Horror Aficionados discussion

This is the thread for our inaugural Extreme Horror Group Read with Guest Author. For October, we have Thomas R. Clark joining us with his gristly tale, The God Provides. Grab your copy at the link below and please help me welcome to Horror Aficionados… Thomas R. Clark!

https://www.amazon.com/God-Provides-T...

Hi everyone! Let's discover what lies beneath the Autumn dark as i introduce you to my niche subgenre of Extreme, 'SplatterFolk' - blending aspects of Folk horror with splatterpunk and extreme. To visualize this subgenre, think AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON meets THE CROW with a bit of the EVIL DEAD.. and because I'm a tease, here's the first line of my Splatterpunk Award nominated story, FIREFLIES & APPLE PIES in THE GOD PROVIDES:

"The bogeyman came early to the Tully foothills the year they canceled Halloween."

Ooh this sounds really unique and fun! I just bought the ebook, looking forward to it :)

Ordered my copy!! Very excited for the Extreme Horror group reads!!!

Yes this sounds fun I’m in!

I got the ebook. I’m in!!

Amanda wrote: "Ordered my copy!! Very excited for the Extreme Horror group reads!!!" This makes my heart warm... and moist. Yeah I went there and said moist. That's also the least offensive thing yer gonna read over the coming months. Hope you have a strong constitution. :o)

I too purchased my copy…. I am so freaking exited because I have read Bella’s Boys and A prayer from the dead. Still trying to figure out what your nickname was but hey…. The lucky winner will be just that.

Laura wrote: "I too purchased my copy…. I am so freaking exited because I have read Bella’s Boys and A prayer from the dead. Still trying to figure out what your nickname was but hey…. The lucky winner will be j..." BELLA'S BOYS is set in my SplatterFolk world, so you may note some lateral connections between it and THE GOD PROVIDES. Also, fun fact - A PRAYER FROM THE DEAD was written before THE GOD PROVIDES and was initially going to follow the same format - 4 novelettes, each sharing the back story of Gabriel, Abigail, Fenwick and finally the show-down between them. But I failed in my endeavor (at least I felt I did). So I made it into a single novella.

NOTE: THE GOD PROVIDES ALSO SATISFIES THIS GROUP'S HALLOWEEN READING REQUIREMENT... muhahahahaha. That is all. Carry on...

I will definitely order this and join you in October. Now I’ve got to hurry up and finish my September reads.

Could not find Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train, found it inBooks of Blood which I am reading now

Ron wrote: "Could not find Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train, found it inBooks of Blood which I am reading now" Such a GREAT short story. And the film adaptation is as good as the story.

My copy arrived today. You're a brand new author to me Thomas so very excited to read this one.

I'm always tempted to start early but I stupidly decided to re-read IT recently so I've got that behemoth to finish first.

Jennifer wrote: "My copy arrived today. You're a brand new author to me Thomas so very excited to read this one.

I'm always tempted to start early but I stupidly decided to re-read IT recently so I've got that beh..." That wasn't stupid. If you do as much coke as The King did while he wrote that, you'll be able to read yer entire TBR stack...

Thomas wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "My copy arrived today. You're a brand new author to me Thomas so very excited to read this one.

I'm always tempted to start early but I stupidly decided to re-read IT recently so ..."

Now that's as good a reason as any to try it!! Get through a few shelves of books in no time!

I just finished reading it and I am so excited to have found a new author and genre that fit so well what I like to read. I look forward to the discussion :)

Thomas: "If you do as much coke as The King did while he wrote that, you'll be able to read yer entire TBR stack." Ahh, NOW I know why I only manage ONE book a day, instead of 50 books a day." :)

Today is a perfect day to start THE GOD PROVIDES... it's harvest time... (don't look behind the shed, ignore the sickly sweet stench of decay) the apples are ripe, the feed corn is ready to shuck... (you won't like what you find there) the foliage is shifting from green to red... (as the blood flows down the sacrificial stone and the life leaves your body with it) the things hiding beneath the mound return to the world... (they surround you, playing fiddles strung with the stretched intestines of their kin) all while the Cailleach readies to sit upon the god's throne for the next six months... (it's time to say goodbye while the goblins feast upon your organs). Discover, with me, what lies beneath the Autumn dark...

Starting in this one tonight. Thomas, without giving away spoilers, can you tell us a little about how this story came about?

Kenneth wrote: "Starting in this one tonight. Thomas, without giving away spoilers, can you tell us a little about how this story came about?"

Well, Ken, I sure can! This book came from a horror tropes workshop with Garrett Cook, like ,most of my fiction. It was my second attempt at creating a series of novellas/novelettes that told separate stories, but the four would have an over all arc. The first try, which I wasn't as successful with, resulted in what would become my most recent novella, A PRAYER FROM THE DEAD. After finishing the first story, FIREFLIES AND APPLE PIES, a title derived from common visual and olfactory prompts prevalent in my region near the end of summer, I realized I was on to something good, and ran with the ball. DOGS DON'T LIE was written next, followed by THE GOD IN THE WELL (which is inspired by a true life experience I endured!), and finally A WITCHING DOWN THE HOLLER (the setting for this was inspired by Rose O'Keefe telling Garrett she loved cottage-core, so I went "cottage-hardcore" with it. I presented it to Tim Murr from St. Rooster Books, and he loved it, taking the title for his house. Lynne Hansen's cover came about by accident. I originally designed the cover, and the book was going to be called FIREFLIES AND APPLE PIES. But when I saw Lynne had actually created a sight-UNscene (wink) cover recreating a scene from the book, I had to buy it from her. It was her suggestion to change the title to something more horror accessible, and the common phrase used by my druid clan, "the god provides" ended up being the perfect title.

I’ve got the book. I am finishing the other group read and will be done in a day. Maybe two. But I’m in!

I've just finished off a buddy read of Off Season and so I'm starting this tonight.

I really like the cover art, good choice to use it! Is it a crow or a raven? I'm in the UK so it looks more like what we call a crow. Crazy birds, very loud when they want to be, and pretty big too!

Alright. I’m starting. Cracked the cover and away we goooooo…..

Jennifer wrote: "I've just finished off a buddy read of Off Season and so I'm starting this tonight.

I really like the cover art, good choice to use it! Is it a crow or a raven? I'm in the UK so it looks more like..." Off Season is far more graphic. That's intended to be a raven...

Andrew “The Weirdling” wrote: "Alright. I’m starting. Cracked the cover and away we goooooo….." Enjoy!

Sat down this morning and am a quarter way through. Loving it!!! Can almost smell the dry autumn leaves, the ripe apples, and the blood…SO MUCH BLOOD!!!

Did I mention I like blood? 🩸

I've finished Fireflies and Apple Pies. I really enjoyed that one, it had a really good twist which I didn't see coming. I liked that it had a comedy element to it, which I felt added to it as most horror is usually just straight horror. Was comedy your intention with this story?

Could you describe what a Digger Do is? I tried Googling it but couldn't find anything.

I like Erin and Rose, they seem quite believable sisters.

And I took from this that my mother was right all along, smoking does kill you!

Just finished! Wow!! I loved every short story, every chapter, every page of this atmospheric read. Thank you Thomas for sharing your talents with us!! I’ll look forward to more dialogue on this once others have finished reading.

This is the first time I’m reading anything by Thomas R. Clark. I’m starting this book today. I started reading extreme horror for the first time last year but I haven’t read many. Hopefully this author would be a repeat buy. I’m seeing that a lot of people are really enjoying the book. Hopefully I would too.

Jennifer wrote: "I've finished Fireflies and Apple Pies. I really enjoyed that one, it had a really good twist which I didn't see coming. I liked that it had a comedy element to it, which I felt added to it as most..." Digger Do is what my Dad called the "Boogeyman" - it was a bastardization of Dearg Dur or Dearg Due, the female Irish vampires, which I decided to use as a catch all phrase the McEntires and Brannigans utilize for all of the undead bloodsuckers.

Jasmine wrote: "This is the first time I’m reading anything by Thomas R. Clark. I’m starting this book today. I started reading extreme horror for the first time last year but I haven’t read many. Hopefully this a..."
I hope you like it!

Janette wrote: "Just finished! Wow!! I loved every short story, every chapter, every page of this atmospheric read. Thank you Thomas for sharing your talents with us!! I’ll look forward to more dialogue on this on..." The god does, indeed, provide, no?

Yes!!! 😉

I am so behind on my books and not great with the Goodreads app.. but whatever this group is, it sounds great! I can't wait to get to this book!

Chelsea wrote: "I am so behind on my books and not great with the Goodreads app.. but whatever this group is, it sounds great! I can't wait to get to this book!" I can't wait for you to read it!

Starting the fourth part now. I’m really enjoying it. I had no idea that Irish people were so murderous and evil. I would say something to my Irish wife, but I am scared of her now.😜

Thomas wrote: “Did I mention I like blood?🩸”

Yeah. I think that’s more than obvious at this point. lol

Andrew “The Weirdling” wrote: "Starting the fourth part now. I’m really enjoying it. I had no idea that Irish people were so murderous and evil. I would say something to my Irish wife, but I am scared of her now.😜" As you should be... muhahahahaha. They don't just boil dinner...

Just finished! What a delightful read. Each of the stories is very enjoyable. I think the first and third were the ones I enjoyed the most, but they were all good. I like your love letter at the end of the book about werewolf movies. I used never miss the old black and white version of The Wolf Man when it came on tv (invariably a Sunday afternoon). I still think it is one of the very best films out of the classic Universal horror flicks. I always feel a little extra bond with people who feel likewise. Thanks for the gift of this book. It was time well spent.

Andrew “The Weirdling” wrote: "Just finished! What a delightful read. Each of the stories is very enjoyable. I think the first and third were the ones I enjoyed the most, but they were all good. I like your love letter at the en..." Story 3 is me bleeding on my sleeve. That abduction scene was something I experienced as a young man. Also, you made my day Andrew! If you want more McEntires, check out the story GIANTS published in ISSUE 2 of STRANGER WITH FRICTION (available on Amazon, of course).

Today is another glorious day as the Crone continues to grasp the land. A new single from my new favorite band, Green Lung, has been released... and the visuals of the video, as well as those brought by the lyrics, are more than appropriate for readers of THE GOD PROVIDES... https://youtu.be/gduozaFJBoM?si=0tLFW...

Readers who have enjoyed meeting the McEntires and Brannigans, will be pleased to know they have a presence in my follow up novel, SummerHome (in fact, we learn the Brannigan's have a line of furniture that is an important MacGuffin in the novel). Rose McEntire is featured in my short stories GIANTS and CONCRETE HARVEST. Giants can be found in the second issue of STRANGER WITH FRICTION (https://a.co/d/7uCQz7f). Concrete Harvest is available in the re-release of From The Ashes' anthology FAIRY TALE HORROR SHOW (https://a.co/d/3r7kOJi). I'm currently working on the sequel to THE GOD PROVIDES... THE WITCH OF NOVEMBER, and hope to have it ready for release in 2024.

I'd like to thank everyone who took a chance on my little Irish mythology love letter this month. Special thanks to Ken for reaching out to me on this. I love you all!

Thank you Thomas!

I finished the book a few days ago. I liked how it spanned different seasons and we met a lot of other people in the town.

My favourite was the first story, I liked the dynamic of the family and the humour.

I'm looking forward to reading more of your work!

Thanks so much for joining us, Thomas. Can you tell us what you have coming down the pike and where we can find out everything Thomas R Clark?

Kenneth wrote: "Thanks so much for joining us, Thomas. Can you tell us what you have coming down the pike and where we can find out everything Thomas R Clark?" I sure can, Ken! I had a great time participating. Next month I have a splatterpunk short story collection, IMMORAL DILEMMAS, coming out. Spring 2024 will bring us a second collection... of SplatterFOLK, called WE ARE 13. I'm pretty easy to find on social media, and here on Goodreads, as well as www.thomasrclark.com

New to the group and glad to engage with people who share my embarrassing secret of reading extreme horror (I am otherwise a respectable citizen I promise!)

This seems like a great place to start so will be ordering and adding to the pile of upcoming reads- looking forward to it!!