In the Shadows

Dark Seduction (coming soon)

2012-02-08T17:28:00.000Z

I'm after some opinions on a future novella release, Dark Seduction:

Forcedinto accepting a bet by a group of mysterious card players, Zen Barker soondiscovers that there is a world beyond ours. A place of nightmare where themonsters are real: The Shadowland.

Therules of the wager? Kill or be killed. The target? A woman named Melantha who wieldsa sinister power called the Glamour that allows her to bewitch anyone she meets.She intends using it to take vengeance against the descendents of those whohave persecuted her gypsy clan through the ages. To help with her cause sheaims to lead her people into the Shadowland to arm themselves with furthermystical powers. But in doing so she risks creating a disturbance in theinfrastructure, and if that happens, then the monsters that reside in theShadowland will be released.

Nowthe fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a disgruntled anarchist. Godhelp us.

Prosper Snow series and Hell up North

2012-02-06T18:16:00.003Z

You can now download the Prosper Snow books, The Kult and Killers as an ebook set. It's cheaper than buying them individually. So for anyone who wants a serial killer thriller, here they are:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prosper-Snow-Series-ebook/dp/B0075ZWOUW/

http://www.amazon.com/Prosper-Snow-Series-ebook/dp/B0075ZWOUW/

In other news I've entered Hell up North, which is part of the Hellrunner series. http://www.hellrunner.co.uk/My intention is just to finish, but I'll have to increase my fitness to achieve that aim. At least I have until November to do so. I'll be running for the children's cancer charity, CLIC Sargent which will hopefully inspire me to complete the course. Now I just need to get lots of training done, but as I live in what's probably the flattest part of the country, it's not easy to find any hills to train on! I've now been jogging for about four or five months and my roadwork is getting better, but this is a whole different kettle of fish!

Update

2012-01-26T15:56:00.000Z

I've been busy working on some new stuff the last few weeks, and going over some old stuff, and the latest news is that I hope to release four novellas this year. Two of them are going through rounds of edits at the moment. Hopefully the first one to be released will be Dead World and here's a glimpse of the possible cover and blurb, but these are liable to change:

After a pandemic has swept the world, society has crumbled. A remnant of human civilization ekes out an existence in a closed community called Sanctuary. To maintain the status quo they use a lottery, the winners of which join the new gods that reside beyond the walls. But when her daughter is chosen, Anna Charles discovers that the lottery is fixed by despotic church leader, Roman Quail. Now in a frantic bid to save her family, she flees into the hostile environment outside Sanctuary where only the strongest survive, and where all their gods are dead. Literally.

A year in retrospect

2011-12-20T23:43:00.003Z

Well it’s not been a bad year overall. I've had two novels published, Fangtooth and the second book in the Prosper Snow series, Killers. My short story collection, Voyeurs of Death was republished with the added bonus of extra stories and I also had a couple of short stories published, one in Holiday of the Dead and another in 13: Tales of Dark Fiction. On top of that I was promoted at work.

As far as sales are concerned they are not as impressive as some peoples, but they are probably better than others. For the year across the whole of my books I sold 1726 copies via Amazon, 326 copies via Smashwords and just over 500 sales from other retailers, such as Barnes and Kobo (this doesn’t include those sold by Dark Regions Press as I haven’t had a sales report from them yet) for a grand total of around 2552 sales for the year.

I’m now working on a new novella, which I hope to finish the first draft of in another week or so. Then I’ll start work on another novella that I had put aside for a while, which will keep me busy into the start of the New Year.

Now I want to say a big thank you to those who have read my work over the year. And an even bigger thank you if you reviewed it, regardless of whether the review was favourable or not. There have also been a number of people who have helped me promote my work this year, and they get an even bigger thank you.

Now I’m all thanked out, so I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and an even better New Year.

UK Goodreads live chat for those who missed it.

2011-11-29T22:27:00.001Z

For those who missed it, here's a condensed version of the live chat I did on the UK Amazon Kindle forum.

You ready Shaun?

OK,thanks for turning up everyone. Some great questions. Hope you enjoyed it, andI'll see you next time. Night.
Lol. OK. I'm here.

Hi and welcome everyone,thank you all for being here. Some of you will already know Shaun, but forthose among us who haven't met you yet, please, Shaun, would you mindintroducing yourself?

OK,I’m 46 years old, and I’ve been writing books and stories for probably halfthat time. I grew up in a house in a cemetery, so I guess I was never going tobe writing romance novels. In that respect I’ve had five novels published andone collection. I was also lucky enough that my novel, The Kult was filmed lastyear by an independent production company. No release details yet, but there isa trailer up on Youtube. I work full time on the railway as a signallingtelecommunications engineer. And in my spare time I go jogging, work out at thegym and do Tae Kwon Do.

You seem to always be onthe go, how many hours do you sleep on an average night?

Nowherenear enough. If I'm lucky I'll get about 6 hours kip. That's why I look like azombie most of the time.

Didn't you know a wiseman only needs 4 hours sleep a night? You're OD-ing! LOL.

Idon't feel like a wise man. Lol

Have you ever hadnightmares/were scared as a kid living by a graveyard?

Notreally. I was very young at the time, but to be honest, a graveyard is a veryserene and quiet place. And if there's any such thing as ghosts and ghoulsthey'll probably inhabit the area where they died rather than where they'reburied!

They do say about weirdthings going on in graveyards... ever witnessed anything unexplainable?

Ihave had a couple of weird experiences, and seen a couple of strange things,but not in a graveyard.

Did you ever read thenames on the gravestones & then make up little stories of who you thoughtthat person may have been?

Ifind the epitaphs very sad. It makes you wonder about the person interredbeneath, but I've never made up any stories about them.

Did you always want tobe a writer? If not what had you planned on doing?

Writingis something I just enjoyed doing. As it's not my full time profession I canjust enjoy doing it for fun. If I had to do it for a living I'm not surewhether I'd enjoy it as much, mainly because then I would know how important itwas, and that my living would depend on it! That would be quite scary I think.

What made you startwriting or is it something you have always done?

Isuppose I started writing because I just thought it was something I could do.How wrong was I!!! At first you think everything you write is fantastic. Thetruth is it's not. But I persevered. And here I am, 20 odd years later. I'm notfamous and I don't make a living from it, but I still enjoy making stuff up :)

Did your earlyexperiences at school inspire you to write?

Tobe frank, I hated school. They certainly weren't the best times of my life, andthat probably manifests in some of my characters, such as Prosper Snow!

When given the choice,what would you rather do? Read a book or watch a movie? Or do something else...

Iguess I’d rather read. It’s harder than watching something on the box as ittakes more effort, but you get far more out of it as you're more immersed inthe story and the characters. At least I think so anyway. If it was somethingelse, it would stray into adult themes ;)

Have you finished the'ink' yet?
No. My second full tattoo sleeve is still in progress. Next appointment inDecember. More pain to look forwards to.

Which genre do youprefer?

Iused to read primarily horror, but now I lean more towards thriller, so my ownfiction is leaning that way more too.

Which of your books isyour personal favourite and why?
The Kult. It took me so long to write that novel, and it went through so manychanges, but when it all fell into place it just felt ‘right’ if that makessense.

Which was easiest towrite and why?
I don’t find writing any of them easy. I struggle to find the right words.

Which was most difficult?
See above answer. They were all difficult. Writing doesn’t come naturally tome, and I’ll take ages to write a couple of pages.

Which of your charactersdo you truly dislike? Which would you like to share a pint with?
To be honest I don’t truly dislike any of them. I mean strange as it seems, Icreated them, so they’re all my children in a way, faults and all. In thatrespect, I’d share a pint with any of them. Although I may have to watch someof them very carefully, if you know what I mean?

Who is your favouritecharacter of your books and why?

Toughone. I like most of the characters I create. In a strange way they are like mychildren as I gave birth to them - without all the pain of course. But I guessmy two favourites are Prosper and Wolfe as those two characters are based on memore than any others.

Which of your booksshould I read first and why?
That would depend on what you like. Evilution, Deadfall and Fangtooth are morehorror orientated, whereas The Kult and Killers are more psychologicalthriller.

Have you ever been partof a "Kult"?

I’mnot at liberty to answer that one.

Can you tell us howProsper Snow's name came about? It is most unusual to me…

Tobe honest, the name just popped into my head. I never know where my character'snames come from. They just are who they are. It's pretty hard to explainreally. Strange even!

When you started writingabout Prosper Snow did you start the story with him already named? Or did hisname pop into your head later as the book progressed?

Hisname popped into my head.

Do you remember thefirst idea that started the writing of the Kult?

Yes,it was about a deformed family seeking retribution for their treatment byothers! So as you can see, the original novel was nothing like the publishedbook. I had an agent trying to sell that original novel though before we partedways and I rewrote the novel from scratch.

Before the movie basedon The Kult was made, did you ever have in mind any actors you would have likedto play Prosper?

Ihadn't thought about it really. I never imagined the book would ever be filmed.Even when it was optioned (which means the company bought the rights to filmit) I still didn't think it would progress beyond that. Then when it wasfilmed, I didn't think the actor asked to play Prosper looked anything like mycharacter, but having seen him in action he was perfect for the role.

Did you write thescreenplay for The Kult for the film people?

No,I didn't write the screenplay. I read it and made some suggestions, but thatwas the only involvement I had.

How does it feel to seeyour characters on screen? Do you think you will watch the movie with acritical eye, or will you just sit back and enjoy?

Ihaven’t seen the complete film yet, only the trailer, but as you can imagineI’m looking forwards to seeing it. Who wouldn’t be eager to see a film based onone of their books? I guess I will watch it many times. First time I hope I canjust sit back and enjoy the experience. The times after that I’ll probably bemore critical. But to be honest, even if the film sucked I am still proud thatmy novel was turned into a film. Not many people can say that.

How did it all start?Did you have to submit your novel or were you "discovered"?

Isubmitted. I'm still waiting to be discovered. I'm like an old fossil. Lol

However,Dark Regions Press is an invitation only publisher, and they contacted me tosubmit to them.

How did Dark regionscome across your books then Shaun? Do you know?

Noidea really. I guess they'd just heard about me on the grapevine.

You released Killerslast month, and it's had excellent reviews, with lots of readers saying it wasbetter than The Kult. Did you expect the novel to be such a hit among yourreaders?

Iwas nervous releasing it, mainly because lots of people liked The Kult, so towrite another book with the same characters I only hoped that I did themjustice. When the reviews started appearing, it seemed that people liked itmore than The Kult, which did surprise me, but in a good way.

Were you set on lookingfor another plot or did you come across and idea and thought it'd be good fornovel 2?

Ihad an idea that I wanted to write about, and it just made sense to use Prosperin the role of the police officer. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to pull itoff though...

I really like theObituary Man character. So how much of his 'techniques' was based on yourresearch, or was it all your own ideas? It certainly made me have another lookat my house on Google Maps!

Ican’t recall whether I read about people committing crimes in this way or not,but if I did I probably pieced together various angles. Then I imagined what Iwould do if I wanted to rob somewhere. And in this day and age, many of thethings I’d need during the planning stage are at my disposal from the comfortof my own home.

I've told you severaltimes that I feel very drawn toward Wolfe's character. How do you feel abouthim?

Ofcourse he's popular. He’s based on me ;)

Did youexpect him to be so popular among the ladies? Will he come back in number 3?
I expect he'll make a return. But I won't say any more.

Was Killersself-published and are you looking for another publisher?

Ihad sold it to a publisher, but I withdrew it. So yes, it was self-published,partly because due to numerous reasons I’m disillusioned with conventionalpublishing. But it has gone through numerous edits and an editor before beingpublished, so I hope it’s the best that it can be.

Kult#3: any teasers andwhen will this be available in 2012?
I’ve made a start, but I don’t like to talk too much about a work in progressbecause it takes away some of the magic of writing it if I discuss it. It canalso make me talk myself out of writing it if people say ‘that sounds rubbish’.

Have you planned howmany novels Prosper will appear in?

No.I never expected to write another novel with him in. But I had this idea, andit just made sense that if I was using a police officer in the story, that Iresurrected Prosper. I think it worked well.

Howeverthere were lots of problems that I had to resolve, as he obviously has somebaggage from his first story, so it was hard to write about him without givingtoo much away for those who've never read The Kult.

I like to followcharacters through multiple books eg.Rebus, Lincoln Rhyme, Alex Cross; doesthis make it easier or more difficult for the author working with awell-established character?

It'snice to continue with a character you've used before, as you know all about himso it makes it easier to create the character, but it's also hard as you haveto remember everything that's happened to said character so that timelines etc.don't cross, or that one minute he's 35 years old, and then in the next bookhe's 34 etc.

I can’twait for the next novel, there will be one won't there?"
I'm working on it, but it's slow going until I get in the groove, so to speak.Hopefully it will all come together soon.

So you'll be doing astraight series, or will you be trying to do other things in between as well?

WellI had started another novel that's unrelated, and I've written a screenplaythat I want to turn into a novel. As with most things, it's finding the time todo everything I want!

I loved the female leadin Deadfall. At what point did you decide this and will you be writing anotherstrong female character?
I just liked the concept of a female mercenary pitted against both antagonisticmen and zombies. I assumed people were used to male leads in a mercenary sortof role, so I thought it might be different to make it a woman. As for writinganother female lead, it depends on the story. Some protagonists suit beingfemale, while others work best with a male lead.

Why thetwo different endings? How did they come about?"

Thebook was previously published, but I had rewritten the ending for the originalbook, so I thought people might be interested in reading the original ending.I’ve seen it done with films before, so I thought why not. I also tweaked partsof the story from the original novel, so hopefully this version is far better.

You have worked on ascreenplay, is it much different to writing books?

Theyboth have the same structure, but with a novel you often have internal dialogueand you have to describe each scene, which you don’t have to do with ascreenplay. Screenwriting is far more concerned with visuals, movement andspeech than with the art of language.

Who was the mostsupportive about your writing?

Mybetter half, Deb. She is the one who has had to put up with me locking myselfaway and writing. She also puts up with all the other stuff that comes from thewriting, such as me spending time on the computer on message boards etc.,promoting. So yes, Deb is my number one fan and my rock.

I'm plotting at themoment and I was just wondering whether you like to plot a story first or justhave a rough idea and go with the flow. Some writers have to have it all workedout beforehand and others prefers the character to lead the way as it were.
Which kind are you?

Ihave worked both ways. Sometimes if I'm stuck I like to plot to know where it'sgoing. But other times I like the free writing approach so that the storysurprises me as I write it as I don't know what's going to happen next.

Do you ever write in anyother genres? If so which ones?

Mymain genres are horror and thriller. But if I had an idea that was in a genrethat I don't write in then it wouldn't stop me writing it. Ideas are tooprecious to waste, especially if they are good ones.

Have you ever based acharacter on anyone you know?

Themain person that my characters are based on is me. I only have my ownexperiences to work from, so many of them probably come out in my writing.

Do you base any of yourcharacters on friends, relatives or colleagues and if so do they know?

No.I wouldn't want to offend anyone I know. That's my answer and I'm sticking toit ;)

Do you carry a note bookand jot down mad antics of Railway Engineers?

IfI wrote about my real job, the truth is people would never believe it. Icouldn't make up some of the characters I work with! There was a drama on theTV about 10 years ago based on the railway. It doesn't come half way to thetruth!

Have you written anystories based on your job?
I once wrote a short story based on a factory that I worked in that involved aman being hypnotised by a machine, and then going on a killing spree. Asidefrom that, I don’t think I’ve written anything else based around my job(s).

I was wondering if thearea that you live in has ever influenced your wonderful books? :)

Myfirst novel, Evilution was based around a village I used to drive past on theway to work, but I've never based a novel in a real place. I never actually saywhere they're based, that way I can make it all up without someone saying thatplace doesn't exist or you can't reach that road by going down there.

Do you prefer to writeby hand and then transfer to computer, or straight to computer?

Ialways write straight to a computer. I'm lazy and it's easier that way.

Do you keep notebooks invarious rooms so you can jot down ideas as you think of them?

Iused to, but I don't seem to do that as much now. If an idea strikes I justhave to use any medium at hand to make a note of it.

How long does it takeyou to write a book on average? How many hours a night do u lock yourself awaywriting?

Onaverage it takes me about six months to write a first draft. I'm not thefastest writer in the world. But I suppose if I put my nose to the grind stone,aside from having a sore nose, I could write a novel in a couple of months. Afterthe original draft, I revise it over numerous rewrites. So probably a year fromstart to finish.

Asfor how much I write a day, it depends. When I'm in the zone, I try for aminimum of 1k words a day, but I can get anywhere up to 5k if I had all day towork on it.

When do you do most ofyour writing?

Iwork shifts, 24/7 so I have to fit in any time I can. I don't have a routine inthat respect.

Where do your ideas comefrom and how do you create them to paper?

Myideas arise from anything that sparks my interest. It might be a news report, apicture, a snippet of conversation. Anything that conjures a 'what if'scenario. Then when I have an idea, I just expand upon it to create a story.

Have any conversations withfans given you a 'eureka' moment?

Notthat I recall. Sorry :(

How doyou build a story from scratch and create characters.

AsI said above, I start with the seed of an idea, and then expand upon it. Forexample, say I have an idea of a man pulling a suitcase through an airport. Nowthis is a pretty general scene. But 'what if' there's blood seeping from thecase? From that I have to come up with something to explain it. Of course itcould be a chopped up body, but then there's the who, what, why and where? Ofcourse it might not be a body. If not, then I would have to imagine somethingelse is in there. Perhaps a dead animal. Again though, why?

Forcharacters, they just arrive on the scene as and when they're needed. It's hardto explain, but if I need a protagonist, I just start writing and they appearas if by magic!

Do youstart off knowing what the title of your book is going to be, or do you decidelater on or even after you've finished the book???
I knowauthors who start off with the title and people who wait until the book isfinished.
Sometimes the title will come to me as I prepare the story, other times I haveto read through after and see if something stands out that I think would makean apt title. Titles are important though, as it's what your book's going to beknown by herein after!

Have you ever felt theneed to act out scenes from your books?

Lol.I don't think I'd be out in public if I acted them out as I'd be in a prisoncell somewhere. But I can't say I've never thought about it...

Do you find thatresearching is a bit of a chore, or do you enjoy the process?

Ialways find research interesting as I'm looking into subjects that I knownothing about. It's also hard though because you have to make it seem that youdo know what you're talking about when it comes to writing without it seeminglike an information dump.

When doing your researchfor books, what mediums do you use? Do you think the internet has made iteasier for writers to research stuff?

Myresearch is basically sourced from books and the internet. But I do ask peoplein certain professions for advice. For example I have a friends and family inthe police force, so I quiz them about certain things. But any inaccuracies orliberties taken with the truth are purely my mistakes or choices.

Do you write from startto finish or sort out the end and work backwards?

Istart at the beginning, but sometimes an ending or plot development might ariseas I'm writing (if I haven't plotted the story that is), so I make notes andthen continue where I was.

Do youprefer writing with men (the Kult) or women (Deadfall) as the main characters?
I don't really have a preference. I guess it's easier for me to write from amale perspective, but I hope I can open up to my feminine side too :)

Do youfind it easy to write the gory scenes, or do you really have to think about it?

Idon't have any problem writing gory scenes. Is that as wrong as it sounds? Lol

You kill one of yourmain characters. How does that make you feel? Is it easier or worse dependingon whether the character is a good person or a baddie?

Justlike the reader, I would hope that if I had to kill a good character it wouldbe a little upsetting. When you’ve spent ages creating a character, you canstart to believe they are real in a way. So to kill them can be hard. Evenkilling a baddie can be hard, especially if it’s a character that in some wayyou like.

Good vs.Evil: who wins according to you?

Neither.Everyone is a loser to some extent.

Which authors do youlook up to? Who inspired you?

Myfavourite authors are Graham Masterton, Stephen King and Richard Laymon. When Istarted reading books, I read a lot of the Pan Books of Horror, which wereshort story anthologies. They probably warped my mind. Lol

You said you were a fanof Richard Laymon. I read some of his books (not all, but most of them) about12-15 years ago. I've only met 2 other people who were fans of his work. He hada very warped and twisted mind, don't you think?

Ithink he wrote easily readable stories that flow well. Yes, he was a littlegruesome and warped in places, but for the good. My favourites are The Stakeand The Travelling Vampire Show.

Do you use characterprofiles to keep all the information on your characters together in one placefor reference or do you just 'wing it'?

Ireally should, but I don't. I'm my own worst enemy in this respect as I have tokeep reading things to check what colour their eyes are etc. I really am goingto have to make a profile though, if only to make it easier for me to keeptrack.

I think Kindles willmake it even more difficult for authors re continuity issues as readers can usethe search facility to check. Do you have a Kindle Shaun?
Would having one help authors with thisproblem?

Yes,I have a Kindle. I don't think it would help authors any more than the 'find'facility on my word processor though.

Would you say that theKindle has opened up new doors for you as an author or if it hadn't beeninvented would you have been in much the same place as you are now?

Ithink the Kindle has changed everything. Some people have become bestsellingauthors in a short period of time. Some of them had tried to be traditionallypublished but failed, so yes, it's opened more doors. If it hadn't beeninvented, I'd still be a struggling author I guess. So not much change there.

How do you handle theproof-reading problem Shaun? We hear so many horror stories about Indie authorsbeing torn apart because of the bad proofing.

Ihave some beta readers who read my work first, then for Killers I hired aneditor to go through it. But even my previous edited books have errors, some ofthem quite jarring/annoying. I only worry about it if someone points it out,but I do try to make it the best it can be. But I do think some people want tofind fault for faults sake.

Do you like readerspointing out spelling mistakes / missing words / bad apostrophes?

Iappreciate the time someone takes to point things out.

How mean is too mean andhow sweet does a writer have to be to their readers? How much PR (online vs.real world) is effective for you?

Irespect the thoughts and opinions of all my readers. You have to take the roughwith the smooth. Not everyone is going to like what you write, because theydon't all have good taste (lol). As for PR, one never knows what's effectiveand what isn't. I just hope it all has a cumulative effect.

I'm interested that youself-published even when you'd got a publisher. I imagine that's anervous-making decision. Do you think you'll continue with the self-publishing?

Yes,I had sold Killers, but I withdrew it. I know there's still a stigma aboutself-publishing, but lots of people are making a success of it. What I like isthat all the work I do promoting etc., is purely for my benefit. I put a lot ofhard work into it, and I sometimes think that publishers who don't alwaysreciprocate don't appreciate it. As for whether I'll continue to self-publish,I don't see why not - unless I was offered a good deal of course.

I saw that some of yourbooks were printed with luxury cover and trimmings, have you ever sold any? Whydid you opt for this kind of books?

Idon't sell them myself. They are published by Dark Regions, and yes, they dosell them. There was a very limited deluxe edition of Fangtooth, which had 13copies printed. They all sold out.

Awesome! So you don'tactually get to know how much of your books they sell, do you?

Iwill when they send me a sales report. Again though, by self-publishing I knowinstantly when something sells!

What advice would yougive to someone wanting to become an author?

Don'tdo it. Lol. Seriously though it's hard work with little reward for the mostpart. You have to really enjoy writing in and of itself above all else, becauseif you don't then it's going to make it harder. Also read a lot. Then write alot. Then read some more. Also read books on writing. Then put it all aside andjust start writing. Everyone starts somewhere. And don't worry, after the firstmillion or so words, your writing will hopefully improve.

Ithink I wrote four novels before Evilution, which was my first published one.They will never see the light of day.

Would you not thinkabout maybe re-writing them one day?

Ina word, no. There's maybe one that's salvageable, but whether I ever will lookat it again I don't know.

Have you ever thoughtabout not writing anymore?

Idon't really think about it. Sometimes I don't write for weeks or even monthsthough, but I always start again. When I was commuting to work, a round trip of110 miles a day, I didn't write a word for five years!

Do you think peoplethrive on thrill and gore because they are weird? Or do you think we all have abit of a sick side in ourselves?

Lol.Well I must be weird then. I don’t really know why people like such things.Perhaps it’s as you said, for the thrill. And it’s by far the easiest way toexperience such things without getting arrested.

So... writing... is itreally sex, drugs and rock'n roll??

No.It's hard work, but meeting great people like those in this forum makes it allworthwhile :)

Well,I guess I'll wrap it up here as I have to go to bed ready for work in the morning.A big thank you to everyone who took time out to turn up and ask me questions.Hope you found my replies worth hanging around for. And thanks to Lorraine forarranging it, and Patti and Simon for such a great forum populated by suchgreat people. XXX

Goodreads UK Amazon Kindle forum live chat

2011-11-24T16:57:00.001Z

I'll be doing a live chat event on Friday 25th November on the Goodreads UK Amazon Kindle forum: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/708286-live-event-with-shaun-jeffrey-friday-november-25th-at-7pm

"Invitation: Our first Live Chat with an Author: Meet Shaun Jeffrey on November 25th. At 7PM UK time, we’re handcuffing Shaun to the interrogation chair, and you will have your chance to grill the suspect on the real life of a writer. Is it really all sex, drugs and rock and roll, or is there time to write too? If you want him to confess, ask the questions that count. Barring that, ask anything you want."

It would be great to see some of you there, at least in the virtual sense as this is an internet event where you type your questions and I get finger ache as I quickly try to respond :) The UK Amazon Kindle group contains a great group of people so you'll be made most welcome and it's a great place to hang out.

The power of the subconscious

2011-11-13T12:32:00.001Z

Well I’ve started work on the third Prosper Snow novel and Ihave some interesting ideas.

But the thought process itself is a strange beast as ittakes place behind closed doors, in the subconscious. It’s like when you’retrying to think of where you’ve seen someone before, or when you’re trying tothink of a word for a crossword puzzle. If you concentrate on it too much, itjust becomes frustrating, but then when you stop thinking about it and let yoursubconscious do the work, that eureka moment strikes when you least expect andthe answer comes rushing to the surface. I often have problems with plots whereI think ‘How the hell am I going to get my character out of this?’ but then Igo and do something else, like go for a jog or do the washing up, anything tostop thinking about the problem, and then that eureka moment will strike like abullet between the brain and the answer presents itself. Sometimes there evenseems to be something else at work as the answer might come from a televisionprogram or a newspaper article. These are what I think of as moments ofserendipity when something you want to find out about presents itself throughanother media.

But there are other ways that you can make your subconsciouswork, namely by making requests before you go to sleep.

Step 1: Before you go to sleep, close your eyes andtake one minute to make a request to your subconscious. It can be anything, buttry not to make it something that is unobtainable or virtually impossible. Trysmall things, such as wanting to get lots of writing done, or winning a racethat you are entering.

Step 2: Take two minutes to visualize yourself actually ableto do this thing. Say it’s the motivation to write. Imagine yourself getting upthe next day and then picture yourself at the computer or with a pen in hand.Then see yourself effortlessly writing words. See the pages flowing down thescreen. See yourself in the groove, the prose pouring out of you.

Step 3: Take two minutes to imagine how you will feel whenyou are able to accomplish this aim. How do you feel when you see howproductive you’ve been? Thrilled? Happy? Now imagine that you have alreadycreated this emotion inside of yourself. Let it sink in, then go to sleep andlet your subconscious do the rest of the work.

You might not sit down the next day and write a masterpiece,but if you are fired up to start writing, then that’s a start. This process canbe used for any situation. Entering a race. Going for a job interview etc. Justremember that the mind is a powerful tool, and it wants to help you.

Promotion. How far is too far?

2011-10-23T20:33:00.001+01:00

I’ve been blown away to have already received six 5* reviewson Amazon.co.uk for the new Prosper Snow novel, Killers. A couple of said reviews have evensaid they think it’s better than the first book, The Kult!

Now I know I’ve been blogging and posting about the book’s release, but itstill surprises me how many people in certain places, such as on the Amazonforums actively dislike authors promoting their work (Amazon.com even went sofar as relegate such posts to a single area titled ‘Meet our authors' forum). Ifind all this animosity unusual for people who supposedly like reading. I reada comment on a post recently where the person said that they would never buy abook from an author that promoted their work, because if the work was good,then it would speak for itself and people would buy it. I thought WTF. Theproblem with this theory is that people first have to hear about the book, andone of the best ways to get the word out is to promote. It’s the old catch 22scenario really. I personally have no problem with people promoting theirbooks. Hell, I know how hard it is to find readers, so anything that helps inthis respect is good. I wouldn’t have heard about half the books I purchase ifI hadn’t read posts by the authors themselves.

So what do other people think? Can you promote too much?Does it turn potential readers away?

Killers (A Prosper Snow novel)

2011-10-16T15:35:00.000+01:00

CHAPTER 1

Murder makes monsters ofpeople. Prosper Snow knows that better than most.

He stared down at the corpse ofthe middle aged man and grimaced. The man had been butchered beyondrecognition. Flaps of skin hung off his cheeks like they had been sliced withrazors and rivers of blood pooled in a congealed puddle in the grassydepression by the corpse’s feet.

Flies buzzed around the body.One alighted on the clear fluid that had oozed out of a punctured eyeball. Partof the man’s entrails protruded from slashes in his khaki shirt, most of thematerial sodden with blood. He was wearing dark trousers and a pair of sunglassessat a few feet away, the lenses broken. The man’s style of dress made Prosperthink it was some sort of uniform.

The air reeked of death.Prosper wrinkled his nose and tried to hold his breath, but the white mask hewore as part of his crime scene coverall seemed to retain the smell, making itlinger inside his nostrils.

Prosper folded his arms,trying to distance himself from the sickening scene. He listened to birdsongemanating from the elm trees about forty feet away. The sound seemed out of placeat such a brutal site.

As the Senior InvestigationOfficer, Prosper was like the conductor of an orchestra, overseeing all partsof the enquiry and coordinating people from various departments on site. Butthere were so many people lingering around that it looked as though every noseybugger from within a ten mile radius had descended. Death attracted people likemetal to a magnet. The more grotesque, the stronger the pull.

“Look, everyone who’s notvital to the case, can you get the hell out of my crime scene before I kick youout?” he shouted, watching as some of those in attendance slouched away.

Since packing in smokingalmost a year ago, Prosper had resorted to chewing gum, but the gory sight madethe piece in his mouth tasteless and too chewy, like a lump of flesh.

Gagging, he lowered the maskand turned to spit the gum out when he realised he couldn’t contaminate thearea. So he swallowed it instead and turned back to the corpse, the paper suitrustling as he moved. The flash from the crime scene photographer’s camera lefta glare on his retina.

“This is just great,”Detective Sergeant Mike Holmes snapped from behind the police cordon. He shookhis head and ran a hand through his buzz cut as he stared at the body. “What isit with you and death? No wonder they’ve called it ‘Operation Avalanche’,because this is going to be a fucking disaster.”

Prosper glared at Mike. Heknew he was referring to last year’s Oracle case in which a multitude of peoplewere murdered, including a police officer, so the last thing Mike probablywanted was to be partnered with Prosper on another murder investigation.

Hell, in the circumstances,even Prosper wouldn’t want to be partnered with himself, but that didn’t makethe snide comment any easier to accept.

After a moment, Prosperturned away and stared around the area. Grey clouds scudded across the sky,threatening rain. A cluster of green prefabricated buildings stood in thedistance. Most of them looked like industrial units hundreds of feet in lengthand width. One was surrounded by a high barbed wire fence, while a lorrybelching smoke pulled up outside another. The units looked quite new, and weresurrounded by trees and architectural features such as small sculpturescomprised of cubes. In the middle of the complex sat a large artificial pondwith a fountain spraying water into the air.

The spot where the body hadbeen discovered was a grassy area punctuated with evergreen bushes, one ofwhich was splattered with blood like gory Christmas decorations. A small streamflowed near by, the sound of bubbling water counter-pointed by the bird call.The closest building stood about one hundred feet away.

Prosper turned his attentionback to the body. It had been discovered by a woman walking her dog. The pileof vomit nearby was an indication of how much the spectacle had affected herbefore she was taken away for counselling.

Although he wasn’t immune tothe sight of blood and gore, Prosper had been closely associated enough that hewas less distressed.

At first glance, the victimlooked as though he had been attacked by a wild animal, but of course therewere no wild animals in the UK capable of doing something like this – at leastnot unless something like a bear or a large wild cat had escaped from a zoo.The only domestic creature capable of doing so much damage was something like alarge dog, or perhaps a pack of them, but while a dog attack would look nasty,the slashes and puncture marks on the man’s body indicated the use of a knifeor a sharp implement. But it was the severity of the cuts that was mostdisturbing. It indicated a frenzied attack with no concern for the victim.

A police cordon had beenerected around the corpse, the yellow tape stencilled with CRIME SCENE – DO NOTCROSS fluttering in the breeze. Prosper saw the flash of a camera, making himgrit his teeth.

“Make sure they stay behindthe barrier,” Prosper shouted to one of the uniformed officers as he saw ayoung man lift the tape with the intention of approaching the crime scene for acloser look. “And where’s that blasted tent to cover the body?”

“They’re bringing it from thecar now,” someone shouted.

Prosper turned towards Mike.“Any thoughts?”

“Thoughts, I’ll give you mythoughts. You and murder are the last things I need.”

Prosper bit his tongue.Although it had been a year since the Oracle debacle, his colleagues wouldnever let him forget. He just thanked God that they didn’t know the true eventsof that case.

“Look, Mike, someone’s dead.It’s our job to find out the how, why and who, so let’s cut the sarcasm and geton with the job at hand. If you’re not happy about the situation, I can haveyou replaced.”

Mike snorted loudly. “Do youreally think you’d find anyone willing to replace me? If so, then go ahead.”

Prosper rubbed his brow. “Irealise you’re not happy about the situation. Jesus, I’m not over the moonabout it either. But it’s our job, so let’s be professional about it. Now Iwant to start canvassing the area to see whether anyone saw anything. Can youarrange that for me?”

Mike licked his lips, glancedat the corpse and then nodded.

“Good. Then hopefully we cancatch the bastard who did this and put it to bed.”

He watched Mike walk away,and then turned back to the crime scene. Less than twenty minutes ago, he hadbeen looking forwards to his lunch of ham sandwiches, but the sight of the deadman quenched any hunger pangs.

The crime scene photographerwas packing his stuff away and a forensic pathologist kitted out in a whitepaper suit crouched down to examine the body. Prosper walked across to see whathe could find out.

“So how’s it going?”

The pathologist looked up andshook her head. “You see the way the victim’s gripping that branch? Well it’sprobably a result of instant rigor mortis, what’s called a cadaveric spasm.This happens when the person is exerting themselves at the time of death, suchas running hard or when a struggle takes place.”

Prosper nodded. Although themask hid much of her face, he could tell by the sound of her voice and howquickly she spoke that she was excited, that she liked her job.

“Also, the grass around thebody was flattened; indicating lots of movement, and judging by the severity ofthe attack, much of the assault was probably undertaken after the victim wasalready dead as he wouldn’t have survived for long judging by the wounds.”

“So how long has he beendead?”

“Help me roll him over andI’ll try to find out.”

Prosper knew she was going topush a thermometer up the corpse’s rectum to see how much his temperature haddropped, and although he wasn’t comfortable with it, he stepped forwards toassist when he heard the roar of engines and he turned to see two black,nondescript four by four vehicles slide to a stop behind the group ofspectators.

The passenger door of thelead vehicle swung open and a man jumped down and approached the police cordon,talking into a mobile phone. He pulled out a wallet and said something to theofficer guarding the perimeter, and then slipped underneath the tape.

Smartly dressed in a darksuit, he stood about 5 feet 10. Of average build, he had a pockmarked face;medium length wavy brown hair, bushy eyebrows and a condescending look thatmade Prosper want to slap him.

“Prosper Snow,” the man said,lowering the phone from his ear. He withdrew a wallet and flashed a card thatshowed he worked for a branch of MI5, the domestic intelligence agency. Prosperdidn’t have time to study it closely before the man snapped the wallet closedand slipped it back into the inside pocket of his jacket.

Surprised the man knew hisname, Prosper nodded. “And you are?”

“Pick a name.”

The man’s arrogant, confidenttone matched his look and got Prosper’s back up straight away. He bit his lowerlip; took a deep breath and then regretted it when he got a lungful of the deadman’s aroma. “So what are you doing here?”

“I’m taking over theinvestigation.” He raised his hand and pointed to indicate Prosper shouldleave.

Prosper felt as though he hadbeen blindsided. How did the man know who he was? He cleared his throat. “Thisis my case.” He knew it sounded petulant, but he couldn’t help it.

“Not any more.”

Before Prosper could respond,the man passed him his mobile phone. He glared at the man for a moment beforeaccepting it. “Hello?”

“Prosper, this is ChiefSuperintendent Hargreaves. The case you’re on, drop it, now.”

“Drop it, but sir—”

“No buts, that’s an order.The man in front of you is taking over.”

Prosper heard a sense ofurgency in his superiors voice. He stared at the man opposite. “Who is he?”

“That’s none of your concern.Now just do as I say and leave.”

Prosper disconnected the calland handed the phone back. It didn’t escape his notice that although the bodyhad only been reported less than an hour ago, wheels had been set in motionthat took him out of the loop.

But why? What was so specialabout this victim?

“Now, if you don’t mind, Ihave a job to do.” The man walked past Prosper and stood staring down at thecorpse.

Realising there was nothinghe could do about it, Prosper turned to walk away when the man said, “Althoughthere is one way you can still be involved in the case, Snow.”

Prosper halted in his tracksand looked back. The man still had his back to him, staring down at the corpse.“And what does that mean?”

“I want someone like you onmy team.”

Prosper frowned. “Your team?You mean MI5?”

“We’re a branch of thatagency. But let’s just say we take the jobs no one else can crack.”

“And what do you mean someonelike me?”

“I know all about you, Snow.”He turned and fixed Prosper with an unwavering stare. “The Oracle case. Therewere certain, how shall I say, discrepancies with your statement.”

Prosper felt the colour drainfrom his cheeks and his heart did a little flutter. “There were nodiscrepancies in my statement.”

The flicker of a grin crossedthe man’s lips. “Cards on the table, you and I both know that’s not true.You’re loyal. I like that in my operatives.”

Prosper licked his lips.“Look, I don’t know who the hell you are, or what you think you know, andfrankly, I’m not interested. As you said, you’ve got a job to do, so I’d suggestyou concentrate on doing that.” Without another word, Prosper spun around andstarted walking away.

“Well, think it over,” theman shouted after him. “I’ll be in touch soon.”

As he reached the cordon,Prosper tore his mask off and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to clearthe stench of death from his nostrils. He turned and looked back at the man ashe inspected the crime scene. Did he really know damning details about theOracle case? Prosper shuddered.

“What’s happening? Who arethey?” Mike asked as he jogged over.

“Someone higher up theladder, that’s who they are. And they’re taking over the case.”

“Really? Well anyone wouldthink you were disappointed by the look on your face.”

Prosper took another stick ofgum out of his pocket and stuffed it in his mouth. Disappointed? He wasfar from disappointed. He was terrified.

The Oracle case was supposedto be dead and buried just like the person Prosper had helped murder.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killers-Prosper-Snow-novel-ebook/dp/B005U3KOUI/

http://www.amazon.com/Killers-Prosper-Snow-novel-ebook/dp/B005U3KOUI/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95053

Killers (A Prosper Snow novel)

2011-10-11T09:36:00.000+01:00

Prosper Snow is back in Killers.

Murder makes monsters of people. Prosper Snow knows that better than most. Now he’s back on the trail of another serial killer, only this time there’s far more to the case than meets the eye. Thwarted at every turn, Prosper unwittingly uncovers a human experiment more monstrous than anything he could ever imagine. Now the only way to crack the case is to work from the inside and join a shadowy government agency that operates outside the law. Only he might be too late as the experiment has spiralled out of control.

http://www.amazon.com/Killers-Prosper-Snow-novel-ebook/dp/B005U3KOUI/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killers-Prosper-Snow-novel-ebook/dp/B005U3KOUI/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95053

Have I Lost My Mind? – One Writer’s Mantra’s - Guest blog by Hunter Shea

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000+01:00

When I set out to become a writer back when grunge music was coming to its inevitable, yet sad end, I was filled with the exuberance and verve that only pure ignorance can fuel. I thought, this will be a piece of cake. I read books all the time. I got pretty good grades in English class. Smush the two together and voila, instant book.

What a sorry fool. My first big attempt at becoming the next Stephen King was a novella filled with vampires in a small, upstate New York town. I tapped away on my keyboard, sure I was spinning gold. Rewrites? Nah, who needs that when it comes out perfect the first time? I even had it bound before giving it the first read through. I dreamt of publishers lining up outside my door, waving fat checks and wearing knee pads so they could beg me for my novella.

Long story short, it was crap. I save everything I write, and I have no clue where that novella is. Hopefully, I dropped it in the trash one night while sleep walking (yeah, I do that from time to time). Undaunted, I wrote short stories, and over time they got a little better, more like a polished, unscented turd. I had, surprise, zero success at publishing a single story. So, what’s the next logical thing to do when you can’t write a decent short story or novella? That’s right, you get to work on a novel.

Now, everything I had tried before was firmly rooted in horror, and my ultimate goal was to be a horror writer. Which is why writing a romantic comedy as my first novel makes perfect sense. The scariest part was, the book actually came out pretty good (and it still holds up 15 years later). Agents and publishers liked it, but no one would take the plunge. Slightly encouraged, I wrote novel number two, a dark comedy set in a fetish club. Even more folks liked that and said it was screamingly funny, but the subject matter was so controversial, no one would touch it with a ten foot pole.

I was getting better at the whole writing thing, learning the craft, reading the market updates, so I went back to stories and started publishing a few. I spent most of my free time locked away in a room tapping away like a man possessed. I felt I was finally ready to write my BIG HORROR NOVEL. I spent 4 years working on it, often muttering, “Have I lost my mind?”

You have to look at it from any struggling writer’s perspective. Here we are, relinquishing time better spent with friends, family, drinking, watching the Mets lose, whatever your thrill. Any successes are small, barely enough to justify the time and energy spent. Why do we do it? Hell, why did I do it? A good friend of mine explained it best. “You have a compulsion to write.” There it was, in one tiny nutshell. Yes, I want to create stories and entertain people. Yes, I want to see my book on a bookshelf. Yes, I’d love to garner fame and fortune. But those are dreams that can fade with the dawn. Something in me compels me to write, to never give up, even if I have to die in a coffin lined with unpublished manuscripts.

Thankfully, that won’t happen. I’ve learned that the adage, never give up, is true. Success comes to those who work, and work hard, constantly learn, and never quit. That horror book that took 4 years to write and 4 more to get a publisher will be out in October with Samhain Publishing. It’s called Forest of Shadows and man, did I have to navigate through a dense forest to get here. I have another coming out next spring. Oh, and a children’s picture book as well, since we all know that horror and children’s books go hand in hand.

So next time you spot someone at the library or Starbucks muttering, “Have I lost my mind?” while staring at their laptop, give them a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and whisper, “Don’t give up.”

To learn more about Hunter Shea and his book, Forest of Shadows, you can visit:
www.huntershea.com
http://www.samhainpublishing.com/horror.htm

Killers (Coming soon)

2011-09-24T10:31:00.004+01:00

Coming next month, the latest Prosper Snow novel, Killers:

Murder makes monsters of people. Prosper Snow knows that better than most. Now he’s back on the trail of another serial killer, only this time there’s far more to the case than meets the eye. Thwarted at every turn, Prosper unwittingly uncovers a human experiment more monstrous than anything he could ever imagine. Now the only way to crack the case is to work from the inside and join a shadowy government agency that operates outside the law. Only he might be too late as the experiment has spiralled out of control.

If you want to catch up by reading the first novel, The Kult remember it's currently available for only 99 cents (86p) on eBook. It will only be available at this low price until the next novel is published, so grab it while it's cheap.

To purchase the eBook, check out the following link: http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/The%20Kult.html

It's also now available as a new printed book too. It's only available through CreateSpace at the moment, but will be appearing on Amazon and everywhere else soon. For those who want to purchase a copy through CreateSpace there's a $3.00 discount available if you use code: FKP4KTUJ

https://www.createspace.com/3674969

eBook Sale

2011-09-10T22:19:00.006+01:00

I've reduced the price of my eBooks by a whopping 60% so they're now only 99 cents (or 86p) on Amazon and Smashwords. Any help spreading the word would be very much appreciated.

Smashwords

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Review and interview

2011-09-08T17:13:00.003+01:00

I hope to make an announcement very soon about the next Prosper Snow novel (I know it's hard to contain yourselves, but hopefully it will be worth the wait) but in the meantime here's a review of The Kult and a link to an interview I did:

http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/09/kult-shaun-jeffrey.html

http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/2011/09/interview-with-shaun-jeffrey.html

The Lake District

2011-08-27T08:59:00.006+01:00

We arrived home yesterday after a short break in Keswick in the Lake District. No matter how many times I visit the area, it never fails to fill me with awe with its sweeping vistas and majestic mountains.

We’ve camped on the same site a couple of times before, at the edge of Derwentwater (the location of the site means that it can easily flood, but we were lucky enough that it only rained for one day during our stay otherwise the resident ducks would have been swimming around the tent instead of waddling.) We were also field-testing (quite literally) our new tent, an Outwell Colorado 5. I think we now have five tents stashed around the house, but this is by far the best of the bunch. It’s big enough to stand up in, and has a large sitting area.

During our stay, we met up with my brother who is fortunate enough to live just outside Keswick in the village of Borrowdale. He’s lived there for a number of years, and I often wonder if he knows how lucky he is to live in such breathtaking surrounds. Anyway while there we tackled Helvellyn, which is the third highest peak in England at 3118 feet (only 75 feet less than the highest, Scafell Pike).

It took us around 2 hours to climb to the summit, a feat that some people achieve by running, but they are obviously part machine or just plain crazy. The stunning view at the top makes the effort of the climb seem more than worthwhile, but my aching calves and thighs might not agree.

While visiting the Lakes, we also went in search of a couple of Geocaches, which we haven’t done for a while, taking in a route along Walla Crag. This is a short fell walk that gives superb views across Derwentwater. The only problem on the day we went was that the heavens opened and we ended up putting drowned rats to shame. Coupled with a cold wind, it makes you realise how unpredictable and dangerous the weather can be, especially when you’re caught out in the open.

But it’s no wonder the landscape has been the inspiration for countless artists and writers over the years. Majestic, stunning and awe inspiring. That’s the only way to sum it up.

Slaughter House Interview

2011-08-08T16:52:00.003+01:00

Here's the link to an interview that I did at The Slaughter House. Hope you find it interesting: http://www.richardgodwin.net/interviews/chin-wag-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-shaun-jeffrey

Phantasmagoria

2011-08-06T20:46:00.004+01:00

The very short story below was originally published in a magazine called Premonitions back in 1992, and I just thought I'd put it up here for anyone interested in my early work to have a read ( I made a couple of changes to update it, such as changing videos to DVDs).

Phantasmagoria

Shaun Jeffrey

The television screen flickered through myriad images that painted the walls of the living room in rainbow patterns.

Tara Stone reclined in the armchair, unblinking as she stared at the screen. Each picture merged with the next in a succession of subliminal images.

The tribal drumbeats that accompanied the images made her heart beat fast, made her unaware of anything but the here and now.

Seconds later, the phantasmagoria of images came to a stop and the screen turned white with static.

Tara blinked and wiped her eyes. She felt as though she was waking from a dream.

She stood up and turned the television off. Then she removed the disc from the DVD player and returned it to its case.

She felt wonderful.

Invigorated.

She walked through to the kitchen and stared at the box of matches on the table. Without hesitating, she snatched the box up, removed a match and struck it. The flame flared and she stared at it for a moment, and then blew it out.

Now for the ultimate test.

The wind howled outside, so she plucked a coat from the hook behind the door, dropped the matches into her pocket and left the house.

The sky was clear of clouds, and the setting sun painted an orange band across the horizon.

Inhaling the crisp air, she headed toward the town centre. The box of matches rattled in her pocket with each step.

Up ahead the illuminated windows of a tower block formed a giant crossword puzzle grid.

When she reached the base of the tower, she wandered around until she found a door into the service bay. The lock was broken, the walls either side of the entrance daubed with the modern day hieroglyphics of graffiti artists.

Once inside the building, she waited until her eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light. Shapes materialised from the darkness: old electrical appliances skulked in the corner, opposite which a pile of old newspapers had been stacked in a haphazard mountain. Tins of paint sat atop the electrical appliances, and she walked across and inspected them. As well as the paint, she found a half-full tub of white spirits and a rusty screwdriver. She couldn't have wished for more.

Smiling to herself, Tara prised the lids off the paint, and sloshed the contents over the mountain of paper. When that was done, she poured the white spirits over the pile and then took the matches out of her pocket.

She had a momentary flicker of doubt, but then she looked at the multicoloured rivers of paint that flowed over the paper and it triggered something in her subconscious.

She struck a match, marvelled at the flame for a moment, and then flung it onto the paper. She continued to throw burning matches until the paper mountain was ablaze, the rivers of paint bubbling like molten lava.

The heat warmed her cheeks, and when it became unbearable she retreated outside and walked a safe distance away.

It didn't take long before tongues of flame licked out of the doorway, and it wasn't much longer until the flames began to devour the lower floors.

People appeared at windows, screaming, their clothes and hair alight. Glass exploded as people jumped in an attempt to save themselves.

Tara watched from further along the road, mesmerised by the flames pirouetting around the structure, painting the sky in ribbons of fire. It was only the sound of approaching sirens that broke the spell.

With a final look at her handiwork, she stood up and made her way home.

Once inside her house, she looked out of the window and watched the flames light up the horizon like a living painting. It looked marvellous.

She glimpsed at the disc she had played earlier and read the title: Fire and how to beat the phobia. A self help guide.

Tara smiled to herself and wondered which of her many phobias she should overcome next.

#SampleSunday The Kult #kindle #crimedrama #horror

2011-07-24T13:22:00.004+01:00

For Sample Sunday, here's the first chapter to The Kult.

Title: The Kult
Author: Shaun Jeffrey
Kindle Price: $3.45
Available from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6/

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kult-shaun-jeffrey/1016974624?ean=2940011245626&itm=1&usri=the%2bkult

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934

CHAPTER 1

People are predictable. That’s what makes them easy to kill.
At least that’s what the Oracle hoped. He had studied and plotted Jane Numan’s routine over the weeks. Watched without her seeing, making note of every nuance, every step of her schedule until he had a complete diary of her movements, probably knowing more about her than she did about herself.
He crouched in the recessed doorway of the kebab shop opposite where she lived and gripped the handle of the knife in the sheath inside his jacket. His weapon of choice, he hoped the mere sight of the blade would instil terror in his prey, making it more personal, and putting him close enough that he could smell his quarry and see the fear in her eyes.
He looked at his watch; 6:29 a.m. and counting.
Any second now…
Like clockwork, the front door of what to anyone else would be a nondescript house opened and Jane walked out. The Oracle sank back into the shadows as he stared at the facial disfigurement that made it appear half her face was melting. Although only 23 years of age, she probably hadn’t had the easiest of lives, which made her all the more desirable as a victim as the more public sympathy his kill received, the more publicity he would generate, and as people were fond of saying, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, especially not for what he had planned.
The Oracle watched her check that the door was locked, pushing once, twice, then a third time, as she always did when she left the house. His pulse increased, a volcano waiting to erupt within his chest. He rubbed the sweat coated fingers of his free hand down his trousers. Everything was going according to schedule.
He knew that if he had broken into her flat to stage the attack, there was the potential to leave too much evidence that might be used to track him down, and he couldn’t have that. His motto was ‘leave no trace,’ which is why he planned to snatch her off the street.
Like many neighbourhoods clinging to the hub of British cities, the area Jane lived in was rundown, with discarded trash bags spewing their contents across the pavement – fodder for the rats and feral cats that prowled the streets once the sun went down. McDonald’s packaging and the remains of half eaten kebabs discarded by late night drunks littered the gutters, and the tang of rotten produce and sour piss permeated the air. Dirt and grime coated the walls of the buildings, many of which were boarded up and covered with graffiti, the culprits marking their territory like dogs.
No one took much notice of him in areas like these, and the distinct lack of community spirit associated with the modern generation meant that people ignored most of what they saw, just trying to make it through each day as best they could.
The Oracle watched the girl walk across Hope Street, dressed for the heat of another day in a yellow t-shirt and a black knee length skirt. She clutched a brown shoulder bag to her side, and kept her head bowed, eyes focused on her white Nike trainers.
It would take Jane ten minutes to reach the main road. There she would wait for the number seven bus, which arrived at 6:45. Today, she was blissfully unaware her journey would terminate early. As usual, she would take the shortcut down an alley between two buildings, which saved her five minutes of extra walking. It was a simple routine to follow. Too simple, and his reconnaissance had revealed that the dingy alleyway between the buildings was the perfect spot to stage the abduction – it wasn’t overlooked by any windows, there was only ambient light so much of it was in darkness, and the towering buildings would muffle her screams.
The Oracle followed Jane at a discreet distance of about forty feet, which he gauged to be far enough back so as not to appear threatening if she should discern his presence. He had parked his car near to the shortcut – not too close that she would notice the vehicle, because anything out of the ordinary might make her change something about her routine, but close enough that he wouldn’t have to carry her too far.
She reached the corner of the road and turned left. When she disappeared out of sight, the Oracle hurried to close the gap. His body throbbed with anticipation, all of his senses highly aware of everything around him. It had been a while since he felt like this, and truth be told, he had missed the feeling.
Pursuing someone always gave him a buzz. The thrill of the chase. But it didn’t come close to the euphoria he felt during the actual act of killing. That was something else. The biggest thrill ride in the world. Thinking about it made him smile; his balls tightened and goose bumps mottled his arms. Although the circumstances surrounding his choice of target were completely different now to those he had killed before, it didn’t lessen the feeling – it actually enhanced it.
Jane walked with her arms folded across her ample chest, a subconscious form of protection and the barrier of the weak. Not that it would help her today.
Her footsteps echoed along the road, the Oracle’s almost silent as he followed in her wake, well versed in covert manoeuvres as he matched her step for step, becoming as one with his victim. The anticipation was almost too much to bear and he took deep breaths to control the beat of his heart. His fingers tingled and he licked his dry lips.
As soon as she turned into the alley between houses, he would strike.
With mere seconds to go, he withdrew a pair of disposable latex gloves and tugged them onto his hands, then pulled the chloroform soaked cloth from a bag in his pocket, the sodden material feeling cold and spongy through the gloves.
Jane turned the corner to take the short cut.
The Oracle followed, cloth held tightly in his fist, senses attuned to the task at hand. Jane was about eight feet ahead, her footfalls echoing between the walls. The aroma of Chinese food filled the air, a pile of discarded boxes piled up outside the back door to the restaurant. Stalactites of grease hung from an extractor fan on the wall.
It was time to make his move.
The Oracle readied himself to strike, one hand on the cloth, the other about to withdraw the knife when a young lad with a pockmarked face walked into the alley from the opposite end, a Staffordshire bull terrier tugging at the leash in his hand. The Oracle clenched his teeth, released the knife, rammed the cloth back into his pocket and watched as Jane exited the short cut.
The dog strained at the leash as it approached the Oracle, its small, muscular body set to pounce, teeth bared as it looked up at him. The owner struggled to pull it away, using both hands to yank at the lead.
“He’s not usually like this,” the lad said.
The Oracle guessed that the dog could sense the bloodlust on his mind. He could easily take them both out, but they weren’t his target. If he killed randomly, then he’d be just a savage, and they weren’t part of his plan so he kept his gloved hands out of sight in his pockets so as not to arouse suspicion.
He wasn’t happy about it, but he had considered this scenario, like he considered everything.
There would be another opportunity to grab Jane Numan.
People are predictable. That’s what makes them easy to kill.

Down memory lane (music festivals)

2011-07-19T11:10:00.011+01:00

I was reminiscing last night, looking back at some of the concerts and festivals that I’ve been to, and some of the awesome punk and alternative bands that I’ve seen in the past (haven’t been to a gig for ages now). The list involves Nirvana, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Theatre of Hate, Southern Death Cult, Killing Joke, The Cramps, Pixies, Faith No More, Public Image, Nick Cave, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Iggy Pop, New Order, The Damned. The list goes on, and I’ve posted some of the flyers below. I can’t remember them all, but some other bands I saw live included loads of punk bands such as GBH, Discharge, Broken Bones, and then there was Sisters of Mercy, Toyah Wilcox, Fields of the Nephilim, The Human League, Altered Images, Motorhead. Be interested to know if anyone was at these gigs, or if you’ve seen any of these bands too from an era when music to my mind (and ear) was at its height.

The Evil That Men Do

2011-07-02T12:32:00.004+01:00

I was doing a lot of research into human experimentation for the second Prosper Snow novel, and until I started, I didn’t realise how much of this has actually gone on through the ages. Most people are familiar with the Nazis and the Holocaust, but some of the other disturbing cases I came across are as follows:

The Stanford Prison Experiment. This was a psychological study about human responses to captivity and its behavioural effects on both authorities and inmates in a prison environment. The experiment was led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Undergraduate volunteers played the roles of both guards and prisoners living in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.

The prisoners and guards rapidly adapted to their roles, stepping beyond the boundaries of what had been predicted and leading to dangerous and psychologically damaging situations. One-third of the guards were judged to have exhibited “genuine” sadistic tendencies, while many prisoners were emotionally traumatized and two had to be removed from the experiment early. Finally, Zimbardo, alarmed at the increasingly abusive anti-social behavior from his subjects, terminated the entire experiment early.

Project MKULTRA, or MK-ULTRA, was the code name for a CIA mind-control research program, run by the Office of Scientific Intelligence.

It began in the early 1950s and continued through the late 1960s. There is much published evidence that the project involved the surreptitious use of many types of drugs, as well as other methodologies, to manipulate individual mental states and to alter brain function.

Experiments included administering LSD to CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, other government agents, prostitutes, mentally ill patients, and members of the general public in order to study their reactions. LSD and other drugs were usually administered without the subject’s knowledge and informed consent.

In 1973, CIA Director Richard Helms ordered all MKULTRA files destroyed. Pursuant to this order, most CIA documents regarding the project were destroyed, making a full investigation of MKULTRA virtually impossible.

The Aversion Project. In the 1970’s and the 1980’s, South Africa’s apartheid army forced white lesbian and gay soldiers to undergo ‘sex-change’ operations, and submitted many to chemical castration, electric shock, and other unethical medical experiments. Although the exact number is not known, former apartheid army surgeons estimate that as many as 900 forced ‘sexual reassignment’ operations may have been performed between 1971 and 1989 at military hospitals, as part of a top-secret program to root out homosexuality from the service.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was an investigation of untreated syphilis in the Negro Male, conducted between 1932 and 1972 in Tuskegee, Alabama.

399 (plus 201 control group without syphilis) poor – and mostly illiterate – African American sharecroppers were denied treatment for Syphilis.

This study became notorious because it was conducted without due care to its subjects, and led to major changes in how patients are protected in clinical studies. Individuals enrolled in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study did not give informed consent and were not informed of their diagnosis; instead they were told they had “bad blood” and could receive free medical treatment, rides to the clinic, meals and burial insurance in case of death in return for participating. In 1932, when the study started, standard treatments for syphilis were toxic, dangerous, and of questionable effectiveness. Part of the original goal of the study was to determine if patients were better off not being treated with these toxic remedies. For many participants, treatment was intentionally denied. Many patients were lied to and given placebo treatments—in order to observe the fatal progression of the disease.

By the end of the study, only 74 of the test subjects were still alive. Twenty-eight of the men had died directly of syphilis, 100 were dead of related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected, and 19 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis.

Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel.

Some of the numerous atrocities committed by the commander Shiro Ishii and others under his command in Unit 731 include: vivisection of living people (including pregnant women who were impregnated by the doctors), prisoners had limbs amputated and reattached to other parts of their body, some prisoners had parts of their bodies frozen and thawed to study the resulting untreated gangrene. Humans were also used as living test cases for grenades and flame throwers. Prisoners were injected with strains of diseases, disguised as vaccinations, to study their effects. To study the effects of untreated venereal diseases, male and female prisoners were deliberately infected with syphilis and gonorrhoea via rape, then studied.

Then there was an experiment that involved intradermal injections of live human cancer cells into 22 chronically ill, debilitated non-cancer patients in 1963 without their consent in the Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital case, to learn if foreign cancer cells would live longer in debilitated non-cancer patients than in patients debilitated by cancer.

Then there was the case of severely retarded children at the Willowbrook State Hospital in New York being injected with hepatitis virus. This Hospital did not admit new patients after 1964, unless their parents "consented" to the experiment.

Cancer patients (mostly Negroes of below-average intelligence who were charity patients) during 1960-72 in Cincinnati were exposed to large doses of whole body radiation as part of an experiment sponsored by the U.S. military.

A University of Minnesota study in the late 1940s injected 11 public service employee volunteers with malaria, then starved them for five days.

For a study in 1957, when the Asian flu pandemic was spreading, federal researchers sprayed the virus in the noses of 23 inmates at Patuxent prison in Jessup, Md., to compare their reactions to those of 32 virus-exposed inmates who had been given a new vaccine.

Government researchers in the 1950s tried to infect about two dozen volunteering prison inmates with gonorrhea using two different methods in an experiment at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta. The bacteria was pumped directly into the urinary tract through the penis, according to their paper.

***

Although I was researching for a fictional work, the truth is that much of what I wrote about has actually happened in one way or another.

The truth may be stranger than fiction, but it’s also a hell of a lot scarier too.

Self publishing (the view from the trenches)

2011-06-19T13:49:00.002+01:00

Since the upsurge in ebooks, self publishing or indie publishing is the latest hot potato. Now anyone who self publishes or is thinking of self publishing has probably heard the success stories of people such as Amanda Hocking and JA Konrath, but for every success story there are thousands and thousands of struggling authors that might sell a handful of copies a month if they’re lucky. And I’m firmly in the latter camp.

To put this into perspective, I’ll share my details and my story for those interested, or for those contemplating going this route.

To start at the beginning, I had my first novel published in 2003, but it wasn’t until 2009 that my next one appeared in print. Since then I've had one novel adapted for film, which is now awaiting release. I put my first self published work up for sale in December of 2010 and I now have 4 works available (3 of those were previously published in paperback and I received advances and royalties). The 4 books are Dead Man’s Eye, The Kult, Deadfall and Evilution. Now I won’t go into individual sales as it’s not really relevant, just the totals from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Smashwords on these books. They are priced low (some may say too low, others might say too high) between $0.99 and $1.49:

Amazon.com sales from December to May this year have totalled 164 copies, which resulted in royalties of $75.42 (£46.58)

Amazon.co.uk sales for the same period totalled 90 copies with royalties of $45.81 (£28.30)

Smashwords sales are more erratic to work out as they include copies that I’ve given away for free, but paid sales, which includes sales from Barnes & Noble, Sony etc, came to $60.70 (£37.49)

So total money earned from December to May = $181.93 (£112.37)

When you take into account the hours put in writing the books (on average each book took me about 6 months to write), and then the many more hours promoting them, you can see that in this case, it’s not paid me back. Also take into account that I paid for promotion at various places such as Kindle Boards, Goodreads etc, which totalled more than $125 and total profit falls to less than $55 (£33.97). And that’s for 6 months solid promotion using message boards, forums, paid adverts etc! So that’s hardly enough for a meal and a few drinks on a night out. Not much return for all the hard work. And this is for books that have received some excellent reviews at various places which you can check on Goodreads and Amazon.

Luckily my paperback sales before the publisher went bankrupt and before I withdrew one book were far better, so I made more money on the paperback books. I won’t list advances or how much these paid, but just let me say that even the lowest selling one made far more in royalties after earning out the advance than I’ve made in the last 6 months through ebook sales.

Now to be honest, I used to dream of making a living as a writer, and the embers of that dream are still there, but the realist in me knows that it doesn’t look as though that is going to happen. But I’ll continue writing because I love writing. Being paid is icing on the cake.

So for those contemplating taking the indie road, good luck. Because believe me, no matter how good an author you are, you’ll need it.

Book versus the film

2011-06-15T11:23:00.003+01:00

I guess deep down it’s every author's dream to see their work made into a film, so I feel extremely lucky that The Kult has been adapted. Now most people always say that the book is better than the film, so I’ll be very interested to see if that holds true this time.

The reason why most people prefer the books probably comes from that fact that a film is a condensed version. Also, a film doesn’t allow you to get inside the characters heads as much as a book. I recall being excited about seeing Stephen King’s Misery on the big screen as I’d loved the book, but I walked away very disappointed as it didn’t compare for me personally. Another example was Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island, where again I much preferred the book as it allowed you to ‘walk in the characters shoes’ while reading. I think part of this is because reading is a much more personal thing, and at times we come to feel that the characters we are reading about are real people, and that sometimes they become people that we know and so it can be quite a wrench to have to finish a book and realise that we’re going to lose the good friend that we’ve made along the way.

Anyway, here are some examples of books that I felt were better than their adaptations: The Beach, Christine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Day of the Triffids.

Examples where I preferred the film include: Fight Club, Lord of the Flies, Trainspotting, The Bourne Identity and the television series, Dexter.

So what are your thoughts? Do you prefer the books or the adaptations? Have any good examples? As for The Kult, only time will tell …

Links to buy the book:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/h0KuGw
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/h9sj9R
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/jNwiPc

Film trailer:

Summer Holiday and The Kult movie

2011-06-08T20:47:00.001+01:00

I’ve just arrived home (well at 4 a.m.) from a holiday in Lanzarote. Had a great time chilling in the sun (now I know why they call Lanzarote the windy island though as the wind never stops blowing.) The only disconcerting bit was while waiting for the plane to take off on the way home, and the civil aviation authority wouldn’t let it go. People were getting on and off and talking animatedly with the captain. Eventually the captain announced that there was a minor technical problem that would be fixed soon. An hour and a half later, after a succession of engineers appeared on the scene, we were told it was because there was a screw missing from somewhere underneath the plane, and they had had trouble locating one to replace it with. I’d hate to think what would have happened and how long it would have taken if it was something ‘really’ technical.

I’ll post some pictures when I sort them out, but for anyone who’s never been to Lanzarote it’s certainly got a unique landscape, and resembles the surface of the moon in places. Aside from lazing by the pool, we had a trip to the Timanfaya National Park http://www.discoverlanzarote.com/timanfaya.asp We also dived underneath the ocean in a submarine, which was great fun. Now I just need to get rid of the excess weight I've put on as I guess I gorged and drank too much, making the most of the all inclusive package!

Anyway, now that I’m refreshed I hope to get back to writing as I've let it slide a lot as of late.

Also while I was away the trailer for The Kult movie was posted. I hope you’ll all check it out, and that if you enjoy it, you’ll click the ‘like’ button and hopefully share the link. And just in case you could have forgotten, the book that the film is based on is still available ;)

Anyway, here are the obligatory links:

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

Authors and books

2011-05-15T20:43:00.007+01:00

I’ve never professed to be the best writer in the world but I enjoy making stuff up. Of course I hope other people like it too (the stuff I make up that is), because if you’re spending money on what I’ve written, I don’t want you, the reader to be disappointed. But you’re never going to please everyone, and people will find fault somewhere, whether it’s the prose, punctuation, grammar, spelling, characters, dialogue etc, but I try to write engaging fiction that I hope makes people keep turning the pages. It’s even more important to please people with a digital book as when you have a paperback, you can at least sell it on or use it to wipe your arse or stick it under a wobbly table leg, but in the digital age you can’t even say it’s worth the paper it’s written on. That’s why I appreciate it when anyone takes a chance on me and purchases something I’ve written. With so much choice out there it’s hard to sort the wheat from the chaff and as a reader myself, I know what it’s like to take a chance and buy something from an author you’ve never read before, so in alphabetical order I’m going to give a shout out to some of the perhaps less well known authors I’ve recently read whose work I've enjoyed in the hope you find something you might like too:

Kealan Patrick Burke http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com/
Garry Charles http://www.garrycharles.co.uk/
Rick Chesler http://rickchesler.com/
JG Faherty http://www.jgfaherty.com/
Guido Henkel http://guidohenkel.com/
Dave Jeffery http://davejeffery.webs.com/
Gary McMahon http://www.garymcmahon.com/
Scott Nicholson http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/
Rod Rees http://www.thedemi-monde.com/
Simon Royle http://www.simon-royle.com/
Daniel I Russell http://www.danielirussell.com/
Jeff Strand http://jeffstrand.wordpress.com/
Lee Thompson http://alongthispathsodarkly.blogspot.com/
Vicki Tyley http://www.vickityley.com/
Zoe Winters http://www.zoewinters.org/

The many masks we wear

2011-05-02T20:41:00.002+01:00

I’ve been thinking about masks. The masks we all wear to be precise. You see, we all wear different masks around different people. Take for example a character I shall call Derek Macmillan.

Derek is married with two children. He works in a factory.

His parents call him Derek, using the name often when addressing him. Derek never swears around his parents and even though he is in his late thirties, he would probably get a clip around the ear if he did so.

His wife on the other hand rarely calls him by any name as she has no need of such appellations, although she sometimes calls him Del when needing to speak to him directly (when she’s angry she calls him by his full name). Derek only swears in front of his wife when he is really, really pissed off, which gives the profanity more significance.

Derek’s son calls him Dad. Before he turned eight, he called him Daddy. His daughter calls him Dad too. Derek has never sworn within earshot of his children as he doesn’t want to set a bad example.

At work, they call him Del. He swears like a trooper at work, mainly using the cussing in the form of light hearted banter. He also says things at work that he would never tell his wife.

Derek also has a close circle of friends that he grew up with. To them he is known as Mac, an abbreviation of his surname. He has no problem swearing while around his closest friends, but he doesn’t overdo it.

To those who address him formally, he is called Mr. Macmillan. He never swears around people he doesn’t know very well as he doesn’t want them to judge him by his use of bad language. He also adopts certain airs and graces with people he doesn’t know, trying to make himself sound more eloquent.

So here we have one man with five masks in the forms of Derek, Dad, Del, Mac and Mr. Macmillan. Each name gives Derek a different personality, although at heart he is one and the same.

I guess this is why authors should explore every facet of their fictional characters, and take into account what mannerism they adopt when wearing each mask.

The Kult

2011-04-24T12:39:00.007+01:00

Now that the film of The Kult is just about complete, I've reduced the eBook price by a whopping 50% to celebrate:

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

It's hard work getting word out about the book, so please feel free to help me spread the word by reposting the link or telling anyone you think might be interested. And if you've read the book and would consider writing a review on Amazon, however brief, that would be awesome. Thank you.

Nurturing a love of books

2011-04-11T11:37:00.005+01:00

I can’t resist keep buying books. I was in Rhyl yesterday and popped into The Works (which is a discount bookshop) and picked up Stephen King’s Duma Key, Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold and Andrew Davidson’s The Gargoyle in a £5 for 3 books deal. I don’t know when I’ll have chance to read them, but they’ll be added to my ever growing ‘to be read’ pile.

But that’s the thing. I love books. Ebooks, printed books, it doesn’t matter. I love reading - always have - and I’ve instilled that love in my son, who at 8 years of age will stop awake late at night reading to himself (which is something that I can't tell him off for) He’s already far advanced in terms of his reading ability and was above the reading age that he should be years ago (I also bought him another book yesterday. I think his book collection will be competing with mine soon). Although he reads to himself, Deb and I still read to him every night too, so even though I don’t always get time to read my own books, I read lots of children’s books. We take him to the library every month and he takes out about 6 books at a time.

Recently The Education Secretary, Michael Gove said that children as young as 11 should be expected to read 50 books a year as part of a national drive to improve literacy standards, because the academic demands placed on English schoolchildren have been “too low for too long”.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said the vast majority of teenagers read just one or two books as part of their GCSEs, normally including John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

Mr Gove said all schools should “raise the bar” by requiring pupils to read large numbers of whole books at the end of primary school and throughout secondary education.

It follows the publication of a report in December showing that reading standards among British teenagers had slumped from 17th to 25th in a major international league table.

***

One of the most important things you can teach your children is to love reading and it needn’t cost anything but time to do. Find a subject they are interested in and then nurture it. Above all, make it fun.

And for something completely different to read, here’s an interview where I talk about serial killers: http://readhorror.wordpress.com/interviews/shaun_jeffrey_on_serial_killers/

Monsters, Winter's Bone and book discounts

2011-04-03T18:51:00.007+01:00

Watched two films over the weekend, both of which were quite cheaply shot, but both of which showed that you don't need giant budgets to make decent films, especially if there's a good script and actors that can do their job well. First up was Monsters:
“Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.”

Now reading that you’d think this would be an action packed, monster laden movie, much like District 9, but in fact the action is in short supply and the ‘monsters’ hardly feature at all. The film is more a character study and revolves around Samantha Wynden, played by Whitney Able and Andrew Kaulder played by Scoot McNairy and their interaction together as they try to get across the Mexican border back to the US. Both actors play their parts pretty well, but Whitney was the better of the two. Essentially it was about the human side of the story, but I felt that a few action scenes would have helped raise the bar for what is otherwise not a bad film, but one that could have been far better. 7/10

The second film was Winter’s Bone:
This was another film that forsakes action for character, but in this case it worked really well: “An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.”

Lead character, Ree Dolly played by Jennifer Lawrence was superb in her role as the 17 year old responsible for raising her younger brother and sister and coping with her withdrawn mother. When a local Sheriff tells her that her father, who manufactures crystal meth, has put up their house as collateral for his bail and unless he shows up for his trial in a week's time, they will lose it all, she sets out to find him, but the community of mountain people are staying tight lipped, forcing Ree to delve deeper if she’s to get to the truth and save her family home. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was strong enough to carry this film on her own, but the other characters, many who had never acted before, gave a real sense of place and added to the feeling of mistrust that bubbled beneath the surface. 8.5/10

Finally, if you haven’t heard, Dark Regions Press, publisher of my collection Voyeurs of Death and the upcoming Fangtooth have been awarded the Horror Writer Association’s Speciality Award, and to celebrate they are offering 25% of everything for a very limited time using the coupon code: HWA2010. So what are you waiting for?
http://www.darkregions.com/

Book better than film?

2011-04-01T12:59:00.002+01:00

The book is always better than the film. Isn't that what they say? You can't judge The Kult yet as the film hasn't been released, but you could always check out the book first, just like these other people have:

"Jeffrey, one of horror's rising young stars, has really hit his stride with THE KULT. Part mystery, part police procedural, part horror story, it's one thrilling ride. Jeffrey had me guessing at the killer's identity half a dozen times, and the reveal, when it finally came, knocked me over. You don't want to miss this one!" --Nate Kenyon, author of THE REACH and THE BONE FACTORY

"The Kult is a satisfying read that digs its bloody hooks in from the first sentence and drags the reader through its pages at a velocity far exceeding that of lesser novels." -- Dark Scribe Magazine

"The tension in this story is beyond anything I’ve read before, really intense and edge-of-your seat reading with the plot seeming to turn with every page." -- Book Chick City

"Shaun Jeffrey has written a cracking good story that I really enjoyed reading and I highly recommend it to other crime thriller fans." -- Booklore

"If you decide to read The Kult (which you should!), make sure you block out an entire weekend strictly for reading because you won’t be able to put it down once you’ve started!" -- Fatally Yours

"The Kult is a gripping read that’s part horror, part mystery, part police procedural, and completely in-your-face." -- Musings of an All Purpose Monkey

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

Fangtooth

2011-03-28T16:33:00.006+01:00

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

2011-03-27T08:47:00.007+01:00

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 ...

2011-03-26T08:42:00.002Z

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?

2011-03-20T20:03:00.003Z

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

2011-03-16T21:05:00.002Z

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

2011-03-13T18:24:00.004Z

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.

2011-03-02T16:05:00.006Z

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

We're all going to the zoo tomorrow - well, we went last week anyway!

2011-02-27T17:09:00.008Z

It’s been a strange week book wise, but nothing that I can talk about at the moment. All I can say is that there’s good news and bad news.

One thing that I can announce is that the trade paperback version of the new edition of Voyeurs of Death from Dark Regions Press is now available, and the first 100 copies are signed: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html

Aside from writing, we had a trip to the zoo last weekend. My feelings towards zoos are torn. On one hand, I don’t like seeing animals in cages, but on the other I know that some of these animals would now be extinct if they weren’t kept this way. Anyway, here are a few photos:

The essence of horror?

2011-02-16T09:18:00.001Z

I was reading this review of my novella, Dead Man’s Eye (http://bookaholicdoesblogging.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-dead-mans-eyes.html) and it started me thinking about what the essence of horror is. Obviously this reviewer was turned off by the fact that people died, and she felt awful for the protagonist being in such dire circumstances. Now it’s not a bad review at all, just not that reader’s cup of tea for the reasons mentioned, but what is horror supposed to do? According to Wikepedia: “Horror fiction is a genre of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror.”

So I guess in that respect the piece has achieved what horror is supposed to do as said reviewer obviously felt something for the protanonist to feel depressed by what happened to her. If the reviewer hadn’t felt anything for the main character, then the story wouldn’t have carried any weight, so in that respect the story has succeeded. But what do you as a reader think of horror fiction? Should stories have happy, upbeat endings? Do you mind seeing characters die?

Help needed from readers.

2011-02-15T19:01:00.002Z

As a writer it’s hard to know what does or doesn’t work where trying to promote books is concerned, and so I would really appreciate it if anyone who has bought one of my books could let me know where they heard about it and what made them decide to purchase a copy. If you don’t want to post on a blog, please email me as I’m really interested in knowing what works and what doesn’t where promotion is concerned. Thanks in advance.

thekult_4(at)hotmail.com

Taekwondo, Dead Man's Eye, concentration and a guest blog

2011-02-13T17:15:00.005Z

Well my son and I took our latest Taekwondo grading yesterday, for our red stripe belt. Won't know how we did until next Friday, but I think it went well, apart from the aches and sprains I have this morning. I was sweating buckets during the sparring, but as I was the oldest person grading, I have an excuse.

It's great to see that people have been purchasing a copy of my novella, Dead Man's Eye via Amazon. On Amazon.co.uk it even managed to give me a nose bleed when it reached number 10 in the Kindle horror charts, so thanks to everyone who bought a copy. I really appreciate it. By the way, the price on Amazon.com is now only $0.99 (£0.70 on Amazon.co.uk):

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

On the writing front I've been making progress with my latest novel, even though there are a few sticky patches (and no, that's not a sexual innuendo). One problem I have is concentration, as I'm easily distracted by wanting to surf the net, check emails etc, so something that's helped in this respect is a free app called Focus Booster, which is basically just a countdown clock that you have to work to: http://www.focusboosterapp.com/

And lastly, for anyone interested I have a guest post up at the following blog. Hope you check it out: http://darlynandbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/guest-post-author-shaun-jeffrey.html

New Dead Man's Eye cover. Please help me choose

2011-02-05T10:41:00.005Z

As I didn't like the Dead Man's Eye cover, I've been playing around with some new ones and would like to hear which one people prefer (if any), and more importantly, which one would make you purchase a copy of the book if you saw it. The basis of the story is that after receiving a corneal transplant, a young woman starts seeing strange shadows around people who have been possessed by demons.

This is the original one:

And the following are the new ones:

Promotion

2011-01-31T18:26:00.001Z

Promotion, or more importantly self-promotion is a very sticky subject. Everywhere that people can post about their books, they do. I don’t have a problem with this. Hell, I do it myself in certain places, so can hardly complain. In their (and my) defence, if people are annoyed by the posts made, they can simply choose to ignore them. I’m not sure how much good posting on message boards does anyway to be honest, because most of the people promoting/reading on these sites are other authors, and other authors are notorious for not actually buying books. I on the other hand buy too many!

But what else is a struggling author supposed to do to promote their work? It’s easy for certain people to say ‘if it’s any good people will find it and buy it.’ To my mind that just doesn’t happen, because ‘how’ do people still find the book? They still need to hear about it. That’s why I appreciate anyone who takes time to review my work, whether they like it or not. I also appreciate anyone who posts anything about my work in messages or on forums etc. It all helps a tremendous amount.

There are lots of other things people can do to help authors too. Click on the ‘tags’ on Amazon which will help get the book higher in the searches for those words. If there’s a Facebook ‘like’ link on a review or on an Amazon page for a book, click on it to share it with your friends. If you post a review because you’ve enjoyed a book, cross post to different book seller sites, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc. If you have friends that read, tell them if you’ve read something great. Believe me, everything, no matter how small, helps.

So are there any other ways to help promote books? How do you help? Do you hate all the self promotion? I would love to hear your views.

Film reviews

2011-01-31T12:58:00.003Z

I watched a couple of films this weekend, The Last Airbender, Psych 9 and Inception. These are my thoughts:

The Last Airbender follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. Based on a cartoon, the story line was contrived, and the acting was pretty dire, but the special effects made it watchable and it kept my son entertained. 4/10

Psych 9 was a low budget film about an unstable woman working alone at night in a recently closed hospital, where she witnesses events that may be connected to a string of murders. The actors didn’t bring any real depth to the story, and the relationship between the protagonist and her husband came across that they hated each other, even though they professed their love. Aside from this, the storyline seemed to jump around and there were numerous scenes that didn’t make much sense. 4/10.

Inception also had a storyline that jumped around, but it was undertaken in a much more stylish way. Like an onion, there were many layers to inception, which concerns a world where technology exists to allow people to enter the human mind through dream invasion. Utilising this technology, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. The film contained some wonderful special effects, but it’s a film you had to watch and listen to very carefully, otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. 7.5/10

Voyeurs and Dead Man's Eye

2011-01-28T16:09:00.006Z

OK, for those who don’t know, the deluxe lettered hardcover edition of my short story collection, Voyeurs of Death is now available and shipping. It’s signed by the artist, Zach McCain and myself:

From monsters to ghosts, Shaun Jeffrey runs the gamut in this new and expanded collection. Herein are found a diverse mix of the sinister, erotic, strange and surreal. From the foreboding alleyways of Venice to a bleak Scottish island, the horror is never far away. A young boy fixes dead things. You can't always judge a man by the cut of his suit, especially when the suit isn't made of cloth. A relaxing cruise is anything but once the passengers start to die, only to then come back to life. And a trip to the past has dire consequences for the future. Now turn the page and join the voyeurs of death.

http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html

Also, the first reviews have started appearing for Dead Man’s Eye. I appreciate the time people have taken to read and review my work very much. Book bloggers are the best.

Author Shaun Jeffrey has written a dark and brilliant novella. – Fiktshun: http://bit.ly/hcnk1u

I read this in one day as I did not want to put this book down. – Babs World of Books: http://bit.ly/hSZ7TP

I really enjoyed this novella. It grabs you right away and the opening train scene had me actually open mouthed. – Mommy Wants to Read: http://bit.ly/i5BgtK

This horror story is a riveting piece of work. – Grumpy Dan: http://bit.ly/hLpxlT

If you like Thriller/horror and dark novels then I highly recommend this one. – Geeky Girl Reviews: http://bit.ly/es8TOO

I’ve also been working on the description for Dead Man’s Eye as I didn’t think it summed up the story well enough. Here’s what I have now:

Blighted by an eye disease, Joanna Raines undergoes a corneal transplant operation to stop her going blind. The procedure is successful, but in the weeks that follow she begins to see dark coronas surrounding certain people. By turns fearful that something has gone wrong and worried that she’s going crazy, Joanna searches for an answer to the phenomena.

What she finds will change her life forever. The transplant has opened a door in her mind, and the strange coronas are not legacies of the operation but proof that a legion of demons plans to invade the earth!

Now the only thing that stands between the demonic horde and their plot to take over the world is Joanna, a young woman with the power to see them for what they really are.

Seeing is believing.

The demons are real.

Joanna just has to convince everyone else before it’s too late.

*** ***

And as a taster, here is the first chapter:

CHAPTER 1

Joanna Raines looked at the world through a dead man’s eyes.

Through one eye to be precise.

Things were still a little blurry, which was why she felt sure her transplant was being rejected – why else would it feel scratchy and appear red? She shuddered at the thought of a world in darkness if the graft failed, especially now that she could see things a little clearer. The checklist she’d been handed after the operation mentioned various symptoms to watch out for, two of which she had, which was why she’d made the appointment with the doctor.

The musical notes of the tannoy interrupted her thoughts and she listened to the disembodied voice announcing that the train would be twenty minutes late. She peered at her watch, squinting to combat the double vision so she could make out the position of the hands. Prepared for such an event, she had decided to catch the earlier train. Her hospital appointment wasn’t for another hour and a half, so she still had plenty of time to get there.

A chill wind blew through the Victorian station, carrying with it the pungent scent of cleaning fluid that tickled her nose and made her eyes water. Further along the platform, she saw a yellow triangular board, the figure on which she guessed indicated cleaning in progress. She resisted rubbing at her replaced cornea, wary of dislodging it or upsetting the stitches, which although virtually invisible, made her feel a little like Frankenstein’s monster.

Joanna stared up at the lichen coated glass roof overhead. Wan light seeped through, making her feel like she was underneath a pond. Through her new cornea, she saw blurred beams of light arcing down, like biblical rays; through her uncorrected eye, it felt like trying to stare through a dusty curtain, a common symptom of Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Joanna looked up, squinting. Despite her blurred vision, she could see a large man wearing a red vest top, and as he drew close, Joanna ducked her head, letting her black hair veil her features.

“Damn trains! Always late when you need to be somewhere at a certain time,” the man said as he sat beside her.

Despite the pressure behind her eyeball caused by leaning forwards, Joanna didn’t look up. “It shouldn’t be long,” she said, the words coming out barely more than a whisper, intensifying her insecurity.

“An optimist. I guess you don’t travel by train very often, otherwise you’d be with us pessimists.”

She gazed at her feet, all four of them. Concentrated on trying to correct the view, closing one eye at a time, but it didn’t help, and the replaced cornea actually stung and she started to feel a little giddy and sick.

“You like a stick of gum?” the man asked.

“No thanks.”

“I know, it’s god-awful muck, especially this low sugar shit. If I wasn’t in a bodybuilding competition this afternoon, I’d be eating chocolate. God, I miss chocolate. You don’t realise how much until you can’t eat it. The things we do for our dreams eh.”

Joanna nodded. She knew all about dreams. Had followed hers through college and university where she gained a BA (Hons) in photography before setting up as a freelance photographer, specialising in portraits; then her eyesight started to fail, and the dream faded along with her vision.

“Sorry for rambling,” the man said, “it’s just this fuckin- pardon my French - train, where is it? We’ll probably get some bloody lame excuse about leaves on the line next.”

Joanna heard the man tapping his foot on the ground and drumming his hands on his thighs. She could almost feel the impatience oozing out of him.

Feeling a little dizzy, she folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes to rest her sight, but the irritation from her replaced cornea caused tears to form. The darkness behind her lids increased her fears about going blind. She couldn’t imagine a world of perpetual darkness.

Someone walked past, pulling something that rattled across the stone floor. She heard a couple of children arguing and an irate mother berating them. She also heard traffic outside and the beat of wings as a bird, probably a pigeon, flew through the station. Then she detected the sound of heavy machinery droning in the distance like a mechanical bee. The whistle of the wind blowing along the platform. And above it all, the man at her side beating out his impatient rhythm like a war beat.

She never realised before how much extraneous noise the ears picked up that the consciousness ignored.

The sudden musical note of the tannoy interrupted her thoughts and the announcer mumbled out an almost incoherent apology for the lateness of the train, and that there was a change, and it would now be arriving at platform two any minute.

“Typical,” the man beside her said as he stood and hurried away to the platform.

Joanna opened her eyes, the tears obscuring her sight even more. She blinked rapidly, aggravating the stinging sensation that felt as though she had a lash stuck on her eyeball. Despite wanting to rub it, she closed her eye and pressed the palm of her hand against the lid to soothe the pain.

She looked up at the sound of the approaching train, the engine’s single headlight like a Cyclopean eye. Through her Fuchs’ eye, she saw the light as a bright ball with needle-like rays radiating out. Through the transplant, she saw at least three bright lights.

When she looked with both eyes, the effect combined to create a distorted image.

Joanna gathered her belongings and made to stand when she heard a shout and what sounded like a hollow drum roll. She looked across the platform and saw a flurry of movement on the stairs leading down to platform two. People jumped aside, and she squinted to combat her distorted vision, recognising what appeared to be a suitcase tumbling down the steps.

The waiting passengers scattered out of the way of the falling luggage, knocking into each other in their haste.

A woman with a halo of blonde hair stepped aside, crashing into the man beside her. He grimaced and reared back, inadvertently knocking into an old woman who dropped her drink. The plastic beverage container exploded like a grenade, splattering hot liquid over the legs of a teenage girl wearing a miniskirt. She squealed and flailed her arms in the air, punching the young man next to her in the nose, and causing him to step into the path of the bodybuilder that had been sitting next to Joanna.

Unable to tear her gaze away, Joanna watched in horror as the man stumbled and then fell over the edge onto the tracks. Someone screamed. The engine driver blew his horn, the hellish sound almost deafening in the confines of the station.

Although it wasn’t going fast, the train wheels squealed against the rails. The man tried to roll out of the way, but he didn’t move fast enough. With sickening precision, the front wheel rolled across his arm.

The train stopped, and a strange silence descended.

Blood gushed from the stump where the man’s arm had been.

Joanna froze, unable to believe what she had just seen. Bile rose in her throat and she fought not to be sick.

She caught sight of movement beside the man and turned her head. Saw what looked like a strange shadow, a black ethereal mass that surged towards the fallen figure and flowed into his body through the ragged stump of the missing limb.

Thinking she’d imagined it, that she was seeing anomalous floaters, Joanna blinked, aggravating the irritating pain from her cornea. She narrowed her eyes, straining to make sense of what she had just seen.

A second later the man moved, his legs twitching. Then he sat up and grabbed the severed limb. Despite the distance, Joanna thought the sliced end looked like a cut of meat marbled with fat and muscle. But strangest of all was that although the man’s arm had been severed, he had what appeared to be a black limb protruding from the shoulder.

The man started to stand, and a strange black shadow surrounded him like a dark phosphorous corona. The nimbus was so black, it looked like an absolute absence of light, as though the man had been carved out of his surroundings.

Joanna covered her face with her hands. Either her eyes were playing tricks on her, or she was going mad …

She shuddered. Maybe there was something even worse than a world of darkness.

*** ***

Available to purchase from the following for $1.99

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/hvWbCp

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/dKDwke

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/g6lgRn

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/i4Qzfj

So where do you think stories come from?

2011-01-23T16:25:00.002Z

Well I’m a quarter of the way into my new novel, but there’s still a long way to go. I have a very rough outline, but to be honest, most of it is written off the cuff, so what happens in the story and to the characters is a surprise to me too. But that’s what makes (at least for me) the writing process so interesting, because I often feel like I’m an instrument whose sole purpose is to write the story down, but that the story is something that’s already happened. That in some respects it’s real, and that the words that appear on the screen have been channelled through me. I mean, inspiration has to come from somewhere, so who’s to say that in an alternate universe, the worlds and people I create don’t really exist, and that really I’m writing their story, not mine.

Another scenario: The creation of imaginary worlds or fictional universes is often called 'world building', so what if by writing about them, these worlds and people are brought to life in an alternative dimension? If that's the case, the author of the story would be a God who has given life to his creations. Thereby we could be someone's fictional creations. That would mean our God(s) would then be struggling authors too.

I just wish I could create my world in 7 days. And for the record, no illegal substances were consumed or injected while writing this.

So where do you think stories come from?

The future of publishing

2011-01-09T16:20:00.004Z

I have a question or two to ask today. Firstly, what do you think of the current climate in publishing? It seems to be going through a radical change, what with the current glut of ebooks. So have physical books had their day? Also, what does the future hold? Do you like reading on ereaders or does paper still win the day? It will be interesting to see how bookshops and publishers fare when so many people have decided to go the indie route. Of course not everything that has been published this way is any good, and it's surprising how many people champion authors that really need to learn how to write properly. They know the basics, but so much of the work I read is comparable to a first draft, and not something that should be out there for everyone to read before it's been through multiple edits, ideally by someone with a keen eye. So with the potential for so much bad/poor writing to flood the market, will readers’ expectations drop? Will they learn to accept what is on offer, or will they become more discerning in what they read? I know I’ve skimmed through numerous samples available to download for free, and read some terrible writing that people, probably friends and relatives of the author are praising to the skies. In my opinion this does a disservice to the author(s) who probably thinks he/she is better than they are and it does a disservice to the reader prepared to shell out their hard earned money on something that shouldn't have been published until it was ready. Constructive criticism would do some of them the world of good, as long as they were prepared to listen. What do other people think?

Review and interview

2011-01-07T21:08:00.004Z

Today I was lucky enough to have a great review for The Kult appear online, and a great interview has been posted too. I'd really appreciate it if you showed some love and checked them out. And while at the interview page, check out Simon's debut thriller, Tag too:
On 15 March 2110, 6.3 billion people will die.

One man’s vision to make the world a better place.

From a world where the concept of violence has changed, and where personal privacy has been forsaken, comes a tale of conspiracy, love and murder – and the bond shared by brothers.

Interview

Review

Newsletter and a free novella

2011-01-05T19:38:00.004Z

As it's the New Year, I've had a little sort out and I decided to scrap my previous newsletter as I was never happy with it. So I've started a new one, and as a thank you to anyone who signs up, you will receive a coupon to download my new novella, Dead Man's Eye for free in the ebook format of your choice on Smashwords. Just visit shaunjeffrey.com to find the subscription details.

Dead Man's Eye
A corneal transplant does more than correct Joanna Raines sight. It allows her to see something that doesn't want to be seen. Something evil. Something that threatens mankind. The only trouble is that no one believes her, and by the time they do, it might be too late ...

Seeing is believing. Now Joanna just has to convince everyone else.

The Crossbow Cannibal in all of us

2010-12-22T10:02:00.004Z

I was listening to the news yesterday about the Crossbow Cannibal case, when someone was interviewed and said something along the lines of:

"His shelves were packed with books about serial killers, he had dozens of magazines about homicide and his videos were "slasher" flicks.

The walls were hung with Samurai swords blah, blah, blah."

It made me chuckle, not because of his heinous crimes, but because Deb looked across at me. You see, they could have been talking about our house because it's filled with horror books and books on serial killers, I have video slasher flicks, and directly behind us on the wall where we were sitting is my Samurai sword (for the record, I also have a crossbow too). As of writing this, I have not killed anyone. But if I ever do, just remember it's not the horror books that have warped my mind, it's a result of being abducted by aliens. They're after me I tell you.

Thank you

2010-12-19T20:03:00.000Z

Well another year’s almost over and as with any year there have been highs and lows. Personal highs have been the filming of my novel The Kult, and my trip over to the States to see some of it being shot (thanks to everyone involved who made me feel so welcome. Just sorry I had to kill some of you off). Then there’s been the publication of my novel, Deadfall, my appearance in Cemetery Dance and my new publishing deal with Dark Regions Press.

So what’s next? Well my next Prosper Snow novel is finished bar a couple of edits, and I’m working on a new novel that I believe has an interesting premise, but I don’t want to talk about it, as doing so will dilute some of the enthusiasm I have for it. When I start writing something, it feels somewhat magical, but if I start telling people what the story is about I end up losing my motivation to write it.

Now I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me, either by reading and commenting on my work or by purchasing something I’ve had published (I only hope that those who did purchase something didn’t feel as though you’d wasted your money).

I still have ambitions and lots that I want to achieve, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. And remember, dreams are like stars. They seem so far away, but just sometimes, we reach them. Don’t ever stop dreaming. And I hope 2011 is magical for each and every one of you.

Prosper Snow's back - well, almost.

2010-12-05T21:04:00.001Z

I’ve been hard at work going over my next Prosper Snow novel. I’d finished the first draft, but didn’t like the ending, so I’ve changed it. Now I need to let it percolate a while before I go back to it – and I’ve got some readers going through it to give me their thoughts. The difficult issue with this novel is commenting on what went on in the previous novel without giving too much away for those who haven’t read it. Obviously events from Prosper’s past have shaped him, like they do everyone. But then not everyone’s life is changed by becoming an accomplice to murder!

So to see what people think, I’m posting the first chapter here. But please remember this is an early draft and things can change, so it’s not set in stone.

Prosper Snow. Husband, father, friend, police officer, murderer. Yet again, Prosper is on the hunt for a serial killer, but he’s not alone. A shadowy government organisation that seems to know far too much about his nefarious past is keen to make sure that news of the killings is kept to a minimum. Now Prosper will stop at nothing to find out the how and why.

CHAPTER 1

Murder makes monsters of people. Prosper Snow knew that better than most.
He stared down at the corpse of the middle aged man and grimaced. The man had been butchered beyond recognition. Flaps of skin hung off his cheeks like they had been sliced with razors and rivers of blood pooled in a congealed puddle in the grassy depression by his feet.
Flies buzzed around the corpse. One alighted on the clear fluid that had oozed out of a punctured eyeball. Part of the man’s entrails protruded from slashes in what looked like a pale blue boiler suit, most of the material sodden with blood.
The air reeked of death. Prosper wrinkled his nose and tried to hold his breath, but the white mask he wore as part of his crime scene coverall seemed to retain the smell, making it linger inside his nostrils.
Prosper folded his arms, trying to distance himself from the sickening sight. He listened to birdsong emanating from the elm trees about forty feet away. The sound seemed out of place at such a brutal site.
As the Senior Investigation Officer, Prosper was like the conductor of an orchestra, overseeing all parts of the enquiry and coordinating people from various departments on site, including Scene of Crime Officers, the police surgeon, a coroner, a pathologist and scientists. But there were that many people lingering around it looked as though every nosey bugger from within a ten mile radius had descended. Death attracted people like a grotesque magnet.
“Look, everyone who’s not vital to the case, can you get the hell out of my crime scene before I kick you out,” he shouted, watching as some of those in attendance slouched away.
Since packing in smoking almost a year ago, Prosper had resorted to chewing gum, but the gory sight made the now tasteless piece in his mouth lose its appeal as he imagined he was chewing on a lump of flesh.
He lowered the mask and turned to spit the gum out when he realised he couldn’t contaminate the area. So he swallowed it instead and turned back to the corpse, the paper suit rustling as he moved.
“This is just great,” Mike Holmes snapped from behind the police cordon. He shook his head and ran a hand through his buzz cut as he stared at the body. “What is it with you and death? No wonder they’ve called it Operation Avalanche, because this is going to be a fucking disaster.”
Prosper glared at Mike. He knew he was referring to last years Oracle case in which a multitude of people were murdered, including a police officer, so the last thing Mike probably wanted was to be partnered with Prosper on another murder investigation.
Hell, in the circumstances, even Prosper wouldn’t want to be partnered with himself, but that didn’t make the snide comment any easier to accept.
After a moment, Prosper turned away and stared around the area. Grey clouds scudded across the sky, threatening rain. A cluster of green prefabricated buildings stood in the distance. Most of them looked like industrial units hundreds of feet in length and width. One was surrounded by a high barbed wire fence, while a lorry belching smoke pulled up outside another. The units looked quite new, and were surrounded by trees and architectural features such as small sculptures comprised of cubes. In the middle of the complex sat a large artificial pond with a fountain spraying water into the air.
The spot where the body had been discovered was a grassy area punctuated with evergreen bushes, one of which was splattered with blood like gory Christmas decorations. A small stream flowed near by, the sound of bubbling water counter-pointed by the bird call. The closest building stood about one hundred feet away.
Prosper turned his attention back to the body. It had been discovered by a woman walking her dog. The pile of vomit nearby was an indication of how much the spectacle had affected her before she was taken away for counselling.
Although he wasn’t immune to the sight of blood and gore, Prosper had been closely associated enough that he was less distressed.
At first glance, the victim looked as though he had been attacked by a wild animal, but of course there were no wild animals in the UK capable of doing something like this – at least not unless something like a bear or a large wild cat had escaped from a zoo. The only domestic creature capable of doing so much damage was something like a large dog, or perhaps a pack of them, but while a dog attack would look nasty, the slashes and puncture marks on the man’s body indicated the use of a knife or a sharp implement. But it was the severity of the cuts that was most disturbing. It indicated a frenzied attack with no concern for the victim.
A police cordon had been erected around the corpse, the yellow tape stencilled with CRIME SCENE – DO NOT CROSS fluttering in the breeze. Prosper saw the flash of a camera, making him grit his teeth.
“Make sure they stay behind the barrier,” Prosper shouted to one of the uniformed officers as he saw a young man lift the tape with the intention of approaching the crime scene for a closer look. “And where’s that blasted tent to cover the body?”
“They’re bringing it from the car now,” someone shouted.
Prosper turned towards Mike. “Any thoughts?”
“Thoughts, I’ll give you my thoughts. You and murder are the last things I need.”
Prosper bit his tongue. Although it had been a year since the Oracle debacle, his colleagues would never let him forget. He just thanked God that they didn’t know the true events of that case.
“Look, Mike, someone’s dead. It’s our job to find out the how, why and who, so let’s cut the sarcasm and get on with the job at hand. If you’re not happy about the situation, I can have you replaced.”
Mike snorted loudly. “Do you really think you’d find anyone willing to replace me? If so, then go ahead.”
Prosper rubbed his brow. “I realise you’re not happy about the situation. Jesus, I’m not over the moon about it either. But it’s our job, so let’s be professional about it. Now I want to start canvassing the area to see whether anyone saw anything. Can you arrange that for me?”
Mike licked his lips, glanced at the corpse and then nodded.
“Good. Then hopefully we can catch the bastard who did this and put it to bed.”
He watched Mike walk away, and then turned back to the crime scene. Less than twenty minutes ago, he had been looking forwards to his lunch of ham sandwiches, but the sight of the dead man quenched any hunger pangs.
A forensic pathologist kitted out in a white paper suit crouched down to examine the body and Prosper walked across to see what he could find out.
“Any idea on the time of death?” Prosper asked.
The pathologist looked up and shook her head. “You see the way the victim’s gripping that branch, well it’s probably a result of instant rigor mortis, what’s called a cadaveric spasm. This happens when the person is exerting themselves at the time of death, such as running hard or when a struggle takes place. As a result it makes assessing the time of death more difficult.”
Prosper nodded. Although the mask hid much of her face, he could tell by the sound of her voice and how quickly she spoke that she was excited, that she liked her job.
“Also, the grass around the body was flattened,” she continued, “indicating lots of movement, and judging by the severity of the attack, much of the assault was probably undertaken after the victim was already dead as he wouldn’t have survived for long judging by the wounds.”
Prosper was about to step forwards to have a closer look at the body when he heard the squeal of brakes and he turned to see two black, nondescript four by four vehicles slide to a stop behind the group of spectators.
The passenger door of the lead vehicle swung open and a man jumped down and approached the police cordon. He pulled out a wallet and said something to the officer guarding the perimeter, and then slipped underneath the tape.
Smartly dressed in a dark suit, he stood about 5 feet 10. Of average build, he had medium length wavy brown hair, bushy eyebrows and a condescending look that made Prosper want to slap him.
“Prosper Snow,” the man said.
Surprised the man knew his name, Prosper nodded. “And you are?”
“I’m the person who’s ordering you away from the crime scene, that’s who I am.”
The man’s arrogant, confident tone matched his look and got Prosper’s back up straight away. He bit his lower lip; took a deep breath then regretted it when he got a lungful of the dead man’s aroma. “Under what authority?”
The man opened the wallet and flashed a badge that showed he was part of a branch of MI5, the domestic intelligence agency. Prosper didn’t have time to study it closely before the man snapped the wallet closed and slipped it back into the inside pocket of his jacket.
“Now Mr Snow, if you don’t mind …” He raised his hand to indicate Prosper should leave.
Prosper felt as though he had been blindsided. How did the man know who he was? He cleared his throat. “This is my case.” He knew it sounded petulant, but he couldn’t help it.
“Not any more.”
Before Prosper could respond, his mobile phone rang. He glared at the man for a moment before taking the phone out of one of the self adhesive pockets on the suit and answering. “Chief Superintendent Hargreaves. And how can I help you?”
“Prosper, I’ve just had a call from the Home Office. The case you’re on, drop it, now.”
“Drop it, but sir—”
“No buts, that’s an order. Someone else is taking over.”
Prosper heard a sense of urgency in his superiors voice. He stared at the man opposite. “Who?”
“That’s none of your concern. Now just do as I say and leave.”
Prosper disconnected the call and put his phone away. It didn’t escape his notice that although the body had only been reported less than an hour ago, wheels had been set in motion that took him out of the loop.
But why? What was so special about this victim?
“I take it that was the confirmation you need about my authority. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a job to do,” the man said.
He walked past Prosper and stood staring down at the corpse.
Realising there was nothing he could do about it, Prosper turned to walk away when the man said, “Although there is one way you can still be involved in the case, Mr Snow.”
Prosper halted in his tracks and looked back. The man still had his back to him, staring down at the corpse. “And what does that mean?”
“I want someone like you on my team.”
Prosper frowned. “Your team? You mean MI5?”
“We’re a branch of that agency. But let’s just say we take the jobs no one else can crack.”
“And what do you mean, someone like me?”
“I know all about you, Mr Snow.” He turned and fixed Prosper with an unwavering stare. “The Oracle case. There were certain, how shall I say, discrepancies with your statement.”
Prosper felt the colour drain from his cheeks and his heart did a little flutter. “There were no discrepancies in my statement.”
The flicker of a grin crossed the man’s lips. “Cards on the table, you and I both know that’s not true. You’re loyal. I like that in my operatives.”
Prosper licked his lips. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are, or what you think you know, and frankly, I’m not interested. As you said, you’ve got a job to do, so I’d suggest you concentrate on doing that.” Without another word, Prosper spun around and started walking away.
“Well, think it over,” the man shouted after him. “I’ll be in touch soon.”
As he reached the cordon, Prosper tore his mask off and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to clear the stench of death from his nostrils. He turned and looked back at the man as he inspected the crime scene. Did he really know damning details about the Oracle case? Prosper shuddered.
“What’s happening? Who are they?” Mike asked as he jogged over.
“Someone higher up the ladder, that’s who they are. And they’re taking over the case.”
“Really? Well anyone would think you were disappointed by the look on your face.”
Prosper took another stick of gum out of his pocket and stuffed it in his mouth. Disappointed! He was far from disappointed. He was terrified.
The Oracle case was supposed to be dead and buried, just like the person Prosper had helped murder.

The price is right - or is it?

2010-11-23T11:10:00.003Z

I’m in the middle of writing two novels, but thought I’d take a quick break and write a blog about the price of books.

I remember a while ago I offered someone a signed copy of The Kult for £5.50, which they seemed okay about, but then I said it will also be another £2 for p & p, at which point they changed their mind. Personally I didn’t think £7.50 for a signed copy was a bad price (it may be a bad book, but that’s another matter entirely). Now my latest news about my short story collection has got me thinking about what people will pay for books, and what makes them decide whether a certain tome will prise open their rock hard grip on all that moola. Voyeurs of Death is a deluxe lettered hardcover edition, priced at $99. Now there are only going to be 26 copies of the deluxe lettered edition printed, so it’s going to be extremely rare, but of course it’s still quite expensive as far as books are concerned. And of course I’ll be the first to admit that my only moment of fame came about when I ran naked through the streets shouting ‘Yee ha, who wants to tame this here cowboy’, so are people going to buy an expensive book from a virtual unknown author with a penchant for exhibitionism? Speculators might buy it in the hope I’ll get arrested for something notorious or perhaps even that I might one day become famous for my writing and not my streaking. Other people might buy it because they, shock horror, like my work. Other people might just have nothing better to spend their money on. While someone else might just like collectible books. So okay, what makes or would make you, the person reading this part with your dosh for an expensive book?

Oh, and for those who want to buy Voyeurs of Death for any of the reasons above, or one I haven't thought about, here's the link: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html

Voyeurs and the clichéd dead

2010-11-21T17:26:00.003Z

I posted about it before, but the lettered deluxe edition of Voyeurs of Death is available for preorder. There are only 26 copies available, so it could become highly collectible if I get off my arse and make something of my writing. Or I could become famous for some crime or other (perhaps they’ll find the bodies) and the same thing happens, which could be an eaiser route to take. Either way, the people who bought a copy will be onto a winner, and of course I’m sure it will be a great looking book too: http://bit.ly/bwQEH4

And if you buy a copy, until tomorrow, Monday (11/22/2010) anyone who places an order for a Limited Hardcover edition of any of the Dark Regions books will receive one Dark Regions coffee mug of their choice while anyone who places an order for a Deluxe Lettered/Thirteen Hardcover edition of any of their books will have their choice between a t-shirt and a mug from the Merchandise section!: http://www.darkregions.com/news/22/Buy-a-Book,-Get-a-Shirt!.html

Now for anyone who missed it, I had an interview go online the other day. It was fun to do and it would be great if you could check it out. Just remember to come back after checking it out:
http://thegingernutcase.blogspot.com/2010/11/100th-post-interview-with-author-shaun.html?spref=fb

So who’s been watching The Walking Dead? I have, but to be honest I’m not that impressed. The characters seem a little clichéd, and the plot lines do too. This weeks episode supposedly had us believe Merle cut his own hand off with a hacksaw. Was he that dumb he couldn’t cut through the pipe he was handcuffed to? Some people suspect he might have been rescued by the people in the helicopter. Again, what sort of rescuer cuts someone’s hand off when he’s shackled to a rusty bit of metal? I’ve seen other people suggest he’s gone crazy after being left chained up overnight. No shit! The whole thing just seems drawn out too much for my liking. I realise the writers are trying to build their characters (and they’re probably following the graphic comic book that the series is based on, but as I haven’t read it, I don’t know), but to me they are not coming across as natural and more like set pieces in a game of chess that’s afraid to deviate from its path. The clichéd hicks. The clichéd wife beater etc. Or then again perhaps I’m just reading too much into it, but when I saw the week before that our 'hero' was trapped in a tank, you know a bloody tank, designed to enter battle, and he sits there wondering how he's going to escape, and I'm thinking just drive the bloody thing!!!!!

On the writing front, I’m currently nearly a quarter of the way through my latest novel (and hopefully avoiding the clichés). Still a long way to go but as always when you write something, it’s proving to be an interesting journey. What I do like is when you write yourself into a corner, and you think, ‘how the hell am I going to get out of this?’, and then either the answer jumps out at you, or as in my last instance, I reread what I’d already written and discovered that the solution was already there. As I’ve now hit another wall, I’d better get rereading.

Pleasure and pain

2010-11-16T08:40:00.006Z

Yesterday I got the go ahead to announce that I have signed contracts with Dark Regions Press. They are an invitation only press who approached me a few weeks ago, inviting me to submit some of my work. For those who don’t know, DRP are an award winning press who have been publishing since 1985. The upshot was that I have now signed a contract for a novel that I am currently working on and another contract for a lettered deluxe edition of my previously published short story collection, Voyeurs of Death. This new edition is limited to 26 copies and it includes five extra stories that weren’t in the previous edition, three of which are previously unpublished stories. It will be a hardback, 6''x9'', bound in leather, front cover stamped and spine stamped with the title and the author's name, includes artsy end papers, signature page which is signed by author (me) and artist (Zach McCain), coloured book ribbon with nice full coloured header, 60lb. natural vellum stock, a beautiful slipcase and dust jacket. Being such a limited edition, I hope it will become a real collector’s item for those who purchase it. And of course, I hope they enjoy the stories too. For pre-order details, visit: http://www.darkregions.com/products/Voyeurs-of-Death-by-Shaun-Jeffrey.html

Yesterday I also had another two hour session at the tattooist to continue the updating of my Japanese themed sleeve. He finished off the shading on the back of my arm and smoothed out all the shading that covered up the old tattoo. I’m really pleased with how it’s coming along, but there’s still a way to go yet.

My blog has been hijacked by Daniel I Russell

2010-11-10T00:17:00.003Z

Today I have a guest poster in the form of Daniel I Russell as part of his blog world tour, which he’s undertaking in the run up to the release of his novel, Samhane.

Hi Dan, pull up a chair and let’s kick off. Can you give us a bio to let people know a little about your good (or not so good) self:

Hey Shaun.
I’m a horror writer in my twenties (for the next five days, at least!) from Wigan in the UK but I moved out to Australia a few years ago. I’m the science head at the local high school and have three children. I’m also the associate and technical editor at Necrotic tissue and work with Bandersnatch Books. As you can probably tell just from this, I’m a geek with very little personal time.

So how long have you been writing for, and what made you choose horror?

I’ve been writing since about 2004, which doesn’t look like too long, but feels like an age, perhaps because things have changed so much. It’s always been horror for me from day one, be it He-Man when I was four (come on, some of those guys were pretty freaky!), endless horror movie marathons through my teens or now, trying to churn them out onto paper while living a relatively normal and suburban life out in the country. Whenever I try to write something that isn’t horror, it always seems to sneak back in. Like Robert Englund says in New Nightmare, just because it’s a romantic comedy, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a decapitation or two!

Any real life horror stories to share?

We all have to deal with real life horror every day. Thankfully, (and that’s a thanks to you, media!) we’re all pretty much habituated to it now. Touch wood, apart from a few family natural deaths I haven’t had to deal with anything too harrowing. There’s a distinct lack of crazed killers and torture in my life. I’ve had the odd weird and spooky moment, and I think most people have, no matter how much they deny it. I think the closest I’ve come to real life horror was when I worked for a law firm. Some of the injury reports were appalling, knowing that the mangled limb you were looking at was an actual person and not an effect. Plus, some of the files including young children were heartbreaking.

If you were stuck on a desert island, who would you like to be stranded with?

I suppose the answer I’m supposed to give is my son, but never in a million years! How the hell would he survive with me in charge? On a desert island? No, I’d prefer him to be safe and sound at home with his mum. Someone with plenty of meat on them would be handy, you know, in case we ran out of coconuts or something. When it comes right down to it, and simply for survival, I’d have to say Bear Grylls, but I ain’t drinking my own piss.

Aside from writing, you edit for Necrotic Tissue. Has wearing two hats helped or hindered your own writing?

Time wise, severally hindered. If I agree to do something, and other people are depending on you doing that job, it comes before any of my own stuff. So if Necrotic Tissue business is to be done, it gets finished before I open up the latest novel or short story. With the submissions process and then technical edits, yes, it’s a big undertaking four times a year, but I enjoy doing it. Knowing how much work the other staff and I put in each quarter, when I have the finished magazine on my shelf I’m as proud of it as anything featuring my own work. It does help my writing as, with reading so many submissions, I think (hope!) it helps with writing twists. Many, many stories try to include a twist, and it’s educating to see what works and what doesn’t. Oh, and if any potential contributors are reading, if a character turns out to be a vampire or werewolf and that’s the entire point of the story, write something else!

Tea or coffee?

Coffee in copious amounts! I think that you have to have an addictive personality to be a writer. Some like booze. Some like drugs. Some like Tae Kwon Do. I’m a caffeine freak! My writing mug is like a bucket with a handle. Sweet, milky tea is nice on the stomach after a heavy night on the beer.

I imagine as an editor, you see the good, the bad and the ugly of the writing world. Any stories to share?

It’s more the technical and business side of things. You get to learn the game more, and spot the bad players. It’s that title of ‘editor’. What makes an editor? We see so many writers who, after little success, suddenly open their own magazine or ezine. Anything to get their name out there, you know? But if you’re a bad writer, you’re going to be a bad editor. I’ve read work by editors of a few ezines on their sites or blog, and it has been terrible. Yes, you may think that is just my opinion, but incorrect grammar and spelling, bad syntax and shitty composition is not my opinion, it’s simply bad, incorrect writing. To think that these people are, as editors, advising new writers what’s right and wrong, is simply a joke. Add into the mix the number of markets that don’t pay their writers or offer a token payment, and then charge the earth for a copy of the Lulu anthology the writer is in? For me, it’s these used car salespeople of the small press that piss me off the most. Not to say all small press ezines and editors are like this! Most are legit and a pleasure to work with.
On the good side, we receive submissions and guarantee a few comments on why we made that choice. Again, this might just be that editor’s opinion, but as a writer, I always prefer a reason over a form rejection. The good side for us is when we receive emails stating that the writer has taken our advice, submitted it somewhere else and made a sale. Kinda makes us feel we helped and gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Having emigrated to Australia, do you see cultural differences with regards genre fiction?

Fantasy seems to be the prevailing spec choice for the genre loving Australian. And vampires. Fucking vampires! The country is still obsessed with the sparkly Bold and the Beautiful. Hopefully when the novelty has worn off, and horror can reclaim some of the shelf space it’s lost, we’ll see a big resurgence. The Australian horror scene is incredibly passionate, a little because I think it knows it has to work hard to make a name for itself against the more established US and UK markets. The magazines I have appeared in over here, namely Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and Midnight Echo, and the books produced, such as anything from Brimstone Press or Tasmaniac Publications, are top notch. I now count myself as part of the Australian horror scene, and I’m among great and passionate company.

And with that in mind, do you think emigrating has helped your writing?

I live in a lovely little picturesque town in the country of Western Australia. While I now have a family and a more demanding job, the general atmosphere I think has helped. Life is less hectic than when I lived in the UK, and it seems like there’s more hours in the day. Travel broadens the mind as they say, and Australia offers more ideas on characters and settings, as well as things like myths and legends.

Do you prefer subtle horror or more gore?

Variety is the spice of life (full of clichéd sayings today). I used to write gore regularly, but it gets repetitive quite quickly, or at least it feels that way. Blood can only ejaculate so many times. A mix is always better. One of my more successful stories, Broken Bough, which appeared on Pseudopod, has no gore whatsoever, but still has that high tension, whereas readers enjoy Samhane because of its explicit gore. Yeah, twelve of one and half a dozen of the other and I’m happy. At the end of the day, it’s a game of two halves.

What do you think of the state of horror fiction today?

Equilibrium is shifting, and I think the big changes, and it’s been building for a while now, are about to come. Whether this is going to be good or bad for the horror genre, only time will tell. Horror fiction just isn’t fashionable enough for the mainstream at the moment. It’s always been up and down. Hopefully it will on the rise again soon.

What are your aims and hopes for the future with regards your writing?

I’m always aiming for the next step. I think this last one was a big step: work with a good publisher who wants to get your book in the hands of readers. It sounds like common sense, but I guess a good number of people in the industry know different. Working with Stygian Publications, Skullvines Press and Voodoo Press, I know that the editors will be promoting as hard as I will to reach new readers. I think from now on, the aims will pretty much be to increase my readership and continue to produce books they’ll enjoy.

Favourite sexual position?

On, under, to the side, inside, perpendicular or parallel to my general vicinity.

And finally to Samhane. What’s it about and more importantly, where can potential readers find a copy?

The back cover blurb can put it better than I ever could:
"For weeks, I have tossed and turned in my bed in turmoil over whether to publish this. But the people of this town must be warned. Everyone must be aware of the Danger lurking in the dark, waiting."

Samhane. Just a sleepy town in the rolling hills of northern England. A nice place to live.

Few people know the truth.

Donald Patterson travels to Samhane in pursuit of a sadistic murderer and rapist. Unless Donald reaches Orchard House by midnight, his fiancee will be the star of the next torturous broadcast....

Brian Rathbone and his son are already in Samhane, hired by the mayor. Specialist exterminators, their talents have helped to deal with the 'little problems' that have begun to massacre the residents. But as events take a more sinister turn, Brian wonders about the true reason they are there....

Blood and carnage. Pain and suffering. Desire and sweet chaos.

Welcome to Samhane.

The book will be available through Amazon, etc, and direct from the publisher via the magazine store at www.necrotictissue.com later this month. The German edition is available now on preorder at amazon.de and www.voodoo-press.com.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, and good luck with your writing.

Cheers Shaun! Thank you for having me.

Book signing, readers and an invite out of the blue

2010-10-31T08:54:00.005Z

Firstly, I’d like to thank those who came to my book signing yesterday at Waterstone’s in Hanley. Thanks me ducks.

Although I write because I obviously enjoy it (why else shut yourself in solitary confinement and conjure monsters and killers), there's a difference between writing for pleasure and selling work to be published. When you write for pleasure, you're writing for yourself, but when you write for publication, readers are the most important thing. If they don’t like what you write, then they won’t read anything else by you and that’s the end of the line where publishing is concerned. So I hope people, on the whole, continue to like what I write, and that they stick with me on what I hope will be an entertaining journey. Everyone who buys my work is taking a chance and spending their hard earned money, and I respect and appreciate that more than you will ever know. Each and every one of you is the greatest.

Now for anyone who would like to see where I write, I have a guest post up at Book Chick City. It would be great if you could stop by and leave a comment (it’s a great site to visit anyway as there are lots of things to read and some great book reviews): http://www.bookchickcity.com/2010/10/all-hallows-eve-where-stories-are-made_30.html

On the writing front, I was invited to submit to an invitation only press, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they like what I (sent) send, but it has inspired a new novel idea that I’ve made a start on. So far I’ve not kept to a theme with my novels (one’s about a strange village, one’s a serial killer story, then there’s zombies and mutated creatures), and this one is unrelated to anything else too. I don’t know whether people like themes, but I like variety. I think that if I kept to one subject, such as zombies or suchlike then it could grow a little stale and as an author, I’d only be catering to a niche group. And of course, writing about different subjects also means that if a reader doesn’t like one book, then they might like another, and like I said at the beginning, when you write for publication, readers are the most important thing.

And last but not least, Happy Halloween. Hope everyone has a great night and stays safe.

The American Dream

2010-10-24T07:21:00.005+01:00

Okay, my American odyssey is now over, but here's a brief summary of my time there.

I started out by getting up at 3 a.m. My colleague from work, Nick who was accompanying me, picked me up and drove us to Manchester airport. From there it was a brisk flight to London. As I'd only had an hours sleep, I was not operating well, and the check-in to fly to New York when we arrived at Heathrow customs was a bit of a nightmare as I couldn’t understand the man asking me questions. He had a way of looking at you as though you were mentally deficient. But by hook or by crook, he eventually let me through.

The flight to New York was around 7 hours, in which I tried unsuccessfully to sleep. During that time I watched The Karate Kid, and was left wondering why oh why remake a film like Karate Kid, and then when you do remake it, why oh why have them doing kung fu? Not a patch on the original.

Passing through New York customs we were subjected to a large, bossy woman shouting out orders like an army drill instructor for everyone to remove their shoes, jackets and sweat tops. I expected her to start shouting for us to 'drop and give me five'.

We eventually arrived in San Diego and checked into a hotel near the airport for some much needed sleep. The Mexican man behind the reception desk commented that I reminded him of a famous British actor. I was thinking someone suave and sophisticated, someone like Daniel Craig in James Bond. He said the actor played a cop and I eventually worked out he was referring to Simon Pegg. Little did he know I was the real Shaun of the Dead.

At breakfast, Nick struggled to get to grips with the waffle making machine, finally getting the hang of it after creating numerous sheets of inedible cardboard.

Now the greatest problem we faced so far was the language barrier. No one could understand us. Nick tried speaking slowly and enunciating each word, but they just looked at him like he was retarded. He also tried using his limited knowledge of Spanish, 'Buenos dias', but when they replied, he was obviously stumped.

We then picked up our rental car, a black Ford Mustang convertible (Nick would eventually fall in love with the car. Once we arrived at Vegas I expected him to visit a drive though chapel to marry it - and could envision the vicar's face after he asked where the bride was, and Nick replying, 'I'm sitting in her'.)

Everywhere in San Diego seemed so clean compared to the UK, and our first of many visits to a Denny's was an introduction to the stereotypical US burger bar I have seen on film, complete with effervescent waitress who was only too happy to make us feel at home.

Next we drove to Temecula where we were staying to see some of the shoot. We checked into to the hotel at 3:00 p.m. At 3:40 p.m. the editor in chief of Leucrota Press, Danielle kindly picked us up to take me to a book signing that had been arranged at Barnes & Noble in Oceanside. There was a great turnout, including some people that I had communicated over the internet with, such as Allan and Guido, and I was overwhelmed that the principal cast from The Kult turned up to say hi (Joe, Karenssa, Windy, Justin, Steven, Curtis, J.G., Tim, Harry). As I said to them, it was very surreal to see the characters I’d created brought to life and standing around me, made flesh.

I must also say thanks to Karenssa's friend, Vivien who having heard me lament about the lack of a decent cup of tea in the US on Twitter, turned up with a thermos flask of the good stuff.

Straight after the signing I was whisked away to the set to see some of a night shoot. This is where I first met the director Kip and the producer, Dan. Both great people, who between them have enrolled an awesome bunch of people both behind and in front of the camera. People like key grip, Ivan Duran and assistant director, Tino Luciano who also has his own stunt company: http://reeltimestunts.com/ (btw, his truck is amazing. It's as large as a monster truck, has a silver skull grill and a pair of dangling balls at the rear that undoubtedly brings a chuckle to many a driver that follows in the behemoths wake - I got a lift across to one of the sets in it. By the time I climbed up to the cab I needed oxygen). At the shoot I got to use the clapper board, and then got to perform a cameo with a great lady called, Sandy. When she went into character, she had to be seen to be believed, and when she started swearing at me, I had to keep telling myself, 'she doesn’t mean it, it's only a film'. But she was that convincing, I have my doubts …

The next day Nick and I visited Sea World. The sun was out (I'm sure weather men out there have a pretty boring job: 'And today it's going to be sunny. And the forecast for the coming week is, you guessed it, sunshine. And guess what, the week after, more sunshine'. They probably pray for rain. And snow, now that would give them an orgasm).

The dolphin show was outstanding. And the catchword in the US seems to be 'believe', and I can see why. This is a country of dreams. And the people never stop believing. Their optimism is contagious. Believe me.

The next day I was back on set. It's amazing seeing it all come together, and Kip has so much knowledge about film making that it was a pleasure just listening to him talk. Hearing the characters speaking words I'd written was another one of those strange things that sent a shiver down my back (it also became apparent that many of the actors and people involved came together through unusual circumstances, almost as though it was meant to be - there's a certain serendipity about the whole film).

I also met Kevin Newman who is making all the bodies for the film. Another great guy who is passionate about his work. I saw some of the moulds for the bodies and they are fantastic (I was also given a severed finger from one of the scenes, presented to me in a display case. A really great, gruesome memento - I was just glad they didn't stop me at customs on the way home as I might have had some explaining to do).

During the day I had a nice, long chat with Windy, met the effervescent Natalie, the confident J.G. (and a couple of people whose names I can't remember. Apologies, but it was great meeting you) and even though he wasn't shooting, lead actor, Joe turned up too. Although it was a full days shooting, it seemed to fly by all too fast, and the charming Brianna, who has interviewed most of the principal cast, even took time out to interview me too.

After a couple of days in LA (visiting Universal Studios, Hollywood Boulevard, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach etc.), we drove back to Temecula and Nick and I went out for a meal with Kip and Joe. Listening to both of them talk really inspired me. Their energy and enthusiasm is overwhelming. In fact, all the cast seemed to have bonded very fast, and they all seemed to support one another, which was great and obviously makes working together that much easier. It will also help make their friendship on screen all that much more real to believe.

Finally I'd like to give my thanks to everyone I met, all of whom made me feel so welcome. I couldn’t have wished for a greater bunch to be associated with the film, and I know they're all going to do an awesome job. And I really do believe that.

It's all in the stars

2010-09-26T12:05:00.002+01:00

Well my US odyssey begins on October 5th, which is the day that I arrive in the States. The next day, I have a book signing arranged:
October 06, 2010
05:00PM - 08:00PM
Barnes & Noble,
El Camino North Shopping Center,
2615 Vista Way,
Oceanside, CA, US

I'm hoping to meet as many people as possible, and hopefully some of the actors from The Kult will turn up too.

During my trip, I have a full itinerary, taking in Temecula, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but obviously the highlight for me will be seeing some of the filming of my novel. It's not something I ever dreamed would happen, but perhaps it was already mapped out in my future. Let me explain. I visited a fortune teller over 17 years ago in London who told me I was engaged with something creative, and that through this I would become involved in a partnership that would lead me overseas to the US where I would finally be successful. She told me some other things that rang true, like at the time I had a pain in my chest, which wasn't obvious to anyone, but it was the first thing she said to me when I sat down. Like anyone, I was dubious. I guess I still am, but I can dream. And you know what, sometimes, just sometimes, dreams do come true ...

Dead Man's Eye

2010-09-19T15:15:00.002+01:00

Well I'm pleased to say that my flight tickets to San Diego are now confirmed. I'll be flying out on October 5th, and then hope to be on set the next day to see some of the filming of The Kult. Yay.

I had a novella called Dead Man's Eye lying unused on my laptop for quite a while, so rather than letting it go to waste, I've uploaded it to Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/b/24615

It's priced at $1.99, but as a thank you to anyone who reads this blog, enter the following code at the checkout to get it for $1.25: WX87T. The code is valid until the day I fly, October 5th.

Lights, camera, action ...

2010-09-12T14:23:00.002+01:00

Filming for The Kult is now only a couple of weeks away, so I’m nearly wetting myself with excitement. I hope to be flying out on October 4th (just waiting for ticket confirmation). The website for the film keeps being updated by the magical elves, and more actor video interviews will be added soon. There are a couple of bands I know of that have tracks selected for the soundtrack. You can check both bands out here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/deadmansgrill

http://www.reverbnation.com/descendantsofadam

I’ve been chatting to the director, Kip Shelton, and it’s amazing (at least to me) all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes before the filming starts, from purchasing props (I saw a picture of a severed finger the other day. Very realistic) to arranging stuntmen.

For anyone in the Stoke-on-Trent area, I’m arranging a book signing for Deadfall at Waterstone’s in Hanley on October 30th, which is a fitting weekend where horror is concerned.

My next tattoo appointment is arranged for this Tuesday, so I’m looking forwards to a little more pain. It will be good to get some colour added.

On the writing front, I finished another novel featuring Prosper Snow, and I’ve sent it out to a couple of faithful readers for their valuable feedback. Just hope they don’t slate it too much.

Remember you can always add The Kult movie to your friends on Facebook, and please check out the website if you want to keep up to date, as things will be progressing at light speed for the next few weeks, and any support is greatly appreciated (if you could spread the word, that would be awesome):

http://www.facebook.com/thekultmovie

http://www.thekultmovie.com/

Principal photography, reviews and ramblings.

2010-08-22T10:48:00.002+01:00

With principal photography on The Kult due to start in just over a month’s time, I’ve got a lot to arrange, such as flights and accommodation -- I believe a couple of signings are in the pipeline too somewhere in San Diego, so I’ll post news when I know more. But as I’ll be away after Tuesday I won’t be able to sort anything for the next week or so, but hopefully I’ll return with batteries charged and be raring to go.

On the home front, I’ve been exercising more lately and trying to shift a few pounds. They’re going, but it’s a slow process. I’ve also got three more tattoo appointments booked for September to continue work on my sleeve so September is looking like a hectic month.

I’ve noticed that the reviews of Deadfall on Amazon.com have not been exactly glowing so far. It’s always disappointing when people don’t enjoy something as the sole purpose of a fiction book is to entertain, to transport you from real life and draw you into a world of make-believe where you can lose yourself for a few hours. And if I haven’t entertained, then I haven’t done my job properly. Of course you’re never going to please everyone, but I hope the majority of readers do enjoy what I write. Either way, I value reviews and opinions and I hope more people share theirs.

Thought for the day: Authors have the perfect face for books.

Cemetery Dance, Ebooks and Film. It's all going on.

2010-08-15T22:27:00.003+01:00

The latest issue of Cemetery Dance (#64) was announced the other day. It’s a Bentley Little special issue, and features fiction by the following:

"The Wheel" by Bentley Little
"We" by Bentley Little
"An Excerpt from Blockade Billy" by Stephen King
"The Innocents at the Museum of Antiquities: Part Three" by Douglas Clegg
"Out of Touch" by Simon Strantzas
"The Long Black Coat" by Benjamin Percy
"An Excerpt from The Painted Darkness" by Brian James Freeman
"In Darkness" by Shaun Jeffrey
"Deathbed" by Brian Knight

I feel honoured to be in such esteemed company and can’t wait to receive my copy.

I have been reading reports lately of some 'name' authors shunning publishers and releasing (or planning to release) their work as Ebooks or POD books. This is fine for authors who have a following, as their fans will buy the books regardless. But I feel this will give many unpublished authors and beginners the wrong idea, making them think they can do the same thing and take the easy route to publication (certainly it's easy to publish the book, the difficulty lies in promoting it and getting people to part with their cash). Now anyone who’s had a novel professionally edited knows how much the edits improve the book. I think it’s pretty hard for someone to edit their own work with an unbiased eye. My last two novels, The Kult and Deadfall went through extensive changes with the help of editors. The weak aspects of the story were addressed, and main plot points were changed to make them better. Characters were rewritten, whole scenes changed. My latest novel, Fangtooth is going through the same process. I think I would find it hard to do this on my own, as I am not subjective enough.

Now I’m certainly not against people publishing their own work, but the one thing most of them will require is a good edit. That, I feel, in part (assuming the story is good of course) is what will make the difference between the winners and the losers in this new era of publishing.

Finally, there have been a few posts made lately about The Kult film from the people involved:

"The Kult" will begin principal photography on September 27th, 2010 in San Diego and Riverside Counties, under the direction of Kip Shelton.

The screenplay, adapted from the novel by U.K. author Shaun Jeffrey, went into negotiations in the middle of November 2009 between Gharial Productions and Leucrota Press, and emerged with a solid contract offer and acceptance.

With the principal cast announced and a final script in the actors' hands, the production team is wrapping up pre-production and preparing to begin principal photography. While most of the film will be shot on location in San Diego and Riverside Counties, certain scenes require the use of a soundstage, and they will be shot in Arizona.

"I'm really looking forward to working on this film. Everyone involved has, so far, made this one of the smoothest productions I've ever worked on," says Director Kip Shelton. "I also think the cast is amazing and they're going to turn a few heads."

The screenplay is an adaptation of UK author Shaun Jeffrey's novel The Kult. The plot follows Detective Prosper Snow as hunts down a sadistic serial killer. Prosper acts out of misguided loyalty to his friends and is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing. But when the real killer comes after him, it's not only his life on the line, but his family's too. If he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed.

Both the cast and crew are eager for filming to begin. According to them, "September can't come soon enough."

Please show your support and add the Facebook group to your friends: http://www.facebook.com/thekultmovie

I was in the paper and wasn't arrested to get there

2010-08-07T11:59:00.002+01:00

I had a brief article in the local paper this week, and I didn’t have to get arrested either.

Filming of The Kult starts next month (colour me excited), and if you want to help support the venture or follow the progress, then please add or check out the following sites (and if you haven’t already, you could always purchase a copy of the book, which is available in paperback, Kindle and PDF):

http://www.facebook.com/thekultmovie
http://www.thekultmovie.com/

I also had a guest blog at ThrillerBlog that merges fact with fiction in what I hope was a humorous way:

http://variancepublishing.blogspot.com/2010/08/shaun-jeffrey-guest-blogger-when-i-grow.html

In writing, I’m going over edits for my next novel from Leucrota Press, Fangtooth. In a way, it’s my homage to the classic monster books and movies of yore. I recall with fondness tales of giant crabs, scorpions, ants etc, where nature’s creations have grown to monstrous size and woe betide anyone who stands in their way.

What makes you buy a book?

2010-07-28T11:53:00.003+01:00

I’m interested in knowing what makes you buy a book. Is it the cover? Is it by an author you’ve read before and you like their work? Did a review catch your attention? Is it the back blurb? Recommended by a friend? Adverts? Samples? Price? While browsing in a shop or on the internet? Or is there something else that makes you purchase the tome?

And once you’ve read the book, regardless of whether you enjoyed it or not, do you review it or recommend it to friends? Or do you only review the books you enjoyed?

Like many authors, I find it hard to get people to buy my books, and it’s a fine line between spamming and promoting (some people might say it’s all spam). Now I class myself as a bottom feeder searching for scraps while the sharks circle around taking the prize cuts, which is why every review and recommendation helps, so it would be really cool if you enjoyed a book, you spent a couple of minutes writing a review or just making a quick post to let people know (any book, any author).

And not being one to miss an opportunity, it’s my birthday tomorrow, and any help spreading word about my own book(s) would be a fantastic gift that costs nothing, but means so much :)

Vacation Reads Blog Tour - week 3

2010-07-17T14:24:00.005+01:00

Another week, and another blog tour post.

REQUIEM by Heather S. Ingemar

Hattie Locke has a gift: when she sings, the dead dig themselves from their graves to listen. As a death-siren, her life has always been this way.

Then the dead begin to show up in numbers far beyond expected. With each song she sings, they grow pushy and demanding, rushing the stage to reach her. Trapped in a place where her dreams of music become her nightmares, Hattie is left with nowhere to turn.

But then she meets a boy, who promises freedom from her curse.

Now Hattie wonders: is ridding herself of her voice worth losing the music she’s lived to create?

Heather, tell us a bit about yourself and your novella, "Requiem".

In some ways, Hattie reminds me of myself. I came from a musical family, and I delved right into all of it. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I’d mastered seven different instruments, and it was pretty much thought a guarantee that I’d pursue Julliard, or Berkeley, or some other prestigious music school. Imagine everyone’s surprise when I decided to major in English lit!

Thankfully, I had a more-or-less understanding family who allowed me the space to pursue my words (they knew I wasn’t leaving music completely, and they were right; I still play now and then) – however, I faced extreme opposition from others. It was these experiences that I drew on in creating Hattie’s unusual situation. What if my family hadn’t let me do my own thing? What if they reacted like these vehement strangers and teachers and friends who all thought they knew best for me?

Combine that with my morbid streak (zombies! death! magic!), and "Requiem" was born.

DEADFALL by Shaun Jeffrey

A team of mercenaries race to an abandoned mining village to rescue two children held hostage by rogue ex-soldiers. But the kidnappers are a ruse, the real threat more terrifying than any of them could imagine.

Aided by a couple of unsuspecting eco-warriors, mercenary team leader Amber Redgrave must fight to survive against foes that don’t sleep and don’t feel pain.

Now as the body count rises, so do the stakes, and when the dead won’t stay dead, there’s going to be hell to pay.

Shaun, what are some ways in which you promote your work? Do you find that these add to or detract from your writing time?

As a writer, promotion is one of the hardest things to do as you’re competing against thousands of other authors for a reader’s attention. To promote my work, I participate in things such as this blog tour. I post on message boards. I maintain a presence on Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Goodreads and other sites. I help by sending out review copies. I do interviews in magazines and online. But it all takes time and obviously detracts from the writing side of things. I don’t think it matters whether you’re published by a major publisher or a small press one, most authors need to help promote their work. Now readers are a major part of this, and I would ask that if anyone has read a book and enjoyed it, they show their appreciation and help by posting a short review on any of the book sites such as Amazon or Goodreads etc, as it goes a long way towards helping an author along what is a long and lonely road. It only takes a couple of minutes, but I'm sure the author concerned would be most grateful.

For more info on my work, please check out www.shaunjeffrey.com

THE AETHER AGE Anthology.

This week's feature includes a mini-interview with a contributing author, Jaym Gates.

What was it like to write for Aether Age, Jaym?

I have to admit, when I first heard about the Aether Age project, I kind of wrote it off. Like so many other things, I'd heard about it on Twitter, when a couple of guys asked me if I would be involved. At the time, I was in California for a week, on vacation, and heading for some major deadlines.

I said I'd try. I wrote four different starts. My computer crashed, I was trying to put out a wildfire in the writing community I was administrating, I was running too tight on the deadlines as it was. On top of that, it's been established that I don't play well in other people's worlds. I'm an unrepentant devotee of massive, detailed worlds, and had several failed collaborative attempts behind me.

A week before the deadline, I took my retired dinosaur of a computer and hammered out a first draft, a second draft, polished, sent it in 2 days before deadline...before the deadline was extended. The editors asked me if I'd be interested in writing another story. Ok, well, if you insist.

The world of Aether Age is difficult to write in, the first time through. Anything dealing with ancient Egypt or Greece is going to be problematic. The sheer level of detail is boggling, and the confusion. Was this ruler male, female, 1st Dynasty or 20th? Add a complex alternate history, and there are thousands of possibilities. It's like trying to find the one special blueberry in a 5 pound box.

But, it does get a writer thinking. How would technologies change religion? How would airships change economy? How much horror would you get from mixing an unstable, unknown eternity of space with an endless pantheon of gods?

My stories explored the horror. What happens when criminals and monsters are abandoned on a rock, thousands of miles from anything they know, reliant on an atmosphere that goes away every now and then? What are those shadows in the dark? Where did the legends of Hades come from? What new gods would form in the endless depths of space, and how would they be worshiped?

Join me in the Aether, in the Age of Helios, this fall. It will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Check the master site, http://vacationreads.com for links to more blogs and participating authors' info.

Vacation Reads Blog Tour - week 2

2010-07-10T08:40:00.006+01:00

If you're planning your holiday, don't forget to pack an exciting book.

This week's Vacation Reads Blog Tour features four new titles, including interviews with the authors, book blurbs, and more. Check for more information at the Vacation Reads web site and don't forget to leave comments on at least one of the participating blogs (see Vacation Reads for the full list), as well as on the site itself, to enter the drawing to win prizes that include copies of the authors' books, and more!

AETHER AGE ANTHOLOGY, edited by Brandon Bell

A past remade…

Take flight on airships, balloons, and wooden rockets. Soar with winged hoplites, exiled princesses, explorers and philosophers. Witness the struggle for equality, freedom, and power like you never have before.

Explore a history transformed and travel into the heavens to discover what awaits the civilizations of Humanity in...

Tell us about this anthology, Brandon. What was it like for you to work as editor?

Aether Age: Helios was my first crack at working as editor. By the time Aether Age grew into something almost ready to open to submissions, Chris Fletcher made the offer for me to co-edit the anthology, probably on the basis of my involvement to that point, coupled with what he knew of me as a writer. Being a decent writer does not equal a decent editor, but I'd also done the guest post on M-Brane outlining my ideas about what makes a good story, so Chris must have believed he had enough data about what kind of editor I might be to feel some confidence.

I've read interviews with editors that I respect and blog posts by writers discussing their experience in magazines and anthologies. Writers sometimes feel betrayed by the inclusion of another story, or otherwise compromised due to an inclusion, exclusion, or lack of editorial vision. And depending on the lens, Chris and I could look either terribly unpromising or a potential win —at least in the matter of a diversity of views: two white guys (ah, hmmm), a gay guy and a straight guy (oh, could be interesting), a non-christian and a buddhist (really?). All these are just details, though. Diversity was never even a discussion we had, it just happened. I'm happy on this point: we have a nice balance of female to male and a great world-spanning contributor list.

Ok, but what about the stories?

Yes, that's what matters. I won't name names, but I find reassurance that the tale I liked least during our reading period has grown into one of my favorites. Story, well told, trumps the most jaded of reader expectations.

Our guiding editorial principle was simply to cover the range of time envisioned with interesting tales that varied in tone. We didn't want a bunch of dark stories or only stories that dealt with swashbuckling and adventure. Though AeA has all that.

Some of the stories are not 'my type of tale'. Not the sort of thing I'd typically read. And I'm really happy about those stories. I know a book like Aether Age, so difficult to blurb or explain, is going to be a hard sell for readers of a more romantic or mainstream bent, but I wish I could put it in the hands of exactly that reader. There's just enough darkness, danger, and adventure to make the gentle moments and so very human relationships echo in the way that only seems to happen when a set of stories are presented as facets of their own history.

We all love superstars. Having a superstar in AeA would help sell copies, for sure. Well, we didn't get the literary equivalent of U2 or The Beatles. And that is good. If you are like me, you've had that pet band you know and love that just never attained the household name-recognition of the superstars. The Mars Volta, The Tragically Hip, Arcade Fire, Portishead... notwithstanding my Canadian readers for whom a couple of these ARE huge bands, down here in Texas these are the good stuff that no one seems to know about.

Maybe we have some future superstars in our midst among the AeA table of contents. We certainly have writers who are widely published and making names for themselves. But for now, here's the short story equivalent to the 'educational mixtape' you might put together in the hopes of pulling your hopelessly misled buddies away from Lil Wayne and Justin Beaber.

In that same spirit I present to you The Aether Age: Helios. For your enjoyment and edification.

THE KULT by Shaun Jeffrey

The Kult - People are predictable. That's what makes them easy to kill.

Tell us about yourself, Shaun.

My name’s Shaun Jeffrey, and having grown up in a house in a cemetery, it’s pretty safe to assume I was never going to be writing love stories, and perhaps goes some way to explaining my attraction to the dark side of the literary spectrum.

I’ve been writing on and off for around twenty years, and it never gets any easier. But then that’s all part of the challenge and the fun. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and while everyone may have a story to tell, not everyone can tell it.

Now along with cover pictures, I think taglines are important. They sum up the story in as few words as possible and hopefully entice readers to buy the book. Or at least to give it more than a passing glance. ‘People are predictable. That’s what makes them easy to kill.’ That’s the tagline to my novel, The Kult, which is a fast paced serial killer story that contains a mix of horror, crime and mystery.

Is it true that it has been optioned for a movie?

The book was optioned at the end of last year by Gharial Productions, and shooting on the film begins in September. www.gharialproductions.com. It will be interesting and exciting to see my story brought to life, a story that award winning author Jonathan Maberry called ‘a bumpy ride through nightmare country’. I have two other novels available, ‘Deadfall’ – when the dead won’t stay dead there’s going to be hell to pay. And ‘Evilution’ – humankind is about to change.

Details of these and any other projects can be found on my website: www.shaunjeffrey.com and sample chapters and my previously published short story collection ‘Voyeurs of Death’ can be read for free at http://www.scribd.com/document_collections/2519626

BASED UPON AVAILABILITY by Alix Strauss

What is your book about, Alix?

Based Upon Availability delves into the lives of eight seemingly ordinary women, each who pass through Manhattan’s swanky Four Seasons Hotel. While offering sanctuary to some, solace to others, the hotel captures their darkest and twisted moments as they grapple with family, sex, power, love, and death. Trish, a gallery owner, obsesses over her best friend’s wedding and dramatic weight loss. Robin wants revenge after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her older sister. Anne is single, lonely, and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug-addicted rock star Louise needs to dry out. Southerner-turned-wannabe Manhattanite Franny is envious of her neighbors’ lives. Sheila wants to punish her boyfriend for returning to his wife. Ellen so desperately wants children, she’s willing to pretend to be pregnant. And Morgan, the hotel manager— haunted by the memory of her dead sister—is the thread that weaves these women’s lives together.

In this an utterly original read, I try to ask and answer the age-old question; ‘what happens behind closed doors’ while examining the walls we put up as we attempt intimacy, and inspecting the ruins when they’re knocked down.

Alix Strauss
Journalist/Author
www.alixstrauss.com

NATIVE VENGEANCE by Julie Achterhoff

Julie Achterhoff is the author of three books, Native Vengeance, Quantum Earth, and Deadly Lucidity. They are paranormal thrillers. She grew up reading such authors as Stephen King and Dean Koontz, which influenced her own writing. She has been writing since childhood, scaring her teachers with her horror stories. Reading has also been a great influence on her. Her books can be found on amazon.com in regular form, and now on Kindle for $3.19 a piece. They can also be purchased from the publisher at allthingsthatmatterpress.com. You can read parts of her books on BookBuzzr.

Why did you become involved in your particular genre?

I just love scary stuff! It's exciting for me to write stories that will scare people and make them wonder if something like that could really happen. When I was a kid I read every scary book I could get my hands on. I loved H.P. Lovecraft and others that kept me up at night. I enjoy creating characters who are strong, yet also vulnerable, so the reader can relate to them throughout the story. I also enjoy writing a strong storyline that will keep readers engrossed until the very end. I also like adding a romantic element in my books. I think that gives them a little spice. I believe that thrillers are the most interesting books. They can really get to you!

Read more about these, and other great titles at Vacation Reads.

Vacation Reads Blog Tour

2010-07-03T15:07:00.008+01:00

Something a little different this week. During the month of July I’m participating with several authors in a group blog tour called Seasonal Reading that will feature different books to lose yourself in during the summer months. My book will feature on another weekend.

Also:

1. Each weekend there will be great prizes, including copies of the featured titles, promotional items, and more! To enter the drawing, please leave a comment on one of the blogs AND on the master site at Seasonal Reads.

2. BONUS DRAWING: If anyone features any of the titles on their blogs and sends the link (in the comments section), they will be eligible for a second drawing, to win more of our great prizes.

Winners will be notified in early August.

* * *

ALIEN DREAMS, by John Rosenman
http://www.johnrosenman.com

Captain Eric Latimore leads a four-person crew to Lagos to investigate a previous team’s mysterious disappearance. Once there, he discovers that an ominous alien presence is invading their dreams. Each member of his crew has the same dream–huge, seductively beautiful “angels” speak to them telepathically.

The creatures strand his crew on the planet and only Latimore can free them–if he survives.

What is different about ALIEN DREAMS, John?

I think Alien Dreams stands out from other space operas because I tried to open myself to and expand the vast conceptual possibilities of the genre. Captain Latimore faces a unique threat to his crew on the planet Lagos: beautiful but deadly angel-like aliens who invade their dreams. To save his crew, he must not only change into a gigantic angel himself, but mate with their ravishing queen for thousands of subjective years. I believe this erotic scene breaks new ground, as does the hero himself, who is not one but two: a silent brother exists within his mind and ultimately tries to take over. Finally, Latimore must travel across the universe and do battle with a cosmic Gatekeeper for control of the universe. In such areas, I try not only to explore new dimensions but to illuminate what it truly means to be human.

* * *

UNSEELIE, by Meredith Holmes
http://www.meredithholmes.com

When Alfhild was a little girl, her grandmother called her a fairy princess and told her all of her favorite tales.

She’d never imagined they were real.

Anxious to avoid the swarming reporters and ghoulish souvenir hunters who won’t leave her alone when her brother Gulliver is tried and acquitted for multiple murders he almost certainly committed, a grown up Alfhild changes her name to Lorelei and flees Louisiana to the sanctuary she inherited from her grandmother, the ancestral home in England.

All is well until she wakes one morning to find a naked man in her rosebush.

And the games begin . . .

Can you tell about your book, Meredith?

I fell in love with urban fantasy by accident–one day I saw a card in a local metaphysical shop, one of those blank jobs that you fill out for random occasions, when you forgot a birthday or need to send a thank you note and don’t like what the mainstream card shops have to offer (you can only deal with so many dancing bunnies and softly flourished flowers, after all). The card had a picture of a autumn-colored man clad in green velvet and wearing a crown of dark leaves. A story sprang into my head about him and I called him Cadfael. By that night, I had the first six chapters of Unseelie written (in their earliest, raw form); Alfhild, Cadfael and Du had taken off and were running away with my plot and the twists and turns of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts were just pouring out into the digital pages. I blithely called it a romance but within a few more chapters, I realized no, it was urban fantasy, a genre I’d shunned as a fantasy purist… Well, fool me! Now that is my genre of choice when I write and I’ve expanded from faeries to include demons, witches, and creatures of all sorts.

* * *

IVAN AND MARYA, by Anna Kashina
http://annakashina.com

Every Solstice, every year, a young girl dies to prolong the life of a madman.

Every Solstice a hero tries to stop them…and dies.

But this is Ivan’s year. Though his brothers plot his death, and the villagers whose daughters are dying warn him not to interfere, Ivan the Fool is determined to stop the sacrifice.

With the help of the immortals, gotten by sympathy, force, or guile, Ivan believes his love will save the beautiful Marya from herself.

Where did the idea for IVAN AND MARYA come from?

I felt that Russian fairy tales have not been explored enough in fiction, and they have so much to offer to a writer and a reader. I built on a most classical one, but also did something different with it. My story is told from two points of view — Marya, who is on the side of ‘evil’, and Ivan, who is on the side of ‘good’, and the contrast between the two creates shades of depth that amazed me when I was working on the story. It was a pleasure to write, and I constantly had this feeling of revelation, as if I am not making this up but uncovering yet another layer of a fascinating world. I also did my best to make it as authentic as possible, down to the details of the Russian Solstice celebration, an ancient tradition that is very much practiced today.

* * *

CHOCOLATIER’S WIFE, Cindy Lynn Speer
http://www.apenandfire.com

Tasmin, William’s wife to be, was chosen by a spell, as all wives and husbands are chosen. It’s a nice, tidy way to find a reasonable mate for almost everyone. Unfortunately, Tasmin is from the North, a place of magic and strange ritual, and William is from the South, where people pride themselves on being above that kind of insanity.

William doesn’t seem in a hurry to send for Tasmin, for which none of his family blame him. After all, she’s a barbarian. She, on the other hand, would like to know what’s keeping him. When he’s framed for murdering his patron, Tasmin takes matters into her own hands. She’s gotten to know William from his letters. He’s not a murderer and she’s going to help him prove it.

Someone out there doesn’t like him and is beginning to dislike Tasmin almost as much, and that someone isn’t at all averse to making sure William and Tasmin aren’t around long enough to celebrate their wedding.

Tasmin, of course, has other plans.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

I am a part time writer… like everyone, I’m juggling a lot of delicate porcelain plates… one for writing, one for work, one for family, one for fencing. It splits your focus… but it also gives you a lot of great ideas and experiences to pull from. Would I like to be a full time writer? For certain. But I think that being forced to go out and talk to people every day, being exposed to life, enriches me and therefore will, hopefully, be reflected in my work. So, in that way, it affects things positively… in the whole productivity issue, well… sometimes things are not so positive.

* * *

COMPOSING MAGIC, Elizabeth Barrette
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com

Composing Magic: How to Create Spells, Rituals, Blessings, Chants, and Prayers guides you through the exciting realm of magical and spiritual writing. Explore the process of writing, its tools and techniques, individual types of composition, and ways of sharing your work with other people. Each type of writing includes its history and uses, covering diverse traditions; plus step-by-step instructions, finished compositions, and exercises. Intended for alternative religions, but it can be generalized to others or used by fiction writers to create background tidbits.

Why did you write this book, Elizabeth?

I spotted a gap in previous material — I have a knack for doing that. Pagan/magical books tell people to write their own rituals, spells, etc. but rarely give any guidance on doing it. Writing books tell people how to write in general, but there were no specific guides for magical writing and not many for spiritual writing. I’m good at figuring out how I do what I do and then explaining it to other folks so they can work through the steps. It wasn’t until the reviews came in for _Composing Magic_ that I realized this is a rather rare skill — most of them mention how clear and doable the instructions are. So now I’m trying to make more use of this skill.

Kindle and doldrums

2010-06-27T20:54:00.003+01:00

Firstly, The Kult and Deadfall are now available for the Kindle:

Kult - People are predictable. That's what makes them easy to kill: http://amzn.to/caU4ba

Deadfall - When the dead won't stay dead, there's going to be hell to pay: http://amzn.to/91pRXn

There have been lots of good reviews on Goodreads now for both The Kult and Deadfall, but a number of people still point out that The Kult has spelling and grammatical errors. Now I know what the selling errors are, but the grammatical errors still leave me stumped as I can't spot them - but then I guess if I or the editors had spotted them, they would have been corrected. It's embarrassing, but I hope it doesn't spoil anyone's enjoyment too much.

On the writing front, I'm in a slump. I have a novel to go through but haven't been able to muster up the required enthusiasm. As for writing anything new, I have the ghost of an idea, but nothing concrete, and my lack of enthusiasm leaves me questioning my reason for writing, so I have stalled at the post once more. I'm sure I'll get going soon, but it gets harder and harder to continue. I'm in the literary doldrums, wondering what's the point of it all ...

Fangtooth, props and tattoos

2010-06-20T10:42:00.002+01:00

Now anyone who’s followed me for a while knows that I have a manuscript called Fangtooth that I’ve had accepted for publication twice, and both times I’ve withdrawn it for one reason or another. Well I’m pleased to report that it’s been accepted for publication again, this time with the publisher of The Kult and Deadfall. Yes, I’ve just signed a contract with Leucrota Press for it. Hopefully it’s third time lucky. When I get the green light, I’ll post a picture of the cover. The tag line: There’s something in the sea. Something ravenous.

As for the film, a post has been made in The Kult film update about props. I hadn’t really thought about them before, but the article makes me realise how important they are, right down to a tiny thing like a pill bottle! Please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think: http://gharialproductions.com/projects/the-kult/the-filmmaking-process-props/ I’m planning on flying out to see some of the shoot, so I’m just waiting on a schedule so that I can make arrangements. Really looking forwards to it.

As a celebration of all that’s happening, and as a reminder that dreams can come true, I’ve booked an appointment with the tattooist for July 30th (day after my birthday for anyone who wants to buy me a present;)). I’m having my full sleeve done, combining the tattoos that I already have on one arm. I’m planning on a Japanese theme of samurai and koi. The tattooist I’m going to is one that I used to visit 25 years ago, Kev Shercliff of The Midlands Tattoo Centre. There’s a sample of some of his work here: http://www.midlandstattoocentre.com/gallery.php?a=kevs

On the reading front, I’m currently delving into two books: Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead by Christopher Golden and The Strain (The Strain Trilogy, #1)
by Guillermo Del Toro. Highlights so far in the Zombie antho have been Tim Lebbon’s ‘In the Dust’ and Jonathan Maberry’s ‘Family Business’. Lebbon has crafted a poignant story that pulls at the heartstrings, and Maberry has crafted a hauntingly realistic world in the zombie aftermath. The Strain has its moments, but I’m finding the factual interludes distracting as they drag me out of the plot, but it’s well written and engaging when it concentrates on the story.

Hex

2010-06-13T18:36:00.008+01:00

We visited the Staffordshire theme park, Alton Towers today (rode the worlds first free fall drop roller coaster, Thirteen - very good), and it reminded me of an artical I wrote a while ago. I had sold the article, but the magazine it was going to appear in went bump, so I thought I'd post it here:

Back in 2000, a new attraction called Hex was unveiled at the popular UK theme park, Alton Towers, which resides in the sleepy heart of Staffordshire. Apart from the ancient castle in the middle of the grounds, Alton Towers seems like any other amusement park with its sinisterly named white knuckle rides like Nemesis and Oblivion. But the Hex attraction stands apart, as it’s based on a true legend.

Advertisements proclaimed it was unlike anything else the park had to offer. It’s not a ride in the conventional sense, but a multimedia tour based around a local legend that goes like this:

“On an autumn night in 1821, the Earl of Shrewsbury was returning to his home in Alton Towers when an old woman suddenly appeared in the road.

The coach stopped to find out why she was there, at which point the old woman begged for a coin.

The Earl cruelly dismissed her, so the old woman placed a curse on him: 'For every branch on the Old Oak Tree here that falls, a member of your family will die.' The Earl dismissed the old woman and carried on his way.
That night, during a violent storm a single branch from the old oak tree broke and fell. Later that same night, a member of the Earl’s family suddenly and mysteriously died. To prevent any more deaths the Earl ordered his servants to chain every branch of the tree together to prevent other branches from falling. To this day the oak tree remains chained up.”

Now although I had been on the Hex ride a couple of times, like most people, I presumed the legend was ‘made up’ for the benefit of the attraction. But then I discovered that the chained oak supposedly really existed in a wood outside the park, and that as a result, the legend had a basis in fact, not fiction.

Intrigued, I wanted to ascertain the chained oak’s validity for myself, and so with my family in tow, I set out to find it.

According to articles I found on the internet, the oak tree could be found a mile or so away from the theme park, in a place called Dimmingsdale wood.

Despite the use of satellite navigation, I still had trouble locating the wood, which didn’t bode well for finding a single tree, but eventually, after navigating a narrow lane only just about wide enough for the car, we arrived at a parking spot from which to begin our search.

With the help of a little advanced internet research and a modern day global positioning satellite system, we exited the car park on foot and proceeded into the trees. After a couple of false starts, we crossed a bridge over the river, and made a steady uphill climb through the green mantle. But as the trees crowded closer, the foliage overhead played havoc with the GPS and I kept losing the signal – at least I told myself it was only a result of the foliage, as I recalled reading online posts from other people that had set out to find the chained oak, only to have been waylaid by misfortune, from simple things such as their cameras not working when they wanted to photograph the tree, to people falling and injuring themselves, or being involved in car crashes after leaving the site.

With the GPS now out of commission, we proceeded up the path, in the direction that the device had indicated before it gave up the ghost. As we climbed, I became aware of a distant rumbling that reverberated through the ground, followed by bloodcurdling screams that gave me pause for thought. It took a moment to realise it was just the adrenaline fuelled cries of the brave souls riding the rollercoaster’s in the theme park somewhere in the distance, and not some distant echo of past tragedies.

As we continued, I spotted a set of stone steps set into the bank up ahead, trailing beside which were rusted chains. Heart pounding, I looked up and there it was, the chained oak.

From the number of branches that had fallen from the tree, if the curse is real, the Earl’s family must now be decimated, but it is still an awe-inspiring sight to behold.

One large branch lay beside the steps. It broke off in 2007, and the present Earl of Shrewsbury, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot was happy to report at the time that no member of his family died as a result.

Chains had been assimilated by the wood that had grown around it, revealing that the chains must have been in situ for a considerable time. And they certainly weren’t dainty little chains either, but big, clunking rings of metal as big as my fist that had rusted over the years.

The boughs creaked in the slight wind, creating an almost unearthly timbre, and dappled sunlight cast lurid shadows, adding to the ambience of the place, a place where fact and fiction intertwined like the branches overhead.

Standing in quiet contemplation, I tried to imagine the people that had climbed the tree to attach the chains. Some people say the tree was chained for nothing more sinister than a hoax. Others say that the chains were used to pull things up the bank. Yet others say they were used for some form of witchcraft ritual. Whatever the reason, someone had taken the considerable time and effort to attach them. But it is certainly easy to imagine that they were attached upon the Earl’s orders. After all, the eighteenth century was still an age of superstition and among the populace, the belief in witchcraft and a hundred other superstitions still flourished, so being cursed would certainly encourage someone to do whatever they could to stop it coming true.

Another story behind the chained oak is no less intriguing, and states that at the opening ball in the Banqueting Hall, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury hosted nobility and royalty. Into their midst came an old man, hoping to earn a night's keep by telling their fortunes. Mocked and ejected by the company, he turned to the host and said: "Every time a branch falls from the giant oak by your entrance, so will a member of your family fall and die". The next day, the Earl had all its branches chained.

A third version goes that the Earl's son was out riding the next day and as he passed the old oak tree the woman had been standing under, a branch fell on top of him, knocking him from his horse and killing him. This story is slightly more plausible, as there are records of a riding accident around that time.
Another piece of the puzzle that adds a touch of authenticity to the tale is that in 1807, a coach road was cut through the wooded dell, and it used to be the main thoroughfare to Alton Towers, and it is on this road that the chained oak stands, and so would have been used by the Earl in 1821. The road is now reported to be haunted by a headless horseman (that of the felled rider?), which is easy to imagine as you stand beneath the creaking branches.

There is certainly an eerie atmosphere surrounding the area, and whatever the reality behind the chained oak, as we left, I couldn’t help thinking about the screams ringing in my ears. Whatever their origin, they couldn’t be more fitting, and I’m sure that as with many things, at the heart of the mighty oak there might yet lie another story, a story far more sinister than the fiction.

***

And finally, a third casting call for minor characters for The Kult film will be held on June 26th at 9 am. 41133 Raintree Court, Murrieta, Ca 92562.

The Kult cast announced.

2010-06-08T20:44:00.003+01:00

Very quick post to say that the principal cast of The Kult has been announced: http://gharialproductions.com/news/principal-cast-for-the-kult-announced/

Now that it's starting to come together, it seems more real - and more exciting :)

Holidays and energy

2010-05-29T10:26:00.003+01:00

Well I’ve been away with the family this week to Sussex. While there, we visited Brighton – a couple of months too late for the World Horror Convention, but we still had a great time. The travelling wasn’t so great though. Four and half hours to get there, and six hours to get home. At least the sun made a rare appearance during our break and stayed with us for the duration.

While I was down that way I called into a couple of Waterstone’s shops, talked to some very nice people that worked there, left some info sheets and they agreed to order in a couple of copies of Deadfall (I’d already spoken to the Waterstone’s staff in my local store in Crewe, and they’ve ordered some copies in too). I’ll be writing to a few other stores to see if they would be interested in stocking the book, and calling into a few more when I get the chance - if any other shops want to order copies in, of course that would be great. Talking of Deadfall, a couple of reviews appeared online while I was away:

http://www.elizabethawhite.com/2010/05/24/deadfall-by-shaun-jeffrey/

http://ablogofmars.blogspot.com/2010/05/deadfall-by-shaun-jeffrey.html

Also the day before I went away, the second auditions for The Kult took place. You can read the directors journal on the process here: http://gharialproductions.com/the-kult-directors-journal/casting-week-2/

And for yet more linkage, you can read a PDF of The Kult for the bargain price of $2.36 at Drive Thru Horror (where the book is currently number 2 in the top 100): http://horror.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=79941&language=en
Or of course there’s always the printed version available from most online vendors.

Now in recent years, I’ve been feeling very tired, so I was very interested in a bracelet I saw in a shop made by Trion:Z. Trion:Z combines the natural power of magnets and the energising effect of negative ions to balance the bodies magnetic and electrical fields.

Many users have reported that Trion:Z and Colantotte products, have helped relieve pain, stress and improved concentration, stamina and energy levels.

While many people will probably call it all rubbish, I purchased one and can honestly say that after a few weeks, I do have more energy and don’t feel as tired, so that alone is worth the purchase cost to me. Of course I can’t say it would work for everyone, but if you suffer from a lack of energy or anything else that it’s supposed to help, it’s got to be worth a shot, and I certainly wouldn’t endorse it if I didn’t think it worked: http://www.trionz.co.uk/

Right, now with all my newfound energy, I’m going back to the grind.

The Philosopher's Stone

2010-05-22T09:00:00.002+01:00

A few more bruises have been added to my collection, but my son and I received our Taekwondo blue belts on Monday.

For those who have been following news about The Kult film, the director Kip Shelton has been posting a journal about the progress, which makes for eye-opening reading. You can read it here, and then click the other links that continue the journey: http://gharialproductions.com/the-kult-directors-journal/

And for anyone in the Nantwich area of Cheshire, the Nantwich Bookshop now has copies of my books with my spidery scrawl inside, so you can check out the book that the film’s based on.

Now as a small press author, promotion and the selling of books is one of the hardest things. I’m competing against thousands of other authors. To give an idea of how vast the market is, I recently read that in 1975 there were 3,000 publishers in the United States. Today that number has grown to 200,000 publishers made up of large, medium, small, as well as print on demand companies. Together, they put out 560,000 books a year of which approximately 295,000 are self-published. So as you can see, competition is fierce. But what’s the best way to reach your target audience?

Of course having books in shops helps, but that’s not always possible with small press books as the shops won’t stock them, preferring to stick with the major publishers with whom they have a tried and tested relationship.

Now I’ve tried most things that I can think of to promote my work, from adverts to message boards, and I’ve had numerous good reviews, but I just haven’t hit upon what I call ‘quantity x’. Now ‘quantity x’ is a magic formula, a metaphorical philosopher’s stone that occurs when there’s an increased awareness in an authors work, and everything seems to fall into place. Like the alchemists of old, I’m still searching for it, but if anyone can give me some clues …

Kult auditions and kicking ass.

2010-05-15T16:36:00.001+01:00

Well it’s the first of The Kult auditions this Sunday (May 16th) and I’m looking forwards to seeing who lands the roles, and whether any of them match the descriptions I had in my head when writing the novel. Of course having a film made of my work is a dream come true, and not something I ever really imagined would happen. Now I’m getting fed up of pinching myself, and I have the bruises to show for it. Or perhaps those are from Taekwondo, the latest grading of which I took last Thursday with my son. If we passed – results on Monday - then we’ll be blue belts (4th Kup). Obviously being 7 years old, my son is a hell of a lot more flexible than me, but I’m getting there, one creaking joint at a time.

Writing wise, I’m working on a screenplay with the writer of The Kult screenplay, Danielle Kaheaku. It’s a departure compared to what I’m used to writing, but it’s interesting to try a different format.

And finally, had a couple of great reviews for Deadfall this week:

http://www.horrorworld.org/reviews.htm (scroll down)

http://www.famousmonstersoffilmland.com/book-review-deadfall-by-shaun-jeffrey/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7540697-deadfall

In the bag

2010-05-09T16:20:00.003+01:00

It’s been one of those weeks when I can’t really get into my stride. Having said that, I finally finished the first draft of my second Prosper Snow novel, tentatively titled ‘Killers’. It will need a lot of sorting in the second run-through, but the bones are there. Just needs fleshing out now. Speaking of Prosper, if anyone wants to read The Kult, it’s currently available as a PDF download from Drive Thru Horror for the bargain price of $2.36: http://horror.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=79941&language=en Or if you prefer your books from dead trees, it’s available at another bargain price from the Book Depository for £4.93 with free worldwide delivery: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780980033984/The-Kult

As for my latest novel, Deadfall, it’s had a couple of great reviews on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7540697-deadfall I’m also giving away three copies of The Kult and three copies of Deadfall on the Goodreads giveaways if anyone wants to enter. Just click on the books on the site and follow the giveaway links to enter the draw.

Although The Kult has continually suffered from an availability issue in the UK, which is something to do with the ISBN listing, Deadfall doesn’t suffer the same problem and is available to order from most bookshops and is listed on WH Smiths, Waterstone’s etc. Now if only they stocked the book in the shops ...

But if anyone ever sees any of my books on the bookshop shelves, I’d love to hear about it. They're like an endangered species, so any reports are welcome to help keep them alive in the minds and hearts (at least in mine anyway.)

Piracy and self publishing.

2010-05-01T09:38:00.002+01:00

I was following a message board thread recently that discussed written works being offered illegally on download sites all over the net. Some of these sites offer the work for free, others want to charge for it. All have one thing in common: they do not have the right to offer the work in the first place.

Now of course I don’t agree with this, and I wouldn’t like seeing my own work offered in this way. But it’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, because who can hand on heart say they’ve never watched a pirated copy of a film, who’s never bought or downloaded an illegal computer game, who’s never seen and bought a ‘brand name’ article sold on a market stall that’s clearly not the real deal, who’s not succumbed to anything that’s been offered to them at a knock down price because it’s not legal: a fake watch, bag etc. Where pirates once sailed the high seas, they now ride the internet wave and trawl the high street. And the reason they proliferate is down to money. If something costs £10 and up for the official item, but you can pick it up for £5 from a nudge, nudge, wink, wink seller, then many people will turn a blind eye and hand over the money. It’s a fact of life. And it’s not something I think anyone will ever be able to stop.

For those who follow my writing, they’ll know that I wrote a novel called Fangtooth. Said novel was accepted twice by different publishers, but for varying reasons, I withdrew it from both parties. Now I was recently made aware of a film called Snakehead Terror that when I read the synopsis, sounded an awful lot like my story. To make sure, I rented the film (an official version to boot), and I’m glad to say that the actual film is hardly anything like my manuscript. I was relieved as it takes me months to write a novel, and I’d hate to think it was all a waste of time. Of course, I’ve not yet sold Fangtooth again, but then I’ve not really submitted it to many places either. The submission process is the worst part about writing.

Which brings me on to self publishing. There seems to be a renaissance surrounding this path. With the advent of electronic books, more and more people are putting their own work out at little to no cost to themselves. Of course, there’s still a lot of bad writing out there, and it helps if someone has a fan base, but what do people think about self publishing? Would you be prepared to pay for a book published by the author? Does it make a difference if you’ve read something by the author before? Do you prefer printed copies or electronic copies?

And last but not least, the Audition Sides for The Kult are online for those intending to go for one of the roles in the film. Auditions are set to take place at 41133 Raintree Court Murrieta, Ca 92562 on May 16th and 23rd at 8:00 am – 5:00 pm: http://gharialproductions.com/the-kult-directors-journal/audition-sides/

News and stuff

2010-04-24T17:02:00.003+01:00

Okay, another week, another blog. I’m going to try to make these posts a little more regular, but don’t count on it!

We’ve been blessed with a little sunshine this week, so I’ve been out on the garden doing a little reading. At the moment, I’m dipping into Johnny Mains’ BACK FROM THE DEAD: The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories. Anyone old enough to remember the Pan series of books will know that they were the cornerstone of horror up until the late 80s. Mr Mains is single handedly carrying the torch for this series and in this limited edition collection, he’s gathered a host of new scares from a plethora of the original Pan authors: http://www.nooseandgibbetpublishing.com/ This morning, I was reading it in the Play Barn, surrounded by screaming children. Now that’s true horror.

On news of The Kult, the director, Kip Shelton has started a journal about the film. Check it out here: http://gharialproductions.com/the-kult-directors-journal/ Also, casting starts next month. For any actors out there interested in the film, which will be shooting in Late September, they are looking for 5 males in their 30s, 2 females in their 30s and 1 female between 20 and 40. Auditions will be held on May 16th and May 23rd, 2010 in Temecula, California. Those wishing to audition should contact the director, Kip Shelton at kip@kipshelton.com for information.

Well Deadfall is now shipping from various locations, and I'm hearing reports that people are receiving copies. I’m hoping to see some reviews of Deadfall start cropping up soon, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that people like it. There are also some giveaways for both Deadfall and The Kult on http://www.goodreads.com/

On the writing front, progress on the latest Prosper Snow novel has slowed as I’ve put him in a situation that’s hard to find a way out of. But I’m sure he’ll get out of it eventually. At least I hope he does, anyway.

This, that and t'other

2010-04-18T19:22:00.000+01:00

I was having a browse through the charity shop yesterday, and picked up:
The Black Druid - Frank Belknap Long (Panther 1975)
The Taste of Fear - Edited by Hugh Lamb (Coronet 1977)
A Wave of Fear - Edited by Hugh Lamb (Coronet 1976)
Weird Tales - Selected and Introduced by Peter Haining (Sphere 1978)
More Weird Tales - Selected and Introduced by Peter Haining (Sphere 1978)
The Blockhouse - Jean-Paul Clebert (Ace Books 1960)

There are some real gems out there waiting to be unearthed.

Talking of books, I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I’ve been pretty disillusioned with what I’ve been reading lately. Nothing seems to have grabbed me, and I find that after struggling through a number of pages, I abandon the story. Still, I’ve got plenty of unread books to have a go at, and I’m sure there must be something among them that keeps my interest.

As for my own writing, I’m nearing the end of another novel featuring the protagonist from The Kult, Prosper Snow. I’ve put him through the grinder again, but then if I didn’t, it wouldn’t make for much of a story, would it.

There’s also progress on The Kult film too, and casting calls have been set for May 16th and 23rd. It will be a real revelation seeing my story translated to film. The director, Kip Shelton has been seeking some unsigned metal bands for the project, and I believe he’s approached a few to see whether he can acquire their work. The film is going to rock in more ways than one.

In other news, the first review of my latest book, Deadfall was a good one: http://www.darkscribemagazine.com/reviews/deadfall-shaun-jeffrey.html

And in a scenario straight out of a novel, it will be interesting to see the long term repercussions of the Icelandic volcano. We take so much for granted nowadays, and we don’t realise that so many things enter the country via the airports. One thing that immediately springs to mind is airmail postage. Then there’s food that’s now rotting in warehouses that was destined for these shores. If the situation continues, then I think food shortages are certain to happen, and as of yet, no one knows how long the ash will leave us a no fly zone. For the first time in ages, we can see how small an island we are, but more importantly, how reliant we are on international trade.

Director chosen for The Kult

2010-03-16T22:08:00.006Z

I'm pleased to announce that a director has been chosen for The Kult: Kip Shelton.

Kip Shelton has been a writer, editor, special effects designer, composer, producer, and director for the last thirty years. He has done work for companies such as DreamWorks, MTV, VH-1, Discovery, and countless motion pictures and television projects. With credits from Behind The Music to Amistad, Kip's experience provides a well rounded foundation for almost any pre-production, production, or post production role.

Shooting is slated for September 2010 and casting calls are taking place soon.

Deadfall sample

2010-02-28T16:17:00.002Z

For anyone interested, I've made the first three chapters of my next novel, Deadfall available to read online: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27554341/Deadfall

The story's got action, adventure, horror, mercenaries and zombies. Did I mention the zombies!

I should also have an update on The Kult film front soon ...

Voyeurs of Death free to read

2010-01-25T14:41:00.000Z

I have decided to share this collection with anyone who wants to read it: 'Voyeurs Of Death': http://www.scribd.com/doc/25760006

Kult optioned

2009-12-14T07:35:00.001Z

From the Leucrota Press blog: "Gharial Productions has just optioned movie rights to Shaun Jeffrey's The Kult.

The screenplay, adapted from the novel by Danielle Kaheaku and Robert Hunter, went into negotiations in the middle of November with Gharial Productions and has finally come out with a solid contract offer and acceptance by Leucrota Press.

Gharial Productions is an emerging movie and film production company based in San Diego, California, and is currently working on pre-production arrangements for the filming of the movie, tentatively scheduled to begin June 2010."

***

Anyone who has had a book optioned knows that it's far from actually being filmed, but it's still a nice early Christmas present.

Read the first 3 chapters of The Kult for free

2009-11-02T14:30:00.002Z

http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/kultsample.pdf

Competition winners

2009-11-02T14:28:00.002Z

The answer was Henry Tomb and the winners of The Kult competition were:

First: Tara Noble
Second: Jan Darga
Third: Rich Hagan

Congratulations to you all.

26 days left to crack the code

2009-10-05T08:19:00.002+01:00

The clock is ticking, and there are now only 26 days left to enter The Kult competition. Are you clever enough to crack the code? http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/kultcompetition.html

2009-06-23T14:00:00.007+01:00

While I was away recently, I booked a session with photographer Dave Cable of http://www.arcadiaphotographic.com/ to take some photos that I could use for websites, book covers etc. I'll post a couple of my favourites here:

How important is factual accuracy in fiction?

2009-06-23T10:50:00.000+01:00

Someone who’s a police academy graduate, majored in criminology for 2 years, and who is currently a Fire Prevention Officer has slated my novel The Kult on Goodreads.com and given it a one star review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6393198-the-kult

The reviewer stated that the book was slow and the characters uninteresting, and he read it with a critical eye regards the police aspect, and was disappointed that it contained so many flaws.

Okay, I try not to write anything that reads slow, as I personally don’t like slow books, so I kind of disagree with that one, as for the characters being uninteresting, well I guess that’s down to personal opinion. But I’m more interested in the factual accuracy aspect. When I wrote the novel, I wrote it as a piece of fiction. I did some research, but knowing that I would never be able to get all the facts regarding police procedure correct, I tried to gloss over much of that side of it. A police officer friend of mine told me that if I did write it accurately, it would be boring, as most police work is boring.

So what are other people’s opinions on the importance of factual accuracy in fiction?

And for those who don’t know, there has been an issue with the company that lists the books ISBN, and publisher details, and because of a cock-up, the book was locked out of the system. It is listed on Amazon, but as unavailable. But it is available direct from the publisher at the moment for $8.95. It might also be orderable from bookshops, but I’m not 100% sure on that because of the listing problem, but you could always try. Anyway, here are the details for ordering etc:

http://www.leucrotapress.com/Jeffrey.html

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0980033985/shaunjeffreho-20

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0980033985/ref=ase_shaunjeffreho-21/202-3440358-2866222

Title: The Kult
Author: Shaun Jeffrey
Publisher: Leucrota Press
ISBN-10: 0980033985
ISBN-13: 978-0980033984

The Bucket of Blood

2009-06-11T16:51:00.006+01:00

With a name like 'The Bucket of Blood', how could I not want to visit? The pub is in Phillack, Hayle in Cornwall.

Legend has it that many years ago, the landlord went to the on-site well to get a bucket of water, but when he pulled the bucket up, it was found to be full of blood. Upon further investigation, a badly mutilated body was found at the bottom of the well, who turned out to be an excise man (taxman) that had been murdered. The pub now has reports of ghostly figures, strange noises and other strange phenomena.

If not for the story, then it's a nice place to visit for the food.