THE THIRTEEN SIGNS

Believe (in) it or not, the planets turn and the stars point their sparkling, razor fingers at you the very moment you're born. What does the sun say, and better still... what does the moon say?

No New Age 'love and light' fluffiness, THE THIRTEEN SIGNS is a horrorscape of zodiacal darkness brought to you by Dean M Drinkel and Nocturnicorn Books.

I'm very proud to be a part of this, alongside such wickedly talented authors.

The Thirteen Signs - Table of Contents

Foreword: Alex S. Johnson
Introduction: Dean M Drinkel
The Order Of Aries: Mark West
Come Join The Blood Parade: Lily Childs
Seven For Eight: Romain Collier
Carapace: Raven Dane
Leo: Tim Dry
Solomon Carson And The Death Of A Virgin: Trevor Kennedy and Robert E. Tate
Leeber: Christine Dougherty
The Scorpion Dance: Amelia Mangan
One in Twelve: Steve Byrne
A Sorrow Of Sweet Pipings: Jan Edwards
Ganymede: Emile-Louis Tomas Jouvet
Hooked: James Everington
Worshipping The Snake: Dean M Drinkel

Cover reveal coming soon, The Thirteen Signs will be available from the end of July 2016.

BITE OF THE HORRORCANE - Run for your lives!!

Theresa Derwin of KnightWatch Press has edited and published an homage to the great B-Movies of times-past with KWP's new anthology, KILLER BEES FROM OUTER SPACE.

My story, 'Bite of the Horrorcane' tells the tale of best friends Ray and Joey after they open a singles' venue on the French Riviera. 

Guests start turning up dead in the dodgiest of places and with injuries more than personal. As if that isn't problematic enough, how does the murderer know their victims' intimate details? 

Joey and Ray - who in a panic have been burying the victims in the stark Provençal hills - are too afraid to go the police. 

It's bad for business. 

It can't go on.

But then Joey gets a visit of his own...

Bite of the Horrorcane intro:

Butterfly wings on her skin, thin feet dancing across shaven legs. Feelers and long tongue dripping, dipping... tasting her flesh. All the better to lick you with.

Tara brushed the creature away. Damned things. She didn’t care if they were pretty; they didn’t match her own beauty. A wink and smirk from a couple of guys in white T-shirts who she recognised from the resort proved the point. She adjusted her bikini top, a wiggle of the hips and a pout from glossed lips but by the time she got herself into the perfect pose the men had gone. Not a sign of them on the long beach, along its palm tree-lined promenade or out in the sea. Not a sign of anyone else either, for that matter.

Sand whipped up beside her in a frenzy; the tiniest of tornadoes it appeared out of nowhere to spiral just above the ground, gathering dust and grass. Locals called them sorcières, witch winds; This one shimmered with reds and yellows, scintillating golds. Quite magical. Tara reached into the twister.

“Ssssss.”

She grabbed her hand back. Blood immediately rose from razor cuts across her fingers. As she pulled away, the whirlwind grew. It leaned towards her, a mouth clearly visible in the raging turmoil.

The mouth was open.

The mouth had teeth.

It bit.

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Killer Bees Amazon book description:

If you're over a certain age, you'll remember double features, and if you were a '70s child in Britain, you'll remember the Sat night Universal/Hammer Horror double bill showing such classics as 'Frankenstein Created Woman' and 'Twins of Evil' Some of those films were great, and some were just plain awful.

Everybody loves a good B-Movie. 

From Plan 9 from Outer Space, to Tarantula, and into the more modern era of B-Movies; Sharknado and Big Ass Spider (referenced in Nick Walter's decade spanning story Blood Slobber of the Scrunge Worms'. There's something wonderfully nostalgic and entertaining about seeing heroes battle giant CGI sharks or rubber spiders. 

This anthology is a collection of stories inspired by and paying homage to the nature and style of a B-Movie. And boy, have we got a great eclectic mix of stories. 

Moth-women of Mars, giant worms, tentacles, Mummy Girls, Shadow People; they're all in here! The difference is, where some of those old films were a little, er, badly written, these cultural gems are intelligent, witty, and sometimes moving pieces of literature playing with the clichés of the genre.

 
So grab your popcorn, your beverage of choice, sit down, open up this book and immerse yourself into the world of Killer Bees from Outer Space.

BUY/DOWNLOAD KILLER BEES FROM OUTER SPACE

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Beastly Offerings - The Bestiarum Vocabulum

The Bestiarum Vocabulum, the long-awaited second book in Western Legends Publishing's TRES LIBORUM PROHIBITORUM series, has finally seen the light (or dark) of day.

Edited once again by Dean M. Drinkel, the new anthology brings together 26 writers to present an A - Z of mythical beasts and creatures of urban legend.

A catalog of mythic beasts and demons that were summoned by esoteric means. Once owned by Count Allesandro Di Cagliostro, it was thought forever lost in a fire at the Chateau de Versailles. Two hundred years later, twenty-six modern day masters of the macabre bring The Bestiarum Vocabulum back from the ashes.

My story, RAPTURE, comes under 'V' for Veltis. Set between wars in the suburbs of a London-like city, Richard Walters has tired of his once-exotic wife, and the tedium of everyday life. Succumbing to a voyeuristic bent, Walters is drawn to a sleazy drinking club, The Rapture, where a sweet cheroot-sucking stranger offers him a dream - at an undisclosed price.

The secrets Richard uncovers and the place he encounters the mysterious Veltis are far from a dream, and yet so much more. Love, lust or horror - you be the judge.

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Please enjoy The Bestiarum Vocabulum. The authors are true masters and mistresses of darkness. Their words will chill, thrill and excite you; sadden, worry and terrify you. Such is the deal. Your reviews and opinions are, as always, welcome.

Buy The Bestiarum Vocabulum on:

Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Thank you.

Authors:

Emile-Louis Tomas Jouvet, Jan Edwards, Martin Roberts, Lisa Jenkins, Peter Mark May, Raven Dane, Joe Mynhardt, Rakie Keig, D.T. Griffith, Mark West, John Palisano, Amelia Mangan, Robert Walker, Christine Dougherty, Tim Dry, Nerine Dorman, Dean M. Drinkel, Christine Morgan, Tej Turner, D.M. Youngquist, Jason D. Brawn, Lily Childs, Andy Taylor, Sandra Norval, Adrian Chamberlin, and Barbie Wilde.

More:

• Western Legends Publishing
• Dean M. Drinkel
• The Demonologia Biblica: the first book in the Tres Liborum Prohibitorum

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Tasty... FRESH FEAR!

The wait is over! FRESH FEAR is out! And my gritty tale of cannibal love, murder and theft, STRANGE TASTES is one of the first stories in line, right below that of a certain Mr. Ramsey Campbell.

Hell, you can even read a good, fat chunk of Strange Tastes with Amazon's 'Look Inside' feature. It starts, "She's so bloody articulate. I want to slice out that petty tongue and lay it on my leather strap. I will - later..."

Book Description:

"...a collection of horror from some of the genre's best writers of dark fiction. This collection has no central theme other than the stories' ability to scare the hell out of the reader! 

Tales steeped in psychological horror sit alongside visions of strange worlds and inner landscapes drenched in blood. 'Quiet horror' sits comfortably next to more visceral portrayals of the monsters that lurk deep within the human heart. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famously once said, "where there is no imagination there is no horror" - the horror expressed by the authors in Fresh Fear show that imagination is indeed tantamount to excellent story-telling. Prepare yourself for 28 tales of terror-inducing fiction that will have you checking the locks on every door and window of your abode!"

This is the Kindle version, for the moment. Fresh Fear will also be out in paperback very soon for those of you that prefer to stroke than click.

• Buy Fresh Fear on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy Fresh Fear on Amazon.com

Read and enjoy. And if you do enjoy, please add your review. Thank you.

Authors

Fresh Fear is published by James Ward Kirk Publishing, and edited by William Cook. The fantastic line-up of writers includes:

• Scathe meic Beorh 
• Ramsey Campbell 
• Lily Childs   
• Lincoln Crisler   
• Jack Dann   
• Robert Dunbar   
• Thomas A. Erb   
• Brandon Ford   
• Carole Gill   
• Lindsey Beth Goddard   
• J. F. Gonzalez   
• Dane Hatchell   
• E. A. Irwin   
• Charlee Jacob   
• K. Trap Jones   
• Tim Jones   
• Vada Katherine   
• Roy C. Booth and Axel Kohagen   
• Shane McKenzie   
• Shaun Meeks   
• Adam Millard   
• Christine Morgan   
• Billie Sue Mosiman   
• D.F. Noble   
• Chantal Noordeloos   
• W. H. Pugmire   
• William Todd Rose   
• Anna Taborska

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Make No Bones About It... An Award!

Where have I been? I've asked myself the same question. Great swathes of time seem to have been torn away from me this summer as the day-job overshadowed real life with a massive quilt of commitment.

But... I didn't stop writing. I am almost 50,000 words into the 'Asylum' novel - and frankly - it's a race between me and good writing friend and fellow ex-Prediction host Phil Ambler to see who gets there first. Keep running boy!

BONES cover, artwork by Tais Teng

Short Stories and An Editor's Choice Award

I'd vowed to keep away from short stories as I hit novel madness - but sometimes - you just can't help it.

And this week, I'm honoured to announce that one of my latest stories, THE OSSILLATRICE SHIFT has received the Editor's Choice Award from James Ward Kirk Fiction, who have published the story in brand new anthology, BONES.

Buy Bones

Bones is out in paperback and ebook:

• Bones on Amazon.co.uk: Paperback | Kindle
• Bones on Amazon.com: Paperback | Kindle

Other Writing News

• My cannibal crime thriller STRANGE TASTES will be out in the FRESH FEAR anthology any day now. Edited by William Cook and published by James Ward Kirk Fiction again, you can read the amazing list of contributors and I'm just thrilled my name is listed beneath the great Ramsey Campbell.
• RAPTURE will appear in the second of Western Legends Publishing's 'Tres Librorum Prohibitorum' series, edited by Dean M. Drinkel, THE BESTIARUM VOCABULUM. Out October 2013.
• Plus three further short stories - two horror, one crime - will be published in anthos before the end of 2013!
• And... Something VERY exciting is happening with the February Femmes Fatales, ain't it, ladies? A secret? Surely not. More soon.

Keep writing. Keep reading. Have fun. x

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Demonologia Biblica - K is for Kilcrops

2013 has only just begun and I have news!

Back in August 2012 I was approached by Dean M Drinkel, editor and author (and award-winning screenwriter and director, blimey!) to ask if I'd be interested in contributing to an exciting anthology "about demons" for new publisher, Western Legends.

I um'd and ahh'd then bit his hand off and said "yes please", all very polite-like.

The remit was to write a story of around 5000 words to a given letter of the alphabet relating to demons, which would form The Demonologia Biblica. The cover would come from extraordinary artist James Powell. How could I possibly resist?

K is for Kilcrops

I was allocated the letter K, and despite a thorough trawl through the Malleus Maleficarum, Crowley tomes and a whole library of dark material I've accumulated over the years only one name really caught my attention. A Kilcrops, put simply - the offspring of an incubus and a mortal woman that roams, ravenous - ever suckling, ever hungry.

My tale, The Twistweaver's Son is the story of two Victorian sisters separated by the sea, by lust and by obsession.

In the depths of a French forest roams Le Chênard – Oak Man, or Twistweaver – an entity  that seeks out human souls, ever creeping, ever entwining itself into the fronds of mortal minds. And in the village of Noirchapel waits the Twistweaver's English lover Carolyn, nurturing a son like no other, Jacques - and Jacques is desperate to feed.

Contributors

I am so proud to be amongst the contributors to this exceptional anthology, which includes authors I greatly admire such as Mark West, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Barbie Wilde, Dave Jeffery, Jan Edwards, Adrian Chamberlin, Raven Dane, William Meikle, John Palisano... I cannot wait to read all the stories from these hugely talented writers.

Coming soon to Amazon...

DREAMS OF DUALITY - new horror anthology

This week sees the launch of DREAMS OF DUALITY, "Spine tingling tales of dark fiction concerning the other self, the splintered consciousness, and strange paradoxical realms".

My ghostly tale Wraiths and Stays (which also appears in Cabaret of Dread) sits alongside works by some great horror and dark fiction writers including Rebecca L. Brown, Richard Godwin, Dorothy Davies, Erin Cole, Marissa Farrar, Joe Jablonski, Gregory Miller and Brian K. Ladd.

The paperback is edited by Mark Anthony Crittenden and published by Red Skies Press, who also published Their Dark Masters: Tales of Extreme Vampire Horror which features two of my stories, The Infanta Triptych and Walls of Flesh.

You can buy Dreams of Duality from Amazon.com; it will be coming to Amazon.co.uk soon.

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• Red Skies Press
• Their Dark Masters: Tales of Extreme Vampire Horror:
  Paperback on Amazon.co.uk | on Amazon.com
  Kindle Edition on Amazon.co.uk | on Amazon.com
• Cabaret of Dread

News - GANGLION PRESS

Friend, best-selling author of the Joe Hunter crime thrillers, and Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers Ed. Matt Hilton said "Check this out for top horror and crime fiction from Lily Childs and Col Bury http://www.ganglionpress.co.uk/"

OK - so the cat's out of the bag :-) I'd better come clean.

It's true. I've started up a new small press GANGLION PRESS, ostensibly as a platform to publish my own e-books. But I'm very proud that Col Bury has joined me at Ganglion to relaunch his gritty crime collection MANCHESTER 6.

We have plans to publish future e-books, as well as further collections and anthologies, and may have a few other writers on board shortly too. The long-term plan is to also publish and sell my husband's esoteric artwork (he did the Magenta Shaman covers too) and run some exhibitions and events.

In the meantime the site is slowly coming together, though WordPress is not treating me as kindly as I'd like! And I need to set up Ganglion's Facebook, Twitter and other accounts plus a Mailing List - sooner rather than later.

But there you are. Feel free to pop on over to www.ganglionpress.co.uk to see what we're up to. I'll be shouting it from the rooftops soon enough. No, make that... howl.

CABARET OF DREAD - News and Book Cover

I've been gathering all my short horror stories, from the less-than-drabble to the big fat five-thousand-worders. Some have appeared online, others only in print, still more have never seen the light of day. The result is that I have enough pieces for two volumes of deepest, darkest tales to terrify the blood from your veins.

The books will be called CABARET OF DREAD. Volume 1 is in production at the moment and will be available as an eBook for Kindle in March.

I thought you might like a glimpse at the book's cover, and to read a short excerpt from one of the stories...

In Adoration - an Excerpt [If you're easily offended - you shouldn't be here.]

Reuben slips a withered hand into a side pocket of his sensible jacket and rummages – an old man seeking a buttermint. He squeezes hard. Thick red liquid oozes through the grey cloth in blooms. He brings a bag out of his pocket and thrusts it towards a straggling child.

“Want a cherry?”

Reuben delights in the girl’s scream as she runs away to catch up with oblivious parents. By the time she reaches them, she won’t remember the scary man with blood on his teeth.

The suit hangs off the body he is wearing; cheap fabric, and designed for a younger, oh so much younger man that Reuben had pleasured to death in some other town along the coast. He snorts at the memory, his expression turning to derision as he shuffles within the octogenarian skin he has adopted for the day. It itches. He scratches at his face, watching the flakes fall into his lap, already dead.

***

“I’ve been waiting for you Reuben.”

‘Reuben’ sheds his clothes and the outer flesh of that day’s victim. He stands before the Holy Father. His peeled skin is the dark blue of game that has hung in a butcher’s back-room for a month. As he reaches the pulpit the spikes and jewels that habitually decorate his body burst forth once more, taking their place upon the landscape of his living corpse. He lunges.

“You don’t frighten me,” the priest smiles.

Reuben isn’t the demon’s true name. He has hundreds of names, and none, but the good Father needs something to remember him by. Face to face they stare each other out, nose to nose, rancid breath mingling between them in the sacred air. The building shifts. It skews. Pews crack with the weight of the confrontation. The knee-cushions unravel, disintegrating the biblical quotes so neatly strewn across their tapestry. Father Judas throws himself to the cold ground as stained glass shatters and sprays the holy structure with killing shards.

The demon pulls the man of God into his embrace. His split black tongue sucks that of his master. Their cocks fight each other for attention before they fall into each other, plunging back and forth. They fuck. They spill. They die a thousand deaths....

Much more to come...

Your thoughts are very welcome, nay - invited. Thank you.

Bits and Knobs

Just catching up with a few snatches of news...

Frozen Fear Deluxe Anthology

I'm very pleased to announced that Wraiths and Stays, which first appeared as a Guest Write when deliciously dark horror and paranormal mystery author Erin Cole interviewed me back in May 2011 has been accepted into the upcoming Frozen Fear Deluxe Anthology from Static Movement Press.

The antho. is being edited by Mark Crittenden, horror author and ed. of Red Skies Press which published Their Dark Masters, Tales of Extreme Vampire Horror in which my stories The Infanta Triptych and Walls of Flesh appeared. Thanks Mark!

Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers

I'm getting my hands well and truly filthy scrabbling through the vaults of TK'n'C and have posted two crime stories up on the site so far. Sonia Gets Hers - a pacey tale of revenge with a twist by Copper Smith, and A Short Break by TK'n'C regular Keith Gingell; if you thought the UK's Mad Dogs series was great - you'll love this.

There are loads more stories waiting in the wings so I'm hoping to post the next one in the coming days.

TK'n'C on Twitter

If you're a Twitter user, the TK'n'C editors have started a new hashtag, so whenever you tweet about the site, if you add #tknc somewhere in your tweet, then Twitter will gather our tweets all together. Just type #tknc into Twitter's search box to see what I mean or go to http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23tknc.

A Zombie Cock and Bull Story

My mate and fellow TK'n'C ed, the infamous crime writer Col Bury has been venturing outside of his usual genre lately. He's strayed deep into my personal comfort zone of horror with a very naughty - and rib-tickling tale of zombie love and... bits. Read Supper Time, on Christopher Grant's new site Eaten Alive. And hear more about what Col has to say on the matter on Col's blog.

Planting a Seed of Horror

I have just finished reading the Kindle version of Ania Ahlborn's SEED and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Accidents and shadows, backwoods and children whose grins reach from one side of their face to another - this terrifying story throws you in at the deep end and takes you on a trembling ride of fear. Don't take anything for granted. I loved it.

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The Infanta Triptych

I am exquisitely pleased that a piece I've been working on for weeks The Infanta Triptych has been accepted into Red Skies Press' Their Dark Masters anthology. Editor Mark Anthony Crittenden asked for my piece Walls of Flesh a little while ago and I promised him something extra.

The story's about an ancient set of three conjoined paintings, the subjects of which are vicious, bloodthirsty and diabolical. And they like to play.

I'm very proud to be part of this antho. It has some great authors - Lee Hughes, Barry J. Northern, Mark himself, Erin Cole, Tyree Campbell, Gregory Miller, Melissa Farrar and others. It's going to be a tight fright and I can't wait to see it in print.

Thanks Mark for being such an encouraging and supportive editor.

Might post a teaser shortly before the book is published...

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Their Dark Masters Cover

Mark Anthony Crittenden's done a great job for the final cover of Red Skies Press' forthcoming Their Dark Masters.

This anthology promises to be something else. Authors include Gregory Miller, Barry J. Northern, Mark A. Crittenden, Paul Anderson, Rebecca L. Brown, Marissa Farrar, Erik Boman, Lee Hughes, Tyree Campbell and Lily Childs.

Can't wait.

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Their Dark Masters

Got a vampire tale leeching at your red stuff, desperate to be invited in?

Mark Crittenden over at Red Skies Press is launching a new "highly thematic horror anthology" Their Dark Masters.

You can read full submission details here - and see Mark's description below to get a juicy taste of what it's all about:

"I am asking for stories that concern vampires, the custodians of forbidden knowledge, and the secret force behind the destruction of mankind. It is encouraged that you include something about an elder vampire in your tale, the maker and master pulling the strings in the backdrop of your story. I want only your darkest and most well-constructed tale. Your story may take place in any timeline and any geographic locale. I am looking for your most horrific/haunting tale."

What are you waiting for...?

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They say things come in threes

As the very final minute of June hit last night, I had another acceptance from Chris at Static Movement - this time for SM's Gothic Worlds anthology.

The story Scuttle first appeared on TKnC last year and is probably the one I've most enjoyed writing. Debauch, dark and dangerous it's one of those that made me laugh in horrible pleasure as it came flying out.

Can't wait to see it in print - the cover is delicious - I want that dress!

Thanks Chris.

Another Day - Another Acceptance

Thanks to Lee Hughes tipping us the wink about Static Movement's new anthology Caught by Darkness, I submitted a rewrite of my gruesome dialogue piece 'Softly'.

Static Movement ed. Chris Bartholomew said she loved it. She's accepted it into the anthology - I'll shout loudly when it's out.

More info at Static Movement

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6S - The Mysterious Dr. Ramsey

I'm well chuffed that my entry to the marvellous Six Sentences network's comp 'The Mysterious Dr. Ramsey' has been accepted for publication in a 6S anthology.

We were presented with a photograph of a veiled individual - male? Female? And invited to write six sentences inspired by the photo, under the title of The Mysterious Dr. Ramsey.

My entry, published with permission, is below:

They ride pillion. Twenty six chests ram hard into the backs of twenty six bikers, hearts pounding with exhilaration - and the fear they won’t make it in time.

Desert dust turns to greenery so lush they can taste it. The capital looms ever closer, the target destination clear in the riders’ minds whilst the seconds tick, tick, tick by until time is gone, lost forever.

The Fifty Two charge the gates, resolved to carry out the attack together; three, two, one… Screams fill the auditorium as they hit - it's the moment of truth:

"Ladies and Gentlemen it's the new Black, please welcome our models to the catwalk, wearing innovative designer Doc Ramsey's Backseat range for Harley boys and girls."

Fellow writers AJ Humpage, Anthony Cowin and Ellie Garratt were also selected. Congrats to them.

You can buy the anthology for $24.95 from Amazon.com or £16.55 from Amazon.co.uk

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