I loved Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned, and I was eager to dig into the second book in this series, Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers. It was definitely worth the wait. Hiram is a strange fellow, but even with all of his eccentricities (a fevered obsession with Jodie Foster for one), he comes across as a real and tragic antihero despite all of the odd goings on in the book. Scott Christian Carr expands on Hiram and his universe on his hunt for the 12 Little Hitlers of the title. Carr is an excellent writer, able to provoke horror with ease. He’s funny too, a master of dark and sometimes off kilter humor. His talents blend well and they are a perfect fit to the pathetic yet lovable Hiram. I’m not going to go into any details of the plot here – you have to read it to believe it, and I don’t believe in spoilers.
Hiram Grange is certainly one of the most interesting characters I have ever read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what all of the other authors in this series will do with (to) him. Bring on the next book!
Nick Grabowsky recently unveiled the new Black Bed Sheet Books online store, which is now open for business. You will be able to get all of the titles published by BBS at unbelievable discounts when you order through the online store. Find books from Grabowsky, Churchill, Applegate, and all of the other authors on the BBS roster. If you need a fix of zombies, grab Forrest J. Ackerman’s Anthology of the Living Dead. No matter your horror tastes, you should be able to find something here. Of course, if I didn’t plug my own upcoming book, Meat City & Other Stories, my other personality would be very disappointed in me.
The store offers more than just books though. You will also be able to get t-shirts, coffee mugs, hats, and more. Be sure to read the product descriptions too. They’re quite funny!
Go on and visit the store by clicking here. You know you want to.
The following is a list of upcoming projects for 2010 in no particular order.
Dawn of the Pale Riders – Post apocalyptic horror/fantasy/western novel - yeah, that’s a mouthful, but I think it should work and be fairly entertaining. I’m finishing up the outline over the next few days.
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Aberrant Nation – Comic book that also has a post apocalyptic vibe. I’m working on the first story arc, as well as completing all of the character descriptions, backgrounds, etc. I want to have the first issue written, along with all of the other background material by early January.
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Promotion for Meat City & Other Stories – This collection of my short fiction should be out sometime in early 2010, and I will be promoting it as much as I can. If anyone has any unique ideas for promotion and exposure feel free to send them along.
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The Killing Box – Horror novel that is still in the research and development stage. It has magicians, ghosts, demons, and other fun stuff. I might even add a sexy librarian . . . I just don’t know yet.
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The World Next Door – Middle grade fantasy novel that is almost complete. The first draft is done, but it needs some major rewrites.
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Custodian serial – This is the urban fantasy serial that I want to add to this site, free of charge. I enjoy the characters and world that I’ve created, and I hope to write a novel with the characters at some point in the future.
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Short stories – Even though short stories don’t pay very much, I like writing them and I know that some people enjoy reading them. I want to write and publish at least 10 short stories this year.
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Untitled horror screenplay – I’ve got the idea, but it still needs work. This is something that I probably won’t even begin until well into the summer.
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Freelancing – I gotta eat and pay bills, you know.
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Find a literary agent – I’ve neglected looking for an agent for years, but I think it’s about time that I try to find one. As soon as I complete a few more manuscripts, I will begin my hunt in earnest – and I’ll let everyone know how it all pans out. It can’t be that hard, right? : )
Well, that’s my list for now (subject to change according to my whims and fears).
A few days ago, as I was incubating a rather nasty cold, I began writing a story that I’ve had in my head for more than a year. The result is “The Naughty List”. I hope you like it – and please forgive any fever-driven grammatical boo-boos I may have made!
Here’s another great video on the python ban from Brian Barczyk of Snakebytes TV. Please pass the information along and don’t let politicians restrict the rights of responsible reptile owners.
Readers often say that they are tired of the same old cliched hero. They say they yearn for something different, something fresh. They don’t want their heroes to be white knights in shining armor or cookie cutter heroes that one could plug into any [insert genre here] novel. The anti-hero is a response to this, but the typical anti-hero has become a cliche unto itself. Where can a reader turn?
Well, they can turn to Hiram Grange for starters. Hiram is a greasy haired opium addict with a Jodie Foster obsession, a fondness for absinthe and all sorts of tasty decadence. He’s also often the only hope the world has of retaining normalcy and balance. This guy is an anti-hero for the ages.
Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned, from Jake Burrows and Shroud Publishing, is fast, funny (albeit darkly funny), and well worth the cover price. I don’t want to give anything away concerning the plot. Okay, you’ve twisted my arm enough. Garden gnomes. That’s your keyword phrase. But that’s all I’m telling.
Oh, and this is only Hiram’s first adventure. Shroud has several more Hiram titles coming out soon! I can’t wait.
Buy a copy . . . actually, buy a few copies and give them out as gifts. Get the word out on one of the most interesting characters you will ever meet. And be thankful that the world he inhabits is fictional.
I’ve got quite a bit going on right now. I’m always scrambling for freelance work, but I have quite a few other projects in the works as well.
I’m writing a novel called Dawn of the Pale Riders, which is a zombie western set in the near future. It is a prequel to my story “Ballad of the Pale Riders”, and a sequel to my story “Meat City”. Both of those stories are in my upcoming collection from Black Bed Sheet Books called Meat City & Other Stories.
I’m also writing a proposal for a comic book series (tentatively) titled Aberrant Nation.
In addition, I’m working on an urban fantasy serial novella that I will post on this site. I won’t start posting the chapters until I have the entire story written though. It just seems better that way.
I’ve got a few other projects lined up as well, but I’m currently too tired to mention them all.
This is the new look to the old website. I’m going to keep it as simple and easy to navigate as possible for my benefit and the benefit of those who visit. I have a tendency to break websites – this is my third attempt at getting this one right.
I will probably be adding a few more links, some pictures, and a few other things over the next few days. I also plan to serialize a story on the site. Oh, and I will be pimping the new book that I have coming out in early 2010 called Meat City and Other Stories!
