Mar 6 2012

Pictures from the NEHW Get-Together in New Hampshire

by Jason Harris

Director of Events Scott Goudsward set-up a NEHW get-together at the Portsmouth Brewery this past Saturday. It was a success. The brewery is located at 56 Market Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

From left to right: Morven Westfield, Tracy Carbone, Bracken MacLeod, Lucien MacLeod, and Heather MacLeod. Photo by Jason Harris.

From left to right: Karen Dent, Roxanne Dent, and Stacey Longo. Photo by Jason Harris.

From left to right: David Price, Denny Price, and Karen Dent. Photo by Jason Harris.

From left to right: Tracy Carbone, Bracken MacLeod, Lucien MacLeod, Heather MacLeod, and Chris Irvin. Photo by Jason Harris.

From left to right: Chris and Jen Irvin. Photo by Jason Harris.

Mar 3 2012

A Conversation with Author Jan Kozlowski

This entry appeared on author and NEHW member Kate Laity’s website.

Writer Wednesday: Jan Kozlowski

by Kate Laity

My pal and fellow Horror in Film and Literature lister, Jan Kozlowski, first fell in love with the horror genre in 1975 when the single drop of ruby blood on the engraved black cover of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot hypnotized her into buying it. She sold her first story, Psychological Bacchanal to the EWG E-zine in 1997. Her short story, Parts is Parts, won awards in both the International Writing Competition sponsored by DarkEcho’s E-zine and Quoth the Raven’s Bad Stephen King contest. Another short story, Stuff It, was sold to an independent film producer and went into production as a movie short called Sweet Goodbyes. Her short stories have appeared in: Remittance Girl’s A Slip of the Lip anthology, Lori Perkins’ Hungry for Your Love: An Anthology of Zombie Romance and Fangbangers: An Erotic Anthology of Fangs, Claws, Sex and Love.

She is extremely proud and excited to announce that her first novel, Die, You Bastard! Die! debuted February 7, as part of Lori Perkins’ new horror line, Ravenous Shadows, edited by the legendary John Skipp.

Q: What do you write on? Computer, pad o’ paper, battered Underwood? Give us a vivid picture.

I do the majority of my writing on my cherished MacBook Pro laptop. I tend to turn my MacBook on at 6:30 a.m. and don’t shut down until 9 p.m. or later most days [Ed: Hmmm, you can shut them down?]. If I either get stuck or get a jones to feel pen against paper, I’ll pull out my old white L&M Ambulance Company clipboard loaded with scrap paper and start scribbling. The board is a souvenir of my days as an urban EMT in Hartford, CT and I keep it around as a reminder of what I COULD be doing for a living.

Q: Do you listen to music while you write? Does it influence what you write?

I almost always listen to my local Dinosaur (Classic) Rock radio station when I’m working. Since Die, You Bastard! Die! is such an ultra violent story, I tried putting together a play list of heavier metal like Avenged Sevenfold (my granddaughter’s favorite band), Testament, Broken Hope, Disturbed, but I ended up distracted by the unfamiliar songs. Listening to the rock I grew up with in the 70’s like Bob Seger, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith, with a little Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, Bon Jovi and Bacon Brothers thrown in via iTunes works best for me.

Q: Do you write in short bursts or carve out long periods of time to work? Is it a habit or a vice?

For me, writing is a business. I’ve been freelancing since I was about 12 and sold articles about raising tropical fish to my hometown newspaper. For the past 15 years or so I’ve run my own freelance writing shop doing all sorts of business and web related writing, editing and research work. Over the past two years, I’ve slowly been moving away from the business projects in order to focus on my horror fiction, but whether I’m writing fiction or non-fiction my work style is the same….commit to the project and write until the client, the editor or I’m happy with the finished product.

Q: What writer would you most want to read your work? What would you want to hear them say?

That’s already happened…on one of the drafts of Die, You Bastard! Die! I think I managed to gross out my editor, legendary Splatterpunk King, John Skipp! Now if I can, one day, pay Dean Koontz back for the creeps he gave me with his novel Whispers, I’ll die a happy writer.

Q: On the days where the writing doesn’t go so well, what other art or career do you fantasize about pursuing instead?

When I was a little girl my grandfather used to tell me stories about his adventures working for a funeral home during the pre-embalming fluid days. I always thought I would have loved working in mortuary sciences, but when I was going to school women weren’t exactly welcomed into the funeral services industry. Now that times have changed and we have a first class Mortuary Sciences degree program at our local college, I’ve always thought that would make a fabulous Plan B, even now at age 50+.

Q: What do you read? What do you re-read?

I try to read a little bit of everything. I get some great ideas from newspapers and magazines. I just discovered and am now devouring Mad Money Wall Street guru, Jim Cramer’s books. I try and read as much classic horror like Robert Bloch, M.R. James, Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, Richard Matheson, Edgar Allan Poe and J.N. Williamson as possible. I also try to keep up with who’s publishing today beyond Bestsellersaurus Rexes Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I’m a huge fan of Edward Lee, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Joe R. Landsdale, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse, Monica O’Rourke, John Skipp and Andrew Vachss.

I rarely find time to re-read anything unless I’m researching a specific writing technique, like how Jonathan Maberry handled the fight scenes in his Pine Deep trilogy or how Dean Koontz ramped up to the reveal of the cockroaches in Whispers.

Q: Where did the idea for Die,You Bastard! Die! come from? Do you have a surefire way of sparking inspiration? And is that an awesome title or what?!

The idea for Die, You Bastard! Die! came out of a lovely dinner Ravenous Shadows publisher Lori Perkins and I had during the 2011 Northeast Writer’s Conference, known as NECON. Lori mentioned she was looking for a story about an adult child coming home to take care of her abusive parent and it matched up with a story I had been kicking around for years about a survivor of childhood sexual abuse coming home to deal with her past. After the conference I got home, wrote up the proposal, Skipp green-lighted it and we took off from there. I realize that’s not the way most writers get a book deal but it goes to prove that if you consistently put the hard work in, you WILL find yourself at the right place, at the right time with the right story.

Writing inspiration and story/character/plot ideas are everywhere if you’re open to them…and my motivation for being open to them usually is based on my memories of being paid $5 an hour to be projectile vomited on as an EMT or waitressing at Friendly’s for .60 below minimum wage.

John Skipp raves about this book:

Die, You Bastard! Die! is one hard-as-nails crime story indeed, with a crime at its core so heinous it boggles both mind and soul. That said, it is also a horror story, a mystery, and an insanely taut suspense thriller. Categories are funny like that.

But human monsters don’t get more humanly monstrous than Big Daddy. And it don’t get much rougher and tougher than Jan Kozlowski’s violently matter-of-fact, emotionally ass-kicking, downright incendiary son of a bitch.
I love this book, and stand behind it 100%. Hope it blows you away, as it did me. And has you coming back for more.

Drop by Jan’s blog or website and follow her on Twitter. Find her on Facebook and check out her Amazon author page. Thanks, Jan!

Mar 2 2012

The Newest Muppet Adventure Coming to DVD this Month

Press Release

The Biggest Muppet Adventure Ever Comes Home!

The Must-Own Movie For The Entire Family Debuts

on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital and

On-Demand March 20, 2012

Debut Release Offers Fans the Full Movie Soundtrack with DVD Release and

as part of a ‘Wocka-Wocka’ Pack for the Ultimate Muppets Experience!

BURBANK, Calif., January 19, 2012 –– One of the year’s best-loved family comedies and among the best reviewed films of 2011, Disney’s The Muppets, starring Jason Segel, Academy Award-nominee Amy Adams, and favorite celebrity couple Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy — debuts March 20 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand formats. A must-own movie the entire family can enjoy, Disney’s The Muppets in-home release includes the DVD and music soundtrack packaged together and also offered as the ultimate Muppets experience, a ‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack,’ which contains the movie on Blu-ray high definition, DVD and Digital Copy (three discs), plus a download card which allows fans to own all the songs from the film’s hugely popular soundtrack.

Disney’s The Muppets Blu-ray Combo Pack, with its flawless picture and pitch perfect sound, comes with a fantastic slate of bonus content including the laugh out loud “The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think).” The exciting release also includes the hilarious featurette “A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through,” which follows Jason Segel, Kermit, The Great Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and others as they get ready for the first day of production, and much more fun.

“Blu-ray is a great way to bring the Muppets into your home without having to worry about cleaning up after us,” said Kermit the Frog, commenting on the announcement. “And the behind-the-scenes extras are a revealing tell-all look at what it took to bring our movie to the big screen. It’s a must-see for fans of bloopers, flubs and slip-ups – which pretty much describes our act.”

Miss Piggy is equally thrilled at the movie’s Blu-ray release, “Now you can watch moi whenever you want! Ooh! Lucky vous!”

Additional fun-filled features on Disney’s The Muppets Blu-ray include a groundbreaking industry first — ‘Disney Intermission,’ a hilarious all-new feature that allows viewers to press Pause on their remote control and watch as the Muppets take over the screen and entertain until the movie resumes playing. The release also includes “Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song,” an extended version of the rollicking rap song by villain Tex Richman (Academy Award winner Chris Cooper) who provides the hilarious backstory of why he hates the Muppets. Audio commentaries with screenwriter and star Jason Segel, director James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller are also included.

With the Muppet’s signature irreverent comedy, songs and dancing, Muppet fans of all ages will cheer as the gang reunites to put on a benefit show to save the crumbling Muppet Studios from being razed by nefarious oil baron Tex Richman. New fans and long-time devotees will find the rainbow connection when they bring Disney’s The Muppets into their very own homes.

3-Disc ‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack’

(1-Disc Blu-ray + 1-Disc DVD + Digital Copy + Soundtrack Digital Download Card)

Includes:

Ø The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think) – A laugh out loud look at the actors’ funny gaffs and gags from behind the scenes of making Disney’s “The Muppets.”

Ø Disney Intermission – Groundbreaking Blu-ray feature. Pausing a movie will never be this much fun, as the Muppets take over the screen every time you stop the disc!

Ø Scratching The Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of Disney’s The Muppets. Hosted by unit production manager monster J.G., the cast and crew take a behind the scenes look at making Muppet and movie history.

Ø Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song. Rapping his way through the story of his miserable life, Tex tells audiences why he turned out to be such a rotten guy.

Ø A Little Screen Test on the way to the Read Through. This hilarious footage follows the Muppet gang as they go to their first table reading of the script.

Ø Eight Deleted Scenes

Ø Audio Commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller

Ø The Combo Pack also comes with the popular theatrical spoof trailers

Ø The Complete Soundtrack

2-Disc Combo Pack (1-Disc Blu-ray + 1 Disc DVD)

Includes:

Ø The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We think).

Ø Disney Intermission

Ø Scratching the Surface: A Hasty Examination of the Making of Disney’s “The Muppets”

Ø Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song

Ø A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through

Ø Deleted Scenes

Ø Audio commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller

Ø Hidden Easter Eggs

1-Disc DVD + Soundtrack Digital Download Card

Includes:

Ø The longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think)

Ø Complete Soundtrack

1-Disc DVD

Includes:

Ø The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think)

Digital Bonus Exclusive Includes:

Ø Inside Walter’s Trailer. Take a peek inside Walter’s star trailer as he prepares to play his big role.

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Street Date: March 20, 2012

Release Formats & 3-Disc Blu-ray with Soundtrack (‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack’) =

Suggested Retail Pricing: $49.99 U.S./$56.99 Canada

2-Disc Blu-ray = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada

1-Disc DVD with Soundtrack = $34.99/$41.99 Canada

1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada

High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada On-Demand = check with your television provider or favorite digital retailer for pricing

Feature Run Time: Approximately 103 Minutes

Ratings: U.S.: PG/CANADA: PG (Bonus material is not rated) Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.85.1

DVD: 1.85.1

Audio: Blu-ray 5.1 DTS HD-MA; 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital

DVD: 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital 4

Social Media Stay connected with the latest news and information on Disney’s The Muppets.

• View exciting trailers, games, video clips and more at http://www.Disney.com/Muppets

• Like us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/Muppets

• Follow us on Twitter @MuppetsStudio

Film Synopsis

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze Muppet Studios and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the studio, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.

Disney’s The Muppets is directed by James Bobin (Flight of the Conchords, The Ali G Show) and produced by the Academy Award-nominated team of David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman (The Fighter, The Proposal) with a screenplay written by Segel & Nicholas Stoller (Get Him to the Greek), who also serve as executive producers along with John G. Scotti and The Muppet Show veteran Martin G. Baker. Bret McKenzie, who created, co-wrote, executive-produced and starred in the hit HBO television series “Flight of the Conchords,” is the music supervisor as well as the writer/producer of three original songs. Original score is by Christophe Beck, Michael Rooney is the choreographer, Rahel Afiley is the costume designer, and James Thomas is the editor. Steve Saklad is the production designer, and Don Burgess, A.S.C., is the director of photography.

About Walt Disney Studios

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel; and Touchstone Pictures, which includes the distribution of live-action films from DreamWorks Studios. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, visit http://www.waltdisneystudios.com.

Mar 1 2012

The Challenge of Using Description in One’s Story

This entry originally appeared on Alex Lukeman’s blog, The Independent Writer.

Realism and Description

by Alex Lukeman

I received a wonderful comment this morning from a reader about my newest book, The Seventh Pillar (you can check it out by clicking on the cover picture to your left). Part of the book is set in the desert wastelands of the Western Sahara. I try to make the settings and details of my books accurate and real enough so the reader can picture him/herself right there, in this case with sand and heartless rock under their feet and heat beating down from a sky as intense and vivid as my imagination and experience can make it.

The reader had not been to the part of the desert I used in the book, but she had spent time in Saudi Arabia and she felt like she was there, with my characters, under that relentless sun and endless sky. Her comment made my day because it meant that I had succeeded in what I had tried to do, make the reader FEEL like she was THERE, where it counts.

Realism. Description. The challenge we face as writers to transport our readers to the worlds of our imagination, wherever and whatever they may be. It is unlikely my reader will ever find herself in a place where very bad people want to kill her, at least I certainly hope not. The magic of realistic description took her there.

I think one of the great challenges of story-making is knowing how much description is enough, or when it is called for. Too much, the reader goes to sleep. Too little, there is no context for the actions of the characters. It’s like the three bears–too hard, too soft, just right.

Complicate that by the kind of book it is. Some books linger forever. The Naked and the Dead (remember that one?). East of Eden. The Sun Also Rises. The Grapes of Wrath. Somehow we become imbued with a sense of time and place that stays even when the details of character, plot and story become hazy. Although I hated the book (not too strong a word), The Road comes to mind. Cold Mountain. And I really like Calumet City for crime noir urban grit.

These books are as different as can be from one another in setting and intent, but they all have incredibly skilled description of time and place as a core strength.

Good description is far more than the color of the sand or the haze over the mountains. It’s a sensual experience when you get it right. You hear and feel the rustle of the wind, see the ominous beauty of a desert sunset and smell the heat coming off the barren lands around you. As much as possible, all senses are involved.

WARNING: OPINION ALERT

Unless you are a Steinbeck or a Thomas Wolfe,

exercise caution.

When I write, the draft is always full of extraneous description which must be edited down to essence, something the reader can digest and feel while the story moves on. I can wax rhapsodic about almost anything (one of the things I love about blogging is that you can get away with clichés like that). But how much does a reader need?

Take a descriptive passage from whatever book you are working on out of context and open it in a new document. Read it again, out of context. Does it put you where you want the reader to be? If the reader didn’t know the plot or who the characters were or what was happening, would that passage stand on its own? Does it feel real? If the answer is in doubt, perhaps you should rethink that description.

Michael Connelly is one of my favorite contemporary authors, for many reasons. Often he has his protagonist Harry Bosch standing on the deck of a precariously perched house in one of the canyons of LA. Each time, I get a new sense of the place even though I’ve stood on that deck with Harry through many books. Connelly doesn’t need pages to make it work. He’s a master of essence.

That’s a challenge for all of us.

Write Like A Champion today.

Feb 29 2012

A New Book Imprint Debuted at the Beginning of February

This entry originally appeared on author and NEHW member, Jan Kozlowski’s blog at the beginning of February.

Die, You Bastard! Die! & Ravenous Shadows Launch Today!

by Jan Kozlowski

It’s Launch Day! It’s Launch Day!

Ravenous Romance’s new horror/mystery/thriller imprint, Ravenous Shadows, headed by horror legend John Skipp, debuted today.

In an interview with Publisher’s Weekly, Literary Partners CEO Holly Schmidt said, “It was always our plan to expand our business model to other fiction genres, and when we had the opportunity to work with John Skipp, we decided to start with horror/mystery/thrillers. Skipp provided us with a clear vision and strong point of view for the line, and really is the heart and soul of Ravenous Shadows.”

From Editor in Chief, John Skipp- “Welcome to Ravenous Shadows: a new line of startling, provocative genre fiction, dedicated to the proposition that short, powerful novels and novellas can pack as much punch, personality, and plot as books three times their size.”

The four novels launching the line are:

House of Quiet Madness by Mikita Brottman – an Ira Levin style mystery

Tribesmen by Adam Cesare – an ultra violent 80’s style Italian cannibal horror

The Devoted by Eric Shapiro – a Hitchcockian take on a modern suicide cult

Die, You Bastard! Die! by Jan Kozlowski – a sexual abuse/revenge story somewhere between Misery and Last House on the Left.

All the gorgeous, kick ass cover art was done by the fabulous Paula Rozelle Hanback.

Feb 28 2012

The Avengers Theatrical One-Sheet Released

The new one-sheet theatrical poster for The Avengers was released today. A new trailer for the movie will be released on Apple’s iTunes, http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/, tomorrow at 9 a.m. (PST). The movie will arrive in theaters on May 4.

Feb 28 2012

The Epitaph, Issue 17 (February 2012)

Issue #17 (February 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
Tim Deal – Director of Publications
T.J. May – Co-Director of Events
Scott Goudsward – Co-Director of Events
Danny Evarts – Art Director

NEHW SIGNINGS AND READINGS:

The 39th Heritage Craft Fair, Framingham, MA

The NEHW will have a table at the 39th Heritage Craft Fair at the Keefe Technical School in Framingham, MA on Sat., March 24. Space is limited at the table so contact Jason Harris at dudley228@gmail.com to participate. Participation will be $15.

Spring Craft Fair

The NEHW will have a table at the Spring Craft Fair at Riley Hall, 17 Silver St., Hanover, MA. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 31. Participation will be $10.

Stratford Spring Showcase of Crafts

The NEHW will have a table at the Stratford Spring Showcase of Crafts in Stratford, CT., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7. Participation will be $15.

Rhode Island Comic Con

The NEHW will be at the Rhode Island Comic Con on November 3 and 4. The cost will be $25 per member to participate. Contact Jason at dudley228@gmail.com to be at the table.

NEHW REQUEST:

Attention Members:

Please take the time to check the NEHW website to see if your website is listed. If it isn’t, please send me an email with your website information so it can be listed on the website. It should be your main site. Please send an email to dudley228@gmail.com with “website” in the subject line.

NEHW MEMBER NEWS:

From Catherine Grant:

Central Connecticut Writers is a support and critique group for novelists and short story writers located in the Central Connecticut area. Our goal is to cultivate open, constructive criticism and a sense of community among our members. We have meetings on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for critique, support, advice and education. Please email Grant, the organizer, at catmgrant@gmail.com for details.

From L.L. Soares:

Soares’s grisly new story, “Sawbones,” appears in the anthology, Zippered Flesh: Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad!, edited by Weldon Burge. The book also includes stories by John Shirley and Graham Masterton. It is now available at Amazon.

From Jason Harris:

Harris’ article about Anthocon was in the February issue of the Horror Writers’ Association’s newsletter.

From Craig D.B. Patton:

Patton is pleased to announce that his flash fiction stories, “Mary” and “Things in the Attic,” have been accepted for publication in Daily Frights 2013 from Pill Hill Press.

From Dale T. Phillips:

Phillips has just published a new short story collection, Jumble Sale, which is a set of 20 previously-published tales from different genres. Here is the link, http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131954, to stories of odd happenings, of criminals, of ordinary people with issues, and of strange worlds. He states these stories will give you a shiver of frisson, a chuckle, or a chance to think about the world in a new way. Come take a sip from the dark myth pool of the human psyche, and taste a strange wine.

From Karen Dent:

Dent’s latest fiction, “A Case to Die For,” (paranormal/noir) will be released April 2012 in Damnation and Dames, which will be published by Ticonderoga Publishing (www.ticonderogapublications.com). Dent fell in love with the characters from the short story so much that she’s writing her first novel for them, A Case to KILL For.

Dent’s website, www.TheSistersDent.com, is almost complete.

From Jenna Moquin:

Moquin, who resides in Massachusetts, recently released her novel, Deluded Blood, a vampire story that takes place in Boston and centers around the friendship between a vampire and an aging priest. There is a battle going on between vampires and humans, one that grows so epic that only one vampire survives. That vampire is left with a decision to either remain the last one, or continue the race by turning more humans into vampires. Here is the link to purchase the novel, http://www.createspace.com/3741778, which is priced at $12.99.

From G. Elmer Munson:

Munson’s first novel, Stripped, will be published by Post Mortem Press this spring. More details including dates, cover, etc. will be posted on his website and Facebook page as he gets the information.

From Stefan Petrucha:

Petrucha is thrilled with the book trailer Penguin has produced for his upcoming book, Ripper, which will be released on March 1. Here is the link to the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_9xSYLA6SA&feature=email.

His short story, “The Loft,” was just accepted into Pendragon Press’s Nasty Snips II anthology, a follow-up to the original Nasty Snips published back in 1999. The newest anthology should be published this coming October.

From Kate Laity:

Laity’s story, “Bill is Dead,” will appear in Pulp Metal Magazine (http://pulpmetalmagazine.wordpress.com/) in March and “It’s a Curse” will appear in Drunk on the Moon: A Roman Dalton Anthology, edited by Paul D. Brazill and will be published by Dark Valentine Press (http://www.darkvalentinepress.com/upcoming-releases/) in print and e-book versions.

Laity will be doing a Writer Wednesday feature on her blog and NEHW members are welcomed to be featured. Jan Kozlowski and her new novel, Die You Bastard, Die, will be featured on Feb. 29.

From Jonathan Banchick:

Greetings to all! I just wanted to introduce myself to the members of this group. My name is Jonathan Banchick. I am a freelance illustrator (and wanna-be horror/sci-fi writer) living and working in the Boston area. I’m currently shifting gears and trying to build my portfolio with more illustrations for short stories and novels so if anyone in the group is in need of a great-looking front cover or spot illustration please feel free to contact me about it.

Please take a look at my web pages for examples of my work. I have recently done a couple of new pieces based on some of my own writing (more on that in the future hopefully) and please “Like” my Facebook Fan Page!

deviantArt: http://banchickillustration.daportfolio.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/banchick

Thanks for the membership in this group and I look forward to hearing from anyone in need of a cool illustration.

From John Grover:

Grover is happy to announce his first fantasy book, Song of the Ancestors Book I: Web of the Spider Queen, is now available on Amazon Kindle. It combines elements of horror and sword and sorcery. He weaves a tale full of action, adventure and suspense as a long vanquished evil returns to enslave a once beautiful world and all of its inhabitants. It’s a classic story of good and against evil featuring evil armines, magic, ruined castles, and an evil Queen. Get tangled in her web today! This title is a kindle exclusive and free for Amazon Prime members. Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Song-Ancestors-Book-Spider-ebook/dp/B0077XXRMQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328989526&sr=1-1

He has also just started a blog for his new online series called “Aftermath.” It’s a post-apocalyptic tale about a group of survivors following a series of great natural catastrophes that wipes out society and most of the Earth’s inhabitants. Join the story as these survivors make their way in a new broken landscape and discover that some of them now possess wondrous powers that ups the ante in their fight for survival. Three chapters have been posted so far. Check it up and click follow to keep up with the adventure. http://aftermathworld.wordpress.com/.

From Tracy L. Carbone:

Carbone is proud to announce her updated Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Carbone/e/B006Z81UB4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1, which sports her six recently released horror stories on Kindle: “One Minute,” “The Attic,” “Stoneman,” “Pretty Pig Let Me In,” “Scent of Lilacs,” and “The Folks.” She is adding new stories every week so please keep checking back.

She also sold two short stories this month, “The Girl Who Drowned” will appear in Evil Jester Digest 1, which will be released at the World Horror Conference in March and “Zombie Ex,” which will appear in Pill Hill Press’ Daily Frights 2013: 365 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction.

From Brian Belanger (Illustrator X):

DAPT’D, a new e-publishing company launched at the beginning of the year, is actively seeking new authors. Please visit www.daptd.com for more information or contact them at info@daptd.com.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:

Jonathan Banchick (MA)
Bob Stearns (MA)
Steven Belanger (RI)
Heather Kirsten Aubuchont (NH)
Rick Silva (MA)

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

Feb 26 2012

Timing Not Perfect for Boskone 49

By David Price

Would you have the wedding rehearsal after the wedding? No, I didn’t think so. So I am a little confused as to why the sci-fi convention Boskone would be held about a month after the much larger spectacle of Arisia, in the exact same hotel, no less. This would be like going to watch the Super Bowl on the jumbotron of the stadium it was played in a month after it was over and everyone else had left. That would be something of a letdown, right? Oh sure, the vendors would still be open and you could pay ten bucks for a beer if you really wanted to, but it’s not the same thing. Now, by contrast, if they had played the first Giants/Patriots Super Bowl on the jumbotron in the stadium a couple days before this year’s, that might have been cool. It would have been a primer for what was coming.

Photo by David Price

All right, admittedly, every time I have been to some sort of fan convention in the last six months, it has been a first time for me. But maybe, just maybe, that means my opinions should matter, just a little, if some of these cons want to actually attract newbies. Boskone is very much like a primer or practice run for something as grandiose as Arisia. I’m not saying that both shouldn’t exist together in the same world, but I can’t help but feel that Boskone should be held before Arisia, not after. Just four weeks before Boskone was held, I was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of Arisia. Held at the Westin Boston Waterfont, Arisia seemed to make use of every single conference room in the hotel. To be honest, I’m surprised the Westin had enough space available to accommodate the seemingly hundreds of events that Arisia had going. As I walked around with my eleven year old daughter at Boskone, I found myself asking, where’s the rest of it?

Also, what’s with almost all of the vendors selling books? Nothing against books, per se, but don’t sci- fi fans also like to wear cool geeky t-shirts, watch movies, and own toy props from their favorite series? There hasn’t been as much of that as I expected, at either Boskone or Arisia, to be honest. Arisia had a better mix, to be sure, but still fell short of my expectations when it came to vendors. My daughter was drawn to a woman who sold stuffed animals of every imaginable species. She even had dodo birds! My daughter, Kayleigh, asked for a monkey backpack. Since she was nice enough to accompany me to something that she had no idea if she would enjoy, I bought it for her.

Kayleigh’s squid. Photo by David Price.

We sat down and watched the Higgins Armory put on a display of medieval sword fighting for a while. This was cool for me, because I actually took those classes at the Higgins Armory about ten years ago, so watching it brought me back to the fun I had learning that style. It wasn’t the most exciting thing for an eleven year old girl, however, so we eventually moved on. The most fun we had together was at the art show. I was happy to see how all the artwork appealed to my daughter, since I have loved fantasy art for as long as I can remember. I wish we had more money on hand, because there was a piece Kayleigh really admired, but I couldn’t afford it. We must have walked through the art show a half-dozen times and I saw something new each time. Knowing what I know now, I’ll be more ready for it next time.

I will say this about Boskone, it has a much more personal atmosphere than Arisia. There were reserved tables all over the place for groups to get together and game, chat, hang out or whatever. But since I am not a member of any of those groups, that part of the con was lost on me. As Kayleigh’s enthusiasm started to wane, I finally talked her into checking out the kids section that they called Dragon’s Lair. She didn’t want to at first, since it seemed to have mostly younger kids in there. She gave in at last, because the children in Dragon’s Lair were obviously having fun. While Kayleigh was in the kids’ section, I spent some time going through a display that advertised many of the upcoming cons. I’ll give many of them a try this year, and I have a feeling I will have a much better idea of the what will appeal to me after all is said and one. 2012 is going to be an interesting year. After goofing around in there for a little while, Kayleigh came out with a balloon animal squid. That was pretty cool, since a giant squid attacks my hero and his friends in my first novel.

A lich. Photo by David Price.

Before we left, Kayleigh insisted I buy something for myself as well, especially since we couldn’t afford the art we had been admiring. I finally settled on a small statue that truly embodies my two favorite genres; horror and fantasy. The statue is of a lich. If you are unfamiliar with the term, consider it an undead sorcerer. There is just something about it that is inspirational to me. I guess when I look at it; I imagine that it is what my muse probably looks like, when I am writing my particular brand of monster fantasy. Anyway, Boskone 2012 was also Boskone 49. I imagine the organizers are planning something big for the fiftieth anniversary of Boskone next year. Maybe that’s why this one seemed a little small to me. Perhaps they are saving up the big guns for next year. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Feb 25 2012

Facebook 101

This funny take on learning about Facebook comes from the blog of the Co-chair of the NEHW, Stacey Longo, which can be found on her website.

Facebook 101

by Stacey Longo

My sister finally gave in and joined Facebook this week, or, as she succinctly put it, “I’m drinking the Kool-Aid.” Tasteless Jim Jones reference notwithstanding, I was crazily excited to have my sister on Facebook—which is a little bit ridiculous, really, since we talk on the phone every day. But now I could talk to her online, too! And put up photos of shamrock shakes and tag her in them! Oh, the possibilities were endless! I spent two hours walking Kim through her first tentative Facebook steps. She navigated her way through the privacy settings, discovered how to leave her wall and successfully return to it later, and even gave the search bar a shot. “I can’t find O____ B_____,” she complained, trying to look up an old friend from high school as I sat with the phone propped up to my ear, tagging photos of her. “Don’t worry about it, she just found you,” I said, watching as O.B. ‘liked’ the picture of Kim I’d just put up and left a comment. Within moments, Kim had a friend request. “That’s a little scary,” she admitted. And it is. Which is why I’m offering these tips to my sister and the other 36 people in the world who are just now joining the Facebook nation:

1. Remember that creepy guy from high school, the one who wore plastic vampire fangs to class and stared at you all day? Yup, he’s on Facebook too, and he’s about to send you a friend request so that he can finally confess to you that he was in love with you 30 years ago and that you are still just as beautiful today. Feel free to ignore his friend request.

2. Remember your younger cousin, the one who set off firecrackers in the chicken coop and it caught on fire? He hasn’t changed. Ignore his friend request, too.

3. People will tag random pictures of you. They do not care if you were thirty pounds heavier in that photo or had just had your hair done like Gene Simmons of KISS for a costume party. They also don’t care if your mother is on Facebook and will not find it as hilarious as your friends do to tag you in a picture of a bong shaped like Elvis’s head. You do have the power to un-tag yourself in those photos. Do it.

4. Good news! Your mother is not on Facebook. Yet.

5. Some of your Facebook friends are quite vocal about their political views or feelings on social issues affecting our nation. Some of these people are, in fact, crazier than fruit bats. Choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it’s better to just bite your fingers instead of commenting.

6. Yes, if you post something on someone’s page, all of their friends can read it. So if you want to tell your friend Jeanie that you still regret not marrying John Taylor of Duran Duran, send her a private message instead of posting it on her wall where your husband might see it.

7. Of course Duran Duran has their own Facebook page! You can only ‘like’ it once, though.

8. Don’t keep updating your status every five minutes. Honestly, nobody cares if you just found a great deal on toilet paper at Target. (Wait. How great of a deal was it?) Also, why do you want creepy vampire fang guy to know where you are at all times? Facebook can be a little scary for newbies. Personally, I’m thrilled to have my sister on there with me, mostly because my cousin Lori keeps ignoring my Farmville requests, and I want someone to play with me. Plus, it’s better that she figures Facebook out now…before her children do!

Feb 24 2012

Epitaphs is Now Available as an E-book

by Jason Harris

The New England Horror Writers’ organization’s first anthology is now available as an e-book.

Epitaphs became available in the Kindle store on Amazon today. This is the first time the collection has been available in e-book form.

The paperback edition of Epitaphs became a Stoker nominated collection this past Saturday. It’s on the final ballot of the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Awards for works published in 2011. The Awards will be presented at a gala banquet on Saturday, March 31, at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It’s a great achievement for the NEHW to have its first anthology get this far,” said Tracy L. Carbone, who is the editor of the collection, on her Facebook page. ”We all put in a tremendous amount of work in a short time to get this off the ground and I want to again thank the board and all the contributors.”

The book was released last October by Shroud Publishing then debuted at Anthocon with a book release party in November. At Anthocon, most of the writers in this collection were on hand to sign it.

The table of contents in this anthology is as follows:

Jeffrey C. Pettengill “To Sleep, Perchance to Die”

Paul McMahon “The Christopher Chair”

Kurt Newton “A Case of the Quiets”

Scott T. Goudsward “Build-a-Zombie”

John Goodrich “Not an Ulcer”

B. Adrian White “The Possesor Worm”

John M. McIlveen “Make a Choice”

Michael Allen Todd “The Death Room”

Rick Hautala “Perfect Witness”

Holly Newstein and Glenn Chadbourne “Stoney’s Boneyard”

Trisha J. Wooldridge “Kali’s Promise”

David Bernard “The Sequel”

David North-Martino “Malfeasance”

Stacey Longo “Private Beach”

Christopher Golden “All Aboard”

L.L. Soares “Holiday House”

Steven Withrow “Lines at a Wake”

K. Allen Wood “A Deeper kind of Cold”

P. Gardner Goldsmith “Alone”

Roxanne Dent “Pandora’s Box”

Michael Arruda “Chuck the Magic Man Says I Can”

T.T. Zuma “Burial Board”

John Grover “Windblown Shutter”

Stephen Dorato “Cheryl Takes a Trip”

Philip Roberts “The Legend of Wormley Farm”

Peter N. Dudar “Church of Thunder and Lightning”

To purchase a copy of Epitaphs in paperback for $12.99, click here.

To purchase in the e-book format for $4.99, click here.