Tuesday, February 6, 2024

My Books & More!

Haven't done one of these posts in a while, so for newer readers looking for my ebooks, they're available for Nook and Kindle. I know some folks using the latter are signed up for KU, but because I'm one of those indie horror authors that prefers not to just have my work exclusively on Kindle only, I can't enroll in Kindle Unlimited. However, I just signed up and was approved as a Bookbub Author, so hopefully I'll be able to do more with that in the near future.

Anyway, for those Nook users, you can find my Nookbooks here. (Updated to add that if this link doesn't pull up the list of my books, just type in my name: Chris Kosarich)

Kindle users can find my ebooks here.

And for those wanting a hardcopy trade paperback, you can find those only on bn.com. You can find those links on the same page as the Nook ebooks. I also offer signed copies of my physical copies on here (just scroll down for that info in previous posts) and book bundles as well. US shipping only! 

Take care and stay spooky! 🎃🎃🎃

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Goodbye 2023, and Hello 2024!

So I guess it's a thing to do one of these Year In Review posts, and given that I'd done one a year ago, I figured what the heck, right? 

2023 was a pretty busy and mostly good year for me. I'd released two full-length horror novels, the final Roseblood trilogy novel Bloodlust and this past Halloween saw the release of my erotic horror novella Rebirth. The former was originally supposed to come out Fall 2022, but Hurricane Ian butt-smacked my childhood home in North Fort Myers, where my folks still live. My brother and I (along with some buddies of his) spent a day helping my folks clean up and thankfully this past year saw them get a new roof. While "the jungle" (what I'd called their surrounding yard) was beautiful in its own way, my folks couldn't keep up with the overgrowth and Mature Nature helped them out. 
Anyway, Bloodlust wrapped up my Roseblood trilogy (my least popular books but ones I'm quite proud of), and Rebirth was a blast to write. Editor and book reviewer Lisa Lee Tone nailed it in her book review on her site Bibliophilia Templum. I've posted about that here previously if you'd like to read her full analysis! 

Also, I'd be remiss in not mentioning this. I was asked to take part in the Books of Horror Halloween Mystery Box promotion and donated my story Josie's Prank Night, sort of a Mister Jack prequel story. For those unaware, BoH is the biggest FB group devoted to the horror fiction community and genre, and it's a fantastic collection of readers and authors. The admins work tirelessly to keep it friendly and fun. So, BoH admins Tiffany and RJ, along with another member named Taylor, who designed the cover art, helped create this truly amazing chapbook for my story. I was so pleased with how well it turned out. And I'm able to obtain additional copies to use as promotional giveaways for those who purchase a signed personalized copy of Night of the Pumpkin God directly from me (insert shameless self promotion)! 

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve morning and I'll wrap this up with what's coming for the New Year. 2024 will see the release (by Halloween, hopefully) of Mister Jack: Requiem, which is sort of a sequel to Mister Jack (but about what happens to Josie's mother Elizabeth after events relayed in Josie's tale to Tully and company in MJ), and I'll edit the followup novel to The Ravening called Island of Devils. The latter was supposed to be done this past year but was put on hold because of releasing Bloodlust and then I got inspired to write Rebirth. I blame author Duncan Ralston of Woom for that! 

That's it, folks. Have a safe but fun New Year's Eve and even better New Year. And as always...stay spooky! 


Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Five Star Review of Rebirth from Bibliophilia Templum!

(Courtesy of Lisa Lee Tone from Bibliophilia Templum!)

https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/

Riveting Erotic Cosmic Horror!

"What an excellent read! I love this story! Rebirth by Chris Kosarich is branded as a “novella of erotic horror,” but there is much more to it than that. So much more.

To be clear, the label erotic horror serves as both a lure and a warning. There is explicit sexual content, there’s horror, and the sex and horror mix together in places. And more importantly, the sexual content is integral to the story. But Rebirth is also a story of mystery, suspense, and cosmic horror. Yes, wonderful cosmic horror—They call it Mother.

As always, Kosarich’s characters are vivid and evocative, so much so that the appearance of one character in particular made me physically tense up and another brought a sneer to my face. Yeah, some aren’t likeable.

But the story itself is absolutely riveting! Fantastic plot, excellent flow, fast-paced, well-written—this is my favorite of his yet! A highly recommended 5-star read for those who like an intense and sexy cosmic horror story."

Thanks again, Lisa, for the fabulous five star review! You rock! 


Available now in ebook for Nook and Kindle, and trade paperback from BN only! DM via social media or email me at flahorrorwriter67@gmail.com for a signed personalized copy that comes with a couple different Rebirth bookmarks!

Friday, November 3, 2023

Rebirth!

If you follow me on social media, I'd been talking this past week or so (or longer) about my latest erotic horror novella, Rebirth. Well, I'm pleased to announce as of this past Halloween, Rebirth is available in ebook for Nook and Kindle, and the trade paperback available exclusively on BN.com. 



Here's the back copy synopsis: 

"During the Covid-19 pandemic, Benjamin Long lost his hospitality management job and then his marriage. As a result, he temporarily moved back home to live with his parents. But as things slowly get back to normal, Ben wants to rebuild his life and be able to support himself.

When a close friend from college tells him about a men's health study that pays well, Ben decides to take part. It's easy money but there's also a catch. She needs his help. She's the editor of a weekly paper and one of her journalists has been missing for months after researching a potential story at the same location.

The Male Enhancement Health Institute, or MEHI, isn't what it seems. Dr Miriam Raine and her staff of beautiful young women are too good to be true. And soon Ben will uncover much more than he bargained for. His life may be in danger but he could lose his very soul!

Rebirth...A Novella of Erotic Horror!"

For those wanting a signed, personalized copy (which comes with an exclusive Rebirth bookmark), reach out to me via one of my social media accounts or email me at flahorrorwriter67@gmail.com. US shipping only and payments via PayPal. 

The ebook and trade paperback can be found here. And for Kindle, it can be found here.

(Edited to add: the trade paperback listed on BN has the incorrect price, which was my error not BN's. It should be $12.99 and will be corrected shortly)

Also, for book reviewers, I have a digital review copy, so hit me up if interested! 

And as always, I'm extremely grateful and appreciative of everyone who takes the time to read and review my work. Additionally, much thanks goes to my amazing editor Erin Al-Mehairi at Hook Of A Book and equally amazing Rebecca at atrtinkcovers.com, who does my cover art and interior book design/formatting. Both come highly recommended! 


Thursday, October 26, 2023

The Halloween Police

The Halloween Police 
Copyright 2023

On the day the Watson family moved into their new house, which had been their dream house since they'd always rented, it had been less than two weeks til Halloween. They'd totally forgotten about how close the autumnal holiday was between being so busy over the last few weeks of summer. But with all the paperwork and closing on the new home, and of course packing and hiring movers, the last month had been a virtual whirlwind, and Halloween was the last thing on their minds.

As they got settled and started unpacking, which would take all weekend, they realized all the houses in their neighborhood had quite the extensive and elaborate spooky Halloween decorations. Michael Watson had never been a huge fan of the holiday except when the kids were little and still enjoyed dressing up and going trick or treating. Now that his son Jamal was 14, and his daughter, Monique, was 12, neither had much of an interest in All Hallows Eve traditions. Last year they told both parents they were "too old for that kid stuff." Mike's wife and their mother, Cheryl, hadn't argued with them, begging for them to dress up for Halloween pictures just one more time. They'd had enough of those photos in the family album, anyway.

So they were excited to just be in their big spacious new house, a four-three, located in a somewhat quaint little town north and east of Orlando. Everyone seemed very friendly and nice. Mike was black and his wife was white, and while he'd been a bit concerned about how an upper middle class neighborhood would react to a mixed race couple, so far so good. And that was a tremendous relief. Mike had received a work promotion recently, which made it possible for the house purchase, and worked from home as an IT specialist for Global Securities. Cheryl was a veteran public school teacher and had taken an assistant principal position at the area elementary school. Their children would be attending the nearby middle school. Both were exceptional students but like most teens, were more interested in things like music and sports, and of course the latest trending videos on Tiktok. 

After the moving van departed and they began the arduous task of unboxing and getting things organized, Mike met one of his neighbors from across the street. He'd been lugging out a stack of flattened cardboard boxes into the opened garage when the stocky middle-aged man with thinning brown hair approached him, smiling warmly. He'd introduced himself as Paul and welcomed him to the neighborhood. Cheryl briefly appeared and said hello. After small talk for a few minutes, Paul turned to head back to his house. 

"Well, nice to meet you and the missus," Paul told him amicably. "Oh and don't forget about Halloween, too. Around here, we love seeing our neighbors decorate for it!" 

Mike nodded and watched him go, waving as Paul glanced back with a grin before he went back inside. 

Okay then, he thought. Guess they really love Halloween.

The rest of the day and into Saturday was busy with the rest of unpacking and setting up the house, plus Mike needed to get his home office situated before Monday. The kids pitched in and helped their mother with cleaning the house, even though it was pretty clean to begin with. Then she took the kids with her to help stock up the fridge and pantry at the local Publix. They had takeout pizza last night, but they couldn't rely on delivery dinners for long. A massive grocery shopping trip had been a must!

Saturday evening came and went, everyone exhausted but content by finally being able to relax after an exhausting few days. On Sunday morning, Mike went to go outside to fetch the morning paper. He'd made sure it would be delivered. Ironically given his profession, he was still one of those dinosaurs who enjoyed reading an actual newspaper instead of online. As he opened the front door to see if the plastic wrapped bundle was at the end of his driveway, he noticed an orange envelope sitting on the ground in front of their front door. A Halloween pumpkin had been stamped across the front instead of a name and address.

Frowning, he bent over and picked it up. He opened it and pulled out a simple sheet of unlined paper. A neatly handwritten note read:

"Welcome to the neighborhood! We just wanted to say hello and to remind you not to forget that Halloween is almost a week away! Put up those decorations and get into the spirit of the Spooky Season!

Sincerely, 
Your Neighborhood Friends aka The Halloween Police"

Mike shook his head and chuckled to himself. Geez, they really took Halloween seriously, didn't they? He went down the walkway to the driveway, still holding the orange envelope and note. He was pleased to see the morning paper sitting at the end of the driveway and scooped it up. When he went back inside and dropped both onto the eat-in kitchen table, he fetched a mug and poured himself a cup. As he sat down and opened the Sunday paper, Cheryl sauntered in wearing her robe and slippers, yawning. She kissed her husband on the head and went to get her coffee. After she sat down next to him, she spied the orange envelope.

"What's this, hon?" She sipped from her mug and picked up the note.

"Just the neighborhood welcoming committee about Halloween," he said, ruffling pages. "Apparently they're reminding us about decorating." 

Cheryl read the note and smirked. "Well, I'm not that surprised because didn't you notice how the whole town is decorated for Halloween? They even have this huge haunted house attraction and one of those haunted hayrides too!" She put the note back in the envelope and drank more of her coffee. Then she got up to pull a carton of eggs, a package of bacon, and jug of orange juice from the fridge. 

Mike grunted, hearing what she said but was too absorbed in the Sports page to really care. 

The rest of Sunday came and went as they spent more time finishing most of the unpacking and getting ready for Monday. Everyone would be busy with work tomorrow and the kids at their new middle school. So they enjoyed an early Sunday spaghetti and meatballs dinner and turned in early again that evening. 

Mike awoke like he did most days right before dawn. He'd always been an early riser. He yawned and got up right as his wife's phone chimed its alarm. She'd get up and shower first, so he climbed out of bed and went to make coffee. Soon, the kids would be up, or he hoped so, getting bowls of cereal and staring raptly at their devices. The Watson family had one rule: no smartphones at the dinner table, but the mornings were okay.

As Mike drank his first cup and perused the work emails on his phone, Cheryl appeared freshly showered and dressed for her first day as AP at the elementary school. The kids came after that, looking less enthusiastic but dutifully poured their cereal and quickly eating. Then, Jamal and Moni finished getting dressed. They'd be leaving shortly.

After Mike kissed her goodbye, and telling Jamal and Moni to have a good day at the new school (and his wife too), Cheryl and the kids left via the garage. Because there were still boxes and things in the garage, there'd only been room for Cheryl's car. Mike's SUV had been parked in the driveway. 

He refilled and his cup and was about to get settled and ready for his day. He wore sweatpants and a t-shirt but it hardly mattered working from home. As he started for the hallway that led to his home office, the kitchen door to the garage opened and his wife called out. 

Mike saw her holding out an orange envelope with a Jack O' Lantern design stamped on it. 

"As I was backing out, I saw this stuck under your windshield wiper," she said as he took it. "Gotta run, love you!" 

"Thanks! Love you, babe!" The kitchen door slammed shut, making him wince. Then moments later, he heard the garage door trundle down. 

Mike opened the orange envelope and slid out the note. This time it was much more brief than the first one. 

"Hello, neighbor! We asked you nicely the first time...

Best regards,
THP"

Mike frowned. Now this kind of pissed him off. He balled up the note along with the envelope and tossed it in the kitchen garbage can. Someone had a really twisted sense of humor and he could take a joke or prank but this was almost over the line. Actually it was over the line.

He took his coffee and went back into his home office. As he sat down and prepared for the day at his company issued laptop, he'd soon forgotten about the second note from The Halloween Police. Or whoever was behind this. It was probably his neighbor Paul or possibly one of his other neighbors. But he'd look into this during his lunch break, maybe there was something about it was in the HOA paperwork, although he didn't recall seeing anything about that. 

Or you could just dig through the remaining boxes stored in the garage, Mike told himself. Go find the old Halloween decorations from when Jamal and Monique were little and into trick or treating and put them up outside. And be done with it!

He nodded to himself. Yeah he'd do that later this afternoon, perhaps before Cheryl and the kids got home. Or see if his son and daughter wanted to help (although they'd probably beg off, saying they were too old for that).

Mike started working at his desk, busy with emails, messages on the internal system, and other assorted activities related to his job. His day flew by, taking 30 minutes to have lunch and then using the remainder of his break to locate the old box of Halloween stuff. Mostly just a bunch of small Styrofoam headstones, a few cardboard ghosts and pumpkins, even a witch on a broomstick with a black cat,  cheap but kid friendly stuff that could be taped to a front window. There was also package of glow-in-the-dark spider webs. He'd maybe buy a pumpkin to carve a day or two at the store. Putting out a Jack O' Lantern too early in the Florida heat and humidity would result in attracting tiny flies and ants in swarms and a rotting pumpkin on Halloween.

Satisfied, Mike finished up the latter half of his workday. He'd even had enough time to spare and was just putting up those old Halloween decorations when his wife and kids came home. Jamal and Moni barely gave the front of the house a cursory glance before they headed inside to grab a can of soda and start on homework.

Cheryl kissed him and remarked on his All Hallows Eve efforts. "So you gave in, huh?" He didn't want to mention the second note. 

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied with a tinge of sarcasm. "Just wanted to be neighborly and all. Get in the Spooky Season mood, so to speak." He chuckled and shook his head. 

Cheryl took out some frozen chicken breasts to thaw and a few other things for dinner, which she'd start in a little while. She also grabbed a bottle of wine. 

"Yeah well, we may have to up our Halloween game to keep up with the other neighbors, hon," she replied as she fetched an empty wine glass. 

Mike agreed but had no real plans to go out and spend money on something he had no true desire for. Their old decorations would have to do. Besides, the rest of the street was filled with enough shambling zombies, pumpkin headed demons, skeletal creatures with horn headed skulls and huge batwings, among other assorted Halloween horrors. It was almost staggering and a bit unsettling how seriously his neighbors, really the whole town, took this. They simply couldn't compete with that. 

They rest of the evening was mostly relaxing. Mike hoped his neighbors accepted their contribution outside and let that be enough. He thought about who was leaving those notes and realized their front door came with one of those security systems complete with a camera that recorded everything. He mentally berated himself for not thinking to check this before. As Mike and his wife prepared for bed after a long busy day, he told himself he'd maybe do that in the morning. 

He slept pretty well, despite his wife snoring softly beside him. He was a light sleeper but was used to it. He woke up early as usual and got up to make coffee. While the coffee brewed, he went into his office, sat down, and then thought about the front door camera. He picked up his smartphone, accessed the app that was connected to it, and pulled up the latest video feed first. It didn't take him very long to find something.

Three dark figures wearing masks stood at the curb directly in front of their house. Because of the dim streetlights he could see them well enough even though they stood half in shadows. One wore a bright orange Jack O' Lantern mask, the other donning a grinning skull face, and the third had on a green-faced witch mask. They all were dressed in black or dark clothing. Slowly, Pumpkin Face lifted one hand and pointed to the front of their house. Then Skull Head walked up to the driveway, skirted his parked vehicle this time, and dropped another orange envelope on the front walkway. The spooky trio left after that, vanishing into the night.

Mike stopped the feed and tried suppressing the shiver that traced an icy finger up and down his spine. He didn't need to go back and watch the feed from the weekend. He didn't want to. 

He got up, left his office, and went to the front door. He spotted the orange envelope laying several feet away and picked it up. Opened it and read the short message. 

"Last warning, Mr Watson...

Spookily,
THP" 

Mike was seriously pissed off now and also a bit freaked out. This went a little beyond a fun Halloween prank to borderline threatening now. He'd considered calling the local police but nixed that idea. He didn't want to make waves at this point, being so new here. Then he thought he'd go speak to Paul. He'd just wait til after Cheryl and the kids left. He knew he should tell her about this but with her new job and everything, she didn't need one more thing to worry about. He'd handle it himself. 

Once they'd left for work and school, Mike slipped on his sneakers and left the house, heading across the street. He hoped it wasn't too early to be knocking on his neighbor's front door. 

Paul answered the door a few moments after he'd rung the doorbell, dressed in khaki pants and a navy blue Polo style shirt. He held a steaming mug of coffee.

"Hey Mike, good morning!" he said with a faint smile. "What's up?" 

Mike felt under-dressed in his usual work-at-home attire but figured Paul wouldn't much care. 

"Do you mind if we chat for a bit?" he asked, forcing a sheepish grin. He held the latest orange envelope. "We've been getting these the past few nights. And I have to ask you..."

"So, you're wondering if that's been me, and no it's not," Paul replied. "But I don't blame you for asking me that. Come on in and let's talk."

He offered Mike a cup of coffee but he politely declined and they sat down at the kitchen table. He told Mike he had about twenty minutes or so before he needed to head into work but this wouldn't take long.

"Not sure how much you know about this town," he began, sipping from his cup. "But it wasn't always called Sowhen." He paused and set down his nearly empty mug. "Back in the late 80s or early 90s, a man named Samuel Hayne moved down here from somewhere in the Midwest. He'd been a fairly successful businessman making those creepy Halloween masks and as he'd gotten older, didn't much care for the harsh winters. So he packed and moved his whole operation here. The town had been dying for a long time and he brought factory jobs and revitalized the entire place until he passed away back in 2007. The town was renamed at some point after he'd moved here and while you may not realize this, it was named after him. His own birth name had been something else but he had it legally changed when he still lived in Ohio or wherever. Samuel Hayne or Sam Hayne, which is really a clever nod to Samhain, the Celtic or pagan holiday that's otherwise known as Halloween. The town became Sowhen, which is the correct pronunciation of Samhain, by the way. It was a way to honor him, and all he did for this place. And to, of course, celebrate All Hallows Eve."

This was totally insane, but in some crazy way it did make sense. But Mike didn't know what to say. He wanted to mention the three ghoulish masked figures leaving notes at his doorstep but also didn't want to take up more of Paul's time. He thanked him and Paul led him to the front door.

"Have a good day, Mike," he said, standing in the doorway. "Let me know if you have any more questions, okay? And have fun putting up more Halloween stuff, too!"

Mike nodded, smiling faintly, and headed back across the street. He went back inside and into his office. He kept thinking about who those three masked Halloween creeps might be but had no idea. He didn't know anyone else around here besides Paul. They did seem vaguely familiar, though, and for some reason he kept thinking he'd seen figures like them in an old 80s horror movie but couldn't recall which one. He was more of an action movie guy, anyway. 

The rest of the day, just a few days before Halloween, went by quickly as he'd been on numerous conference calls, among his other usual duties. He'd even cut his lunch break short, and before he knew it, his wife and kids got home and he called it quits for the day. He needed a hot, home-cooked meal and maybe even a glass of whiskey over ice to unwind. 

Mike never mentioned the latest note, the video feed, or his conversation with Paul to Cheryl. Maybe he'd mention the latter at a later date but for now, he didn't care to bring it up. 

And like the past few nights after such a busy hectic week, the Watson family called it an early evening. 

Mike woke up suddenly, pulled immediately from his slumber because of a small furtive noise somewhere in the house. At first he thought it was one the kids heading to the kitchen for a glass of ice water. But no, that wasn't it. 

Carefully, he crept from the bed, not waking up his sleeping wife. Cheryl was a deep sleeper and even her smartphone alarm wouldn't drag her awake right away.

Mike opened the bedroom door all the way and stepped out into the hallway. He'd started to turn left, thinking the noise came from the living room but then a movement to his right caught his attention. 

He froze in his tracks. Three shadowy figures stood near the doors to the bedrooms belonging to his son and daughter. While the hallway was cloaked with murky darkness, he recognized the masks. Pumpkin Face, Skull Head, and the Witch. They turned to face him. Each one held objects in their hands: a large butcher knife, machete, and short-handled ax.

Mike was stunned. His mouth fell open. Pumpkin Face lifted one hand, showing him the knife's blade, which glistened and dripped with dark, syrupy liquid. 

Blood. 

His open mouth widened, eyes bulging as the three darkly sinister beings converged on him. Holding up his arms, palms out,  he screamed.

And woke up, thrashing his legs, tangled in bedsheets and the comforter, soaked in sweat. He sat up from the crumpled, dampened pillows and scooted to the edge of the bed. Cheryl still slept, snoring away. 

Mike got up, relieved his aching bladder and splashed water on his face. Then he went to check on the kids. Naturally, they were just fine. No eerie masked figures toting sharp implements lurked. And they wouldn't be because he'd just had a nightmare. Probably the worst one of his life. 

Because he was up three hours before his normal wake up time, Mike made coffee and got an early start to his workday. Which was be good because he'd already planned on a longer than usual lunch break. 

Later that morning, Mike didn't tell his wife about the terrible, awful dream. He'd already made up his mind about all this Halloween business.

While his wife and kids were away at work and school, Mike made a trip into town. Of course, Sowhen had one of those big box Halloween stores. Mike spent more than he should have but hopefully this would end the threatening messages and horrifying nightmares.

When his family got home, they were at first surprised and then surprisingly delighted to see how their house had been decorated to match the other houses along the street. Even Paul came out to admire and congratulate him on the array of ghastly displays, much of them of the animatronic variety with blinking red and yellow eyes and ghoulish laughter. Mike had even put up creepy green and orange spotlights and added a small fog machine, too. 

"Mike, you went all out!" Paul exclaimed with honest enthusiasm. "I absolutely love it and I'm sure the other neighbors do as well." He patted him on the back and Mike thanked him. Paul smiled and headed back to his house.

Later that night, after dinner and enjoying a small glass of whiskey over ice, Mike went to bed. He didn't have any bad dreams about deadly masked Halloween invaders in his home. 

And the next morning, on the day before Halloween, there was no orange envelope stamped with a Jack O' Lantern left on the doorstep. 

Happy Halloween 🎃 🎃🎃















Saturday, October 21, 2023

Spooktacular Sale! 🎃

So as we're well into the Spooky Season, with Halloweentime almost upon us, I've decided to offer a special deal on my popular horror novel, Night of the Pumpkin God. 🎃 
I've been a longtime member of the Facebook group Books of Horror, one of the largest groups of horror fiction aficionados on the social media platform. Its professionally run by a handful of amazing admins, and founded by author/editor RJ Roles. Over the years I've had stories in the group's outstanding Books of Horror Community Horror Anthologies Vol. 1-4, and recently contributed a chapbook called Josie's Prank Night for their Halloween Mystery Box. The aforementioned story originally appeared in a less polished version here on my blog in October 2021. Needless to say, I gave it a polish and another BoH group member named Taylor created a fantastic front and back cover that captured the spirit of the story perfectly. 
I've acquired additional copies of Josie's Prank Night to offer it as a bundle to readers who would be interested in grabbing a copy if they missed out of purchasing the BoH Halloween Mystery Box last month. I'm offering a FREE copy of the Josie's Prank Night chapbook along with buying a signed, personalized copy of Night of the Pumpkin God for just $20 (shipping included). That also comes with an exclusive NotPG bookmark, too! I realize many already own NotPG but if you'd just like a copy of Josie's Prank Night, I'll have those available for $8 (shipping included). All payments via PayPal. US shipping only! 

DM me on FB, if interested, or you can email me at flahorrorwriter67@gmail.com 

And for my fans of Mister Jack (my Halloween horror novelette that precedes NotPG, which is included in that book, by the way), I'd recently announced that I plan to write another Mister Jack story. This will be set in the time period mentioned in the story told within Mister Jack, about Josie's mother, and will continue that tale before and after Josie is born. And it'll be dark as fuck and titled Mister Jack: Requiem. Since I've not started writing it beyond taking some notes, I'm hoping to have it ready for October 2024. And it'll be a short novel, too. Stay tuned...and stay spooky, my friends! 🎃🎃🎃



Thursday, August 10, 2023

Edward Lee!

And no, I'm not referring to that other Edward Lee who writes cookbooks but the long-time reigning King of Hardcore (or Extreme) Horror. Edward Lee really needs no introduction but for those unfamiliar or new to reading horror fiction or extreme horror and splatterpunk, look him up. The Wikipedia page on him is extensive and filled with lots of info. And of course there's all the stuff posted online including numerous reviews and you'll get the idea. 

Truthfully, I don't read a ton of hardcore stuff but that's not because I don't enjoy it. I do enjoy most of what I've read and it seems these days that the subgenre of horror fiction has had a resurgence not seen in decades, largely due to the success and popularity of a bunch of relatively new authors carving out their own dedicated following. And these guys are all quite talented and damn good. 

But for me, it doesn't get any better than Edward Lee. Books with titles like Coven, Succubi, Incubi, Creekers, The Chosen, Header and The Bighead (just to name a few) all have, and deservedly so, legendary status amidst diehard fans of hardcore horror fiction. 

But let me share where and when I'd first discovered Edward Lee. Back in the mid-1990s, I visited a Bookstop bookstore here in Orlando (prior to B&N opening several locations in central Florida) and was browsing the shelves. I saw the provocatively lurid mass market paperback, Succubi. Picked it up and read the back cover. And then flipped it open to scan the opening chapter. I bought the book and read it soon thereafter. I was blown away by his writing style, his unabashedly and gleefully wicked way of blending together sex, horror, and darkly funny humor into this addictively readable stew. Without a doubt, I became a huge fan. And it all started with that book. 


Needless to say, over the years, I bought everything by Lee I could get my hands on. The early 2000s had a veritable smorgasbord of new Ed Lee novels when he hooked up with Leisure Books, along with a whole slew of Must-Read horror authors writing similarly, legendary names themselves such as Jack Ketchum and Richard Laymon. Before Leisure imploded, some newer names began their own legendary run, most notably Douglas Clegg and Brian Keene. 

Thankfully, Lee had great success after mainstream horror publishing died off for a while due his longtime partnership with Necro Publications, an Orlando-based extreme/splatterpunk horror publisher. Some of his stuff was published by Cemetary Dance, both short fiction in the magazine and books. His novels/novellas/story collections were also published by a few other indie horror publishers. On a personal note, I had the immense fortune of meeting Lee not once, but twice, at a local multi-author event called Horrorfest in the early 2000s. He was very cool, easy to talk to, and gracious to a young horror writer, who'd only published a handful of stories in some relatively unknown small-press horror publications. By some stroke of luck, I'd even had dinner with him and the late Dave Barnett, Necro Pubs owner/editor, at PF Changs after Horrorfest. I was nervous as fuck but Lee (and Necro Dave) both made me feel I was among not just friends but colleagues. I'll never forget that. 

While his output has slowed down compared to 15-20 years ago (which is understandable), he still continues to pump out new stuff on a regular basis. Recently, his backlist has been reissued with Evil Cookie Publishing and newer books from such indie horror publishers like Madness Heart Press and Deadite Press. 


The 2023 Splatterpunk Awards at Killercon in Austin, TX is this coming weekend and both the above Ed Lee books are nominated. I'm reading The Television as we speak and it's fucking fantastic! Best of luck this weekend for one of my all-time favorite horror authors, Edward Lee!