Coffin Hop Winners and a Review of Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection

Today I linger a bit in the spirit of Halloween as I’ll be posting the winners of my Coffin Hop contest and reviewing the chapbook Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection by the wonderful poet Sean Theall.

First the review.

Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection

I first became acquainted with Sean’s poetry over on Facebook in a poetry group. He is a fellow poet of the dark arts, and recently I had the pleasure of reading one of his poetry books, Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection.

From the cover to the last word, Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection is infused with a Stygian splendour and wicked charm. The poetry didn't shy away from sinister, visceral imagery—yet avoided being repellent—and maintained an overall sense of delightful dread.

The author has a superb storytelling knack, weaving threads of shadows into a poetic tapestry of lustre. Each poem in the book tells a story, some macabre, some eerie, and a few even gruesome, but all imparted with words woven in a shadowy elegance and stylish spell. Two of my particular favourites were A Toast to Poe, a lovely tribute to the author and that famous grave visiting fan, and Angel’s Counsel, a quiet musing on the denizens of Heaven.

The book is bit like traversing through a mysterious cemetery of words, with shadowy surprises on each page. You can feel the Edgar Allen Poe influence in the poems—a very dark and deathly vibe—but there’s a certain raw beauty in the verse as well. Throw in a bit of serial killer, some bleak musings, and a touch of the paranormal for a well-seasoned mix of obsidian thrills and chills served in stanzas. Gothic Verses: The Halloween Collection is a must read for all fans of dark poetry.

You find out more about Sean and his books at these sites:

http://edgarallanpoet.com/Sean_Theall.html

http://mainstpoet.tripod.com/books.html

Okay, now on to the announcement of Coffin Hop winners.

First Prize (consisting of a Legends and Lore paperback and the two Killers and Demons ebooks) goes to: bn100

Please note: There was a small delay in shipping out the paperback of Legends and Lore from the publisher and it is still in transit to me, so there will be a short wait before can I can autograph it and mail it to the winner. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Second Prize (consisting of the potion bottles and pouch) goes to: Johanna Pitcairn

Third prize (consisting of the ebook copy of Killers and Demons II) goes to: Andrew Drage

Congratulations to the winners. I'll be contacting you by email sometime today.

I'd like to thank everyone who entered, and all the lovely people that stopped by to visit during Coffin Hop. And thanks as well to the wonderful organizers of the Hop and the fantastic bloggers.

Crawl Out Of Your Graves, It’s #CoffinHop 2014

Welcome to the Dark Side!

It’s that time of year again, when the ghouls come out play and so do we horror writers. Yes, boys and girls it’s Coffin Hop Time! 

For those of you not in the know, here’s a brief explanation of what will unfold:  Every October a horde of horror writers get together for an annual event and turn the last week of the month into the spooky festival of terror called Coffin Hop. It is a Halloween and horror themed blog hop that runs from Oct. 24^th until the 31^st. We have stories, trivia, ghoulish delights, and tons of contests. You can check out the official rundown here: http://coffinhop.com/what-is-coffin-hop-2/

For my participation, I have daily posts planned, with two book spotlights, a dark poetry corner, an excerpt by guest writer Jennifer L. Gifford, a multi-author spotlight, some scary drabbles by guest author Michael Brookes, a interview with my character Balthazar, and a Poe inspired story for Halloween. In addition, my blog is part of Melissa Smith’s scavenger hunt, so be sure to check out her blog for details: http://melissasmithbooks.wordpress.com/

Plus, I’ll be running a Rafflecopter contest all week, with lots of great prizes (see the bottom of the post for the contest).

So that’s the scoop on Coffin Hop. And after you’ve read this post, you can pop over to http://coffinhop.com/ to find out who else is hopping by checking out the Linky list.

Now join in today’s devilish fun…

I’ve recently published my newest horror story collection, Killers and Demons II: They Return, a book that (as you may have guessed) focuses on villains. So today, I’m starting off the Hop with a book spotlight and a bonus Villain List.

Killers and Demons II: They Return

Evil is back, with a greater appetite for death.

Killers.

Demons.

They lurk forever in the shadows, smile at you in the morning, and haunt your dreams at night. You can’t hide, you can’t run, and there’s no escape. You can only scream when they come for you.

Killers and Demons II:  They Return is a collection of thirteen tales, blending short stories and flash fiction, tales where the blood lingers on your tongue or spurts quickly from the swift cut.

The Villainous Roster:

Wade, every parent’s nightmare

Hannah and Mr. Greeley. Who is the victim and who is the villain?

Simon and Zoe, a married couple who are dying to be single again.

Norman and his "cookie" of a wife, Mabel.

Millicent and Jane, a delightful duo you shouldn’t invite to your Regency tea party

Amanda, who literally has a skeleton in her closet

Balthazar, the demon bounty hunter on the hunt once more.

Sarah, a young woman going through some changes and craving new tastes

Emmeline, hanged as a witch, now back from the dead for revenge

Gabrielle, a woman haunted by shadows

The Dollmaker, she showers death, and an umbrella won’t help

Nightmare Demons, bent on driving a town insane

And then there’s Alice, a little girl locked in the basement by her Daddy…

Together they form a spine-chilling cadre of predators.

Find the book at:

Goodreads

Amazon

Amazon CA

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Plus, download the first book in the series for free at Smashwords until Halloween:

Killers and Demons

On to the contest. I have three prizes up for grabs:

• First Prize: An autographed (by me) paperback of Legends and Lore and Smashwords copies of Killers and Demons and Killers and Demons II
• Second Prize: Mini potion bottles and a pouch
• Third Prize: A Smashwords copy of Killers and Demons II: They Return 

(Note: There will a small delay in delivery of the Legends and Lore paperback, as it is being shipped to me from the publisher before it continues on to the winner.)

Here's some photos of the prizes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now here’s that added bonus, a quick list of some of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy/horror villains on TV:

• Crowley (Supernatural): He’s the ever-so charming King of Hell, what more do you need?
• White Walkers (Game of Thrones): In a show simply overflowing with nasty types, these guys are downright chilling (pun intended).
• Hydra (Agents of Shield): What could be better than mad scientists and ruthless sleeper agents.
• The Daleks (Doctor Who): One word – Exterminate.
• The Headless Horseman/Henry Parish (Horseman of War)/Moloch (Sleepy Hollow): With this trio, the coming apocalypse is in very malevolent hands.
• Samaritan/Greer (Person of Interest): Creepy AI and his handler that are puppet masters for human security and covert spy operations. Nothing could possibly go wrong there.
• Hannibal Lector (Hannibal): Suave, elegant, and totally creepy.

Feel free to add your own villain to the list in the comment section. And be sure to pop back tomorrow for a peek at the Legends and Lore anthology, full of gods, mer-people, Valkyries, and my own contribution, Arthurian witches.

Released Today! Legends and Lore: An Anthology of Mythic Proportions

Today's the official release day for Legends and Lore: An Anthology of Mythic Proportions, and the last day of the fabulous blog tour. My story, Grail Days (a modern day tale of Arthurian Legend), is part of this anthology, and I'm proud to be included with this group of fantastic stories and talented authors.

Here's a quick look at the book, and an interview with one of the authors, M. K. Wiseman.  Plus, you can check out the book over on the Xchyler Publishing page (along with any tour stops you might have missed):
http://www.xchylerpublishing.com/site.cfm/Our-Books/Legends-and-Lore.cfm 

And be sure to attend the book launch party over on Facebook starting at 7 PM Eastern. The authors will be there to chat, and there will be games and great prizes.

Legends and Lore: An Anthology of Mythic Proportions

Delve into myth and legend, where the Fates force post-modern man into a world of the unknown—a world long since dismissed as ignorant superstition.


The Brother-Sister Fable by Alyson Grauer: A young boy disappears into a realm where only his sister can follow.

Faelad by Sarah Hunter Hyatt: Claire Whitaker didn’t even know she was Irish, let alone The Morrigan, the goddess of war.

By Skyfall by Emma Michaels: A mer-couple from Atlantis find themselves in the middle of a human murder investigation.

Charon’s Obol by. R. M. Ridley: Jonathan Alvey didn’t believe in gods, until he helps a lost child find her all-powerful parents.

Peradventure by Sarah E. Seeley: A jinni must choose between the woman he loves and destroying the city that persecuted her.

Natural Order by Lance Schonberg: When Carlos Vasquez is kidnapped, he discovers powers within himself to change the world.

Two Spoons by Danielle E. Shipley: A little girl’s soul meets its match in the family diner’s most mysterious patron.

Grail Days by A. F. Stewart: Living forever has its drawbacks, especially when you spend it clearing away the messes of other immortals.

Downward Mobility by M. K. Wiseman: They say love conquers all, but can it save a Valkyrie when she breaks all the rules?

Amazon

Goodreads

Xchyler Publishing

Interview with M. K. Wiseman

How did the idea for this story come to you?

“Downward Mobility” actually grew out of a different story that had been rattling around my hard drive for a little under a year. What I ended up actually writing drew inspiration from my time working in a law firm. I guess I just let my imagination run with the idea of a very tired Valkyrie.

What makes your main character unique?

Honestly, I don't view Amelia as all that unique. While that may not come off as a ringing endorsement, it is nice to have a relatable, down-to-earth character. Even with her supernatural background, Amelia has a human boldness, humor and capacity for love with which we 'mere mortals' can identify. Perhaps a thousand years amongst our kind has given her more humanity than even she expected.

Is this part of a series?

Not at this time. Unless . . .  

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I'm still not sure I am one. :) In all seriousness though, I have always wanted to tell stories. Animation was actually my first love and writing simply grew out of that.

What have you written?

I've published “Downward Mobility” as well as another short story in Xchyler Publishing's Mechanized Masterpieces Steampunk Anthology. In the hopper: I've over a dozen longer works in various stages of completion and I maintain two active continuing story blogs.

What are you working on?

I'm currently trying to put the finishing touches on a rather massive steampunk/fantasy novel while also trying to work out the bugs on three different short stories. 

How do you write? Longhand, typewriter, laptop, tablet?

I write near everything longhand; little yellow legal pads in a leather carry case. (Yes, I now have an entire desk full of filled notepads.) I type everything into the computer later—generally creating more typos than if I'd started digital.

What is your writing zone and how do you get there?

The zone is whenever I write and the results aren't total garbage. The aforementioned yellow legal pads have scores of pages with lines through sections I have deemed 'unworthy' of seeing the light of day. Sometimes the act of writing is just getting pen on paper, while other days the results are pure magic and I know I have found my groove.

What’s the hardest thing about writing?

The time spent. It really does take massive amounts of time. 

What’s the easiest thing about writing?

The ideas. When I started out I had one idea and worried that it was all my brain was ever going to produce. Then I had another idea, and then another one . . . which, of course, leads directly to the hardest thing about writing for me. ;)

What are you currently reading?

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. Fantastic book.

Do you prefer reading eBook or paperback?

I have a Nook and have sometimes read on my phone but prefer paperback.

What advice do you have for fellow writers?

Keep at it! Embrace what creative avenues your brain goes down and be true to yourself. Don't write a thing just because it's in style, write it because you'd love to read it, because the world needs that story. (Oh, and the librarian in me says: read a lot!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Embrace The Horror This October

Okay dear readers, today I'm giving you a rundown of what to expect from me this busy, busy October. I've got book launches, blog tours, and the annual Coffin Hop upcoming this month. I just hope I survive until November...

First up is the launch of my new book, Killers and Demons II: They Return. The official release is October 4th, and I'm kicking it off with a launch party on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/555619914538616/

Everyone is welcome to attend, and bring your friends. I'm giving away free copies of the book (plus the added bonus of the first book in the series), some digital artwork, and a couple of short fiction stories (in PDF format).

After the launch, I move into the Killers and Demons II blog tour, starting October 5th and ending October 13th. There's a great line up of blogs to visit, with a nice selection of posts, interviews and spotlights, and a contest . You can check out the lineup here on my blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_26.html



Also, starting today Oct. 1st, the first book, Killers and Demons is free on Smashwords until Halloween.

After the Killers and Demons II blog tour, I take a small break from horror, but not from my busy schedule. A story of mine, Grail Days, (all about witches, Camelot, immortality and a modern day Grail Quest) appears in the new anthology from Xchyler Publishing, Legends and Lore, which is being released on October 22nd. A blog tour will run from October 14th until the launch date of October 22nd, and I'll be one of the talented authors taking part with an interview. And of course I'll be front and center as one of the authors in the book's Facebook launch party. Xchyler Publishing's parties are always fun, and there are cool prizes up for grabs, including the metallic, Celtic bookmarks I'm offering.

And I'm still not done.
With one day of rest (on the 23rd), I swing into the annual Coffin Hop (Oct 24th-31st) which will take me straight on to Halloween.
This year the theme for my blog is Villains, with a side order of Myth. I'll be spotlighting Killers and Demons II, Legends and Lore, doing my regular poetry corner (plus, I'll be posting poems on the Kintsugi Poets Society, which is also doing the Coffin Hop), and I hope to have some guests stop by this year. As well, there will be another contest, with some great prize packs.


So, that's what to expect this month, I hope you join in the fun.