Howdy folks! That’s right… after two and half years of dodging the viral bullet I finally caught the wretched COVID bug. Don’t ask me what variant it was, for I have no earthly idea. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t of the pleasant and delightful variety. All in all, it wasn’t very severe. It mostly felt like a hellacious sinus infection with sporadic coughing fits and a mild lack of taste and smell. In fact, everyone in the Kelly household suffered in one way or another, except for my son, Ryan. Bubba stuck to the sanctity of his bedroom like a bearded hermit in a cave and, so far, has emerged untouched. During the week I was off, I mostly camped out in the comfort of my armchair, binge-watching Stranger Things 4 and Better Call Saul, and doing some artwork for upcoming books.
Many thanks to my loyal readers who purchased books directly from Ol’ Ron during our week of incapacitation. It helped fill in the blanks a couple of lost paychecks made. Your kindness and consideration are greatly cherished and appreciated!
Scares That Care Charity Weekend VIII!
Next weekend, on July 29th through 31st, I will be in Williamsburg, Virgina for Scares That Care Charity Weekend VIII as a guest author. If you attend STC, head over to the Celebrity Room and say ‘Howdy!’ at the Southern-Fried Horror table (manned by me and the lovely Mrs. Joyce), plus visit other featured authors such as Stephen Graham Jones, V. Castro, Steven Shrewsbury, Laurel Hightower, Cullen Bunn, Somer Canon, Rio Youers, Ronald Malfi, Kristopher Triana, Daniel Kraus, and John Edward Lawson (plus dozens more in the Vendor Room!) For the Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy film buffs, this year’s celebrities will be Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Robert McNaughton, Barbara Hershey, Danny Lloyd, and several other iconic actors and actresses.
I’ll be scheduled for a couple of events during the weekend. First, Friday night from 8:30 to 9:30, I will be part of a reading and Q&A session with Wile E. Young and Steven L. Shrewsbury. Then on Sunday afternoon, 12:15pm to 1:15pm, I’ll be participating in a panel exploring economic uncertainty in the horror publishing industry. The moderator will be John Quick, and my fellow panelists will include Cullen Bunn, Somer Canon, Laurel Hightower, Ronald Malfi, Todd Keisling, and Jeff Strand.
For those who visit the Southern-Fried Horror table over the weekend, I’ll have a plethora of RK books for sale, including new 2022 releases Haunt of Southern Fried Fear, Hindsight, After the Burn, and The Dark’Un, as well as a few remaining copies of Fear, Hell Hollow, and The Essential Sick Stuff, all of which are no longer in print due to publisher shutdowns. I’ll also have a limited amount of pre-release copies of my Stygian Sky Media memoir & writing guide, Southern Fried & Horrified and Book One of my Death’s Head Press chapbook series, Somewhere South of Hell. And there will be quality prints of Justin T. Coons’ Southern Fried & Horrified cover art on hand, signed by the man himself! If you’re in the area, come on out and see us!
Works in Progress & Upcoming Publications
I’m currently working on the interior artwork for the second edition of Southern-Fried EC Horror comic-inspired collections. The Old Storyteller returns in Tales from the Southern Fried Crypt, with spine-tingling stories from the dark swamps and bayous of Louisiana. As with the first edition, Haunt of Southern Fried Fear, artist Alex McVey returns with another spooky retro-comic cover. As a preview, below are a couple of my black and white illustrations for the stories “Beneath Black Bayou” and “Suckers!” Tales from the Southern Fried Crypt should be out in ebook, paperback, and hardcover from Crossroad Press in early October, just in time for Halloween.
Also, on the publishing horizon, is Book Two of The Saga of Dead-Eye… Werewolves, Swamp Critters, & Hellacious Haints. The manuscript is at Thunderstorm Books and Crossroad press and is in the editing and proofing process, getting ready for the limited hardcover edition, ebook, paperback, and affordable hardcover. I’ve already done the artwork for the limited-edition signature sheet and Alex McVey is hard at work on the cover painting. Book Two will be a rip-roaring monsterfest! Werewolves, swamp creatures, and unruly spirits in a Texas ghost town, commandeered by the headless poltergeist T.M. Clark, proprietor of the Long Pig Saloon.
Lately, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of writing the introduction and foreword for two very special books that are soon to be published. Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind, a horror Splatterwestern anthology from Brigids Gate Press. Edited by Kenneth W. Cain, this collection will boast tales by Brennan LaFaro, David Niall Wilson, Chad Lutzke, and many more. Heather Miller’s first story collection, Tales My Grandmother Told Me: Thirteen Unsettling Stories, is a delightful, yet disturbing tome inspired by the creepy stories Heather’s grandmother shared with her throughout the years. Both are excellent reads and I encourage you to grab them as soon as they are released. Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind should be out later this month, while Tales My Grandmother Told Me will be released by Last Waltz Publishing on September 27th.
All Things Writing Podcast
I recently had the pleasure of joining Bryan Nowak on an episode of his excellent podcast, All Things Writing. We discussed my memoir Southern-Fried & Horrified, as well the writing life now and then, what brought me back to writing after a ten year hiatus, and writing horror fiction as a person of faith. We even discussed one of our all-time favorite movies, The Outlaw Josey Wales. I had an incredible time chatting with Bryan and I think you will really enjoy the conversation. You can listen to my episode of All Things Writing here.
Southern-Fried Flash!
Here’s another piece of RK flash fiction inspired by last year’s #trickortweet2021 on Twitter. I hope you enjoy it!
“Deep, Dark Reunion”
Whenever he crossed the bridge over the river, he sped up. Stamped hard on the gas pedal and gunned it. Holding his breath until he reached the other side.
Nine times out of ten, the two-lane bridge was empty. But that tenth time… that was when she was there. Standing on the center line… wet and sodden… flesh pale and bloated. There was no anger on her face, no rageful desire for retribution. There was only sadness and loss. Etched there as it had been during the last moment he had seen her alive.
This night, as the moon hung high at twelve, he thought he had escaped her presence. But midway across, there she was, standing mere feet from his front bumper. Startled, he jerked the steering wheel sharply and found himself crashing through concrete and steel, then soaring through the empty darkness of night. The impact came an instant later. Downward his car plunged, cutting past the murky surface, weight pulling the vehicle downward. He prayed that buoyancy would save him, but instead he sank like a stone. Water pooled around his ankles and knees, flooding from the dashboard vents, filling the interior swiftly.
As he struggled for breath, he felt a cold, slender hand clasp his own. He glanced over to see his wife in the passenger seat next to him… bound by seatbelt and immobility, as she had been the night he had dumped her car in the river seven years ago.
Panic came as dark water engulfed him in its watery embrace. The hand tightened. Nimble bones anchored deeply into the meat of his fingers and palm. Never to let go.
No more anger, she told him with a ghastly smile. No more hatred or pain.
Amid the gurgle and rush of advancing water, he heard a liquid cry press against his eardrums. Before blacking out, he turned his head toward the rear of the vehicle. A tiny form sat imprisoned in a car seat… silent and still… covered with algae and black mold.
No more resentment or jealousy… no more abuse. No more bruises or breaking of tiny bones.
He prayed for death but knew that it would never come. Not the lasting, merciful death that he desired… but a living death. Forever… with them.
Only repentance now, she told him gently. And endless love. As her skin dissolved and floated away… as her eyes sank slowly into the depths of her skull… she grinned.
We are a family once again.
Tomes of Terror: Nightmare Fuel from Indie Horror Authors
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?
Splatterpunk Award-nominated author Daniel J. Volpe’s newest tale of extreme, twisted horror is now available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook.
Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology, edited by Nico Bell & Sonora Taylor
Diet Riot features twelve fat-positive horror tales of people who come into their own, celebrate their curves, and save the day. There are babysitters and bakers, thieves and roller derby stars. Young women unsure about their bodies meet demons and water spirits who offer assistance–in their own way, of course. Danger lurks in hospitals, in the mysterious occult shop in the local mall, and in a house filled with cats. Campers, trash collectors, and house flippers alike uncover nasty secrets underground. A myriad of horrors await you–none of which comes at the expense of fat bodies.
Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology is now available in ebook and paperback.
Twilight at the Gates by Mark Allan Gunnells (Self-published)
Twilight at the Gates is a short story collection written in homage to programs that once featured speculative tales such as The Twilight Zone. Mark Allan Gunnells is a master craftsman of the short story form and in these stories and poems he hopes to proffer the weird, the strange, and the uncanny from the darkest recesses of his psyche. Stories dealing with time travel, grief, and even a Halloween tale await readers of Twilight at the Gates.
Master storyteller Mark Allan Gunnells latest collection is now available in ebook and paperback.
That’s all for this week’s edition of The Fear County Chronicle. Be sure to follow me on Facebook (Ronald Kelly), Twitter (@RonaldKelly4), and Instagram (@dixiedarkun). To purchase signed books directly from me, just give me a holler via private message through any of the above social media platforms. Until next time, Many Happy Nightmares, y’all!