PREACHER REVIEW: HOLY SHIT (I mean, HOLY SHIT!)

preacher-poster-2I imagine one of the toughest tasks in Hollywood is adapting a story from print to screen. Especially if the source material is a cult favorite from decades ago. Especially if the material is ultra-violent, super dark, and likely to vex Christian zealots everywhere. Especially when the material comes from the twisted, brilliant mind of writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon. Especially when the source material is PREACHER.

Well, I’m here to say: I think AMC nailed it. At least, so far.

I think we as viewers sometimes obsess over the illusion of the “faithful adaptation.” Continue reading → PREACHER REVIEW: HOLY SHIT (I mean, HOLY SHIT!)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: D.S. ULLERY

About a month ago, I promised to get my ass in gear and update this blog regularly, something I’ve failed at in the past. It’s still early, but I’m gradually breaking out of my shell and in an effort to keep my promise, I’ve decided to conduct author interviews with some of my favorite talents. I hope to include a wide variety of voices, ranging from the relatively unknowns to the seasoned veterans, and maybe (just maybe) even some household names. I think it will be fun to help promote new writers and learn from those who have been at it for some time. I hope to post at least one a month.

That’s the plan anyway.

41bZSLzGb+L._UX250_So without further ado, I’d like to present my first interviewee (victim), the very talented, very compelling, D.S. Ullery. I’ve been a fan of his work for a few years now, ever since our stories appeared together in a Christmas anthology by Horror Novel Reviews. I can’t recommend his work enough. He released his first short story collection, Beyond Where the Sky Ends  earlier this year. I had a lot of fun chatting with D.S. and found the whole process entertaining as hell.

Enjoy the interview! Continue reading → AUTHOR INTERVIEW: D.S. ULLERY

WORLDS BETWEEN MY TEETH NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

2016 has been a pretty busy writing year for me. It follows a lackluster 2015 where I only released one novella. This year, we’ve seen SUNFALL: Season Two and DEMON SQUASH: A One Hour Special (Car Nex, Book 6) hit the market. Next up is my short story collection WORLDS BETWEEN MY TEETH, which will be available in e-Book and paperback on Amazon on June 10th. You can pre-order the e-book version for an introductory price of $0.99 by clicking HERE.WORLDS BETWEEN MY TEETH FINAL

I’m quite proud of this collection. Some of these stories I wrote a number of years ago, before I started publishing novels. Some I had buried, six feet under, with no intention of returning them to the surface. Some would agree they should remain there, however, I found a few I couldn’t let go. I had to resurrect them and give them new life. Some of the stories included in WORLDS were previously published in magazines, e-zines, anthologies, or on the Interweb. Some of them are brand new. WORLDS is a good mix, each story representing a different period of my writing life. It’s fascinating to see how my style has developed over the years. For me, this is one of my favorite aspects of writing – these little moments of self-discovery.

The collection was edited by Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi. She did a phenomenal job helping me organize this beast. She’s given the misfits a real chance to shine, while still polishing the more refined works, elevating them to another level. I can’t recommend her services enough. Check out her website Oh, for the HOOK of a BOOK! where she offers a variety of publishing services.

That’s all for today. Some big things are on the horizon. Future blog posts will include talk of a potential new podcast, SUNFALL: Season Three, and the Scares That Care Weekend taking place in July.

Later, gators.

MONTH IN REVIEW (April 2016)

Wow. Time is just flying along. I can’t believe it’s May already. I wish the weather would get its ass in gear here in the Northeast. It’s May and I STILL HAVE THE HEAT ON! I guess that’s not too surprising, but whatever. I’m ready to trade in my sweatshirts and jeans for basketball shorts and T-shirts.

Anyway, I thought it’d be cool to post monthly updates on what’s going on in my writing and reading life. That way you can stay in the loop about what’s going with current WIP (SUNFALL fans will find this particularly useful) and also, see what I’ve been reading. I’ll even give a brief review or two, something I hope to do more of on here anyway.

Let’s get started!

Current Works In Progress: I started writing a novella back in late March. I don’t want to talk too much about it, but it’s definitely one of the strangest, weirdest things I’ve written. The novella, however, kind of got away from me and it’s approaching 50k words, which I guess could technically pass as a novel. So, yay! I’m hoping to shop this around a little when it’s finished. I dunno. I love self-publishing, but the traditional route is looking more and more attractive these days (and less time consuming!). But that’s another blog post for another time.

SUNFALL: SEASON THREE – Chad, Pete, and myself began work in early April. We’ve spent the month plotting and gathering our thoughts. This will probably continue through May. Then, our words will find paper. We’re hoping to get this out early next year (fingers crossed).

WORLDS BETWEEN MY TEETH – My short story collection (with two bonus novellas) is almost done. I’ve gotten it back from my editor, finished formatting it, and now I’m sprinkling some final touches on the afterword. I’m hoping to get this beast out early next month. Definitely before Scares That Care in late July.

WHAT AM I READING? – If you’re my Goodreads buddy (and if you’re not, be friends with me!), then you know what I’ve been reading. But if not, here’s some stuff I got into this month.

The Drive-In by Joe R. Lansdale – Holy crap, what a story. Joe sure knows how to spin one. I can’t believe I’ve never read this before. Parts II and III are definitely near the top of the TBR.

Abducted by Robert Swartwood – If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller you can devour in one or two sittings, this is it. Swartwood’s thrillers are top notch. I put it up there with another fine book, Man of Wax, as his best to date.

Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig – Book 2 in the Miriam Black series. I LOOOOVED Book 1. I didn’t not like book 2, but 1 was a better offering. The story was better, the characters were more interesting (especially the villains), but 2 was a decent tale that kept me engaged, and Wendig did a good job with Miriam’s character, enough to make me want more. I’m looking forward to picking up the next books in the series, and I hear there’s a TV show in the works, which is also intriguing. I think it’ll do well on the small screen, especially since everyone is going GAGA for the supernatural stuff.

I’ve read more, but those are the highlights. I also started Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s Locke & Key (amazing) and got to Brian Keene’s The Comple(another Keene classic) earlier in the month. Both are solid reads.

I’m about 90% done with Jonathan Janz’s Children of the Dark, which is by far one of my favorite reads this year. I hope to review it when I’m finished! Janz is one of my favorite horror writers to come on the scene and I’m slowly working my way through his catalog. The Nightmare Girl was my favorite read from last year, and I can’t recommend his work enough.

So that’s it! A busy and productive April.