What I'm Reading: NightWhere

As I mentioned in this earlier post, I was honored to introduce John Everson at an event for librarians.  He was a huge hit! This was a big coup since out of the 100 people in the room, maybe 5 of us would call ourselves horror fans.

In preparation for the event, I read Everson's newest novel, NightWhere which is currently up for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel.  The awards will be announced on June 15th. And after reading NightWhere, I understand why this novel is up for a Bram Stoker Award.

Let's start with the frame.  As I said here, NightWhere is like most of Everson's works-- violent and sexual.  But it is not gratuitous sex and violence because of the complex and compelling frame he build to support the novel.  NightWhere is  an invite only sex club, or at least that is how it seems at first.  Rae is happily married to Mark, but she has always needed more sexually than him.  Mark happily indulged her needs by visiting different swingers clubs, but when Rae and Mark finally get an invite to the elusive NightWhere, things change forever.

Narrated alternatively by Rae and Mark, we see Rae loose herself to demons of NightWhere. And I am not exaggerating, there are real evil demons here.  She gets caught up in the sex and violence and her soul is being taken by the club and the evil force that runs it because this is no ordinary pop-up club.  It ceases existing during the day and magically reappears somewhere anew at night. Those inside subject themselves to horrible violence for pleasure--violence against themselves and others.  If you live until dawn, the club magically heals you while you sleep the day away.

Mark spend most of the book trying to get back into the club to save Rae.  He eventually gets some help, but Rae may be too far gone.

NightWhere begins with one of the best prologues I have read in awhile. It sets up an atmosphere of pure terror and dread that hangs over the introductory chapters of the novel. As a reader, I rushed through the first few chapters knowing something TERRIBLE was going to happen, and even with that knowledge and expectation, what Everson delivered was even more terrifying and awful than I had been imagining.  Kudos to him.  I read a lot of horror, and even I was shocked.

The novel also does a great job of creating a world where pure evil lurks just on the outskirts of the real world.  In my opinion, this is the best kind of horror; a story which COULD happen; a terror which could be lurking just around  the corner.  Specifically, as a Chicagoland resident, I was also interested in the Chicago and its suburbs setting.  The club NightWhere even appeared right near my actual house at one point in the novel.  Freaky...

As usual for Everson, the two protagonists were also very well developed.  I have said it before, but it bears repeating: in a male dominated genre, Everson writes female characters very well.

On a personal note, for me, there were too many sex scenes.  I started skimming them, but they do match the visceral violence punch for punch.  Together the sex and violence adds to the well built world of the club and its demons.  And, since it is the world building that is the strongest asset here, I was ultimately fine with it.

Finally, NightWhere pays off with a true horror ending.  There is no wimping out here.  Things end badly and the demons are still going...maybe even next setting up shop in a neighborhood near you...

Three Words That Describe This Book: graphic sex and violence, excellent world building, nightmarish atmosphere

Readalikes: John Everson's 2 biggest inspirations for his brand of horror are Clive Barker and Edward Lee.  Both write graphic horror like Everson, full of sex and violence. I would highly suggest Imajica by Barker and City Infernal by Lee.

If you are looking for more straight forward erotic horror, Lucy Taylor is the best for that.

I have heard people call this Fifty Shades for horror fans.  I agree but it is NOT horror for Fifty Shades fans.  Do not mix that up.  This is not a romance book at all.  It may be about a sex club, but romance fans will be disappointed.  There is no happily ever after for anyone here.  NightWhere is a bad, bad place that steals your soul.  Love, no matter how strong, cannot beat the demons.

But, if you have horror fans who want to also read erotica, NightWhere is the perfect book for them.

Finally, if you like Everson's character development, violence level, and world building, but could do with a little less sex, check out Brian Keene.

STOPPING ALONG THE WAY: A Guest Post by Author John Everson

Today I will part of the Adult Reading Roundtable's Genre Boot Camp at the Naperville Public Library.  I am both a host, as a member of the Steering Committee, and a speaker at today's event.

I am also honored to be introducing our final speaker of the day, horror author and Naperville resident John Everson.

John is an award winning Horror author who I called a "Pulp King" in my book.  Here's how I defined a "Pulp King:"

This heading refers to the fact that they write mainly paperback horror novels. They are the best of the newer generation of these writers; in fact, all of the authors and titles included here are critically acclaimed if not award winners.  Although they each have their own style, all six authors rise above the mass of paperback horror offerings due to their above average character development and their originality in storytelling. They also all use a fairly high level of gore in their stories, incorporate a large coming-of-age theme, and have their protagonists fighting villains both human and supernatural. Finally, it is important to note that these authors can be expected to release at least one, if not more, novels a year and contribute to a few short story collections, all, quite possibly, for different publishers. 

Everson fits this mold. He is an author whose novels should be included in any public library collection that has any horror beyond Stephen King already.  His novels are crazy scary, featuring well developed characters that readers come to love, especially some of the best female characters you will find in paperback horror.  He is also one of the masters of setting an uneasy stage from the first page and then steadily, relentlessly builds the dread and anxiety to a level that literally overwhelms and envelops you as a reader. [For those librarians out there who are not horror readers themselves, I need to remind you that this is a good thing for horror fans].  Everson uses a lot of blood and sex to drive home his chills.

Earlier this year John and I did a book swap.  I gave him a copy of my book (which features him and his work in multiple places) and he gave me a copy of NightWhere for our collection. It is not just me who likes John's novels.  Our copy of NightWhere has been off the shelf since we got it, only returning this past weekend.  I wanted to write a review of the book, but I had to interlibrary loan it in order to get a copy. Speaking of, look for that review soon. In the meantime, NightWhere has also been named as a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award in the category of BEST NOVEL.  See, you really need to check this guy out.

I am honored that Everson took time out of his busy schedule (see below, he is off to New Orleans soon to, hopefully, take home his second Stoker Award) to not only appear at the ARRT event, but also for allowing me the chance to introduce him to a whole new audience of potential readers.  I am also happy to report that while John's books are evil, violent, and terrifying, he is a great guy.  He proves my adage that horror fans are not monsters, we just like to read about them.

I know not all of you could make it to Naperville, so in preparation for the today's event, I asked John if he would share some of his thoughts with my readers, near and far.  

So thanks John and take it away...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

STOPPING ALONG THE WAY
By John Everson

I really hate it when people pronounce pithy platitudes like “It’s all about the journey.” (I really like alliteration though).

They just sound so pat, so smug . Would you be out of your comfy chair taking the journey if you didn’t REALLY want to reach the destination?

There is, of course, some truth in the old saw though. Life really is a million little journeys to this, that and the other, and you spend a lot more time getting to any of the goalposts than you do actually enjoying those moments of victory or defeat at the end. So it is important to focus on what’s going on this minute… not to always be looking ahead. I used to be horribly impatient about it all. Still am sometimes, but I find my “zen” a little more often now.

Early in my writing career, I wrote a story about someone who goes nutters while “Waiting for the Mail.” The story was really about me, inspired by my obsessive impatience in waiting for those acceptance (and rejection) letters from magazines for my stories. Back then, I always had a dozen different stories shipped out to all sorts of books and magazines and I was constantly waiting and hoping for a reply on one of them. Every day I spent hours wondering if a good letter was going to arrive in the mail. Every day, I used to talk to my wife on the phone from work in the afternoon and ask “Is there anything for me in the mail?” Sometimes I made her open the notes when they came in, too impatient to wait until I got home from work. More often than not, they were “thanks, but…” letters. But now and then, there was a “Dear John” letter that said “Yes, we’d sacrifice small rodents for the privilege of putting your vile tale into print so 137 people can read it via mail order…”

Obviously, this was long before the age of e-mail and webzines. But you get the drift. I was always impatient about “the score.” It consumed me.

I’m starting to get more patient these days about actually reaching the goalposts… and enjoying the places in between. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still impatient when it comes to the status of my books and stories and I look forward to getting responses from editors (and sometimes I still prod them!). But I’m finding it easier to wait, to enjoy the simple things like listening to Internet radio while having a beer at night in my home office, after a long day at work.

Today I’m giving a talk to a group of Illinois librarians on the topic of my personal “author” journey… and horror fiction. It was an honor to be asked and I’ve been looking forward to this event for several weeks now. It’s at my local library, and I’ll be meeting librarians from all over the region – a wonderful opportunity to introduce them to my work (and hopefully, of course, they’ll then introduce it to their patrons). But part of me hates for it to actually get here… because once this blog is posted and the event begins, the day will flash by in a heartbeat. Sure, I’m a little nervous about giving the talk – what if I stumble, lose my train of thought, face a room full of blank stares? What if nobody laughs at my jokes and they all walk away thinking I’m an idiot? What if I discover at the end of the address that my zipper was open the whole time?

But those are honestly not big concerns.

I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of fellow booklovers, and it will all be great. But it will all be over too soon. Sometimes reaching the destination can be bittersweet, because, to quote another old saw, nothing lasts forever.

Likewise, the upcoming Bram Stoker Awards on June 15th.

This year, my sixth novel NightWhere, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the Novel Category. Back in 2005, my first novel, Covenant was recognized for achievement in a First Novel, but this is the first time any of my books have been nominated in the general novel category, so naturally I’m excited. The awards are being given out in New Orleans next month, and I’ll be attending the ceremony, but part of me almost doesn’t want the event date to appear. For the past few weeks (and for a few weeks more) I’ve been a Bram Stoker “nominee”! There’s a good feeling to that – almost like, at the moment, everyone on the ballot is a winner. But once the announcements are made, a lot of authors will tighten their lips in a hard smile, and feel loss.

It would be amazing if NightWhere won – this was a novel I first envisioned a decade ago, but was frankly, too afraid to write for a long time. The plot called for it to be an over-the-top extreme, erotic horror novel, and I wondered “what would people think” if I went through with it. Now that it’s been out in the world for ten months with probably the most consistently positive reviews of my career and an award nomination, I guess I have my answer.

But I’m not impatient right now. I’m just happy it was nominated and enjoying the days leading up to the awards ceremony. Whatever the outcome, I’ll toast my fellow writers after the ceremony is done. It will be a great night of fellowship with a lot of people I respect as both writers and friends.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy talking books today with librarians – the people partially responsible for NightWhere coming into being, since librarians helped feed my thirst for stories of imagination as a kid. Oh, the hours I used to spend in the library!

So I guess I am enjoying the journey. There’s a story in every stop along the way.

Who needs a destination?

Journal Stone Publishing Keeps Growing

One of the most unfortunate trends in horror publishing over the last couple of years has been the slow decline in the number of paperback horror titles available to the general customer.  From a public library perspective, we really need to be able to get our books from the large distributors or a local book store.  It has been hard recently.

Before the Dorchester implosion back in 2010 (click here for details), their Leisure books imprint was a reliable source of great horror paperbacks.  With mass market paperbacks beginning to go extinct and being taken over by ebooks, getting horror novels in patrons hands has been difficult.

Ebooks and libraries are in a very tenuous position right now.  We are barely co-existing, and the focus of our ebook collections is on huge best sellers, not the smaller niche markets.

To save money, publishers were moving to ebook, but I still need horror paperbacks for my patrons.

I have been closely monitoring this evolution, and to tell you the truth, was not optimistic, but in the last few weeks, I have had two bits of good news from two different publishers making me think things might turn around and I will be able to go back to putting good paperback horror, by a wider range of authors, into my readers' hands.

First, at the end of June, Amazon announced that they have bought the rights to Dorchester's back catalog.  This is great news for authors like Brian Keene and John Everson.  In fact, Everson left a comment of the PW announcement.

And now, Journal Stone, already listed as a favorite of mine on my Publisher's page, is in the middle of a big expansion.  One of their brightest, rising stars is Brett Talley.  I have just added both of his books to the BPL's collection and plan to start handing them out to many patrons.

Click here for details on Journal Stone in their press release.

For the first time in 2 years, things are back on the upswing in horror paperback publishing.  I am sure I am not the only one who is thankful.

HWA and ARRT Librarians' Day Registration is LIVE

Click here to register

The Horror Writers Association and ARRT present the 4th Annual HWA Librarians' Day!

REGISTER HERE! Space is limited

About this Event

The Horror Writers Association and ARRT present the 4th Annual HWA Librarians' Day, a day long continuing education event featuring authors, reviewers, publishers, and librarians from all over the country. Whether you are a fan of horror or find it petrifying, all library workers will learn about matching books with readers.

All attendees get lunch, swag and free books.

Sponsored by: NoveList, Library Reads, Flame Tree Press, Sourcebooks, and Cemetery Dance

Tickets $65/HWA or ARRT Member, $75/Nonmember

Schedule of Events:

8:30-9am Registration, Coffee/Tea, Welcome

9-10am  The Scary Truth About Horror Reviews: Featuring New York Times Book Review Horror Columnist Danielle Trussoni, Booklist and Library Journal Horror Reviewer Becky Spratford, Cemetery Dance reviewer and owner of Night Worms Sadie Hartmann, and authors Melissa Prusi and Steven Hopstaken. Moderated by Ashley Rayner from the Chicago Public Library

10:15-11:15am  Horror and Libraries: A Not So Scary Partnership: Featuring authors J.H. Moncrieff and John Everson, academic librarians Gillian Cargile-King from Northern Illinois University and Christopher Clark from Southern Utah University, Konrad Stump from Springfield-Greene [MO] County Library, and a representative from NoveList. Moderated by Lila Denning from the St. Petersburg [FL] Public Library

11:30am-12:30pm  Summer Scares 2020: How to Feature Horror for All Ages at Your Library: Featuring members of the Summer Scares Committee and authors of the selected titles including author Stephen Graham Jones, Andy Davidson, author of the 2020 Adult Selection In the Valley of the Sun, Summer Scares programming coordinator Konrad Stump, librarian Lila Denning, and more. Moderated by Summer Scares coordinator Becky Spratford

12:30pm-1:15pm Buffet Lunch

1:15-2pm  One on One with the Business Man in Horror for All Aged Readers: Daniel Kraus and Becky Spratford in Conversation. Every attendee will go home with a copy of Kraus's forthcoming collaboration with the late George Romero, The Living Dead

2:15-3:15pm  Short Scares: Horror Novellas, Stories and Poetry: Featuring authors Stephen Graham Jones, J. G. Faherty, Cina Pelayo, and Sarah Read. Moderated by Christopher Clark

3:15-4:30pm  Meet Flame Tree Press: Editor Don D'Auria and Flame Tree Press authors John Everson, J.G. Faherty, J.H. Moncrieff, Melissa Prusi and Steven Hopstaken in conversation with Emily Vinci of the Schaumburg Public Library. Discussion will include their work, their favorite authors and horror for a public library audience.

A courtesy guest-room hotel block has been set aside at the Hotel Indigo Naperville Riverwalk at a rate of $165.00. The cut-off date to receive this discounted rate is April 10, 2020. The link below will bring you to the discounted block rate.

HWA LIB Day

Once you click the link, click "Book Now" and the rate should load automatically. If it does not load automatically, plug the group code "HWA" into the Group Code Box and select the dates of stay in the Check-In and Check-Out sections. You may also call the hotel at 877-846-3446 and refer to the HWA code to receive the discounted rate.

If you have any questions, or get a notification that the hotel room block is sold out, email Becky Spratford at bspratford [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Join us by registering here. 

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.

31 Days of Horror: Day 12-- Local Libraries Celebrating the Spooky Season

One of the great things about October at the Library is that many libraries provide Horror programming. Below are 3 completely different options from different places around the country and one (the final one) is available for anyone with an internet connection to participate. 

The point of this post is to showcase three library examples as either an inspiration for you to try something similar at your library next year and to inspire you to check out libraries near you to see if they are doing something.

If you follow the main blog, you will know that I was at the Illinois Library Association Conference most of this past week, and one of the things I learned there is about how to find programming ideas and presenters. The advice was simple. Search your area for ideas on what kind of programs there are doing, or, if you have an idea and need presenters, search for your specific topic and either go to those programs yourself to see how they are, or if they are past, ask the library how it went and for the presenters' contact info. [Thank you Miss Rosie for the learning]

All of this is to say that the 3 people I have included below, all of them, I have worked with and encourage you to contact them for advice and ideas for your Spooky Seasons to come.

We will start with the biggest event, organized by my co-chair for the HWA Library Committee, Konrad Stump-- Oh, the Horror! Now in it's 8th year. From Konrad:

The Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, MO, is celebrating its 8th annual Oh, the Horror! series this year. Started in 2017 by HWA Library Committee Co-Chair Konrad Stump and Katie Hopkins, Springfield-Greene's Planning & Development Librarian, Oh, the Horror! is a month-long celebration of the horror genre each October with author events, local history programs, movie screenings, and more. Centering on themes like "Ghosts & Gothics" and "Myths & Monsters" in past years with celebrated authors like Grady Hendrix, Silvia Moreno Garcia, Alma Katsu, and many more, this year's Oh, the Horror! series celebrates "Horror for the Holidays" with a jam-packed line-up that runs through November with appearances by USA Today bestselling (and Summer Scares 2024) author Rachel Harrison and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McMahon. With October dedicated to Halloween and November to Yuletide terrors, Springfield-Greene will be extending the terrifying fun into December with a special "Ghost Stories for Christmas" live performance by award-winning voice actor and audiobook narrator Matt Godfrey. Providing a space for horror fans in the Greene County community to celebrate the genre, while also creating discussion about the appeal of horror to those who are not sure it is for them, Oh, the Horror! has proven to be Springfield-Greene's most popular program series.

Here are the graphics with Oh, the Horror details: 

They have a trivia fundraiser tonight and visits from Rachel Harrison and Jennifer McMahon (both authors are appearing in my book as well). And look at these SoThirsty drink kits of the first place trivia team.

Now Konrad's program took years to build into the regional must attend event it has become. But you don't have to go all out to make an impact. 

The Chicago Chapter of the HWA is presenting an event today for the Fox River Valley Libraries entitled-- Meet Your Not-So-Scary Local Horror Author"

Join us for an afternoon hanging out with several prominent horror authors from the northern Illinois area. Hear our panel discuss the horror genre and various part of the writing and publishing process. 

Books will be available for purchase and signing. In collaboration with the Horror Writers Association.

Authors appearing:

• S.A. Barnes
• Donald J. Bingle
• Lauren Bolger
• John Everson
• Christopher Hawkins
• James Kennedy
• Brian Pinkerton
• Michael Allen Rose
• Damian Serbu

Click here or on the flyer to register.

 

Now these are all in person, but I have that promised event that is virtual and free for any and all-- you can even pass it on to your patrons.

It is a Zoom presentation on the History of Halloween with author and Halloween expert, Lisa Morton. You can click here for more details and to register. 

It is being put on by the Wake County Libraries in NC. Regular readers of 31 Days may remember that I helped Wake County Libraries organize an entire month of programming last year. It was entitled Nightmares Not Included and you can still visit the LibGuide they made to go along with it.

I have seen Morton's presentation before. It is excellent and you have time to resigner because it isn't until 10/28. Let your patrons know as well. I was told by the organizer to spread it far and wide. The more the merrier, no matter where you live. 

So there you have it. A sampling of programming for Spooky Season by 3 libraries who approach October in different ways for their different audiences. I hope this inspires you to check out a library near you to see their programming options this October and/or to think about organizing an event at your library next year.

Remember, the HWA's Library Committee is here to help connect you to your local horror communities. Simply email libraries@horror.org to get in touch with me and Konrad (and our team on the Library Advisory Council). We are ready and eager to help get more Horror programming and authors into our libraries. 

Back tomorrow with my weekly links round-up. 

Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot

The preliminary ballot came out for the Bram Stokers and many of the books I reviewed and the authors who joined me here on the blog were honored for their great work.

Click here for the full preliminary ballot.

But here is the list (with links) of books and authors who appeared on this blog.

• Ethridge, Benjamin Kane – Bottled Abyss (Redrum Horror) 
• Everson, John – NightWhere (Samhain Publishing)
• Faherty, JG – Cemetery Club (JournalStone)  [Also click here for posts from the staff at JournalStone]
• Jordan, Lee F. – Coronation (Black Rose Writing) 
• McKinney, Joe – Inheritance (Evil Jester Press) 
• Wood, Rocky, and Lisa Morton – Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times (McFarland) [Please click on Wood's and Morton's names separately as each appeared on the blog in separate posts]
• Morton, Lisa – Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween (Reaktion Books)

Congrats to all of those on the prelim ballot, but a special good luck to these friends of RA for All: Horror.  I am happy to help you to spread your excellent contributions to horror literature and am honored that you took the time to talk to my readers.

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.

Newer Horror Titles Worth a Look: Cross Post

Here is a cross post from RA for All:

Newer Horror Titles Worth a Look

I have been keeping track of a few new paperback horror titles that are getting a lot of positive buzz.

The first, one I am currently reading and loving.  Feed by Mira Grant was getting starred reviews in the library press this spring, so I ordered it sight unseen. I am reading it now and will have a full review in a few weeks, but here is the basic plot. A virus was accidentally unleashed on the world in 2014. It is now 20 years later and while America society is still functioning, it is quite different. One of the key changes after the virus is that the people stopped trusting the official news sources, and bloggers became more important and universally accepted as news and entertainment outlets. Our story is narrated by a young woman, who with her team get picked to cover a candidate for President. They uncover a secret conspiracy behind the virus and fight to unleash the truth upon the world.

There is a great mix of chills and social commentary here. But again, in my review I am going to ponder and dissect whether or not is true horror. I know a lot of horror readers who would not enjoy this title as horror simply because the zombies and the fear they induce has a scientific explanation.  But more on that later. If you want a smart, fun, exciting, and chills inducing read, try Feed.

The Bridge by John Skipp and Craig Spector is also garnering positive attention. Originally published in 1991, it was reissued this spring and is worth a second look.  From the Dark Scribe review:

This novel is a must-read. Powerful and well-written with unforgettable characters and a terrifying premise that will haunt your dreams, The Bridge is an uncompromising nightmare ride to destruction.

Surprisingly, only the BPL picked up this $7.99 paperback reissue in our system and no one still has the original release either. I would highly suggest other libraries grab a copy before Halloween.

In the USA Today I read this gripping review of The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell:

It's zombies meets the Southern Gothic tradition in Alden Bell's dark yet luminous novel The Reapers Are the Angels. 

Temple, the 15-year-old at the center of this ominous tale, was born into a world where "meatskins," the walking dead, are more prolific than the living.

Except for photos she sees in old magazines, she is a survivor who can't imagine what life must have been like 25 years ago before the zombies (Bell also refers to them as "slugs") roamed America.

Bell doesn't tell us how things came to be or whether the zombie plague has spread across the world. It doesn't matter. It's Temple's life and her immediate surroundings that fascinate us.

A loner by nature, Temple carries the weight of intolerable grief for acts she has been forced to commit so she can survive. In an attempt at atonement and redemption, she decides to help Maury, a mentally challenged man, travel across the South to Texas, where he has family who can care for him.

Along the way they are pursued by a man set on killing Temple to avenge his brother's death, a slew of zombies and a family of startlingly repulsive mutants. (Readers will be completely unnerved by their lifestyle.)

Most fascinating, Bell's zombies provoke compassion and are portrayed with a certain dignity. After all, who would choose to be zombified?

If you loved Justin Cronin's The Passage, this summer's vampire hit, you'll get a charge out of The Reapers Are the Angels. It's a literary/horror mashup that is unsettlingly good.

Well, enough said for me. I put the title on hold while on vacation and it is in my possession to begin after I finish devouring Feed.

On top of these buzzed about books. There are also new paperback offerings from perennial favorites John Everson and and Brian Keene.

So here is just a taste of what is out there right now in horror. I will have my full year in horror wrap up posted by mid-September to help everyone get ready for the Halloween rush, but I thought I would help you all get a head start now.

Big Problems at Leisure Books

I normally have nothing but good things to say about Dorchester Publishing's horror arm, Leisure Books. For the last few years, Leisure has racked up the best consistent stable of horror authors, churning out good to excellent mass market horror titles at a furious pace. Authors like Brian Keene, Nate Kenyon, John Everson, Robert Dunbar, and Tom Piccirilli (just to name a few of my favs) published the bulk of their papberback novels through Leisure.

But then this week, Dorchester made this announcement:

Dorchester Transitions to E-book and Trade

Given the many changes in the publishing industry over the last several years, Dorchester has made the decision to more tightly focus its distribution models so that we may fully capitalize on the most profitable emerging technologies.

Starting with September titles, we will be moving from mass-market to trade paperback format. This will delay new releases roughly 6-8 months, but it will also open many new and more efficient sales channels.

And we’re pleased to say all titles will be available in ebook format as originally scheduled. The substantial growth we’ve seen in the digital market in such a short period—combined with the decline of the mass-market business—convinced us that we needed to fully focus our resources in this segment sooner rather than later.

Dorchester has always been known as a company ahead of the curve and willing to take risks. As bookstores are allocating the bulk of their capital to the digital business, it only makes sense that we do the same. Everyone keeps hearing that the industry has to change if it’s going to survive. We’re excited to be at the forefront of that change and will continue to keep you posted on further developments.

And to help answer some of the questions you might have: 

For readers:

How will I be able to get the new books?

From September through April, new titles will be available only in ebook.  You can find them in all major ebook outlets: Amazon, B&N, Books on Board, Sony, Overdrive affiliates, etc.  And we will have links for purchase at various vendors from our site as well.

Click here for the full statement.

In plainer English this means that the horror titles that were due out in the next 6-8 months will only be available in ebooks. How does this help my horror readers at the BPL? We stock quite a few of these Leisure titles and have decent circulation numbers to show for it. What are these readers going to do? The BPL's patrons are working to middle class, with a large new immigrant population. Many do not have home computers let alone ebook readers.

Also, from a purely selfish level what am I going to do? I almost always have at least one horror mass market pb in my purse and 7 times out of 10 it is a Leisure title. I can't whip out the Kindle I don't own yet and read the newest Nate Kenyon title on it at school pick up. It's bad enough that all of the moms think I am ignoring them on purpose when I am absorbed in a book, how arrogant does it look to do it on an iPad? How cumbersome too? Oh, and the fact that anything electronic is infinitely more interesting to my kids and I have to fend them off from trying to push its buttons. What's wrong with my paperback? (Click here for more of my ebook thoughts)

I am concerned that just as horror is breaking back into the mainstream that the most solid, well written, and well edited pulp titles are going to disappear. As my baby sister used to say, "This is not good like I thought."

If this was all not unsettling enough, Brian Keene released a statement hinting that the proposed switch to trade paperbacks will not be happening either. Editors at Leisure are being fired and authors aren't getting paid. He is blunt and pulls no punches in sharing his opinion:

What’s my advice to my fellow Leisure authors? Run. Get the fuck out and don’t look back. It is my opinion that we are screwed. At this point, you’re an absolute fool if you sign with them for anything else.

Click here for his full statement.

All I can add is, I am worried. I will be following this story and will pass on any news. 

 

***This is a cross post with RA for All

Update on Librarians' Day-- It's Now Virtual and FREE

Below is the message that went out to everyone who was registered for the in-person Librarians' Day.

As you can see, we are going virtual and will have a link for people to sign up in mid-August. Signing up gets you access to the email where you can ask questions of the panelists. 

Expect the signup link by the week of the  24th with the videos going live November 1-- a post Halloween treat. 

We are so thankful that the panelists listed below are willing to appear in this  virtual format. And we would also like to publicly thank our sponsors who did not pull their funds even though we changed our plans-- NoveList and LibraryReads. 

Along with the sign up we will also be releasing a major announcement from the Horror Writers Association that also involves ARRT, NoveList, LibraryReads, and RA for All. So stay tuned.

*****************************************

Hello!

Thank you so much for registering for the HWA Librarians’ Day 2020, and thank you also for your patience during this tumultuous time as this program has had to shift and change.

Unfortunately due to the continuance of the coronavirus pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the in person program that was set to take place at the Naperville Public Library on Thursday, November 12, 2020.

However, we are excited to announce that HWA Librarians’ Day will be moving to a virtual format and it will be completely free! You will have the opportunity to view the panels on your own time during the month of November and will also get a chance to ask the panelists questions. There have been some panel changes and the new panels being planned are as follows:

The Scary Truth About Horror Reviews (Sponsored by Cemetery Dance) - Featuring New York Times Book Review Horror Columnist Danielle Trussoni, Booklist and Library Journal Horror Reviewer Becky Spratford, and Cemetery Dance reviewer and owner of Night Worms Sadie Hartmann. Moderated by Ashley Rayner from the Chicago Public Library

Horror and Libraries: A Not So Scary Partnership - Featuring Gillian Cargile-King from Northern Illinois University, Konrad Stump from Springfield-Greene [MO] County Library, Cathleen Keyser from Novelist and Gregg Winsor from Library Reads. Moderated by Lila Denning from the St. Petersburg [FL] Public Library

Summer Scares: How to Feature Horror for All Ages at Your Library - Featuring members of the Summer Scares Committee and the announcement of the 2021 Summer Scares Spokesperson

The State of Horror Today: A Conversation – Featuring authors Daniel Kraus, Stephen Graham Jones, and Cina Pelayo. Moderated by Becky Spratford

Meet Flame Tree Press - Editor Don D'Auria and Flame Tree Press authors John Everson, J.G. Faherty, J.H. Moncrieff, Melissa Prusi and Steven Hopstaken in conversation with Emily Vinci of the Schaumburg Public Library

Registration for this new FREE event will take place mid-August and we will email you again when that registration goes live. The former event on EventBrite will be canceled and refunds will be issued shortly.

Thank you so much for your interest in this event and please email Becky Spratford at bspratford at hotmail dot com and Karen Toonen at ktoonen at naperville-lib dot org with any questions.

Sincerely,

The HWA Librarians’ Day 2020 Committee

31 Days of Horror: Day 28--Witches

A person who practices occult arts may go by many names, but the most common is simply, “witch." Across cultures and over the course of recorded human history, there have always been people who claim to be able to harness magic both to help their community and sometimes to hinder it.  There are black-robed, stoop–shouldered hags coexisting with New Age Herbalists, Celtic druids and fairy-tale Disney depictions of both good and bad sorcerers.  Shakespeare’s tempestuous witch sisters mesh with our memories of The Crucible and The Blair Witch Project, and even the British wizard-in-training, Harry Potter.  More often than not, the witch and his or her powers have been associated with negative images.  They use charms, potions, and curses. Some are mischievous and bring ill fortune to others, and they belong to covens that hold services under cover of darkness to discuss their magic and pay homage to their master, the Devil.  Despite this diversity, the one uniform distinction of all witches is the element of magic.  All have some sort of magical or mystical ability to manipulate the forces of nature.

The witch story is still a big part of the horror genre today.  It is one with which I am less familiar however.  For the new book, I did a lot of research into why readers crave these specific stories.  Since I am not a big fan myself, this was one of the more rewarding experiences I had while working on the book.

Recently, I also received a communication from my alma matter about a course being offered this semester entitled, "Witches: Myth and Reality."  The interest in witches is high among the general public.

So as not to ignore this popular subgenre of horror stories during this celebration of 31 Days of Horror, I would like to offer a few of my new found favorite witch tales:

Campbell, Ramsey. The Darkest Part of the Woods.

In this moody story of a haunted English wood, a family is torn apart by its connection to the forest. The history of the wood is linked to an alchemist who lived in the forest and tried to summon an evil spirit. With a nod to The Blair Witch Project, a new generation of the family tries not to go mad discovering the wood’s secrets. This is a modern story of inescapable horror grounded in classical roots.


Everson, John. Sacrifice.
Ariana is a witch who is devoted to conjuring a race of evil spirits known as the Curbine. A group of reluctant heroes is in a race to stop Ariana from destroying the world. This is a sexy, violent, and terrifying novel with frenetic pacing that stands as a solid example of the best of today’s horror. You could also try Covenant (2004) and Siren (2010) for more witch inspired horror.

Kenyon, Nate. Bloodstone.
Ex-con Billy and the prostitute he kidnapped are plagued by evil dreams as they pull into White Falls, Maine. Within the town, a young boy Jed is entranced by a 300 year-old, magical amulet. Thrown together by the influence of the cursed necklace, the characters engage in an epic showdown between good and evil. This is a character driven novel, obviously influenced by Stephen King, with a consciously building pace and a surprising twist. Bloodstone was the debut novel by one of today’s best horror voices.


Laymon, Richard. Dark Mountain.
Two families go on a camping trip to a mountainous forest. What should be a peaceful and restful vacation turns horrifying as they encounter a witch who places a curse on the families. After returning home, the families find the curse is all too real, and a few of them must return to try to overturn it. In pure Laymon form, this is a terrifying and bloody story of a frighteningly realistic witch bent on destruction. Think twice before reading this novel before your next camping trip.
 
Piccirilli, Tom. A Choir of Ill Children.
Thomas is a descendant of his backwoods, swamp town’s founders. He is also the guardian of his conjoined triplet brothers, who share a brain and act as an oracle. When an outsider comes to town, dark secrets are revealed, a coven of witches are upset, and an odd preacher begins speaking in tongues. Thomas must take control and find out the truth. This is a creepy novel, filled with rich and macabre characters, written in a conscious Southern Gothic style.

31 Days of Horror Day 3-- Revamped and More Useful Review Index

This first week of October I am focusing the blog-a-thon on how to get the most out of me and my expertise now and all the year through.

Today I am focusing on my long standing and constantly updated Review Index which I have made even more useful. Here is the direct link to the NEW AND IMPROVED Horror Review Index, but I have also attached it below.

There is nothing more important for me to do than make sure you know about as many books as possible. Over the years I have heard from library workers, readers, and authors that my professional reviews, in official library journals, have gotten those titles on library shelves. I have seen data that shows that before I reviewed a book it was in 10 libraries nationwide and then after my review.... 50 the first month after, and hundreds more a few months out.

I am not writing this to brag, not at all. In fact, I am writing this to let you know I wish I could give you more options, but I am only 1 person and reviewing horror is only part of my job. I already do 3-6 titles a month. However, I can give you more official and professional options for reviews both to develop your collections AND to give you as many suggestion options at your fingers tips as I possibly can.

That is what I have done with the Horror Review Index. Today’s post is to remind you to use it to find suggestions and to let you know I have made it even more useful by quickly routing you to many more titles by reviewers I trust. They have the Becky seal of approval.

Now get out there and start suggesting scary reads. It’s October 3rd already. I know they are just beginning to shamble in.  Soon, the hordes will be descending. I’ve got your back though.

HORROR REVIEW INDEX:

Here is an author index to all of the reviews appearing on this blog (or before this blog began on RA for All) with the links leading you to the review itself.

But, because I am only 1 person, and I cannot possibly get to every book that could be a good fit for your patrons, I also offer the following links to Becky approved horror reviews:

• This Is Horror’s review archive: This British based site is the best regular review source for horror. Sometimes their titles overlap with mine, but because all they do is horror, they are able to get to many more than I can.
• Tor.Com’s Horror coverage contains many reviews and not just about books they have published. This link will also lead you to essays about horror, essays that also will give you more titles to suggest.
• LitReactor’s Bookshots reviews are amazing, and while they are not all horror per se, they are almost all titles with an oppressive atmosphere. Most of the reviews here are horror or horror -adjacent. But these reviews are also super useful to you, the library worker because they directly address who the title is best for by using a question and answer form. You can literally read the review to your patron in 2 minutes or less and decide together if it is a good choice. Bookshots are also a great conversation starter if you don’t know how to talk to your horror patrons. Try it out for yourself.

Between this index of my reviews [below] and the links to the others [above], you have thousands of choices of excellent terrifying reads for your patrons. No more excuses that you just don’t know what to suggest. I have given you plenty of options for every type of potential reader.

And remember, it doesn’t matter how old the book is. A great title from 5 years ago is still a good read for someone. Dig through the backlist. Here’s an example.

BECKY’S REVIEWS

• Adams, John Joseph and Douglas Cohen, eds. What the #@&% is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre (2016)
• Anderson, Kevin J.  Death Warmed Over (2012)
• Baker, Jacqueline.  The Broken Hours: A Novel of H.P. Lovecraft (2016)
• Barker, Clive. Scarlet Gospels (2015) [guest post by Jack Phoenix]
• Barlow, Toby. Sharp Teeth (2008) ed note: scroll to middle of post for review 
• Barron, Laird. Swift to Chase (2016)
• Bell, Alden. The Reapers Are the Angels (2010) 
• Boone, Ezekiel.  Skitter (2017)
• Brogden, James.  Hekla's Children (2017)
• Browne, S. G. Breathers: A Zombie's Lament (2009) 
• Browne, S.G.  I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus (2012)
• Burke, Kealan Patrick.  Kin (2012)
• Chesterton, R.B.  The Darkling (2013)
• Chizmar, Richard.  A Long December (2016)
• Colon, Christopher, ed. He is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson (2009)
• Cronin, Justin.  The City of Mirrors (2016)
• Cronin, Justin. The Passage (2010)
• Cutter, Nick.  Little Heaven (2016)
• Cutter, Nick.  The Troop (2014)
• Davidson, Andy.  In the Valley of the Sun (2017)
• Datlow, Ellen, ed. Black Feathers: Dark Avian Fiction (2017)
• Datlow, Ellen, ed.  Nightmares: A New Decade of Modern Horror (2016)
• Datlow, Ellen and Lisa Morton, eds. Haunted Nights (2017)
• Deady, Tom.  Haven (2016)
• Donohue, Keith.  The Motion of Puppets (2016)
• Dunbar, Robert.  Wood (2012) 
• Duncan, Glen.  The Last Werewolf (2011) 
• Ethridge, Benjamin Kane.  Bottled Abyss (2012)
• Everson, John.  NightWhere (2012)
• Faherty, JG.  Ghosts of Coronado Bay (2011)
• Farris, John. High Bloods (2009)
• Ford, Jeffrey. A Natural History of Hell (2016)
• Forry, Lauren.  Abigale Hall (2017)
• French, Aaron, ed. The Gods of HP Lovecraft (2015)
• French, Aaron.  The Time Eater (2017)
• Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book (2008)
• Garza, Michelle and Melissa Lason.  Those Who Follow (2017)
• Girard, Geoffrey.  Mary Rose (2017)
• Girard, Geoffrey.  Project Cain (2013)
• Golden, Christopher.  Ararat (2017)
• Grant, Mira.  Blackout: Newsflesh Trilogy Book 3 (2012) 
• Grant, Mira.  Deadline: Newsflesh Trilogy Book 2 (2011)
• Grant, Mira. Feed: Newsflesh Trilogy Book 1 (2010) 
• Gout, Leopoldo. Ghost Radio (2008)
• Hill, Joe. Horns (2010) 
• Hill, Joe. The Fireman (2016)
• Hill, Joe. Strange Weather (2017)
• Hill Joe, and Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft (2008) 
• Hill, Joe and Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke and Key: Head Games (2009)
• Hill, Joe and Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows (2010) 
• Hill, Joe and Gabriel Rodriguez.  Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom (2011) 
• Hill Joe and Gabriel Rodriguez.  Locke and Key: Clockworks (2012)
• Hill, Joe.  NOS4A2 (2013)
• James, Russell. Q Island (2015)
• Janz, Jonathan.  Children of the Dark (2016)
• Jodan, Lee F.  Coronation (2012)
• Keene, Brian. Castaways (2009)
• Keene, Brian.  Pressure (2016)
• Kenyon, Nate. The Bone Factory (2009) 
• Kenyon, Nate. Sparrow Rock (2010) 
• King, Stephen.  Doctor Sleep (2013)
• King, Stephen.  Full Dark, No Stars (2010) 
• King, Stephen.  Joyland (2013)
• King, Stephen and Richard Chizmar. Gwendy's Button Box (2017)
• Klinger, Leslie S. The New Annotated Frankenstein (2017)
• Kozeniewski, Stephen.  Hematophages (2017)
• Kraus, Daniel.  Rotters (2011)
• Lansdale, John L.  Zombie Gold (2016)
• Littlewood, Alison.  A Cold Season (2013)
• Limbus Inc. (2013)
• Lukavics, Amy.  The Women in the Walls (2016)
• Maberry, Jonathan.  Dead of Night (2011)
• Maberry, Jonathan. Ghost Road Blues (2006) ed note: scroll to bottom of post for review
• Maberry, Jonathan. Patient Zero (2009) ed note: scroll to bottom of post for review 
• Maberry, Jonathan.  Rot and Ruin (2010)
• Maberry, Jonathan and George A. Romero.  Nights of the Living Dead (2017)
• MacLeod, Bracken.  Come to Dust (2017)
• Malerman, Josh.  Bird Box (2014) 
• Mamatas, Nick.  I Am Providence (2016)
• Manderino, John.  But You Scared Me The Most (2016)
• Marion, Isaac. The Burning World (2016)
• Marion, Isaac.  Warm Bodies (2011)
• Masello, Robert. Blood and Ice (2009) 
• Masterton, Graham. Basilisk (2009)
• Masterton, Graham.  The Devils of D-Day (1978)
• McCammon, Robert.  The Last Train From Perdition (2016)
• Merbeth, K.S. Bite (2016)
• Mitchell, David.  Slade House (2015)
• Morris, Keith Lee.  Travelers Rest (2016)
• Morton, Lisa.  Netherworld (2014)
• Oates, Joyce Carol. The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror (2016)
• Ohno, Nuzo. The Sleepless (2016)
• Owen, Lauren.  The Quick (2014)
• Percy, Benjamin.  The Dark Net (2017)
• Percy, Benjamin.  Red Moon (2013)
• Pessl, Marisha.  Night Film (2013)
• Phoenix, Jack.  The Tormentors (2013)
• Rawlik, Pete.  Reanimatrix (2016)
• Rector, Jeani.  What Fears Become: An Anthology From the Horror Zine (2011)
• Roux, Madeleine.  Allison Hewitt is Trapped (2011)
• Seeley, Tim and Mike Norton. Revival Vol 1 (2013)
• Seeley, Tim and Mike Norton.  Revival Vol 2 (2013)
• Silverberg, Robert, ed. This Way to the End Times: Classic Tales of the Apocalypse (2016)
• Snyder, Scott, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquereque.  American Vampire (2010)
• Snyder, Scott.  American Vampire 2 (2011)
• Sokoloff, Alexandra. The Unseen (2009)
• Stratford, Sarah Jane. The Midnight Guardian (2009) 
• Trombetta, Jim.  The Horror! The Horror! (2010)
• Vandermeer, Jeff.  Annihilation (2014)
• Whitehead, Colson.  Zone One (2011)
• Wilson, F. Paul.  The Tomb (1998, edited reprint) 
• Wilson, Jeffrey.  The Donors (2012)
• Wilson, Jeffrey.  Fade to Black (2013)
• Wolff, Nicholas. The Binding (2016)
• Wynne, Douglas.  The Devil of Echo Lake (2012)
• Zeltserman, Dave.  The Caretaker of Lorne Field (2010)