NOVEMBER NETGALLEY LISTINGS


Do you like free books? I guess I already know the answer that one…

Do you have a NetGalley account? If so, great! If no, they are free to sign up for and once you have one, you can request all kinds of book to review, some of them before they’ve even released! From large publishing houses and small. Here’s a link to NetGalley in case you want to sign up. 

Things are still in transition with the SFWA NetGalley management, but fortunately, I always schedule my titles out months in advance and the previous person managing the SFWA NetGalley account had already set up our titles for the year. Since October’s titles weren’t sorted out until mid-month, those two are still available through November 11th. And for November we are adding James Chambers’ Vox Astra: The Black Box, a collection of his transformative science fiction stories. You can read more about all three books below. Once you do, we hope you will click the links below to head over to NetGalley and request them.


Vox Astra: The Black Box

James Chambers

VA - Black Box 2 x 3

The Stars Will Sing Our Songs Long After We Are Gone…  

…but who will remain to listen? Who will hear their sagas of conflict and discovery, their hymns of honor in the face of political intrigue, their ballads of tough calls made against the opposition of friends and enemies alike?  

 Open your ears to these unyielding revelations which sing of humanity’s place in the cosmos among distant worlds, of beings that exist outside our reality, and of shocking futures. Listen to their tales. Sometimes there are no good choices only hard calls. Though humanity may one day vanish, the stars forget nothing. We can only hope Vox Astra will be kind when they tell of us.


Even in the Grave

edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander

“In death – no! even in the grave all is not lost.”
–Edgar Allan Poe

Low ResWandering souls! Restless spirits! The vengeful dead! Those who die with unfinished business haunt the living and make their presence known from the world beyond: 

A scientist’s invention opens a window onto a terrible afterlife.

A New York City apartment holds the secrets of the dead.

A grandmother sends text messages from the grave.

A samurai returns to his devastated home for a final showdown with his past.

A forgotten TV game show haunts a man with a dark secret.

A tapping from behind classroom walls leads to a horrible discovery.

The specter of a prehistoric beast returns to a modern-day ranch.

And the one seeing eye knows all—including what you did.

Haunted from the other side, these stories roam from modern cities to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain. 

Do you dare open these pages and peer into the darkness they reveal?

Stories by Marc L. Abbott, Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert P. Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.


Rags

by Ty Drago

RagsByTyDrago_FrontAtlantic City, 1982

One cold December night, sixteen-year-old Abby Lowell and her foster sister are rescued by a mysterious and deadly figure in rags and a large hood. Abby never learns his name and never sees his face, but he’s obviously good with that black-bladed knife of his, very good.

Abby dubs him “Rags.”

But Rags isn’t done, not by a long shot. With her foster family under threat from the ruthless Bernards, who are determined to tear down their dilapidated hotel in favor of yet another casino, Abby finds herself in desperate need of a defender. A part of her is relieved when Rags returns to protect her again. And again. And again.

Now, with an army of thugs and a terrifying Voodoo witch hunting her, Abby must not only understand the dark truth behind Rags. She must accept that truth, frightening as it is, before it’s too late.

Advertisement

OCTOBER NETGALLEY LISTINGS


Do you like free books? I guess I already know the answer that one…

Do you have a NetGalley account? If so, great! If no, they are free to sign up for and once you have one, you can request all kinds of book to review, some of them before they’ve even released! From large publishing houses and small. Here’s a link to NetGalley in case you want to sign up. 

So, normally I would be making this post at the beginning of the month, but for reasons, that didn’t happen. Our October listings only went live on NetGalley today, and deep thanks to those who made that possible because this clearly is the most ideal month for the following offerings. The first is Even in the Grave, a ghost anthology featuring many of the members of the New York chapter of the Horror Writers Association; and the second is Rags by Ty Drago, a brilliant bit of nostalgia steeped in stark terror. You can read more about both books below. Once you do, we hope you will click the links below to head over to NetGalley and request them.


Even in the Grave

edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander

“In death – no! even in the grave all is not lost.”
–Edgar Allan Poe

Low ResWandering souls! Restless spirits! The vengeful dead! Those who die with unfinished business haunt the living and make their presence known from the world beyond: 

A scientist’s invention opens a window onto a terrible afterlife.

A New York City apartment holds the secrets of the dead.

A grandmother sends text messages from the grave.

A samurai returns to his devastated home for a final showdown with his past.

A forgotten TV game show haunts a man with a dark secret.

A tapping from behind classroom walls leads to a horrible discovery.

The specter of a prehistoric beast returns to a modern-day ranch.

And the one seeing eye knows all—including what you did.

Haunted from the other side, these stories roam from modern cities to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain. 

Do you dare open these pages and peer into the darkness they reveal?

Stories by Marc L. Abbott, Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert P. Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.


Rags

by Ty Drago

RagsByTyDrago_FrontAtlantic City, 1982

One cold December night, sixteen-year-old Abby Lowell and her foster sister are rescued by a mysterious and deadly figure in rags and a large hood. Abby never learns his name and never sees his face, but he’s obviously good with that black-bladed knife of his, very good.

Abby dubs him “Rags.”

But Rags isn’t done, not by a long shot. With her foster family under threat from the ruthless Bernards, who are determined to tear down their dilapidated hotel in favor of yet another casino, Abby finds herself in desperate need of a defender. A part of her is relieved when Rags returns to protect her again. And again. And again.

Now, with an army of thugs and a terrifying Voodoo witch hunting her, Abby must not only understand the dark truth behind Rags. She must accept that truth, frightening as it is, before it’s too late.

JULY NEW RELEASES


It has been a while. I’m sure I’ve missed a few titles with the chaos life has been. I will try to keep up to date going forward. We have a few titles releasing this month. Two of them are through our NeoParadoxa imprint, and one is under our main eSpec Books imprint. We hope you’ll check them out!

Click the titles below to order.


Low Res

Even in the Grave

edited by James Chambers
and Carol Gyzander

“In death – no! even in the grave all is not lost.”
                          –Edgar Allan Poe

Wandering souls! Restless spirits! The vengeful dead! Those who die with unfinished business haunt the living and make their presence known from the world beyond: 

  • A scientist’s invention opens a window onto a terrible afterlife.
  • A New York City apartment holds the secrets of the dead.
  • A grandmother sends text messages from the grave.
  • A samurai returns to his devastated home for a final showdown with his past.
  • A forgotten TV game show haunts a man with a dark secret.
  • A tapping from behind classroom walls leads to a horrible discovery.
  • The specter of a prehistoric beast returns to a modern-day ranch.
    And the one seeing eye knows all—including what you did.

Haunted from the other side, these stories roam from modern cities to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain. 

Do you dare open these pages and peer into the darkness they reveal?

Stories by Marc L. Abbott, Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert P. Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.


VA - When Clouds Die 2 x 3

Vox Astra: When Clouds Die

James Chambers

The Stars Will Sing Our Songs Long After We Are Gone…

…but who will remain to listen? Who will hear the stories they tell of the wisdom of species dying to protect worlds against a cosmic threat, to witness the crisis of warriors faced with unconscionable acts and soldiers determined to cling to hope amidst violence and despair?

Open your ears to these tales of heroes both fantastic and ordinary, who travel among the planets or dwell deep in the canyons of city streets. Hear the voices of the stars as they speak of lost loves, long-slumbering guardians, brutal conflicts, wars beyond time, and the powerful ties that hold people together in the face of violence. Though humanity may one day vanish, the stars forget nothing. We can only hope they will be kind when they tell our stories.


COVER REVEAL – EVEN IN THE GRAVE


Seems like only yesterday we concluded our funding for this book…

Okay, a week ago, but thanks to a lot of hard work and dedicated hours by those involved in producing Even in the Grave we are just days away from going to press. Crossing our fingers and petitioning our lucky spirits that we can have books in time for Heliosphere (March 25-27), which is in just :::gulp::: eighteen days! Our plan is to launch the book at the convention, Saturday from 8pm to 10pm (see the program book for location). If you are attending, we hope to see you there to celebrate this monumental effort — see what I did there? LOL

The book can be pre-ordered via the eSpec Online Store.

Anyway, enough nattering. I give you the most amazing cover for Even in the Grave, art and design by the esteemed Lynne Hansen.

Low Res

“In death – no! even in the grave all is not lost.” –Edgar Allan Poe

Wandering souls! Restless spirits! The vengeful dead! Those who die with unfinished business haunt the living and make their presence known from the world beyond: 

  • A scientist’s invention opens a window onto a terrible afterlife.
  • A New York City apartment holds the secrets of the dead.
  • A grandmother sends text messages from the grave.
  • A samurai returns to his devastated home for a final showdown with his past.
  • A forgotten TV game show haunts a man with a dark secret.
  • A tapping from behind classroom walls leads to a horrible discovery.
  • The specter of a prehistoric beast returns to a modern-day ranch.
  • And the one seeing eye knows all—including what you did.

Haunted from the other side, these stories roam from modern cities to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain. 

Do you dare open these pages and peer into the darkness they reveal?

Stories by Marc L. Abbott, Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert P. Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – ALLAN BURD


Another in our series of GHOST AND GHOULS AND OTHER CREEPY THINGS interviews. For those just joining us, we are crowdfunding three projects on Kickstarter and also taking some time to introduce you to our participating authors, some of whom are new to eSpec. The campaign is nearing the end! Check it out to see how we’re doing, and what awesome stretch goals we are close to unlocking!

Today’s interview is with Allan Burd, contributor to Even in the Grave, edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander.


eSB: Even in the Grave is a collection of ghost stories, without spoilers, can you tell us a bit about your story and how you came up with the idea?

AB: I’ve always been fascinated with plausible, scientific explanations for what’s currently considered paranormal. And as humanity advances, so does our scientific knowledge. I’ll have to just leave it at that.

eSB: What was the greatest challenge you had coming up with an idea that would stand out among the other submissions?

AB: I favor the high concept. I’m glad that was enough for my story to be included amongst this fantastic group of authors. Whether that makes it stand out or not I’ll leave up to the readers.

eSB: Is your story a part of a greater universe stemming from other stories you have written, or does it stand alone? Whichever your answer, can you tell us about what makes that universe unique?

AB: My story was written as a contained chapter (the first) in part of a larger collection of ghost stories that I’m currently writing that all share the same literary sphere.

eSB: Do you foresee writing more stories with this character or in this world? Whichever your answer, why?

AB: Yes, simply because the concept allows for a multitude of twists and turns for me to explore as a writer.

eSB: Have you ever incorporated aspects of your own experiences in your fiction? Tell us about it.

AB: Not really as I mostly write about monsters and aliens, but from a character point of view I do pull things from real life that readers can relate to and implant them into my characters.

eSB: What haunts you as an author?

AB: Low readership 😉  While my work generally gets positive reviews, there are so many stories out there, it’s tough to cut through the clutter. I’ll just keep at it and hopefully keep rising upward so more readers can see.

eSB: Other than horror, what genres do you write in? Tell us something about your other works and what makes those genres different from writing horror.

AB: I actually don’t consider myself a horror writer. My few forays into the horror genre were for charity. I far prefer writing sci-fi, action adventure with monsters, and YA because that’s more where my head is at.

eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?

AB: I wrote a chapter book with my son when he was much younger and put it out there on Amazon. It called The Crazy Invisible Kid vs. The Eye Monster (because who better for someone invisible to lock horns with). It’s cute. I wish more people would check it out.

eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?

Hellion Ad 3AB: The Roswell Protocols was my first novel. I wanted to do a realistic take on what would happen if the incident at Roswell repeated itself in our current day and age and what would happen if the ship did NOT crash in the United States. Even though the book was published over a decade ago, it’s still my best seller. My most recent novel is Hellion, a YA romp that features monsters, magic, and mayhem all firmly grounded in the suburbs of fictional Westville. This one I consider my best written.

eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?

AB: I have a few more short stories in the pipeline, along with a novel looking for a home, and a few screenplays I’ll be pitching sometime this year.


IMG_4990 copyAllan Burd is a science fiction author hailing from Long Island, New York that loves penning exciting stories about the supernatural and aliens. He also occasionally dabbles in children’s books and short stories. His first novel, The Roswell Protocols, about a second crashed UFO, published in 2009 got the ball rolling and he’s been writing ever since. He is a contributor to The New York State of Fright.

Learn more about Allan Burd: 

Website  *  GoodReads Amazon  *  BookBub

PRESS RELEASE – EVEN IN THE GRAVE


NeoParadoxa Steps into the Shadows with Even in the Grave

A new anthology of chilling tales edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander

Pennsville, NJ—January 10, 2021—NeoParadoxa, an imprint of eSpec Books, is excited to announce a new anthology of original ghost stories, edited by award-winning authors James Chambers and Carol Gyzander. The book will be supported by a crowd-funding campaign set to launch in February 2022. 

“The ghost story as a literary device offers endless opportunities for storytelling,” said editor, James Chambers. “Ghosts exist in some form in nearly all cultures and societies and have long fascinated readers. From traditional tales of ghosts, like those of M.R. James, to the wild reinventions of modern authors, tales of spirits and the world beyond death provide authors opportunities to tackle almost any theme. I’m thrilled to bring readers this new collection of ghostly tales.”

This anthology of creepy and evocative ghost stories assembles tales from twenty talented authors, including award-winners Marc L. Abbott, Teel James Glenn, Caroline Flarity, Robert Masterson, and Steven Van Patten. Haunted from beyond, these stories travel from the modern city to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America to the prehistoric past, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain. 

“Just as early religion can be seen as an attempt to explain of the world around us and our place in it, ghost stories can be one way to explore what happens after we are gone,” said editor, Carol Gyzander. “Some are spooky and scary, offering social commentary or cautionary words about how to live our lives, while others are heart-warming and reassuring. I love that we run the gamut with the ghost stories in this collection.”

Even in the Grave also features stories by Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Patrick Freivald, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner,  Robert Ottone, Rick Poldark, and Lou Rera.

“I have to tell you something,” said publisher Danielle McPhail. “I am not a horror person. As a writer or a reader. That’s me, my preference, not a smack-down of the genre. I tell you merely so you can appreciate that if I have accepted these manuscripts for publication it is because the authors have impressed me so very much, enough to overcome my own personal preferences.”

Other books to be featured in the campaign are Ty Drago’s Rags and Eyes of the Dead, the final volume in James Chambers’s Corpse Fauna Saga.


For More Information contact Danielle McPhail, especbooks@aol.com