The Quintessential STRANGE NEW MOONS Post

  

Now available from:

AMAZON

Around the Internet:

An announcement on Happy Goat Horror
A promotional article on I Smell Sheep
A review on Kinzie Things

A review on Fabulous and Fun

Videos:

AuthorCon V or Bust!

Hi everyone! One of my favorite events of the whole year is this weekend, and I hope to see you all there. AuthorCon V (or Scares That Care) is not only a great weekend for authors and book lovers, but also a great charity event. The organizers take no profit, and all proceeds always go towards supporting a child with an illness, or women fighting breast cancer. It's a really worthwhile event and a great time. I can't wait to get there!

 This year's Guests of Honor are:

Gemma Amor (Full Immersion, Dear Laura)
Jendia Gammon (Doomflower, Copper)
Christopher Golden (All Hallows, Ararat)
Laurel Hightower (Crossroads, Below)
Todd Keisling (Devil's Creek, Scanlines)
Red Lagoe (Lucid Screams, In Excess of Dark)
Victoria Price (Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography)
Mary SanGiovanni (Alien: Enemy of my Enemy)

For the book lovers amongst you, this event is a great opportunity to buy books, meet your favorite authors, and get your books and merch signed! As well as the Guests of Honor, you'll find a whole host of other authors trading, participating, or just attending for fun. There are also events running, including a murder mystery event - whoddunit?!

For authors, it's a great place to meet people, "network", and speak with your own favorites, and there are also workshops and, of course, an opportunity to promote and sell your work.

This year is extra exciting for me because I'll be in the dealer's room selling and signing books, including a brand new STC exclusive - LOONEY!

When beloved cartoon characters come crawling out of her TV, army recruiter Gabriella Harman expects a zany romp instead of the hellish nightmare that follows.

One night, haunted by her memories of Iraq, Gabriella downs a stomachful of pills and booze. When her favorite cartoon characters, the Kooky Toons, start crawling out of the TV, she assumes she is hallucinating.

But soon Gabriella finds herself locked in a battle of wits and wills with Herman Hyrax, the world-famous, wise-cracking mascot of the Kooky Korporation. Herman is more than just a stinker, though. He may be a monster, a demon, a god, or something entirely more unwholesome.

Is Gabriella’s descent into a world of cartoonish violence and psychological torment real? Or has she simply gone…

LOONEY!?

Gavin Dillinger and I have had this co-written tale of cartoonish debauchery up our sleeves for a while, and could think of no better place or time to launch it than at AuthorCon - the King of Cons, some might say. We hope you'll come see us and take a look!

AND it gets even better. French Press Publishing acquired its first UK author recently - the super talent that is Kit Power - and he has flown all the way from England to launch his novella, MILLIONAIRES DAY in the United States. It's a great book that I can't wait to introduce to this side of the planet!

I know you'll help me welcome him to our neck of the woods. It's going to be a great event - see you all there!

Dates: Friday through Sunday March 28-30

Location:
DoubleTree by Hilton
50 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185

Panels:

Thursday, 7pm - Spirited Giving (Auditorium)

Friday, 5:30pm - "Blending Genres" (moderator, with Derik Cavignano, Jennifer L. Collins, Rowan Hill, Andrew Najberg) Second Floor, Room 18

Saturday, 10:45am - "Editing and Publishing Anthologies" (moderator, with Shane Hawk, Carol Gyzander, Rebecca Rowland, and Candace Nola) Second Floor, Room 18

Saturday, 12:30pm - Reading (with Bitter Karella) Second Floor, Room 11

Sunday, 10:15am "Splatstick" (James Sabata - moderator, with Bitter Karella, D M Guay, Viggy Parr Hampton, Nathan D. Ludwig, and Wile E. Young)

Book Signing with Kit Power at Vortex Books & Comics

Hi everyone, I hope you're all well and reading cool books. Speaking of cool books (and authors), the legend that is Kit Power is flying alllll the way to us in the United States this week, and his first stop is THIS Saturday at Vortex Books & Comics! 

Kit Power is our latest author at French Press Publishing, our first Brit added to our roster of fantastic writers, and the author of MILLIONAIRES DAY, which is making its official American debut this week. I can't believe how lucky we are that we not only get to launch this book here but the author himself has travelled all this way to personally trade them, meet his readers, and sign those shiny new copies for you all.

If you've never heard the name 'Kit Power' before, where have you been?! He's very well-regarded in the UK book scene (I know this because I personally witnessed how popular his work is last year when I attended FCon.) He's an author of both sci-fi/horror/fantasy fiction, and the creator and original voice behind the popular non-fiction article series, My Life in Horror over at Gingernuts of Horror (he has wrapped up his run and handed it over to George Daniel Lea.)

I hope to see you all there! I've been assuring Kit that we're a friendly group over here in the United States, so please help me give him a big warm welcome! If you already have a copy of MILLIONAIRES DAY, bring it along and he'll sign it for you! If not, you'll be able to purchase one there. Either way, swing by for a chat and a cup of tea! 

*Disclaimer: Vortex Books & Comics is not serving tea, but Kit is English so I assume he'll just arrive with a teapot, right?!

Date: Saturday, March 23, 1:00-3:00 pm EST

Location:
Vortex Books and Comics
477 Locust St
Columbia, PA 17512

Panels:
TBD

Gross-Out Contest Rules (Scares That Care Authorcon 2025)

Hey, everybody!

My writing partner and collaborator Wile E. Young and I are delighted to remind you that we will be hosting the Gross-Out Contest this year at Scares That Care Authorcon 2025.  

Please Note:  You must pre-register if you wish to participate in the Gross-Out Contest this year.  You can do so by emailing frenchpresspub (at) hotmail (dot) com after 12:01 am EST on Saturday, March 15.  

That is the big rule change this year.  Make sure you pre-register so we can keep the lineup fast, funny, and fair.  Pre-registered intended contestants should show up at 9:50 pm EST on Saturday, March 29 so that we can confirm you are present and ready to present.

What about the other rules?  Well, I'm glad you asked.

1.  Contestants should prepare a five minute story.  Every contestant will have three minutes to present, after which the audience will decide whether they can continue for another two minutes.  After five minutes total, you will be stopped.

2.  There will be no recording of any kind.  This is an event for fans of extreme horror and splatterpunk and we want contestants to feel free to leave it all out there on the stage.  If you don't want to be exposed to that, please don't attend.

3.  Contestants will be judged on three criteria – grossness, crowd engagement, and performance.

4.  Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place, as well as a special "Judge’s Choice” award.

5.  YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE!  Tell your friends, spread the word, but get us an email after midnight this Friday into Saturday evening.

So, now that you know the judging criteria and the basic rules, who will be the judges?  Well, we are pleased to announce the following judges:

L.P. Hernandez

Kenzie Jennings

Bitter Karella

Eric LaRocca

Judith Sonnet

Can't wait to see you there, everybody!

Calling Audiobook Narrators (ACX)

Hi everyone! We hope you're well and thriving.

We have a couple of titles listed on ACX right now, open for audiobook narrator auditions.

First up, we have MILLIONAIRES DAY by our newest author, Kit Power. 

On Sunday, 22nd December, 2019, everyone in the United Kingdom woke up with one million pounds in cash under their beds.

The miracle – or catastrophe – was never adequately explained. In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic the event was largely forgotten or treated as an urban legend.

Until now.

In this explosive volume, investigative journalist/historian Kit Power finally blows the lid off that surreal, impossible morning. Focussing on a few residents of Milton Keynes, a uniquely diverse city northwest of London, Power lays bare:

- the wonder of waking up to a found fortune through the eyes of a neglected child

- the madness and panic of an unprepared public from the perspective of an overworked police officer

- the graphic terror inflicted by a band of reprobate gangsters for whom too much is never enough

- the strangeness of it all through the outlook of man’s best friend

Note: for legal purposes, this book is marketed as fiction. But no one who lived through it could deny the profound impact of…

MILLIONAIRES DAY

What we're looking for: a narrator that is comfortable shifting perspectives and able to convey different characters and POV's. In terms of the prose, we require no particular accent, but we're hoping that for the chapters involving the London gang, our narrator can inject a little attitude and a London accent, if possible. There are a couple of challenging sections, including the first-person perspective of a dog, so we need someone creative and versatile.

TW: Violence, murder, (including violence against a child), bad language

We're also looking for a narrator for our recently released werewolf anthology, STRANGE NEW MOONS.

You can hardly swing a dismembered deer carcass these days without hitting a “No vampires, no zombies, and no werewolves” sign on an anthology.

Well, to that we say “Pshaw!” And also, “Awooo!”

Because what readers really don’t like are dull werewolf stories. So, we tasked the horror community with writing the weirdest, wildest, most creative, utterly bonkers tails (ha!) of lycanthropic lunacy possible.

And did they ever deliver! Wait until you read:

- a brutal, boneshattering peek at the kind of “dogfights” the super-wealthy watch to amuse themselves

- a story of two inquisitive city employees trying to find out who (or what!) keeps pooping on a local landmark

- a ride along with a delusional cop trying to prevent the total werewolf apocalypse. Werepocalypse!

Plus werewolf Frankenstein! And werewolves in space! This book is all gore and no bore.

With a lineup running the gamut from brand, spanking new cubs to heavyweight timber alphas, you’d have to be the weakest elk in the herd not to slobber all over…

STRANGE NEW MOONS

Featuring:

Somer Canon

Simon Clark

Matthew R. Davis

Kayleigh Dobbs

John Durgin

Amanda Headlee

Stephen Kozeniewski

Tim Lebbon

Keawe Melina Patrick

Rebecca Rowland

Mary SanGiovanni

EJ Sidle

Rose Strickman

What we're looking for: a narrator that can shift between different styles and voices, presenting each story in an interesting and unique way.

TW: violence, death, political themes, blood and gore, bad language

To audition, you will need an ACX account.

You can find MILLIONAIRES DAY on ACX here:

MILLIONAIRES DAY

You can find STRANGE NEW MOONS on ACX here:

STRANGE NEW MOONS

To ask any questions about the books or auditions, please feel free to reach out to Kayleigh at:

frenchpresspub (at) hotmail (dot) com

Alternatively, you can contact Stephen through the DM option on ACX.

Payment: Royalty split (both titles).
Audition open: NOW! (Both titles). 

STRANGE NEW MOONS is Running Wild!

Hi everyone!

You might already know that for the last year, I've been working my tail off (ha!) on a werewolf anthology. I'm happy to announce that it's finally here! I proudly present to you STRANGE NEW MOONS.

 

You can hardly swing a dismembered deer carcass these days without hitting a “No vampires, no zombies, and no werewolves” sign on an anthology.

Well, to that we say “Pshaw!” And also, “Awooo!”

Because what readers really don’t like are dull werewolf stories. So, we tasked the horror community with writing the weirdest, wildest, most creative, utterly bonkers tails (ha!) of lycanthropic lunacy possible.

And did they ever deliver! Wait until you read:

- a brutal, boneshattering peek at the kind of “dogfights” the super-wealthy watch to amuse themselves

- a story of two inquisitive city employees trying to find out who (or what!) keeps pooping on a local landmark

- a ride along with a delusional cop trying to prevent the total werewolf apocalypse. Werepocalypse!

Plus werewolf Frankenstein! And werewolves in space! This book is all gore and no bore.

With a lineup running the gamut from brand, spanking new cubs to heavyweight timber alphas, you’d have to be the weakest elk in the herd not to slobber all over…

STRANGE NEW MOONS

Featuring:

Somer Canon

Simon Clark

Matthew R. Davis

Kayleigh Dobbs

John Durgin

Amanda Headlee

Stephen Kozeniewski

Tim Lebbon

Keawe Melina Patrick

Rebecca Rowland

Mary SanGiovanni

EJ Sidle

Rose Strickman

STRANGE NEW MOONS is edited by myself and Kayleigh Dobbs, and our pack is comprised of authors we invited, and those that most impressed us through our open submission period. Our main aim was to create an anthology of unconventional werewolf stories - different takes, different perspectives, new rules, and twists on the tropes we know and love. Our authors really delivered. We have a little of the old, a little of the new, and a little of the 'what the hell is that?!'

I want to once again thank our Kickstarter backers for making this possible. Thanks to them, we were able to assemble the authors we wanted, plus get amazing cover art from Matt Seff Barnes.

You can find STRANGE NEW MOONS at:

AMAZON

ILLUSIONS OF ISOLATION is Available for 99c!

Hi everyone! We've got a limited deal for you for this week ONLY. Brennan LaFaro's horror collection, ILLUSIONS OF ISOLATION is available in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada for only 99c.

Is anyone ever really alone?

When a young man’s wife goes away for the weekend, he lies awake all night wondering what the otherworldly sound in the attic is and why only he can hear it.

After her husband’s death, a mother who interacts with her son exclusively through stationery notes grapples with the strange ways her lost love seems to be haunting them both.

And inch by inch, room by room, a young girl’s home is overtaken by a savage jungle, even while her parents are being gradually replaced by somewhat…wilder housemates.

In this debut collection Brennan LaFaro, the author of NOOSE and SLATTERY FALLS, brings you these stories of creeping dread and much, much more. Contained within are thirteen tales of horror, humor, and heart, (including nine which have never before seen the light of day) and an introduction by the legendary Jonathan Janz.

Is anyone ever really alone? Or are they merely suffering…

ILLUSIONS OF ISOLATION

Take a look at some of the reviews:

"It was a blast not knowing what tone the next story would take! Even for a handful that started out deceptively calm, they soon took a turn that got me every time! And the range here is wild! From cosmic horror to real-world horror, from creature stories to slashers, and so much more, this collection covered a lot of ground! "

- Erica Robyn Reads

"All stories are delivered with LaFaro presenting unique insights into the background and publication histories of the story. Each is well positioned so one tale flows to the next. Illusions of Isolation is a well-constructed set of stories that shows why LaFaro is an author to watch."

- Horror DNA

"I was sincerely blown away by it."

- Happy Goat Horror

This deal is running for this week only so if you want to get your hands (or eyes!) on your copy, be quick! You can find ILLUSIONS OF ISOLATION for only 99c (USA, UK, Australia, Canada) from:

AMAZON
GOOGLE PLAY
BARNES AND NOBLE
KOBO
APPLE BOOKS

Farpoint 32 or Bust!

Hi everyone, it's that time again...time for Farpoint! I always participate in this annual event: it's fun, it's bookish...it's a grand old time, as the British might say.

It's a great event for readers - a place to chat with your favorite authors, get your books signed, and hang out with other book lovers. It's also a great place for writers! Wherever you are in your career, there are learning programs, tutorials, etc., basically everything you need to keep you inspired. There are also vendors, so lots of books and cool merch available to buy.

This year's participating authors are:

Steven H. Wilson
Robert Greenberger
Michael Jan Friedman
David Gerrold
Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Mike McPhail
Howard Weinstein
Mary Fan
Aaron Rosenberg
Phil Giunta
Kathleen David
Keith DeCandido
Rigel Ailur
Jonathan Roth
Zack Be
JL Gribble
Glenn Hauman
MJ Blehart
Gregory Wilson
John L. French
Kim Headlee
Diane Lee Baron
Stephen Kozeniewski (hey...that's me!)
Mike D'Ambrosio
Jennifer Povey

I hope to see you all there - don't be shy, come say hi!

Dates: Friday through Sunday February 7-9

Location:
Double Tree by Hilton
1726 Reisterstown Rd
Pikesville, MD 21208

Panels:

12:00 noon - Author Autographs - Preakness C, Author Autograph Table 1

1:00 pm - "Do You Have a Muse" - Belmont

5:00 pm - "That Bump in the Night" - Belmont

The Dark Drafts Festival or Bust!

Hi everyone! This weekend I'll be attending The Dark Drafts Festival and I think it's going to be awesome. This is an event that celebrates horror literature combined with dark draft ale! It's being hosted at Bube's Brewery, which is the LAST surviving, fully intact pre-prohibition brew house left in the entire USA.

As well as an all-around great time, this will also be your first chance to grab a copy of our brand new anthology, STRANGE NEW MOONS. We're releasing it to the masses a few days after the event, but you'll be able to get it early, exclusively at The Dark Drafts Festival! Be sure to swing by my table to grab your copy, full of werewolf savagery, with stories from Tim Lebbon, Mary SanGiovanni, Simon Clark, Rebecca Rowland, and more!

As well as a huge, crazy author line-up, there'll be events, readings, signings, and the Gothic Horror Masquerade Ball, so it's set to be an incredible weekend. Come on down (or up, depending on where you're coming from!), meet your favorite authors, get some books signed, and have an awesome bookish time with us!

Dates:  Saturday through Sunday January 25-26

Location:
Bube's Brewery
102 N Market St
Mt. Joy, PA 17552

Panels: TBD

2025 Appearances

Hey all!

Here is my schedule of appearances for 2025. As changes occur, I will update this page, so be sure to check back often. Events in red have occurred in the past.  Events in orange are tentative.

If you'd like me to make an appearance at a convention, signing, or other event you're organizing or attending, feel free to contact me and we'll discuss it. Most events in Baltimore or Philadelphia are a slam dunk for me to attend, but I'll consider travelling if invited.

The Dark Drafts Festival

Dates:  Saturday through Sunday January 25-26
Location:

Bube's Brewery

102 N Market St

Mt. Joy, PA 17552

Panels:

TBD

Farpoint 32

Dates: Friday through Sunday February 7-9
Location:
Double Tree by Hilton

1726 Reisterstown Rd

Pikesville, MD 21208

Panels:

12:00 noon - Author Autographs - Preakness C, Author Autograph Table 1

1:00 pm - "Do You Have a Muse" - Belmont

5:00 pm - "That Bump in the Night" - Belmont

Signing (w/ Kit Power)

Date: Saturday, March 23, 1:00-3:00 pm EST
Location:

Vortex Books and Comics
477 Locust St
Columbia, PA 17512

Panels:

1:00 pm - Q&A

Scares That Care Authorcon V

Dates: Friday through Sunday March 28-30
Location:
DoubleTree by Hilton
50 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Panels:

Thursday, 7:00 pm - Spirited Giving

Friday, 5:30 pm - "Blending Genres" (moderator, w/  Derik Cavignano, Jennifer L. Collins, Rowan Hill, and Andrew Najberg) - Second Floor, Room 18

Saturday, 10:45 am - "Editing and Publishing Anthologies" (moderator, w/ Shane Hawk, Carol Gyzander, Rebecca Rowland, and Candace Nola) - Second Floor, Room 18 

Saturday, 12:30 pm - Reading (w/ Bitter Karella) - Second Floor, Room 11

Saturday, 10:00 pm - Gross-Out Contest (co-host) - First Floor, Auditorium

Sunday, 10:15 am - "Splatstick" (James Sabata - moderator, Bitter Karella, D.M. Guay, Viggy Parr Hampton, Nathan D. Ludwig, and Wile E. Young)

Mo*Con

Dates: Thursday through Sunday May 1-4
Location:

Candlewood Suites

7040 E. 21st St

Indianapolis, IN 46219

Panels:

TBD

KillerCon Austin

Dates: Friday through Sunday August 1-3
Location:

Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake
20 North Interstate Hwy 35
Austin, TX 78701
Panels:

TBD

GenCon

Dates: Thursday through Sunday July 31 - August 3
Location:

ICCLOS

100 S. Capitol Ave

Indianapolis, IN 46225

Panels:

TBD

Killer Pride

Dates: Friday through Sunday September 26-28
Location:
DoubleTree by Hilton
50 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185

Panels:

TBD

World Fantasy Convention 2025

Dates: Friday through Sunday October 30 - November 2
Location:

Double Tree by Hilton Brighton

Kings Rd

Brighton and Hove

Brighton BN1 2FU

United Kingdom

Panels:

TBD