Deadfall

Well I've just finished the first draft of my latest novel, Deadfall. It's a zombie story, and I'll lay it to rest for a few weeks before reanimating it for the rewrites (I know, terrible but intentional pun)

Latest publications

I would just like to give a shout out to the recently published Wicked Karnival #7 featuring work by Edward Lee, Wrath James White, John Everson, Graham Masterton, Ramsey Campbell, Greg Lamberson and me, and another shout out to the new mass-market paperback anthology, Book of Shadows, Volume One that features work from the first six issues of "Shadowed Realms" online magazine along with some originals, including work by Poppy Z. Brite, Kurt Newton, Mark Zirbel, Josh Rountree, Craig Wolf, Stephen Dedman and me! Both of these are available through the greatest online horror bookshop in the world, Shocklines.

Update time

Okay, I thought it was time for a quick update on what I’m up to. Well, the zombie novel that I’m writing, tentatively titled ‘Deadfall’ has entered the home straight. The first draft should be finished within the next couple of weeks. Then I’ll lay it to rest, probably until after Christmas before bringing it back to life to do the revisions. I’ve had a blast writing this one.

I’ve had a new short story called ‘Clockwork’ published in the latest and last issue of Wicked Karnival. Clockwork is also one of the stories that’ll feature in my collection ‘Voyeurs of Death’ (you remember the collection; I've mentioned it before - keep up;-)) which is slated for release early 2007. The artist, Zach McCain is working on the interior illustrations and the cover, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with. The list of stories appearing in Voyeurs of Death is:

The Flibbertigibbet (previously published in DeathGrip: Legacy of Terror #2003 and reprinted Dark Tales #2005)

The Watchers (previously published in Dark Discoveries #Volume 2 issue 2 2005)

Paranoid (unpublished)

The Tunnel (previously published in Hauntings #2004)

Sin Eater (unpublished)

Voyeurs of Death (previously published in Black tears #7 1995)

Life Cycle (previously published in Surreal Magazine #1 2005)

Clockwork (previously published in Wicked Karnival #7 2006)

Peacock Lawn (previously published in New Voices in Horror #2004)

Envy (unpublished)

Snake Charmer (previously published in Peep Show #2004)

Venetian Kiss (previously published in Monsters Ink #2005)

The Quilters of Thurmond (previously published in Grotesque #3 1993)

Dark Inside (unpublished)

Park Life (previously published in Shadowed Realms #2005)

As for my other unsold novels, The Kult and Fangtooth, my agent is shopping them around. There’ve been a few nibbles, but I know she’ll get them to bite eventually. I guess the publishers are just wondering how they’ll be able to keep up with demand if they take them on:-) Anyone interested in reading the first chapters of either novel can visit my website www.shaunjeffrey.com and click on the stories link.

Exorcising the Demon

In the spirit of Halloween, and to celebrate, I've posted a micro-length short story below for the 99 words of horror contest.

Father Doherty stood beside the door, his ear pressed to the cold wood. Grunts, groans and the odd scream emanated from the room beyond and he nodded approvingly. The doubts he harboured at the young priests ability to conduct the ritual seemed unfounded, and he opened the door to watch him in action, only to roll his eyes in dismay at the sight of the woman sweating on the treadmill.

“Father Freer,” he shouted, addressing the man with the whip stood behind the woman. “This isn’t what I had in mind when I asked you to exorcise the demon!”

Shocklines bookshop

Anyone who purchases horror books should check out Shocklines. You will not find an online store with more choice. From small press to large press, this store has it all. From advance orders to new releases, you'll find it all here.

If you do purchase any books, please mention my name in the "Comments" section of the checkout process.

Limited Edition Halloween T-Shirt

Anyone interested in purchasing a limited edition Halloween t-shirt designed by Alex McVey should check this out: Click me!!!

There are only going to be 200 of these bad boys printed.

Voyeurs of Death update

Grafika Press are no longer associated with my collection, Voyeurs of Death - it's now going to be published solely by Wicked Karnival. I'll post further details as they are released.

Horror Fest UK

Horror Fest UK is a new film festival that is taking place from November 16th - 18th in Portsmouth, England.


Horror Fest

Creepycast

For anyone interested in listening to a paranormal variety show with interviews of dark musicians, artists and writers, then check out: Creepycast

Horror Day

Creators in the horror community have launched the "Horror Day of Action," a campaign to inspire all lovers of the horror genre to reach out to the world on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. The idea caught fire and spread to every area of horror, from haunted house operators to videogame designers to movie makers and writers. But the most important and basic ingredient of Horror Day is each fan's participation.

On Oct. 13, fans are asked to buy a horror book, give away a horror book, rent a horror video, read ghost stories to children, host an art show, or talk to the nearest library, bookstore, video store, newspaper and to call your local radio station.

The official site for Horror Day, along with suggestions for action, can be found at Horrorday.

"We expected this idea to gain momentum quickly because it's so simple," said a volunteer, "But to see it grow so rapidly, and to see the enthusiasm of the people who love this genre has been totally amazing. Horror is often considered a fringe taste, but the reality is it has millions of fans in every sector of society. And our combined voices can have a positive effect on the world at large."

While the Horror Day site has action tips, creativity is the key to the event's success. Fans are asked to come up with their own imaginative spin to promote the genre and share them in the "Comments" section of the MySpace site and on all the various horror message boards.

Most importantly, remember this year Friday the 13th is HORROR DAY!

Evilution (revised edition)

There is now a revised edition of my novel Evilution available. After listening to the constructive comments people kindly offered, I sat down and made some changes that have now been implemented. Hopefully this has addressed the problems people picked up on. As there are a lot of old copies floating around, the best option with regard purchasing a new copy is probably to buy direct from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com.

Fangtooth

I've updated the story page on my website and added the first chapter of my latest novel, Fangtooth. Any comments/feedback would be appreciated. The novel is with my agent at the moment, and she's shopping it around.

The Frontlist

Among the many ways to try to reach the editor's desk, I've just been informed of a new one: The Frontlist. In their words: 'The Frontlist is, we believe, the first serious online route for an unpublished novelist to get a completed fictional novel considered by a publisher. It allows a new writer to test samples from a completed manuscript within a community, and to have it undergo structured critiques by other writers. All work will move up and down a list within its genre, according to the reviews that have been written. We have an informal agreement with a senior editor at Picador to consider top reviewed work from the site each month. The process is free - no upfront money, and we don't climb into any deals that may subsequently emerge between writer and publisher. To fund the project, we simply ask that if a writer wishes to read the individual reviews on his or her work, then they pay a one-off fee. But if they chose not to, that's fine - it will have absolutely no impact on their chances of being considered by the publisher. So writers are able to use The Frontlist completely and utterly free.'

So far they are only accepting submissions under two genres: Crime and General fiction, but hopefully the list will grow if they get enough support and interest.

Update

It's been a while since I posted here, so I thought I would just give a short update on what I'm up to. On the writing front, I'm working on a new zombie novel. The story's coming along well at the moment and I'm about a quarter of the way through writing it. My agent's had some enquiries about my other novels, so I've got my fingers crossed that something might take off, and a couple of my short stories are due to be published around now; I'll post more when that happens. Anyway, I hear the dead getting restless, so it's back to the writing.

Silent Hill

As I enjoyed playing the game, I had high hopes for Silent Hill the film, but as with many things in life, high expectations only lead to disappointment. It was nicely shot, very atmospheric, with some great scenery that could have been lifted straight from the game. But the storyline was cobbled together to try to make sense of it, and unfortunately, it didn’t work. And then there’s the dialogue. It was so stilted and unnatural, you wanted to grab the scriptwriter and throttle him. As I walked out, I heard comments ranging from 'That was shit' to 'What the hell was that about. Did you understand any of it?' I didn't think it was that bad, and it’s worth seeing on the big screen if only for the impressive scenery, but make sure you switch your brain off upon entering and then remember to turn it on again upon exit. Ultimately, it’s like a nice looking cake, but when you slice it open, there’s nothing inside. And I like my cake to have substance as well as decoration.

MySpace

If anyone is on MySpace and wishes to add me as a friend, feel free.
Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

Scary Moments

As someone who obviously wants to scare his readers, I have a quick question: What scares you? What makes a story scare the bejesus out of you?

Latest News

I've had a group of my short stories accepted for a collection, which will be published by the newly combined force of Wicked Karnival and Grafika Press. The collection will be titled Voyeurs of Death and will include 11 of my tales. I'm very excited about this, and can't wait to see the finished product. Check out the artwork on the Grafika website. You won't be disappointed.

First to be published by the company will be an anthology of short stories by horror author David A. Riley. Other authors with work accepted so far for various projects are: Dan Waters, Jason Brannon and Christopher Fulbright.

Latest News

And another sale to report, this time to Wicked Karnival, with my story, Clockwork, due to apear in issue #7. It looks as though 2006 is shaping up to be a good year.

This issue will feature fiction by:

1. GAST excerpt from the novel Edward Lee is working on.
2. COACH POTATO by Wrath James White
3. FIFTEEN MINUTES by Louise Bohmer
4. SWALLOWED SICKLE by Richard h. Pitaniello
5. CICADAS By Nickolas Cook
6. A GLASSY STARE, AN IDIOT'S GRIN by Patrick G. Rabe
7. EXOTIC FLOWER by John Irvine
8. THE WHITE DEATH By Debbie Kuhn
9. MUSIC FROM THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE by Andersen Prunty
10. THE KEY TO HER HEART By John Everson
11. THE DARKNESS OF EXALTED FLESH (A Tale from the Book of Dark Memory) by Joseph Armstead
12. TIN LIZZE by Cathy Buburuz
13. CLOCKWORK by Shaun Jeffrey
14. DEVIL'S TOY by Liam Davies
15. MADNESS by William Ollie

Non-Fiction by:

1. Greg Lamberson
2. Graham Masterton (and a flash story)
3. Nick Cato

Interviews with:

Ramsey Campbell
Edward Lee
Greg Lamberson

Latest News

Well here I am again with news of a short story sale, Bugs sold to Dark Wisdom, a quarterly publication of Dark Fiction and Lovecraftian horror. No definite date for publication yet, but it’s slated for issue #14, although it may appear sooner.

Free Fiction

I would just like to give a shout out to two free fiction venues. The first is Devil's Work, where if you sign up, you get a free story emailed to you every Friday. And the second is Shadowed Realms, which offers dark online flash fiction. Both are worth checking out, and as it's free admission, you have nothing to lose.

Newsletter update

For those who signed up to my newsletter, the free serialised novel, Dark Seduction, which I stared sending out last halloween, has almost reached its climax (for anyone who signs up now, the complete novel is available in the message archives). From the responses I received, people have enjoyed reading it – even those who didn’t think they would read a serialised novel online have written to say how much they look forward to the weekly chapters. Someone else compared the story to something written by Clive Barker, but not as wordy, which is praise indeed (now if only I could be as successful ;-))

When I have sent the final chapter of the novel out, the newsletter will be used for irregular news, the odd giveaway and anything else relevant, so it’s always worth signing up. Just pay me a visit at Shaun Jeffrey. You never know, you might find something you like.

Peter Benchley - RIP

Peter Benchley, whose novel "Jaws" made millions think twice about stepping into the water even as the author himself became an advocate for the conservation of sharks, has died at age 65, his widow said Sunday. His legacy to me, and probably countless others, will be the fear I have of going into the water in warmer climates.

First draft in the bag (or in this case, computer)

Well one year ago this month, I started writing Fangtooth. What with one thing and another, it took longer than anticipated, but I’m very pleased to report that I’ve just finished the first draft. Woohoo. It always gives me a great feeling of accomplishment to finish a novel. Now even though I’m eager to start rewriting, I’ll put it a way for a month to let the story settle. In the meantime, I’m going to rewrite an earlier novel, tentatively titled, Sacrifice.

With regard what Fangtooth is about, all I will say is this:

In an attempt to 'save' his son from the lifestyle he can see him drifting into in the city, recently widowed father, Bruce Holden and his wayward teenage son, Jack move to the coast. They soon discover that the house they have bought has stood empty for years as the previous occupants mysteriously disappeared. But that's only the start of their problems. Something's stirring in the sea. Something hungry.

I’ve got everything crossed that this novel will find a home.

Al Lewis - RIP

I was sad to hear that Al Lewis, who starred as Grandpa in the 1960s sitcom, The Munsters, has died. Sporting a somewhat cheesy Dracula outfit, he became a pop culture icon playing the temperamental father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's ever-bumbling Herman Munster on the 1964-66 television show. He was also one of the stars of another classic TV comedy, playing Officer Leo Schnauzer on Car 54, Where Are You?

The Munsters was one of the two "creepy" sitcoms that began in 1964. CBS aired The Munsters and ABC aired The Addams Family. Both of them lasted only two years and finished their network run within a week of each other. Although people often call him Grandpa Munster, Grandpa was Lily's father, and their family name was "Dracula".

The first episode of The Munsters aired in September, 1964, 10 months before I was born, but its appeal meant that it continues to be shown to this day. I always used to enjoy watching the Munsters, and although it only lasted a couple of years, it racked up an impressive 70 episodes. Long may it continue to be aired.

Novel update

Well I'm on the home straight with the first draft of my latest novel, Fangtooth. I'm excited about this story, and I hope publishers will like it just as much. Hopefully I'll have the first draft finished by the end of this month. Then I'm going to set it aside while I rewrite a novel that I wrote about 10 years ago, tentatively titled Sacrifice. I liked the original idea for Sacrifice, but it needs rewriting to make the most of it. Basically it's a story about love, revenge and monsters - a winning combination.

I've got plans for further novels filed away, so the only thing I'm short on is time and luck, and I truly believe that luck plays an important part in this thing called life, so I've got fingers, legs and everything else crossed that this is my lucky year.

Latest News

Just a couple of quick snippets of news. First, a new short story of mine entitled The Sin Box has been published in Entertainment Wickedly, a Fanzine specialising in alternative cinema. It's available in pdf format and is free to download. Next up, I've sold a short mystery story to Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine. I hope the rest of the year now continues in the same way.

Scrapbook snippet

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. I've not posted much lately as I've been busy working on Fangtooth, the first draft of which I expect to finish this month all being well.

Anyway, here's another of those snippets that makes for bizarre reading.

A housewife in Funtua town of Katsina State woke from a night’s sleep to find a mysterious 6-inch nail driven into her head.

The incident was made more bizarre by the fact that she did not know when or how it happened to her.

Mrs. Adama Shuaibu was hale and hearty when she left for her room on Wednesday night, but apparently, while she slept, some cruel person crept into her room and drove the nail into her skull.

A nurse at Funtua General Hospital said the case was horrible and puzzling.
“I don’t know how to explain her situation. The lady could eat but could not talk and her behaviour was abnormal. We cannot rule out the possibility that she was under the influence of a strong charm for her to have been ignorant of a nail being driven into her head”, the nurse said.