Writing the Werewolf Apocalypse

The book is finally available from Severed Press, with an awesome cover by Alan M. Clark. In the foreword, I explained why I wrote the book; the novel is essentially a love letter to Takashi Miike and Meiko Kaiji, both legends in Japanese cinema.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS THING 

For me to say the book is violent and original is a bit pretentious. I will say I used a different approach when writing the book, and did whatever I could to capture a sort of Japanese aesthetic to the prose. The book is a big one (over three hundred pages), but there aren’t many large paragraphs. Sometimes, there is beauty in “simplicity”; so I didn’t write the thing like it was a Haiku, but I wanted readers to infer and “feel”; telling readers much of anything would have ruined the cultural context. 

Are there werewolves in the book? Yes. A lot of them. 

Meiko Kaji in Lady Snowblood

I didn’t create a “dream cast” for this book on the blog because a lot of the actors would be Japanese, and not many folks know about the actors who I’d want in the movie. I’m also biased; I think even the “cheesy” Japanese films, or even the horror films, take their approach to acting and presentation far more seriously than most American film studios. An American film studio couldn’t make this into a movie. No way. Not even Tom Cruise. 

I won’t apologize for how “weird” the book might seem. I won’t apologize for anything in this book. It shifts between stories, jumps around, and entire chapters are presented differently. It’s exploitative, ridiculous, and very, very, Japanese. 

With werewolves, of course. Many of them. Many, many werewolves…

Takashi Miike's remake of Hara-Kiri. A movie that is kind of "normal" for him, although depressing as hell.

THE BEST INDY PUBLISHER

A lot of publishers do their best to advertise their books as original works of art. At least, I think a lot of presses follow this model. I think a lot of readers enjoy reading books that are similar to others they’ve read in the past, especially when it comes to genre; a reader who enjoys The Hunger Games might be looking for more Dystopian fiction, for example.

Although I write stories of my own, I love to read. I’m under the impression that a lot of writers also read, though I can’t say ALL writers read because I don’t know that to be true. Writers have different goals in mind when it comes to publication, but there is a select group of writers out there who enjoy writing what hasn’t been written before. I’m talking about writers who write for a select audience, an audience they also belong to.

I know it’s true that writers often write in genres they love, but what if there are writers who enjoy writing for the sake of writing, for the sake of art itself? Do these writers exist? What do we consider ART? It’s subjective, of course, but I believe I have found a publisher that specializes in art. A publisher that exists for the writers it publishes, who also happen to be the publisher’s audience.

Dynatox Ministries, I love you.

To have your work published by them you need to purchase their books; Limited-edition chapbooks written by authors who want to read what Dynatox publishes. There are authors from all over the world, including Sebastien Doubinsky, Chris Kelso, Michael Faun, and several others.

What exactly do they publish? What’s the big deal?

Their books include the work of authors who do not care about narrative, literary, or grammatical rules. Dynatox Ministries has several imprints, including a bizarro imprint (Holy Mountain Outreach), and a hardcore horror/noir crime imprint (Christbait Rehab). They publish conspiracy theory books, poetry, nunsploitation, blaxsploitation, Nazisploitation, and they’re publishing a box set dedicated to the cannibal-horror genre. Authors are paying tribute to underground subgenres of film and art that have existed for several years—Dynatox Ministries is the only place you can find these books.

Did I mention the books are limited-edition? You can pre-order the books, and they do take a little while to come out, but the wait is worth it. These books will be out of print. Dynatox is also one of the few publishers dedicated to producing actual books; while they do have an “electronic division,” their books each come numbered.

You’re missing out if you’re not reading their books, or maybe you just like to read the same thing over and

over again? That’s not a bad thing. If you want something that’s actually different, and work that is meant to be appreciated for what it is rather than how much it entertains, Dynatox has what you’re looking for. In my opinion, the best part is there is no pressure to review books once you’ve purchased them. The books are limited edition, so who cares?  I’ve left a few reviews on Goodreads for some of the books, but I prefer to just leave stars. Gold stars. Lots of gold stars.


Check out what Dynatox has to offer. They’re currently about to host a convention called Krallcon, so some of the books were published for people who donated (and you can donate to the convention by ordering the new books, hence why they are a bit more expensive).

The books are sexy. The authors are sexy, too. Especially Jason Wayne Allen and R.A. Harris. Rumor has it that Chris Kelso is sexy, too, but he lives in a fictional land that served as the backdrop for Highlander and Braveheart, so we know his home isn’t real…


Here's where you can buy their stuff. CLICK HERE

DREAM CAST FOR CHERUB BY DAVID C. HAYES

"Hayes is fast establishing himself as the new top-drawer of hardcore horror!" -Edward Lee


What is the title of your latest book? 

It is called Cherub and available from Bizarro Pulp Press on February 4th... in Kindle and paperback!

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The book started as a competition between longtime friend Kevin Moyers and myself regarding what is taboo and what is not. Both of us were used to pushing the envelope and the first chapter of the book sprung from that about eight years ago. It has taken some time, but the surrounding story, as well as the metaphor, developed around that scene.

What genre does your book fall under?

Some may call it a hardcore horror novel and others may call it trash. I’m going with good, old-fashioned crime exploitation. Hardcore Crime.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?  

Cherub- In all reality, this may need to be a CGI character. If I had my druthers, though, I would choose King Kong Bundy. At 6’5” and 500 lbs., he is what we would need physically. As a massive five-year-old, though, who knows if he could pull it off. Some of the more vile portions of the book are due solely to Cherub’s innocence.






Vena-She needs to be physically huge, too. Again, I would dip into the pro-wrestling world and go with The Amazing Kong. Race isn’t a factor here, but Vena needs to be loving, compassionate, not naïve (due to her horrendous back story) but capable of extreme violence. You’ll see.

Mama-Poor Mama. Giving birth to Cherub physically destroyed her. All she wants is what is best for her boy, but we can’t be trusted. He ‘plays’ very hard. She is slight, crippled and depressing. I like Dee Wallace for this.

Angie Fletcher-The quintessential ‘bad nurse,’ Angie runs the Blessed Arms mental hospital and turns it into a meth lab using the inmates as factory workers and Cherub as sex-enslaved muscle. Middle-aged, attractive and ruthless, she will do anything to maintain control of her empire. Pam Grier is my call.

Clint- Angie’s lackey, Clint is hired middle-management. She uses him just like everyone else. When given only a small amount of control, he abuses it and lives out his sick fantasies with the defenseless inmates. He is one sick puppy. Bill Mosely is my guy, here.

Leon-Is just doing his job as an orderly in the hospital, but he gets in over his head. He needs to be large (see a theme here?). I like Tiny Lister for this one.









What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Housed in a mental health hospital that forces the violent inmates to work in a makeshift meth lab, a mentally challenged, hulking behemoth of man they call Cherub is used by the staff to do very bad things, very bad, until the love of his life gives him a reason to stand up and do the right thing.

Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

I am working with Bizarro Pulp Press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Good God. All told? Approximately 8 years. From concept to first draft. Now, when the actual physical process of writing started it took about eight weeks.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

There isn’t much similar, book wise, but I would probably think classic revenge tales like Old Boy, Last House on the Left or I Spit On Your Grave are similar. Like I said, this is old school exploitation. Gloves off.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The theme is about powerlessness… like most of my work. I have this need to dress it up in the most vile package possible.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Oh, I don’t know. Vile sex. Terrible acts of torture. Enslavement. Uprisings by the criminally insane. Cannibalism. More vile sex. Even more vile sex. Mind control. Meth consumption. A distinct lack of good taste. No boundaries.

Full Synopsis:

He wasn't like the other boys. Too rough. Even on the day he came out of Momma's belly. When Momma died, though, they sent him away to a terrible place. A doctor place... but the people there didn't act like doctors. They called him Cherub and they made him do awful things. Wet things. Hurty things. Until he met his angel, that is. She made it better and the pain went away.
For awhile. 
Nothing lasts forever, except a mother's love.

ZOMBIE INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN MABERRY AND THREE NEW COVERS

Greetings, dear readers. As I write this, I am currently snowed-in. I was fortunate enough today to have an opportunity to stay home, but in years past I had to drive through snowstorms in a Ford Mustang (that was my only car), and I often think about people making wise decisions while they're driving through snow. A lot of reckless drivers compound the problem. Most importantly, I think of all the people who work very long hours in the cold; people who work to make our school parking lots safe and our neighborhoods accessible. The world continues to turn because we have people who work had to make sure life is convenient and safe for everyone else. 

To begin the new year, I wanted to share some cool stuff with you. I appeared in an interview about zombie fiction with Jonathan Maberry and other prestigious authors on the Servante of Darkness blog. Click the link to check out the interview! 

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW


I was also featured in a UK music magazine called Mass Movement; bands like Biohazard and Funeral for a Friend were interviewed, along with CJ Ramone and a writer for Doctor Who. You can download the entire magazine for free! It's full color and awesome. This isn't a cheesy little document... it's literally a magazine you can download. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MASS MOVEMENT

For all the zombie fans, I do want to confirm that I am hard at work on TWO zombie projects: The conclusion to the Zombie Ascension series, and the sequel to Nightmare of the Dead.

I want to leave you with some awesome covers for projects that are coming out this year. Thanks for stopping by!

Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse

First Quarter 2014 from Severed Press

Cover by Alan M. Clark

Mother, I'm Not and Android (I Promise)

Forthcoming from Dynatox Ministries

Cover by Justin T. Coons

Gravity Comics Massacre

Updated cover for a book that's currently available from Bizarro Pulp Press.

Cover by Justin T. Coons

Book Review: DIE YOU DOUGHNUT BASTARDS by Cameron Pierce

In Die You Doughnut Bastards, amputees, lonely young people, and talking animals struggle for survival against the freakish whims of nature. A typewriter made of fetuses is the source of woe for an expecting couple. A girl with a glass jaw hides an otherworldly secret. A demonic loner goes to a birthday party in Hell. You'll encounter a killer in a marsupial mask, a prison for anorexics, haunted pancakes, and a songwriter with a cult following.


CLICK HERE TO BUY DOUGHNUTS THAT CAN KILL YOU






I love reading a book and deciding that I have found an author whose work I need more of RIGHT NOW, and I’m thankful they’ve written a lot more stuff. 

I think some of these stories are good enough to stand on their own, but the composition of the entire collection enhances the overall experience. There is a sense of poetic unity among the pieces, and the little illustrations between stories enhanced the sense of loneliness and longing that I felt pervaded throughout the book. There are unifying thoughts and concepts which indicate this is not a haphazard book full of an author’s stories, but rather a book that is supposed to represent a concept. I couldn’t help but keep thinking about Max Booth III’s They Might Be Demons; both authors use flash fiction in a methodical demonstration of theme and a strange progression of plot (I would argue that Pierce’s collection has something of a progressive plot); however, Pierce approaches his work with a schoolboy charm that accepts our perception of madness as nothing more than natural occurrences in thought and action. 

My biggest problem with bizarro is that a lot of stories seem to include a bunch of random things that just “happen”, and while that’s usually okay, it sometimes just feels, well, random and contrived. Pierce makes bizarro work as a contextual element; he has infused his stories with a sense of heart and humanity that reflect the poetic elements that seem to either answer questions or provide new ones, with a sense of finality. Pierce did not include random elements, nor did he just throw things into his stories to give readers “more weird” because the book is “bizarro.” I read the majority of this book in one sitting because I wanted to see how Pierce would continue to use his collection as a vehicle for discussing similar themes, but with different symbols and characters. By the time I finished the book, I felt deprived of an awesome discussion that compares Alien to The Metamorphosis. I hope Pierce wrote an essay on it somewhere. But this deprivation is similar to the deprivation the characters felt; I wanted Pierce to give me something his characters wanted, something absolute and definite that I can take with me forever, but Pierce didn’t surrender. He remained consistent. 

The opening story demonstrates everything you will discover in the book, which makes me think the design is intentional; or I’m just over-analyzing Pierce’s work. Food and animal references, in addition to that Zen-like observation on loneliness are threads that are woven throughout the entire book, which concludes with enough of a connection to the whole damn thing to make me believe Pierce really meant to design this collection as an isolationist wonderland. I will never forget “Lantern Jaws,” or “Mitchell Farnsworth.” “Disappear” also happened to be a favorite of mine, thought that’s because I dislike Stephen King so much.