News

Author Spotlight: Roma Gray’s Gray Shadows Under a Harvest Moon

Published

9 years ago

September 2, 2015

One of the most difficult tasks for a new author is introducing their work to the reader. For most, it’s a spin of the roulette wheel. The book is published and you work with your publicist and publisher to run the best campaign possible to get people to crack open the covers or download onto their devices to read. Generally, today, this means social marketing campaigns, interviews on various websites, and some even get video ads placed on YouTube. There are authors out there who come up with much more creative ways of getting the word out, and Roma Gray is one of those authors.

In her anthology, Gray Shadows Under a Harvest Moon: Six Trick or Treat Thrillers, Ms. Gray has done something I have never seen before. Quite simply, she gives you six short stories that introduce her ideas for brand new novels that will be headed to retailers near you, and then she takes it one step further. In the second half of the anthology, Ms. Gray gives information about what will be coming in these novels by “interviewing” one or two of the characters from each story. It’s a genius idea because you can introduce your brand of fiction to the public and generate interest for more.

So, what is Ms. Gray’s brand of fiction and who is her target audience? As I finished up reading her book, I asked her that question, myself. She responded, “My target audience is adult and young adult. The idea being that most of the Halloween-style books out there are aimed at children, but teens and adults like Halloween as well (it doesn’t have to be just for kids.) On the other end of the spectrum, many of us don’t like the hard core horror books, either. It’s seems to me that there is a huge gap between those two extremes and I’m trying to fill that gap.”

After reading her book, I can tell you that she hit her mark. Her stories boast original ideas that are light-hearted while still boasting a host of standard horror creatures: zombies, vampires, dark magic practitioners, and even sasquatch. That’s right, guys, Bigfoot makes an appearance in a tale called “The Invisible Carrier” concerning an epidemic in the Pacific Northwest and the sasquatch is the outbreak monkey, carrying the disease from one small town to the next.

I have to be honest here. Ms. Gray’s brand of fiction does not suit me. The tone of the stories and the characters seem like fodder for a slew of movies on the Syfy network. There is a time and a place and even a network for this type of story, but it just isn’t my cup of tea. I do like the darker tales and I like my monsters a bit more monstrous. One story that did stick out for me, however. In “Summer Vacation”, we are introduced to a young man named Sean who is spending the summer with his grandmother. He is a bit of a recluse and has developed, at first as a joke to drive his mother crazy, an interest in dark magic. When Sean begins to realize that his spells are actually working and that from across the country he has somehow set fire to his bed at home and made the water in his parent’s home run red as blood, he begins to get nervous. Once again, the tone of the story is not my taste, but it would be one that I would sit down and read to find out what happens in the end.

I applaud Ms. Gray’s presenting a truly polished work. It is difficult to find digitally published work that is edited this well, even among established authors like King and Rice. It is something that just isn’t given as much time as it should be anymore.

So, to pull this all together, if you’re the kind of horror reader who enjoys your entertainment a bit on the lighter side, this is the book for you and I would urge you to get a copy of Ms. Gray’s anthology today. You can follow the link here to Amazon and score it for only $2.99!

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News

A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

Published

1 hour ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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News

Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

Published

2 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Timothy Rawles

atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

^{Airport ’75}

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

^Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

^Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

^{The Clovehitch Killer}

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

_Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

^Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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