Kirkus called this book, “A swashbuckling steampunk mashup of Mark Twain and Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines Quartet.” It's on Seventeen Magazine's best novels of 2019 list. #1 New York Times BestSelling Author Sabaa Tahir calls it, "a compelling, serpetine journey into the heart of grief, the way it can threaten to destroy, and what it looks like to survive." Which book am I talking about? The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie, released March 26, 2019 from Bloombury Children's Books. The cover is insanely gorgeous. The design is the creation of one[...]
0 When you're fully immersed in a story, you hang on your favorite character's every word. Whatever they say will show how they're feeling, how connected they are - or want to be - to the person they're talking to. You'll know what they want, what they need, once they speak. OXENFREE follows Alex and her friends as they party and fight to survive on a deserted island. There's instant friction between characters. Snarky comments and awkward exchanges hint at the grief, regret and romantic tension between them. As Alex, you want to withdraw, but you're pushed to[...]
Needing coffee to fuel my day isn’t particularly original. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get to have a little fun with my morning java fix. When I stumbled upon Turkey Merck, an artisan who handcrafts horror-themed mugs and other merch, I was floored by the craftsmanship. Handcrafted, hand-painted, elaborately designed mugs that look like real skulls? I’m sold! But these designs are not for the faint of heart, or those who don’t possess a quick mouse-finger. These limited edition designs sell out within MINUTES of being released and I can see why.[...]
My favorite kind of gaming experience is one where I can immerse myself in an interesting world and explore it by myself. So much of my writing is both inspired by games, and fueled by the time they provide for me to be in my own head. I cannot tell you how many times I've worked through story ideas on an almost subconscious level while wandering around the world of a game. It just puts me in a creative space. When I find a game that provides this kind of experience, and has a horror element to it, I cherish it. And Capybara Games' Below is one such game for sure[...]
This month let's watch a little gem I found years ago called The Awakening. Time for... Where I tweet a whole lotta thoughts and reactions (and annoy the Twitter world) to a horror movie! Released in the US in 2012, The Awakening, a British supernatural film, was directed by Nick Murphy and written by Nick Murphy and Stephen Volk. Florence Catheart (played by Rebecca Hall) doesn't believe in ghosts. She investigates hauntings in order to reveal that nothing paranormal exists. She heads to a boarding school to once again prove that ghosts are[...]
Overview An adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary opens in theaters tomorrow and nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Noooooope. Nope. Cast & Crew Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nopity nope nope nope. Nope.Nope nope nope nopity nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope...nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Nope. Adaptation Nope nope nope nope nope nope. Nope nope? Nope! Nope. Nope-nope.Nope nope nope nope nope nope. Nope.Nope. Nope. Nope nope n[...]
I recently came across Ginger Ly and Molly Park's debut graphic novel Suee and the Shadow and oh, my heart, where has this book been all my life? As some of you recall, I absolutely judge books by the cover. So let's talk about Suee and the Shadow's cover. The first thing I noticed was the white on shadow face. This shadow is up to NO GOOD AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY. Next is that chilling contrast of the blood red lettering against an indigo background. The trend of claw-like branches on middle grade covers is one I hope stays forever and ever and ever.[...]
I keep seeing their faces. Their eyes. Madness radiated from them. The damaged woman. The mother. The final girl. Her face was full of angry, terrifying joy. Her face was twisted by secrets. It's been a couple days since I saw Us, Jordan Peele's latest horror film, and I'm not sure which woman is haunting me more. Us is a story of families, of community, and class. It's also the story of two women and how dangerous they became when cornered, how they defended the life they'd created. Adelaide fights for her family. She clings to them, unwilling to give them[...]
I recently finished reading Stephen King's latest novel The Outsider, which left an interesting thought crammed into the dark places of my mind. About the power of believing. The beginning of the book dwells in proof, in what could be touched and seen, in what must be true. No matter how wrong the reality of the evidence seemed, Detective Ralph Anderson would not let go, would not question reality. By the middle of the story, dear Ralph questions everything, but remains firm in his grip on evidence, on DNA, on fingerprints, on eyewitnesses. Though no[...]
I fell in love with horror fiction through short stories. The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe. NIGHT SHIFT, by Stephen King. My family car was littered with horror anthologies I found on bookstore racks and garage sale tables. As a writer, I love the tight structure and elegant story telling. As a reader, I love a small story that rips me apart and leaves me gasping. GUTTED: BEAUTIFUL HORROR STORIES, edited by Doug Murano and D. Alexander Ward, is a gorgeous collection. The stories delve into the dark, emotional connection we feel towards what we treasure[...]