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A PERSONAL NOTE ON THE NEW YEAR

Posted by Chuck Rios on January 11, 2013
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So begins a New Year and boy am I glad 2012 is over! It was a good year for me in terms of honing my craft, paying dues and really just working at being a better writer, a better human being. I was fortunate enough to come away with a fresh prospective and I feel more optimistic about the future than I previously did, so that’s a plus.

My personal motto for 2012 was: Preserver.

What’s my motto for 2013?

Expand forward, work harder and never give up.

A fine motto, if I may say so.

Anyways, I have many more dues to pay still and this time around I am actually looking forward to it! It is a validation thing, and each rejection slip I accumulate is a badge of god damn honor because when I look back at what I had accomplished this past year in terms of work (Paid or not), it is more than I ever did in 3 years combined! So I know I’m on the right track. I already have several projects slated for the rest of the year (short stories submissions, a new novel and a couple of novellas, yes!). I am also going to utilize YouTube more and more as the year progresses, reading free stories and the like so stay tuned for that.  I will continue to review for Deadite Press and Darkfuse.com because with these two presses pumping out the best the horror genre has to offer, what have I got to lose?

As always, you can reach me here on my website and also through twitter @chuckrios and face book. Don’t forget the slaughterhouse forums and shock lines! Thank you all for the emails, comments and keep’em coming. I like making new friends.

Alright, that’s all for today. Short and to the point. Just the way I like my post.

Hello 2013, let’s dance.

THE NEXT BIG THING: A CROSS-POSTING (of sorts)

Posted by Chuck Rios on November 29, 2012
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My apologizes to Benjamin Kane Ethridge, an excellent writer and author of several books including Black & Orange and Bottled Abyss, but Ben invited me to participate in this cross-posting event, and with him being a fellow Southern Californian, how could I resist?

Unfortunately, I ran into some problems along the way. In a cross posting event, one answers the questions about his or her newest project and what’s down the pipeline in the future, usually giving some acknowledgment to the person who invited them (in my case, it’s Ben. You can read his answers by clicking here), then said writer would ask five other writers or artist to participate. Well, answering the questions (which you will find down below) was the easy part. The hard part was finding willing participants! My friend Jeffery Thomas had similar hiccups in finding people, too! You can check out his answers here, at this link –> http://punktalk.punktowner.com/?p=1607

So, with that out of the way, I think the cross posting event was still successful and  I hope I can be part of more great literary endeavors such as this one in the future.

Now, on with The Next Big Thing!

1) What is the working title of your next book?

The Dread Ride. It was called ‘Fearmaster’, but I thought that title was too over used and trite.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

I have had the concept down since I was a teen, back in the days when I had a thrash metal band. There is Rum, the god of fear, and he rises every so often from the void of reality by a cult of adrenaline sucking, blood quaffing lunatics bent of the destruction and subjugation of mankind. The Cult is called the Amygdala and I named them after the glad in our brains that produces the fear response. The cultist instill this fear into victims and their blood saturates with adrenaline. It’s their drug, they get off on it, and when the victim dies, their souls power Rums return. The victim is then known to be taking a  ’Dread Ride’. Crazy stuff, man.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Horror all the way. I write for myself first, and all my stuff usually is horror but sometimes I get that primal itch that only true, hard core horror can satisfy. It’s real, in your face and the characters in this book, I can really relate and feel for them. While the story does have hard core horror mixed throughout, it is foremost a tale about survival and the opposition of evil, malevolent forces. I would say The Dread Ride falls under occult horror, if I had to pin it to a type. But with my work, I like to think anyone can read it. Now, if everyone will enjoy it….

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Ha! Well, I never thought of this before but here it goes: I would have Andrea Bogart (Dark Ride, Nite Tales) be Shanna Cole, one of the main characters. She is feisty but home town enough to grow with the crisis of Rum coming after her vessel (body). Why is the god of fear after her… shh, it’s a secret, gotta buy the book to find out!

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Hmm, try this: No one is safe…there is nowhere to run…there is no place to hide… Rum creeps closer, the great blood ritual draws near and before the night is out, someone will be taking THE DREAD RIDE!

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self agented, defiantly. Sent it out myself. Deadite press has shown an interest in The Dead Ride but as of now, I have no confirmed press. But if I could pick anyone to have it, it would have to be Jeff at Deadite. I feel the book fits in there well and everything that has come out of Deadite has knocked my socks off! Also, it would be great to be among so many talented and awesome writers there; Edward Lee, Brian Keene, Wrath ect.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Six months, give or take a week. Had a lot of short story subs going out, so I wrote the first draft in between them. Right now I am working on an eBook novella that I will sub to Cemetery Dance for their digital line but since I am not under contract, I am taking my time with it. Please check my web page here in the near future for more information on that project.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Oh boy! I have not come across anything similar to The Dread Ride, literary wise, but I am sure it is out there somewhere. I would compare it to the 80′s splatterpunk movement. I am a product of the 80′s and my life as an adult pretty much revolves around horror. What can I say? I love the horror genre, in general; the people, the movies, the books, the comics, music, ect. It’s more of a life view than a genre to me, so long as I’m not mixed in with the Romance crowd, that is.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Myself. I write for myself. I have to like the story first before anyone else does. It’s a good lesson I learned from Richard Laymon (Not personally, but through his work.) Some would call it trash, I call it having fun. In the end, I will have written some poignant stuff, but for now, I am doing what I love to do and that’s saying a lot.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

If you aren’t already piqued by this interview, nothing I say now will ever pique you up.

Another thank you goes out to Benjamin Kane Ethridge  for the invite and the linkage and everyone should check out and buy his stuff, seriously. That’s all for now. Next time, I start reviews on more horror fiction, bad ass horror movie releases from synapse films and scream factory, and I will take a moment to talk about two of my favorite pod cast.

Stay tuned.

HORROR FICTION REVIEWS

Posted by Chuck Rios on October 8, 2012
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Hi everyone! I’m back from Killercon 2012 and it seriously kicked ass. Made a lot of new friends and really pushed my career forward (when you get back from a writing convention, all you really want to do is work harder and write) and now I am back on the balls… um, er, I mean ball. So well I get these partials in shape to submit, here are some really great books I’ve read recently and my thoughts on’em. Click on the book covers to purchase them.

Enjoy.

CHOURS OF DUST by Justin Paul Walters

Chorus of Dust Justin Paul Walters writes a jarring story. Chorus of Dust was ethereal and the theme was one of longing and belief and confronting your fears.
The story follows a man named Adem Comeauxa. When his grandfather dies, he returns to the family farm after a mysterious absence to recollect his past and mend his relationship with his sister Sam (Of course with much trepidation). As Adem does this, he uncovers an evil on his grandfather’s cotton farm… an evil that will force Adem to test his beliefs and eventually come to a horrible truth.
Do yourself a favor and read this one. Chorus of Dust is really a great, solid story and I cannot recommend it enough.
Buy it at www.darkfuse.com in the eBook format of your choice for $4.99.

THE RAIN DANCERS by Greg F. Gifune

The Rain DancersGreg F. Gifune is in fine form with The Rain Dancers. Greg’s work is dark, psychological, emotional and moody. It makes you think and reflect and if that isn’t enough, in The Rain Dancers, we have creeps, spooks and surprises abound.
A couple, Will and Betty Colby, return to Betty’s old hometown to settle some business about her father’s passing. But then, one rainy night, a mysterious man named Bob Laurent shows up on the couple’s doorstep.
He claims to be a family friend yet he seems unfamiliar to Betty, and he knows things… things about Betty, her father, and even personal things about Will and as the night goes on and the storm rages, an ultimate secret is revealed, one that drives Will and Betty to the edge of darkness.
If you have never read Gifune before, you should start with this one. I really think it might be his best yet.
The Rain Dancers is available from darkfuse.com for $4.99 and comes in the eBook format of your choice.

THE DARK ONES by Brian Smith

The Dark Ones is a great read. It has all the elements that make an exciting horror tale: demons, sex, gore, blood by the buckets and most important of all, a great story.
A group of teenagers called the dark ones accidently release a demon upon a small town. The demon unleashes a foul and unholy wrath and only the dark ones know how to stop it.
It’s as simple as that.
Simple, yet you can’t stop thinking about it once you are done reading it.
I am an absolute fan of Bryan Smith and he didn’t let me down with this one. The thing I like best about Smith’s writing is that he knows how to set up a page turner and I’m always a sucker for stories like those.
The one I read was the Deadite Press edition, a much cooler cover by far, and Deadite Press pays their authors so why not go down to Amazon.com or Deaditepress.com tonight and nab it for $12.95.
Worth every penny and you’ll have a fun time to boot!

THE DROPPER by Ron McLarty

The DropperRon McLarty has written an  awesome book here. The dropper is a rich and deep read and every chapter reads like a short story all its own. While the story itself keeps a slow pace all throughout the book, you should stick with it till the end because The Dropper is satisfying.
It fills you up and you think about it even when you’re done turning the last page.
I know I did.
I was having trouble describing this fantastic book so I’ll just paste from the Cemetery Dance Website:
“Gutsy 17-year-old Albert “Shoe” Horn is an apprentice plumber and part-time boxer in England in 1922, but when his mother dies, he finds himself responsible for an abusive, alcoholic father and a younger brother with special needs.
This marvelous novel follows the indomitable Shoe’s day-to-day survival with poetic grit, cynical genius, respect, and deep affection as he navigates a world full of very real characters: the gentle giant McAvy, his slave-driving boss, the Irish louts that resurrect his temper, the tempting ladies who seek him out, his hilarious plumbing clients, and the formidable “Dropper,” who Shoe fears will take away the most true thing in his life, his brother.”
I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. Reminds me of Hemmingway’s or Fitzgerald Style. It has big, bold paragraphs that dance with each other creating a close and personal atmosphere and I think in time that this one will be a classic. Grab it from Cemetery Dance Publications when you can. $25 for the trade hardcover.

Pre- Fourth Of July Horror Fiction Reviews!

Posted by Chuck Rios on June 29, 2012
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Here are some really great titles that I read this past month and my quick reviews on them.

Enjoy.

PASSENGER by Ronald Malfi

Ronald Malfi has done it again! PASSENGER was a fantastic read and so good that I read it all in one sitting.
The description of the book says more than I ever can about the set up but what it does not tell you is how you will feel after finishing this peice; contemplative, thought provoked. An errie mystery in the horror vein. I really cared for the main character and as you read he develops and we understand more about his memories. So in a sense, we see the main characters development progress before our eyes. It was a brilliant trick.
Malfi really knows how to write and he writes in vivid detail. The city streets, the mood, the atmospheare, it was all so well rendered.
Only qualm is its allways too short for me.
In the end though, Passenger was very entertaining and I highly recommend it.
Snatch it up at darkfuse.com

ALL-MONSTER ACTION! by Cody Goodfellow

RAAAAAWWWRRRR!!!
All monster action was serious fun to read. If you love movie monsters and have a hankering for destruction on an epic scale then trust me, this book is for you.
Cody paints my boyish dreams of big ass monsters and destruction. His imagination godzilla in scope and it is evident with each passing story in ALL- MONSTER ACTION. He throws everything at you and more; from a flying translucent man eating manta ray god to a 400 pound albino! My favorite story in the collection is Venus of Santa Cruz.
Oh yes… monster sex…
Hey! And I almost forgot, the book is illustrated and they are sweet looking.
Read this for your monster mash consumption and enjoyment. It was like watching a bad B movie monster flick only with a better plot and better writing.
Get it at swallowdownpress.com or amazon.com.
Its priced to move at $12.00!

HERO by J. F. Gonzalez & Wrath James White

Hero by J. F. Gonzalez and Wrath James White is a cold and razor sharp piece of fiction. It is roughly about a Civil Rights leader named Adelle Smith and her struggle with an angel of death type hospice nurse named Natsinet, who hates the woman she cares for and sees Adelle as the cause of all her pain and racist misery.
The novella runs 164 pages and deals with racial tensions, self hating, torture themes, redemption and heroisim. The story smashes stereotypes, especially in the climatic end scene.
Also the epilogue was particularly touching.
Gonzales and WJW write a seamless work and it is hard to tell where one ended and the other began. That is always a sign of a great writing team, just like Brian Keene and Gonzalez in the Clicker series, when I don’t notice the breaks in the story and things flow smoothly from chapter to chapter.
All in all, Hero is a classic concept story with a hardcore horror twist. If you are into redeeming /revenge stories and like a little hope thrown into the mix, then Hero would be right up your alley.
It is available from Deadite Press for the meager price of $11 bucks for the Trade Paperback or $5 for the digital edition.

DARK HOLLOW by Brian Keene

 Ahh, spring. Love in is the air, birds are singing and the flowers bloom…
so prepare to get banged!
Dark Hollow (Formally The Rutting Season) by Brian Keene is the prequel in his Levi Stoltzfus book series (Which includes the novels Ghost Walk and A Gathering of Crows).
The story is set in the backwoods of Pennsylvania and follows sexually frustrated mystery writer Adam Senft and his dog through a meeting with a not so fabled goat man named Hylinus. The satyr is the embodiment of sexually driven, depravity laced evil and as Adam and the rest of the town soon find out, is growing dangerously out of control.
Keene writes about Le Horn’s Hollow (which is the hollows real name), in such a way that it is truly horrible. He paints it as a shadowy, sinister patch of forest that harbors the dyadic satyr, Hylinus and when I was reading it, I could feel his presence behind my back.
Some critics have stated that Dark Hollow is nothing more than a manifesto of a sexually starved writer, but I disagree. I believe the true horror of Dark Hollow is the surmounting feeling of terror that Adam feels as he watches all those around him succumb to Hylinus’s madness and high sex appetite, and how Adam is helpless to control the situation.
Dark Hollow is also an interesting peak into the life of a real writer and I couldn’t help but think that maybe Brian’s character of Adam was mirrored after his own self.
Probably true. If I am right, I would love to know about it.
As for the pacing of the story, the novel starts out with a rocket ship to horror land but after the first four chapters, you better settle in for a long buildup (but Keene is a fantastic writer so it was easy to keep reading). But I urge you to stay with it because the climax is a shocker and well worth the investment of your time.
I enjoyed reading Dark Hollow and if you’re like me then you’re already a Keene fan and would appreciate the story.
It is available from Deadite Press (www.deaditepress.com) in trade paperback and will cost you $13.00 bucks.

ALL YOU CAN EAT by Shane McKenzie

When I got this in my review mail I said to myself ‘who the hell is Shane McKenzie’? Well now I know and take it from me, the guy knows how to write.
In All You Can Eat, his Novella  debut published by Deadite Press, he delivers a buffet of sick and disgusting gluttony. The story is fast and hard hitting, just like I like them, but the concept of the story is what kept me hungering for more.
Imagine for a moment that you are a worker at a Chinese restaurant that has food so good (A secret recipe) that its patrons gorge themselves and grow larger and larger and larger….
Now the supply has run out and you’re on the menu.
That’s what All You Can Eat is about in a nutshell but it really is a fun read and Jeff Burk at Deadite Press has never steered me wrong in the past.
So if your gullet hankers for a quick, satisfying read, give Shane’s novella a try. You will be full before you know it.
P.S. I don’t apologize for the puns. You can buy it by going to deaditepress.com.

And there you have it.

I have my hands full in July but I’m sure I will be able to squeeze a post or two in when the deadline demon isn’t looking. Till then have a happy 4th of July!

An Edward Lee Lovecraftian Threesome

Posted by Chuck Rios on March 7, 2012
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Disclaimer: Hello everyone! I really dig Edward Lee, so when I got the chance to read and review his Lovecraft series from Deadite press, I nearly had a stroke of epic enjoyment.

Lee has always been one of my favorite authors and Lovecraft, well… I have been reading Howard Phillip Lovecraft’s books and stories since I was a child and Lovecraft gave me more nightmares than I care to count.

What I’m trying to say is both authors rock my socks off.

This is not a secret, so the following tri-fecta of reviews are written from a true fans prospective.

There is bias. You have been warned.

This is some of the best Lovecraftian mythos fiction out there.

Enjoy.

TROLLEY 1852 by Edward Lee

Trolley 1852 is a raunchy, New England horror death trip starring our genres very beloved, very xenophobic author H. P. Lovecraft! It is based off a tale written by H. P. Lovecraft called “The Thing in the Moonlight.”

The Thing in the Moonlight was expunged from Lovecraft’s official publications by the historian S. T. Joshi, because it was partially written by Lovecraft (The beginning and end are not his own work.)

The author of TROLLEY 1852, Edward Lee, tells no bullshit and in this story, he channels Howard’s sprit from beyond the grave only to rape and sully it for our reading pleasure.

In Trolley 1852, H. P. Lovecraft is commissioned by an underground, pornographic magazine to write a horror story for a publication called EROTESQUE magazine. He ends up writing one of his most risky tales to date! The protagonist in Trolley 1852 is in search of his sister after she stops writing to him. His search eventually takes him to a bordello of carnage and pleasure and oh, what delights he has in that place! Does he find his sister? Will he escape alive? I won’t tell! You have got to read it to find out!

This story got all the bells and whistles that you would expect from Lee but believe me when I say that you haven’t lived till you have read H. P. Lovecraft writing as a smut novelist! Seriously!

The story has green towering monsters, tentacle madness, ill deprived sex and much more. Not for the faint of heart.

The ending is what got me, the very last few lines that tied the whole story together and made me spit out my cola. This is truly fine writing and I believe it to be Edward Lee’s best work to date.

Put on your top hats and monocles, boys and girls, this one comes highly recommend!

THE INNSWICH HORROR by Edward Lee

The INNSWICH HORROR by Edward Lee is part of a series of books dedicated to the memory of the late, the great, H. P. Lovecraft.

In this series, so far, we have; Trolley 1852, The Haunter of the Threshold, The Dunwich Romance, Pages Torn From A Travel Journal and this one, The Innswich Horror.

A side note here: Trolley 1852, Haunter of the Threshold and Innswich Horror are available from Deadite press. Pages Torn from a Travel Journal and The Dunwich Romance are sold as Limited edition hardbacks from Darkfuse.com. I can’t wait to get a hold of the last two, I hope they get released in PB format or digital. If anyone knows anything, PLEASE let me know!)

In this story, a rich man from Providence, RI, named Foster Morley, re-traces the steps of his favorite author of all time… H. P. Lovecraft.

Morey is utterly infatuated with anything and everything about H. P. Lovecraft. He even calls him “The Master.”

Lovecraft is Foster Morley’s hobby; Finding out where he walked, where he ate, slept, etc. but as Morley is on a scenic bus trip through Massachusetts, he stops at the town of Innswich Port; a fishing waterfront that strongly resembles Morley’s favorite book of all time, The Shadow Over Innsmouth! ( As with all fan fiction, I recommend you go back and re-read this fine classic before reading Lee’s take.)

The port town is very strange in its similarities to Lovecraft’s book (As Morley soon finds out, some characters and places are named after real life residence and locations, only with their names slightly altered) and as Foster uncovers the truth about Lovecraft, Innswich Port and the terrifying secrets it holds underground, his life hangs in the balance and there is NO going back.

The Innswich Horror is not written in Lee’s splatter punk style so if you’re looking for it or if you want to read that stuff I recommend Mangled Meat or his City Infernal series. Now I am not saying that there isn’t any deprived violence, mongoloid sex and unsettling scenes in this book because they are in there, just toned down more. It’s an excellent book for someone who is new to Lee’s work so if you have never read him, this would be a great place to start.

Actually, Innswich Horror is written more like a suspenseful thriller. There is a good cast of characters and the plot kept me guessing and engaged till the end. As with most of Edward Lee’s work, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s nice too, in that it’s a short work of novella length and easily read in an hour or two.

It was very well written and Lee captures Lovecraft’s style and taste for Providence in a truly different and unique way.

It’s a must read for all Lovecraft and Lee fan’s. It’s dark, creepy fun so what are you waiting for??? Get your copy today and devour The Innswich Horror before it devours you!

THE HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD by Edward Lee

The Haunter of the Threshold is Edward Lee’s pornographic, mystically fetish lined lovechild sequel to Howard Phillip Lovecraft’s 1935 tale called The Haunter of the Dark. I, as well as Lee, recommend you go back and re-read the classic HPL version before diving into this one (Trust me, I did just this and the satisfaction and pleasure of re-reading the original and then reading Lee’s sequel enhanced the experience somehow… Possibly through some act of eldritch sex magic, no doubt.)

The Haunter of the Threshold is about a group of three people who take a trip into a hillbillies infested backwoods. The protagonist is Hazel Greene, a woman who is inflicted with every known fetish in the universe. She goes on the trip with her pregnant professor friend Sonia, whom she is in love with, to a cabin to meet up with Sonia’s fiancé ‘Frank (Who just so happens to be a math freak and also a professor as well.)  Frank inherited the Cabin from his recently dead friend Henry. The three characters quickly find out that not all is right in hick land as Sonia and Hazel start having weird sightings and encounters while all the while Frank pores over his dead friend’s papers adamant that he must destroy his friends work because it contains a horrible truth!  This is just the beginning of the craziness, not to mention all the things that happen to Hazel…

:: Shudders::

Eventually, tentacle people wearing robes start showing up and the name Nyarlathotep is becoming more and more prominent around the backwoods New Hampshire town.

A sign of bad things to come?

Yup.

I won’t spoil the ending for you but just know that it can never end well with Lee at the helm. There are twists and turns and surprises waiting for you betwixt these book covers, but only if you can take the gratuitous, nasty sex acts of delightful depravity. Oh, and the mind shattering terror of the Old Ones.

Over all, I admit I had fun reading it; I winched, I laughed, I tasted some puke in the back of my throat but if you’re a fan of Lovecraft and hardcore horror, this is one not to be missed. :D

Good luck reading it, and to paraphrase Edward Lee in the intro:

“My H. P. Lovecraft and God forgive you.”