BEASTIAL! And a Sign of Lincoln...

Mister Wolfie Romero
I've been too busy to keep up on what's going on with all my writing buddies, but with my stories for the collection complete and the edits almost done, I can breathe a bit and share some tidbits from my friends.

Notably, my pal Bill Carl's book, BEASTIAL: Werewolf Apocalypse is coming out in July from Permuted Press. And the thing that makes this especially notable is the blurb it received from one of the horror genre greats, Ray Garton.

Ray's blurb for BESTIAL:
"If you have an appetite for werewolves, this book is an all-you-can-eat buffet! Carl has done for werewolves what Romero did for zombies, and he's done it with flair and a sense of gruesome fun."
-- Ray Garton, author of LIVE GIRLS and RAVENOUS

I've dubbed Bill, Mister Wolfie Romero, and I can't wait to have a read of this fine bit of wickedness. Permuted Press (through the Horror Mall) has a nice free shipping pre-order deal if you have a hankering for a little werewolfie apocalypse action.

First Signing
I remember my first book signing. It was both exciting and scary. Would anyone stop? Would people buy the book? But I survived and actually enjoyed the whole process. A young and ambitious Horror Library member, author Lincoln Crisler recently had his first signing event. He's in the U.S. Army and has spent time in Afghanistan, so I figure a table at Barnes & Noble was a piece of cake for him.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading his book, Despairs and Delights, but I just wanted to take the time to congratulate him on his first signing. Quite an event for any young writer. Woohoo, Lincoln!

With the Mama's Boy collection done (editing not withstanding), my computer shackles have been removed (for now) and I'm off to have a leisurely breakfast. Wish you were here to join me!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

I'm No Hitchcock

Even More Global Domination
Okay, before we get to the magnificent Alfred, I wanted to alert you to the ever growing threat of world domination coming from my favorite, I mean, that dastardly mag and publishing house Apex. The fiends have taken another giant step forward to their goal by hiding behind their brand spankin' new highly professional and easy to navigate website. Stop by and see for yourself. It's a hideous plot, I tell ya'. While you're there, be sure to buy something. Commerce is the only way to keep them distracted from their ultimate goal. I highly recommend Gratia Placenti...FABOO!

But if you can't beat 'em, Join 'Em!







Now, To Alfred
I've looked at a lot of elements that have contributed to my twisted sensibilities, hence my penchant for writing horror, and one of my earliest memories of being emotionally marred was Alfred Hitchcock's, Psycho. I was a darn good faker as a kid, and one fateful night, I faked being asleep on the sofa while my parents watched Norman do his dirty deeds. I watched the whole wicked movie with one eye closed, not moving a muscle for fear of being discovered and banished from the horror and the delight of my decadent viewing.

There's a reason why parents don't allow their kids to watch horror, and I'm living proof. That movie scarred me for life, and just now as I think about it, my novella Mama's Boy was no doubt an opportunity to purge some of that scarring. Jeesh, the things we discover buried in our own little psychic-cemeteries when we least expect them.

Anyway, I'd like to contribute to your delinquency by offering up a real treat. Last night I found a fantastic site - The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. There you'll find links to full length episodes of that wickedly wonderful show.

For a nostalgic ride into Scaryville with Alfred & Co. - CLICK HERE!

I'm No Hitchcock
No siree, I'm no Mr. Hitchcock, but that didn't stop me from making a lame attempt at a little video making myself. Actually, it was just a bit of a laugh to try making a video or sorts with the Slide.com program. It's very limited and it's too slow, and on and on I could complain, but it was free and it was fun. Following is the link rather than a video player. I didn't want to post the embedded video, because it plays automatically (no auto on-off switch - one of those things I could complain about, but I won't...or did I just? :D ), so I didn't want it to knock over anyone's machines, particularly folks that might have dial-up.

With all that said, please give the link below a little clickety, and let me know if you like my lame-o MB vid:

MB is Back - Summer 2008!

Have a fine week, kids, and enjoy a little Hitchcock for me.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

The Saga, BEA Links, and a Mama's Boy Dealio

The Saga
If you've been reading this blog, you know the Friel household is in the midst of a moving drama...moving, in this case, being a verb. And since our sweet little condo has been around for about thirty years without a lot of new fangled stuff, we're renovating. Now how does this relate to horror? Well, if you've ever moved house and/or renovated, you know the horror personally. No doubt a story will emerge from my psyche because of the experience.

Hey, we've been VERY lucky, though. We've got a great guy doing work for us, which makes it all a whole lot easier. But the time crunch is like a wild race. We need hardwood floors and carpet installed, tile in the bathrooms, the whole place painted, new countertops, etc, not to mention phone and internet (which I think should be called, Author's Life Line). Well, that's all par for the renovation course, right? Except that most of it has to be done in 10 days! Ack! Now the kicker...my sweet husband will be out of the country on business for a week, and he leaves in the middle of this renovation/moving party. The moving estimator chuckled when I told him about the hubby's schedule. His words, "Sounds strategic to me." Hmm...

Light a candle for me, will ya'?





Book Expo America
Dang, I wish I had had time to go to the huge Book Expo of America event, especially since it was so close to home. It took place in NYC on the weekend of May 31st, but being a tad busy, I had to pass. Did any of you go? Was if fabulous?

Well, for those of us who missed it, thanks to Book Trailers from COS Productions at MySpace (Thanks, COS!), I discovered that BEA has produced a number of podcasts from the Expo. The topics are excellent and here is a small sampling:

Customer Focused Publishing: Michael Hyatt of Thomas Nelson

The Role of Publishers in the Real Digital Age: An Insider's Perspective

http://bookexpocast.com/2007/05/

BEA Bonus: Publishing in the MySpace Era

BEA Bonus: Searching for Principles: Online Services and Intellectual Property

Bob Prosen Teaches Business Leaders to Kiss Theory Good Bye

BEA Bonus: Emerging Technology Trends: Deciphering the Next Chapter

Will Schwalbe on the Pros and Con of Email

You can see more of the podcast offerings Here at BEA Podcasts. Enjoy!

Work to Be Done

Well, my Sunday blogging is done, but I almost forgot to tell you my news. I promised last week that I'd share it with you, so forgive me for the delay.

The wonderful Jason Sizemore, publisher at Apex Publications (and of course, editor in chief at Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest) has struck a deal to publish my short story collection, which will feature that little Bram Stoker nominated novella, Mama's Boy. I can't tell you how happy I am to be working with Jason (one of my writing goals, btw!), and I'm thrilled that Mama's Boy will reach a wider audience. I'm literally chomping at the bit to get the house move complete, so I can get to work on the collection. It will hit the shelves in Spring 2008!

Also, a thrill for me in its own right, one of my short stories will be published in Apex Digest #11! It's my understanding that one of my absolute favorite people and writers, Gary Braunbeck, will also be published in #11. Needless to say, I'm a VERY happy girl.

Now back to work for me. We're off to the condo to lug debris to the dumpster ($310 for a dumpster rental?? grrr...) and...wait for it...remove wall paper! Woohoo...my favorite thing! NOT! Gawd, I'm such a whiner today. Thanks for indulging me. You guys are THE best!

See ya' soon...minus the whine. *wink*

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel