#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway #17: Plain Bad Heroines and The Blade Between

First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #16. Our winner was Michael from Jessamine County [KY] Public Library.

This week I  am very excited to finally be able to giveaway my copies of two of the most hotly anticipated horror novels of the season. The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller and Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth [pictured, the already read ARCs, the actual giveaway copies]. 

Both have an LGBTQ frame which, while essential to the story, just is. This is the best kind of inclusive and diverse storytelling. Main characters are gay or have fluid sexuality, and while that matters in that it makes them who they are, neither is about "coming out." And most importantly, the horror is NOT related to their sexuality in any way. 

I enjoyed both of these books, but I LOVED Plain Bad Heroines. Here are snippets from the drafts I turned into Library Journal for my October Horror Review Column.

The Blade Between: Filled with intense dread and unease that permeates every page, well drawn, if flawed characters, social commentary, and a satisfying resolution, this is a great example of how, Cosmic Horror, a century old subgenre, can still speak directly to today’s readers. 

Plain Bad Heroines: At its heart, this is a novel that asks its reader to contemplate how all stories are told. Which horrors are real, which are imagined, and which are consciously constructed? With a pointed female focus, an unease constantly seeping in from the perimeter, spilling fear all over the page at key moments, and characters that leap off the page, this volume will be sure to inspire many fans. [Starred Review]

Enter now to win both. And thanks to Lainey from Harper Collins' Library Marketing Team for making sure I got print copies of each, despite the bad pandemic timing, precisely so after I read them for review, I could pass them on to one of you!

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway #16: Three ARCs Courtesy of Silver Shamrock Publishing

 First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #15. Our winner was Jonathan from the Paso Robles [CA] City Library.

This week I am featuring a newer horror indie press, but one that seems to be publishing a nice mix of  authors-- Silver Shamrock Publishing. Similar to Flame Tree, Silver Shamrock is publishing quality pulp horror that is perfect for a public library audience, capturing the breadth of the genre's tropes, writing styles, and storytelling techniques. There are authors I have heard of and newer voices too, mean and women.

However, I want to be clear that I do not take supporting a press in a public way lightly. I have done some asking around, including speaking to authors who are writing for them that I trust. I want to make sure they are fair, that they are paying authors, and that their editing and production are up to snuff. 

Silver Shamrock has passed through my research process and today I would like to offer three ARCs to one of you. I would also encourage library workers to investigate more of their titles here.

The title I am most excited about in this prize pack is Slaves to Gravity by Wesley Southard and Somer Cannon [It came out 8/4]. Readers of my blogs may recall how much I LOVED Southard's One for the Road. It is a great, extreme horror, novella; it even won an award for that exactly. And I just updated my review with even more appeal and readalikes. But I digress. Slaves to Gravity is a different story but both Southard and Cannon are writers on the rise. Here is a quick summary from the publisher:

After waking up in a hospital bed, paralyzed from he waist down, Charlie Snyder had no idea here life would take her. ejected, broken, and permanently bound to a wheelchair, she believed her life was truly over. That is...until gravity no longer applied.

It started out slow. Floating from room to room. Menial tasks without assistance. When she decided to venture outside and take some real risks with her newfound ability, she rose above her own constraints to reveal a whole new world, and found other damaged individuals just like her to confide in.

But there are other things out there, waiting in the dark. Repulsive, secretive creatures that don't want Charlie to touch the sky. And they'll stop at nothing to keep her on the ground.

This is a fast paced, cosmic horror story, fun to read and filled with action. It is not perfect. These are both newer authors, but it shows a lot of promise and is way better than the average horror offering-- by leaps and bounds. It has heart and originality. It is a twisty story that keeps you guessing and begs you to keep reading. 

This prize pack also includes Curse of the Pigman by Asher Ellis. This is a story of a small town, cut  off from the world by a hurricane. Evil is discovered and unleashed. This one will be enjoyed by all of your early Stephen King fans for sure and any Stephen Graham Jones fans as well. And that cover! It sells itself for sure.

Finally, The Malan Witch by Catherine Cavendish which features another small, idyllic town and a home renovation that uncovers a very old and angry witch. Witch stories are extremely popular right now. Also the subgenre has improved greatly in the last decade, especially when taken up by female authors. Recent examples of other witch stories you should check out include, The Year of the Witching by Henderson [my review from LJ], Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery edited by Golden and Deering, and the forthcoming Boneset & Feathers by Gwendolyn Kiste [My STAR review coming to LJ in October].

This is just a sampling of what Silver Shamrock has to offer. Check out more of their titles for yourself and your collections.

And as always....Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway #15: A Prize Pack from JournalStone/Trepidatio

 First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #14. Our winner was Sarah from the Carol Stream [IL] Public Library.

This week I am giving away a prize pack of 4 finished paperbacks from one of my most trustworthy and easy for libraries to acquire publishers- JournalStone-- and their slightly more "literary" imprint, Trepidatio.

Before I get to the titles, why are they among my most trusted publishers? [who are all listed here on the blog on my "Best Independent Horror Publishers for Libraries" page]. First and foremost, JournalStone publishes well crafted books that hold up to multiple checkouts, they are available for order through your regular sources. Second, they mix established horror authors with new voices. Every year, multiple books they have published end up being nominated for awards, especially in the first novel categories. In other words, you can  trust their editors and production team to put out books that are of high quality from the physical item to the content on the pages. 

Third, they offer a full range of horror-- from diverse voices, in different formats [story collections and poetry as well as novels], and scares from subtle to full out gore. Finally, they also invest in professional cover artists. Their books have interesting and inviting covers that help announce the appeal of the book to a potential reader

Here is the list of titles I am offering with a little about each book. You can go to Goodreads for more information [titles are linked to the full record]. Remember, these are final products NOT arcs, You can immediately add these to your collections. 

• Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales by John Hornor Jacobs: This collection follows on the heels of the two novellas collection Jacobs had last year, a collection I put on the Library Journal 2019 Best Horror List. [Click here for my thoughts on A Lush and Seething Hell.] There are ten stories here, two never before in print, including the sequel to his popular Southern Gods. Jacobs is on  of the best creating Cosmic Horror today. His works can be handed out to fans of Lovecraft Country right now; and because they are novellas and stories, I think they make for an easy transition from the visual media to the written word.
• Dark Blood Comes From the Feet by Emma J. Gibbon: "a strange and eclectic collection of  seventeen stories." Gibbons uses words in lyrical ways to describe situations that range from unsettling to weird to visceral. Her stories have a bit of the whimsy you find in fantasy, but they are not "light." These are relatable and immersive stories that a wide  range  of patrons will enjoy.
• A Season of Loathsome Miracles by Max D, Stanton: This one is an easy sell to library workers-- Stanton is a librarian and D&D nerd. But seriously, this is an impressive debut collection, and remember above when I said this publisher has quite a track record with new voices. Pay attention!
• Cries to Kill the Corpse Flower, poetry by  Ronald J. Murray: In general poetry is growing in popularity. [I wrote about it recently on the regular blog here.] Horror poetry in particular is growing at an even faster rate. I think it has to do with the genre's emotional punch. Horror is all about how it makes you feel and horror poetry takes that up about 10 notches. This debut collection contains 40 poems. They are short and accessible yes, but they are also thought provoking. You can feel them-- literally-- with all 5 of your senses. These are dark poems that are extremely personal and immersive. The characters, situations, and feelings jump off the page into your head, heart, and body. They will literally haunt you. It is pretty cool, at least that is cool for horror fans.

Thank you to JournalStone for sending these along so I could pass them on to one of you. Even if you don't win, consider adding these titles to your collections.

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 14: The Children of Red Peak

First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #13. Our winner was Nicole from the Rocky River [OH] Public Library.

This week I have an ARC of the upcoming title by Bram Stoker Nominee Craig DiLouie entitled The Children of Red Peak, courtesy of the publisher. I just turned in a review of this one for a future issue of Booklist. Here is my last sentence of  the draft review and my "three words":

This is an emotionally devastating, yet ultimately hopeful horror story about trauma, the healing power of love, family, and friendship, and unexplainable forces, with unknowable motives, that surround us all. A great choice for fans of The Only Good Indians by Jones, Disappearance ad Devil's Rock by Tremblay, or The Hunger by Katsu

Three words that describe this book: Beautiful, Terrifying, Religious Cults

This is a great title for all public libraries to pre-order and one of you will win this copy to read  ahead of time too!

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway Lucky #13: Two Horror Adjacent Titles

First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #12. Our winner was Elizabeth from the Community Library in Salem, WI.

Now onto this week's giveaway. I want to focus on Horror Adjacent genres and I have 2 books to giveaway.

The first is the most obvious Horror Adjacent genre-- True Crime, and I have a Hardcover, finished copy of an excellent 2020 example courtesy of Sourcebooks-- 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb. While this is a little more true crime history than action, it is fascinating and compellingly paced.

The second is an ARC I received at PLA Annual in February from Riverhead Books of a SF/Horror hybrid that is already out, by one of my favorite authors-- Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin.

Both can be yours if you enter!

Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror Awards Announced

Go to Locus Magazine for the full list of nominees.

2020  Splatter Punk Awards Winners

Winners have been announced for the Splatterpunk Awards, “honoring superior achievement for works published in 2019 in the sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.”

Best Novel

WINNER: Lakehouse Infernal, Christine Morgan (Deadite)

• Carnivorous Lunar Activities, Max Booth III (Cinestate/Fangoria)
• Killer Lake, W.D. Gagliani & David Benton (Deadite)
• Reception, Kenzie Jennings (Death’s Head)
• Merciless, Bryan Smith (Grindhouse)
• Toxic Love, Kristopher Triana (Blood Bound)
• They Kill, Tim Waggoner (Flame Tree)

Best Novella

WINNER: One for the Road, Wesley Southard (Deadite)-- Becky's Review [I love this book]

• White Trash Gothic, Part Two, Edward Lee (Section 31)
• Saint Sadist, Lucas Mangum (Grindhouse)
• Weeping Season,Seán O’Connor (Uafas)
• How Much To...?, Matt Shaw (self-published)
• Paradise, Maine, Jackson R. Thomas (Alien Agenda)

Best Short Story

WINNER: “Angelbait”, Ryan Harding (The Big Book of Blasphemy)

• "Breaking the Waters:, Donyae Coles (Pseudopod 9/19)
• "Censered", Christine Morgan (And Hell Followed)
• "Shoulder Pain", Chandler Morrison (The Macabre Museum 10/19)
• "Param", Susan Snyder (Trigger Warning: Body Horror)
• "Norwegian Woods", Jeremy Wagner (The Big Book of Blasphemy)

Best Collection

WINNER: Dirty Rotten Hippies and Other Stories, Bryan Smith (Grindhouse)

• Dead Sea Chronicles, Tim Curran (Bloodshot)
• Various States of Decay, Matt Hayward (Poltergeist)
• Dawn of the Living Impaired, and Other Messed-Up Zombie Stories, Christine Morgan (Death's Head)
• This Is a Horror Book, Charles Austin Muir (Clash)
• Resisting Madness, Wesley Southard (Death's Head)

Best Anthology

WINNER: And Hell Followed, Jarod Barbee & Patrick C. Harrison III, eds. (Death’s Head)

• Dig Two Graves, Jarod Barbee & Patrick C. Harrison III, eds. (Death's Head)
• Midnight In The Graveyard, Kenneth W. Cain, ed. (Silver Shamrock)
• Polish Extreme, Edward Lee & Karolina Kaczkowska, eds. (Necro)
• The Big Book of Blasphemy, Regina Mitchell & David G. Barnett, eds. (Necro)
• The New Flash: A Literary Tribute to David Cronenberg, Sam Richard & Brendan Vidito, eds. (Weirdpunk)

J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award

• Edward Lee

The awards were presented online on August 8, 2020. Additionally, the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2021 is John Skipp. For more, see the announcement.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway #12: 2019 Adult Summer Scares Selected Novels

First, a reminder that these giveaways will be running every week, on Thursdays, for the foreseeable future. And here is the best part, if you enter any week, you are eligible for ALL weeks.

The only rule is that you need to be affiliated with a public library in America or Canada. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.

Okay now how to enter. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.

Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm will be considered.

If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Why I am doing this? Well, one of the parts of my job that has gone away for the time being is my visits to libraries, library conferences, and library systems to provide general RA training. On all of those visits, I would  fill my suitcase with giveaway titles and they were mostly horror. It not only gave me a chance to give away books as prizes, but it also allowed me the opportunity to book talk horror even if that wasn't on the agenda.

Now that my services have transferred to 100% virtual, for the time being, I have an overflow of books in my house and less of chance to promote horror to the unsuspecting masses of library workers.

And thus my #HorrorForLibraries giveaway is born. This will be going on indefinitely, so the sooner you enter the better your chances.

Click here to see giveaway #11. Our winner was Krista from Hennepin County [MN] Library.

This week I have a fun giveaway that is also a resource. Summer Scares is finishing up its second year, and believe it or not, we had an even more successful year than last year. With the pandemic, the fact that we had an entire program, with books selected, book discussion guides written, and tons of resources available, meant libraries jumped at the opportunity to engage with us. To find all of the resources for Summer Scares including the selected titles, you can click here for the Summer Scares Resource page.

But did you know that on that resource page there is also a link to the archive for past years? Click here to see all of the resources for 2019 including the 9 titles.

My readers know that I am a huge proponent of the backlist. That is one of the reasons why the Summer Scares titles have to be more than 2 years old. But I am also a proponent of using lists and "best" titles from the last 2-5 years as we help readers find a great read they might have missed on their own.

And so, to help remind you to use our past Summer Scares titles [and resources] as well as the current ones I am here today to offer you copies of all three of the 2019 Adult selections:

 

My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

Earthworm Gods by Brian Keene

And these are all finished novels. You can add them to your library collections immediately. I think there will special interest in Mongrels as many are on waitlists for The Only Good Indians right now.

Good luck, but whether you win or not, go visit the Summer Scares page for resources you can use to help patrons all year long.