I was provided Z Magazine for review purposes and I was blown away by it. For anyone who is a fan of zombies, this is one of those items that goes into the collection and more than likely gets put in an airtight plastic bag so you can save it for years to come. The creators of this magazine, one of which is Eloise Knapp, who wrote the very entertaining 
The Undead Situation, did an incredible job. I typically try to avoid gushing when it comes to a review of zombie related material, but I can’t say that I have ever seen something quite like this. The magazine is full sized (a bit over 8 1/2″ by 11″) and every last bit of it, down to the advertisements and want ads (plus personals, etc) are zombie related. This is truly a magazine for the undead…and fans of the undead, with advice on how zombies can interact with the living in social situations, recipes to spice up that brain tartar, inspirational tales including how Z’s can be for Jesus, job suggestions for the undead, and a big spread on zombie models and fashion. The magazine is chock full of much more, and each page was a delight to check out.
My understanding is that Eloise Knapp is studying graphic design in college currently, and if this is what she has to show for her efforts thus far, she has a very prosperous career ahead of her, along with her writing talent taking her places as well.
You can get Z Magazine over at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Magazine-First-Written-Zombies/dp/B0062FUSRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324759690&sr=1-1
December 24, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff... | Tags: art work, book review, comedy, cover art, horror, magazine, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
Carole Lanham has compiled a series of intriguing poems and short stories that all revolve around the experiences of children in dark and strange places-sometimes these places are in the mind, and in other instances, geographically and chronologically distance lands that seem like dreamscapes, even if they are in places as commonplace as a farm in rural Iowa. The stories here have a way of tantalizing without revealing too much, too soon. Many of the stories tease about the relationships among boys and girls-their dreams and fears, lusts and passions. And while what the characters are experiencing seem so real and within your grasp as a reader, there is a magic allure to them that makes them fleeting and illusive. They have an otherworldly quality about them. It is not just the tales with obvious magic, like ‘Keepity-Keep’ or ‘Friar Garden…’, or the tales beset with monsters, like ‘The Good Part’ or ‘The Blue Word’, but every tale and every poem within this compilation. Even though ‘Maxwell Treat’s…’, ‘The Reading Lessons’, and ‘The Forgotten Orphan’ all seem as if they could take place in the real world-our world-the author manages to transport us to mysterious and alien realms in them that are fascinating and dark beyond the realities most of us will ever deal with.
I enjoyed this compilation. I had read ‘The Blue Word’ previously, and while I normally skip a tale when I come across it for the second time, I found myself compelled to read it again and was filled with the same level of sadness and regret that I felt the first time, even when I knew what was coming at the end of the story. It is one of my favorites in this book, along with Keepity-Keep. Some of the other tales didn’t resonate with me quite as much, but they still had a flavor to them that is hard to pin down or describe-like a meal in a restaurant you’ve never been to before. They sort of leave a odd taste in your mouth, but not in a bad way…in more of a fantastical way that sticks with taste buds long after the food is gone. There wasn’t a particular story or poem I didn’t like-the author pulled me in with each, and even if there may have been a certain aspect or one or the other that didn’t click for me (the ending of ‘Friar Garden’ seemed rather abrupt for my tastes), they all made sense in a strange, dream-filled way.
Carole Lanham has a tremendous talent for the written word. I don’t just mean this because she can craft a story, which she most certainly can do, but because there is a particular quality to each story that transports you, like some authors are able to do-taking you elsewhere with just a few words in the first few sentences. Some authors make you feel at home with their writing, as if you are reading about people you feel like you know and could find yourself surrounded by even if they are in a environment that is pure fantasy or beyond belief. Carole Lanham does not do that here, in this book. Instead, she has the knack of introducing characters and places that take you out of that comfort zone and puts you on alert that there is something strange going on, both in the world at large and within the characters themselves that make them different from you or I. You may not be able to figure it out right away, and even if you think you do, you realize that there is probably more to it with every passage you read. And in the end, things don’t all fall into place. You are left wondering what just happened.
The Whisper Jar is a compelling read, sweet and savory while often times leaving you squirming with discomfort as you journey through its pages.
You can find The Whisper Jar here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Whisper-Jar-ebook/dp/B0062ID33K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324185038&sr=8-1
December 18, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, book review, comedy, horror, poetry, short stories, supernatural, vampires, werewolves, zombies | Leave a comment
Fleshbags takes place over the course of the initial hours on the what might be the first day of the zombie apocalypse, though the creatures involved are enough of a variation on traditional zombies to be considered their own subspecies. Of course, they would fall into the zombie category, but have some different characteristics, that’s for sure. The author has taken time to create a man-made virus that is fascinating in its assault on its victims. The story itself goes from hour to hour of the growing infection, with the elements of confusion and hysteria that come along with it. We get to see where the virus is being developed (and still tweaked), with hints as to why it’s been created. We see how far it has spread, or so we think, though once again, there are hints at a larger story at play, with the military getting involved pretty rapidly. There is plenty of confusion and no clear understanding of what is going on by virtually anyone running through the pages of this story, including the victims themselves. Each is focused on their own desire to survive with a lot of the plot taking place in and around a daycare that is close to the epicenter of the virus’s release.
As I mentioned, it would be tough to call the victims of this virus zombies. They certainly share enough traits with that category of monster, but they still live, or at least retain a level of cognition for a time, that allows the reader to see what is going on inside their minds. The author hints at more hidden beneath the depths of their gory exterior, with expressions on some of these creatures faces that show they seem reluctant to carry out the violence they are prone to perpetrating on the innocent. As the author (and one of the characters in the story) has dubbed them, they are fleshbags. Parts of their anatomy seem to go runny around their midsection, and their skin appears to be more like a transparent bag showing their insides rather than skin. Again, these zombies are different…they act different in many ways, they look different, and on some level, retain the ability to think, if only for a short time.
The story itself follows several different characters maneuvering through the northern suburbs of Detroit. I recognized many of the streets mentioned due to my travels in that city. This is a novella-length story, and there are quite a few characters, so we move from place to place and person at a quick pace. There are loose ends at the end, which lead me to believe that this might be the start of a larger project by the author. As a stand alone, it is an entertaining bit of gore splashed apocalyptic fiction that moves at a quick, and sometimes blurred pace. I liked how the author delved into the minds of some of the fleshbags as they transition-they seemed as confused and bewildered as the living surrounding them. I would be curious to see more of this tale, if indeed this develops into something larger from the author. Especially with the so many questions left unanswered at the end.
As an added bonus, the author includes two more zombie-centric short stories and excerpts from two of his other long form works as well. The short stories were both non-traditional tales of the undead that were interesting and thought provoking reads for me. Overall, a fun zombie-centric read that make me interested in seeing more from this author.
Fleshbags can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Fleshbags-ebook/dp/B005IDGQNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323548281&sr=8-1
December 10, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, book review, horror, kindle, novella, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
Whispers from the Dark is a compilation of author Bryan Hall’s short horror fiction. He is releasing his first novel length story, “Containment Room Seven” fairly soon, and so compiled this list of tales, several of which have appeared in other publications, as something of a pre-release. It is a good way to get to know the author’s style of writing before plunging into his novel. Most of these stories are bite-sized morsels of horror that are a just a few brief pages in length. They run the gamut from monstrous horror to more subtlety nuanced darkness, with each having at least a bit of flavoring from Mr. Hall’s roots in the mountains of North Carolina. Some of these stories, such as “Dirt Don’t Hurt” are like a rabbit punch to the gut, giving you a quick scare, while others are more fully fleshed out with characters that are well-defined despite the short amount of space on the page they take up. The author knows how to spin a yarn, and regardless of length, there was a nice building of tension with almost all of them. Mr. Hall doesn’t waste time trying to explain the supernatural horrors his characters are facing; they are just there, and it is a credit to his writing ability that I accepted them as such, and for the most part didn’t need more detail. Because that is the allure here: I was taken into these dark spaces and given just enough understanding to have the feeling of discomfort and ominous foreboding that we horror fans love.
The only story in this anthology that I had seen before, and what drew me to checking this out, was the longest tale of them all, and the one that perhaps had the least amount of supernatural potency to it. All the same, “The Swim” was the most frightening story in this book, leaving me shattered when I first read it. It is one of the finest horror short stories I’ve ever read. Bryan hits all the right notes in that one, and pulls the emotions out of its readers like a maestro.
There is a bonus excerpt of Bryan’s novel at the end of the book of his upcoming novel, which I look forward to checking out based on the what I have seen of his short story work. Check this out, and give his novel a shot as well, once it’s released.
Whispers from the Dark can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-From-The-Dark-ebook/dp/B005Q339DQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320360457&sr=8-1
November 3, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Anthology, book review, horror, kindle, Permuted Press, short stories, supernatural | Leave a comment
Knight Watch Press brought together a community of writers to create stories of their hometowns and the apocalypse. Essentially, the mandate was to craft a story with one of the last living people after things fall apart or extinction event occurs. We could use pretty much any humanity annihilating excuse to see how fun, or how scary it could be under those circumstances. So my little story, “Love Thy Neighbor” takes place in Cincinnati, but the same thing could happen in any town, any city the world over. I can’t wait to get my copy of the book to check out the rest of the stories-the reviews I’ve read thus far are quite complimentary. And what’s even better is that a second volume of stories is due out early next year, with even more world toppling excitement.
So check out Soul Survivors Hometown Tales: Volume 1 over on Amazon, or where ever you can get your hot little hands on a copy! Click the picture to head on over to Amazon.
October 30, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Aliens, Apocalypse, ghosts, horror, KnightWatch Press, short stories, supernatural, vampires, werewolves, zombies | Leave a comment
This one was a long time coming, but I am thrilled to announce the release of the anthology, Zombidays, Fesitivities of the Flesheaters, from Library of the Living Dead. These stories revolve around the undead (naturally…er, I mean, unnaturally) with different holidays as the backdrop for each story (Ho! Ho!…Ho?). My story, “What A Fool Believes” has to do with…you guessed it: April Fool’s Day! Nothing better than prankster zombies!
This anthology is already up on Amazon, so check it out there. You can head on over by clicking on the picture below. I myself am looking forward to diving into all the different tales from a slew of great authors who know how to craft a good zombie story. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing zombies with firecrackers, Halloween candy, or a few candy canes! Just shove an Easter Egg in to each of their eyes…it might not kill ’em, but it’ll sure blind them!
So give it a look, and buy a few copies as stocking stuffers for Christmas…or even to give the kiddees rather than candy on that holiday coming up in a few days…but you better hurry if you wanna do that! But I would prepare for your house to be egged, because this book is full of tricks…well, and a few treats as well, heh.
October 26, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: comedy, cover art, Hloidays, horror, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
This is sort of a repeat of a previous post, with a minor tweak. Look What I Found, from Norgus Press, is now available on Amazon! My short story, “VRZ”, can be found within its pages, along with a bevy of other wild tales of found devices and unique and magical items. My tale deals with virtual reality and the extremes one man will go through to experience the ultimate deadly rush.
Here is the description from the back cover of the book:
We spend our lives going through our paces surrounded by things of magic and mystery, but sometimes choose not to open our eyes to see them. The world around us still has places that are yet to be discovered. There are people that we pass on the street that are not what they seem to be. There are objects with untold powers that are only waiting to be found. We train ourselves to look at the norm.
The stories within this anthology examine those mysteries and the excitement of discovery that awaits those who dare to tread. The members of society that look a little deeper. Those who long to say, “Look What I Found!”
Just click on the image from the front cover below to be sent on over to the website link.
October 2, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Anthology, horror, NorGus Press, short stories, writing | Leave a comment
Tim Long, a fellow zombie novelist and all around great guy shot me over some questions a little while back. Some were normal, some were odd, and some…well, just check it out. I chat about my books, about my zombie slaying skills (well, sort of), I ramble a bit, and I chat about a new project I’m involved with that Tim handed the reins over to me on. So I am handling my first editing project. I will provide more details down the road as the book shapes up a bit more and is ready for primetime, but for now, give a looksee at the info on it over on his website: http://timothywlong.com/an-interview-with-patrick-dorazio/.
Thanks Tim for a fun interview. Oh and do Tim a favor and check out what else he has on his blog. He is in the process of releasing a couple of books and has a some others that have been out for a while…all of which I have read, and all of which I can heartily recommend…though a couple of them are pretty odd. But Tim is a pretty odd guy. And that, my friends, is a good thing!
September 26, 2011 | Categories: My Writing Experiences, Random Thoughts | Tags: Apocalypse, beyond the dark, comedy, comes the dark, horror, interview, Into The Dark, Library of the Living Dead, publishing, short stories, writing, zombies | Leave a comment
I wanted to share this cool video promoting one of the anthologies that I recently announced that I am going to be a part of with my short story, “Legacy.” Peter Giglio, whose own story appears within the pages of Live and Let Undead, created this video for Hollie Snider, who compiled the anthology. So I wanted to share it here.
Just hit the link and head on over to YouTube: http://youtu.be/kFkMtCjez4k
August 30, 2011 | Categories: The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, book trailer, comedy, horror, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
Well, I was going to wait until the official wrap around cover was released, but I decided I didn’t want to. There will be a few more tweaks to this one, but I love the artwork, and love my story that appears within its pages. The title of the book is Live and Let Undead, and as the back cover describes, it is a bit of a different take on the traditional zombie apocalypse story telling. More details to come on this anthology, and my short story “Legacy” as it gets closer to a release date.
The Zombie-pocalypse is real! Loved ones are returning from the grave in search of flesh and brains! Humans are running scared!
Aren’t they?
Here, rather than shooting them in the head, eighteen talented authors have figured out how to put the Undead to work. Zombies can now be contributing members to society once more.
Looking for some customer service help? “Operators” from AM Burns, has just the call center crew for you. Need road repairs? Check out the workers in Mike Baretta’s “Memorial Day.” How about a solution for all those bombs, drugs, and other nasty stuff crossing through our seaports? Matt Adams’ Sparky can take care of it in “Sparky Save The World.”
These stories, and others, from authors-
Rebecca Snow
Keith Gouveia
Barry Rosenberg
Suzanne Robb
Patrick D’Orazio
Janet Tait
JW Schnarr
Brian Johnson
Steve Ruthenbeck
Daniel Robichaud
Brook Fabian
Jeff Chitty
HE Roulo
Peter Giglio
and
Eric Juneau
-will have you wishing for a zombie of your own.
Maybe…
August 27, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, comedy, cover art, horror, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, zombies | 2 Comments
While I would typically try to promote two different books I am going to be in with separate posts, I believe that will come later, when the two of these books are released at different times. For now, I was made aware of the covers of each book within the last couple of days, and as such, it is time for me to promote them both, side by side. So, without further ado and in no specific order, here are two anthologies that short stories of mine will be appearing in. As to the projected release dates, that remains to be seen, but as always, once they are released, you will receive notice here on them from me, and I will share links on where to buy them as well.
The first book is being released by Norgus press, and is entitled: Look What I Found!
My short story, VRZ, will appear in this book. Here is the description from the back cover:
We spend our lives going through places surrounded by things of magic and mystery, but sometimes choose not to open our eyes to see them. The world around us still has places that are yet to be discovered. There are people that we pass on the street that are not what they seem to be. There are objects with untold powers that are only waiting to be found. We train ourselves to look at the norm. The stories within this anthology examine those mysteries and the excitement of discovery that awaits those who dare to tread. The members of society that look a little deeper. Those who long to say, “Look What I Found!”
The other anthology is from Wicked East Press and I am actually in the process of writing up my short story for this one, so I don’t even have an official title as of yet, but fear not, there shall be one soon enough. This one is entitled Read The End First. 24 Apocalyptic Tales. 24 Time Zones.
Here is a description:
Ever wonder how the world would end if you could decide?
This anthology takes the concept of the Apocalypse a step further.
24 authors pick their own time zone to destroy, and leave you wondering if the prophecies they speak of are true.
The premise here is simple: each of the authors were given a time zone and they are expected to have a story that starts at midnight that speaks of a unique ending to the world. Combined, there will be twenty four time zones of annihilation and doom when all is said and done. I am pretty excited to be a part of this project. My own little bit of destruction will hopefully be quite interesting. But no hints as to what time zone I have or what demise I have chosen for you all. I will just say that no zombies will be harmed in the making this short story, heh. More details to come later.
I am pretty proud of the twisted tale, “VRZ” in Look What I Found!, which involves a trip into virtual reality…but it almost seems too real for the character taking the trip. And I am working hard to make the story for Read the End First one I am just as proud of. I will definitely be letting everyone know more about them around their release times, for certain!
August 11, 2011 | Categories: The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, cover art, horror, NorGus Press, short stories, wicked east press, zombies | Leave a comment
I had the chance to answer a few questions from podcaster and fellow author Patrick Hester, who is, proudly, a Functional Nerd. What is a functional nerd, you ask? Once upon a time, a boss noted that, for a nerd, Patrick Hester still managed to ‘function’ within society – hence was born: The Functional Nerd.
We chatted about bizarro, The Dark Trilogy, me (ugh!), my life outside of writing, the pluses and minuses of the “big publishing house route” vs. “the small press publishers”, short story writing vs. novel writing, and of course, zombies! It was a blast to do. Patrick conducts a great interview. My thanks to him for his great questions, insights, and the conversation we had afterword that shed some light on some really cool conventions I wasn’t aware of that I might be checking out in the upcoming months and years.
Check it out here! http://functionalnerds.com/2011/08/episode-067-patrick-dorazio/.
August 2, 2011 | Categories: Beyond The Dark, Comes The Dark, Into The Dark, My Writing Experiences, Random Thoughts | Tags: Apocalypse, beyond the dark, Bizarro, comes the dark, dark stories, horror, interview, Into The Dark, Library of the Living Dead, Permuted Press, short stories, writing, zombies | Leave a comment
Bob McClain runs a Disney website and has created some Disney related guides for fans of the theme parks and Disney in general. But apparently, he also has a side of him that can’t resist the urge to imagine his fondness for Disney fairy tales clashing with another love of his: gut wrenching zombie horror. This piece, Snow White and the Seven Dead Dwarves, is essentially a primer for a book he has written that spreads the terror of the undead to many other fairy tale lands.
As to this particular novella/short story, it starts out much like the traditional, Disney version of the classic tale does, though the author makes it clear in his introduction that he has a great appreciation for the original medieval story, which was far more dark than what Disney put up on the big screen. He decides to take things one step (well, several steps) further, when the huntsmen comes across a wild bore that has been infected with a zombie virus and uses its organs to feed to the queen he is trying to fool into believing that he killed Snow White and took them from. Naturally, all hell breaks out from there after she dines on the tainted meat.
I know that any innocent, fun-loving Disney fan will probably be repulsed by this piece, while any zombie fan out there should be able to appreciate the grim humor and dark telling of this tale. The author is forced to change the names of the dwarves because the ones we know and love are copywrited (or whatever the term is) by Disney. He does a decent job with their new names, and allows us to imagine the dwarves in the cartoon being forced to deal with the terrible happenings in this revised version of the classic.
Snow White and the Seven Dead Dwarves can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Snow-White-Seven-Dwarves-ebook/dp/B0058B9NV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311530192&sr=8-1
July 24, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, book review, horror, kindle, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
Wolves of War is an anthology of werewolf tales with war being the setting. Most of these stories hold to that, though there are a few stray pups that don’t really stick with that as the theme, though each of them have werewolves front and center as the key element to each story.
A brief overview of the different stories found on the pages within this book:
World Were II by A.P. Fuchs: Sergeant Dick Channer is at war. Not only with the enemy, but with himself as he hides out in a bunker with the half-eaten corpse of his father, a General, at his side.
The Devil’s Teardrop by David Dunwoody: A little twist on the traditional werewolf tale where the horror isn’t always manifested in a physical form.
And The Streets Will Run Red with the Blood of Bunnies by Derek J. Goodman: From the world of the author’s novel, “The Apocalypse Shift”, Mr. Goodman gives us a darkly comedic tale of werewolves and were…bunnies. Yep, bunnies.
Adrift: A Werewolf Tale by Anthony Giangregorio: A traditional werewolf tale of a bloodbath, but with the slant of it being at sea, on a ship where there is nowhere to run from the slaughter.
Once We Were…by Grayson Moran: You don’t always know who, or what, the true menace is, even if the creatures at the gate are the ones with the fangs and claws ready to tear your heart out.
The Battle After the Apocalypse by Casey Quinn: As the author states at the beginning of this tale, the enemy of my enemy is my friend…but for how long, in this story of the world after the bombs fall.
Fleeing by Rhiannon Frater: Man is not the only creature that flees the horrors of war and sometimes, it is better not to stick your nose into other people’s business.
Homecoming by Franklin E. Wales: I always thought it would be cool to explore my Italian heritage, but not if I knew what was going on in those Italian hills during WW2.
Under a Civil Moon by John Grover: The question often comes up in transformation tales…can the man ever control the beast, especially when he knows what it does is wrong? This Civil War tale explores that question.
Let Loose the Wolves of War by Timothy W. Long: What if you could become the perfect warrior? One that could travel the space lanes and release your inner-beast to lead your squad to victory time after time?
FUBAR by Alan Mendoza: American G.I.’s come across a German Bunker during WW2 with more than just dead German soldiers in it as they discover a bloodbath and some strange experiments going on.
Simon Midean by T. Patrick Rooney: A fast paced whirlwind of blood and guts tale of a werewolf that seems unstoppable, and yet, it is often times the things you least expect that bring things to a crashing halt.
Overlord by Dylan J. Morgan: Another WW2 tale, but told from the eyes of the werewolves, who care little for the follies of man but use their wars to hide their eternal battle with their arch-nemesis.
The World has Talent…To Kill by John McCuaig: On the game show circuit, the werewolves are the kings of the world when it comes to taking on all supernatural comers and laying waste to them.
Blood and Belief by Thom Brannan and Victorya: The world is at war with the werewolves, and they are killed on sight. But what if one of the soldiers in the cause had a dark secret, and knew of even darker, more dangerous secrets that would impact both human and wolf-kind alike?
Der Wulf by Tim Curran: The siege of Stalingrad turns into an even darker nightmare for a squad of German soldiers as they stumble onto a den of werewolves and face the wrath of the pack-leader.
Genetic Coding by Lee Pletzers: Having the natural instincts of a wolf, as well as its strength and endurance, make for a very tough terrorist in this romp through a jungle filled with strange mutations.
As is the case with every anthology, not all stories hit the mark for me, though overall, this was an entertaining tome of short tales of werewolves doing what werewolves do best: terrifying while tearing the hearts out of their prey. Though there were several really entertaining stories in this book, the one that I would have to say was my favorite was “Der Wulf.” The author takes a scene out of nightmare with the siege of Stalingrad, something horrifying enough on its own, and ups the ante with the addition of creatures out of myth that turn jaded soldiers who have pretty much accepted that they are doomed and fills their hearts with the realization that there are fates far worse than death.
If you are fond of werewolves, this one is well worth checking out.
You can find Wolves of War here: http://www.amazon.com/Wolves-War-Werewolves-Eric-Brown/dp/1449573665/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310327912&sr=8-1
July 10, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: book review, horror, kindle, Library of Horror, short stories, werewolves | Leave a comment
I just mentioned in my prior post that Rebecca Besser had reviewed Comes The Dark and also that she had interviewed me as well. Well, Rebecca is a busy blogger today, because she just posted my interview after posting her review earlier today. You can check it out here: http://blog.rebeccabesser.com/2011/07/06/interview-with-patrick-dorazio-author-of-comes-the-dark-the-first-book-of-the-dark-trilogy.aspx
Thanks once again to Rebecca for taking the time to do the interview. It was a lot of fun!
July 6, 2011 | Categories: Beyond The Dark, Comes The Dark, Dark Stories, Into The Dark, My Writing Experiences, Random Thoughts | Tags: Apocalypse, beyond the dark, comes the dark, dark stories, horror, interview, Into The Dark, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
The best way I can describe this portfolio of short tales is to say that it is an eclectic blend of genres, themes, and ideas. Don’t expect to be granted a full explanation of some of the stories. You will be required to come up with your idea of any meaning that can be interpreted from some of them, while others are written in a more traditional manner than makes the purpose of the author more clear. Being challenged is a good thing here, with stories that maybe don’t go down a straight path.
There are definitely some horror tales in this one, including the first story that this collection takes its name from, Savage Fire, as well as An Island Never Cries, but there is also some bizarro tossed in for good measure, an old fashion detective tale, a western, a modern variant on the story of Medusa, a gut wrenching tale of suicide, a twist on the tale of The Little Mermaid that I found to be an amusing deviation from the norm, and even a couple of more or less traditional werewolf tales that were entertaining as well.
This anthology is probably best described as a compilation of the author’s work, with no running theme that ties the stories together, except for the author’s natural ability to craft a interesting tale. Not every story resonated with me, as is typically the case of such a diverse compendium. I felt that a few stories could have been fleshed out a bit more and turned into something more intriguing, but overall, this anthology shows some impressive range. This is an easy read and brought a smile to my face in more than one instance…sometimes one of pleasure, sometimes a smile that cropped up because I appreciated the author’s devious nature.
A good anthology, and a worthwhile read.
Savage Fire can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Fire-ebook/dp/B0053IX52O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308418967&sr=8-1
June 18, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Bizarro, book review, horror, kindle, short stories, werewolves, zombies | Leave a comment
Sheri Gambino has put together an assortment of tales that spring from her dark and vivid imagination for Twisted Tales of Terror. This anthology has several zombie apocalypse tales, but the author mixes things up with an assortment of other stories to stir the pot. Included in this book are a few twisty, surprise entries that were unexpected, including one about a mad scientist, a vampire waging a war against evil, a truly killer clown, and the author’s own slant on “Kiss of the Spider Woman”. She includes a dash of voodoo and a couple of tales of menace from space along with her zombie stories, most of which are traditional survival tales, but with an assortment of demonic invaders thrown in for good measure.
The author creates some solid characters along with a few throw away ones that come with the typical short story. I grew attached to a few of the characters that I felt like could have been delved into deeper, with grander tales crafted around them. They drew me in and kept me intrigued. As for the “throw away” characters, I don’t mean that in a negative way-but when you are dealing with the apocalypse, you tend to need a lot of grist for the mill, and Sheri carves up the bodies here quite nicely.
Overall, this was a brisk, easy read that entertained me and was done far more quickly than expected. The editing is sharp and I could see making a commitment to a full sized novel by this author with one, or several of her more intriguing characters that she has to offer.
Twisted Tales of Terror can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Tales-of-Terror-ebook/dp/B004YQVOXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308014835&sr=8-1
June 13, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Aliens, Apocalypse, book review, horror, kindle, science fiction, short stories, vampires, zombies | Leave a comment
I am pretty excited about this one. I wrote a time travel story a while back entitled “Intervention”, which Wayne Goodchild was gracious enough to accept into his time travel anthology. But this isn’t just stories about time travel, but stories about when time travel goes wonky and things get screwed up, both now and then, or is that then and now? I’m not quite sure, but it was certainly fun thinking up the consequences behind manipulating the time streams. I was pretty proud of my little story and was thrilled to find out that it would appear in the book, and first in the table of contents no less. The cover has just been revealed and the book should probably be released later this summer. It is a bit of a departure from my traditional horror story M.O., I know, but I was excited to stretch myself a bit with a twisty little tale of the present and future colliding.
Without further ado, here is the wrap around cover!
More details to follow. I hope plenty of you will be interested in checking this one out.
June 3, 2011 | Categories: The Shorts | Tags: cover art, Library of Science Fiction and Fantasy, science fiction, short stories, time travel | 7 Comments
It is always worth checking out an anthology done for charity, even if it perhaps isn’t something up your alley. Fortunately for me, I dig horror and so it wasn’t so difficult for me to pick this up on the kindle not long after it was published a few months back. I’ve been to Rhonny’s website, Dollar Bin Horror, and had heard tell of this anthology over on Facebook as well. So I thought I would see what assortment of stories she had put together for this one.
What we have are fifteen stories written primarily by newer authors, though a few tales have been penned by more established writers.
Here is a brief overview of the stories and the authors:
indiviDUALITY by Dan Dillard tells the tale of a jaded serial killer who is gains insight on life and death from a potential victim
Tuesdays Suck by Jesse Gable dips into the worlds of the narrator, who apparently always has the worst, and most twisted, adventures on Tuesdays
A Mother’s Love by Rhonda E. Kachur tells of a mother’s heartbreak and quest for revenge
The Devils of Logan Square by Scott and Sean Kenemore is about a man has a transplant and receives a new heart with a dark past
ZOMBIE WORLD by Calvin A.L. Miller II shows the world zombies in their natural habitat-locked up in a park that people are charged admittance to so they can check them out safely behind walls…sort of
The Conqueror Worm by JZ Murdock tells of the misadventures of Jimmy and James, two boys who like exploring and dig up something very strange in the side yard
The Station by David Naughton-Shires takes us on train ride to destiny
Radiant by R.D. Penning gives us old-fashion creature feature scares with some deep dwelling lizard who rises up from the depths to find a new food source during a flood
Vigor After Death by Lyle Perez-Tinics provides his slant on zombie patient zero
The 1207 to Stoningham by Erik Polk is about another train ride to destiny, but this one is going in a different direction entirely
How Much Do I Love Thee by Cinsearae S. tells a tale of love, loneliness, and how far someone would go to get one while ridding the world of the other
Christmas Wishes by Chris Saunders is a surprisingly touching tale of zombies at Christmas, and the wishes we all have for happiness
The Ugly Side of Pretty by Petra Ylva Steele is a parable of true beauty, anger, and unfettered jealousy
Stranded in the Storm by Sean Thompson is a good old werewolf tale in its rawest form
Beasts of the Shadows by Holly K. Wood takes the zombie apocalypse one step further along the evolutionary trail
Overall, this is a solid anthology with a diverse group of stories for a variety of horror tastes. As is the case with almost every anthology of this sort, some of the stories didn’t resonate quite as much for me as some of the others, and it was easy to see that a few of the efforts were the first published tales of some of the authors. I’m not sure that is criticism as much as it is pointing out that it will be interesting to see how those authors mature and come forward with even better work as time goes on. There was, without a doubt, a lot of enthusiasm and some really creative ideas mixed in with this bunch, and it was certainly fun to read. If I have to pick out one story that resonated with me the most, it would have to be Christmas Wishes by Chris Saunders. I have read my share of touching zombie stories, but almost without exception, it isn’t the zombies that lend themselves to the emotional tenor of those tales. Chris was able to make me care about a little zombie girl and her brothers, which is pretty tough to pull off.
Definitely an entertaining anthology, and worth checking out if you like your horror in bite-sized pieces.
You can find Rhonny Reaper’s Creature Features here: http://www.amazon.com/Rhonny-Reapers-Creature-Features-Anthology/dp/1936809060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306765299&sr=1-1
May 30, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff... | Tags: Apocalypse, book review, horror, kindle, short stories, werewolves, zombies | Leave a comment
A year ago (or there abouts), I agreed to be a part of a project that would bring together around twenty different authors in a collaboration effort to write a zombie book. Each of us would take on the responsibility of writing a chapter of the book, until we got to the half-way point, and then we would mix it up and write another chapter each to finish the book. It would be a chance for each of us to build upon what anyone who had written chapters before us, and try to keep things cohesive while messing things up, killing off beloved characters, and putting those who survive into some really crazy situations.
We are now halfway through the project. In an effort to raise the funding so that once this magnum opus is complete, it can be published, the coordinator of this project, Matt Nord, came up with the idea of creating an anthology of short stories written by the various authors involved in the project. He would also put the first five chapters of the collaboration in this anthology, in an effort to wet the future audience’s taste buds for this project. So what we have is something that Matt has called Collabothology. Despite this odd word, it is a great little project, and here is the description of it:
Collabthology. Is it a real word? Yes. Will you find it in the dictionary? Probably not, unless you get one that I’ve found a scribbled the word “Collabthology” into.
But that’s besides the point. What you hold in your hands is an anthology chock-full of fan-freaking-tastic horror stories (note that while most are zombie stories, not all are) from a ton of names you probably know as well as some new writers you may not know. Either way, you are in for a treat!
This anthology is also my attempt to introduce the public to the world of the Collaboration of the Dead. At the end of this anthology are the first 5 chapters from the Collaboration of the Dead, a novel featuring over 20 of the best and brightest writers in the horror/zombie genre. Each writer adds a bit of themselves to the story and makes it their own.
Collabthology features stories by Patrick D’Orazio, Gerald Rice, Mike Mitchell, Rebecca Besser, John McCuaig, Brandon Cracraft, Jeremy Bush, Ken Goldman, Lorraine Horrell, Marius Dicomites, Jamal K. Luckett, Douglas Hackle, Cassie Shaver, C.H. Potter, T.W. Brown, Tony Schaab, Suzanne Robb, Mihai Boc, Ben Langhinrichs, Michael S. Gardner and Matt Nord, poetry by Carey Burns, Karime Limon and Matt Nord and sample chapters from Collaboration of the Dead from Matt Nord, T.W.Brown, GNBraun, Zombie Zak and Stephanie Kincaid.
So, for those of you who don’t know what Collaboration of the Dead is, this will be your first taste of what we are about! Bon appetit!
And so, I am proud to be a part of this project, both the collaboration itself and this anthology. If you are looking for an opportunity to check out some interesting and varied horror stories, and want to see a bit of the collaborative effort some of my fellow authors have put to paper at the beginning of the book that will hopefully come to fruition in the next year or so, swing by Amazon and pick up your copy of Collabthology. Just click on the image below, and it will get you there. 
May 20, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: Apocalypse, flash fiction, horror, kindle, poetry, short stories, writing, zombies | Leave a comment
Just a brief while after it hit smashwords, my trilogy is now on the kindle! I am pretty thrilled about this one because it is FINALLY on the kindle, without the errors that the faced the original release of Comes The Dark that led to my publisher and I agreeing not to do any more kindle releases until the entire trilogy was ready to go. And now, it is ready to go!
Here is the description:
Patrick D’Orazio’s Dark Zombie Trilogy (Comes The Dark, Into The Dark, and Beyond The Dark), was originally released on the Kindle in an unedited form under the first book’s title, Comes The Dark. It is being re-released with the entire trilogy as it was meant to be read: edited and expanded, with additional chapters not appearing in the original Kindle version, along with the Dark Stories that have appeared in the author’s blog that provide a full fourth book of additional stories about many of the secondary characters appearing in the trilogy, including Megan, George, Jason, Michael, and Ben. The Dark Trilogy, Revised, Expanded, and with Additional Stories is over 250,000 words of an intense saga of the zombie apocalypse.
The end came with a whimper, not a bang. The mysterious virus came out of nowhere and engulfed the world in a matter of days. Everyone who was infected seemed to die…and rise again. Governments collapsed, armies disappeared, and entire civilizations turned to dust as the human race tore itself to pieces. Jeff Blaine had a good life: a beautiful wife, adorable children, and a nice house in the suburbs. He liked his job, loved his family, and spent his lazy suburban Sundays out on the deck, barbecuing with the neighbors. Things were perfect until everything fell apart. And no matter how hard Jeff tried, he could not spare his family from the horrors scratching at the door. Now, with his family gone, his life in ruins, the only thing left is raw anger and pain. As the world continues to sink into darkness, Jeff does as well. So he ventures out into the desolation with no better plan than to destroy as many of the monsters that stole his life away before they destroy him as well. But soon Jeff will discover other survivors unwilling to give up. They will force him to decide whether or not to give in to the venom that gnaws at his soul. Should he continue to fight to survive, or succumb to the things in the darkness?
Just click on the picture below and it will send you on over to Amazon so you can pick up a copy:
May 5, 2011 | Categories: Beyond The Dark, Comes The Dark, Dark Stories, Into The Dark | Tags: Apocalypse, beyond the dark, comes the dark, cover art, dark stories, editing, horror, Into The Dark, kindle, Library of the Living Dead, publishing, short stories, writing, zombies | Leave a comment
Another anthology one of my short stories will be in has a cover and the Table of Contents to show off, so I wanted to share them here with you.
The Anthology is entitled: Zombidays, Festivities of The Flesheaters. Each story is shaped around a different holiday, done up Zombie style. My story is entitled “What a Fool Believes” and is about, you guessed it, April Fool’s Day.
More details to come when this bad boy is ready for release. For now, check out the cover and the TOC, which includes holidays celebrated around the world!
Table of Contents
Richard Marsden – “Revolucion de los Muertos” – Day of the Dead
Stephanie Kincaid – “Zombie’s First Christmas” – Christmas
B. M. Kezar – “Inhuman Resources” – Thanksgiving & Black Friday
Tonia Brown – “Caveat Emptor” – Father’s Day
Nic Brown – “A Grave St. Patrick’s Day” – St Patrick’s Day
Deborah Walker – “Burn Bright and Bide” – Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night
Bryan Hall – “Reduce, Reuse, Reanimate” – Earth Day
Patrick D ‘ Orazio – “What a Fool Believes” – April Fools’ Day
Lee Pletzers – “He iwi tahi tatso” – Waitangi Day
Carey Burns – “Time To Eat” – 4th of July/Independence Day
Derek J. Goodman – “If a Tree Falls in a Forest” – Arbor Day
Stacey Longo – “Zombie Mama” – Mother’s Day
Keith Gouveia – “Dead Souls” – Valentine’s Day
Rob Rosen – “Kill Phil” – Groundhog Day
Christin Haws – “Land of the Voting Dead” – Election Day
Morris L. Crisp – “Bush Country” – Inauguratiion Day
Michael C. Lea – “Best Day Ever” – New Year’s Day
William Wood – “Lest We Forget” – Veterans Day
May 3, 2011 | Categories: Other folk's stuff..., The Shorts | Tags: comedy, cover art, horror, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, zombies | Leave a comment
I wanted to post the cover of an anthology that I am proud to have a story in. The challenge with the premise of this antho was to use two different monster archetypes and mash them up and make it into a comedy story about them. It is entitled Groanology: Amusing Monster Mash-Ups Unleashed!
My short story, “Hell in the Family” will appear on its pages. Shocking tidbit about it: there are NO zombies in this one! So you see, I can actually write a horror tale without the undead in it. But of course, there have been others I’ve written. But of course, by now, you all know I love writing about the undead buggers, heh.
Anyway, here is the cover, and I think it will give you a great idea of how amusing this book will end up being. More details to come as the book gets closer to release.
April 21, 2011 | Categories: The Shorts | Tags: comedy, ghosts, horror, Library of Horror, short stories, vampires, werewolves, zombies | 3 Comments
Mr. Moon interviews Patrick D’Orazio. Yep, the infamous Mr. Jonathan Moon, horror and bizarro writer (and editor) of epic magnitude, took the time out to ask me a few questions. Some of them were pretty normal, but a few…well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. I love the Deathmatch question. What? You don’t know what the Deathmatch question is? Well find out for yourself here: http://mrmoonblogs.blogspot.com/2011/04/mr-moon-interviews-patrick-dorazio.html. We talked about not only my books, but my short stories, my influences, and some other righteous topics.
It was a lot of fun checking in with Mr. Moon and I want to thank him for taking the time to do an interview with me that is coinciding with the release of Beyond the Dark. So please, check it out!
April 14, 2011 | Categories: Beyond The Dark, Comes The Dark, Into The Dark, My Writing Experiences, Random Thoughts, The Shorts | Tags: beyond the dark, comes the dark, horror, interview, Into The Dark, Library of the Living Dead, short stories, writer, writing, zombies | Leave a comment
My short story, VRZ, will appear in this book. Here is the description from the back cover:
Here is a description:
Patrick D'Orazio's Blog 