Tim Lebbon is a Busy Guy!

I’ll start this short article off with the same six words as the title. (Well, that’s not technically true since I’ve already rattled off some 25 words that aren’t the same as the six words in the title but…oh, never mind.)

Tim Lebbon is a Busy Guy. Lebbon, the author of nearly 30 dark fantasy and horror books, has a lot of irons in the fire. He is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including The Island, Fallen, Dusk, Dawn, and, with Christopher Golden, Mind the Gap and The Map of Moments. His most recent book is The Heretic Land. He’s written the novelization for the movie The Cabin in the Woods, and he’s working on a novel set in the Star Wars universe—Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi—Into the Void.

Tim has won four British Fantasy Awards and a Bram Stoker Award, and several of his books and short stories are in development as movies. He lives in South Wales (UK) with his wife and two children.

He’s also the author of the terrific horror novel, Berserk, which Books of the Dead Press re-released this year as an e-book. He took some time out of this dizzying schedule to answer a few questions.

Being a UK writer, do you see any differences between the UK horror reader and one in the States? And do you write for one or the other?

I certainly don't write for any particular nationality of reader, no. And I don't think there are great differences, certainly not nowadays with the internet, instant communication, and any book you want available at the touch of a button.

I noticed that you run marathons. Is there anything you've learned from this physical activity that you've been able to apply to your writing?

Training for marathons and generally getting fit in my early forties has given me more of a can-do attitude than I've ever had before. I'd have never believe I could run a marathon a couple of years ago. And now I'm training for an Ironman. I think it does affect my writing in that I feel better and fitter than I ever have, and I'm generally more upbeat and filled with energy. It also does sometimes bleed into my writing because of reading I've done about exercise science and the like. Running a marathon is a horror story in itself...

Books of the Dead has republished Berserk. Tell me a little about the genesis of that novel and where you were mentally when you wrote it.

It was a while ago... I think it largely came from the image of the mass grave, and an ongoing fascination I have with Salisbury Plain and the military experiments that went on out there decades ago.

Do you have any unusual writing habits or things that you absolutely require a certain way when you write?
Not really. I use a laptop so I tend to move around the house, and sometimes out to a cafe if the kids are home and the house is noisy. I have to fit writing into a very full day that also involves family and exercising, so I tend to be able to write whenever I get a few free hours.

You just announced that you're writing a Star Wars novel. What's the most exciting part of this for you?
Well ... it's Star Wars!!! I've been a fan since I first saw it as a kid, so being able to play in the Star Wars universe is a real thrill.

Tim’s Amazon Author Page is here.

You can buy a copy of Berserk here.

Thanks, Tim!

Great Review for Little Deaths at Horror Talk!

Gabino Iglesias, the prolific reader and reviewer for HorrorTalk.com, has given Little Deaths a great review.  I've posted some of it below, but definitely go to here to read the entire thing.  And follow Gabino on Twitter @Gabino_Iglesias.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: variety can make the difference between a good short fiction collection and a great one. In the case of John F.D. Taff's Little Deaths, variety doesn't even begin to describe the dazzling array of themes, tones, and voices the author was able to cram into the compilation. From creepy horror and heartbreaking stories of loss to spooky narratives written in a Poe-esque prose and tales that can only be called Lovecraftian in nature, Little Deaths has something for everyone. 

Little Deaths kicks off with Bolts, a story most collectors will be able to identify with. Ace lives with his girlfriend Rachel. He makes a living buying and selling collectibles online, but keeping too many of them around often causes the couple to have disagreements. While fighting with Rachel about a life-size Battlestar Galactica Cylon he plans to keep, Ace finds a treasure: the actual prop neck bolts Boris Karloff used in Frankenstein back in 1931. He makes the purchase and patches things up with Rachel. Soon after, disaster strikes. Scared, sad, and in denial, Ace will do whatever it takes to makes things right again, and the bolts will play a vital, and disastrous, role. 

While Bolts is the first standout in the collection, it's far from being the only one. Here are some other stories that stuck with me: 

•  The personal account of one man written by a younger neighbor, The Water Bearer tells the story of Jim, a guy who worked maintaining a young doctor's house and grounds in 1923. Dr. Evander Wilson had recently lost his wife when Jim came to work for him. What follows is a creepy and somewhat Lovecraftian narrative full of brackish water, the smell of decay, and dark secrets. 

•  Child of Dirt mixes horror with emotional tension in a way that the reader will probably feel sorry for the man having to deal with the creature looking up at him from the cradle. 

•  I love stories that have body modification as an element in the narrative, and Orifice is a fine example of just how far something like a tattoo can be taken by capable hands.

•  Darkness Upon the Void is one of the most memorable psychological/physical horror stories I've read in a while. It begins with a man named Ed Martinez squeezing a tiny white worm out of his forearm and gets progressively nastier from there. There is a religious element to the story that makes it even more interesting as Ed's mental state is questioned and the creatures coming out of his body increase in size and gruesomeness. While the tale might be too much for those with weak stomachs, lovers of hardcore horror will definitely get a kick out of this one. 

•  Horror is not often simultaneously eerie and heartbreakingly sad. Here, the 16th story in the collection, brings those two very separate things together very well. The premise is simple: a man's dog is killed by a car and then comes back to look for his owner. It might sound undemanding, but the tension is kept sky-high throughout the story and the writing is very touching and emotionally gritty. Love, loss, loneliness, and ghosts all come together to make this one a standout. 

•  Last but not least, The Mellified Man is one of the absolute best stories in Little Deaths and one of the most unique short pieces you'll ever read. Bobby Jenkins is a man with only one vice: candy. His sweet tooth keeps him constantly on the lookout for new sugary delicacies. When he walks into The Alhambra, a new candy store that offers the best sweets from around the world, he becomes a habitual visitor. Despite tasting great things on a regular basis, Bobby wants more. Aziz, the store's owner, delivers the goods. Once the once-in-a-lifetime treat is devoured, Bobby starts to feel different and things go from incredibly sweet to nightmarishly sour.

Taff is a very talented writer, but his attention to detail is what sets his work apart. Each description is rich without being boring and each setting is as unique as the characters that inhabit them. Also, most stories engage the senses. For example, in The Water Bearer, The Scent, and The Mellified Man, smells play crucial roles. 

Collections are never perfect and there are always one or two stories that readers will not be crazy about. However, this collection will surely satisfy many readers. Given its variety, it's almost impossible not to find something you like. If you're looking to liven up your horror reading, Little Deaths will do it in a big way."

Thanks, Gabino!  Glad you liked it.

Go here to pick up your copy today!

A Newsletter for Books of the Dead!

This was posted last night by Roy on the main Books of the Dead site.

"I should have started doing this a year ago, but... well... my hands have been pretty full around here.

Books of the Dead is going to start sending out a newsletter. Probably once a month, give or take a week (or two). This form of marketing has always seemed a little spam-ish to me, which is probably why I've resisted it. But it has been suggested more than a few times, and people have let me know that they've wanted one, so I've pulled the trigger and created the newsletter.

If you've sent personal emails to my "James Roy Daley" account you're not on the list. But if you've sent Books of the Dead an email in the past you're already on the list. But it's not a big deal. You can always hit the unsubscribe button.

But you shouldn't hit the unsubscribe button. Why? Because I'm going to be giving something to readers and writers alike. Readers will get free and cheap stuff; writers will get the inside scoop on upcoming anthologies and submission details. When the doors open for novel submissions the first people to know will be the people on the mailing list.

If you would like to join the mailing list now *before I start giving away the good stuff* you can sign up HERE. And if you're reading this, I think you should sign up. Getting the inside scoop is always a good thing."

Great New Review for Best New Werewolf Tales

John Milton over at Andy Erupts has just published a nice review of Best New Werewolf Tales, Vol. 1.  We've excerpted part of the review below, but please go directly to Andy Erupts to read the entire thing.

"Best New Werewolf Tales Vol 1 comes with 20 short stories, some of the highlights for me were the following:

Jonathan Maberry kicks off the book in style with a private investigator/ horror mash-up that really works inLike part of the Family.

In Baby, James Roy Daley ramps up the horror and takes the sub-genre in a direction that I don’t think any film would dare to go.

David Bernstein’s The Trojan Plushy is a dark tale demonstrating the lengths a desperate man will go to in order to find justice.

John F.D.Taff takes werewolves to the dog pound in Three Dog Night and unleashes the power of man’s best friend.

William Meikle melds genres together in Hairs and Graces, giving a fantasy horror twist to a private detective tale.

An internet shopper gets more than he bargained for in T.J.May’s Unlucky Moon.

… and I guarantee you that you’ll never have read anything like David Wesley Hill’s SQ 389!

Although this book quite clearly has some big-hitting authors attached to it, its real strength lies in the unique nature of each story. As I have already stated, I find the sub-genre revolving around lycanthropy quite tired and many films/ books simply feel like retreading old ground. That is not the case here at all."

Thanks, John!  And buy a copy of Best New Werewolf Tales here!

John F.D. Taff Guest Blog & Interview

John F.D. Taff, author of Little Deaths, has two things you might want to check out.

First, author, Armand Rosamilia, opened his blog to guest authors, and Taff was one who took advantage of this opportunity.  Armand's got a few books of his own.  His Amazon Author page can be found here.

Taff's guest blog is all about how some horror writers don't like to be identified as "horror" writers.  Take a look see here.

And Taff also has an interview with Rhiannon Irons (aka "Ahlephia") at Truly Disturbing.com.

Take a look see!