The Fourteenth Delusion
New book dropped this week!
Coffee is percolating, time is changed, dreams have been weird, Halloween has come and gone, the weather in Tennessee is . . . not sure what to do with itself.
Welcome to Confusions, Delusions, and Formidable Impressions.
News
Monsters Come Out is now available! That’s right, my new book Monsters Come Out has been released in eBook from Raven Tale Press. The trade paperback is to follow, usually within two to four weeks with this publisher. The eBook is on sale for only .99 cents. I have no idea how long this price will last, but this is a full-length novel, so I imagine they’ll raise it sooner than later.
Veronica Hensley’s life took a massive detour the day a murderous clown showed up on her doorstep. That’s the day the world changed forever, the day half of the human population spontaneously mutated. The day the monsters came out. It didn’t take long for society to crumble, all spurred on by fear mongering media outlets and vigilante groups run amok.
The monstrous beings are deemed to be dangerous, and many of them are, but others are kind and gentle and being ostracized for no reason other than a change in appearance that they have no control over. Veronica, a freelance investigative reporter, cannot stand to see what is happening to the world around her, and steps in to help the innocent mutations as hateful psychos and the evil fringes of the law wreak havoc on the crumbling city of San Diego, California.
As sides are chosen and power struggles create divides, the future of society as we know it hangs in the balance. Questions of good and evil are answered at the hands of the murderous, both man and monster.
Recent Reads from Hell
Currently reading The Best of the Horror Zine: Middle Years and loving it. Also started Guardian Angels by Joseph Citro and enjoying that one as well.
I finished Voice in the Basement by T. Chris Martindale. This book started out strong, but lost steam in the end. It had taken a somewhat new approach at a haunted house story, but felt as if there were too many moving parts that just didn’t fit together in a cohesive manner. By the time I got to the last chapter I just didn’t care anymore. The epilogue? I skimmed it.
I listened to the audiobook of Grandpappy by Pattrick C. Harrison III . . .
Spotlight On
Grandpappy. Where to start with this one? This is an extreme horror story. For anyone who has been following this book or PCIII on social medial, you already know this. One look at the disgusting cover with that nasty foot should pretty much clue you in on what you’re going into. I won the audiobook via Patrick’s newsletter (which you should be subscribed to), and it became my commute listen for about a week. I had to turn it down when I got to the job sites. Can’t have that filth blaring from my work truck. Would give the company a bad name.
Anyhoo, it’s the story of a guy going to watch his grandpappy while his parents are on vacation. Thing is, he doesn’t exactly like the old bastard. And he’s a bit of a fuck up himself. Things get weird really fast. He dives into some things from his past and discovers family secrets he didn’t know about. During these discoveries, he kind of, well, does a lot of unsettling things in that there house of ol’ Grandpappy. You’ll never guess where the book is going. And there’s good reason Patrick offered stickers that said “I made it through Grandpappy”, and believe me, when you get to the end, you’ll understand why he made those stickers. *wink wink*
Cabinet of Curiosities
I’ve seen a lot of buzz about this show since it dropped. My wife and I watched seven of eight episodes. The one we missed was “Autopsy”, only because we were exhausted while watching it and fell asleep. On social media I’m fascinated at all the varying opinions and which episodes resonate with viewers. For my money, this is one of the best anthology shows in a while. There are far more winners than duds. I can’t say the same for the newer Creepshow series (I’m not a fan at all) or the newer Twilight Zone (I liked some of it a lot, but ultimately it was a letdown).
My favorite episodes were “The Outside”, “Graveyard Rats”, and “The Viewing”. All three were very different in approach and tone, which is one of the things I really like about the series. In the past, these types of shows had a tone they were looking for. Sometimes that worked, like in the original Twilight Zone. Other times it kind of dragged a series down. I tried rewatching Tales from the Crypt recently, and the silly tone of that show hasn’t aged well.
The only two episodes I didn’t care for were “Pickman’s Model” and “The Murmuring”. They’re watchable, but forgettable and kind of boring.
My only gripe is that some of the CG is heavy handed which always takes me out of a movie or TV show. For instance, “Lot 36” (I swear someone read Daniel Volpe’s Left To You and got “Inspired”) was really good until the CG at the end. I won’t go into detail since the show is new, but I thought it looked terrible. That kind of thing not only kills suspension of disbelief, but entirely shatters the tension and atmosphere. But maybe that’s just me. I’ve never liked CG in heavy doses. It works well at times (I mean there’s CG all over this series), but I prefer my old school practical special effects.
What Am I Writing?
Well, thanks for asking. I’m working on several projects at one time, because that’s how it always is. I feel like this business is a giant hustle, a constant struggle to remain relevant. I feel like a flame that’s always on the verge of going out. Sometimes it’s me blowing on that flame, and other times it just the winds of all the rest of us out there trying to live the dream.
I’m writing a book called Master of Bodies. I’ve written a few chapters and am working on an outline. I am finishing a novella called Baby Fights. Working on a collection of four novelettes called This Damned House. Writing a short story for an invite. Rewriting a short story for another publisher to look at. Working on the author’s preferred edition of Ain’t Worth a Shit with Jack Bantry. And there are other projects I’d love to dive into, but know I shouldn’t until I finish some of this stuff.
Until next time,