Day 14: An egregious misuse of the “based on true events” claim

Guess I will go with The Amityville Horror, since the 'true story' behind it all has been pretty much revealed as a hoax.

The Dead Path - Horror Novel Giveaway!

I was sent a copy of the debut horror novel The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin to read and review. So far, I am liking what I am reading!

From the publisher:

Do you remember the last time a book gave you the chills? The Dead Path is the ghost story we’ve been waiting for.

A haunting vision in the woods sets off a series of tragic events, leaving Nicholas Close lost amid visions of ghosts trapped in their harrowing, final moments. These uniquely ter rifying apparitions lead him on a thrilling and suspenseful ride to confront a wicked soul, and will leave an indelible mark on lovers of high-quality suspense and horror alike.

Nicholas Close has always had an uncanny intuition, but after the death of his wife he becomes haunted, literally, by ghosts doomed to repeat their final violent moments in a chilling and endless loop. Torn by guilt and fearing for his sanity, Nicholas returns to his childhood home and is soon entangled in a dis turbing series of disappearances and murders—both as a sus pect and as the next victim of the malignant evil lurking in the heart of the woods.

Stephen M. Irwin is the kind of debut author that readers love to discover—and rave about to all their friends. His electric use of language, stunning imagery, and suspenseful pacing are all on full display here. The Dead Path is a tour de force of wild imagination, taut suspense, and the creepiest, scariest setting since the sewers in Stephen King’s It.

A bonus for you all: Random House is letting me run a giveaway for one lucky follower here. You can win your own copy of the book!

Just leave a comment below by the end of Saturday, October 30, 2010. I will choose a winner at random and post their info on Halloween day! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you don't have an email or profile linked to your comment!

Always love supporting new authors and new horror, so this is a win-win for everyone!

Good luck!

If you really want it now, click here for the Random House page for the book!

Dr. Dale's Zombie Dictionary: The A-Z Guide to Staying Alive

I was sent a copy of Dr. Dale's Zombie Dictionary: The A-Z Guide to Staying Alive, (which is a spin-off from the show, to read and review here.

At first, I was a tad reluctant. Zombies aren't my favorite horror genre, and I felt my opinion of the book would be jaded for that reason.

I am very happy to admit I was quite wrong!

The Dictionary, written by Dr. Dale Seslick and illustrated by Jack Knight, is just great - hilarious and fun - while being a real guide to what one should do to prepare for a zombie outbreak. That may sound silly, but hey - why not be prepared for any eventuality and have some fun whilst learning to do so?

The dictionary admirably attempts to cover any and all situations which should arrive once the dead walk again. Where to hide and where not to; when to fight and when not to; who to trust and who not to. From cover to cover, the book is just an easy, enjoyable read and you can't ask for any more than that!

An excerpt:

ESPRESSO:

Caffeine taken in excess is thought to induce blurred vision, dizziness, insomnia, anxiety and fruity breath to name but a few of the symptoms. However, I simply cannot envisage waking up in the morning with a mob of undead to dispose of without a double espresso to get the motor running. Seeing as I will have to forego most other pleasures in life whilst my dead relatives plunder the earth I am not giving up coffee. And whilst I understand that eventually my supplies will run out, woe betide the person who has to face me in the morning to explain that there are no more beans - and heaven help them if they offer me tea instead!

At least there'll be a lot of zombies annihilated that day. Which is never a bad thing...

That doesn't mean that anyone surviving alongside me should pretend there's no coffee just to get me angry - just the thought upsets me!

I need a coffee - now!

Here is an interview with Ben Muir @ The BloodSprayer.com

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse main site, information on their 2010 Tour in the UK, their Seminars, Reviews of the show, a Gallery and links to purchase the book from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

They also have Facebook and Twitter pages.

Highly recommended for zombie, horror and humor fans!

NaNoWriMo 2009 - Whew!

Another November has come and gone, and with it another NaNoWriMo.

And I won - I finished my novel, just over 50,000 words, about noon yesterday!



It was stressful, at times. Some days, the words were right there and my count rose steadily. Other days, not so much.

But I am done. I have now written three novels.

Big thanks to my wife, the lovely Ravyn. Thank you for all the support, advice and enthusiasm. I appreciate it all!

And I had to laugh when I looked at my blog post from last year regarding the 2008 NaNoWriMo. I mentioned possibly doing another novel on my own in January. Yeah, that didn't happen.

But heck, there's always this January!

And if not, I will be back for NaNoWriMo 2010 next November.

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Na-Nu, Na-Nu, Dr. Monkey!

The very cool Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein (from the great blogs Monkey Muck and Yellow Volkswagen Theory) sent me this:



How very cool.

It is titled "Mork & Mindy - A Video Novel" and is a sort of paperback/comic book/photo recap of the first episode of the series, at least.

I vaguely remember this from my childhood. I think I may have ordered it once from the Scholastic Book Club or something similar, I don't know.

Dr. Monkey did a couple of very cool Pam Dawber posts: McCall's magazine cover here and the inside photos here. Very nice.

Thank you, Dr. Monkey! Much appreciated.

Na-Nu, Na-Nu!

FINALLY!

It seems like the wait for this book has been longer than four years, but finally word came of a release date!

DEAN KOONTZ'S FRANKENSTEIN #3: DEAD AND ALIVE will be available on July 28, 2009.

Simultaneous with the publication of FRANKENSTEIN #3, Bantam Books is offering new editions of the first two volumes, available for the first time as premium paperbacks.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy, and am eager to read the final chapter.

Here is the info from Koontz's new Frankenstein website:

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Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion, a tattooed man and sleight-of-reality artist who’s traveled for two centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives in modern-day New Orleans as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself.

Is this an age-old conspiracy? A near-immortal race of beings, and killers that are more – and less – than human? They are stronger, heal better, and think faster than any humans ever created – and they must be destroyed. But not even Victor Helios – once Dr. Frankenstein – can stop the engineered killers he’s set loose.

On the case is Detective Carson O’Connor, who is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to hell itself – and that just may be where this case ends up.

Now, the only hope rests in Deucalion, a one-time “monster” and Frankenstein’s first attempt to build a perfect human, and his partners, the all-too-human detectives O’Connor and Maddison. Together, they must destroy a monstrosity that even Dr. Frankenstein could not imagine. Deucalion’s journey is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature his mad creator.

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