BRAINEATER JONES is on sale!

Hey, everybody!  BRAINEATER JONES is on sale for $0.99, across the world, on multiple platforms.  The sale ends January 13, so strike now while the iron's hot.  

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Google Play
iTunes

BRAINEATER JONES $0.99 Sale!

Hey, everybody!  I'm very pleased, in conjunction with our good friends at BookBub, to announce that BRAINEATER JONES is on sale for only $0.99 across all platforms in the United States.  I hope you'll pick up a copy.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Google Play
iTunes

Free Audiobooks!

Hey Splatter fans, I've got a free audiobook (or three) for each of you:

- THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO
- BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS
- BRAINEATER JONES (available in the US only)

As you may have heard, Audible promo codes are expiring in November. So if I don't get rid of them now they'll just go to waste. So e-mail me (skozeniewski at yahoo) for one, two, or, hell, all three. Hope to hear from you!

Click on the covers below to learn more!

New Release Announcement: BRAINEATER JONES (Authors Preferred Edition)

Hey, everybody!  I'm very pleased to announce the re-release of my debut novel, BRAINEATER JONES under my personal imprint French Press!  I haven't exactly been advertising it, but some of you have no doubt noticed the novel has been unavailable for the past few weeks.  That's because rights reverted from my publisher to me and I was going through the laborious process of formatting, finding an illustrator, and publishing.  But the final result is well worth the wait, and the novel is now available in more stores than ever before.  And if you've purchased it before, I think you'll also be pleased to find some bonus content in the form of a short story.  I hope you'll check it out!

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Google Play
iTunes

Last Chance to Own! (Three Original Novels)

Hey, all!  White Rose Comic Con was very good to me last weekend.  (More on that on Wednesday, hopefully.) 

It was so good, in fact, that I am almost out of the original versions of BRAINEATER JONES, THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO, and BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS.  The rights for all three of these novels have reverted to me and I have republished them all.  That means shiny new covers for the future...

...but that also means that the original covers are now collector's items.  No one can ever publish another one again, not even me.  Only about twenty of them still exist, and all in my personal collection.

So, I wanted to offer this last opportunity to you, my fans, before it goes away forever.  I suspect after Scares That Care in August these books will all be gone.  So reach out to me now, utilizing the info in this link, and I will send you your very own autographed copy of one or more of these novels.

Horror Metal Cast Interview!

Hey, everybody!  I need to take a minute to write about White Rose Comic Con soon, as well as what may be your last opportunity to purchase the original versions of BRAINEATER JONES, THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO, and BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS.  But, instead of unpacking either of those complicated dealios right now, I've got a special treat for you all today.  On Monday this week I had a great interview with the crew over at Horror Metal Sounds, including metal drummer Joe Moore and my good friend and co-author Stevie Kopas.  We take a deep dive on writing SLASHVIVOR!, plus breaking news on BRAINEATER JONES and an exclusive on an upcoming novella of mine.  I think you're going to love it.  Check it out!

Holiday Gift-Giving Guide #1: BRAINEATER JONES

Best for:

- mystery fans
- humor fans
- horror fans
- Humphrey Bogart fans

 Available now at Amazon!

Holiday Gift-Giving Guides #1 and #2: BRAINEATER JONES and AT HELL'S GATES

Hey, everybody!  Last year I made a couple of totally self-serving last-minute gift-giving guides for the holidays season.  Still, if you're stuck on what to buy for somebody, they could actually help.  I have (at least) two more to make this year, but first I'm going to run through the six I've already made, and since it's already December 12 (!) we're going to double them up for the next week.  Enjoy!

Best for:

- mystery fans
- humor fans
- horror fans
- Humphrey Bogart fans

 Available now at Amazon!

Best for:

- veterans
- police officers
- first responders

Volume I
Volume II
Volume III

99¢ Sale: BRAINEATER JONES and THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO

Hey, everybody!  It's that time of year when Halloween sales start coming hot and heavy.  Starting today BRAINEATER JONES is going on a Kindle Countdown sale.  That means for the next two days it will be $0.99, for the two days after that it'll be $1.99, and so on.  So jump in early to get the most savings!

THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO also went on sale for $0.99 yesterday, which will last until October 30.  So make sure to snarf that up, too.

There'll be more sales and events I'll be announcing all week.  Thanks for the support everybody!

My First Video Review!

I've never had a video review of one of my works before.  Does anybody know if these are becoming the big new thing now?  I may have to start seeking out YouTube reviewers.  In any case, enjoy the Gasmask Reviewer's take on BRAINEATER JONES, including a short rendition!

Horrible Saturday or Bust!

Guess what tomorrow is?

Yes, Saturday.  Guess what else.

Yes, the 9th.  Guess what else.

All right, stop guessing, you're terrible at this.  I'll just tell you.  Tomorrow is Horrible Saturday at the York Emporium!

What's Horrible Saturday you're asking?

You fucking Philistine. 

First of all, it's an amazing book signing event from 12 noon to 4:00 pm featuring the likes of myself, Lesley Conner, Rachel Autumn Deering, Bob Ford, Brian Keene, Kelli Owen, Jason Pokopec, Mary SanGiovanni, and Chet Williamson.  I'll have all of my novels available for sale, and, as always, autographs are free.

But it's not just that.

There's also going to be a horror panel from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm starring yours truly and the other authors.  That's going to be broadcast on local TV.  On TV, people.

But it's not just just that.

There's also also going to be a movie screening.  Joe R. Lansdale's "Christmas of the Dead" starring Chet Williamson.  That's from 12 noon to 1:30 pm.  With free popcorn.  Free.

So how do you get in?  Easy, just show up at:

343 W Market St
York, PA 17401

Entrance is free.  Hope to see you there!

Rural Pennsylvania Author Expo or Bust!

Do you live anywhere near Dubois, PA?  It's an easy drive from Erie or Pittsburgh.  And if you do, you can stop by the Rural Pennsylvania Author Expo today and tomorrow, the 10th and 11th of June, to meet me, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, and many, many more.

Here's the location:

Bradley's Book Outlet - Dubois
5522 Schaffer Rd
DuBois, Pennsylvania 15801

I'm very glad they'll be hosting us and looking forward to meeting all of you!  I'll have all four of my novels for sale and autographs, as always, are free.  Hope to see you there!

Amazicon or Bust!

I will be at Amazicon this weekend!  It will be a con.  And it will be amazing.  (As evidenced by the name.)


What's so great about Amazicon for the Kozeniewski fan and/or well-wisher?


Well, I will have paperback copies of BRAINEATER JONES, THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO, BRAVE NEW GIRLS, and BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS for sale (naturally.)  However, this convention will be your first opportunity ever to purchase my latest release EVERY KINGDOM DIVIDED in person.  Books are $12 for one or $10 apiece for two or more.  And as always, if you took the time to come out to see me, all autographs are free.


Where is it? 


The Doubletree Hotel by Hilton
4727 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803


When is it?


Friday, 15 April 4:00-10:00pm
Saturday, 16 April 10:00am-7:00pm
Sunday, 17 April 11:00am-5:00pm


I am not scheduled for any panels.  That means you will be able to find me in the vendors room the entire con.  (If the vendors room ends up having separate hours from the rest of the con, I'll update this post.)


What if I hate you?


Not to worry!  Fellow author Mary Fan will also be present Saturday and will also be without panels.  It'll just be us and the lines around the block of our adoring public.


Not to mention I will also have a plethora of books from such great authors as Elizabeth Corrigan, Michael Meyerhofer, Melissa MacVicar, Laura M. Kolar, Collin Tobin, and more!


What if I can't make it?


Can't catch me in Wilmington this weekend?  Here are all my other scheduled appearances this year.  Want me to appear somewhere I'm not currently scheduled?  It could happen.  Contact me and we'll talk about it.


Thanks everybody!

Holiday Gift-Giving Guide #1: BRAINEATER JONES

Best for:

- mystery fans
- humor fans
- horror fans
- Humphrey Bogart fans

 Available now at Amazon!

Total Immersion in a Novel World

I'm very excited to be forging a new path of sorts with San Francisco company RPGlory.  If you're not familiar with what an RPG is, it's short for "Role-Playing Game," the most famous of which is, of course, "Dungeons and Dragons."  A real person pretends to be a character and a gamemaster serves as the narrator.

RPGlory is taking role-playing into a different place by creating custom-made worlds based on works of fiction.  Up until now, if you love a book like, say, HARRY POTTER, you had to hope it was famous enough to be made into a theme park to be totally immersed and "live" in that world.  Now RPGlory is making that possible for the rest of us...including, yes, me.

Ganesh City of BRAINEATER JONES is going to be one of the places you can visit through RPGlory's simple, Skype-based gaming interface.  On October 4 we'll be playing a newbie-friendly game set in the BRAINEATER JONES world.  If you want to participate, all you have to do is contribute $50 to RPGlory's Indiegogo campaign.  I'll be in the game as well, playing the parts of all your favorite characters, like Alcibé, the Old Man, and even Jones himself.

 

Think this idea sounds fun but you're not too keen on playing a Prohibition-era zombie?  Well, not to fear gentle-yet-treacherous reader.  Other authors participating include T.M. Williams, S.G. Browne, and even the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Craig DiLouie.

Oh, and in case you don't notice, there are two other exciting perqs that I'm offering:

 

1.)  Have a character named after you in an upcoming novel of mine

 

2.)  Create a character and have them appear in an upcoming novel of mine

 

More ways to immerse yourself in fiction!  Here's a video telling you a little bit more:

Interested?  Click here.

The Quintessential AT HELL'S GATES III: BOUND BY BLOOD Post

AT HELL'S GATES III: BOUND IN BLOOD, featuring my no-shit BRAINEATER JONES sequel story, "The Old Man and the Seesaw," is now available in paperback and Kindle:

Amazon US
Amazon UK

Here are some other places around the net you can learn more about it:

Goodreads
A spotlight on The Sity
A spotlight on Patrick D'Orazio's blog
A spotlight on Sean T. Smith's blog
A pre-order announcement on Christoph Fischer's blog
A pre-order announcement on The Sity
A pre-order announcement on Patrick D'Orazio's blog
A spotlight on Risingshadow
An interview with contributor Kerry Alan Denny on Dab of Darkness
A spotlight on Weirdletter Postcards
A release day announcement on Claire C. Riley's blog
A release day announcement on The Couples Spot
A review is shared on Patrick D'Orazio's blog
A review is shared on The Sity
A review on AstraDaemon's Lair
#1 on AstraDaemon's Top 5 Anthologies of 2015

Videos

I Appear on Zombiepalooza Radio!

Zombiepalooza is one of my interview stalwarts.  I think this may be my fourth time on the podcast, although the first on their new YouTube format.  There was a lot of love for a lot of my favorite people this week including:

Steve Rimpici
Zee Risek
Sylvia Bagaglio
Renee Conoulty
Nikki Howard
Brian Keene

And unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, my long pitch on RPGlory was lost to the aether, but make sure you go and check them out anyway!

Cover Reveal: BRAINEATER JONES Mk. II

I Appear on "The Horror Show" with Brian Keene

Well, I guess at this point I've spent the whole week talking about this, but whatever, its my blog, I do what I want.  Anyway, as I mentioned on Monday, I go to meet up with Brian Keene, 2014 World Grand Horror Master and Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE RISING.  (Not to mention my personal hero and the one who inspired me to write horror in the first place - but I have to avoid glurging too much, because supposedly he does read this blog.)

The result was the greatest interview I've ever done, if I do say so myself.  (Or, as Alex DeLarge would say, "a real horror show."  Ha!)  We talked about Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, wargaming, and did a segment on each of my novels.  I was also christened a member of the bizarro community, so yay me! 

If you're a fan or a friend I hope you'll help spread this around so we can make it the most listened to episode of "The Horror Show" ever.  (I want to get invited back.)  So click on the picture or check out your preferred link below!

 iTunes – Project iRadio – Android – RSS – Stitcher – Tune-In

Or just click play below:

"M" is for "Meaning"

I'm a big fan of "Easter eggs" which are references, especially meta-references, to a work of art hidden in another work of art.  I'm immensely guilty of this.  I think partially it's because my creative process is so chaotic that I'll have a tendency to say, "Oh, I should include that in my current work" when I see something on TV or in a movie or whatever.

BRAINEATER JONES, in particular is a patchwork of influences, and not just from horror and noir, though those are the primary ones.  My tendency to lay Easter eggs is so extreme, in fact, that my publisher got worried I might be putting one over on them and might accidentally (or deliberately, depending on my level of malfeasance) stumble into lawsuit territory.  So they asked me to make a list of every reference in the book.  Trust me, if it hadn't been at someone else's behest I never would have combed through a book to do this, so good luck GHOUL and BILLY fans.

Anyway, I've never shared this file publicly, but at the suggestion of Brian Keene (who happens to be one of those Easter eggs - not to mention the only man to ever notice the "Unforgiven" one) I'm doing so now.  There are well over 100 Easter eggs.  So, without further ado, the secret meaning behind all those confusing lines in BRAINEATER JONES:

Character Names
Jones - drug culture slang for "craving"
William Hinzman - the name of the first actor to portray a modern zombie, "Night of the Living Dead"
Ernst Rothering - similar to Ernst Röhm, chief victim of the Night of the Long Knives.  "Rothering" is German for "red herring."  Rothering is also commonly called "the fat man" also what Sam Spade calls Gutman in THE MALTESE FALCON

Lazar/Russ - suggests Lazarus of the Biblical story, a man who rises from the dead

a.k.a. Bethany - Lazarus's hometown
a.k.a. Forday - i.e. "four day," that is, the fourth day, the day after Jesus rose
Gnaghi - the gravedigger from "Cemetery Man."  Originally his name was Dampé, the gravedigger from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."
Baumer - probably a reference to Richie Tenenbaum's nickname from "The Royal Tenenbaums"
Ed and Joey - the grave robbers from "Return of the Living Dead 2"
Sailor Joe - a reference to Sailor Jerry, a famous tattooist and rum
Henk - a reference to another famous tattooist, Henk Schiffmacher
The Infected - a term for non-zombie zombies in "Resident Evil IV," "28 Days Later," et. al
Mighty Dull - reversal of "Dolemite," 1970s Blaxploitation character
Brigid - Brigid Shaugnessy, THE MALTESE FALCON
Kumaree Tong - a real-life Thai necromancy device, brought up in "Dead and Breakfast."  Originally her name was Humma Kavula, Zaphod Beeblebrox's antagonist in the 2005 film version of "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Skaron - reminiscent of Scarrans, primary antagonists in "Farscape," hinting that Skaron is a villain
Francoise - French for Franky, i.e. Frankenstein
Delamort - French for "of the dead."  References Romero's films, and, by association, "Dellamorte Dellamore," the Italian title for "Cemetery Man"
Manny - I think this was the doorman in "The Single Guy"
Argento - Dario, the composer for "Dawn of the Dead" (1978) or his daughter Asia, star of "Land of the Dead"
Mr. Land and Mr. Day - i.e. Land of the Dead, Day of the Dead
Alcibé - latinization of Alcibiades

Place Names
Ganesh City - Ganesh is the Hindu god of wisdom and placing/removing obstacles, hence this refers to Jones's quest for his identity
Altstadt - German for "old city" the nice part of Düsseldorf specifically
Kelly Park - refers to Grace Kelly, i.e. "upscale"
Keene Ave - Brian Keene, author of THE RISING, et al.
Lionel Ave - Lionel is the main character in "Dead Alive"
Hallowed Grounds - the coffee shop in "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)
Rm 217 - this was the first room the National Guard guys cleared out in the Philadelphia slum, "Dawn of the Dead" (1978)
Three Rivers - Pittsburgh is sometimes called "The City of Three Rivers."  Romero films and/or sets most of his movies there.
Buffalora Cemetery and "Resurrecturis" - refers to the cemetery and inscription from "Cemetery Man"
68th and Russo - "Night of the Living Dead" was released in 1968 and produced by John Russo
Hat Scratch Fever - play on the disease "cat scratch fever," basically, if a guy was sitting with his hat covering his crotch he'd be scratching it because of his erection at Mighty Dull's brothel
Port-au-Pauper - Little Haiti.  The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince and plays on the story The Prince and the Pauper.
101 Gateway Lane - address of Nick Knight, a vampire detective, in "Forever Knight"
44 Bow Street, Apartment 3C - address and apartment of the main characters in "Mission Hill"

General
1 Nov
Dead narrator/hero facedown in a pool - alludes to "Sunset Boulevard"
Three sunken statues - alludes to THE SIRENS OF TITAN by Kurt Vonnegut
Inscription - entrance to the gates of Hell in Dante's INFERNO.  Yes, this implies that Ganesh may be a Hell or Purgatory.
p. 3 - "dust in the wind" - Kansas song
p. 10 - "Clean.  And well-lighted."  Alludes to Hemingway's "Clean and Well-Lighted Place."

2 Nov

p. 18 "the 1-2-5" - the fictional police precinct from the U.S. version of "Life on Mars"

3 Nov

R51 - alphabet code for RE1, the original Resident Evil

4 Nov

p. 29 "they call me Braineater" - this is the first time (I think) Jones refers to himself by the name others call him and alludes to the same instance in "Samurai Jack," which I think may itself allude to “they call me Mr. Tibbs” in "In the Heat of the Night"

p. 33 “as a squid on Tuesday” - in Futurama Zoidberg says he’s “friskier than a squid on Tuesday” one episode for unclear reasons.

p. 37 - “Sonny Jim” - Klaus calls Ned this in "The Life Aquatic"

5 Nov

Grim Reaper - references perhaps our greatest national cultural treasure, "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

6 Nov

Liber Mortis - a fictional grimoire in the Warhammer world, source of all necromantic knowledge
Malleus Maleficarum - trans: "The Hammer of the Witches," a real-life instruction manual for Catholic Inquisitors
De Vermis Mysteriis - a fictional grimoire, originally a Bloch creation, arrogated by Lovecraft
Necronomicon - a fictional grimoire, originally a Lovecraft creation, now probably better known for its appearance in the "Evil Dead" series.
"Even a play about some guy wearing yellow." - "The King in Yellow," an imaginary madness-inducing play referenced in the horror collection THE KING IN YELLOW by Robert Chambers, later arrogated by Stephen King
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die." - recurring Lovecraft quote, not generally used to reference the undead

9 Nov

p. 54 - “I’m the guy with the gun.” - Army of Darkness

10 Nov

"Bill or Billy or Bud" - Sheryl Crow, "All I Wanna Do"

17 Nov

p. 86 – "sometimes it’s nice to be abused" – paraphrase of quote from Fyodor Karamazov, THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV by Fyodor Dostoevsky

18 Nov

p. 80 - "cryptkeeper" - "Tales From the Crypt"
p. 81 - boomstick - Ash calls his gun this in "Army of Darkness"

20 Nov

p. 90 - "Every living thing..." - references "Donnie Darko," "Every living thing dies alone."
p. 95 - Norma Rottencrotch - GySgt Hartman mentions this name to the recruits in "Full Metal Jacket"

21 Nov

p. 105 - "blind stinking sober" - Bender describes himself this way in one episode of "Futurama"

23 Nov

p. 108 - Fisher King - references the Arthurian legend of a sleeping king who wakes, i.e. undeath
p. 108 - "out, out, damn Fido" - "Macbeth" and the movie "Fido"

25 Nov

p. 121 - snicker-snack, et al. - "Jabberwocky"
The cakebox is vaguely a reference to "Se7en"

26 Nov

Yorick, goodnight sweet prince - "Hamlet"

29 Nov

p. 124 - "this isn't the Old West" - see next note
p. 127 - "So I came here to kill you, Rothering, for what you done" - William Munny says something similar in "Unforgiven."  A lot of this chapter (rain, liquid courage) evokes the finale of that movie

30 Nov

p. 132 - a brain in a jar - a reference to the French film "The City of Lost Children" featuring a brain in a jar

1 Dec

p. 148 – “Call Me Lightning” is a Who single