Jan 16 2013

‘Wreck-It Ralph’ to Release Early

GOLDEN GLOBE® NOMINATED FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILMWreckItRalph

Marking a Disney first, Wreck-It Ralph Released with an Early Debut of the

HD Digital and HD Digital 3D Versions – Available for Purchase on February 12, 2013

Followed by the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™, DVD, SD Digital and

On-Demand Debuts March 5, 2013

 

Burbank, Calif., January 3, 2013 – Walt Disney Animation Studios announces the debut of the hit arcade-game-hopping adventure Wreck-It Ralph marking a Disney first with the early release of the HD Digital and HD Digital 3D on February 12, 2013, followed by the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, SD Digital and On-Demand release on March 5, 2013.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wreck-It Ralph takes viewers on a hilarious journey.  For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has played the bad guy in his popular video game. In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart. As he explores exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman). The film is directed by Emmy®-winner Rich Moore.

Featuring an all-star voice cast including Jack McBrayer as the voice of Fix It Felix, Jr. and Jane Lynch as the voice of Sgt. Calhoun, plus breakthrough bonus features that take viewers even deeper into the world of video games, Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” has something for every player. Over an hour of all-new bonus material is featured on the Digital and Blu-ray Combo Pack, including deleted and alternate scenes, the theatrical short “Paperman,” plus much more. 

The home entertainment debut of “Wreck-It Ralph” will be available in multiple ways, containing exciting all-new bonus features that extend the fun-filled movie experience.

 

Bonus Materials Overview for These Products:

HD Digital

SD Digital

4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray +DVD + Digital Copy)

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray +DVD)

 

Includes:

  • Bit by Bit: Creating the Worlds of “Wreck-It Ralph” – Fans of the film will get a look at five new worlds created for “Wreck-It Ralph.” The short takes viewers into Game Central Station with the artists who brought Sugar Rush, Hero’s Duty and Fix It Felix Jr. to life.

 

  • Alternate & Deleted Scenes – Four separate scenes are highlighted with an introduction and optional audio commentary from director Rich Moore.

 

  • Video Game Commercials – Viewers can check out the commercials created for the video games featured in the film – Fix It Felix Jr., Sugar Rush, Hero’s Duty and Fix It Felix Hammer.

 

  • “Paperman” – This animated short film played in theaters before “Wreck It Ralph.” It tells the story of a young man in an office who sees the girl of his dreams in a skyscraper window across the street. But how can he get her attention?

 

Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Materials

 

Includes:

  • Disney Intermission: The Gamer’s Guide to “Wreck-It-Ralph” – When the film is paused, host Chris Hardwick appears on screen to guide viewers through a series of 10 video segments offering an inside look at the many video game references, Disney references and other hidden surprises featured in the film.

Stay connected with the latest news and information about “Wreck It Ralph”:

 

Jan 11 2013

Amazon Kindle’s Censorship Policies

Amazon Kindle’s Censorship Policies

by David L. Tamarin

With the advent of e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and the ability of individuals to ‘self-publish’, many people have been talking about a ‘revolution’ in publishing. Supposedly, independent authors with difficulties getting published by traditional publishers can now use Amazon Kindle to self-publish their stories or books and sell them directly to the people, without the middleman of a publisher.

Unfortunately, this is not a real revolution because of Amazon Kindle’s policies regarding what they will publish. While they publish a lot of fetish pornography, including incest porn, and even have e-books containing scanned pornographic images. they recently told me that they would not publish my horror short story, “What Did You Do To The Children?” due to content violations- namely that the story is pornographic and/or contains inappropriate content.

I’m a successful non-fiction author, a regular contributor to Girls and Corpses and the website www.severed-cinema.com/uglyworld. I have also been published in Rue Morgue magazine, Scars, Verbicide, NewEnglandFilm.com, The Independent, Serial Killer magazine, Six Word Memoirs of Love and Heartbreak anthology, Butcher Knives and Body Counts (essays on slasher films), horrornews.net, Red Scream, and dozens of other magazines, websites and anthologies.

My fiction is potentially offensive, and has caused me problems throughout my career. I’ve been at the center of multiple controversies surrounding the content of his writing. Because of frustration with traditional publishers, I decided to release my stories on Amazon Kindle, but immediately encountered a problem when three consecutive companies that format books for Kindle for a fee decided they would not format my first Kindle book because of the extreme and offensive content. Since then, that particular story was accepted into an anthology, and published, and I learned to format stories for myself. Now I face my newest adversary to being published: Amazon. They have stated it will not publish the my story, nor will it provide the specifics of why it made its opinion. I have appealed to Amazon, asking them to reconsider their decision, and on December 30, 2012, they affirmed their decision that they would not publish the story.

I’m exploring other publishing opportunities.

Jan 3 2013

Papa Necon (Please Read)

This was written by Christopher Golden for the Necon E-books website.

Dear Necon Community,

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we write to you today to ask for your prayers, good thoughts, and positive energy for our Papa Necon, Bob Booth. As some of you may have heard, Bob came down with bronchitis in November. He was sent for a chest x-ray and it came back showing a shadow that the doctor didn’t like. Further tests revealed spots on his lung and lesions on his liver, which led to still further tests. He has been diagnosed with stage four extensive small cell lung cancer and stage four liver cancer. The doctors also believe that it has spread to his bones, and he is undergoing further testing to discover if it has reached his brain. Early next week, when all of the results are in, decisions will be made regarding the wisdom and usefulness of chemotherapy and other treatments, but it must be said that options are limited.

Over the more than thirty years since Necon’s founding, it has become ever clearer that Necon is more than a convention. It has been called summer camp, but always feels like more of a family reunion, and our Necon family grows and changes with every passing year, spreading further and adding new members. Bob has been the center of that family–truly Papa Necon–since the very first day, and it is one of his greatest pleasures. We trust that many of you will want to send Bob your thoughts, kind words, and well wishes, and we gratefully encourage you to do so. Prayers and positive energy are powerful and would be deeply appreciated by all of us.

Cards and letters can be sent directly to Bob at home. Bob Booth, 67 Birchland Ave Pawtucket, Ri 02860. If you’d like to send e-mails and want to be sure they reach him, the best way is to send them to Sara, and she will see that he receives them. Her e-mail is saracalia08@gmail.com.

Thank you for your kindness, past, present, and future.

Sincerely,

The Necon Family

Bob and Mary Booth. Photo by Jason Harris.

Bob and Mary Booth. Photo by Jason Harris.

Many NEHW members know Bob Booth and are sadden by the news mentioned above. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Jan 3 2013

Author Publishes Rock ‘N’ Roll Vampire novel

Damnation Books recently published author Rose Mambert’s debut rock ‘n’ roll vampire novel, The Muses.9781615728220

According to Amazon, the book entails, “sex, blood, and rock n’ roll. When indie rock journalist, Nick Landry pursues the elusive singer of The Muses, a mysterious woman known only as Blue, he eventually uncovers the band’s dark secret: they are vampires. Recent fame, however, leads to other complications for the band. Dimitri, an ancient vampire from guitarist Christian’s past, returns to “play the game” again. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a new vampire hunter in town-hell bent on revenge. In the final showdown, who will emerge from the battle undead?”

The book is available for $14.99 at Amazon by clicking here or as an e-book for $5.95 by clicking here.

For more information about the author, check out her website by clicking here.

Jan 2 2013

The Epitaph #27 (Dec. 2012)

Issue #27 (Dec. 2012)

The Epitaph

Journal of the New England Horror Writers (NEHW)

The NEHW Board of Directors:

Tracy L. Carbone – Co-Chair
Stacey Longo – Co-Chair
Dan Keohane – Treasurer
Jason Harris – Director of Publicity/Webmaster
K. Allen Wood – Director of Publications
Scott Goudsward – Director of Events
David Price – Board Member
Tim Deal (alternate)
T.J. May (alternate)

NEHW SIGNINGS AND READINGS:

Queen City Kamikaze

The NEHW will have some tables at this convention on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no cost to participate. Email Jason Harris at dudley228@gmail.com if you would like to participate. Check out the conventions website, http://www.queencitykamikaze.com/.

NEHW WRITING OPPORTUNITIES:

The second NEHW Anthology will be open for submissions January 1! The anthology will be edited by Stacey Longo and Ken Wood.
We’re looking for high quality dark fiction short stories. A flat fee of $50.00 will be paid per story upon publication.

Submission Guidelines: 12 pt Courier or Times New Roman, double-spaced. .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt formats acceptable. 5,000 word limit.

Please follow steps on submission site.

Submit here:
http://tinyurl.com/nehwantho

Deadline to submit is March 31, 2013. 

NEHW MEMBER NEWS:

From David L. Tamarin:

 My flash fiction story, “We Can All Be Art,” was accepted into Daily Frights 2013: 365 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction.

My story, “Hurting My Toys,” was published by No Boundaries Press in an anthology of ‘splatterpunk’ stories, Splattered, that is available as a Kindle ebook.
http://www.amazon.com/Splattered-An-Anthology-2012-ebook/dp/B00AG1KHAG/ref=la_B00A9HMXF4_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1356029066&sr=1-8

My article on surgical atrocities and my interview with Michael Todd Schneider a.k.a. Mikey MagGot was published in the latest issue of the magazine Girls and Corpses.

My interview with horror star and fetish model Madelina Horne was published on horrornews.net.
My essay on the films Maniac and Don’t Go In The House was published in the book, Butcher Knives and Body Counts, essays on slasher films featuring Jack Ketchum, Greg Lamberson and more. The book actually was published about a year ago, but I just found out when I received my copy and payment this month.
My interview with documentary director John Borowski, whose new film is about serial killer Carl Panzram, will be published in the next issue of Serial Killer magazine, along with my review of the film.
I released a story, “What Happens In The Attic,” on Amazon Kindle and it has gotten some publicity:
http://horrorunlimited.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/what-happens-in-attic-by-author-david-l.html
and
http://horrornews.net/63059/book-review-what-happens-in-the-attic-author-david-l-tamarin/
The latter article refers to some grammatical errors so I took the story down and fixed the errors and it has now gone back online.
I also released a short story collection on Kindle, a reprint of my 2006 e-book, Let Them Eat Snuff and I have an author page on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/David-L-Tamarin/e/B00A9HMXF4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1.
In film news, I acted for the film Fraternitas, for which I am also executive producer. I played a drug dealer. I was also an extra on the made for television film, The Makeover, with Julia Stiles.

From K.H. Vaughan:

Vaughan’s story, “Donkeyskin,” has been accepted for the anthology, Once Upon An Apocalypse Vol 2: Fairy Tales Meet Cthulhu.

From Erin Thorne:

I will be signing copies of my latest book, Behind The Wheel, on two dates in January:
Jan. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Seek Books in West Roxbury, MA.
Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Tatnuck Bookseller in Westborough, MA.

From Dave Goudsward:

My Chicago gangsters/Dunwich Horror short story “The Doom That Came to Al Capone” is in the just-released anthology Mortis Operandi from Harrow Press.

My next book, H.P. Lovecraft in the Merrimack Valley, will be released by Hippocampus Press early next year. It’s is a study of Lovecraft’s visits to the Merrimack Valley and the region’s influences on his writings.

I will also have a short story in Once Upon an Apocalypse from Chaosium next year – “Little Maiden of the Sea,” where Hans Christian Anderson meets H.P. Lovecraft.

From R.E. Gofstein:

Gofstein saw her short piece, “Helping Hands,” accepted for the Anthocon Anthology 2012 and recently had “Dead Line” accepted for the Spencer Hill Press anthology, Doorways Through Extra Time, which is about a writer who needs time to make her deadlines – go figure!

From E. F. Schraeder:

E. F. Schraeder’s story, “The Commitment” appeared in the anthology The Creeps: Things That Get Under Your Skin or Go Bump in the Night, edited by Cinsearae S.

From Katherine Silva:

Silva, a new member of NEHW, has recently released the second book in her Monstrum Chronicles series, Aequitas. The proposed quintet is a mixture of supernatural horror and action adventure. Aequitas is a follow up to the first book, Vox, which debuted in 2010. Both books are available in paperback and Kindle versions and can be found at her author page on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Silva/e/B004W4P690.

In addition to her release, Katherine has an upcoming book-signing at the Vose Library in Union, Maine on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. The same week, she’ll be reading selections from The Monstrum Chronicles at Slainte Wine Bar and Lounge in Portland, Maine on Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.

She can be found online, http://www.voxthebook.com, on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/katherinesilva.author, and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/KatherineSilva_.

From Dale T. Phillips:

Dale’s story, “Our Lady,” is in the newly released charity anthology, Nightfalls: Notes From the End of the World http://www.amazon.com/Nightfalls-Notes-world-Katherine-Tomlinson/dp/0983684197/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356578486&sr=1-1&keywords=nightfalls

His story, “Change of Attitude,” is now out at Over My Dead Body: http://www.overmydeadbody.com/dtp.htm.

A Shadow on the Wall,” the third book in the Zack Taylor series, is due out in January, from Rosstrum Publishing.

From Kristi Petersen Schoonover:

Schoonover’s novel, Bad Apple, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. If you are familiar with the Pushcart, then you know it’s a tremendous achievement to even be nominated; if you’re not, you can take a look at the Pushcart website here to find out more, http://www.pushcartprize.com/.

Kristi would also like to congratulate fellow NEHW members whose short stories were nominated for Pushcarts and wishes everyone luck!

From Rose Mambert:

Damnation Books has recently published Mambert’s debut rock ‘n’ roll vampire novel, The Muses, which author Jeffrey Thomas calls “a tasty concoction indeed.” It is now available in both e-book and trade paperback format on Amazon and other places where books are sold. For more info you can visit her website at rosemambert.com.

From Inanna Arthen:

Arthen’s short story, “The Fishman and His Wife,” will appear in the anthology, Once Upon an Apocalypse Vol. 2 (edited by NEHW member Scott T. Goudsward and Rachel Kenley for Chaosium) in 2013.

She will be a program participant at Arisia ’13 (Jan 18-21 2013 at the Westin Boston Waterfront). She will be reading from her forthcoming novel, All the Shadows of the Rainbow (http://inannaarthen.com/vone-atsotr.htm), and is moderating the Paganism 101 panel, as well as taking part in eight other panels.

Her small press, By Light Unseen Media, released two new titles by HWA members in December, 2012: Un-Dead TV: the Ultimate Guide to Vampire Television (http://bylightunseenmedia.com/undeadtv.htm) by Brad Middleton (Foreword by J. Gordon Melton), and Nocturnes in Purgatory (http://bylightunseenmedia.com/nip.htm), the sequel to Krymsin Nocturnes by Joseph Armstead.

 

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:

 
Wicker Stone (ME)
Nicholas Conley (NH)
Al Lamanda (ME)
Brian Cotnoir (MA)

– Jason Harris, Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
– Stacey Longo, Assistant Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW

Jan 1 2013

Happy New Year

The New England Horror Writers wants to wish everyone a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Hopefully, 2013 will be a year of great rewards and successes for everyone.

Dec 31 2012

Self-Promotion – Be Shameless

Self-Promotion – Be Shameless

by Erin Thorne

The importance of self-promotion cannot be overestimated, especially for new writers. You’ve spent a great deal of time and energy creating your work. However, if you stop there, you’ve only done half the job. Arranging book events and being proactive in your approach to marketing is crucial to getting your name out there, and to building your audience.

There are several steps you can take that are free, and only minimally time consuming. One is creating Author’s Pages on Facebook and Amazon. These can be customized with pictures of yourself and/or your book(s), a brief bio, videos, and links to your website and Twitter account. Another is looking up and contacting newspapers and libraries in and around the town in which you’ll be doing a signing. This ought to be done a few weeks in advance, to allow enough time for the public to both become aware of your scheduled appearance, and to mark their calendars. Many free templates for crafting press releases are available online, which you can use to promote your event, and even the book itself. Try sending one to your local paper, and in addition to generating publicity for the signing, you may secure an interview.

Of course, you need to book an event before you can promote it. While large chain bookstores can be somewhat hesitant in inviting little-known authors to appear, independent bookstores tend to be more gracious. I’ve looked up ones within a reasonable driving distance and sent them press releases, or simply called them, with very satisfying results. Other hospitable venues include libraries and cafés; you’ll likely have to do your own promotion, such as printing flyers and notifying the press, but it’s worth it.

Once you’ve got a date, you can also create an event on Facebook to inform your friends, family, and co-workers about what you’re doing. From personal experience, I’ve found that personally inviting Facebook friends to signings isn’t as effective as one would think, and can irritate those who’ve been asked to attend an event that occurs at a locale far from their home. You’re better off creating it and posting it as a status update a couple of times a week, starting two to three weeks before the signing takes place. However, if you create a promotion event that takes place entirely online, such as a book giveaway, feel free to invite your friends, and ask them to share the link on their own pages.

The more effort you put forth, the more results you’ll see. I have two children, one of whom is an attention-requiring two-year old, and I’m working on other writing projects as well. My time and money are both limited; while life’s circumstances can make self-marketing a bit more challenging, it is nonetheless essential to one’s writing career, and can serve as a stepping-stone to landing an agent and enjoying some degree of success.

For examples of what I’ve done, and continue to do, please see my Author’s Pages on Facebook, www.facebook.com/authorerinthorne, and Amazon, www.facebook.com/authorerinthorne.

Good luck, and happy writing!

Dec 28 2012

The New NEHW T-Shirt

The New England Horror Writers organization has created a new t-shirt with a design by Jesse Young, a NEHW member. These t-shirts will be available at NEHW events.

The front of the new NEHW t-shirt.

The front of the new NEHW t-shirt.

The back of the t-shirt.

The back of the t-shirt.

Dec 24 2012

Merry Christmas 2012

The New England Horror Writers wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
grinch

Dec 23 2012

Author Takes You ‘Behind the Wheel’

Author and New England Horror Writers’ member Erin Thorne’s latest book, Behind the Wheel, released last month features stories in the horror and fantasy genres. Here is a brief synopsis from the back cover of the different tales inside: A family discovers who’s really in charge when they buy a car that drives itself. The characters from a well-known fairy tale live on after their story is over. A docile species of farm animal transforms into a pack of ruthless creatures, bent on the destruction of humankind. A werewolf stalks a young girl’s backyard. Tiny pets, rescued from certain destruction, are not what they seem. Enter a land of fantasy, and learn more about the hidden side of the world you take for granted.

Click here if you would like to order the book through Amazon.

20121224-084149.jpg
Thorne will be appearing at Seek Books in West Roxbury, MA. on Jan. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Tatnuck Bookseller in Westborough, MA. on Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at Books & Boos located in Colchester, CT on Feb. 23 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. She will be reading from and signing Behind the Wheel.

For more information about Thorne, check out her Facebook page and Amazon author page.