Horrific Tales of Sherlock Holmes

Posted in Occult Detective Genre on July 6, 2009 by cairnwood

gaslight_grotesqueTHE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON BAKER STREET!

Between the shadowy realms of fear and the unforgiving glare of science lies a battleground of unspeakable horror. In vile alleyways with blood-slick cobblestones, impenetrable fog, and the wan glow of gaslight, lurk the inhuman denizens of nightmare.

CAN REASON PREVAIL WHEN ELIMINATING THE IMPOSSIBLE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION?

Faced with his worst fears, Sherlock Holmes has his faith in the science of observation and deduction shaken to the core in all-new tales of terror from today’s modern masters of the macabre!

Featuring fiction by William Meikle, Neil Jackson, Mark Morris, Stephen Volk, Simon Kurt Unsworth, James Moore, Barbara Roden, and more…

Pre-Order your copy today.

July’s Author Spotlight: Lucy A. Snyder

Posted in Author Spotlight on July 3, 2009 by cairnwood

This December will see the release of Spellbent,the debut novel from Lucy Snyder,  and what better way to celebrate than to shine the Occult Detective Author Spotlight on someone who’s career has hit the ground running.

As to her forthcoming novel, if Urban Fantasy is your thing, then Lucy Snyder’s Spellbent is for you. Here’s a quick synopsis of the novel:

Jessie Shimmer’s roguish lover, Cooper, has been teaching her ubiquemancy, the art of finding the magic in everyday things. But things go terribly wrong when the couple try to call a rainstorm in downtown Columbus. A hellish portal opens, and Cooper is ripped from the world. Worse yet, a vicious demon invades the city. Jessie barely manages to slay it, but she’s gravely wounded and the capital’s center is destroyed. As if losing an eye and a hand isn’t bad enough, the city’s ruling mage, Benedict Jordan, brands her an outlaw. With only her ferret familiar to help her, Jessie must find the dimension Cooper’s trapped in and bring him back alive before sinister machinations make both of them vanish for good.

Magic is everywhere… and so is pure evil.

spellbent“Spellbent is a total blast! A fun, unique, and constantly surprising contender for the urban fantasy crown. In her thrilling trial-by-fire debut, Snyder’s heroine – Jessie Shimmer – is transformed from young apprentice to first-class magical butt-kicker. I can’t wait for book two!” – Christopher Golden, author of The Myth Hunters

 ”Lucy Snyder’s Spellbent marks the debut of a real talent. It’s a gripping ride of a story – I couldn’t put it down!” – Sarah Langan, author of Audrey’s Door

“(Spellbent features) a cast of unforgettable characters and relentless action and suspense. Snyder masterfully weaves a fantastical plot into a real-world setting, never once breaking stride.” – Deborah LeBlanc, author of Water Witch

 ”Lucy Snyder hooks you from the beginning, delivering a strong protagonist and a fresh, engaging world of magic. I can’t wait to see what she does next.” – Alice Henderson, author of Voracious

lucy-snyder-headshotLucy A. Snyder’s writing has appeared in Strange Horizons, Farthing, Masques V, Doctor Who Short Trips: Destination Prague, Chiaroscuro, GUD, and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet.

She was born in South Carolina but grew up in the cowboys-and-cactus part of Texas. She currently lives in Worthington, Ohio with her husband and occasional co-author Gary A. Braunbeck.

If genres were wall-building nations, Lucy’s stories would be forging passports, jumping fences, swimming rivers and dodging bullets. You can learn more about her at www.lucysnyder.com.

Lucy has a BS in biology and an MA in journalism and is a graduate of the 1995 Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers’ Workshop; her classmates included authors Kelly Link and Nalo Hopkinson.

She has worked as a computer systems specialist, science writer, biology tutor, researcher, software reviewer, radio news editor, and bassoon instructor. In her past life as an editor, she published Dark Planet and edited for HMS Beagle. She currently produces a column for Horror World on science and technology for writers.

What am I working on?

Posted in Illustration, Occult Detective Genre, Writing in Theory & Practice with tags , , , on July 2, 2009 by cairnwood

the_cabin_in_the_woods

Betrayed by a Kiss

Posted in Illustration on July 2, 2009 by cairnwood

betrayed

Today was earmarked for finishing up “The Cabin in the Woods”, and that’s still in the cards, but I was contacted by a small press that asked me if I would be willing to submit a cover on spec for them… This is the result. Betrayed by a Kiss was described to me as a Mickey Spillane-type of hard-boiled crime novel with some paranormal elements. I was given some character information and the story’s setting… and then told to see what I could do with it.

We’ll see if this passes muster… it’d be nice to collect a check.

Now, enough with the art, it’s time to get back to the writing…

Cleaning the pipes…

Posted in Illustration, Writing in Theory & Practice on July 1, 2009 by cairnwood

Yes, I’ve been quiet for the past few days. I’ve been working on a new chapbook for Ghostwriter Publications’ Penny Dreadful series titled The Cabin in the Woods. Life, as it so often does, has seen fit to throw curve ball after curve ball at me and so, to be quite honest, it’s been a bit of a struggle squeezing in the time to get the story down. But now, I’m in the end run, and the tale is shaping up beautifully. So, as I prepare for the final push, I needed to step back from it for a bit and clean the pipes, as they say… This is how I usually shake the rust off.

private_eye_cover

I find that losing myself in creating a piece of art frees my mind, allowing it to wander into those dark places that are sometimes so elusive. When I come out from the other side, I’m recharged and ready to throw myself back into the fray.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, The Cabin in the Woods awaits.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here…

Posted in Occult Detective Genre, Writing in Theory & Practice with tags , , on June 30, 2009 by cairnwood

Deadlines and commitments…

Posted in Writing in Theory & Practice on June 29, 2009 by cairnwood

kidnapped

Ashes to Ashes coming to Penny Dreadfuls

Posted in Occult Detective Genre, Writing in Theory & Practice on June 27, 2009 by cairnwood

Ashes to Ashes cover copy 2Ashes to Ashes will soon be available as a part of Ghostwriter Publications’ Penny Dreadful Collection, hearkening back to a time in England’s past when such tales were sold for little more than a  farthing.

Obviously these tales will sell for a bit more than that, ranging from 1.25 p to 1.75 p ( $2.00-$2.80 US), but the spirit is the same.

Visit Ghostwriter Publications’ Penny Dreadful Collection for works by some of the best genre writers today, including Guy N. Smith, William Meikle, David Naill Wilson, Scott Nicholson, and more…

Watch for an official announcement of Ashes to Ashes joining the Penny Dreadful Collection later this weekend.

Four score and nine lists ago

Posted in Author Spotlight on June 26, 2009 by cairnwood
Four Movies You Can See Over and Over

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Angel Heart
Highlander
Tombstone
.
Four Places You Have Lived

Converse, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Boston, Massachusetts
Peru, Indiana

Four TV Shows You Love to Watch

LOST
Supernatural
House, M.D.
Burn Notice

Four Places You Have Been on a Vacation

Edinburgh, Scotland
Salem, Massachusetts
Hocking Hills, Ohio
Atlanta, Georgia

Four of Your Favorite Foods

Liver and Onions
Haggis
Enchiladas
Tacos

Four Websites You Visit Daily

LAShTAL
ByrneRobotics
Entertainment Weekly
The Keenedom

Four Places You Would Rather Be

Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland
Avebury, England
Hopi Mesa
The Frazetta Museum, Pennsylvania

Four Things You Hope to Do Before You Die

Write a New York Times bestseller
Watch a movie based on one of my stories
Visit Boleskine House
Hold my first grandson

Four Novels You Wish You Were Reading for the First Time

Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Red Nails by Robert E. Howard
Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz
Masks of the Illuminati by Robert Anton Wilson

The Cabin in the Woods

Posted in Illustration, Occult Detective Genre, Writing in Theory & Practice on June 26, 2009 by cairnwood

cabin_sm
A scene from the story I’m currently writing,
with the working title of “The Cabin in the Woods”.

Coming soon from Ghostwriter Publications?