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

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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Skull-Shaped Lover - Illustrated!

You've seen this before, but now it's back with a gorgeous photo-illustration courtesy of our friend - artist and Red Skies Press editor, Mark Anthony Crittenden. Wish I could say I'm the one in the undies, sadly she's just an aspiration (sucks tummy in).

Skull-Shaped Lover
Artwork by Mark Anthony Crittenden

Skull-Shaped Lover
by Lily Childs

There is more
than bright colours
in her wardrobe.
There’s the head
of a dead man too.
He peeks through flouncy blouses,
winking in pink,
smirking at blue.
She found him by the roadside,
detached, quite
non-chalant.
Grinning at passers-by,
spitting at them with lies
about how he got there -
laughing at their replies.
He prefers the dark, he says;
likes to laze in her
cotton and silk.
His milky eyes suck in
tints and hints of greens
and reds.
He licks the hanging fabrics,
bites off trailing threads.
And when she’s home
from the office,
kicked off her shoes,
fed, bathed and nude
he calls to her, sweetly
“Miss Suzie”
until her hands finger the door,
when she joins him
behind her dresses.
She strokes the tresses
of his cold, dead head,
kisses his mouth and then
tenderly, 

takes him to bed.

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Their Dark Masters - On Sale Now

I am dead excited to announce that the long-awaited Their Dark Masters is now on sale through Amazon. (Amazon US for the moment, UK in a few days time.)

This "extreme vampire horror" anthology includes two of my stories 'The Infanta Triptych' and 'Walls of Flesh' as well as work by some of the most respected horror authors of the moment - Lee Hughes, Erin Cole, Barry J. Northern, Carrie Clevenger, Marissa Farrar, Gregory Miller, Paul Anderson, Rebecca L. Brown, Erik Boman, Tyree Campbell, Henry Brasater, Brian K. Ladd - and Mark Anthony Crittenden, the editor and designer of the beautiful cover.

Huge thanks to Mark for his passion and talent in editing TDM.

Excerpt from The Infanta Triptych:

"...Flickers of breath tremored through the near-corpses. Scarapat bent towards them, gagging at the collection of odours. Each one had been discarded after a single bite. He stood up and clicked his fingers. Dull light spread into the room as the heavy factory door opened allowing four men to enter.

“Dispose of them. Quickly,” the caretaker said.

After further guidance from Scarapat, the tallest of the four turned to his team and spoke in a low voice. The group split up to circle the bodies, grabbing limbs to separate one individual from another, ignoring the drug-addled screams.

‘Sshhh,’ the foreman said, dropping bones to the floor. Slowly, one man after another ceased his labour. Sandalwood-scented smoke swirled in and out of the gaps between muscle and victim. The Lady hung there, drifting; teasing at the men’s skin, breathing in their fear. Her laughter burst through their ears as breaking glass. She screamed.

“Lay me out a Jacob’s Ladder”

...

(c) Lily Childs

The Infanta Triptych sings the tale of Napoleon Scarapat, protector of an ancient painting that houses his own dark masters. They have waited so long, and now they want to go home, but not without a little taste of Art-World elite on the way. They'd like to invite you along for a sip and a bite - I do hope you will enjoy the ride.

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13 Days of Horror features Mark Anthony Crittenden

Red Skies Press founder and editor, Mark Anthony Crittenden graces the brilliant bloglight of Erin Cole's 13 Days of Horror today.

Mark's deliciously-told tale Fourteen Ounces of Vinegar is also a taster from the eagerly awaited horror anthology Their Dark Masters, which will be available in December on Amazon.
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• Red Skies Press
• Erin Cole's 13 Days of Horror

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