Well, the old saying about time flying by when you’re having fun could not be more true.   These are truly exciting times at West Manor, full of new releases and more big announcements.  So without further ado, here’s a quick recap / status update…

The month began with the release of the book trailer for my debut novel, The Wide Game.  Produced by Darkrider Studios,  who also did the trailer for Skull Full of Kisses,  the clip perfectly captures the atmosphere and terror of the book.  I could not have been happier with it! 

I was then lucky enough to be Greg Hall’s guest on The Funky Werepig.  It was such a fun time!  We talked about the novel and I was able to hint for the first time at a big announcement.  (More on that in a minute.)

Then, on Tuesday, February 15th, The Wide Game was released by Graveside Tales Books.  As if that wasn’t wonderful enough, the Sci-Fi Guys gave the novel a glowing review.  You can now order the book here!

That same week, Dark Quest Books put the Fell Beasts anthology, featuring my short story “Sandwalkers,” up for presale.  I’m very proud of this story, and happy that my faithful readers can now order it here.

And then I got the word that another of my short stories, Blood and Silk, had been accepted for the upcoming The Beast Within 2 anthology, due out later this Summer from Graveside Tales Books!

And last, but certainly not least, I was only able to hint at it on The Funky Werepig, but late this month it was announced that I signed a three book deal with the good folks at Seventh Star Press!     The novels will all be set in the fictional town of Harmony, Indiana, and the first of them, Cinema of Shadows, will be released later this Summer.  The second novel, Spook House, will come out in 2012, and a third yet-to-be-titled book will be released in 2013. 

The novels will be available in hardcover, trade paperback, and E-book formats, and because they are all set in Harmony, Indiana, faithful readers can look for many of their favorite settings and characters from The Wide Game, and several stories in Skull Full of Kisses, to make an appearance. 

Look for more updates throughout the coming months.

And that’s about it.  February 2011 now slips into history.  But looking ahead to March, it is clear that there is much more excitement ahead! 

Stay tuned, faithful readers…

Hello, faithful readers!

2011 sure got off to a quick start here at West Manor! I was so busy with projects new and old that the month of January went by in the blink of an eye. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I do love to stay busy (sure beats the alternative!).

So, here is a quick recap / status update…

The Wide Game

My first novel, The Wide Game, will be released on February 15th by Graveside Tales Books. Last week, you all got the first look at Bob Freeman’s amazing cover art (see above). What you didn’t see, however, was what gets wrapped inside that cover. I got my first look at the formatted manuscript, and let me tell you, the good people at Graveside have put together a beautiful little package here. Writers’ works are like their children, and we all want the best for our children, don’t we? Well, with this edition of Wide Game, I got the best.

The other Wide Game-related project that has kept me busy over the last month has been the book trailer. You know me, Horror movie buff that I am, I can’t just have a simple book trailer that shows the cover art, a few blurbs, and the ordering info. No, no, no. It has to be cinematic! And to that end, Darkrider Studios and I have been trying to put together something very special. I can’t wait for you to see it!

Look for both the book and the trailer in the very near future.

Vampires Don’t Sparkle!

This month, Dark Quest Books launched Ambrotos Press, a highly selective Horror Imprint, who’s mission is to publish only the highest quality fiction in the horror genre from some of today’s most well-known authors. They also named me as the editor on a collection of gritty, horrific vampire fiction titled Vampires Don’t Sparkle!  This invitation only anthology is due out in March, 2012.

That sounds like a long time off, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not! Like I said, January went by in the blink of an eye, so the release will be here before you know it. Luckily, stories have already started coming in from some of the most exciting writers working in Horror today, so I’ve got some reading to do!

Appearances

January saw the announcement that the Master of Horror, John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, etc.) will be joining me as a guest at FandomFest this July.

I could not be more excited! Really looking forward to this show and I hope to see many of you there!

I also added a stop at Fear Fair in April. Indiana’s Scariest Haunted House is hosting Scream Break on Saturday, April 30th, and I will be there with copies of The Wide Game and other works for signing. Fear Fair served as the setting for part of our Wide Game trailer shoot, so it seems only fitting. Hope you will brave the chainsaws and come see me!

But first up on my busy 2011 schedule is a radio show and a bookstore signing.

I will be the guest of The Funky Werepig on Saturday, February 12th at 2pm. We will chat about The Wide Game, my other projects, and who knows what else. It’s the Werepig folks. Anything can happen!

And last, but certainly not least, I will be signing The Wide Game and other works at the IUPUI Campus Center Barnes & Noble (420 University Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46202 / Store telephone: (317)278-2665) on Thursday, February 24 from 11 am-1 pm. This is my first local bookstore signing, so I hope all my faithful readers in Indianapolis will help make it an event to remember!

Fell Beasts

Finally, you may remember that my short story “Sandwalkers” is featured in the upcoming Fell Beasts anthology. The book was originally due out in December, but had to be delayed due to technical issues. Well, the book is now at the printers and should be ready for ordering soon. Don’t worry, as soon as I have more info, I will post it.

Well, that’s about it for January 2011. A busy, busy month. And from the looks of it, February will be just as exciting!

Stay tuned, faithful readers, we’re just getting started…

 Stick a fork in 2010.  It’s over.  Done.  Finito.  Finished. 

Despite some personal struggles, 2010 was the best year of my professional career thus far. My first short story collection, Skull Full of Kisses, was released to amazing feedback and reviews. My first novel, The Wide Game, was picked up by Graveside Tales Books for release in 2011. I got to work with the good people at Dark Rider Studios on the book trailers for both. I received invitations to write new stories for various magazines and anthologies. And, most amazing of all, I got to tour the Midwest and meet faithful readers from all over the country.

So where do I go from here?

 Well, 2011 will see the release of the Fell Beasts anthology, featuring my short story “Sandwalkers,” sometime in January. The winter issue of Shroud magazine will feature my short story “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite.” And, as previously mentioned, my first novel, The Wide Game, will be released on February 15th. Also coming are stories in The Beast Within 2  anthology and Appalachian Folklore: Dark Tales of Superstition and Old Wives’ Tales.  And that’s just the stuff I’ve already written. New projects for the new year include work on my first Sci-fi / Horror novel, Echoes of Aurora, continued work on my epic Urban Fantasy series, The Legacy of the Gods, and a few new short tales, including a zombie Western. And, of course, I will be out on tour in support of all my work. Look for me at Horror Hound Weekend, Mo*Con, Fandomfest, Context, and Scarefest, just to name a few (check the Schedule page for all the details as they become available).

 So thanks to you, all my faithful readers, for your kind words and encouragement in the past, and for your continued support in 2011 and beyond.  Happy New Year!  May the future be a bright one for us all!

Hello, faithful readers!   

West Manor has been a rockin’ place as of late.   In addition to preparing my novel, The Wide Game, for release on February 14, 2011, I have been hard at work on a variety of short fiction projects.   Just finished “Sandwalkers” for the upcoming Fell Beasts anthology (due out in December),  “For the River is Wide and the Gods Are Hungry” for Appalachian Folklore: Dark Tales of Superstition and Old Wives’ Tales (due out later this year from Woodland Press), and “Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite” for the January 2011 issue of Shroud.   

Right now, working on “Blood and Silk,” a short story for The Beast Within 2 anthology (due out sometime next year from Graveside Tales), and planning the annual West Manor Haunted House for Halloween night. 

And after Halloween has come and gone (*tear*), I will be heading out on the road again, appearing at Scarefest in Lexington KY,  Horror Hound Weekend in Cincinatti OH, and APEX Day (also in Lexington). 

And then, dear friends, it will be home for the holidays (and probably still writing). 

Also in the news, there has been another nice review of my short story collection, Skull Full of Kisses (this one actually compares me to O’Henry!), I’ve been working on a trailer for The Wide Game with the good and creative people at Darkrider Studios, and I just finished recording an interview for an upcoming episode of The Genre Traveler.

Like I said, folks, things have been rockin’.

So stay tuned!  As more information on these and future projects becomes available, you will read it here first!