"Welcome to Count Gore De Vol's Tomb of Dark Delights. I'm J. L. Comeau, horror writer and resident Tomb Keeper. I have been charged with the daunting task of sorting and cataloging the Count's vast library of horror, science fiction and fantasy. Take a torch from the wall and follow me down the stone stairway into the darkness deep beneath the Dungeon. It's cold and damp down here--perfect for the kind of reading we're going to do. Never mind the shambling figures in the shadows, they're probably just some friends of ours looking for a good book. If you click on the cover, you'll be taken to a wonderful place where you can buy the book.
Now, let's reach into the musty stacks and see what we can find..."
(Clicking on the covers gives you more information and prices from Amazon.com and other outlets.)
This week, TombRats, I’m presenting a pair of extreme screamers from specialty
publisher Permuted Press. Come shriek with me!
THE
INFECTION by Craig DiLouie
Cult zombie author Craig DiLouie earns his cult status with THE INFECTION, a
bangin’ character-driven action adventure with enough thrills and gore to
satisfy the most rabid zombie fans, but wait! This is not the all-purpose, faux
Romero zombo-trash littering the bottom of the genre barrel—this is the real
deal: finely crafted and skillfully written horror fiction. The story opens from
the point of view of a high school teacher named Ethan, whose students begin to
shriek uncontrollably before collapsing. He soon understands that what he is
witnessing is a worldwide pandemic with all of the infected being struck down by
the virus simultaneously. Ethan is one of perhaps a fifth of humanity who is not
affected by the global virus that begins with The Screaming and, three days
after the victims of the virus collapse, arise all at once in a fury, becoming
rampaging homicidal maniacs that attack and kill the unaffected to spread their
disease. Ethan joins a band of uninfected compatriots traveling in a Bradley
armored vehicle driven by Afghanistan vet, Sarge, in search of the refuge where
survivors are gathering to stage a final battle. Ethan and Sarge are joined by a
young high school student eager to prove his manhood; a clergyman who is
questioning his faith; Wendy, a police officer frantic to restore order and law
to a chaotic landscape; and Anne, the leader of their desperate crew, who has a
dangerously obsessive loathing for the Infected. Mr. DiLouie has created a
road-trip into hell with a group of fascinating characters ensnared in a
riveting plot. Good news: THE INFECTION is available in print and digital
formats.
WINDS
OF CHANGE by Jason Brannon
Digital readers, rejoice! Permuted Press has published the title story of Jason
Brannon’s stellar collection of the same name for your Kindle, Nook, smart phone
and computer. WINDS OF CHANGE is a tightly constructed novella that opens with a
shooting star streaking to Earth, a phenomenon that is hardly noticed due to the
strange, bright red blood moon filling the sky at the same time meteorite falls.
Not long after, a violent wind begins to blow, and anyone caught outside is
instantly consumed, transformed into a mound of salt where they once stood. The
story focuses upon a group of shoppers trapped in a hardware store in the small
town of Crowley’s Point who witness the wind’s deadly ferocity from the store’s
windows. Although they were strangers when they came into the store, they soon
find themselves dependent upon one another for comfort and strength. Among those
who find themselves stranded is an elderly man, a secretive newlywed couple who
seem to be hiding something, and a hardscrabble local family of four who have
had trouble with the law. It soon becomes apparent to the group that one among
them is a fraud. While the wind shrieks outside, the clues and portents pointing
to what is happening begin to accumulate. Who is the imposter among them, and
who will survive, if anyone? Now hear this: you can purchase this great digital
novella for $1.99! Are you kidding me? Go get it now! For more about the author,
check out www.jbrannon.net.
We’re chasing dark fantasies this week, TombRats—there be dragons and hats here,
both dangerous and wondrous! Enjoy!
CHASING
THE DRAGON by Nicholas Kaufmann
Fans of intense horror will love this fast-paced demon of a novella by Bram
Stoker Award-nominated author Nicholas Kaufmann that combines ancient legend and
modern horror fiction. A young dragonslayer, Georgia, who hails from a primeval
order of dragonslayers, is charged with vanquishing two mighty beasts: The
Dragon of legend and lore that has killed her descendants throughout antiquity
and into present times--including St. George, whose conquest was a lie—and the
dragon called heroin that Georgia has chosen to chase. The Dragon moves from
location to location causing death and destruction, and Georgia is charged with
following The Dragon’s path of horror intent upon concluding the pursuit that is
her family’s mission. But the scaled, reptilian Dragon is protected by the
gruesome remains of the humans it murders in the form of an army of shambling,
homicidal undead that The Dragon is able to manipulate. With a narrative that
streaks past the reader like a ground-to-air missile. Mr. Kaufmann engages the
reader’s senses with heart-stopping scenes and set-pieces that never recoil from
the grim business of horrific storytelling. Join Georgia in her kick-ass,
blood-drenched, pulse-pounding dragon quest armed with awesome weaponry and the
resourcefulness of an ancient heraldry. This is high octane horror that leaves
the reader breathless. Whew!
THE
MAD HATTERY by Marge Simon, Illustrated by Sandy DeLuca
Two of dark fantasy’s finest practitioners have collaborated to produce a
trippy, funny, spooky, subversive, uplifting and thoroughly entertaining
illustrated poetry collection all about…hats! In this wild and free volume about
women’s chapeaus, you’ll find black hats, red hats, old hats, new hats, fantasy
hats, gardener’s hats, spiritual hats, witch’s hats, voodoo hats and more! Marge
Simon’s sublime poetry is accented to perfection by Sandy Deluca’s
brilliantly-hued illustrations that dig deep into the heart of what it is to be
a woman. Free-spirited, beautiful, transcendent and invigorating, Simon and
DeLuca break into the fantasy realms of female life and sisterhood that make us
sing and laugh with joy. In a compelling introduction, the author and artist
discuss the genesis of this volume, which alerts the reader to the heady
wildness within. Rejoice in THE MAD HATTERY, as I did. Men: you will better
understand the female heart. Women: you will want to rediscover your favorite
hat and dance, dance, dance! For more about the author, please visit
www.MargeSimon.com. For more about the
artist, click on www.SandyDeluca.com.
To get even more information about these titles, including some of the best prices on the Internet, just click on each of the book covers and you'll be connected to
To visit the individual writer's website, just click on any underlined name.
About the Tomb Keeper (Or, who is this person of mystery)
J. L. (Judy) Comeau is an award winning short story writer whose work has appeared internationally in major horror and dark fantasy anthologies such as the Borderlands series, Best New Horror, The Years' Best Horror, the Hot Blood series, and the Dark Voices series in the UK. She is an active member of the Horror Writer's Association, and she lives in the Washington, DC area where she also teaches short story writing. Click on FIREBIRD to read one of her most anthologized stories.
To learn more about the Horror Writer's Association, just click on their logo!
