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.

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Vox Astra: The Black Box

James Chambers

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.

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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.

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Rags

by Ty Drago

Atlantic 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.

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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.

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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.

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Rags

by Ty Drago

Atlantic 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

“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 – STEVEN VAN PATTEN

These interviews are related to our GHOST AND GHOULS AND OTHER CREEPY THINGS campaign. 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 has launched! Check it out to see how we’re doing, and what awesome rewards are left to be had!

eSpec Books interviews Steven Van Patten, contributor to Even in the Grave, edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander.

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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?

SVP: My story, “Blind Spot” is about a man traumatized by a childhood incident, only to end up even more damaged.

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

SVP: Honestly, it wasn’t that much of a challenge. The pandemic, along with my work writing Black History episodes for the Extra History has put me in a mood. Not saying I need an intervention or something, but lately coming up with dark stuff isn’t that hard.

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?

SVP: It’s a one-off, a total stand alone. It’s unique in that along with it being a horror story, there is a deep sadness running throughout.

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

SVP: I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure. I’m a creative. Who knows what’s going to hit me or inspire me down the road.

eSB: Okay, first off the top of your head, who is your favorite ghost and why?

SVP: Alma/Eva from Peter Straub’s Ghost Story.

eSB: Do you believe in ghosts, and why? Is there an experience in your life you can share with us that strengthened that belief?

SVP: People say I claimed to see ghosts when I was a child. I don’t remember the incidents, but I have had other experiences that have led me to believe in lingering energies.

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

SVP: Strangely, I never told anyone what my grandparents said about me claiming to see their friend. You guys are the first ones to be told this outside of family. I have yet to use the story.

eSB: What haunts you as an author?

SVP: Creative writing can be a lonely process. That’s what haunts me. Loneliness.

eSB: What drew you to appreciate the horror genre? What inspired you to write in it?

SVP: I was a bullied outcast as a kid, so horror, science fiction, and anything fantastical were my escapes. In many of these stories, heroes faced ridiculous odds and triumphed. I aspired to be those heroes, at first, but because I was often shunned by schoolmates (mostly because of my innate work ethic as well as my awkwardness), I also identified with certain monsters.

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.

SVP: Well, one of the things I do is I write for a YouTube channel ‘Extra Credit’. They have various wings and initially asked me to tackle mythology… you know… because I’m the spooky guy. Months later, George Floyd was murdered and the organization realized that they were sorely lacking in anything that tackled the African-American perspective. They asked me to tackle Black History and dealing with my own traumas, I took to the assignment gladly. Medgar Evers, The Negro Leagues, The Tulsa Riot. The history of the Cotton Gin and how it helped set the stage for the Civil War. What’s the difference? Well, in writing these stories, I am confronted by real monsters like institutional racism, and real boogeymen like J. Edgar Hoover. Some days, these stories are harder to work on because of the real suffering connected to them. I write horror because I want to. I’m doing the Black History work because I need to. 

eSB: What is your least favorite aspect of being an author, and why?

SVP: I messed up. I should have become famous for something else and THEN become an author. My work, which feeds my soul, is not always feeding the wallet.

eSB: Could you tell us about one of your most amusing experiences promoting your books?

SVP: I get asked some pretty funny questions as I move through various events and convention spaces. Some examples:

1) Why do you hate Christmas? (To be fair, this is probably because I have written a few Christmas horror shorts and even performed them in public, as demonstrated here.)

2) What is wrong with you? (I usually ask the person to be more specific.)

3) Are you really a vampire? (Yes! There, I finally said it!)

And of course:

4) You write horror? But you’re Black!

Wait… is that last one funny? I guess it depends.

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

SVP: I’m a fan of Humphrey Bogart. Or maybe his writers. That guy had some slick retorts back in the day.

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

SVP: There is Brookwater’s Curse, my vampire series. There is also Killer Genius: She Kills Because She Cares and the sequel, Killer Genius: Attack of The Gym Rats, which revolves around a socially conscious Black woman serial killer. Marc Abbott and I raised some hell with Hell at The Way Station and brought in fantasy/ sword and sorcery guru Kirk Johnson for the sequel, Hell At Brooklyn Tea. Kirk came up with a great tagline for those two. “It’s ‘Three The Hard Way’ meets ‘The Dresden Files’.” Also, I am in a number of other horror anthologies.

eSB: As a horror author, where do you find support for your writing?

SVP: My fellow members of the NY chapter of the Horror Writer’s Association have been tremendous. They always make me feel included and cared about. And Mom, even though some of the material disturbs her, is a constant cheerleader.

eSB: What advice would you give aspiring horror writers?

SVP: Spend as much time reading as you do writing. I think that will keep you from falling into doing the same thing everyone else is doing.

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

SVP: I have sequels for all of my series slowly pulling themselves out of the primordial ooze that is my imagination.

eSB: How can readers find out more about you?

SVP: Well, my number is 917… kidding.

Holler at me on social media. That is probably the best way.

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Steven Van Patten is the author of the celebrated Brookwater’s Curse vampire trilogy, and the Killer Genius serial killer series. He’s also co-author of Hell at The Way Station, which won Best Anthology and Best in Science Fiction at the 2019 African American Literary Awards. Numerous short stories have been published in over a dozen anthologies and he’s a contributing writer and consultant for the YouTube channel Extra History as well as the Viral Vignettes series.

He’s a member of the New York Chapter of The Horror Writer’s Association, The Director’s Guild of America, and professional arts fraternity Gamma Xi Phi Incorporated. He’s also the publisher of Growth: The Basics of Our Gardens, a how to guide for anyone interested in growing medicinal marijuana. A fourth of the Brookwater’s Curse series and a final Killer Genius installment are in the works now that Hell at Brooklyn Tea dropped in early 2021. His website is http://www.laughingblackvampire.com. When he is not writing scary or salacious tales, Steven can be found stage managing a plethora of TV shows and events across the tri-state area.

Find out more about Steven Van Patten:

Website   *  GoodReads  *  Amazon  *  BookBub

Follow Steven Van Patten on social media:

Twitter  *  Facebook  *  Instagram  

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.

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