Horror Slices - Issue #12
Writing updates
A Few Vials More
The Western is going great guns (pardon the pun) and I’m excited to report that I am over halfway done. Things are really starting to heat up and from here on out what was a slow journey into depravity and horror is now a runaway stagecoach, and the horror and the weirdness of the piece is bleeding onto the page - You’ve never read a Western like this, believe me!
I’m hoping to finish the book in September / October - I’m about to head to Turkey for a long overdue holiday (it’s been sixteen years since we went on a family holiday) as work has been quite taxing, this year especially with threatened redundancy every few months. With it also being the school holidays the house for the next few weeks will be a little chaotic to write in… but I’m hoping there will be some time afforded to the book. We shall see!
Also, how shit has the weather been - half the world is baking alive (wild fires and crazy temperatures) and here in the UK you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was winter already with the amount of rain we’ve had in July. I went out with my wife for my birthday recently to take a look at a few charity bookshops, and when we were out she had to buy a flipping jumper to stay warm - in July - I kid you not. But the thing about the rain, it helps get those creative juices flowing!
I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet
I’ve had some early reader feedback for I Died Too… and it appears that readers are really enjoying it, which is a lovely relief. It doesn’t matter how many books you write there is always that small nagging worry in the back of your mind if the next book will be as good as the last, and because this one follows on the back of The Devil’s Pocketbook (which again is getting rave reviews) there is always that worry… but I know the book I wrote is a powerhouse of horror, so here’s hoping people continue to enjoy my mad ravings!
I also had a couple of blurbs from some writers which may give you a small glimpse at what to expect!
“Ross Jeffery is bold. He writes about the very worst and the very best of people, proving how ugly and glorious we can be.” Priya Sharma, British Fantasy and Shirley Jackson Award-winning Author.
“A compelling exploration of emotional complexity and dread. I Died Too… reaches from the grave forcing you to take its hand.” James Ashcroft, Award-winning Director of Coming Home In The Dark.
The Devil’s Pocketbook
Once again I wanted to thank all those who have already picked up a copy, read, reviewed, shared or ordered it for your bookshop or library… I appreciate all your help and support as always and it means the world to me to see this book riding high and connecting with readers!
Slices of Horror - A Congregation of Jackals by S. Craig Zahler
My thoughts: I did really enjoy this book, but considering I gave Wraiths of a Broken Land five stars because it was exceptional, I’ve settled on four for this offering.
It was a fast-paced western novel, full of brutality and deceit and villainous characters as well as sprawling landscapes and a huge set piece… it had a bit of everything and if you’ve read it and I say ‘wooden fishing lure’ then you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, you’ll find out - that scene did make me feel pretty queasy and I’m a hard person to make feel queasy… so hats off to the author on that one!
It’s a great book but I preferred Wraiths for various reasons, but if you’re a fan of horror westerns then this should be on your reading list… go check it out!
What’s it about: In 1888 Oswell Danford is living a hard but satisfying life as a rancher in Virginia when he receives an unexpected telegram. A wedding invitation should be cause to celebrate but not when it means he'll have to face past deeds that he's deeply ashamed of.
Now he and his brother, along with their ex-compatriot, an inveterate gambler from New York, will have to travel to Montana Territory to settle an old score they'd nearly forgotten. They will join the expectant congregation at the small town church for the marriage of their former brother-in-arms. But while everyone else will be wishing a blissful future for the happy couple, these men will be praying the darkness from their past doesn't devour the entire town. A Congregation of Jackals is an unrelenting tale of betrayal and revenge told with precise brutality that will leave you breathless and haunted.
While Zahler is not a stranger to the Western genre he brings his own unique twist to the Wild West. He wrote and directed Bone Tomahawk, the breakout Horror/Western crossover film of 2015 and his novel Wraiths of the Broken Land is being adapted for the screen by Ridley Scott and Drew Goddard. Although these three works don't share characters or plotlines he considers them to be something of a thematic trilogy. All three share his fascination with revenge, betrayal and extreme violence in the defence of innocence.
Where to buy: You can buy a copy from Raw Dog Screaming Press here or anywhere books are sold.
Slices of Horror - Enter Softly by Tyler Jones
My Thoughts: Loved this collection of three novellas from Tyler Jones and how they connect with his other works (notably Burn The Plans, Dark Side of the Room and Almost Ruth) - it could be enjoyed without having read his other novels, but the sheer joy I had reading this was because I had the knowledge of the works these loosely hang from.
Tyler again shows what a great writer he is and how he punches hard and fast in short fiction as much as he does in his longer fiction.
Highly recommended.
What’s it About: ENTER SOFTLY collects the brand new novellas that are included in the extended editions of CRITERIUM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, and the new novel ALMOST RUTH.
In "Along the Shadow", a story from the world of THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROOM, Detective Gary Shaw is called to the scene of an unusual and grisly murder. which leads him to chase after a strange suspect. But Shaw is not sure if the suspect is also chasing him.
The butler for a wealthy family begins to fear the worst when mysterious guests show up at the manor in "Wake Up", a prequel story to the novel ALMOST RUTH.
And in ENTER SOFTLY, Emergency Room nurse, Lisa Morton, has a problem and she is about to lose her marriage, her child, and her job. As she works the night shift a very damaged patient comes into the hospital and sets in motion a series of events that could lead to Lisa's salvation, or her end. A companion novella to the critically acclaimed CRITERIUM, Tyler Jones returns to a world where addiction is a force with teeth and claws, and it will not let you go quietly.
Where to Buy: You can buy a signed copy of Enter Softly from Tyler’s website here - or you can purchase a copy of this or any of his other works online at Amazon.
Slices of Horror - Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
My Thoughts: I loved this book. I’ve had a copy of this since the pandemic and when I got it I realised it was a book about a pandemic and so I thought it best to leave it for a while, there was only so much depressive stuff I could handle during that horrid time and wallowing in it wasn’t going to do me any favours.
And so I left it on the shelf, where it seemed to marinate - because when I was at a loss for something to read recently I picked it up and thought ‘let’s give you a whirl then’ - oh boy, I wasn’t ready for what turned out to be a fabulous experience fraught with horror, tension, love, loss, friendship and a conclusion which caused me to shout a few expletives at the page!
I think having lived through a pandemic helped me to fully get on board with this book, some of the things that happen, some of the things Tremblay covers happened to people… and it gave the book more sway, because I wasn’t imagining these things, these protocols, because we lived through it, had first-hand knowledge of them. Anyway, it’s a remarkable read, check it out!
What’s it About: When it happens, it happens quickly.
New England is locked down, a strict curfew the only way to stem the wildfire spread of a rabies-like virus. The hospitals cannot cope with the infected, as the pathogen's ferociously quick incubation period overwhelms the state. The veneer of civilisation is breaking down as people live in fear of everyone around them. Staying inside is the only way to keep safe.
But paediatrician Ramola Sherman can t stay safe, when her friend Natalie calls her husband is dead, she's eight months pregnant, and she's been bitten. She is thrust into a desperate race to bring Natalie and her unborn child to a hospital, to try and save both their lives.
Their once familiar home has becoming a violent and strange place, twisted in to a barely recognisable landscape. What should have been a simple, joyous journey becomes a brutal trial.
Where to Buy: You can pick up a copy of this book from Titan Books here or anywhere books are sold online.
Horror on Celluloid - Black Mirror
I finally got around to watching Black Mirror - I KNOW, I KNOW - and it is everything I could want in a TV show and more. Every episode I’ve watched so far has been exceptional storytelling and crazy ideas. I was slightly concerned about what I had decided to watch when the first episode involved the PM having sexual relations with a pig… but stick with it people, it is golden.
I’ve binged watched all of the previous series and so I am now left with the most recent series to watch - some of my highlights of the series so far have been: The Entire History of You, White Christmas, Be Right Back, San Junipero, Arkangel, Hang The DJ, Black Museum and Striking Vipers.
A Parting Gift
I was recently on the Podcast Horror Makes Us Happy - which if you haven’t heard of it before, you should add to your list of fabulous podcasts immediately. We discussed all things horror and all things horrifying about my upbringing, dreams, anxieties, what I find terrifying, what I fear… the whole of my life and how horror had influenced me and changed me was put under the microscope. It was a stunning podcast and for me, it felt more like a counselling session than a podcast - the guys there do some brilliant work.
You can check it out here and also why not dive into what makes some of these other people tick too… Josh Malerman, Jonathan Janz and Laurel Hightower were a couple of their many guests and all episodes were great to listen to.
