write more shorter pieces, or to cap things with a large, all-encompassing work?

CM: I'm not interested in writing short stories. Anything that doesn't take years of your life and drive you to suicide hardly seems worth doing.

<<<<>>>>

The first 171 pages of Robert McCammon's Mister Slaugher are available on the Subterranean Press site. What are you still doing here? Get over there and start reading.

Later Fiends,

Under the Leviathan's Malice

2009-11-18T13:48:00.005-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, the holidays are fast approaching--I know this because the news has started carrying stories about the evil atheists and tyrannical Jews trying to eradicate all things Christmas with whip-cracking laws that further separate church and state--so bring on the cheer!

I just got my copy of Stephen King's Under the Dome. It's been 30+ years in the making, and the early reviews have been positive. At 1088 pages, the book is a monster, a poster child for why people should purchase e-readers, and I'm sure there are plenty of people barking about how many trees sacrificed themselves for King's drivel. All that aside, I love long, sprawling novels, and King's long, sprawling novels are some of his very best. They're perfect fireside books on those cold winter nights.

Before I begin Dome, I have a couple of other books I want sink my eyeballs into first:

Malice by Chris Wooding and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. These were Halloween gifts-- yes, in my house we exchange books on Halloween--I haven't gotten around to reading yet.

Which reminds me ... if you want to find out what I'm reading, or some of the stuff I have read, you can check out my virtual library on Goodreads.com. I'll add the link to the sidebar so it's always available.

Later Fiends,

Sunsets & Urinals

2009-11-13T09:47:00.012-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, welcome to the Fabulous World of Robert Gray. Okay, so it's not that fabulous ... and it's really not a world, just a bunch of ones and zeroes on a hard drive, probably stored in some horribly poor village in India, but welcome anyway.

Last week I got the chance to visit Pismo Beach in the great state of California. I'm an east coaster, so the trip, which included three layovers, felt more like a pilgrimage than modern travel, but I made it there and back in one piece and got to read a few good books along the way. While the trip was for work, and I didn't get out much, I did manage to sneak off to the beach for a little while to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets.

But even better than the sunset, I got to use one of the coolest urinals ever, which is located at the Madonna Inn.

Later Fiends,

Latest Projects

2009-11-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, get in line, spin the chamber, pull that trigger. Here at Robert Gray Fiction, everyone gets a turn.

I finished the first draft of my second novel, a middle grade story about a family of monsters stuck in the suburbs. You can see the original post here if wish: New Middle Grade Fiction Story. I actually finished the draft in a little over a month. It's the fastest I ever wrote a first draft. The story came almost entirely to me, which is a very rare thing indeed. Usually I'm brooding for days over particular scenes, but I managed to somehow stay ahead of my muse. I still have to tease out some of the meanings and thematic issues that started to form towards the end of the story, but I'll work on all that in the second draft, which for me is almost an entire rewrite.

While I'm letting that story simmer, I started my third novel. This one, I can already tell, is not going to be so easy. I'm about ten thousand words deep and I still have no clear direction, though some of the characters have started to flesh themselves out. Right now I'm just letting them drive; I'm just tagging along. I'll see if the characters take me somewhere interesting. If not, I'll have them drop me off at the next rest stop.

Later Fiends,

Happy Veterans Day

2009-11-11T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Veterans Day!

To everyone who supports the American soldiers, Harley-Davidson is doing a pretty cool promotion this Veterans Day. You can send a personalized postcard to the troops at Harley-Davidson Military Appreciation. If you served, you can also enter to win your favorite Harley delivered by Marisa Miller (pictured above) and a trip for 4 to Las Vegas to see UFC 108.

Later Fiends,

A Nook, a Kindle and a Tablet Walk into a Bar ...

2009-11-02T10:41:00.011-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, pokol; vurderlak; eyalik.

Image courtesy of wired.com

Some interesting debates over e-books since the news broke of Barnes & Nobles new e-reader nook. I think the pros and cons between the Kindle and nook have been exhausted, so I'll try to avoid who has the bigger--um--set of features. My take is quite simple: E-readers will not thrive, or survive, if they use proprietary formats.

Here's how I see the e-reader market as it stands between the two current top-tier devices, Amazon's Kindle and B&N's nook. Amazon has positioned their device for people more inclined to want technology over longevity by using a proprietary DRM-restricted format, no problem for magazine or newspaper subscribers, but horrible for avid book readers that might actually use every bit of disk space to store their libraries--the same avid readers that Barnes & Nobles is hoping to snag with the nook, which uses open standards (Epub, pdf, eReader) and offers a cute little lending option that allows nook users to share books with other nook users for 14 days.

Enter Apple. They're just sitting in the background and sharpening their talons. It's rumored that Apple doesn't want to participate in the e-book world, obviously because they are above all that nonsense, but for the helluvit, let's just assume Apple is lying; let us assume they plan to make a go at the e-book market once they introduce their tablet early next year. Who would be their target readers? Answer: Tech-savvy casual readers. I know this because no one's going to read long novels on a device with refresh rates and back lighting. The eyes just don't have the stamina. But what about eye-popping color for magazine subscriptions and newspapers? Compare that to the current 16-shades-of-gray E Ink technology in the Kindle and we're talking the difference between black & white television and Blu-ray. In this sense B&N will be free to nab up hardcore readers that are looking for a device to a) offset limited shelf space b) reduce the number of books carried while traveling c) are technical savvy people who are also avid readers.

Some of you may be reading this and saying, I own a Kindle and I read a lot, so you're a dumb ass. I am a dumb ass, but that's besides the point. I'm not saying the Kindle is not used by avid readers, I'm saying that Amazon has done a poor job of positioning the device for avid readers. You have a company promoting a device that can store thousands of books ... but only if you purchase every single one of those books from them.

So is the nook the Kindle killer? Nope. But if Amazon isn't careful, they'll be pitted up against Apple, and that, I fear, would be a slaughter.

Garbage, Inc. Is Here!

2009-10-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's the day. Garbage, Inc. has arrived!

WARNING: This story contains crude language, excessive violence and disturbing images that are not suitable for children or those that are easily offended ... Happy Halloween!

Garbage Inc

Top 13 Horror Writers

2009-10-12T11:54:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's list is all about writers. And remember folks: Tomorrow is the release of my short story Garbage, Inc.

Top 13 Horror Writers

13. Brian Keene - Favorite Books: Ghoul, City of the Dead, The Conqueror Worms

12 . Ramsey Campbell - Favorite Books: The Darkest Part of the Woods, Hungry Moon, The Doll Who Ate His Mother

11. Dean Koontz - Favorite Books: Strangers, Watchers, Velocity

10. Neil Gaiman - Favorite Books: The Graveyard Book, Coraline, American Gods

9 . Shirley Jackson - Favorite Books: The Haunting of Hill House, The Lottery and Other Stories

8. Peter Straub - Favorite Books: Koko; Ghost Story; Lost Boy, Lost Girl

7. Clive Barker - Favorite Books: Books of Blood 1-3, Hellbound Heart, Abarat

6. Richard Matheson - Favorite Books: I Am Legend, Hell House, The Incredible Shrinking Man

5. Robert McCammon - Favorite Books: Swan Song, Wolf's Hour, Mine

4. Bram Stoker - Favorite Book: Dracula, The Jewel of Seven Stars, Lair of the White Worm

3. H.P. Lovecraft - Favorite Collection: H.P. Lovecraft: Tales

2. Stephen King - Favorite Books: It, The Stand, 'Salem's Lot

1. Edgar Allan Poe - Favorite Collection: Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Phantom Flicks

2009-10-11T10:55:00.002-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's theme is about the ghosts in the screen.

Top 13 Phantom Flicks

13. 13 Ghosts (2001) - A fitting number 13 ... I preferred the updated version to the 1960 version, but that's just me.

12 . Event Horizon - While the movie falls short of being a classic, the mesh between sci-fi and ghost story was well structured. If you go in thinking B movie, you'll probably like it.

11. 1408 - 1 + 4 + 0 + 8 = 13 ... and the room just so happens to be on what technically is the 13th floor. So, you know, the room's gonna have some problems. I rarely say this, but in this case, the movie was better than the short story.

10 . The Ring - Had I seen Ringu, I probably would agree that it is the superior version, but I haven't, and so I won't.

9. The Frighteners - I know what you're thinking: Michael J. Fox, probably be a Teen Wolf with ghosts. If you haven't seen it, then do yourself a favor and see it.

8. Beetlejuice - Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Who out there can listen to Banana Boat by Harry Belafonte and not think of this movie?

7. Amityville Horror (1979) - Even though the movie is more of a comedy today, it still holds a small place in my demonic heart. It was one of the first horror movies I ever saw.

6. The Haunting (1963) - Stick to the classic on this one. The 1999 remake was nothing more than a chance to capitalize on Liam Neeson after Phantom Menace.

5. The Sixth Sense - Has there ever been a quote from a horror movie more parodied than I see dead people?

4. Ghostbusters - C'mon, you all know it ... Who you gonna call?

3. House on Haunted Hill (1958) - Go for the original here. The 1999 remake is a mockery of the original Vincent Price classic.

2. The Shining - All work and no play makes Robert Gray a dull boy. All work and no play makes Robert Gray a dull boy. All work and no play makes Robert Gray a dull boy. All work and no play makes Robert Gray a dull boy.

1. Poltergeist - "Do not go into the light. Stop where you are. Turn away from it. Don't even look at it."

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Movie Slashers

2009-10-09T11:52:00.007-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's theme is about those knife-wieldin', mask-wearin', family-values-lackin' stars of the show. And for those of you who have been waiting patiently for more information about Garbage, Inc., (available 10-13-09) I'd like to offer you an exclusive sneak peak at the cover art.

Top 13 Movie Slashers

13. Horace Pinker - Movie: Shocker

12. The Creeper - Series: Jeepers Creepers

11. Candyman - Series: Candyman

10. Ghostface - Series: Scream

9. Jigsaw - Series: Saw

8. Chucky - Series: Child's Play

7. Pinhead - Series: Hellraiser

6. Norman Bates - Series: Psycho

5. Hannibal Lecter - Series: Hannibal Tetralogy

4. Leatherface - Series: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

3. Michael Myers - Series: Halloween

2. Jason Voorhees - Series: Friday the 13th

1. Freddy Kruger - Series: A Nightmare on Elm Street

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Worst Halloween Treats

2009-10-08T13:45:00.007-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, I imagine many plastic pumpkins still have some of today's list welded to their bottoms.

Top 13 Worst Halloween Treats

13. Mints - The only use for these things is to whip them at the house that handed them out.

12. Smarties - I hated them when I was a kid, and I hate them even more now. Why won't these things just go away.
11. Hard Candies - I'm talking about those mysterious candies wrapped in wax paper or plastic or disguised as fruit but taste like butterscotch, root beer or lime or some grotesque combination of all three.

10. Dum Dum Lollipops - Nothing more than hard candies on a stick that are "fun size." If I give you five can I upgrade to a friggin' Tootsie Pop?

9. Nik-L-Nip Wax Soda Bottles - What the hell is that stuff inside those bottles? Sure ain't soda.

8. Popcorn Balls - Here's an idea: Let's take a bunch of popcorn, squeeze it into a ball, let it sit for ten years while it cures, then hand it out to children on Halloween. So who's with me?

7. Pencil - Note to self: Graphite tastes like crap.

6. Candy Corn - Every year I see full pallets of these nasty teeth rotters still left in stores after Halloween, yet somehow they never fail to make it into every kid's trick-or-treat sack.

5. Box of Raisins - Are you kidding me? Am I supposed to add my own chocolate?

4. Change - When I was a kid we got pennies ... now (perhaps due to inflation) kids get nickels and dimes. If you've made the mistake of being home on Halloween without candy, shut off the light and pretend you're not home. Don't hand out loose change.

3. Coupons - Even worse than change because they're never for anything remotely good ... and they require more money be spent to use them.

2. Apples - What the ...!

1. Nothing - Because above all else there is nothing more disappointing than when a person answers the door and tells you that trick-or-treating is no better than begging.

Later Fiends,

13 Great Literary Villains

2009-10-07T11:11:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's list is all about great literary villains.

When I started out this next list, a bunch of characters entered my head, which made me think this list would be the easiest so far. The problem, I soon realized, was trying to narrow the list down to just 13. So while my 13 may not be your 13, what I'd like to spotlight is that each character signifies or brings about the worst of humanity. They are our horrors, and horror touches every form of literature.

13 Great Literary Villains

13. Randall Flagg - Such a bad ass that Stephen King couldn't limit him to just The Stand. No, Flagg has appeared in one form or another in nine of King's novels.

12. Patrick Bateman - Brett Easton Ellis's American Psycho took Wall Street and gutted it. The book is as violent as it gets, but Bateman is mostly bored with the whole rape, murder and dismemberment thing. Perhaps that's what makes him so very appealing.

11. Medea - You can argue that she belongs in the tragic hero category, but killing your children to spite your ex-husband makes you a villain in my list.

10. The White Witch - About the only good thing that can be said about the witch from C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is that she likes to hand out tasty Turkish Delights.

9. Cthulu - First spawned in Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu, this gigantic, tentacled-head creature bides its time until it can feast on the world's souls.

8. Judge Holden - Part child molester, part monster ... every bit a Renaissance man. As violent as the characters from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian are, even they are disturbed by the Judge.

7. Lord Voldemort / Tom Riddle - Who doesn't love a villain on a quest for supreme power? Well, a boy wizard named Harry Potter for one.

6. Bill Sikes - From Oliver Twist comes one of Dickens most memorable villains. From beating a dog to murdering a prostitute, there isn't much that old Sikes won't do.

5. Hannibal Lecter - If this were a fictional list of serial killers, Thomas Harris's couture killer Hannibal Lecter would win easily. He is a perfect mesh of homicidal sophistication.

4. Sauron - J R R Tolkien's ring-crazed lidless eye. "The Eye: that horrible growing sense of a hostile will that strove with great power to pierce all shadows of cloud, and earth, and flesh, and to see you: to pin you under its deadly gaze, naked, immovable."

3. Count Dracula - Though his presence is minimal in the Bram Stoker classic, his impact is monumental. Has there ever been a more covered villain? I'd venture to guess only number 1 has been duplicated more times.

2. Lady Macbeth - You can talk about Iago and Claudius and Richard III as being Shakespeare's greatest villains, but to me they are all cut from the same mold. It was Lady Macbeth who showed us that behind every great man's tragic fall is the woman that pushed him off the ledge.

1. Satan - I wonder if John Milton purposely gave Satan the best lines in Paradise Lost? "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n."

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Horror Attractions

2009-10-06T11:11:00.005-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, I thought we'd take a little tour around the U.S. and visit the Top 13 Horror Attractions of 2009. Now you're probably asking yourself, How did he manage to get around to all these haunts so early in the Halloween season? Well, I didn't. This is more of a wish list compiled from recommendations by Fangoria.com, Hauntworld.com and Travelchannel.com.

And don't forget, dear reader, only one week left before the release of my latest short story Garbage, Inc., so polish up them eyeballs.

Top 13 Horror Attractions

13. Field of Screams (Lancaster, PA) - With three major scares--Haunted Hayride, Den of Darkness and Frightmare-- and a hayride for the kiddies called Little Screamers, Field of Screams offers something for everyone.

12. Asylum Haunted House ( Denver, CO) - Featured on the Travel Channel's
AMERICA'S SCARIEST HALLOWEEN ATTRACTION 2, 2007, the Asylum claims to be the scariest haunted adventure in Colorado.

11. Headless Horsemen (Ulster Park, NY) - Named #1 Hayride in America by American Airlines Magazine, as well as #1 Haunted Attraction in the country by Haunt World Magazine. This haunt offers 6 major attractions.

10. Jason's Woods (Lancaster, PA) - If it's one thing Pennsylvania knows, it's horror, and Jason's Woods is no exception. In their 24th year, this haunt now offers 9 attractions.

9. Shipwreck (Long Beach, CA) - Hop aboard the Queen Mary for 5 terrifying mazes: Vampire Village, The Graveyard, Isolation Ward, Blackbeard's Revenge and Paranoia's House of Horror.

8. Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride (Glen Mills, PA) - If the Bates Motel and Haunted Corn Maze aren't enough for you, then try out the now infamous Haunted Hayride.

7. Netherworld (Atlanta, GA) - Two sick and twisted haunted houses -- Blood Night and Zombie Rampage ... one hell of a good time.

6. Thrillvania (Terrell, TX) - 8 attractions as big and bad ass as Texas itself.

5. Shocktoberfest (Sinking Spring, PA) - Now with six sick and twisted attractions, with their newest 2009 addition being the Willow Glen Creek Saw Kill.

4. Erebus - (Detroit, MI) - In 2005, Erebus was entered into Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest walk-through haunted house in the world. How could you not want to see this?

3. Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights (Orlando, FL) - 8 haunted houses; 8 scare zones and live shows. This year's features include Wolfman, Chucky, Saw and plenty more.

2. 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, LA) - Rated number 1 for the second year in a row at HauntWorld.com, this attraction features, you guessed it, 13 levels of pure terror.

1. House of Shock - (Jefferson, LA) - Voted number 1 last year by Travel Channel for most extreme Halloween attraction, this 20,000 sq/ft blood fest is probably the closest you will get to a brutal death.

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Artists of the Macabre & Strange

2009-10-05T13:00:00.003-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, I thought we'd venture away from movies today and talk a little bit about the dark arts ... no, not those dark arts ... these dark arts:

Top 13 Artists of the Macabre & Strange

13. Angie Mason - For this artist, it's safe to say that it's all in the eyes. Her style is not nearly as dark as some that made this list, but there is a sadness in her creations, and they sit lowly in the pit of my stomach.

12. E dward Go rey - Generally considered an illustrator, Gorey's work is hard to classify in the traditional sense ... either way he's most noted for his macabre illustrated works.

11. M a y a Kulen o v ic - Her work is so brutal, so beautiful and so emotional.

10. Jill Bauman - This artists hardly limits herself to horror, but it is her horror paintings that I find most attractive. Her roster of book covers is impressive: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Robert McCammon ... just to name a few.

9 . Vincent L oc ke - I was raised on a healthy diet of Dead World comics and Cannibal Corpse album artwork, and as such, I've always been amazed at how Locke smashes the boundaries of the grotesque.

8. Theod o re Ger i c ault - An early 19th century French painter whose work is profoundly dark and his still-life paintings weren't always living as he also enjoyed a severed head ... or limb, when the mood struck him.

7. Joh n J ude P alencar - Palencar is more fantasy than macabre--most notably you will find his work on Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy--but then he goes and paints something like this, and he gets himself put in my little list.

6. Rob ert Will iams - Macabre? No. Strange? Wonderfully. I was first introduced to Williams when I opened the album Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses and saw his artwork inside. He's been one of my favorites ever since.

5. Clive Barker - One of the best authors of the fantastic, he is also an amazing artist. Pick up a copy of Abarat and you'll see what I mean.

4. Hieron y mus Bo sch - There are few paintings I find better than the Garden of Earthly Delights. Especially the far right panel, which depicts Hell.

3. Basil Go gos - Whether you know him from Famous Monsters of Filmland or Rob Zombie's Hellbilly Deluxe, chances are you know him.

2. Charles Bur ns -There is no mistaking a piece done by Charles Burns. If you haven't read Black Hole, you've got some catching up to do.

1. H.R. Giger - Simply Amazing.

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Frightful Family Features

2009-10-04T18:27:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's theme is all about family ... and how to terrify them.

Top 13 Frightful Family Features

13. Haunted Mansion - It's worth watching just to see an elderly General Zod (Terence Stamp) play a butler.

12. The Little Vampire - Because Jonathan Lipnicki (of Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little fame) is just too friggin' cute.

11. Hocus Pocus - It's one of those movies that if you saw when you were young, you'll still like it today; otherwise, just keep moving along ... nothing to see here.

10 . Legend of Sleepy Hallow - This Disney-fied version was my introduction to the Washington Irving classic.

9. Corpse Bride - Not Tim Burton's best, but a wonderfully original movie nonetheless.

8. Coraline - "She's a peach, she's a doll, she's a pal of mine."

7. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island - Scooby and the gang in hands down their best full-length mystery.

6. The Mad Monster Party - A classic voiced by such talents as Boris Karloff and Phyllis Diller and put together by the same stop-motion wizards who created Rudolph and Frosty.

5. Monsters, Inc. - Now if I can only figure out how to harness the imagination of the Pixar crew the same way Monsters, Inc., harnesses screams.

4. Beetlejuice - Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Who out there can listen to Banana Boat by Harry Belafonte and not think of this movie?

3. Ghostbusters - C'mon, you all know it ... Who you gonna call?

2. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - I don't believe there's another show more synonymous with Halloween.

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas - You can say this is Tim Burton's best movie and you'd be wrong. Mostly because the film was directed by Henry Selick (Coraline). Burton produced the film and gets credited as one of the screenwriters.

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Creature Features

2009-10-03T14:56:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, today's theme is creature features ... so let's get down to business.

Top 13 Creature Features

13. Species - OK, so the creature just so happens to take on the form of an often-naked, hot nympho ... all the more reason for it to make the list.

12. Godzilla (1985) - It may be one of the lowest reviewed movies of all time, but who cares ... it's friggin' Godzilla!

11. King Kong (1976) - You can argue that the original is better or that the 2005 version is better, and you won't get much of a defense from me, but this is the version I grew up with, so this is the one I like best.

10. Pumpkinhead (1988) - Certainly not the best from the 80s, but a minor classic that has built up a pretty strong cult following over the years.

9. The Blob (1988) - I prefer the 1988 remake over the original '58 version. This one's a little more campy, the alien Jell-O a little more evil. And the screenplay was written in part by Frank Darabont of Mist, Green Mile, and Shawshank Redemption fame.

8. Gremlins - Everyone remember the three rules of owning a Mogwai?

7. The Mummy (1932) - The movie that put Boris Karloff on the map.

6. The Thing (1982) - Not just one of the best creature features, The Thing wins hands down for the best beard (Kurt Russel's).

5. The Fly (1986) -This is a case where the remake surpasses the original. The whole transformation into an insect is sad enough, but the script and characters add a depth to the story that is pure and heartfelt.

4. Young Frankenstein - With so many Frankensteins out there, how does one choose? Simple, go straight for the one wearing a top hat and Puttin' on the Ritz.

3. An American Werewolf in London (1981) - This movie has some laughs, a few scares, but at its heart, it's all about the transformation. It's enough for me.

2. Jaws - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water--what do you mean that line's been used already?

1. Alien - Of all the formulas in Hollywood, here's one to stick with: H.R. Giger + a little originality = Movie Gold.

Well that completes another list. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm off to the Slaughtered Lamb to get myself a beer.

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Zombie Movies

2009-10-02T12:00:00.007-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, another day ... another list ... another plug for my FREE short story Garbage, Inc.

Top 13 Zombie Movies

13. Pet Cemetery - Not really a zombie flick in the classic sense, but hey, we get animated corpses that are pretty nasty.

12. Zombie Strippers - I know, you're saying to yourself, Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund ... how can it not be number 1? Well, the truth is the movie blows--no not in that way, you perverts--yet the movie managed to eclipse every bad thing I heard about it. It is a perfect wreck of a movie.

11. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - Part punk, part gore, all brain-eating fun. It's the movie that taught me that it hurts to be dead ... because you can feel yourself rot.

10. The Serpent and the Rainbow - Another questionable movie in the zombie genre, mostly because these zombies aren't dead, but a result of a complete system shutdown. The movie does, however, have a pre-Romero-voodoo-zombie-thing going on, so include it I will.

9. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - One of the few horror remakes in the last decade that didn't suck.

8. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Bet you didn't see that one coming. Because it's the original, I have to give it higher billing, though both are pretty equal if you ask me.

7. Re-Animator - What can I say, I have a warm spot for doctors that fail horribly at trying to cheat death.

6. Day of the Dead (1985) - So there's this guy named George A. Romero who makes zombie movies ... It's near impossible to have a list of zombie movies and not have it really be a Romero list. Still, this is one of the great ones, though it gets a little too preachy and philosophical at times to warrant a higher position.

5. Dead Alive - Before taking on hobbits, Peter Jackson took on zombies. I recall reading that the movie used something like five gallons of fake blood per second ... and I believe it; Dead Alive is one of those movies that dares you to fill your stomach before you watch it.

4. White Zombie - A legend that inspired a genre ... and inspired a rocker-turned-director with a name for his band. Not one of Bela Lugosi best performances, but a classic nonetheless.

3. 28 Days Later - A stylistic masterpiece that takes the classic slow, dim-witted zombie and pumps it full of frantic brutality. It's one of those movies that legitimizes zombies unlike so many of the genre's misbegotten children.

2. Shaun of the Dead - This movies manages to pay homage to the zombie genre, spoof the zombie genre, and still be one of the greatest zombie movies ever ... not an easy thing to pull off by any means.

1. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Everyone just bow down.

Later Fiends,

Top 13 Vampire Movies

2009-10-01T09:35:00.005-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, in the spirit of Halloween and to help promote the release of my new short story Garbage, Inc, I will be entertaining, or perhaps enraging you, with 13 days of top 13 horror lists, ending on October 13th, which just so happens to coincide with the release of my story ...

So without further ado, I present to you my first list.

Top 13 Vampire Movies

13. Twilight - While not one of my personal favorites, there is no denying the impact the Twilight Saga has on today's culture (just ask my daughter, she'll tell you). It is a phenomenon, and so it makes my list.

12. Once Bitten - Perhaps the worst performance of Jim Carrey's life, this teen comedy about a cougar vampire needing virgin blood was so train-wreck bad that it has become a classic to me. It's the American Pie of the vampire genre.

11. Underworld - C'mon, it's Kate Beckinsale ... with guns! While the movie doesn't bring about anything new and exciting to the vampire genre, it does offer some eye-popping treats that make it an enjoyable film.

10. Blade - Another vampire ass-kicking lesson, this time taught by Wesley Snipes. The Underworld and Blade series are almost synonymous to me ... I can't imagine someone liking one and not the other. I just like Blade a little better, is all.

9. Fright Night - While I find the movie more of a comedy now, especially with Roddy McDowall's character Peter Vincent as the wannabe Van Helsing character, this movie scared the crap out of me as a child. Fright Night was my introduction to vampires and still remains one of my favorites.

8. Near Dark - This movies is as stylish and brutal as it is western and heavy metal. And it's comprised of almost the entire cast of Aliens.

7. Interview with a Vampire - Before Twilight, there was Interview ... and before choosing Scientology, Tom Cruise opted for vampirism. That other guy in the movie wasn't bad either.

6. 30 Days of Night - Coming in, I only knew that the story was based on a comic I had not read and that vampires traveled to Alaska because of a 30-day blackout. I really wasn't expecting much, but I found the movie to be a bit different and a bit smart and a bit of an instant classic.

5. Bram Stoker's Dracula - Bram Stoker and Francis Ford Coppola. 'Nuff said.

4. Dracula (1931) - Bela Lugosi, widow's peak and all, made the vampire sexy. You just gotta respect the classics.

3. The Lost Boys - The two Coreys ...? In the same movie ...? Does it get any better...? You mean the Kiefer Sutherland? I will never be able to listen to People are Strange by the Doors and not think of this movie again.

2. Nosferatu - Copyright infringement at its finest. This is without a doubt the best version of Dracula ever made. There is something still scary about the gritty film and those big, rubbery hands.

1. From Dusk Till Dawn - Trashy, vulgar, sexy and brutal. It's got a little sumpin' for everyone.

Later Fiends,

The Exquisite Corpse

2009-09-30T09:24:00.006-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, "When the lambs is lost in the mountain, he said. They is cry. Sometime come the mother. Sometime the wolf."

--Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

I'm back from the National Book Festival. Though it rained part of the day, somewhere in the vicinity of 130,000 people attended the event. The lines for the authors this year were extra long, so I didn't meet as many authors as I would have liked to, but it was still a great time.

While speaking to some of the staff at the Library of Congress (the sponsors of the festival), I learned about an interesting children's story called The Exquisite Corpse Adventure that premiered at the festival. Here's the info:

"Ever heard of an Exquisite Corpse? It's not what you might think. An Exquisite Corpse is an old game in which people write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold it over to conceal part of it and pass it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud.

Our 'Exquisite Corpse Adventure' works this way: Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, has written the first episode, which is 'pieced together out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here, so go ahead and just start reading!' He has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who must eventually bring the story to an end.

Every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now. To get bi-weekly updates with new Exquisite Corpse Adventure chapters, click on the subscribe link at the top of the page. "This story starts with a train rushing through the night.... 'No one knows where or how it will end!'"

The cast of celebrity writers and artists include Gregory McGuire, M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), Steven Kellogg, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome and Chris Van Dusen.

Later Fiends,

Garbage, Inc.

2009-09-24T11:38:00.004-04:00

In the spirit of giving this Halloween season, I'd like to offer you a free download of my latest short story Garbage, Inc., which will be available October 13, 2009.

For now, please enjoy this promo poster.

National Book Festival

2009-09-18T12:41:00.010-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, it's Friday and the sun is out and everything else seems less important.

In one week from today, I'll be heading off to the National Book Festival, which is on Saturday, September 26th in Washington, D.C. It's a wonderful time, and it's free. The lineup of authors this year is stellar, my personal favorites being John Irving, Junot Diaz, Michael Connelly and Tim O'Brien. Here's the complete list of authors attending this year.

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Neil Gaiman at the festival for the early release of The Graveyard Book. What a nice fellow. Here he is, deep in conversation with my daughter over the proper color of Coraline's hair.

Later Fiends,

Harder, Faster, Better, Blogger

2009-09-15T10:30:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and--Yo, Robert Gray, I know you writin' your blog and all, and imma let you finish ... but Neil Gaiman's blog was the best one this year...

I just realized we're nearly halfway through September, and I haven't posted anything this month. I'll have to remedy that.

The first draft of my middle grade monster story is almost finished. So far it's my best work, until the next thing comes along, which of course will be infinitely better. I've also been polishing, submitting or resubmitting some short stories, which brings me to a point I'd like to make about Scribd.com. It's the YouTube of documents, if you didn't already know that.

I've been on the fence about Scribd for some time, using it primarily for stories I don't have much faith in being published in real magazines but still think are decent stories. Recently, however, I've had a change of heart. I've been getting a lot of positive responses from Scribd, more so than I've ever received from any of the small print mags that have accepted me, and I think Scribd may be a more useful output than I originally thought.

When compared to traditional print media, Scribd offers some advantages to the new or novice writer. For one, in print mags (or even some e-zines) a story can take months or years before a story finds an audience. Then there's the social aspect that print media can't seem to find a solution for. Books are in an awkward position of being static in a world that wants dynamic. Scribd gives you both.

Scribd still stinks a bit of vanity press, but it's not without a certain charm that I find irresistible, namely I get stories to my readers that would otherwise sit in some dark and lonely hard drive. Not having those pesky gatekeepers blocking me from an audience is near Utopian. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that

there's a lot of crap to be found on Scribd, my stuff most defiantly included. Thankfully, you can revise after submitting, another plus for Scribd.

So what's your thoughts on Scribd, dear reader?

<<<<>>>>

Picture conveniently lifted from Time.com

Patrick Swayze, the latest in a seemingly endless list of celebrity deaths this year, died yesterday. I keep reading about all his great movies: Dirty Dancing, Ghost, even that Bouncer epic masterpiece Roadhouse--it still impresses me that Dalton can spot a knife in a boot across the bar. Nobody, however, seems to remember Swayze's greatest performance of all.

Later Fiends,

Disney Buys Marvel

2009-08-31T13:07:00.011-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, who would have thought a mouse and a spider could be friends?

And so the news of the day is that Disney has bought Marvel for an estimated $4 billion. Disney's belief, a rather sound one, is that Disney has the market on little girls cornered with Princesses, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Wizards of Waverly Place and all that, but they have a big hole when it comes to boys. Well that hole has just been stuffed by about 5000 superheroes courtesy of Marvel.

Here's the Wall Street Journal article if you want the specifics.
Another interesting article on Tor's blog about the merger.
And in case you are curious about whether or not Warren Ellis will be writing Disney comics, he has added a Disney FAQ page to his blog, which outlines his answer.

My immediate reaction is that this is great news for both companies. And for those people skeptical about how Disney will handle the Marvel stable of characters, look at Pixar. They've been doing just fine since coming under the Disney umbrella.

So what's your opinion on the buyout, dear reader?

Spider-Man Mickey Mouse Head courtesy of Foxy Man, who also created the picture below. I'm not sure how to comment on it except that it reminds me of a mix between Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and a commercial for some bathroom cleaner.

Later Fiends,

Moby Dick and Other Body Parts

2009-08-27T10:32:00.007-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, animals both domesticated and wild, there she blows!--there she blows! A hump like a snow hill! It is Moby Dick!

So I've just finished reading Moby Dick for the first time. It's one of those books I've skirted around but never actually read. And what did I learn from this literary classic, dear reader? That no matter how old I get, I will always take the words Sperm and Dick out on context.

<<<<>>>>

And while on the topic of body parts, this picture by the Comics Journal's Matt Silvie really captures the gluteus maximus perfectly. Though the picture is meant to depict Rush Limbaugh, it can work for that special anus in your life too.

Later Fiends,

Robert Gray

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shadows

KDP Select: Part II

New Interview + Giveaway

2012 ... It's all down hill from here

Nightmare After Christmas

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks

by Robert Gray

The Five Best Books of 2011

KDP Select

Books N Stuff 2

Exclusive Interview with Robert Gray

Black Friday Deals

My Revision Process

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks is now available

New Eve Hallows Website

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

Eve Hallows Updates

Think Different

Kindle Fire and the Nook of Doom

Horrorfind Weekend 13 Update

Thoughts on Books

Borders

Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks - Cover Design by Shaun Lindow

Proceed With Caution

Pottermore Revealed

On Reading Horror

Horrorfind 13 Author Schedule

25th Anniversary of Stephen King's IT

No $500,000 Contract Here

The New Writer's Rejection: Zero Purchases

GRAY MATTER – THE NEW WRITER’S REJECTION: ZERO PURCHASES

Happy St Paddy's Day

Before You Begin

And so the snowman apocalypse begins...

Write Everyday ... The Right Way

The road to hell is paved with form rejections

All Hallow's Read

Give the gift of Garbage this Halloween

Paying It Forward

Horrorfind Weekend Wrap-Up

Horrorfind Weekend Update; New Short Story Now Available

Horrorfind Weekend Update

For those who need a break from it all

Another one of those pesky articles

Happy J4

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance: The Return

Time to get edumacated

Just living the dream ...

Horrorfind Weekend ... It's Official

13 Tips for Writing Horror Fiction

Those things that refuse to remain dead and buried

Replenishing Your Creative Well

A Brief Interlude

The Latest Results Are In ... FORM REJECTION

Dead Ends & Unearthing Resonance

Some Gum under the Desk

Scribd Goes Mobile

The Three Requirements of Dialogue

Some Stuff

A New Gig

Typewriters vs. Computers

Most Improved

Apocalypse Fiction

Another Decade Nearly Gone ... Whatever the Hell Its Name Is.

The Chronicles of Commuting

Happy Turkey Day

Kris Kuksi's Beast Anthology

Publishing Extravaganza

Under the Leviathan's Malice

Sunsets & Urinals

Latest Projects

Happy Veterans Day

A Nook, a Kindle and a Tablet Walk into a Bar ...

Garbage, Inc. Is Here!

Top 13 Horror Writers

Top 13 Phantom Flicks

Top 13 Scary Stories for Young Readers