The Fear County Chronicle #11
A brief breather following the release of Southern Fried & Horrified and a plethora of promotion on its heels. Then, come November, the real work begins...
Yeah, yeah, I know… the Chronicle is a week late. But, hey, I’ve been pretty busy lately. In fact, the entire month has been a whirlwind of podcast appearances, interviews, and social media promotion… all centered around the release of my memoir and writing guide, Southern Fried & Horrified. And, wildly enough, it’s still going on, although not as intensely as it was a week or so ago. So, let’s get on with the Chronicle and see what’s going on…
The Retirement Plan (to begin with)
As many of you may know, I will be retiring from my full-time job with PPG Coating Services (formerly known as Pittsburgh Paints) on November 18th, following a blue-collar career that has spanned 21 years. And you all know what that means. I’ll have the freedom to write full-time. And, boy, do I have a head full of creepy stuff just waiting to flow from my fingertips, into the keyboard, and onto your bookshelves.
Below is my tentative list of projects, collections, and novels I want to write and publish during the first four years of my retirement. Of course, if it takes longer than that, that’s fine. I’m in no big hurry and not going to kill myself trying to meet deadlines and release a flood of books in any given time. There are other important things to do as well as write… like take leisurely naps and binge Netflix. As you can see below, some of the books, novellas, and collections are pretty self-explanatory, while others are somewhat vague and mysterious. The latter will make themselves clear at precisely the right time. In the meantime, take a gander at these twenty-one. I’m sure there are one or two you’re looking forward to… or probably been awaiting for a while now. Probably the most anticipated book on this list is Fear Eternal, the sequel to my magnum opus, Fear. In fact, I’m already at work on it, so hopefully you’ll be seeing it by mid-2023 sometime.
A Writing Career Returns From The Grave
The last time I saw my name in Publisher’s Weekly, it was in a favorable review of Hell Hollow in 2009. Yesterday, after thirteen years, I was back in PW… with a byline. Thanks to Kaye Publicity, who has been helping promote Southern-Fried & Horrified, I was invited by Publisher’s Weekly to contribute an article to their Soapbox column. My piece, A Writing Career Returns from the Grave, gives my take on the implosion of the horror genre in the mid-1990s, my long ten-year hiatus from writing (and reading) horror, and my return to the genre in 2006. You can read the article in its entirety here.
I hope y’all enjoy it!
Dead Headspace: Episode #161
If you know my history with Patrick R. McDonough and Brennan LaFaro’s excellent horror podcast, Dead Headspace, you’re probably aware that I’ve been on the show numerous times, as a guest, an occasional cohost, or a member of a discussion panel. Pat and Brennan’s show is like home to me. It was the first podcast I ever did (and, boy, I was nervous!) and it continues to be one of my favorite shows to return to, time and time again.
Episode #161 was my sixth appearance on DH, and it was mostly to promote Southern Fried & Horrified. Much to my surprise, Pat and Brennan had orchestrated a very touching and humbling montage of my fellow peers in the horror genre, which included Joe R. Lansdale, James Newman, Richard Chizmar, Jeff Strand, Bridgett Nelson, Cina Pelayo, Erica Robyn, Paul Goblirsch, Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason, Ruthann Jagge, Jonathan Janz, Dawn Shea, Sonora Taylor, Mercedes Yardley, Jeremy Megargee, Tyler Jones, Robert Essig, Kelli Owen, Kenneth Cain, Lynne Hansen, Ross Jeffery, and Brian Keene. To say I was utterly flabbergasted is an understatement. All the praise and kind words were greatly appreciated. Go here to watch Episode #161 of Dead Headspace.
This Is Horror: Episodes #457 & 458
Every author has a bucket list of things they strive to do and accomplish. One of those on Ol’ Ron’s list was Michael David Wilson and Bob Pastorella’s excellent horror fiction podcast, This Is Horror. I’ve listened to and enjoyed this show for years, so it was wonderful to finally appear on TIH. In Episodes #457 and 458, we discussed Southern Fried & Horrified, my monster-loving childhood, my story-telling grandmother and my psychic mother, my years with Zebra Books, my decade-long hiatus from writing, and my comeback in 2006. It was one of the most enjoyable and detailed interviews I've had the pleasure to do during my writing career. To listen to our two-and-a-half-hour conversation, go here to access Episodes #457 and 458.
RK Audiobooks on Audible!
It seems like I’m always talking about my eBooks and paperbacks, but very rarely do I mention my selection of audiobooks on Audible. Since 2012, Crossroad Press has released eighteen audiobooks from my catalog of Southern Fried fiction. These are full-length, unabridged recordings of the following books: Hell Hollow, Fear, Undertaker’s Moon, The Halloween Store, Season’s Creepings, Hindsight, Restless Shadows, The Dark’Un, Twelve Gauge, Dark Dixie, Cumberland Furnace, Unhinged, The Sick Stuff, Twilight Hankerings, Timber Gray, The China Doll, and Flesh Welder. The cast of excellent narrators who have voiced my work include J. Rodney Turner, Jennifer Nittoso, Gary Noon, Brad Smith, Jonathan Hall, Coleman Ford, Milton Bagby, Pam Doughtery, Hayden Hunt, Johnnie C. Hayes, and Wayne June.
In 2023, more RK audiobooks will be released, including The Saga of Dead-Eye, Books 1 and 2, narrated by J. Rodney Turner (to be released as a single audio presentation).
If you love to listen to audiobooks and you have a hankering to hear some Southern Fried horror vocally, you can find mine here at Audible.
My Four Favorite Indie Horror Books of 2022
I may be jumping the gun a bit here — we do have several months to go — but, so far, these are my favorite Indie horror books of 2022. All are vastly entertaining and incredibly well-written. I had the pleasure of writing the forewords for A Bouquet of Viscera and Tales My Grandmother Told Me, so both of those have a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. I highly recommend all four of these wonderful books, so I urge you to give them a try, as well as other books these authors have to offer.
A Bouquet of Viscera by Bridgett Nelson (Self-Published)
An overzealous vigilante, who sees her victims' auras, finds herself in a very uncomfortable situation. A young woman, injected with a microchip in a futuristic America, develops unusual and grisly cravings. Four high school graduates end up on the menu of a giant, mutant sea creature. Diary entries share shocking and disturbing confessions...but who is the author? Bridgett Nelson, a fresh new talent in the world of horror, makes her debut with this short fiction collection containing these stories and more! These gory tales of revenge and retribution are sure to terrify and delight readers in equal measure. Before opening the pages of A BOUQUET OF VISCERA, be sure to take a deep, calming breath. Because these nightmare scenarios, and many others, are lurking under the covers and waiting just for you. Other Bridgett Nelson books: Counting Bodies Like Sheep, If I Die Before I Wake anthologies
Tales my Grandmother Told Me by Heather Miller (Last Waltz Publishing)
When I was a little girl, my grandmother would tell me stories. Stories of thieves and murderers, strange creatures and horrific happenings, stories of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. These were stories meant to unnerve and unsettle, to entertain and to frighten. I've gathered together thirteen of those spine-tingling stories, and now I'm going to share them with you. These are the tales my grandmother told me.
Tales My Grandmother Told Me is a collection of frightening short stories from the leading lady of horror, Heather Miller. This unique blending of horror, thriller and folk lore will keep you up at night and checking under the bed. Told in a creative new voice, Heather shares with the reader the stories she grew up hearing from her grandmother, and with others she has created just for this release. This book is truly haunting and will keep readers coming back. Other Heather Miller books: Knock, Knock and These Lingering Shadows
Bishop by Candace Nola ( Uncomfortably Dark Horror)
"Caught between an ancient evil, and a man with nothing to lose, a young girl's fate hangs in the balance."
Erin Rogers and her daughter Casey have been missing in the Alaskan wilderness for five days. Troy Spencer is determined to find his sister and niece at any cost. Once there, a local tells Troy about a loner, Bishop, a man shrouded in secrets, who may be his only hope. As Troy sets out to find the mysterious Bishop, Casey is lost in the woods, alone and frightened, seeking help for her gravely injured mother. But she is not alone, something ancient stalks these forested trails, something evil that hungers for fresh blood. The trio soon finds themselves caught in a struggle against time as an ancient rivalry is renewed. Other Candace Nola books: Hank Flynn, Breach, Beyond the Breach, Baker’s Dozen
Plastic Monsters by Daniel J. Volpe (Self-Published)
Beauty is...pain. But for Pamela Rose beauty is everything. She spends every day and almost every dollar fighting a losing battle against nature. When a young coworker comes to the office with a new set of breast implants, Pam's delicate psyche begins to crack.
Doctor Joseph DiBiro used to make art from flesh and plastic, but after his release from prison the only thing he's handling is a broom. He knows he has more to give the world; he's not done creating beauty. He just needs the right patient...
As the madness unwinds, Pam and Joe find themselves performing vile acts... acts from which there's no return. Will they save their souls or succumb to the monsters living inside of them. Other Daniel J. Volpe books: Talia, Left to You, Only Psychos, Billy Silver, A Gift of Death
Well, I reckon that’s it for this edition of The Fear County Chronicle. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more Southern Fried horror news, and maybe a vintage story or such. Until then, Many Happy Nightmares, y’all!
Hello- You replied to my previous comment by sending me a message through Facebook's Messenger. I am unable to open my Messenger account as there is some sort of glitch through my phone. I am also currently on a Facebook ban as I posted a Jeffrey Dahmer photo! I do follow you on Twitter also. They aren't quite as hypocritical as Facebook!
Is it too late to order a signed copy of Southern Fried...??