My All New Horror Webinar is Now Available!

I'm back.

Well, what started as a break for Spring Break turned into a 1 month hiatus for the horror blog.

I was actually working on new horror material for a webinar that is hosted by the Mid-America Library Alliance. Click here for details.  I have 2 webinars there.  One is Re-Charge Your Book Club but the other is Thrills and Chills @ Your Library: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons.

Anyone can purchase these webinars for viewing; you do not have to be a member.  Again, all the info is here.

So while I was not on the blog working on horror in April, I was busy creating new content in a different form. I am very happy with this 1 hour intro to all things horror for the public librarian and public library patron.  It has a ton of new material, even for those who own or have read the book.

But now I am back.  I will be posting 1 to 2 times a week with an increase as we get closer to ALA where I will be in attendance promoting horror authors and my own book (published by ALA Editions); including giveaways and coupons.

I have some guest posts and reviews in the works too.  And of course, I am currently gobbling up NOS4A2.  So far, it has been worth the wait, and I am so glad that I listed Joe Hill as the "New King of Horror." in my book.  He is living up to it and then some.

RIP British Horror Master James Herbert

The Guardian UK has full coverage and tributes here, here, and here. He died yesterday at the age of 69.

You can also access this archive article from the Observer in which Herbert talks about his work (1993).

Herbert's literary horror is scary, intense, and intricate. Most American libraries carry his books.  If you haven't read him before, I suggest you take a look for yourself.

I would suggest you start with Haunted.

Exclusive Excerpt From Brand New Joe Hill Novel

Over on io9 they have an exclusive excerpt from NOS4A2, out at the end of April.  Click here to read it.

Dr Sleep Cover Revealed

Because it isn't already the most anticipated book of the year.  September is getting closer every day.

Click here to see it.

Women in Horror Month Extended

Over on the Monster Librarian blog, guest poster Colleen Wanglund, wrapped up their Women in Horror Month coverage with this great article on the best bets for horror by women.

Check it out.

Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot

This happened a few days ago, but I keep forgetting to post it.

The final ballot is out for the Bram Stoker Awards and friends of the blog Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Joe McKinney (in many categories), Rocky Wood, Lisa Morton, and John Everson all made the cut!

Click here for the full slate of nominees.

And click here to see how you can use awards lists as a Readers Advisory tool.

Horror Readers' Advisory Book Update: Authors

When I first started this blog, I promised to use it as an update to my print book, and while everything I post technically adds to the value of the book, today's post is an actual update to the authors listed in Chapter 3: Horror 101: A Crash Course in Today's Tales of Terror.

In that chapter I break up today's need to know authors into a few categories. One of those categories is "Pulps Kings." These are horror authors publishing original paperback fiction whose books I feel every library with a known horror readership should own. In other words, these should be your go-to pulp horror authors.

The book lists: Brian Keene, Nate Kenyon, John Everson, Gary Braunbeck, Robert Dunbar, and Jeff Strand.  To this list I am updating with the following authors and descriptions.


J. G. Faherty writes character driven horror which often has an ancient evil setting and incorporates teenaged protagonists.  He often uses a mix of supernatural occurrences and beings to ratchet up the fear and his use of gore is moderate.  Of the better known authors, I would compare him to Peter Straub. Try Cemetery Club which  begins with 4 friends awakening an ancient evil that they contain but don’t defeat and then flashes forward 20 years when the friends need to reunite for a final showdown.

Gregory Lamberson walks the line between horror and not quite horror, but there is no denying his popularity with horror fan because his Jake Helman Files series is scary as heck. Jake resigns from the NYC police force and becomes a private detective specializing, by accident, in supernatural crimes.  These are gory and terrifying novels, but reviewers are constantly commenting on how imaginative and original the stories feel.  More horror than Huston’s Joe Pitt series, but still with a strong investigative element, Lamberson is an author to keep an eye on. Try the first book in the series, Personal Demons

Law enforcement officer Joe McKinney knows a thing or two about catching bad guys, but in his terrifying Dead World series, he imagines an evil much worse than a mere human criminal.  After five hurricanes in a row slam into the Texas Gulf coast, “from the rubble, a virus has been born that is reanimating the dead--thousands of them at a time!  Quickly, the virus spreads across the entire state of Texas, as hordes of hungry zombies begin taking over.  This is a terrifying and action packed series with a realistic premise.” The first book is Dead City.

Finally, I would like to add a list of newer authors, all who have been mentioned on RA for All: Horror previously, who are making enough of an impact that you should be on the look out for new titles by them. All links go to areas on this blog where the author was discussed and/or his book reviewed.

• Brett J. Talley
• Benjamin Kane Ethridge
• Lee Jordan
• Douglas Wynne
• Isaac Marion 

Now that my book is a year old, look for more frequent official updates to the print here on the blog.