My Blog

Guest Post—William Meikle

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:26:03 -0600

Stuff I'd Like to Write

I've been looking around for anthologies to submit to in recent weeks. I've got subs out to some of the usual suspects—anthos dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft's Mythos.

But it got me thinking about what other anthos I'd like to write for—and read, in other writers' universes. So, with tongue only slightly in cheek, this is a call for editors/publishers to get their fingers out and announce submission calls for the following:

Black Mass—A Dennis Wheatley tribute. Wheatley wasn't the world's greatest writer, but his books filled store shelves before Stephen King came along and did a lot to mould my liking for supernatural fiction. I'd love to have a go at an old school Satanic romp with his characters.

She Who Must Be Obeyed—An H Rider Haggard tribute. I've always wanted to do an Allan Quatermain/lost civilisation story.

Tarzan Returns—How cool would it be to do a Tarzan story? Well, for a lad who grew up on the ERB books, it would be geek heaven.

Challenger—Why not a Professor Challenger antho as opposed to a Holmes one? And Challenger was an Ayrshire man, like me. I've got many ideas just waiting for the right antho. :-)

Quatermass—And thinking of Challenger brings me straight to Quatermass, one of my earliest heroes. It's surely time for an antho of British science gone wrong?

Fu-Manchu—I so want to write an old school criminal mastermind story.

And those are just off the top of my head. I'd also love to write in Moorcock's Eternal Champion universe, or using Gemmell's Jerusalem Man. There are also many TV show characters I'd love to write stories for, from The X-Files to Dr. Who, from Adam Adamant to Supernatural.

Not a single one of these is likely to happen anytime soon, and I'm not holding my breath waiting for invitations to submit.

But a boy can dream can't he?

William Meikle is a Scottish writer with ten novels published in the genre press and over 200 short story credits in thirteen countries. He is the author of the ongoing Midnight Eye series among others, and his work appears in a number of professional anthologies. His ebook The Invasion has been as high as #2 in the Kindle SF charts. He lives in a remote corner of Newfoundland with icebergs, whales and bald eagles for company. In the winters he gets warm vicariously through the lives of others in cyberspace, so please check him out at www.williammeikle.com.

Comment on this post between now and the end of February and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a free Kindle loaded with all the books William Meikle has published with Generation Next Publications.

A Few Great Reads for Halloween

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:00:00 -0500

I’ve been on a short story kick this week, trying to take in as much Halloweeny goodness as I can before the big day. The following are three new finds I recommend you all go pick up.

A Pound Of Flash

Here is another twisted collection of short horror stories from the author of The Lake and 17 Other Stories, Saying Goodbye to the Sun, GRUBS, and 33 A.D.

“Exhibit B”—Witness our talkative serial killer friend as he torments the detective assigned to his case.

“One of Four”—Deep in the bowels of an old Catholic Church, a seemingly frail old man lies chained to a bed. But this old man is anything but frail.

“Surviving the Zombie Invasion”—Some people will do anything to survive in a town overrun by zombies.

“Alone on the Mountain”—A man who has lived alone in the Appalachian Mountains for 15 years falls victim to the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera.

Plus 12 mini horror “bites.”

BONUS MATERIAL:

“Apology,” by Michael Crane
“Return to Ravenworld,” by Daniel Arenson
“Locked and Locked Again,” by David Dalglish

My take: You can definitely call me a McAfee fan. David writes the kind of horror that got me into the genre in the first place. Gritty, fun, and sometimes shocking tales that’ll keep you up with the lights on.

Darkness Under the Sun

The chilling account of a pivotal encounter between innocence and ultimate malice, Darkness Under the Sun is the perfect read for Halloween—or for any haunted night—and reveals a secret, fateful turning point in the career of Alton Turner Blackwood, the killer at the dark heart of What the Night Knows, the forthcoming novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.

There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt.

He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still…he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.

This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to ensure that he does not visit us.

My take: Darkness Under the Sun is a novella that introduces us to some of the characters in Dean’s new thriller, What the Night Knows. I’ve been a Koontz fan for a long time and have read most of what he’s written. Whether or not you plan to buy What the Night Knows, you shouldn’t miss this story. It works excellently as a standalone tale.

Lessons (and other morbid drabbles)

A man learns a painful and valuable lesson…one finger at a time.
An old couple bickers over disgusting leftovers.
Kids go ignored when they tell their parents about the horrors that lurk in their bedrooms, until it’s too late…

Lessons (and other morbid drabbles) is a collection of 25 100-word shorts that range from darkly comic to downright terrifying and wrong. Some shorts feature ghouls and monsters while others are simply about people behaving very, very badly. Which is scarier? Find out in this sick and twisted collection.

They may only be a few words long, but that doesn’t lessen the bloodshed any…

My take: It’s hard to write a story in exactly 100 words. It’s even harder to do it twenty-five times in a row. I’m very impressed with this little collection, and I think you will be, too.

You can get all three of these for a grand total of $3.57. At that price, if you don’t buy them all, you deserve a razor blade in your Halloween candy. That’s right, I went there.

Seriously, these are great Halloween reads. Treat yourself.

Great Horror on the Cheap

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:22:37 -0500

About the book:

Seventeen short horror stories from the author of 33 A.D. and Saying Goodbye to the Sun.

“The Lake”—Five college boys answer an ad to spend Spring Break by a remote lake in northern Maine, only to find out they should have gone to Panama city like everyone else.

“The Spider and the Fly”—A deranged old man leads a young boy into a trap, but who is really hunting who?

“Exhibit A”—Listen to a budding serial killer as he explains himself to his first victim.

Plus 14 mini horror “bites.”

BONUS: “One Last Dinner Party”—additional short story by David Dalglish, author of the Half Orc series.

David McAfee is the author of the vampire novels 33 A.D. and Saying Goodbye to the Sun as well as the horror novel, GRUBS. His next horror novel, The Gallows Tree, is scheduled to be released in October 2010. David is currently working on another vampire novel, BAIT, after which he will begin working on the oft-asked for sequel to 33 A.D.

David lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife, daughter, and a small army of loyal but dysfunctional pets. As of this writing, he and his wife are expecting their first child together, who will no doubt grow to be just as deranged as the rest of the McAfee clan.

God help us all.

Maybe you've never heard of David McAfee. You're thinking: should I chance a buck on this or buy one-tenth of something famouser? First of all, famouser isn't a word. Second, stop thinking and go buy this collection right now. I guarantee you won't be sorry.

I've been reading and writing horror most of my life, and I've paid for a lot of stinkers. This isn't one of them. McAfee's flash fiction is expertly honed, and the longer stories rank right up there with the works of Richard Laymon and Brian Keene. The tales are fun, disgustingly delicious, and unforgettable.

This is big-time horror for a small-time price. Do yourself a favor and give McAfee a try. Then go read everything else he's written. That's my plan anyway.

An Interview with Scott Nicholson

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:59:17 -0500

Scott Nicholson is the author of 10 thrillers, including the Bram Stoker finalist The Red Church, Drummer Boy, Disintegration, and The Skull Ring. He’s published over 60 stories in seven countries, as well as numerous writing articles, six screenplays, several comic books, and magazine features. He’s won three North Carolina Press Association Awards as a newspaper reporter and also has a freelance manuscript editing business. For more information, visit: www.hauntedcomputer.com.

Daniel Pyle: Scott, thanks for taking some time out for me today. I know you have a big blog tour in the works. Can you tell us about that?

Scott Nicholson: I think book bloggers will be the most important literary gatekeepers of the next decade, as agents and publishing houses decline in influence (related to the loss of bookstores). The Internet is changing the way we all share experiences, and a blog tour for e-books is a natural fit. I am also giving away a Kindle because e-books are the future.

DP: Writing today isn't the same job it was ten or even five years ago. People are talking about the differences, but how is it still the same?

SN: The art and craft is still the same but the business is exactly backwards. Before, you had to write to please a couple of people—an agent and an editor—but now you have to write to please yourself and your readers. The connection is more direct, but you still need to tell a good, compelling, and well-crafted story.

DP: If you had to start your career over today from scratch, would you do it?

SN: Yes, of course. A writer has no choice. A real writer is doomed from the very beginning!

DP: Your house is burning down. Your agent and your Kindle are inside. Which one do you save?

SN: Well, I have worked with five agents and I use a Kindle for PC desktop as a reader. The computer has my book files, so I’d get it. Agents are getting more replaceable and unnecessary by the minute—though good ones can still help with movie and ancillary rights.

DP: Have you ever partaken of moonshine?

SN: Oh, yes, but it’s been at least 25 years.

DP: What's been the most difficult part of your career?

SN: Losing faith in myself but realizing I gave power of my artistic happiness over to other people. Other people, however well intentioned, will simply never care as much as you do. Stay true to your vision.

DP: Can you suggest any underappreciated indie writers we all ought to be reading?

SN: I don’t know as many “pure indies,” since most have some level of professional experience, but I think Debbi Mack, J.T. Cummins, David McAfee, David H. Burton, Simon Wood, W.D. Gagliani, Vicki Tyley, and more are deserving of wide audiences. It’s hard to believe the talented work that was unable to secure New York deals, and also makes you realize why New York’s model was failing to meet the needs of readers.

DP: Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

SN: I am restructuring my story collections and just released Murdermouth: Zombie Bits as a collection. This fall I am releasing the psychological thriller Disintegration and the metafictional thriller As I Die Lying, as well as a digital release of my 2003 novel The Harvest, which will be the “author’s preferred edition,” all the way to the title, which is now Forever Never Ends.

DP: Before we wrap it up, is there anything else you'd like to get off your chest?

SN: Come by my Web site and blog and check out writing information and fiction excerpts. I also have some graphic novels coming through the pipeline. This is my life now.

I love this new era. It’s full of raw energy and experimentation. Aim for spectacular failure instead of mediocre success. Thanks, Daniel!

Thank you.

Everyone be sure to follow Scott on his summer blog tour and check out his website for more information on him, his books, and his goings on.

You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

If you’d like to leave a comment, you can do so below.

It's Not Horror, But Me Likes

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:56:36 -0600

Since about the age of three, when I found my first decapitated head, I’ve been zealously interested in horror and have, with only a few exceptions, read exclusively from that genre. Until recently, noted exceptions included books by Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Ray Bradbury and, of course, J. K. Rowling, but now I’d like to add another author to my list of non-horror greats. Lee Child, whose Jack Reacher page turners are not only well written and fun, but intelligent to boot, has become my new suspense standby.

I know, with a name like Killing Floor and a cover featuring a bloody hand print, it’s hard to believe the novel pictured above, the first of Child’s series, isn’t horror, but rest assured, the cover is this book’s most gruesome aspect. Maybe that could be construed as a little misleading, but considering the entertainment level of the content, I’d have to say it’s a forgivable sin; and, while not horror in any traditional sense, Killing Floor does have its share of violence.

Jack Reacher, the series’s hero, is an ex-military policeman with a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time--and, get this, he loves coffee, which makes him a man after my own heart. Reacher is something like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Rambo, with all the insight of the former and ass-kicking ability of the latter. A brain-using, gun-wielding, java-drinking lead role? Well, you can see why I’m smitten.

So if you’re in the mood for a good read, go out and pick up Killing Floor. You won’t find a zombie, blood-thirsty demons, or a maggot-filled hamburger, but I guarantee you won’t regret the purchase. And afterwards, if you’re still thirsty for some gore, point yourself back in this direction. I won’t let you down.

Currently reading: Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein--Book Two: City of Night by Dean Koontz and Ed Gorman (A good, strong second act, full of tension and with Koontz’s usual flair for vocabulary.)

Currently listening to: “Steady, As She Goes” by The Raconteurs (A new band featuring Jack White on guitar and lead vocals, and damned if that guy can’t rock and roll. This first single is a promising beginning and you can bet I’ll be buying the album come May. Plus, The Raconteurs? The writer in me can’t help but love the name.)