Horror Aficionados discussion

Authors, feel free to promote yourself in the Author Promotion folder by creating new "heads up" threads.

Don't be shy!

Awesome!

Where can I find the folder? I'd like to post my upcoming novel there.

The author promotion thread is this one, and you start a new topic just about your work I believe: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

Thanks Shaun!

I am about to post there.

Many thanks, Shaun. I'll try to post there in the next day or so.

No, SilverWolf. Feel free to start a new thread about your work in the Author Promotion section.

OK. I'm doing just that. Promo time and I'm getting up from my sick bed to invite everyone to come to my interview done by Susan Whitfield on her website. This was written months ago and I'm surprised at how accurate I was in pinpointing when my new two books (Sinbad's Pride and Serpent's Tooth) would be released.

http://www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com (cut and paste)

BTW, if anyone has read my two new books and wants to comment, let me know. I'm always anxious about how readers feel.

How do authors choose cover art for their books?
Is it all your ideas? Or the publishers? Do you have total control? Just wondered.

We had an interesting thread somewhere at HA about cool horror covers. Who knows where it's hidden now. Someone should start one.

I was afraid of that, I'm a noob.

Well, no one asked the authors about their covers. We just posted some cool, scary covers.

With all of my novels so far, the publisher has asked me what I'd like to see on the cover. I then sent through my ideas. The Kult one for example was based on a real photograph that helped inspire the story, while with Deadfall I said I'd like to see the main character outside a mine with zombies behind her. With Evilution I asked for a spooky tree scene, and again, that's what I got.

I've heard from authors at panels during some of the conventions I've been to that it depends on the publishing company regarding author control over book covers. I've heard it said that the bigger publishing companies offer little to no author control over cover art, while the smaller publishing companies offer a lot more.

Check out this review of one of our local authors Donnie Light http://darkwyrmreads.blogspot.com/201...

Er, hope I did this right, Tressa. If not, my apologies....don't hate me...curse me....whatever! :P

Whachoo talkin' 'bout, Chris?

I posted a short story here...you may have read it already, not sure....go look! :)

About cover art-- I can't answer for the horror genre, but in paranormal (at a large print house) authors are asked for some basics about their story and sometimes cover ideas, but the art department if free to put anything they want on the books. Very few authors at big houses get coverart approval. Though I'm betting Stephen King can have whatever he wants :-).

Shaun wrote: "With all of my novels so far, the publisher has asked me what I'd like to see on the cover. I then sent through my ideas."

Likewise with mine. Maybe that's one small advantage of small press; some will actually solicit your ideas for the cover.

btw, thanks for the Author Promo folder.

I suppose the publishers assume that their art directors will know more than a writer about what cover looks will sell.
Like what would make the average consumer pick up a book from a shelf full of books and grab their interest enough to make them want to buy it.
For people like King, books are sold by name and reputation alone, not pictures.

I'm popping this in here as I'm not sure where else to put it and was hoping some of you might not mind reading a rough draft.

I posted a short story on my profile which is technically part of my apocalypse novel. I'm hoping to see how well it comes across and if there should be any changes made overall.

Here's the link if you'd like to help:

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/2...

Amanda, congratulations for finishing a piece! You have a strong skill in writing details, which will come in really handy when you're ready to write a novel. Some suggestions for a short story:

I think in a short story, the rhythm and flow has to be highly condensed. Here is what I mean.

1. You're going to have to push the foreshadowing and the drama to get to your horror event. Since it is basically a foreshadowing scene, the jail cell and interrogation event has to be more concise and more descriptive, using choice, tense words that leads the reader to have a strong curious expectation. Maybe the scene could be depicted more crazily, more chaotic, using certain descriptive words, and rhythm and breaking of sentences. I would look at horror authors who wrote very effective foreshadowing scenes that builds expectations to what happened that lead to the current event.

2. The change of scenery between the present event and the past is nebulous. It took me a while to realize that was a past event I was moving to. You need a stronger transition.

3. The scene in the diner where he's waiting for his brother is overly long. It is not that important compared to the foreshadowing scene and the horror scene to have such a huge presence. It makes it boring. You could condense it down by building a tense psychological profile of him and his family, and a stronger but condense interaction with the diner patrons and environment.

4. The weirdness needs to be raised when meeting with the guy that wants the land. Also, why does he want the land? Does the alien need the land for a special reason. That question needs to be answered for me. All I get is somebody wants the land, somebody manipulated so that the brother's payment was lost, and for what reason? Then it jumped to the alien killing the people. ???? The reasoning isn't clear to me. I would replot the short story with the main plot, then answer any "why?" questions, then build the detailing and action around that. I think the replotting would also help you to see how big of a chunk you're allotting to each scene, and what needs to be put in to move it on to the next event. So you have the main thing of the aliens wanting the land? Or do the aliens just want to kill? Or did they kill because the people wouldn't give up the land? Why? Then you have the foreshadowing part, the build up, and the main horror. How would the foreshadowing, being the important intro., can be built so that the reader has a strong expectation to find out what happened. How can the momentum be carried in the past scene of the meeting at the diner, to the meeting with Mr. Kaufman, to the horror event. Horror, especially, needs to have a special foreshadowing and momentum to create the fear and tension in the reader.

5. The horror scene is good. Maybe rewrite to see how more momentum of horror can be put into it, via choice words, sentence rhythm, etc.

Anyway, that's my 5 cents, Amanda. Congratulations for finishing a piece. It's not easy to write, I know. Otherwise, I'd be a writer.

Aloha wrote: "Amanda, congratulations for finishing a piece! You have a strong skill in writing details, which will come in really handy when you're ready to write a novel. Some suggestions for a short story:
..."

Thanks for the critique Aloha :)

Well it is a bit from my Apocalypse novel that may be why some of the why isn't as clear although I think you're right probably aught to make that more clear (the book has to do with an author who writes the end of the world and is trying to make up for her mistakes. Part of doing that means gathering keys, the eye Alex finds at the farm is one of those keys and what the creature was after as he works for the bad guy) .

I agree on the length of the diner scene. I'm just trying to sort out what bits to cut since the girl at the diner does come back into the plot again later. Maybe some of the dialog between the brothers? The other thing is I debated making this piece an entire novel because of some of the loose ends there. I'm going to have to resolve that because if its a novel then I'd end up something more like a series than a single long novel for the apocalypse story.

It's interesting you interpreted the creature as an alien. The idea hadn't even occurred to me actually. I had intended him to be sort of an inexplicable demon beastie after Alex's family both to torture them for sport and to get the eye.

I think I saw too many shows with farms, cornfields and aliens. LOL My mind quickly did an assumption that it was an alien, since it was a farm that the demons wanted.

Because a character is going to come back, doesn't mean that their intro. scene has to be long. It could be made more significant by either a stronger description, or a stronger interaction between that character and the protagonist. I barely registered her as nothing more than a server, even if her scene is long. She needs a little more foreshadowing as to her importance.

Aloha wrote: "I think I saw too many shows with farms, cornfields and aliens. LOL My mind quickly did an assumption that it was an alien, since it was a farm that the demons wanted.

Because a character is goi..."

Ok thanks for the advice :). I'm going to save this to a file so i can work on it later.

My first YA novel just hit the bookstores: ROT & RUIN (Simon & Schuster, hardcover). I’m a NY Times bestselling author and Marvel Comics writer.

ABOUT THE BOOKS: In the zombie-infested world Benny has grown up in, every teenager must work once they turn fifteen—or they'll lose their food rations. Benny isn't interested in taking on the family business, but he reluctantly agrees to train as a zombie killer with his boring big brother, Tom. He expects a dull job, whacking zombies for cash. What he discovers is a vocation that will teach him what it really means to be human.

As Benny's worldview is challenged again and again by the lessons he learns from Tom, he is forced to confront another horrifying reality: sometimes, the most terrible monsters are the human ones.

Critically acclaimed NY Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry crafts a terrifying future vision of the zombie apocalypse, brought to life through the rich emotional struggles of a teenager trying to find his place in a tumultuous new world.

Praise for….. RUIN & RUIN:

"…an action-packed, thought-provoking look at life—and death." --Kirkus Book Review

"A thrilling triumph, full of action, gripping conflict, soul-fullness, gore, solemnity, and hope. A coming of age piece honed in the ashes of the apocalypse." ---Fiendishgly Bookish

"Thrilling, enticing, and surprisingly touching!" --Heather Brewer -Bestselling author of the Chronicles of Vlad

"This is a romping, stomping adventure. Anyone with a pulse will enjoy this novel, and anyone with a brain will find plenty of food for thought inside!" --Michael Northrop -bestselling author of Gentlemen

"George Romero meets The Catcher in the Rye in this poignant and moving coming of age novel set during zombie times." --Nancy Holder -NY Times bestselling author of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Pretty Little Devils

"Captured my heart from the first page and refused to let go!" --Maria V. Snyder -multi award-winner and bestselling author of Poison Study

The first one seems familiar, is that from the recent The New Dead? The brother going out with his boring older brother and finding more of what his older brother is like? I think it's Family Business, yeah, I see your name on it. That was a good short story.

Is Rot and Ruin a more extended version of the short story? I really love Joe Hill's story told in twitters, very scary and goofy!

Yes, 'Family Business' was the short story that I then expanded into a novel. The material in the story forms about the first 5th of the book, ending with Benny and Tom going back to their town. From there things go off in a few new directions that involve the bounty hunters, a search for the 'Lost Girl', and more. Glad you liked the story.

As for Joe Hill's Twitter story in NEW DEAD, that was inspired. My favorite in the collection, however, was David Liss's chilling and disturbing "What Maisey Knew".

Hey, I just looked up New Dead at my library and it was supposed to come in for me weeks ago. Now I'm off to look for it.

Jonathan, Rot & Ruin looks like a good story. Got good reviews, too. Congrats!

Hi guys, if you are looking for something new, check this out.

HER REIGN ebook novella .99cents @ barnesandnoble.com

A six man archeological crew is now down to five. As an ancient evil circles the Ethiopian night skyline, searching for its' next victim. The Ethiopian National Police are called in to investigate the strange death of the team's camera man. After Raul Dominguez's body was sent back to the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control notified Police Chief Walai, and said that Raul suffered from the first stages of Leprosy. But, inoculations for the disease have been in place for over thirty years. In 1965, a similar incident took place at the Ruins of Napata (Nubia). A graduate student, David Moran, bled out of every orifice, days after he'd visited the dig site. He'd found dozens of canopic jars, with six stained papyrus scrolls bound tightly in each. Legends says, the scrolls were guarded by Osiris, the Lord of the Dead,and enacted a spell on those not worthy to be Pharaoh. Professor Sydney Olive, the teams' lead archeologist, pieced together the clues. David Moran contracted the Ebola Zaire virus ten years before it was ever discovered!

Unlock the Secrets of the Pharaohs, in this African Horror Story.

Thx,
Tiffian

The African Horror Story, HER REIGN ebook novella is now available on Amazon Kindle just .99cents

Happy Reading!

Hey, folks. Love this folder -- great idea. Instead of just one book though, I wanted to invite people to check out this new press.

http://www.uninvitedbooks.com/

Hi everyone,

I'm Dennis McDonald and I'm a horror writer with two books to my credit. Both have won Editor's Choice by the publisher.



and



Currently working on a zombie novel and another collection of short stories. Please drop by my website to learn more.

http://www.dennismcdonaldhorrorauthor...

Hello all,
I'm Thomas Amo, Book one of my paranormal/horror series "An Apple For Zoë" was released on Kindle this week.



I'm very much looking forward to be an active member of this group!
Thanks and good reading everyone!
Cheers Tom

How important is the tagging of e-books to you? Does it increase visibility of your book. I'm not talking about your initial tags, but on Amazon, there is a spot to agree or disagree with the author's tags.

Thrilled to say thanks to fellow goodreads author, Jess C. Scott, who did a Q&A with me that was published yesterday about my new paranormal/horror novel An Apple For Zoë



Here is a link to the interview
http://jesscscott.wordpress.com/2011/...


Thank you Jess!

Johnny wrote: ""The Spell of Zalanon" is my new horror novel. I am fevereshly working on my soon to be released title "Wake Co." I am a member of the group and would love to hear comments on my novels or to share interests,

http://www.amazon.com/Spell-Zalanon-A...

Stephanie wrote: "How do authors choose cover art for their books?
Is it all your ideas? Or the publishers? Do you have total control? Just wondered."

I did the artwork for my cover on "The Spell pf Zalanon" based on a scene inside the novel and I had it enhanced and copied. For my next novel entitled Wake Co. I am considering a different approach with photography.

"The Spell of Zalanon" has been recently released. An ancient Egyptian spell transforms every common household cat into a crazed predator and then the fun begins.
My new novel "Wake Co." is in the edit process and will be released soon. I think both of these will leave an impression on the reader and shake you up a bit. You can check out the reviews on my page or on Amazon if you desire. Thank you for your consideration
Johnny Flora
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1432...

2 Free signed copies of "The Spell of Zalanon" are up for grabs in the giveaway section






Enter to win

Toni wrote: "OK. I'm doing just that. Promo time and I'm getting up from my sick bed to invite everyone to come to my interview done by Susan Whitfield on her website. This was written months ago and I'm sur..."

Some pretty good recipes too

:)

JPA

Regolith is about the largest asteroid strike in 65 million years.

My new Horror Novella Lilith Revenge and Stories of Femme Fatale is available on ebook just .99 cents.. http://panicpress.org/2011/03/02/get-...

Or paperback through
http://panicpress.org/2011/03/13/lili...

Hey everyone,
I couldn't find the "Heads Up" folder, so I'm sorry if this post is in the wrong place. I just wanted to let everyone know that I finished my first book! I finished it Friday night. I'm so pumped about it. It's a great feeling. There is still so much to do though. I'm going back through and rereading it and cleaning it up before I get it edited. Then I will work on the cover. I think I have a pretty cool vision of how I want the cover to look. Hope everyone has a great week. I'll keep you posted.

Nelson wrote: "Hey everyone,
I couldn't find the "Heads Up" folder, so I'm sorry if this post is in the wrong place. I just wanted to let everyone know that I finished my first book! I finished it Friday night. I..."

Congrats Nelson I know how you feel! Its wonderful to finish a book and be able to see what you've accomplished :)

Congratulations, Nelson! I've written four full length novels. All of them are unpublished, though, which is probably for the better. LOL

But it does feel great to make that kind of accomplishment! A lot of people do not and never will.

S.A wrote: "My new Horror Novella Lilith Revenge and Stories of Femme Fatale is available on ebook just .99 cents.. http://panicpress.org/2011/03/02/get-...

Or pa..."

I now have two reviews on this book. Hope you check it out.

I like Femme Fatale!