Fangtooth

Okay, I hinted yesterday that there might be word about my next book that would be up for pre-order, well here it is (I feel like a proper writer me what with all this book news!) Cover art by Frank Walls www.frankwalls.net:


First there was the Creature From The Black Lagoon
Then there was Jaws
Prepare yourself for Fangtooth: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Fangtooth-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html

After the death of his wife, Bruce Holden moves to the quaint coastal fishing village of Mulberry with his son, Jack. He is hoping for a fresh start, but the locals greet their arrival with mixed reactions, from friendliness to open hostility. Bruce puts it down to them being outsiders, but when a tourist is killed while swimming, the real horror is unleashed. There's something ravenous in the sea. Something that's coming ashore in search of prey. Now Bruce and Jack find themselves embroiled in a nightmare where humankind is no longer at the top of the food chain.

Ups and downs of publishing

As some people might already know, sadly Leucrota Press is no more. As I didn’t want my books, The Kult and Deadfall left in limbo, I’ve re-released them in eBook format. Both have new covers. While The Kult remains the same, Deadfall is a revised edition that I call the ‘Author’s cut’. This edition also features a bonus alternative ending, which was actually the original ending before I had a change of heart and altered it. Both books are available via Amazon and Smashwords and I’d appreciate any help spreading the word that they are available.

While on one hand I'm sad that they are no longer available in paperback (except second hand copies), I do like the fact that they are now under my control (of course if someone offered me a good enough deal, I'd accept and perhaps if the film is a success, the novel rights to The Kult might be more appealing - not that it's not a fantastic book anyway ;)). But with stories of Leisure Books ripping off their authors and lots of uncertainty in the publishing world, it's strange times that's for sure. I mean apart from a few visionaries, most people never believed that eBooks would ever become popular. They also never believed that people would ever make a success of self publishing, but now you have authors such as Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath and Scott Nicholson making a good living at it. And now Barry Eisler has announced that he is going down the self publishing road. But these are the exceptions. Most people who release their own work are lucky if they sell a copy a week or a month, and they'd be lucky to ever make a living at it. I'm among those, but I still love writing, and I know there are a few people out there who like my work, which makes it all seem worthwhile. So thanks :)

In other news, I’m hoping there will be an announcement tomorrow of my next book that will be up for pre order. Watch this space …



















The Kult

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934


















Deadfall

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/eqE01J
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/fZIsdO
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48929

I am not a monster ...

At least not all the time.

OK, I was reading a post someone made the other day where they remarked upon meeting one of their idols in the form of a horror writer. They then went on to say how surprised they were that said writer was ‘so normal’, just like everybody else, and it got me to thinking (I know, it’s dangerous thinking) about how we (or namely me) are perceived as writers. Do people really think that because I write about killing people, monsters and suchlike that I am inherently evil? Am I a product of my own imagination? Just because I have a vivid (perhaps sometimes sick) imagination, it doesn’t mean I really go out and do the things I write about. Well, you didn’t think I’d admit to my crimes, did you?

So what do other people think? Do you believe that if someone writes about something evil, that it must mean they are an evil person themselves?

Newsletter

Whenever I can, I'll try to give the members of my newsletter a discount on the books I release. The recent first issue gave readers the chance to get 50% off the cover price of Evilution at Smashwords with a coupon code, bringing the price down to just $0.99. There will be more news soon, and more discounts so if you're interested, please sign up at www.shaunjeffrey.com). And for those who missed it, here's a link to the first issue:
http://p0.vresp.com/OMUvDG


One thing I will announce is that there will soon be a revised edition of Deadfall available. This will also include the bonus of an alternative ending (it was the original ending before I changed it). For now, here's what the new cover will look like:

Evilution

My novel Evilution is going out of print, but I’m pleased to announce that it's now available in eBook format. For those who don’t know, Evilution was the first book I had published back in 2003. The synopsis is as follows:

Humankind is about to change ...

Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...

"A classic chiller from a talented new author." - Guy N. Smith, Author of Writing Horror Fiction and The Dark One

"Shaun Jeffrey's debut novel is haunting, disturbing and spooky as hell." - Tim Lebbon, Stoker Award-winning author of Face

"Jeffrey handles the pace and the mood well in this chiller, and certainly has the skills in shifting expectations as quickly s the gears... You will experience a genuinely creepy story that goes somewhere more sophisticated than schlock-horroville. Just book the cottage at the top of the hill in Paradise with Miss Black - You will find it hard to leave." - Paul Terry, Dreamwatch Magazine

"Evilution is certainly one of the most enjoyable horror debuts that I can remember reading in recent times." - Joe Rattigan, The Alien Online

"A gripping horror story that will have you on the edge of your seat!" - Booklore


Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/46855
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/gZzmwI
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/fzqMzw

Inspiration for a horror writer

Although I’ve been Chester Zoo a few times, I’d never spotted this statue before. It’s called Noah and the Four Seasons by sculptor, Sean Rice (1931-1997) who used an imaginative interpretation of traditional religious and mythic themes. I find the sculpture fascinating, surreal and scary.









The way the moss is growing on it gives it an even more surreal appearance. It's almost Gigeresque in ways I thought, and the figures at the bottom look like evil sprites. And it’s certainly one of those images that could give a writer inspiration, that’s for sure.

Evilution cover. Please help me choose.

I hope to be releasing Evilution, the first novel I had published, as an ebook in the not too distant future, and I've been playing around with some covers, so as I did with Dead Man's Eye, I'd like to ask which cover people like the most - which cover would make you pick the book up in the first place?

The story is as follows:

Humankind is about to change ...

Shrouded by fog for nearly two years, the picturesque village of Paradise harbours more than its share of secrets. Having won a cottage in a competition she can’t remember entering, Chase Black moves to Paradise, only to discover that its beauty is skin deep – murder and madness fester in its shadows. When her travelling companion, Jane mysteriously disappears, she starts asking questions. Why are the villagers behaving so oddly? Who are the strange figures she sees lurking in the fog? As Chase becomes afraid that something terrible has happened, events escalate dangerously out of control. A virtual prisoner; too late she discovers the real reason she’s there ...


Cover 1



















Cover 2



















Cover 3



















Cover 4