Last night, Zoe and I attended the wonderful 42 Worcester 2nd Birthday event. The theme, somewhat aptly due to something bright and fat hanging in the sky, was werewolves and the full-moon. The evening got off to a flying start thanks to some great poetry from Jodie Rose McLoughlin, the latter of which was written on the train over, though you wouldn't have known it. Next up was that eloquent wordsmith, Michael R. Brush, whose essay featuring Snarks and Agent Smith from The Matrix was, as always with Michael's writing, a very thoughtful and pleasurable experience. Then it was the turn of Cass Osborn, whose poetry was delivered with considerable aplomb. Kevin Brooke's YA spin on the werewolf tale was masterful and would put that Stephanie Meyer lady (who?) to shame. Catherine Gardner unleashed her own brand of nursery-rhymes - infused with elements of the night's theme - on the unsuspecting audience, and did a great job. Mikel J. Koven's sensual tales - including a somewhat disturbing Red Riding Hood poem - were delivered artfully. Next up was the inimitable Suz Winspear, whose family of were-foxes brought a much welcome lighter air to the proceedings. Her story makes you wonder if the ASBO collectors at the end of the street are, in fact, more than they seem. Andy Kirk was first up after the interval with his gore-drenched lupine tale, and his Grim Reaper was a great start to the second half. Ian Ward was up next, reading three poems that were a delight to listen to. Myfanwy Fox's contributions were one of the highlights, especially the LinkedIn CV which had a wonderful, unexpected punchline that raised perhaps the loudest laugh of the evening. Holly Magill's poems were wonderful, particularly the one involving a Tesco security-guard. Tana Durham's suggestive inclusion was like Fifty Shades Of Twilight (but good!) and managed to squeeze in a highly anticipated howl at its denouement. Next up, Tony Judge's comical look at death as a trio of ex-military try to give their recently-deceased friend the send-off he would have wanted. Very funny, and quite poignant at the same time. And finally, it was the turn of Rod Griffiths, who did a great job with his story of missing miners and mutilated sheep. The night was held together perfectly by Polly Robinson, standing in for a vacationing Andrew Owens. All in all, this was a perfect night for fans of horror and poetry, with readings from some extremely talented minds. This night was to celebrate the 2nd birthday of 42. In years to come, perhaps when they're celebrating their 10th - or even 25th - birthday, this lunar-themed evening will be remembered with some fondness.
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Urban Occult Limited Pre-Order Limited to 50. Behind urban life, weird and horrific things fester. The whispers and chills of things long gone… the promise of power from the darkness… the seduction of those that lie in the shadows… the occult is all around us: in town houses, in mansions, and in your very own street. Editor Colin F. Barnes collected together fifteen stories by a cast of critically acclaimed authors from around the globe who look into the stygian gloom, explore the dark corners of our houses, and peer into the abyss of human temptation. Featuring stories by: Gary McMahon, Ren Warom, Gary Fry, Mark West, K.T. Davies, Nerine Dorman, Alan Baxter, Adam Millard, Julie Travis, Jason Andrew, James Brogden, A.A Garrison, Jennifer Williams, Sarah Anne Langton, and Chris Barnham. Special Pre-Order Edition Limited to 50. This pre-order edition means you will get the book at least a week to two weeks ahead of general release and: A FREE ebook version (for any eReader) and A FREE ebook of Day of Demons. (eBooks will be emailed to you on the 4th of March). Just £9.99 (+£2.99 shipping anywhere in the world). Pre-Order here: http://www.anachronpress.com/product/anthologies/urban-occult-limited-pre-order/ 2013 is off to a flying start, thanks to Bizarro Pulp Press. Skinners, the bizarro novella and B-movie homage, will be the first release from this fine new press. Expect lots of great things from them in 2013, including books from Bigfoot War author, Eric S. Brown, and Kevin Millikin, writer of serial novella, A Bitter Night. You can find out more about Bizarro Pulp Press here. Just a quick update with regards to some forthcoming events. I will be signing, reading and taking part in two panels at Autumn: Horror In The East on the 3rd November. The event takes place at the Aspire centre in Lowestoft. Also guesting are David Moody, Adam Baker, Conrad Williams, Joseph Freeman, Joseph D'Lacey, Sean Page, Iain McKinnon, Simon Coleby, Andrew Hook, Paul S. Huggins, Ivan Bunn and Henry Baker. There will be signings all day, with panels, readings and Q&As taking place throughout the event. If you're a fan of horror fiction, this is the event for you, and if that's not enough to whet your appetite. . . It's completely FREE! Then, on the 17th November, I will be signing and getting into all sorts of mayhem at the 6th Annual Festival Of Zombie Culture (Day Of The Undead) at Phoenix Square, Leicester. Also in attendance will be Sean Page, Charlie Higson, Dominic Brunt, the master of ceremonies Zombie Ed, and lots, lots more. There will be zombie movies showing all day long, with dealers selling their wares in the foyer. Make-up artists will be on hand once again to transform you into an undead flesh-hunter, and there will be zombie treats and cakes available thanks to Delicious Inspiration. Hope to see you there. Right now, my new novella, THE DARK MAN, just came out! But before we get into that, I want to thank Adam Millard for being so awesome as to let me commandeer his blog for a day. Thanks dude, you are freaking awesome. In case you haven’t actually heard of the book, the following is the books short synopsis: The human mind holds within its infinite reaches many of the greatest mysteries in the universe. Some are vast and wondrous, while others are chilling and nightmarish. Some mysteries are better left hidden in the dark corners of our minds, never breaking free of our subconscious. Six high school students set out to explore these depths by sharing a mind altering substance on a night meant to be filled with both wild hallucinations and crazy antics. But the fun and games come to a shuddering halt when a strange man appears. This isn’t just any stranger. He is the Dark Man. Haunter of dreams and purveyor of nightmares. Dressed in a black suit and top hat, his pale skin and twisted grin promise a very deranged night of entertainment. LINK: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Man-ebook/dp/B009DKCGAK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348089055&sr=8-2&keywords=the+dark+man+p.+a.+douglas I originally came up with the Dark Man when I was a stupid little teenager. Bet you couldn’t ever guys how. Either way, I know of a lot of people who have actually come into contact with this person while on such substances. Needless to say it had to be written about. The fact that more than a handful of people have seen the Dark Man in real life is creepy enough for me. Whether or not the content of the Dark Man stands true in this book is another thing entirely. So, to answer that age old question: what inspired the book; well there it is. I’ve been there and done that and don’t recommend ever going back. If splatterpunk, grindhouse action is what you crave in a good horror read, then I would definitely recommend picking this one up. It’s a fast paced death to the finish. And with that, I think that covers it for me. Thanks again to Adam for letting me hop in and say hello. -pat http://indie-inside.com Tall Tales For Short Cocks, the new anthology from Bizarro Press and featuring my story "Help! My Ass Has Rabies!" is finally released. It is available now for Kindle, and is a collection of crazy tales written by clearly deranged authors. I am honoured to be a part of this collection, and would like to thank Etienne DeForest, Arthur Graham, and everybody at Bizarro Press for their hard work and dedication in putting together this fine volume. This year’s nominees include a time lord, a superhero, a house with
multi-dimensional portals, and the continuing saga of a blood thirsty monoarchy. Here is this year’s list of 2012 Hugo Award Nominees: Best Novel
Best Novella
Note: 6 nominees due to tie for final position. Best Novelette
Best Short Story
Best Related Work
Best Graphic Story
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Best Semiprozine
Best Fanzine
Best Fancast
This week has been fantastic, in terms of general success. First of all there was the Day Of The Undead signing. What an amazing festival - which I must say thanks to everyone involved, especially Terror4fun's Zombie Ed and Sean Page - author of War Against The Walking Dead, which I urge everyone to go and buy right now...or when you finish reading this post. Then I had a radio interview, in which I discussed zombies, horror in general and my own novels. First time on radio, and I still have no idea what I sound like, but I assume "flued-up" since I have been a bit under the weather. Waterstones and WHSmiths started stocking Dead Cells, as did Foyles of London, and I am hoping to add signings to my page in the days to follow this post. I have been accepted into May December Publication's charitable anthology "Waking The WItch", with my story The Witching-Well Hag. I am overjoyed to be featured with some of my favourite authors - and friends - in that particular anthology. So, after a magnificent week, and with half a 1st draft of Dead Frost already completed, I think it's safe to say that 2012 is going to be an absolute blinder. And I can't wait. |
Adam MillardWriter of bestselling "The Dead" Series. Author of paranormal novels, The Susceptibles and Deathdealers, and bizarro novellas Larry, Hamsterdamned!, Vinyl Destination, and The Human Santapede. Archives
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