Laird Barron's Blog, page 3

Winners of The Imago Sequence and Other Stories Audible audiobook:

Cliff Fuller and Timothy Stith

image via Amazon

Winner of The Imago Sequence and Other Stories audiobook plus the arc of Blood Standard:

Dustin Tash

image via Amazon

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Thank you to everyone who entered and to Audible and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the materials. I plan to hold drawings for upcoming releases as well. Stay tuned.

This has been a quiet year on the publishing front. I wrote one story, “Swift to Chase,” dealt with a pretty savage sequence of problems concerning Athena, and finally managed to stabilize and get going on the current novel.

Phil Gelatt’s THEY REMAIN debuted at the Portland HPL Film Festival (very proud to have him adapt –30–) and I went to Necon, which was a terrific experience.

Athena is hobbling around, but in high spirits, and I’m on the homestretch of the book, which is dead center crime, albeit leaking darkness and horror all over the place.

And that’s 2017 for me in broad strokes. I’m glad for the good parts, but I’m also glad I don’t have to do it again.

Thank you to Audible Studios for adapting The Imago Sequence and Other Stories  and to Ray Porter for his fine narration. He’s one of the best.

Audible has graciously provided promo codes, so let’s have a drawing.

Option 1: Two winners receive an audio adaptation of The Imago Sequence and Other Stories.  One entry per person. Choose Option 1 or 2 only.

Option 2: One winner will receive the collection in audio plus an ARC of my forthcoming crime novel, Blood Standard. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced reading copy.  One entry per person. Choose Option 1 or 2 only.

Please note, this offer is ONLY AVAILABLE in the USA, UK, and Australia. Full details below.

[image error]cover art by Eleni Tsami; design by Claudia Noble

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Drawing for The Imago Sequence and Other Stories, adapted by Audible Studios and narrated by Ray Porter.

I am giving away three codes to the Audible  audiobook version of The Imago Sequence, narrated by the inimitable Ray Porter. Entrants have two options.

Option 1: 

Prize—Two winners will be selected for a copy of The Imago Sequence audiobook. Winners must register with Audible.com to redeem audiobook, but no membership is required. Further details will be provided to winners.

Eligibility: USA, UK, Australia. This option is open to anyone who simply wants a shot at a free book. One entry per person. Choose this option or Option 2 only.

Instructions: Send an email to [email protected] with “Imago Contest” in the subject line. In the body of the email, include first name and last name.

Drawing Open: Now  Drawing Close: 12 A.M., December 6

Winners to be selected by online random name picker and announced on December 10.

Option 2:

Prize(s)—One winner will receive a copy of The Imago Sequence audiobook, plus one advanced reading copy of Blood Standard, my forthcoming hardboiled noir (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, May 29, 2018)

[image error]image via GP Putnam’s Sons and Gretchen Achilles

Eligibility: USA, UK, Australia. This option is open to anyone who has ever purchased and/or left a review for one or more of my single author titles (novels, novellas, collections). Reviews can be left anywhere verifiable: Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, your personal blog, etcetera.

Winner will provide verification of purchase or review.  Winner must register with Audible.com to redeem audiobook, but no membership is required. Please note, reviews and/or purchases may be dated up to 12 A.M., December 6, 2017  One entry per person. Choose this option, or Option 1 only.

Instructions: Send an email to [email protected] with “Imago Contest +Arc” in the subject line. In the body of the email include first name, last name, and  type +1 or ARC.  (helps me quickly double check who entered for which option).

Drawing Open: Now  Drawing Close: 12 A.M., December 6

Winner to be selected by online random name picker and announced on December 10.

[image error]photo by Jessica M.

Athena, you are fifteen today. It was a long, grueling summer and I often wondered if we’d reached the end of our time together. But you are made of stern stuff and here we are, still alive in November. A lot of people sent you well-wishes during your illness, and I am certain it helped.

You are tired and walk slowly, these days. Your hearing is gone, and your eyes and teeth are going. Yet, you are a happy soul. You suffer your rowdy younger pack mate, and limp with me to the end of our driveway to check the mail. Whatever is happening is always important and you want to be a part of it even if it means heaving your aching bones off the sofa and staggering down the hall to see. Unlike most of us, you possess the canine gift of living in the moment and living for the small things.

It is a difficult experience to watch you transform over the years from a bundle of fluff who fit in the palm of my hand, to a grand old dame with one paw on the threshold of the next world. It is difficult and painful because I’ve grown accustomed to you lying underfoot as I work on my latest story. I never want that to change, as it one day will.

I love you, Athena. You are a good dog.

Gus Butler (for CVLT) reviews They Remain. There’s also a follow-up interview. Phil and I had a great time chatting with Gus. The world premiere of They Remain went over well in Portland, OR earlier this month. Look for a wide release this winter.

image via CVLT

Max Booth III provides a list of The 20 Best Horror Stories Available Online for Free.

It’s an excellent list, and if you investigate the authors featured, you’ll find a lot more where this came from. Sticking to living, practicing writers, I particularly recommend Nathan Ballingrud, Brian Evenson, Margo Lanagan, Gemma Files, and Stephen Graham Jones.

That said, you won’t go wrong with anybody mentioned by Max Booth III.

Bonus Authors–No horror list is complete without Jeffrey Ford or John Langan.

Jeff Ford: A Terror

John Langan: Renfrew’s Course

image via Lit Reactor

Thank you to Theresa DeLucci for the mention. 10 Hair-Raising Horror Novels Not Written By Stephen King.

I’d further recommend TED Klein, Philip Fracassi, Kaaron Warren, and S.P. Miskowski while you’re snuffling about B&N looking for horror goodies.

image via Barnes & Noble

John Langan and I participated in interviews with Jason White on Behalf of the Great Lakes Horror Company. Always a pleasure to speak with Jason.

I’m proud to extend my congratulations to director Philip Gelatt, producer Will Battersby, and the entire crew involved with They Remain, for taking home the award for best full-length feature at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.

image via THEY REMAIN FaceBook site

Trailer.

I got a peek at arcs of my forthcoming crime novel, Blood Standard. Thank you to Gretchen Achilles and the G.P. Putnam’s Sons team for a terrific cover design. I’ve often been lucky when it comes to covers and this is such a case.

[image error]photo by Jessica M. Cover design by Gretchen Achilles and G.P. Putnam’s Sons.