Artwork by NEHW member Amanda Doughty
Happy Horrordays!
Artwork by NEHW member Amanda Doughty
Dane Cook Talks about His New Movie and His Inspirations
by Jason Harris
photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Actor and Comedian Dane Cook wanted to “share emotion and pain” he has experienced in his life in his new film, Answers to Nothing, which opened in theaters along with being available on video on demand this past Friday.
“With my comedy, I want to share my joy and positive experiences,” Cook said. “The main point of comedy though is people coming to laugh and enjoy themselves. What attracted me to this film is that I could relate to personal experiences in a different way. I can empathize with certain aspects of my character’s life.”
According to press materials, the film is “set against the backdrop of a missing girl case, lost souls throughout Los Angeles search for meaning and redemption and affect each other in ways they don’t always see. Ryan (Cook) and Kate (Elizabeth Mitchell) are in a strained marriage. They are trying to have a baby, but instead of bringing them closer together the difficulties are tearing them apart. Two strangers, sharing a home, they each lead private lives unbeknownst to each other. Ryan, grew up listening to the impossible romantic story of his grandparents’ courtship, but isn’t even sure he believes in love. He hates his mother for believing that his father is coming back, even though he left her 10 years ago, and he hates himself for following in his father’s steps of infidelity.”
Cook believes his character is “distancing himself from people and his emotions” even as his character is a confident therapist. He does believe his character is a “complex individual, but it is behavior we all do.”
“We show up every day to work and put on our game face, but people don’t know personal life circumstances,” Cook said.
As he filmed this movie, Cook didn’t want to let his fans down.
Being able to view his personal experiences in a different way attracted him to Answers to Nothing, Cook said. The film allowed him to tackle different philosophies, he said.
“You get to play pretend, but also share important moments in your own life.”
Actors are not always connected to their characters, Cook said.
“I understand some of the behaviors in feeling detached,” Cook said. “I lost both of my parents to cancer and when you experience something like that, you really hold onto those moments and hope you can grow from them … ”
The film, Mr. Brooks, led Cook to receive his role in his new film and his career grew from that, he said. Answers to Nothing director Matthew Leutwyler saw him in the film.
Cook made an audition tape for Mr. Brooks and received a call from Kevin Costner, who directed the film. Cook was told by Costner that was what they were looking for, he said.
There are people in Hollywood that Cook would love to work with.
Cook would love to work with Woody Allen, Jason Reitman, and Diablo Cody.
“I have met with Jason a few times and would love to play in his world,” Cook said.
He has met with Steven Spielberg, which he considers “one of the most poignant moments of his career.” Spielberg gave him some words of wisdom which has guided him in his life.
“I auditioned for [Spielberg] and got incredible feedback,” Cook said. “He is a big inspiration.”
He grew up loving comedic actors especially Gene Wilder.
“I really have a great respect for comedians that take on challenging roles, like Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple, Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting,” Cook said. “I know the pain that many comics have living within us. I love to see the way they can reach comedic audiences and then also [reach] those dramatic audiences and make them cry their eyes out.”
He thinks it’s great when a comedic performer can make people laugh and cry. He thinks “it’s magic” when that happens.
“I’d love to be able to do some of what I did in Answers to Nothing and some of what I did in My Best Friend’s Girl and create a character rich in all things good and bad that exist in us.”
Cook said if the role doesn’t come about, he may write it.
Cook has two independent films coming out next year that he hopes audiences will find. He is also working on a comedy for NBC for the 2012 television season. They are Detention and Guns, Girls, and Gambling. Detention is “a mash-up genre movie — it’s a horror, coming of age film” and Guns, Girls and Gambling stars Gary Oldman as an Elvis impersonator.
“I really look forward to people seeing that one,” Cook said about Guns, Girls and Gambling. It’s sort of a heist action film.”
Support versus Tolerance
This blog entry was found on author Alex Laybourne’s website by Publicity Committee member, Stacey Longo.
As writers, we seek the approval of others for what we do. We may say that we write for fun, or because we love it, and that is all true. A writer writes because they have to, but we publish because we want to share our work, and in doing so we hope for good great reviews and the respect of our peers.
If you talk to any successful person, they will invariably say that they have a wonderful family who supported them the entire way. Just watch any Oscar speech and you will see what I mean. This is also true, and say what you like about successful businessmen or actors. I cannot see another profession that takes quite the toll on friends and family as that of a writer.
We live in worlds inside our head, worlds that not even our nearest and dearest – unless they happen to be writers themselves – could ever understand. We are moody and brooding when writing because we want to write more or need to work out a particular kink in the mechanics or arc of the story, or we are grumpy and moody because we are not writing at that moment in time. We write down and take a sometimes perverse interest in the crazy things that happen around us because it could be a good story idea at some point down the line. Yet our loved ones stick by us. They support us every step of the way.
I have a friend who is really into these self-help books… or as I like to call them – common freaking sense. However, one point that comes across again and again is to surround yourself with people who love and support you. It is supposedly some big secret to success (sorry the RANT will stop and I’ll get back on topic now).
What got me thinking was, how can you tell the difference between support and tolerance. Those loved ones that smile and nod their heads when you talk about your writing or sit there plotting, writing and editing. Yet on the inside, just below the surface they are thinking… “You fool. Oh well, at least it keeps them quiet. Stops them from causing trouble”
Can you still count that as support? Are they a positive influence in your life? They support your writing, but when it comes to promotions, and you want to invest some money or a chunk of time during the day to promoting, they put their foot down and refuse. Where does that leave you?
I am lucky enough to have the important people in my life supporting me, but there are a few that I know merely tolerate my dalliances with the written word, and view my attempts to carve a name for myself as nothing more than folly. They are waiting for me to grow up, to start pushing myself hard in other avenues… whatever they may be… please, send all answers to me on a postcard, because I draw a blank here.
This post is dedicated to these people. The silent partners who suffer us writers and support our every step, without ever truly understand what it is we do, and why. It is also a swipe at those who merely tolerate our actions. You all know who you are, and fellow writers, you probably know who they are too. You may not understand why we do it, and you don’t have to. You should support us unconditionally. We are not asking you to do it for us, nor are we demanding you buy 500 copies of our book to make us feel good and give us a rankings boost. We are merely asking that you believe in us. Smile and nod when we talk about our work, even if it is just like the approach taken by John Wemmick with the Aged P in Great Expectations. We are the ones putting ourselves out there, you have absolutely nothing to lose.
The Epitaph, Issue #14 (November 2011)
Issue #14 (November 2011)
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 HOLIDAY PARTY:
Only 11 Days ‘til the NEHW Holiday Party and YOU are invited!
The NEHW Holiday Party will be on December 10 from 1:00—8:00 p.m. at John McIlveen’s apartment complex (we have a whole party facility at our disposal!) The address is 40 Locke St., Haverhill, MA, and you can always call Mac at (603) 930-8679 if you get lost. Break out your cauldrons and whip up something ghoulish—it’s pot luck! It’s also BYOB, so bring your own poison. RSVP by emailing Scott Goudsward at screaming602@gmail.com or contacting him via Facebook – we need a headcount and a dish list, so please RSVP ASAP!
NEHW SIGNINGS AND READINGS:
Authors Tracy L. Carbone, Scott Goudsward, Karen Dent, and Roxanne Dent will be appearing at the first Pear Tree Publishing/Haverhill Country Club Christmas Book Sale being held at the Haverhill Country Club on Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The country club is located at 58 Brickett Lane, Haverhill, MA 01830-8703. Doors open to HCC members at 5 p.m. and to the public at 6 p.m.
NEHW PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Hi! I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and our group. I am The Dome from Sci Fi Saturday Night. We are a podcast and website devoted to Fantasy and Science Fiction in its myriad forms. We are the Official podcast of Boston ComicCon and over the years we have met many artists and writers and had them and their works on our website and in our podcasts. Some of the people on our website and podcasts are: Ben Bova, Harlan Ellison, Spider Robinson, H.P. Mallory, S.J. Wright and Resa Nelson.
One of our ongoing columns is called “Fiction Friday,” which gives our readers the chance to sample work by authors they may not have yet read. It usually works out that if a short story is appearing on the net by you, we put a sample of it on the website with a link directing our readers to the full text of that story. If this is something you might be interested in, please contact us at the_dome@comcast.net.
NEHW member Kristi Petersen Schoonover is scheduled to appear on the podcast on Dec. 17.
NEHW WRITING OPPORTUNITIES:
From David Price:
The Mystery Writers of America are now accepting submissions for an anthology tentatively titled What Lies Inside, edited by Brad Meltzer. This should be a story about something that is hidden, whether it is a real object hidden in a vault somewhere or a secret buried deep down in someone’s subconscious. Stories should be between 3,500 and 7,000 words. Deadline is February 1, 2012. Full guidelines can be found at: http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/208752/42a6e17ebb/ARCHIVE
NEHW MEMBER NEWS:
From Daniel Pearlman:
Pearlman did an interview for the Italian e-book company, 40K Books, which has already published some of his stories in both English and Italian. Here is the link to the interview about short fiction, http://www.40kbooks.com/?p=12453. 40K specializes in genre fiction.
From Charles Day:
Day has two novels coming out in 2012. The first is Legend of the Pumpkin Thief, a YA horror novel with Noble YA Publishers, which will be released on Jan 9.
An adult horror novel, Deep Within, will be published by Twisted Library Press with a release sometime in the Spring of 2012.
From Steven Withrow:
Withrow has founded Poetry Advocates for Children & Young Adults (http://poetryadvocates.wordpress.com/), a nonprofit, grassroots, and global organization dedicated to promoting poetry for young people.
From K. A. Laity:
Laity is on a Fulbright at the National University of Ireland Galway, working on digital humanities at the Moore Institute. She has a survey for writers that she would love folks to take about what it means to be a writer in the digital age.
Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG1GaGNkQmJ5cFRKS1RaNFN5aW5TeUE6MQ
Recent and Upcoming Publications (none have been listed yet, she believes):
It’s a Curse: Drunk on the Moon, Book VII. Trestle Press (http://www.trestlepresspublishing.com/ (Nov. 2011).
“Mandrake and Magpies.” Dark Pages: International Noir, Vol 1. Ed. Giovanni
“Gelati.” Dark Pages/Trestle Press, http://www.trestlepresspublishing.com/
(Nov 2011)
“And It Felt Like a Kiss.” Blink|Ink, http://www.blink-ink.com/ (Sept.
2011)
“Dracula X.” Defenestration Magazine,
http://www.defenestrationmag.net/2011/07/%E2%80%9Creview-dracula-x%E2%80%9D-by-k-a-laity/ (July 2011)
“The Wyandotte Haunting” in the anthology, There Was a Crooked House.
http://www.pillhillpress.com/crooked-house.html. Ed. Jessy Marie Roberts.
Pill Hill Press (June 2011)
From David L Tamarin:
Tamarin’s story “Melting” has been accepted into the second issue of Grave Demand magazine.
The new issue of Girls and Corpses comes out today. The issue has his interview with the godfather of gore, H.G. Lewis, along with an article about him.
The issue also contains a second article by Tamarin, on winter horror films, featuring discussions about The Thing, The Shining, Dead Snow, Frozen, and more. The issue is available at many bookstores and online at www.girlsandcorpses.com.
The magazine used to be available at Barnes and Noble, but they stopped carrying it because they were offended by the religious issue.
Tamarin appears in the new iParty Christmas commercial which will be airing throughout New England until Christmas.
From J.P. Freeman:
Freeman turned one of his stories into a short-run comic book series, “Suicide Man,” and the first issue is to be released in January. A professional artist did the artwork for the eight-part series. Once every issue is release, they will be compiled into a graphic novel. He will have the exact release date along with a short teaser for the comic for the newsletter next month. He really hopes any horror comic book fans will stop by his website and “like” his Facebook page so they can check this out.
(Editor’s note: his website is listed on the NEHW website under “NEHW Members’ Websites.”)
From Kristi Petersen Schoonover:
Schoonover talked about the real ghost stories which may have inspired vignettes in Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction, on Dave’s Disney View, and read her out-of-print ghost story, “House Sitter,” on Canada’s Paranormal, Eh? Radio. You can listen to both shows at Kristi’s website here:
http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/about/radio-interviews/
Schoonover’s flash piece, “Slow Grill,” was runner-up in Culture magazine’s annual Scary Dairy Contest (fellow NEHW member Dave Goudsward took first place for “Michael, Is That You?”). NEHW member Stacey Longo also entered (her story’s untitled), and you can read all three stories here: http://www.culturecheesemag.com/blog/wfertman_scary_dairy_contest_2011
Schoonover’s book, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, is now available in both the Endicott College (Beverly, MA) and Pinellas Park (FL) libraries.
An interview with her Read Short Fiction co-editor Robert Mayette is now available on Duotrope.com, the online writing market directory: http://www.duotrope.com/Interview.aspx?id=4000.
She and NEHW member and editor of Shroud magazine Tim Deal were interviewed for last month’s Reuters article “Halloween Horror Trend: Less Gore is More.” You can read that here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/27/us-halloween-haunted-idUSTRE79Q4V020111027
Her short story, “Under the Kudzu” was accepted for Wicked East Press’ upcoming anthology, Behind Locked Doors.
Paranormal Researchers of Fredericton (Canada) interviewed her for a feature on their website. You can read that here: http://paranormal-researchers.com/?p=453
From Andrea Perron:
Perron’s recent trip back to New England was busy and productive. She made an appearance at The Assembly Theater in Harrisville, R.I for a lecture, “The Biggest Chill.” Keith Johnson of NEAR Paranormal provided the introduction to the lecture, which was filmed and will be released soon.
She filmed an episode of The NEST Files (New England Spiritual Team) in Groton, CT. Johnson accompanied her, as well as her father.
She also had a “memorable appearance” at the public library in Uxbridge, MA, where she gave a speech and had a book signing. She was also interviewed for a local newspaper.
A review of her book was published in Retro Rhode Island Magazine (http://www.retrori.com/ri-places/a-haunting-read-%e2%80%9chouse-of-darkness-house-of-light%e2%80%9d). She also gave several interviews while in the area.
Since her return to Georgia, she has done a few radio broadcasts and booked several more. She met with Brandon Kreitzer and he has arranged to promote her book on Past TV Network, along with a variety of videos too long for her YouTube channels. All the links will be published on her Google profile and elsewhere on the web.
In the last week, she has published articles on Newsvine and Ezine and a new blogspot called “Conjuring the Spirits” is being released.
From Scott Goudsward:
Goudsward’s novel, Fountain of the Dead, has been accepted for publication by Twisted Library Press.
From Dale Phillips:
Phillips was interviewed and featured in a talk on writing on the Brazilian Book Worm blog: http://brazilianbookworm.blogspot.com/
From Patrick Rahall:
Rahall will have two pieces of flash fiction in the upcoming anthology, Daily Frights 2012: 366 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction, from Pill Hill Press. His stories are titled “Pot Roast” and “Stop, Drop and Roll.”
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:
Brian Dixon (CT)
Matthew Acheson (ME)
Charles Day (NY)
Richard Steeves (CT)
Paula Roswell (CT)
Joseph Sherry (MA)
– Jason Harris, Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
– Stacey Longo, Assistant Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
Happy Thanksgiving from the New England Horror Writers
Black Friday Deals at Borderlands Press
Borderlands Press Black Friday Deals.
BUY ONE, Get ONE FREE!
Buy TWO, GET TWO FREE! Buy THREE . . . . (Well, you get the idea)
If there are Book Lovers on your Christmas list, Borderlands Press has some perfect gifts for you!
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You CANNOT order through the website because our shopping carts won’t process the HUGE Discounts
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Virgin by F. Paul Wilson
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It’s the mid-1990s and F. Paul Wilson is making a big splash in the medical thriller category. But an idea for a different kind of thriller – a religious thriller/
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After finishing three novels of what would become the Adversary Cycle, F. Paul Wilson began work on Black Wind, the longest, most intricately plotted and intensely researched novel of his career. To his dismay, Black Wind came to be known as his “lost novel.”
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Dark Ride
by Michael Laimo
(signed limited edition hardcover)
Originally $45.00
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Dark Ride is a signed limited hardcover collection of short fiction by one of the brightest young writers in the genres of horror and dark fantasy. These stories range from the horrific to the surreal, and prove Michael Laimo to be a compelling stylist and relentless storyteller. None have been collected previously and some are original to this volume.
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The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association
by Tom Monteleone
The most irreverent, entertaining, and longest-running column in the history of horror and dark fantasy, dealing with all things publishing – Monteleone has written about breaking in, breaking out, being successful, and being a failure. He tells it like it is in the book biz, television, film, and popular culture. If you want the inside scoop on the genres you love, this is the book for you!
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Fears Unnamed:
4 Novellas
by Tim Lebbon
Nominated for the 2004 Stoker Best Collection Award
– this volume contains four novellas written over the space of four years. Three of them are reprints – the award-winning White and Naming of Parts, and The Unfortunate – and Remnants is a brand new novella, exploring the City of the Dead and what happens when two friends find it in the Ethopian desert.”
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A thought-provoking new thriller by bestselling author Rex Miller and John Maclay. This is an original novel in our trade paperback series—the last novel Rex Miller was writing before his death in 2004. His collaboration with the short story master, John Maclay, is a must-read!
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To order call 410.877.1821 or e-mail: sales@borderlandspress.com
Epitaphs is Back Up on Amazon
Epitaphs: The Journal of the New England Horror Writers, edited by Tracy L. Carbone and published by Shroud Publishing, is once again available on Amazon. The first NEHW anthology had been taken down from the website to fix some technical issues with the book.
Shock Totem’s First Holiday Issue
Shock Totem has a special holiday issue, which is now available for the Kindle. This issue features an eclectic mix of holiday-inspired dark fiction from K. Allen Wood, Mercedes M. Yardley, Kevin J. Anderson, and Robert J Duperre to name a few. There are also anecdotal holiday recollections from Jack Ketchum, Stacey Longo, Mark Allan Gunnells, Nick Cato, Leslianne Wilder, and a host of others.
Wood, Longo and Cato are members of the New England Horror Writers’ organization.
The Cover of Shock Totem's Holiday issue
Here’s is the table of contents:
Heartless by Mercedes M. Yardley
Vincent Pendergast’s Holiday Recollection
Jennifer Pelland’s Holiday Recollection
Streamer of Silver, Ribbon of Red by K. Allen Wood
Mark Allan Gunnells’ Holiday Recollection
Nick Cato’s Holiday Recollection
Santa Claus Is Coming to Get You by Kevin J. Anderson
Stacey Longo’s Holiday Recollection
Tinsel by John Boden
Leslianne Wilder’s Holiday Recollection
One Good Turn by Robert J. Duperre
Jack Ketchum’s Holiday Recollection
Sheldon Higdon’s Crappy Holiday Recollection
Christmas Wish by Sarah Gomes
Simon McCaffery’s Holiday Recollection
‘Twas the Night by Nick Contor
Daniel I. Russell’s Holiday Recollection
Lee Thompson’s Holiday Recollection
A Krampus Christmas by Ryan Bridger
Howling Through the Keyhole (Story Notes)
This is the first time Wood, publisher and editor of Shock Totem, formatted an e-book. He is currently working on other formats so it can be uploaded to B&N and Drive-Thru Fiction.
Horror for a Good Cause
This information submitted by NEHW Publicity Committee member, David Price.
Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology
Photo courtesy of the Horror for Good Facebook page
This anthology is looking for original, unpublished stories. All horror stories accepted, there is no particular theme. The only requirement is that the story must be awesome. The deadline for submissions is December 15. There is no payment for this anthology, since proceeds will go to amfAR, which is an international AIDS research charity.
The anthology is being co-edited by Mark Scioneaux and Robert S. Wilson with the help of Publishing Consultant R.J. Cavender
Stories for this anthology have already been accepted from Ray Garton, Jack Ketchum, Ramsey Campbell, Jeff Strand and others. Full submission guidelines can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/horrorforgood?sk=app_174225559282949
For more information about this anthology check out its website, http://horrorforgood.blogspot.com/
Breaking Out of the Vacuum
Breaking Out of the Vacuum
by Kasey Shoemaker
Kasey Shoemaker (photo courtesy of her website)
As writers, we primarily function independently, quietly, and quite frankly, in our own worlds while working. Even when typing away on our laptops in a crowded Starbucks, we see no one and hear no one. We like it better that way. Occasionally, we share our pages with trusted friends or significant others, and if we’re really lucky, a writer’s group. However, the bulk of our work is done in our head, which makes for a great product but a poor connection with our audience. Audiences are anything but static. Their tastes, desires, and habits change as quickly as literary trends. The readers we had in mind three years ago for book one of a series may have completely different expectations for our genre by the time we begin plotting out book four. Following trends made by the publishing companies won’t give us the insight we need. Many readers are disgusted by what the publishing companies continue to stubbornly feed the public. We, as writers, need to actually connect with our potential readers to understand them better. After all, without readers, our books are merely attractive decoration for the bookshelf. We write for them.
So, how do we get away from our keyboards and actually meet the people for whom we write our stories? In a world where bookstores are closing and Kindles are gaining in popularity, most sales transactions are done electronically, and writers are even further removed from readers than before. So, when the New England Horror Writers participates in events that put writers in front of potential readers, it makes for a great opportunity to bridge that ever-widening gap.
Photo by Jason Harris
As a new member, I really didn’t know what to expect. And, honestly, after participating in two public events thus far, I still don’t know what future ones would hold. Because my novel is a genre crosser, ranging from urban fantasy to paranormal fiction, I was thrilled to be at the Southcoast Toy and Comic Book show in Massachusetts. As someone who used to frequent these types of events many years ago, I felt I, along with everyone else at the table, was smack in the middle of my target audience. Without dwelling too long on unmet expectations, I will say that we were honestly surprised by the general lack of interest from those present. Sales were made, but people for the most part, seemed nonplussed by our presence. However, getting out there as a writer isn’t always about making books sales. Sometimes, it’s about making contacts. A man whose group does book reviews and features science fiction and fantasy books on his weekly podcasts approached our table. As each of us smiled and optimistically took his business card, I’m sure we silently thought that this one contact was worth the two-hour drive. I know I did, and thus far following up with that one contact has been rather positive.
Two weeks prior to that event, the New England Horror Writers participated in the Wadsworth Open Air Market in Connecticut. Expectations were far surpassed at this event. Many sales were made, and most of us spent the entire afternoon talking to people about books, writing, and the horror genre. Even people who said that horror was not for them seemed pleased to see us and were eager for conversation. We felt enthusiastic and pleasantly surprised by our experience afterwards.
The Middletown Open Air Market (photo by Rob Watts)
Therefore, while both of the events provided drastically different results, the writers who participated gained something from the experience whether it was multiple books sales or a meaningful contact. However, the most important aspect of these events is that it forces us writers to pull ourselves away from the blue-white glow of our computers and talk to our potential audience. We simply don’t get that chance often enough. And, we’re better writers for it. My only expectation from these events is that anything could happen. We could meet someone who says, “I do book reviews and feature writers on my weekly podcasts. Here’s my card.” Or we could have a fifteen minute conversation with someone who asks, “So, why the horror genre?” We may sell all the books we brought. We may give out postcards and business cards to prospective readers, or we may get a hand cramp from autographing copies of our books. However, I do know that we’ll be outside the writer bubble, the vacuum that can sometimes consume us. And, that opportunity in and of itself is worth it.
