Eric Butler's Blog, page 6

When I first started publishing, I wrote some flash fiction pieces for Black Hare Press' open calls for their 500-Fiction series. This one is one of my favorites. The theme was Play. It's also an Aussie product so they use different spellings and I haven't updated it for the U.S.A. reader.

I'm sharing it a day after it was highlighted on Meghan's Haunted House of Books, where she does a Halloween celebration with Horror Indie writers over October ... and sometimes through November and December. Click here to see all the cool things she did this year.

Mister-Man

By Eric Butler

Debbie's jaw clenched in anger as she stared at her son's tear-streaked face. Another meltdown in public, another long embarrassing walk back to the car while strangers' stares burrowed into the back of her skull as she did all she could to calm him down. After they arrived home, she locked herself in her bathroom, waiting for his tantrum to stop before facing him again. Her stomach twisted in knots as she struggled to keep her anger in check. Eventually, he quieted down. Debbie waited, taking deep breaths while thinking happy thoughts that did nothing more than remind her she was anything but.

When she opened the door, she wasn't sure what to expect. Jon lay on the floor, curled under his favourite blanket, holding onto the cause of all this misery. Mister-Man, the stuffed monkey, glared at her with its one good glass eye. A gift from her late husband, and the only thing Jon would speak to.

The doctors suggested replacing it might encourage Jon to branch out. All it encouraged was another epic tantrum. Would it be too much for one direct word? Instead, every conversation had to go through Mister-Man... just like when his father was alive.

"Enough."

Just one word, but she was suddenly energized. Debbie rushed forward and snatched Mister-Man. She hurried to the living room; afraid she'd lose her nerve. At the fireplace she paused, staring at the toy one last time. God, I hate you. A smile crossed her face as she remembered saying those exact words to Jon's father at the end. She tossed Mister-Man into the flames, imagining its tiny screams.

Stopping in the kitchen to pour a glass of wine, Debbie decided to take a nice hot bath. She danced through the house, skipping and twirling to an imagined beat. She turned on the faucets, splashed in some bubble bath, and slipped out of her clothes. Frowning, Debbie swore a scraping noise echoed down the hall. Leaning closer, she strained to hear over the water splashing.

A sudden bang against the door startled Debbie causing her to stumble back, wine sloshing over her hand. Furious, Debbie jerked the door open.

"Enough," she shouted, ready to reprimand Jon for his newest outburst.

Her eyes widened as she gasped. Mister-Man stood in the hall, hugging a butcher knife to stay upright. Its faux fur was singed, exposing angry pink skin underneath. A grotesque smile split the monkey's face, exposing two rows of human teeth.

"I won't be as easy to remove this time," Mister-Man said, a perfect mimic of her late husband's voice.

Debbie blinked back at the doll. This can't be. The monkey used the knife to drag itself closer. Debbie shrieked as she stumbled back, slipping in the spilled wine. Her neck struck the tub and after an initial burst of pain, Debbie went numb.

She blinked at the stuffed monkey as it inched closer, a wide smile on its face.

"Don't worry...my dear. You won't feel a thing."

-The End-

©2023 by Eric Butler Author. All Rights Reserved

Did I mention I released a new story over on Godless for only $.99? The reviews are coming in and people seem to like it ...

Click ,here to order your ebook today.

I now have links, so lets redo Monday's post ...

I have the honor of being the final episode of Godless Reads on the Chilling Tales for Dark Nights YouTube channel. I read my story "The Best of Friends" from the ,No Anesthetic 2 Anthology. Drew added some amazing sound effects and the story really comes alive. Click here to listen: Godless Reads. Remember to like, subscribe, and let me know what you think.

At the same time, I released a 35 page short on Godless just dying to find a new home.

Click on the link to get it on sale for only $.99. ,Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny. I'm not sure how long I'll keep it at this price so you need to snatch it up.

Sorry, I forgot yesterday was Sunday, and so I am late with today's post. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - or whatever holiday you celebrate - and I'm excited to share the cover of my next short coming to Godless on 12/27/22 at 7 pm central time. Click here to get to my Godless author page and you'll see the new short. It's on sale for $.99.

At the same time, I will be featured on the YouTube channel, Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, specifically on the Godless Reads playlist. I'll be reading my story "The Best of Friends" from the No Anesthetic 2 anthology. So head over and listen to me struggle through Covid voice to get the story done in time, lol. It's actually very cool as Drew added sound effects and gave it a very cool open. Click ,here to find the playlist - I'll be up tomorrow around 7 pm.

Head to my ,Facebook page, and I'll post the links as they become available.

I have a project coming out next week on Godless. I should have had all this set up weeks ago, but life and COVID got in the way. So here's a peak at the cover, and next Monday I'll have more information detailing the project and when, exactly, it will be available. I plan on releasing a series of shorts on Godless, but more on that once we roll into 2023.

Sorry the post is so short, but I'm still trying to catch back up. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to say Thank You.

FYI - Donna and I did a special Christmas Edition on What's In the Box? Check out our thoughts on A Christmas Carol - YouTube.

https://youtu.be/8zaB1URssqg

First up, I have a story in the newest KJK Publishing Anthology. This is the 13th collection in his Anthology series, and this is a killer lineup.

Table of ContentsThe Noose by Nick RobertsChristine and Tracey by Matthew Cash AuthorLetters to Santa by John DurginThe Oak by Steve StredAnti-Claus by Graham MastertonThe Blood-Witch by Nicola LombardiThe Upstairs Neighbour by David SodergrenIn Search of the Blue Footed Booby by Eric ButlerA Disturbed Sleep by DE McCluskeyEnjoy Your Show by Christina BerglingThe Last Meal by Veronica SmithThe Long Con by P.J. Blakey-Novis - StorytellerSkin Flick by Shaun HutsonThe House on Royal Street by Tom Deady Cursed by R.E. SargentBad Ink by Matthew BrockmeyerLost in Ephemera by M EnnenbachAll That Glitters by Gord RolloBlueprint by RJ Roles Author GroupBlood on the Road by Mike Duke - AuthorEdited by Natasha Sinclair

The ebook is available now, and is also on Kindle Unlimited. The paperback will be ready early this week, if not today. Click here to order: Amazon.

Earlier this month, I had a story included within the 2nd Dark Dozen Anthology by Candace Nola. It's an amazing lineup of writers, and you should get it to experience all the different styles and takes within the indie horror world. You will find a new favorite within this group. Click here to check it out: ,Amazon.

And finally, I just sent in the audio of my story "The Best of Friends" for the Godless Reads series. It will be ready later this month - the 27th I think - and I'm hoping to have a new exclusive release on the same day. I'll have more info on that before Christmas. Here's the first of the series, and if you like Godless & extreme horror, you need to go check out the channel.

https://youtu.be/ppRiJBGPN-o

I'm still down, and now the dreaded Covid has begun to spread through the household. But while I deal with this new level of hell, y'all can enjoy Donna and I discussing The Omen over on the What's in the Box? Youtube page, or you can stream it here ...

https://youtu.be/aviD1I8Wqeg

After avoiding the dreaded COVID for years, I not only stumbled across it, but I brought it home. The part I hate the most though is the complete and total lack of empathy or help I received from the Urgent Care/ER. They've had years to work on ways to make it easier to deal with different ailments, but with this, they were more

Adopting the same hands off attitude that made so many people suffer before the vaccine, doesn't make me think highly of the medical profession. I'm feeling a little bit better but the nights have been terrible and I've reached my word max. Stay safe and have a great week. I hope to have something useful Wednesday.

Sometimes it's hard to get into a festive mood so here are some movies to kick-start the holidays. These are in no particular order ...

1. P2 - A businesswoman finds herself locked with an unhinged security guard in a parking garage after getting stuck working late on Christmas Eve.

First off we have a movie that really shouldn't work, but I think does on the strength of the 2 stars, Wes Bentley & Rachel Nichols. It also helps that one of horror's heavy hitters, Alexandre Aja, gets a script/story credit. You can watch this one on tubi, VUDUfree, and Amazon's Freevee channel on Prime.

https://youtu.be/YoKzCi1Sfck

2. Krampus - When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

From the creative mind behind Trick 'r Treat, one of the greatest anthology horror movies made (shut it Daniel Volpe), comes a great Christmas horror tale about Krampus. The cast is fantastic, and the movie does a good job of showing us the stress of family visiting during the holidays. If you still have that Peacock Premium subscription from Halloween Ends, you're in luck. Otherwise, you'll have to rent it.

https://youtu.be/h6cVyoMH4QE

3. A Christmas Horror Story - Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace, and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive.

This movie came out the same year as Krampus and I'm sure ended up piggybacking on its success. I haven't seen it yet, but it's on my watch list for this year and I'll be sure to report back. You can stream it on Shudder & amc+.

https://youtu.be/7Z3ybMTpqFw

4. Santa Jaws - Trying to survive the family Christmas, Cody makes a wish to be alone, which ends up backfiring when a shark manifests and kills his entire family.

Okay ... I haven't seen this one either, but I mean come on. Santa and Jaws together, it's a match made in heaven. If this one doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, you may just have a heart of coal. Check it out on Amazon Prime.

https://youtu.be/tQ-ZB76mYr0

5. Gremlins - When Billy Peltzer is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, he inadvertently breaks the three important rules of caring for a Mogwai, and unleashes a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.

Time for a classic Christmas tale. What do you get the boy who has everything? How about a creature that can birth an army of monsters? You can watch this on HBOMax.

https://youtu.be/XBEVwaJEgaA

6. Anna & the Apocalypse - A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven – at Christmas – forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

As a child raised on Disney musicals and Grease 2, I do enjoy movies that break into songs, add that to a zombie apocalypse Christmas movie, and it's a win-win-win. You can watch this one on tubi, Shudder, and amc+.

https://youtu.be/IGLmeXEBZm4

I hope you find something here to get you in the mood to tackle this holiday season. There's always The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+ if they don't work.

I'm busy working on a project I hope to release on Godless the same day I read one of my short stories on the Godless media platform. More info on that once I actually figure out what I agreed to. So while I am writing my next release, please enjoy a revisit on my thoughts about Fatman.

The wife and I stopped down Christmas night to enjoy one more holiday movie. We scrolled through the titles looking for something new and fresh to enjoy after a long day of Christmas traditions. I'd heard some good things about Mel Gibson's newest movie, and one look at the movie poster convinced us to give it a shot.

We had already enjoyed his other Christmas movie on the 24th. A movie, which for some reason, isn't treated with the same Christmas reverence as Bruce Willis's Die Hard. Of course, I'm speaking of one of the greatest action movies, Lethal Weapon. The beginning of yet another franchise for Gibson in the 80s and directed by the great Richard Donner. Although I think the reason the movie still holds up is the writer, Shane Black. He just knows how to write great movies - but that is another blog post.

Today we are focusing on the man who could soon be known as Mr. Christmas.

Luckily I have Lethal Weapon on HD-DVD so I could watch it but the only way to stream it for free right now is if you have HBO. Many have grabbed it so they can enjoy WB's Wonder Woman's newest movie so if that's you, I suggest giving it a view.

https://youtu.be/bKeW-MGu-qQ

Now back to Mel Gibson's newest action movie, Fatman.

A rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus is fighting to save his declining business. Meanwhile, Billy, a neglected and precocious 12-year-old, hires a hitman to kill Santa after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.

After reading the movie's blurb, you can see how this might be a very silly look at Christmas or maybe even something that slips into the realm of horror, but it found a way to toe the line through the entire picture. Which is the reason this movie works in my opinion. The movie takes a fantasy and grounds it in reality. The magical sparkle of Christmas and Santa Claus has been wiped away, leaving us with a Santa facing hard times and living with a bellyful of disillusion.

And yet in this world where Santa drives a pickup truck, receives money from the Government to continue his work, and holds tight the rules of the naughty and nice list, the viewer sees how much the magic of Christmas affects the characters throughout the movie.

The cast around Gibson is topnotch and they lend a weight of believably to the movie as it moves forward. I don't think they could have found a better "Skinny Man" than Walton Goggins to play the hitman/Santa hater. Marianne Jean-Baptiste shines as Mrs. Claus, a grounded voice of reason to the volatile Chris Kringle.

2022 Update - You can stream this movie on Peacock, both versions, for free or rent it for $2.99 on Amazon.

https://youtu.be/Z64XvPERZ50The Extreme Drabbles of Dread released early and is available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. I have a tale in the amazing collection of 100 words (or less) horror stories, and some of the top names of Indie horror are included. And when they say Extreme...they mean it! Check it out here . You can still get copies of my first two novels, The Shadow Within and The Pope Lick Massacre . People are enjoying them both, isn't it time for you to see what the fuss is about?

If you haven't met my friend M. Ennenbach yet, have I got a treat for you ...

From the mind who gave us ,Hunger on the Chisholm Trail and (un)tethered, Ennenbach now shares his new collection of short stories dreamwhispers. 18 tales to make you uncomfortable, terrified, and, more often than not, think.

Blurb - Take a journey into the swirling abyss of fever dreams, starry nights, and amethyst lights. Driven by lyrical prose, captivating storytelling, and pure emotion, dreamwhispers sets sail through one writer’s imagination with an unflinching stare into the condition of human beings where the shadows are sharper, and the darkness holds promises of pain.

While Ennenbach may cringe at how much of himself makes it to the page, the readers should only see this as a gift. I think anyone who has read him works will agree he has an uncanny ability to show us the horror of everyday life in a way that demands you give it your full attention. It's available on ebook & paperback.