The Genre Underground discussion

You've discovered the right place in the Genre Underground for cyclopean ruins, nameless creatures scratching at doors, and skittering sounds on darkened streets.

Please follow these guidelines for self-promotion (three recommendations of other authors for each self-promo). Provide links to a book's goodreads page, followed by a short pitch or reasons why it's a favorite.

I just love this book. I don't generally like Horror at all. But I took up this book on a whim to help a fellow author. I've been addicted ever since. I think I've read it three times now.

[book:I've Been Deader|13540168

A near perfect blend of horror and comedy, according to the author

The Congregation by Aric Mitchell was a riveting indie horror book. Cool twist at the end, too. Very much the slasher horror, though... it was downright close to splatterpunk at times, so those with a squeamish stomach should beware.

Symphony of Blood: A Hank Mondale Supernatural Case by Adam Pepper was an... interesting read. It had some highs and lows. Not for the average reader just looking for something to pass the time, but definitely horrifying in many cases.

I just finished reading The Void by Brett Talley. Great book. It's kind of Sci-Fi Horror. I would highly recommend it.
Carl Alves

Publication Date: October 21, 2012
Ken Goldman, author of more than 650 published stories, brings you a 150-page chapbook containing two dark novellas and three of his best twisted tales. Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore - First there was the awful incident with Donny and the turtle. Artie, Donny's childhood best friend, could forgive that. Then Donny grew up... Hotline - What's poor, insecure Phoebe to do when the unstable caller on the other end of the phone thinks he's dialed the suicide hotline? A Museum Piece - The strange skull in the display supposedly stems from a demonic love triangle. But bewitching tour guide Belinda also has a wicked tale of infidelity to tell... Sine Qua Non - Cultured, privileged, prim and proper, Timothy will tell you: Trying to kill yourself can be murder! 'Vette Fever - Wally's midlife crisis toy seems to literally be making him younger. But the worship of speed, horsepower and youth demands sacrifices...

Reviews :

Big fan of Goldman's work, December 23, 2012

By Benjamin K. Ethridge "Benjamin Kane Ethridge"
This review is from: Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Paperback)
I've now read DESIREE and Goldman's recent collection "DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE" and have become a big fan of his work. It's captivating, well written and creepy through and through. This is a great sampling of his style and tone and I heartily recommend it for lovers of supernatural thrillers and horror. My favorite piece "Sine Qua Non" is actually one of the shorter stories of the lot, but it packed such a punch with me I can still recall the images it brought to my mind.

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Customer Review

A Nice Collection of Stories , Worth A Read!, December 5, 2012
By Horror_Nerd
This review is from:DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (Kindle Edition)
Author of 'Desiree' (Damnation Books) and the collection 'You Had me at Arrgh!' (Sams Dot Publishing), Mr. Goldman's newest release, 'Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore', is a collection of five stories that range from bizarre to magical.

The title story, 'Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore' explores the relationship between bestfriends and how one guy goes to extremes to keep the memory of his friend alive. A nice opening story that surprised me with the ending and how it was handle really sealed the deal for me.

'Hotline' is a twisted tale of two outcasts searching for an escape. After mistaking the number for a dentist, with that of a suicide prevention hotline, two like souls meet in a weird twist of fate.

Out of the five tales included, 'Hotline' was my favorite by far. A mix of insanity meets brooding romance hits in all areas for me.

'A Museum Piece' is tale of revenge and romance exploring the realms of witchcraft and how a couple become conjoined twins and center piece in the museum. The concept of this story is great and the ending is dark, eerie, and gross but worth the read.

'Sine Qua Non' tells the story of Timothy, who has lived life to the best of his ability , but now the time has come to end it and thus the story trots along as the main character tries to commit suicide several times only to be thwarted by unseen events.

Sine Qua Non is a dark comedy piece that is good but it felt out of place in this collection.

With "'Vette Fever", an aging man has a mid-life crisis and decides to buy a sports car, but the Corvette he gets is far from normal and soon he notices changes to his body and life.

'Vette Fever is in the same vein as Stephen King's Christine but less murderous and another one of my favorites.

DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is my first taste of Mr. Goldman's work and while some of the stories didn't hit the mark for me, the ones that did left me wanting to read more from the author.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Five great reads in one November 6, 2012
By N. Robinson
Format:Paperback
Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore by Ken Goldman

Ken Goldman, is the author of more than 650 published stories, which makes wonder why I feel a little cheated over this short story collection. I mean, if he's written so damned many, why tease the reader with only five? Whilst each tale is murderously brilliant in its own right, so why hold back Ken?

Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore - This title story starts us off with a grisly tale about friendship and the lengths one man goes to keep the memory of his childhood friend alive despite the fact his friend is a downright psycho. This opener is a fantastic character study of devotion that ups the tension with each sentence until its twisted bitter end.

Hotline - What if a suicidal man gets a number wrong and doesn't get the help he seeks. What if he contacts a soul just as wretched as himself? A Hitchcock-esque piece in which pits two like-minded souls against each other until the eventual bloody outcome.

A Museum Piece - How could you get conjoined twins if they weren't born that way? A satisfying blend of deadly romance and witchcraft brought together in this humorous tale.

Sine Qua Non - A slightly farcical exploration in which Timothy tries his best to kill himself without much luck. Inventive to say the least. Again, Goldman brings a taste of Hitchcock to proceedings.

'Vette Fever- Balding? Beer gut? Sexless marriage? If you answered any of these, you're probably getting used to middle age by now. Why not a buy a sports car? And all your dreams can come true . . . A Stephen King type of story in which middle aged Wally finds his life inexplicably changing when he purchases a new Corvette for his birthday. I adored this story for its apologetic world changing strangeness; I don't even think it needed the downbeat ending. I think I would have much preferred it if Wally got to keep what he wanted, instead of choosing his sanity over his desires.

Ultimately I wanted more, so I think I'll have to track down some more of Mr Goldman's work to satisfy this emptiness I now feel.

5/5
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5.0 out of 5 stars First class horror, October 30, 2012
By White Rose "White Rose" (Isle of Wight, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Donny Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Paperback)

DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is a collection of stories which look deep into troubled minds, with gory and downright nasty results. The lead novella tells us about Donny, a boy who grows to be a man with a love of killing, animals, people, whatever comes his way. Donny slaughters his way through an ever growing number of victims, until the real scenario is revealed... stand by for the shock!
Hotline reveals what happens when a would-be suicide calls the wrong number, captures the imagination of the girl on the end of the phone and - well, just let's say the coffee shop won't ever be the same again.
A Museum Piece is a look into the minds of a group of girls touring a museum and what happens when one of them fully realises just what might lie behind the story of the conjoined skulls ... does magic really work? If so, we ought to be careful what we wish for!
Sine Qua Non takes us on a journey with a man determined to kill himself - somehow nothing goes to plan and the results are far from pleasant... and gives us a glimpse into a truly troubled mind.
'Vette Fever goes one step further and takes us into the darkness that is the mind of a middle aged man who wants to live again. The 'Vette he buys has other ideas...

Ken Goldman is known for writing dark stories that take you on journeys you may not wish to go. This collection delves into the depths of troubled minds and will make you look twice, if not three times, at any strangers you may meet... I loved it and I don't say that lightly.

Sandman Slim: Dragged down to Hell while still alive and forced to compete as a gladiator in the Arena, James Stark escapes after 11 years and returns seeking vengeance on those who exiled him. My description doesn't do it justice, but this is one of the best books/series I've read recently.

Child of Fire: Ray works force the Twenty Palaces Society, which ruthlessly regulates the use of magic. When his boss is injured on their latest assignment, Ray - with very little magic of his own - must complete their assignment by stopping an other-worldly enemy that seems capable of controlling time itself.

Blood War: Powerful and immortal, the rule of vampires is supreme and unquestioned - until the arrival of an unstoppable fiend known as the Red Death, who slays vampires as easily as he does mortals. It's up to the human detective Dire McCann to solve the mystery behind this seemingly unstoppable threat.

Warden (Book 1: Wendigo Fever): Part lawman, part tracker and part magician, the Wardens are monster-hunters. However, despite being descended from a long line of Wardens, Errol thinks it's the absolute worst job on the planet. Still, when his brother goes missing, Errol has to enter the monster-filled Badlands to find him. There, he crosses paths with the legendary Wendigo - an unstoppable monster with a taste for human flesh, as well as the ability to place on its victims a terrifying curse known as Wendigo Fever.

Disclaimer: The last entry is my own book.

I'm offering free .pdf downloads for reviewers of two of my book for Amazon.com : DESIREE and DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. Contact Ken Goldman here and we'll talk. Check previous reviews here:

(http://www.amazon.com/Desiree-ebook/d...)

(http://www.amazon.com/Donny-Doesnt-Li...)

The Harlot Goddess

Black magik, sex and violence.

Then came schizophrenia, fratricide, murder, necrophilia, incest, bestiality, infanticide, the serpent, the spider, the succubus, the incubus…all from one woman.

She has existed since the beginning of time.

She is a secret the gods keep from themselves, for Hell hath no fury like the devil’s maker.

http://www.damnationbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/N-Onym...
http://scribenonymus.tumblr.com/
http://n0nym.wordpress.com/

My new novel, OF A FEATHER, has received some good advance buzz that you can see at : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The official launch date for OF A FEATHER is January 2, 2014. It will be available in paperback, Kindle, and Nook formats, but you can order the paperback now.

OF A FEATHER tells the tale of young Socrates Singer, who discovers he has been given the power to control birds of every species. It's a horror/dark fiction tale, but it has its share of light humor too.

I'm offering a free .pdf or mobi (for Kindle) download for reviewers to post on the Goodreads site and on Amazon.com Contact Ken Goldman.

The only book that actually scared me was Jay Anson's "The Amityville Horror". Bentley Little's "The Haunted" came very close. Any books that really scared the hell out of you?

Greetings, all. I wanted to give you all a heads up that my latest book Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction from Crystal Lake Publishing will be on-sale for 99 cents May 16th through the 22nd.