“Horrendous Tales, Volume I”

The first horror story anthology

from Vile Press is Coming Soon.

Huge congratulations are in order to Kevin Cathy, founder of Vile Press and editor in chief.

Recently Kevin and I sat down and talked about the horror genre, horror short stories, and other things that make our blood run cold.

Here’s the conversation:

LL: Thanks for the interview, Kevin. What possessed you to create Vile Press and launch a horror anthology?

KC: Well Lake, I’ve been writing horror fiction since I was in high school; I always loved the genre. Then came the truly “horrendous” task of none other than trying to get published. I sent my books and stories to magazines, mainstream publishers, and anything you could imagine. I finally caught a break when a publisher called Writer’s Club Press took a chance on me with my first novel but then they went out of business shortly thereafter and conglomerated with iUniverse.com, a pay-for-self-publishing site. So now my first book is out of print. Ever since then, it’s been years of rejection letters. I started to get self-conscious and began to think that maybe I wasn’t that good. My stories are a little outside the normal realms of literature that you see in the bookstores. But then I discovered only 0.02% of authors actually make a living on just writing fiction. Even some big names you might know of have day jobs! When I looked into it more, my conclusion boiled down to one result: mainstream publishers are greedy! They would rather publish a currently popular author’s novel, even if it’s not good, just to make money! Fortunately, e-book publishing and today’s technology has made it more possible for independent authors like myself and others to get their works of fiction out to the public without having to submit to the mainstream publishers’ limited scopes of what they think is acceptable. Would you let anybody tell you or limit you to what they think is good for you and what’s not? Only if you don’t have a mind of your own. This anthology was created to show the public that they don’t have to limit themselves to the five horror authors in the bookstore. They now have a choice and an opportunity to read some truly unencumbered and horrific stories. And best of all, it’s FREE!

LL: Awesome. Are there any horror writers that you’re keeping an eye right now? Anybody that you’d love to work with for Horrendous Tales II?

KC: All of them. They’re all unique in their own way. One author particularly writes in the second person narration format. Another writes specifically from the perspective of the monster or bad guy. Tell me, how many stories have you read that dare to go outside the norm like that? That’s what I mean when I talk about the creativity of these authors that most readers are not used to seeing. So that’s why I want all of them back for round two and also hope to get some new talent as well!

LL: When will the book be out?

KC: I’m hoping for a release date of August 20, 2013.

LL: I’m looking forward to it. Will you accept submissions for Volume II in the near future?

KC: Most definitely. Soon as this first anthology is off the ground, on the website, on Amazon, in libraries, and other e-book sites, I definitely plan on getting everyone from the first book back for round 2 and will be scoping out for other authors who want to get their works shown off in all their glories!

LL: Anything else you’d like The Scary Story readers to know?

KC: Well, I know a lot of your readers are also fellow authors and I would love to read and consider one of their stories for Volume II. The other thing I want them to know is that I appreciate their open-mindedness and give them huge props for checking out what many readers don’t have the pleasure of reading. Unfortunately, many people simply don’t know that there’s a whole lot more out there than just the few old classics. So, to The Scary Story readers, other independent horror fiction readers, fellow authors, and you, Lake, for helping me get the word out, I thank you all!

Horrendous Tales, Volume I features:

Arterial Red – by Andrew Ramsey: Ever wonder if the angel of death takes pleasure in his work? Short answer: Oh yes… He most certainly does.

Intruder – by Kevin Cathy: Three friends take a trip to a remote cabin in Lake Tahoe. Little did they know, something sinister from their past has followed them there. And this time, there is no escape.

Night Work – by Harriet Darling: You have just woken up in a park… you don’t know who you are… you see a man walking towards you… and what you do next is not only horrific, but for who and what you are, it’s also natural.

Tatanya – by Hollisa Deweese: A seemingly innocent young girl believes she is playing a harmless game until her behavior erupts into pure psychopathic acts of violence.

The Hungry Trees by Lake Lopez: When a man’s run out of options, he’ll do just about anything – even kill those who trapped him in a corner. But what’s that saying about revenge and digging two graves? Heck, two graves aren’t nearly enough in this story… 🙂

Thanks for dropping by The Scary Story. Horror fans – join the mailing list for your freebie. Horror writers – click here to learn more about featuring your book here. Sleep with the lights on… LL

Tonight’s free Kindle horror is a creepy tale of delayed justice and the mysterious, sometimes vengeful, forces at play in the world around us. I bet you think about this stroy the next time you stumble across a boy spending a lazy day at his favorite fishing hole. If that kid asks you to join him – RUN.

The Turtle Boy

Kealan Patrick Burke

Timmy Quinn, blond haired and bronze skinned, is enjoying summer vacation with his best pal, Pete Marshall. Then the boys come face to face with the turtle boy and, just like that, worlds collide, lives are at stake and boyhood is over for the both of them. As they say, innocence is fleeting.

Kealan Patrick Burke has created an easy to like character in Timmy Quinn. He’s the kid that lives down the street, the one you worry about because you know he’s bold and adventurous enough to get himself into real trouble someday. This natural character-empathy drives a sense of foreboding and gloomy dread that make one heartsick when Timmy is plunged into his dark adventure.

Kealan Patrick Burke wastes no time in getting to the dead-heart of this tale. He drives readers into a horror story that moves faster than rapids. By the time you read, “…A ragged semicircle of the boy’s ankle was missing…” you’re on a downward facing rollercoaster and it’s too late to get off.

Burke’s strong voice creates a horrific landscape in otherwise pleasant Delaware, Ohio and the story unfolds in this same ominious landscape. In fact, Burke’s prose is so cunning you can almost feel the sun blistering your skin every time you think, “Timmy, get out of there.”

The Turtle Boy is a novella and the first installment of the Timmy Quinn series. Therefore one of the larger questions is left unanswered. This works because the story itself has a clear beginning and ending. I’m not going to summarize the story because, trust me, that could diminish a bit of the fun. I’ll assure you that the ending is worth biting your nails over and missing your bedtime. It’s even worth the nasty dream that might find you after turning your Kindle off for the night.

Symbolically, this is a coming of age story with father-son elements that hint at a long and dimly lit road ahead. I’m looking forward to the next Timmy Quinn book and hope you join me in reading them all. Learn more about Kealan Patrick Burke at his site and download this free horror story for your Kindle by clicking here.

Thanks for dropping by The Scary Story. Hope to see you soon. Please know that I do not get a commission for sending you to this link. I am not an Amazon affiliate, just a fan and writer of scary stories. Now read something scary. LL

Horror Story Anthology, Coming Soon From Vile Press