Shaun Meeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "shaun-meeks"
Free downloads of Brother's Ilk
To help kick off and promote my new collection, Brother's Ilk, you can head to Amazon on Feb. 13th and 14th and download your copy for free. The book features 15 stories, 2 of them novellas and you can download it to your Kindle, your phone or computer for free, and free is always good. So make sure you head over there on those days and tell your friends (and enemies) about it.Brother's Ilk
50 Shades Interview
Looking for something to read today? Here's a little Q&A I did with a fellow writer from the up coming release, 50 Shades of Decay. It's not about the story, just about me and my road to writing horror.
http://coffintreehill.tumblr.com/
http://coffintreehill.tumblr.com/
LAST DAY FOR FREE BOOKS
This is it, the last few hours where you can download At the Gates of Madness and Brother's Ilk (with James Meeks) for free. Both books are horror collections and have been well received by critics and readers.
At the Gates of Madness has been recognized by Editors and Predators, with stories placing in 6th on their poll. The book has also made it onto the Bram Stoker reading list as well as the British Fantasy Society reading list.
Brother's Ilk is a new release, less than two weeks old. The book contains 15 new stories by myself and James Meeks and is already picking up steam.
All you have to do to get it, is head to you local Amazon website and click download. Here is a link to the Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
At the Gates of Madness
Brother's Ilk
At the Gates of Madness has been recognized by Editors and Predators, with stories placing in 6th on their poll. The book has also made it onto the Bram Stoker reading list as well as the British Fantasy Society reading list.
Brother's Ilk is a new release, less than two weeks old. The book contains 15 new stories by myself and James Meeks and is already picking up steam.
All you have to do to get it, is head to you local Amazon website and click download. Here is a link to the Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
At the Gates of Madness
Brother's Ilk
Looking back after year one
I've been writing short stories, novels, novellas and screenplays for years now, closing in on twenty years if I want to admit it. I piled up these stories in binders, packed them in milk crate or just put them in boxes in my closet, with no hopes of them ever seeing the light of day. Since I was in grade seven and was given encouragement by a teacher, I had always dreamed of becoming a writer, of entertaining and horrifying people with the nightmares I could make up. I remember writing my first few stories, taking time and feeling joy and the silly and demented situations that I came up with, making up monsters and killing people in horrible ways. Reading books by Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, H.P. Lovecraft, Poe and Ray Bradbury showed me how I could hone my skill and add character and humour even to these and still give a fright.
Then, when showing my work to my dad, he told me that there was no chance to ever make it as a writer. He told me the market was too competitive and it should just be a hobby. I wasn't very old when he said it, but it stuck with me and made me think twice about what I loved to do. It wasn't long after that that I gave up writing the first time.
When I hit high school, it wasn't the best of time for me. Being a punk and a skater in a school mainly filled with homies, jocks and rich kids, I was an outcast. I started writing again, but this time I wrote songs. I used my writing then to vent my anger and frustration; lyrics about social injustice, police brutality and typical high school angst. Looking back now, it was pretty terrible stuff, but there was a lot going on in those years. I lived in a violent world (seeing my dad get stabbed and a gun pulled on my mom and sister), watched friends and family get lost in drugs, was robbed and beaten a few times, and a few other things that I one day will actually write about in an ongoing project called Punk’s Not Dead, but that will be far into the future as there are people I know are going to be hurt by what I tell in this one.
That’s for another day.
When I hit grade ten, I realized that regular high school was just not for me. The cliques, the stuck up teachers and the general lack of imagination just bothered me too much. So, with the support of my mother, I left there and went to West End Alternative. Changing schools was one of the best things for me. With a teaching staff that was not only supportive, but encouraging too. It was here that I rediscovered my love to write stories. My English teacher, Lydia, pushed me forward and within two weeks I had finished eight stories, some that will see the light of day sooner or later, the rest, not so much. Throughout the rest of high school, my short stint in post-secondary and moving out in the work force, I continued to write, piling up a huge collection of stories and novels that I still have for the most part. During a seven year period, I wrote five full novels and eighty-two short stories, some which have already appeared in my collections. My dreams of being a published writer were stronger than ever, but I had no idea where to start. So, I only let friends and family read them and was encouraged by their reactions.
Then I met a girl that told me that everything I wrote was garbage and I should just give up and forget it all, that my dream to be a writer was as stupid as I was. I worked harder at first, trying to impress her, only to get insult after insult. She brought back those old doubts that my dad had instilled unknowingly in me, and I felt that she was right. I must be a hack.
This was the second time I quit writing.
It lasted for three years, the span of that terrible relationship.
Then, things turned around when I met Mina, the woman I consider my true muse. The second I told her that I was a writer, and that I wanted to get published, she had my back. She pushed me forward, telling me that I could do it and never letting me doubt myself. She was there with me for my first few rejection letters and was there for the first acceptance letters as well. It took a while for me to shake off the old doubts that had been blooming in me, but she never let me give up. I took time to write new material, careful to let my true voice out, and then within a week, two of my stories were accepted.
That first story, The Soldier, was accepted by Jeani Rector over at The Horror Zine. Originally, I had written it for an anthology called Weird War Anthology, but they decided to pass on it. The rejection was heartbreaking, but I didn’t give up. I loved the story and hoped someone would take it on. I sent it to Jeani, and she gave me nothing but praise over it, publishing it on her website and in A Feast of Frights as well alongside Joe R. Lansdale, Graham Masterton, Joe McKinney, Simon Clark, Ed Gorman and so many other great writers. It was such a catalyst for everything to follow. (On a side note, that Weird War Anthology that rejected it, still has not come out, well over a year after it was due to be released. To me, that rejection was a blessing and I have never forgotten that one door closing means another one opens.).
It’s now been about a year since my first story was published and I must admit that things have moved quickly. Since then, my work has appeared in Haunted Path issue 7, Dark Eclipse issue 7, A Feast of Frights from the Horror Zine, At the Gates of Madness, Zombies Gone Wild, A Six Pack of Stories, The Original Van Gogh’s Ear, Brother’s Ilk, Zippered Flesh 2, The Best of Dark Eclipse and 50 Shades of Decay. And before the full year is up, I still have work to appear in three or four more anthologies and magazines, not to mention my novel. There have been so many positive reviews and emails from people, letting me know how my work has affected them and encouraging me to move forward. I have received emails from writers that I grew up with, admire and respect, telling me that they have read and enjoyed what I wrote, and those ones have truly blown my mind. A year ago, I would never have thought I would be where I am today and now as I look forward, I see a road of possibilities ahead.
So, why have I written this big, long, kind of personal blog? The reason is simple; I know my story isn't all that unique. I know there are writers out there that have been shot down by family and friends, received rejection letters that shattered their world and made them feel like giving up. The writing world is a daunting place, filled with people that will stab you with their opinions and try to fill your head with doubts, but never give up. If writing is what you want to do, as it was for me, then you have to go over those bumpy roads, walk over coals and fight your own demons before you get to where you want to be. Those challenges are there to weed out those that don’t have the heart. Just remember, if you are a writer, write. The only thing that can stop you is you.
Then, when showing my work to my dad, he told me that there was no chance to ever make it as a writer. He told me the market was too competitive and it should just be a hobby. I wasn't very old when he said it, but it stuck with me and made me think twice about what I loved to do. It wasn't long after that that I gave up writing the first time.
When I hit high school, it wasn't the best of time for me. Being a punk and a skater in a school mainly filled with homies, jocks and rich kids, I was an outcast. I started writing again, but this time I wrote songs. I used my writing then to vent my anger and frustration; lyrics about social injustice, police brutality and typical high school angst. Looking back now, it was pretty terrible stuff, but there was a lot going on in those years. I lived in a violent world (seeing my dad get stabbed and a gun pulled on my mom and sister), watched friends and family get lost in drugs, was robbed and beaten a few times, and a few other things that I one day will actually write about in an ongoing project called Punk’s Not Dead, but that will be far into the future as there are people I know are going to be hurt by what I tell in this one.
That’s for another day.
When I hit grade ten, I realized that regular high school was just not for me. The cliques, the stuck up teachers and the general lack of imagination just bothered me too much. So, with the support of my mother, I left there and went to West End Alternative. Changing schools was one of the best things for me. With a teaching staff that was not only supportive, but encouraging too. It was here that I rediscovered my love to write stories. My English teacher, Lydia, pushed me forward and within two weeks I had finished eight stories, some that will see the light of day sooner or later, the rest, not so much. Throughout the rest of high school, my short stint in post-secondary and moving out in the work force, I continued to write, piling up a huge collection of stories and novels that I still have for the most part. During a seven year period, I wrote five full novels and eighty-two short stories, some which have already appeared in my collections. My dreams of being a published writer were stronger than ever, but I had no idea where to start. So, I only let friends and family read them and was encouraged by their reactions.
Then I met a girl that told me that everything I wrote was garbage and I should just give up and forget it all, that my dream to be a writer was as stupid as I was. I worked harder at first, trying to impress her, only to get insult after insult. She brought back those old doubts that my dad had instilled unknowingly in me, and I felt that she was right. I must be a hack.
This was the second time I quit writing.
It lasted for three years, the span of that terrible relationship.
Then, things turned around when I met Mina, the woman I consider my true muse. The second I told her that I was a writer, and that I wanted to get published, she had my back. She pushed me forward, telling me that I could do it and never letting me doubt myself. She was there with me for my first few rejection letters and was there for the first acceptance letters as well. It took a while for me to shake off the old doubts that had been blooming in me, but she never let me give up. I took time to write new material, careful to let my true voice out, and then within a week, two of my stories were accepted.
That first story, The Soldier, was accepted by Jeani Rector over at The Horror Zine. Originally, I had written it for an anthology called Weird War Anthology, but they decided to pass on it. The rejection was heartbreaking, but I didn’t give up. I loved the story and hoped someone would take it on. I sent it to Jeani, and she gave me nothing but praise over it, publishing it on her website and in A Feast of Frights as well alongside Joe R. Lansdale, Graham Masterton, Joe McKinney, Simon Clark, Ed Gorman and so many other great writers. It was such a catalyst for everything to follow. (On a side note, that Weird War Anthology that rejected it, still has not come out, well over a year after it was due to be released. To me, that rejection was a blessing and I have never forgotten that one door closing means another one opens.).
It’s now been about a year since my first story was published and I must admit that things have moved quickly. Since then, my work has appeared in Haunted Path issue 7, Dark Eclipse issue 7, A Feast of Frights from the Horror Zine, At the Gates of Madness, Zombies Gone Wild, A Six Pack of Stories, The Original Van Gogh’s Ear, Brother’s Ilk, Zippered Flesh 2, The Best of Dark Eclipse and 50 Shades of Decay. And before the full year is up, I still have work to appear in three or four more anthologies and magazines, not to mention my novel. There have been so many positive reviews and emails from people, letting me know how my work has affected them and encouraging me to move forward. I have received emails from writers that I grew up with, admire and respect, telling me that they have read and enjoyed what I wrote, and those ones have truly blown my mind. A year ago, I would never have thought I would be where I am today and now as I look forward, I see a road of possibilities ahead.
So, why have I written this big, long, kind of personal blog? The reason is simple; I know my story isn't all that unique. I know there are writers out there that have been shot down by family and friends, received rejection letters that shattered their world and made them feel like giving up. The writing world is a daunting place, filled with people that will stab you with their opinions and try to fill your head with doubts, but never give up. If writing is what you want to do, as it was for me, then you have to go over those bumpy roads, walk over coals and fight your own demons before you get to where you want to be. Those challenges are there to weed out those that don’t have the heart. Just remember, if you are a writer, write. The only thing that can stop you is you.
Free copies of Brother's Ilk
Earlier this year, I released a collection of short stories with my brother, James Meeks called Brother's Ilk. This month alone, sales have doubled and as a way to say thanks and to attract even more readers, we've decided to giveaway free digital copies on Amazon. So whether you have a Kindle, or a Kindle app on your phone or tablet, or even a Cloud reader on your computer or laptop, you can head over now and download a free copy on April 22, 23 and 24th.
A bit about the book:
The book contains six stories by James, including a novella called Sister/Mother/Death. His stories move into the world of the bizarre. From insane doctors that experiment on human guinea pigs, to rituals that will cost you more than money. You will read about a strange cult of women that will haunt you and find a woman that has the strangest thoughts and obsessions in her head.
Shaun has included eight stories easy to find and one that is hidden in the folds. He has also included a novella in this collection called House in the Valley, an apocalyptic tale of fear and hope. Shaun's stories move through different streets than his brother's. In his stories you will meet a former glam rock star looking to regain his former glory and fame. You will get a ticket to see the most exclusive show that has a history of driving it's viewers mad. You will meet a woman trapped in a room with a monster outside the door and one buried inside her. You will also meet two twin sister that are baking more than just cookies for their small town.
Now head over to the Amazon in you area and download your free copy of Brother's Ilk before time's up.
http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Ilk-eb...
A bit about the book:
The book contains six stories by James, including a novella called Sister/Mother/Death. His stories move into the world of the bizarre. From insane doctors that experiment on human guinea pigs, to rituals that will cost you more than money. You will read about a strange cult of women that will haunt you and find a woman that has the strangest thoughts and obsessions in her head.
Shaun has included eight stories easy to find and one that is hidden in the folds. He has also included a novella in this collection called House in the Valley, an apocalyptic tale of fear and hope. Shaun's stories move through different streets than his brother's. In his stories you will meet a former glam rock star looking to regain his former glory and fame. You will get a ticket to see the most exclusive show that has a history of driving it's viewers mad. You will meet a woman trapped in a room with a monster outside the door and one buried inside her. You will also meet two twin sister that are baking more than just cookies for their small town.
Now head over to the Amazon in you area and download your free copy of Brother's Ilk before time's up.
http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Ilk-eb...
Shadow Masters out May 27th
On May 27th, Shadow Masters an anthology from The Horror Zine will be released in print and digital formats. Jeani Rector has once again lined up some amazing talent for this one. I am lucky enough to have my story, Red Velvet, featured in it. Red Velvet is a strange story about a man with a twisted fetish that impedes on a demon.
The anthology also features work by Graham Masterton (The Manitou), Bentley Little (The Store), Yvonne Navarro (Highborn), Elizabeth Massie (Welcome Back to the Night), Scott Nicholson (Red Church), Simon Clark (Blood Crazy), Earl Hamner (original Twilight series), Cheryl Kaye Tardif (Submerged), Christian A. Larsen (Losing Touch), Lisa Morton (Hell Manor), Ronald Malfi (Floating Staircase), Melanie Tem (Wilding) and a ton more! Not to mention there is a forward by Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep, Incident On and Off a Mountain Road).
The anthology also features work by Graham Masterton (The Manitou), Bentley Little (The Store), Yvonne Navarro (Highborn), Elizabeth Massie (Welcome Back to the Night), Scott Nicholson (Red Church), Simon Clark (Blood Crazy), Earl Hamner (original Twilight series), Cheryl Kaye Tardif (Submerged), Christian A. Larsen (Losing Touch), Lisa Morton (Hell Manor), Ronald Malfi (Floating Staircase), Melanie Tem (Wilding) and a ton more! Not to mention there is a forward by Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep, Incident On and Off a Mountain Road).
Coming Soon
With Shadow Master an anthology from The Horror Zine now out, I thought I would give an update on releases still due out this year. There are still a few I am waiting on contracts from, but this is what I can tell for sure:
Dark Light 3 (Miriam) - July 2013
Fresh Grounds (The Old Man) - summer 2013
The Horror Zine Magazine (Angel In the High Tower) - Fall of 2013
Miseria's Chorale (Give Me Convenience) - Fall 2013
Fresh Fear (Perfection Through Silence) - November 2013
Shutdown (novel) - 2013
Dark Reaches (collection) - December 2013
I will add to this once everything else is confirmed, but already this has been a great year.
Dark Light 3 (Miriam) - July 2013
Fresh Grounds (The Old Man) - summer 2013
The Horror Zine Magazine (Angel In the High Tower) - Fall of 2013
Miseria's Chorale (Give Me Convenience) - Fall 2013
Fresh Fear (Perfection Through Silence) - November 2013
Shutdown (novel) - 2013
Dark Reaches (collection) - December 2013
I will add to this once everything else is confirmed, but already this has been a great year.
Fresh Fear anthology
Earlier this year I was contacted by William Cook to submit a story to his upcoming anthology, Fresh Fear. As soon as I received it, I began writing a new story called Perfection Through Silence. It took me about eight hours to write it and I sent it off pretty quick. I'm happy to say that it was accepted and will be featured in Fresh Fear along side some pretty amazing talent including JF Gonzalez, Adam Millard, Shane McKenzie and the legendary Ramsey Campbell. Here is a full ToC for the book which will be released around August:
Scathe meic Beorh – God of the Wind
Max Booth III - Everywhere You’ve Bled and Everywhere You Will
Roy C Booth – Just Another Ex
Robert Dunbar – High Rise
Ramsey Campbell – Welcomeland
Lily Childs – Strange Tastes
Lincoln Crisler – Nouri and the Beetles
Jack Dann – Camps
Thomas Erb – Spencer Weaver Gets Rebooted
Carole Gill – Raised
Lindsey Beth Goddard – The Tooth Collector
JF Gonzalez – Love Hurts
Dane Hatchell – ‘takers
Charlee Jacob – Buzz
K Trap Jones – Demon Eyed Blond
Tim Jones – Protein
Vada Katherine - Luna
Shane McKenzie – So Much Death
Shaun Meeks – Perfection Through Silence
Adam Milliard – The Incongruous Mr Marwick
Christine Morgan – Nails of The Dead
Billie Sue Mosiman – Verboten
Chantal Noordeloos – The Door
WH Pugmire - Darkness Dancing in Your Eyes
William Todd Rose – The Grave Dancer
Anna Taborska – Out of the Light
This is going to be an amazing collection and I am so happy to be a part of it.
Scathe meic Beorh – God of the Wind
Max Booth III - Everywhere You’ve Bled and Everywhere You Will
Roy C Booth – Just Another Ex
Robert Dunbar – High Rise
Ramsey Campbell – Welcomeland
Lily Childs – Strange Tastes
Lincoln Crisler – Nouri and the Beetles
Jack Dann – Camps
Thomas Erb – Spencer Weaver Gets Rebooted
Carole Gill – Raised
Lindsey Beth Goddard – The Tooth Collector
JF Gonzalez – Love Hurts
Dane Hatchell – ‘takers
Charlee Jacob – Buzz
K Trap Jones – Demon Eyed Blond
Tim Jones – Protein
Vada Katherine - Luna
Shane McKenzie – So Much Death
Shaun Meeks – Perfection Through Silence
Adam Milliard – The Incongruous Mr Marwick
Christine Morgan – Nails of The Dead
Billie Sue Mosiman – Verboten
Chantal Noordeloos – The Door
WH Pugmire - Darkness Dancing in Your Eyes
William Todd Rose – The Grave Dancer
Anna Taborska – Out of the Light
This is going to be an amazing collection and I am so happy to be a part of it.
Miseria's Chorale anthology
A few weeks ago I was invited to submit a story to a new anthology that is due out in the fall of this year. I have a few short stories that have been dying to get out, sitting in limbo waiting for a home, so I sent them two and told them they could choose their favorite. The one picked was "Give Me Convenience". This is a very fast paced story that is also ultra-violent. It is about a guy trapped in a convenience store with a few other people and a creature that has already killed a bunch of people in the store. The story doesn't really let up and I give a fun little twist at the end of it.
Today I saw the table of contents for the anthology as it stands so far. There will be more to come, but I thought I would share this. I was happy to see some familiar names in this one, people that I have shared other ToC's with. Jay Wilburn (Fifty Shades of Decay), Christopher Nadeau (A Feast of Frights and Shadow Masters - both from the Horror Zine), Aaron J. French (Shadow Masters), Adam Millard (Zombies Gone Wild and the upcoming Fresh Fear) and of course the guy who is becoming my anthology brother, Christian A. Larsen (A Feast of Frights, Zippered Flesh 2, Shadow Masters and the upcoming Dark Light 3). Here is the full ToC:
Becoming The Beast by Christian A Larsen
Trauma Children by Lucy Taylor
The Face of Death by Paul Kane
Tomb of the Initiate by Aaron J French
The Cherry Tree by James S Dorr
Visit by Richard Godwin
The Banquet by Fred Skolnik
Instantaneous by Christopher David Rosales
From Suicide Station by Adam Millard
Give Me Convenience by Shaun Meeks
King of a Distant Star by Tim Jeffreys
In Green Remembered by Christopher Nadeau
Evacuation by Jay Wilburn
Motel Impression by Michael Thomas-Knight
The Wind by Ryan Neil Falcone
Thrall by Richard Farren Barber
A Feeble Gleam of Stars by RWW Greene
Tug by Douglas J Ogurek
Because The Night Is Dark And Full Of Monsters by Sergio Palumbo
Today I saw the table of contents for the anthology as it stands so far. There will be more to come, but I thought I would share this. I was happy to see some familiar names in this one, people that I have shared other ToC's with. Jay Wilburn (Fifty Shades of Decay), Christopher Nadeau (A Feast of Frights and Shadow Masters - both from the Horror Zine), Aaron J. French (Shadow Masters), Adam Millard (Zombies Gone Wild and the upcoming Fresh Fear) and of course the guy who is becoming my anthology brother, Christian A. Larsen (A Feast of Frights, Zippered Flesh 2, Shadow Masters and the upcoming Dark Light 3). Here is the full ToC:
Becoming The Beast by Christian A Larsen
Trauma Children by Lucy Taylor
The Face of Death by Paul Kane
Tomb of the Initiate by Aaron J French
The Cherry Tree by James S Dorr
Visit by Richard Godwin
The Banquet by Fred Skolnik
Instantaneous by Christopher David Rosales
From Suicide Station by Adam Millard
Give Me Convenience by Shaun Meeks
King of a Distant Star by Tim Jeffreys
In Green Remembered by Christopher Nadeau
Evacuation by Jay Wilburn
Motel Impression by Michael Thomas-Knight
The Wind by Ryan Neil Falcone
Thrall by Richard Farren Barber
A Feeble Gleam of Stars by RWW Greene
Tug by Douglas J Ogurek
Because The Night Is Dark And Full Of Monsters by Sergio Palumbo
Shutdown update
My latest novel, Shutdown, has had some real ups and downs in the last year. It was slated to be released the spring of 2013, but after losing the original manuscript in a computer accident, I had to start the project from scratch. It was a little disheartening to have to do that, and I gave up on it for longer than I should have.
Thankfully, I have gotten back on board with it and am now closing in on a finish for it. Last week I managed to get 16,000 words done in four days, so with that said, I should be done writing and editing the book by the end of July. Or sooner.
The book is about a hacker, Tim "Mouse" Jones, who is hired to break into a building owned by a genetics corporation called GenCross. He is hired to steal a file from the mainframe, then upload a virus into the computer that will shut down the building's entire network and wipe all the files from its memory. But when things go wrong and Mouse finds himself trapped in the building, trying to stay out of jail isn't his only concern, he also needs to stay alive.
I have already been contacted by a few publishers about sending the manuscript to them and look forward to sending it off once it's done.
Thankfully, I have gotten back on board with it and am now closing in on a finish for it. Last week I managed to get 16,000 words done in four days, so with that said, I should be done writing and editing the book by the end of July. Or sooner.
The book is about a hacker, Tim "Mouse" Jones, who is hired to break into a building owned by a genetics corporation called GenCross. He is hired to steal a file from the mainframe, then upload a virus into the computer that will shut down the building's entire network and wipe all the files from its memory. But when things go wrong and Mouse finds himself trapped in the building, trying to stay out of jail isn't his only concern, he also needs to stay alive.
I have already been contacted by a few publishers about sending the manuscript to them and look forward to sending it off once it's done.
