Dead Sheriffs and Pickles

Geek's Podcast has a nice review of The Dead Sheriff. Peruse it here.

And this week's column in the Ashland Beacon is another stirring tale from deep within the Pactolus Pickle Processing Plant. You'll find it here on page 2.

Inspiration, Motivation and Masturbation

I have a new column up now at Horror World. You can read it here.

Pod of Horror #36

Pod of Horror is back and more popular than Michael Vick at a Humane Society Bake Sale. We have a plethora of guests on PoH #36, including:

* Stoker Award-winning Elizabeth Massie

* Dark Fantasy author David Niall Wilson

* Nathan Baesel and Angela Goethals, stars of BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON

* Plus, we bring you horror’s premiere news source, The Call of Kalanta

* And new prizes and a new clue in The Tomb of Trivia

Pod of Horror is produced and hosted by Mark Justice. Download it at I-Tunes or direct to your desktop.

And be sure to drop by the Justice & Wilbanks message board.

The New Novel-Day 1

I started a new novel today. I thought I would post my progress here for motivation. I'm going to try to get something done on it every day, though my job sometimes makes that impossible. Also, I have some other writing projects I have to attend to in the next few weeks, so we'll see how it works out.

By the way, it's a horror novel. For now, let's just call it TLH. Here's today's word count and my projected finish:

2,122/80,000

Dead Earth Update

It now appears that Dead Earth: The Green Dawn by Dave Wilbanks and yours truly will be published this summer. Since we finally have a date, shouldn't you celebrate by ordering a copy?

Update to the Update:

Bloody Hell.

Just got some incredibly good news about this project, along with an indication that it might see print earlier.

I'll share as soon as I'm allowed. Mostly I just wanted a chance to say "bloody hell."

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

When Dark Harvest opens, we’re introduced to a scenario that seems familiar by horror standards: October. A small town. A young, angry protagonist. A ritual that keeps the small town thriving, though at the costs of a few lives.

Okay, I thought. I’ve seen this before, or stories quite close to it. The Halloween sub-genre is a particular favorite, one that a few writers – particularly Al Sarrantonio – have mined successfully. If this was what Dark Harvest was going to be, I was good with that.

But about a third of the way through, Norman Partridge turned the classic horror tropes on their head, then shoved them down the garbage disposal.

Dark Harvest isn’t about the young, angry kid. The star of the show is someone totally unexpected. Expectations are flipped upside down, and we’re given something we very rarely see: a truly fresh idea.

And all of this is powered by Partridge’s lean and mean prose. You can almost visualize the narrator spinning his tale, leaning against a brick wall, hair slicked back, a pack of unfiltered Camels rolled in the sleeve of a t-shirt so white you have to squint to look at it, scuffed motorcycle boots ready to stomp you if you interrupt him.

Dark Harvest is like a rumbling muscle car (running on leaded gasoline, natch) driving without headlights through the moonless night. You don’t know where this ride is taking you. All you can do is grab something and hang on -- there are no seat belts here.

But the driver is a master. And, at the end of the road, you’ll be glad you took the trip.

Dark Harvest is a relatively short novel, or maybe a long novella. Regardless, it’s some of the best horror writing I’ve encountered. Partridge – always a fine craftsman– just keeps getting better.

Highly recommended.