31 Days of Horror: Day 24-- Trend Alert: African Horror

Today marks the beginning of a 3 day series on the very hot trend of African Horror. While this trend is still emerging in America, it has already begun to move into the mainstream as a popular subgenre of British horror thanks in large part to the work of Nigerian-British author, BBC contributor, and lawyer, Nuzo Onoh. Onoh is not only one of the most heralded writers of African horror, she is also its biggest promoter. She has made it her goal to educate the world on this thriving and vibrant subgenre.

We will hear from Onoh herself in a guest post written to you, the American library worker, tomorrow, but for today, I wanted to give you a very quick primer on African horror, point you to a few resources to explore on your own, and give you authors to check out.

 Let’s start with a primer. What is African horror? Well, in 2015, Onoh had this wonderful top 10 list explaining what African horror is and also, very importantly, is not: 

1. African Horror is not a reference to AIDS, famine or Ebola, just as Indian Horror is not a reference to rapes or honour killings. African Horror is a literary genre in its own right, a sub-genre of horror that has existed for centuries, albeit without a formal title till my book, The Reluctant Dead, began spearheading the term, African Horror. 

2. African Horror encompasses several horror sub-genres like supernatural horror, psychological horror, demonic/occultic horror, sci-fi horror (popularised by Nnedi Okoroafor) slasher/gore/splatter horror and paranormal romance to mention a few. My books are focused on African supernatural horror, specifically, ghosts and hauntings. 

3. Just like the old Japanese Kaidan tradition, African Horror stories are geographically targeted, depicting the core traditions, beliefs and superstitions of a particular village/tribe within a horror context. Thus, my books, The Reluctant Dead and Unhallowed Graves will resonate with anyone familiar with The Ring or The Grudge. 

4. African Horror is usually steeped in the moral values of individual tribes, with most stories reinforcing these values and the dire consequences of ignoring or abandoning them. Thus, in Unhallowed Graves, we witness the terrible events that befall a grieving mother who goes against the village traditions and attempts to resurrect her son buried in Ajo-ofia, the unhallowed burial ground of people deemed to have died an unclean or bad death. 

5. African Horror has a strong cinema presence in Nollywood films, a Nigerian film industry that produces popular drama, depicting terrifying supernatural events within an Igbo/African setting. 

6. Amos Tutuola, the famous author of The Palm-wine Drinkard and My Life in the bush of Ghosts, is the father of African Horror. His books are considered modern classics today and have been translated into several languages. 

7. Africans respect, fear, revere or abhor their Medicine men. Some cultures refer to them as Juju-men, Root-healers, Voodoo-men or witchdoctors. By whatever name they go, they all boil down to one thing - powerful men (and at times, very rarely, women) whose actions, good or bad, always impact on the daily lives of their people. No African Horror story is ever complete without reference to these powerful and controversial Medicine-men. 

8. The Gullah culture of the American South has very strong ties to African culture and their horror stories are very similar to African horror. Today, Eden Royce, author of the book, Spook Lights and one of the few people that still speak the Gullah language, is spear-heading the Southern Gothic Horror, steeped in Gullah beliefs and culture. People that love Southern Gothic Horror will enjoy African Horror too. 

9. African Horror stories are not Folktales, contrary to popular conception. These days, modern African Horror is written in prose and style similar to mainstream horror, which readers from all over the globe can relate to. My last book, The Reluctant Dead, enjoyed wide readership from fans worldwide, proving that true horror does indeed cross all boundaries. My latest book, Unhallowed Graves, follows in the same style, while retaining its distinct African voice. 

10. Finally, African Horror books and films are out there for anyone interested in discovering the terrifying tales from our mysterious continent. Unfortunately, due to the unsatisfactory classification of literary works, one is likely to find African horror books under "Multicultural" rather than under "Horror". Hopefully, in the near future, an overhaul of the classification system will see more horror works by Africans writers and non-African writers writing African Horror, classified under their rightful category - Horror.

In that list, Onoh mentions the late, Amos Tutuola whose works can be found in many American public libraries, but I would bet you don’t have a horror sticker on them.  Back then, we classified these books as African “Mythology,” but they are horror-- loud and proud. Yes, Tutuola’s works, like many African horror writers use the monster from folklore as a starting point, but so do Western authors.  How soon we forget that the entire concept of a zombie began in Haitian culture. Yes, it has evolved from that kind of zombie in the last few decades, but that is where it began. Yet, we do not call zombie tales “mythology.”

Also, since humans have lived on the African continent far longer than here in America, they have a huge number of awesome monsters in their storytelling tradition to draw off of.

In fact, I would like to argue in this post today that if you have a typical American horror fan, especially one who has “read it all,” your best place to take that reader is to the rich and vibrant history of African horror and its awesomely terrifying world of monsters. 

Click here for a list from Mental Floss on 11 legendary [and terrifying] monsters from all across Africa with an attribution to their country of origin. This is just a glimpse into the source material for an entire continent of horror fiction inspiration.


Please do not worry about a white person from a typical American suburb not being able to relate to these African tales. That is a cop out. If your reader is a horror fan already, that is all of the necessary background he or she will need to fall right into these stories and love the terror that follows. It all is based on the same appeal factors. It is just the monsters themselves who are a little different.


I should also point out that I am mostly writing about African horror written by authors from Nigeria and South Africa because their work is the most easily found in English.

You can click here to read about a brand new anthology of African horror writers with 10 authors you can read right now, including Onoh. Here is the table of contents with links to the authors’ Goodreads pages [where applicable]. The links will lead you to more authors and more story compilations by the very best African horror authors today:

“Daughter Dearest” by Chioma Odukwe – A woman who has just lost her husband finds herself in danger of losing her daughter as well and goes to desperate lengths to keep her in this unusual zombie story.

“Shame” by Nerine Dorman – A biracial couple try to find acceptance during South Africa’s post-apartheid transition period but find themselves confronted with a devastating horror instead. 

“Sleep Papa, Sleep” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa – A mistake made during a taboo trade leaves a young man in modern Lagos desperate to rid himself of something terrifying from beyond the grave. 

“Blood and Fire” by Sawaleh – Religious corruption in one of Africa’s largest Megachurches provokes an ancient and unspeakable horror that seeks to punish, corrupt and feed. 

“Koi-Koi” by Raymond Elenwoke – One of Nigeria’s most prevalent and persistent urban legends is given an origin story in this frightening interpretation of the Lady Koi-Koi mythos. 

“Eaters Of Flesh” by Ezeiyoke Chukwunonso  – A young university student is confronted by mysterious events involving his parents that threaten his sanity and his life. 

“Afin” by Edwin Okolo – Twisting the Snow White fairy tale in surprising ways and transposing it to pre-colonial Nigeria, the court of a king is thrown into disarray when his older wives pit themselves against his youngest. 

“Hadiza” by Nuzo Onoh – A man’s greed and lust lead him to divorce his faithful and loyal wife, an action that has dire consequences in this Nollywood-Horror style tale.
“The Wild Dogs” by Mandisi Nkomo – A Swedish woman volunteers to help fight a strange disease consuming Cape Town and comes faces to face with monstrous inhumanity. 

“Udu” by Damilare Falowo – A village girl and her newborn child are thrown into a cursed forest to die but in the forest she finds vengeful things that are worse than death. 

with an Introduction by Wole Talabi

I wanted to end by reminding you that there are some bigger name African writers of dark speculative fiction who you have in your libraries and who take the time to promote their lesser known colleagues including Lauren Beukes, Sarah Lotz, and Nnedi Okorafor. [Not surprisingly, 2 out of those 3 are white.] Let’s start with the known authors, and begin to branch out from there. You don’t want to miss out on this trend. Take advantage of its spike in popularity to grab some new reads for your patrons.
Tomorrow, Onoh, the true expert, will be here with a guest post, and then Wednesday, I will have a review of her latest novel, The Sleepless, which has already garnered heaps of praise across Great Britain. 

31 Days of Horror: Day 23-- A Bevy of Best Lists

One of the best things about this time of year is that it is the only time of year that everyone and their sister [uncle, cousin, step brother's, best friend’s girlfriend, etc...] is out there posting their horror “best lists.”

Of course I love that I am getting an assist in helping you help horror readers, but there is a larger reason why I love this.  What is "horror" is such a personal thing.  What scares one person may not make another feel any terror. The more people we have compiling lists of what they find to be the "scariest" or "best" horror books, the more readers we can help.

The more people we have compiling their “best” horror lists, the more voices we have in the conversation, the more readers we can help. When we all add our voices of what we love more about horror, we represent a wider range of readers.

So today, I am helping with two lists my husband found for me from one of his favorite sources for book [actually all pop culture] coverage-- Paste Magazine:

• 70 of the Best Horror Comics
• The 21 Best Horror Books of the 21st Century

Almost all of the books on the second lists can be found in my book or here on the blog, so if a title looks interesting to you, use the search bar in the top right of the blog to find out more. 

If you have a great list you found or made, please leave the link in the comments. Let’s all work together to help every reader.

31 Days of Horror: Day 22-- Scary Book Display Contest from Booklist

Today I am passing on a contest from Booklist to win a free subscription or a box of books! And all you have to do is take a picture of the awesome display you probably already have up at your library.

It is all only through Facebook. Details here and below:

You know book displays are a great way to get crafty with your class or engage your patrons right as they come in the door. Show us what you're scaring up for Halloween this year!

Upload a picture of your book display for a chance to win one of three prizes:

First place: a free subscription to Booklist, including 22 issues a year, 4 issues of Book Links, and all the digital content that goes along with it!

Second place: a box of spooky books for adult readers

Third place: a box of spooky books for young readers

Then vote for your favorite photo by clicking on the vote button above. The winners are determined by popular vote so spread the word!

An example display made by the Booklist Staff

31 Days of Horror: Day 21-- Essay, "The Life and Afterlife of Horror Fiction"

I am not the only librarian out there who is serious about horror. This past summer I came across an essay by academic librarian, John Glover:

John Glover is a librarian at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he supports humanities research and instruction, contributes to various digital humanities projects, and studies quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore. He has chapters forthcoming on Supernatural Horror in Literature and Laird Barron’s Old Leech stories. He also studies the research practices of writers, and last year he co-taught “Writing Researched Fiction” in VCU’s Department of English. He publishes fiction and literary essays as “J. T. Glover,” and his work has appeared or is forthcoming in Pseudopod, Thinking Horror, The Lovecraft eZine, and Nightscript, among other venues.

How did I know about it? Well because he quotes me and references my book [which by the way, can be bought as an eBook right now. You can start using it today and then use the archives of this blog to supplement it. I consider this blog the free update to the book-- shameless plug over].

Back to Mr. Glover. The essay is entitled, "The Life and After Life of Horror Fiction." From one of the opening paragraphs:

"If it weren’t for the rise of the web and its capacity to perpetuate both communities and content, the term “horror” would largely have fallen out of use by now to describe the genre. As things stand, however, I feel that we’re currently in the middle of two waves of fiction that could rightly be called “horror,” each as similar and distinct as the Gothic and the pulps. One of these waves is essentially the long tail of the last boom, and the other is a new formation built from literary fiction, a new attention to sociocultural concerns, and explicit engagement with the genre’s history. The coexistence of these two waves has caused anxiety in the field, not least because the word “horror” itself became anathema after the market crash of the mid-1990s. Many authors working today take a nuanced approach to writing horror—heavily informed by the lessons of the boom."

While my focus is on the readers of horror and how to match the books with them, Glover is more focused on the literature of horror itself.  This is a very insightful and interesting article that will give you a larger view picture of the current state of horror.

It also serves as a way to look at what we do-- matching readers with books-- from the other side of the equation. It may sound like semantics, but think about it. We, rightfully, start with the reader in front of us and then try to find the correct book for that reader. This is the correct way for us to have the RA interaction. But, sometimes it helps to step out of your focus for a second and take a look at things from the other side of the coin. Taking a moment to begin with the books themselves, gives you a chance to look with fresh eyes at the patron in front of you. It gives you a different perspective and makes you think.

So thanks to Glover for being the "Bizzaro Becky." Check out his essay. I promise you will learn something about the current state of horror fiction.

31 Days of Horror: Day 20: Guest Post by Brian Matthews

It’s Day 2 of guest posts by authors you might not know about, making their case to you-- the library worker-- as to why your patrons might want to read their books.

I love these posts because the authors have not only opened up to you about themselves, their inspiration, and their writing, but they have also given you some wonderful book talking points to hand sell these titles.

Today it is Brian W. Matthews.

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Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where longitude misses latitude by a narrow but vital margin, and where the air crackles with complex energies, a narrow dirt path runs the length of the world, unfolding like a long black tongue. 

Along this path we walk hand-in-hand, under the fractal shadows of ancient trees just starting to lose their leaves. It stretches on and on, cluttered with small, dry bones and ghostly spider webs. For the month is October, Halloween is rapidly approaching, and the supernatural rules supreme.

I’ve always loved this time of year. As a child, I looked forward to Halloween, even more so than Christmas, because Halloween was when the television stations rolled out their stock of horror films. As much as I enjoyed the classic Universal monsters—Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy—I preferred William Castle’s movies, particularly those starring the incredible Vincent Price. I still remember sitting on the edge of the sofa, legs crossed, hands stuffed in my mouth, as Mr. Price fought an incredibly silly looking creature in The Tingler, or how he terrorized a houseful of unsuspecting guests in The House on Haunted Hill. What I enjoyed most about these movies, I think, was that they didn’t contain the traditional horror monsters—vampires, werewolves, ghosts. They looked beyond those tropes (old even back in the 1950s) to create new terrors, ones the public hadn’t seen. And because the public hadn’t seen them, because they hadn’t any experience with them, they didn’t know what to expect. These films created a whole new category of monsters to fear.

Then later, when I was a bit older, something wonderful happened: an uncle gave me a copy of James Herbert’s The Fog, a novel about a mysterious crack in the earth from which an eerie fog seeps, one that causes insanity in anyone who come into contact with it. I read it in two days. The story horrified me, and by the time I’d finished it, I was hooked. 

Horror movies were cool, but horror books were magic. And I knew where to find more of that magic.

The library.

I began checking out books: Shirley Jackson’s classic The Haunting of Hill House, Richard Matheson’s homage to the former, Hell House, Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby, a novel whose influence can be felt in my latest novel, The Conveyance. I loved how they frightened me and entertained me at the same time. I couldn’t get enough of them. These authors made up what I call the first Golden Age of horror writing.

Soon afterward, I discovered a new clutch of horror authors, and that discovery ultimately changed my life. (So much so that if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be reading this.)

These newcomers, who could conceivably be called the old guard now, brought horror to the forefront of genre fiction: Stephen King, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Richard Laymon, Ramsey Campbell. The list goes on. They inspired. They frightened. They brought terror into our backyards. They heralded, for me, the second Golden Age of horror writing. 

While each influenced me in small ways, I have to say that Clive Barker influenced me the most, followed closely by Stephen King. Barker prefers to create non-traditional horrors such as the Cenobites of his Hellbound Heart novella (and later in his Hellraiser movies) or Dr. Philip Decker, the lunatic murderer in Cabal. Then there is Mr. Hood, the mysterious warden of Holiday House in his children’s fairytale, The Thief of Always. Barker’s horrors have a more human element, often rising from the human condition, an approach I found compelling. King, on the other hand, approaches his novels in themes, over which he constructs solid stories, brick by bloody brick. Some of his best works touch on the broad themes that affect all of us, like the rise of peer pressure and the dangers it presents to the more fragile of our youth—Carrie; America’s infatuation with celebrity, sometimes bordering on psychotic obsession—Misery; and more recently, the unhealthy preoccupation the iGeneration has with its electronic gadgets—End of Watch. 

I strive to blend these approaches in my own writing, which began with two short stories that appeared in the science fiction anthology, Foreshadows: The Ghosts of Zero.  “Lament,” the first story I wrote for the collection, concerns itself with the consequences of behavior, and my belief that good deeds are rewarded, while evils are, at some point, always returned tenfold. The second story, “Graveduggery” (co-authored with fellow author, Jeff LaSala), had a predetermined plot, so I couldn’t control the theme, but it does contain what I feel is my best writing from those early years—a sequence that takes place in a fictional Nazi concentration camp in Poland. It was this piece that convinced me to reach for the brass ring and write a novel.

Released in 2012 by JournalStone, my debut novel, Forever Man, explored the theme of racism, and how preconceived notions about a person’s color can have disastrous consequences. In addition to this deeper theme, the story has the requisite-but-nontraditional monster, called a Fek, along with the associated carnage. But the creature isn’t the central plot point of the story. Rather, it is the human interaction and reaction to racism, it is a mother’s fear for her kidnapped child, and it is how a small group of innocents can ultimately defeat overwhelming evil that drives the story.

Revelation, the second book in the Forever Man series, addressed the recent surge in religious intolerance and how fanatical devotion to any one thought or belief can be perilous. Also filled with unusual creatures (including a nasty bit of fiction called the Cybell), Revelation also addressed a theme I would more fully explore in my next novel: child abuse.

To me, horror is much more than the ghostly bump in the night, or the muffled thump of a heartbeat coming from within a wall, or the creak of a footstep on the stairs when no one else is supposed to be home. Real horror, the kind that makes you squirm and want to close the book, is often about how people treat one another, the evils we can inflict on another human being, more often than not someone who is weaker, like a child. During my years as a child therapist, I saw too much of this abuse from an uncomfortably close perspective.

Which brings me to my latest work, The Conveyance. Couched in a creepy, small town setting, this was my boldest attempt to date to weave a story that blended mainstream fiction with the horror genre. In fact, the first third or so of the novel contains no outright horror, just a slow building of suspense as you learn about the characters and their strengths and weaknesses, along with the occasional hint about trouble simmering just beneath the surface of life’s pedestrian normality. As the story progresses, there is blood and loss and death, but the real horrors, the brutal twist-the-knife-in-your-gut moments, center around child abuse and the hazards of toxic love. While I am proud of all my works, this is the one of which I am proudest.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my tale. It has taken some time to tell, and we are nearing the end of this dark, desolate path. Fear not, for more horrors lurk on the horizon, tales told by what I am calling the third Golden Age of horror writing, tales told by the likes of Joe Hill and Jonathan Maberry and Sarah Pinborough and Caitlín R. Kiernan. Tales told by a wave of talented newcomers like Josh Malerman and Paul Temblay and, if you will pardon this moment of hubris, Yours Truly. If you haven’t heard of these people, visit your local library and look them up. Their stories will keep you awake, night after night.

I promise.

BIO: By day, Brian W. Matthews works as a financial planner, but after the sun goes down—in the deep dark of night—he scribes stories meant to entertain and, perhaps, terrify. When he isn’t developing investment portfolios or crafting tales of monsters and madmen, he tries valiantly to knock a little white ball over the rolling green hills of a golf course without hitting traps or trees. He can also be found lurking in the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, hunting and fishing and generally causing mayhem. Brian lives in southeast Michigan with his wife, daughter, and two step-daughters. 

Use these links to learn more about Brian W. Matthews:

https://www.facebook.com/ForeverManStories?ref=bookmarks

https://www.instagram.com/brianmatthews2407/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/BrianWMatthews 

31 Days of Horror: Day 19-- Guest Post by G.A. Minton

Today I begin 2 days of guest posts by authors you might not know about, making their case to you-- the library worker-- as to why your patrons might want to read their books.

I love these posts because the authors have not only opened up to you about themselves, their inspiration, and their writing, but they have also given you some wonderful book talking points to hand sell these titles.

You will see what I mean.

We being with G.A. Minton, the author of Trisomy XXI who appeared on this blog previously in my Library Journal debuts horror list. 

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The Savant Horror Author by G.A. Minton

Truth is stranger than fiction, so they say. I’m a believer in that adage, because it happened to me, and it has changed my life! This is how my new novel, TRISOMY XXI, came into being. A few years ago, I was rear-ended by a speeding, drunk driver, resulting in my car being totaled and sending me to the hospital emergency room. As a result of this devastating car accident, I suffered a closed-head injury, which left me with memory loss and the inability to effectively communicate with others.

After numerous visits to a neurologist and months of taking medication used by patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease, my injured brain slowly began to mend itself. When the damage to my brain finally healed though, I noticed something very different in my thought patterns. Now, I had this overwhelming urge, this compulsive desire to put on paper a fascinating story that had formed de novo in my mind. I can’t explain it, but my thoughts were now primarily focused on writing this tale of horror. That’s how TRISOMY XXI was born. One could only surmise that the damaged neurons in my frontal cortex had rearranged themselves into a different pattern, thereby enhancing the creative elements of my brain. God only knows. . .stranger things have happened! 

From my earliest recollections as a young child, I have always loved the genres of horror and science fiction, so that is probably where TRISOMY XXI was spawned—from the deepest reaches of my inner mind. As a result of my savant-like experience, I am now able to pen novels in a  freestyle fashion, almost in a stream of consciousness, relying on no outlines, formats, or templates for any assistance. Fortunately, the narrative is able to flow freely from my vivid imagination, ending up with a thrilling storyline that contains an ordered sequence of events for its reader. 

The definition of a savant is “a person who does not have normal intelligence but who has very unusual mental abilities that other people do not have.” Savant syndrome “is a condition in which a person with a mental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal.” I do know that I don’t have savant syndrome, because I am not autistic, and my IQ has been measured at 161. Another form of savantism, known as acquired savant syndrome, is attributed to “a person who acquires prodigious capabilities or skills following dementia, a head injury or severe blow to the head, or other disturbance.” According to medical studies, acquired savant syndrome is an extremely rare condition, affecting very few people in the world. I don’t know for sure if I have acquired savant syndrome, but I do know that something definitely bolstered my creative writing skills, which appear to have occurred as a direct result of my brain injury and resultant healing process. Whatever did happen to me, I consider it to be a gift (though at the time, I didn’t think so), therefore, as long as I can retain this newfound ability, I will continue to write—especially since I do have a passion for it.

Because of the strange happenings associated with the head injury I sustained and the resultant ability to write creatively, it appears that my surreal experience is indeed a part of the whole scheme of things—I can’t wait to see what comes next! As a result, I have developed a passion for writing, which is now a labor of love for me. Writing has also allowed me to connect with others through my stories, hopefully stirring up those emotions that will bring excitement and entertainment to all of my readers. Penning a thrilling tale of horror provides  peace of mind, a sense of accomplishment, and teaches me patience—a necessity for any author who wishes to write well. An author must always remember that “The pen is mightier than the sword!” My goal in writing TRISOMY XXI was to produce a thrilling tale of mystery, horror, and science fiction that would mesmerize, enthrall, and horrify its reader. If readers do derive enjoyment from my book, and are unable to put it down, then I will have accomplished my mission!           

TRISOMY XXI, a horror/sci-fi/mystery novel, is the thrilling tale about the adventures of Joshua Allen, a sixteen-year-old boy who was born with an extra chromosome—a genetic aberration known as Trisomy XXI, or Down Syndrome. When a serious accident leaves him in a coma at the hospital, Joshua receives a mysterious injection that endows him with supernatural powers. The transformed teen is linked to a string of bizarre, unexplained deaths that have both the town’s sheriff and the coroner baffled. But when a ghastly creature from another planet lands on Earth and begins its hunt for Joshua—viciously slaughtering anyone in its path in order to complete its deadly mission—Joshua and his friends are thrown into a world of horror that is totally out of control. What follows is a horrific life-and-death struggle with the seemingly-indestructible extraterrestrial being. The salvation of an entire race of aliens hangs in the balance!

A unique novel unlike any other book you have ever read, TRISOMY XXI will provide an epicurean feast of horror, science fiction, and mystery—all seasoned with a pinch of humor that will satiate the appetite of even the most gourmet of readers.  If the likes of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Michael Crichton were ever to have collectively penned a spine-tingling tale of horror, this would be it! Delivering a roller-coaster ride full of thrills for its unsuspecting audience, TRISOMY XXI will intrigue every intelligent reader with its alluring array of unforeseen twists and turns. Packed with tension and excitement, this chimeric version of Alien meets The Thing is a powerful story that is guaranteed to capture your immediate attention. You won’t be able to put this book down! TRISOMY XXI, awarded Five-Stars by READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS, has been nominated for a 2016 INDIE Award  in the “horror” and “science fiction” categories, and was recommended for consideration of a 2016 Bram Stoker Award in the “new novel” category.

I  recently completed my second novel, ANTITHEUS, a dark, supernatural tale of horror that takes Good versus Evil to a whole new level. The Florida Writers Association has notified me that ANTITHEUS is a finalist in the unpublished book-length fiction - mystery genre category of the 2016 Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA) competition, which I am thrilled about. Currently, my neurons are busy at work processing a third manuscript, a horrifying mystery involving the macabre, which like my other books, contains an O. Henry or Rod Serling surprise ending that would baffle even the likes of the great Sherlock Holmes! 

From my early childhood, I have always been a diehard fan of science fiction and horror. Whenever a scary movie was playing down at the local theatre, I was there in attendance with my friends, loudly screaming in terror alongside them. I enjoy many hobbies, but the game of golf is one of my favorites, having lettered on my high school golf team. Besides writing, I also enjoys reading, traveling, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, working out, listening to hard rock music, and watching great movies—especially those genres that encompass horror, science fiction, mystery, and comedy. I live in Texas with his wife, a son and daughter, and two Bengal cats named Phinneas and Shamus. Many of my friends now refer to me as “the savant horror author.”  

I do have a host of favorite authors, which include the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Ray Bradbury, Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells, Rod Serling, Michael Crichton, Shirley Jackson, Dean Koontz, and Robin Cook, just to name a few.

You can find out more information about G.A. Minton and Trisomy XXI at the websites listed below:

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com/author_g_a_minton.html for G.A. Minton author webpage at World Castle Publishing

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15065482.G_A_Minton for G.A. Minton author webpage at Goodreads

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010658925253 for G.A. Minton Facebook URL page

https://twitter.com/horrornovelist for G.A. Minton Twitter URL page

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHxi6MGk1FQ for TRISOMY XXI HD YouTube book trailer

31 Days of Horror: Day 18-- Review of The Women in the Walls [YA Horror]

For my final day of YA focused blog posts I am reviewing the newest book by my current FAVORITE YA horror author, Amy Lukavics.

I first noticed Amy last year with her debut, Daughters Unto Devils which I included in my Library Journal horror debuts column. In that column I said this about Amy's protagonist in that novel:

"Amanda is living Laura Ingalls Wilder’s worst nightmare, and adult and teen horror enthusiasts alike will love every minute of this well-crafted and terrifying debut."

After reading and loving Daughters Unto Devils,  I contacted Amy and asked her to participate in 31 Days of Horror last year. Here is the link to her post on the scariest book she ever read and how it influenced her own writing.

It is very hard for an author to follow up with a solid second book after such a widely praised debut, but I am here to tell you that Lukavics doubled down with The Women in the Walls [released in late September]. It is even better.

First, a quick plot summary via Goodreads:

Lucy Acosta's mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They're inseparable—a family.   

When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin's sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

That’s what happens, here is why a reader will love it.

Appeal: Let’s start with the fact that this novel is dripping with dread from the very first pages. The creepy mansion, Lucy’s secret habit of self harm, the missing mother and now the missing Aunt; it is all part of the setup. And then, the supernatural stuff starts. It goes from atmospheric to outright terrifying fairly quickly, yet Lukavics walks you through this transition seamlessly. As a reader you get caught up in Lucy’s story, walk through the halls of the house with her, and see why she is unravelling. You truly believe it could happen for real. This is a huge success for any horror novel, to effortlessly make the reader actually feel the fear and Lukavics nailed it.

Speaking of Lucy, she is very flawed but so sympathetic. She is intriguing to watch because we know she has mental issues dues to her troubled life and she is a cutter, but we also know she is not lying. There is a terrible evil, supernatural curse on the women in her family that she is not responsible for, but also from which she can never escape. Readers will fall into her world immediately.

The pacing of this novel is brisk. As I mentioned above, the set up is oppressive but quickly established. Within a few pages we are right beside Lucy and can’t stop turning the pages to see where the story will lead us both next. I had trouble putting this books down for more than a few minutes because I literally was bursting wth anticipation to see what would happen next. And it all leads to an awesomely terrifying horror ending. I read a lot of horror novels and get very upset when the author can’t close the deal. Don’t worry about that happening here.

The entire book is wrapped up in the topic of deadly family secrets. This alone is a huge appeal for many readers whether they like horror or not. Don’t forget that this appeal crosses genre.

And finally, while this book is firmly placed within the YA lit world, it is an easy cross over for adults.  It is fairly gruesome which might surprise some adults encountering it as YA who may be expecting a lighter touch on the blood, but it is not over the top. Lucy is a teen yes, but she will connect with adult readers too. The multigenerational story line will capture adult readers-- it did for me. Also adults of popular, female driven, intense psychological suspense who don’t mind a supernatural element will thank you for suggesting this novel to them. They will not find it on their own so help them.

Three Words That Describe This Book: flawed but sympathetic narrator, extreme dread, family secrets

Readlaikes: First, the main character who is a self harming cutter with dark family secrets, who is flawed but extremely sympathetic, and a disturbing tone reminded me of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. You can use this link to read my review of that book. The link includes more readalike options too.

The horror Graphic novel series, Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez also features teen protagonists stuck in an old house, a supernatural family curse that goes back generations, and gruesome, dangerous, and terrifying dread. Click here to pull up the reviews of every book in that now completed series. To read each review in order, go to my reviews index.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is much less gruesome but just as atmospheric. It also prominently features dark and dangerous family secrets and an old house. Click here for a more from me on this book.

Did you like last year’s best horror novel, A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay? Then The Women in the Walls is a great readalike option. Both feature a family, in an old house, caught up in a supernatural evil that is destroying them physically and mentally.

Finally, while I was reading this novel, I couldn’t stop thinking about Shirley Jackson. Lukavics feels like she has taken Jackson as an inspiration and is telling this legends type of story but from the perspective of a woman in the 21st Century. Lukavics has more outright blood and guts than Jackson ever did, but the psychological punch from the flawed female protagonist is a perfect match. Specifically We Have Always Lived in the Castle is the best title match here.