"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.)
It's still hot here in the Northern Hemisphere, so let’s chill this
week with two of my favorite authors/poets/artists, shall we?
REIGN
OF BLOOD by Sandy Deluca
Oooh, TombRats! Here is another delectably horrific offering from the
fiendishly talented Sandy Deluca. This is a delightfully horrific novella in
which Ms. Deluca continues to plumb the horrific depths of love and death.
Young Darcy’s childhood is a nightmare from which she cannot awaken: Her
mother is a grifter and a murderer, and Darcy has only her younger sister
for solace and companionship. Moving from town to town to evade the police,
Darcy grows up in a web a treachery, blood and lies. And somewhere along the
way, her beloved sister disappears. When the family moves to Barlow Falls,
Darcy becomes infatuated with a charismatic man named Bobby, a slick talking
seducer who soon has Darcy in his thrall. Darcy and Bobby flee Barlow Falls
together and venture upon a cross-country killing spree, conning and
murdering naïve innocents for money and thrills. But it is not until Darcy
returns to Barlow Falls that she truly reaps the full, violent harvest of
her birthright. REIGN OF BLOOD is a masterfully crafted tale of
full-throttle terror told with a sure hand and an unflinching eye; it’s one
of Ms. Deluca’s best tales, I think. Click on the cover graphic and grab
yourself a download—you can read it right now! For more about the author,
check out www.SandyDeluca.com.
VAMPIRES
ZOMBIES & WANTON SOULS by Marge Simon and Sandy Deluca
Simon and Deluca (THE MAD HATTERY) have teamed up again, and when these two
authors/poets/artists collaborate on a project, expect no less than a
supernova of words and imagery! Empowered, fully formed women of
supernatural origins stalk the pages of this high-octane collection of Marge
Simon’s incendiary poems and Sandy Deluca’s mind-blowing artwork. The women
who stalk these pages are dangerous and beautiful--vamps, Goths, ghosts,
zombies, mythical monsters, ferocious lovers. Each poem by Marge Simon is
faced on the opposite page by a vibrant accompanying illustration by Sandy
Deluca in such a way that both words and imagery enhance each other in
remarkable harmony. This is a brilliant tour de force in which each flip of
the page creates an explosion of wordplay and artistry. Visionary poems and
vivid illustrations come together for intensely pleasurable reading. And
hey, that’s not all! The lucky reader will find two short stories at the end
of book: Sandy Deluca’s “Tricks of Light” and Marge Simon’s “Confessions of
a Visually Challenged Vampire”, both wonderful tales. If you are a fan of
grand dark poetry and amazing art, this is a collection you will return to
again and again. You’ll find Sandy Deluca’s web site listed in the review
above, and you may visit the wondrously talented Marge Simon at
www.MargeSimon.com.
This week, I’m sharing Tomb space with my friend and one time Creature
Feature denizen, Stefanie Von Guest! Stefanie is beautiful and exotic, and
she enjoys one of horror’s hottest new subgenres: Bizarro!
But first I’m reviewing a popular dark fantasy novel that contains a
reference to none other than our own beloved Count Gore De Vol! Check it
out!
WITCHES
ON THE ROAD TONIGHT by Sheri Holman
When Count Gore De Vol told me he had met the award-winning author of WITCHES ON
THE ROAD TONIGHT at a recent convention and that he was referenced in her most
recent novel, you know I had to read it! And it’s a very dark ride, TombRats,
believe me, very dark indeed. The story follows a timid Appalachian boy, Eddie
Alley, who grows up in an impoverished rural community during the years
following the Great Depression. Eddie’s mother, Cora, is rumored to be witch and
Eddie’s childhood is shrouded by the jeers and bullying he is forced to endure.
One day, a sophisticated New York writer and his alluring female
photographer/companion arrive in town looking for a story, and their car grazes
Eddie as he sprints into the road to evade his tormentors. The couple drives
Eddie home, and it isn’t long before the writer becomes enchanted by Eddie’s
strange, wild-hearted mother. Thus, a tragedy becomes inevitable. Eddie,
however, has become enthralled by the writer's glittering tales of New York and
show business, and three decades later finds Eddie employed as a late night
horror host called Captain Casket, just like Count Gore De Vol, who is one of
Eddie’s heroes. But Eddie’s dark Appalachian childhood refuses to recede into
the past, in fact, it arises afresh in his daughter, Wallis, who is becoming
very much like her sorceress grandmother, Cora. Decades of secrets and terror
have been knotted deep in Eddie’s heart, but the past is unraveling and
returning with a vengeance. This is entertaining dark fiction that will put a
chill in your bones. For more about the author, please click on
www.SheriHolman.com.
I
KNOCKED UP SATAN’S DAUGHTER by Carlton Mellick III
I KNOCKED UP SATAN’S DAUGHTER is a novel by the Bizarro genre's leading
author Carlton Mellick III. This book is a perfect start if you haven't read any
of his previous works as it blends bizarre twists with humour and a lot of blood
and gore. The story follows Jonathan Vandervoo who lives a carefree life in a
house built out of legos.( Strange things like this are common in this genre!)
However Jonathan's life is soon turned upside down when he discovers he has
impregnated Satan's daughter, Lici. Now Jonathan must marry Lici in order to
keep her hellish parents happy, but his family don't quite agree with his choice
of bride. This demonic romantic comedy is perfect for anyone looking for a fun
and quick read. I definitely recommend it and rate it with a very high 9 out of
10! You can find out more about Mr. Mellick by visiting his website at
www.carltonmellick.com. Or
alternatively you can go right ahead and purchase the book directly from
Amazon.com by clicking on the cover graphic.
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!
