Category: General

Posted on by

Attention All Horror Fans!

The first volume of Haunter’s Tale is crawling to life with its release date set for October 31, 2024, by Accomplishing Innovation Press. This spine-chilling anthology promises to haunt your nightmares and transport you into a world filled with ghoulishly original stories, true ghost accounts, eerie artwork, and terrifying backstories. It’s not just a book; it’s an experience that will leave even the bravest readers questioning what is real and what is fiction.

James-Michael Roddy, the fiendish genius behind some of the most notorious Halloween events, has announced the launch of Haunter’s Tale Volume I. With this anthology series, Roddy promises to take fear to new heights by bringing together talented horror and haunt designers alongside their devoted fans. The anticipation among the horror community is palpable as they eagerly await this collection of terror-inducing tales.

Haunter’s Tale Volume I offers a unique collection unlike any other. Each page is filled with dread-inducing content that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

Original Stories: Immerse yourself in ghoulishly original tales that will send shivers down your spine.

Fear-Filled Film Scripts: Explore scripts from the minds of the best horror writers, guaranteed to give you goosebumps.

True Accounts of Famous Haunts: Discover the chilling true stories behind some of the most infamous haunted locations.

Ghostly Photographs: Be captivated by unsettling images that capture the essence of the supernatural.

Haunting Artwork: View haunting artwork created by esteemed artists in the genre that will linger in your mind long after reading.

Volume I of Haunter’s Tale features an introduction from none other than renowned horror legend, Tom Savini. Known for his groundbreaking special effects work in horror films, Savini’s introduction sets the tone for the spine-tingling journey that awaits readers.

Just a Book…or Something More?

As you immerse yourself in the pages of Haunter’s Tale, remember to keep reminding yourself, “It’s only a book.” This anthology is designed to push the boundaries of fear and blur the lines between reality and fiction. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you breathless and questioning your own sanity.

Enter the World of Haunter’s Tale

Do you dare enter the world of Haunter’s Tale? This is more than just a book; it’s an experience. It’s a celebration of the horror genre and the talented creators who bring it to life. With each volume, Haunter’s Tale aims to provide a platform where horror enthusiasts can come together, share their work, and inspire one another.

The Podcast: Expanding the Horror Universe

Along with the book series, a new hour-long podcast will also be launched. This podcast will further expand the platform for creators to showcase their dark creations and insights. Each episode will feature interviews with horror creators, discussions about the genre, and readings of original works. It’s a must-listen for any fan of horror.

Haunter’s Tale Volume I is more than just a book; it’s a gateway to a world of terror. With its release on October 31, 2024, by Accomplishing Innovation Press, this anthology series is set to become a cornerstone of horror literature. So, gather your courage, turn off the lights, and enter the world of Haunter’s Tale… if you dare!

www.haunterstale.com

www.michaelroddystoryteller.com

Posted on by

Research and Writing

Any author knows that an important part of crafting a solid story involves a decent amount of research. Facts, figures, locations, language, environment, time… the devil is in the details. And having all your proverbial ducks in a row can give your audience a truly immersive experience whether you’re writing something realistic or in your own fantastical world. Well-researched content adds depth to a story and in a way, gives more credibility to the author as an expert on a certain topic (yes, even in works of fiction!) What’s the saying? Writers write about what they know? So, if you haven’t done your homework on a specific subject, why would you attempt to write about it? Even in the realms of fantasy, readers tend to feel more comfortable and connected when they are grounded in some tangible form of reality, so it’s important to have your world have logic and rules and consistency. A little bit of research can definitely go a long way.

My Dawn of the Blood Witch saga is purposefully crafted around events in history. I take my characters all over the map, and through many different eras of time, using real stories as the backdrops for my plots. The research can get intense because I don’t want to have any inconsistencies or have anything misrepresented (witches are very serious business, ya know). I include infamous serial killers, ancient Christian practices, the Salem Witch Trials, widely known kidnappings, cults and exorcists (to name a few things) throughout these books and the amount of hardcore research I’ve done to get things to fit ever-so-perfectly has been a daunting task. I often find myself going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole chasing ghosts and legends so that it not only makes sense for the reader, but also in my in my head, and within the context of the overarching story. There are a lot of moving parts in this series, so it’s important for me to be precise. 

While it’s another form of work—of the entire process—researching your topic can actually be fun. Yes, I said fun! All the little tidbits and additions to each book help to tie everything together. I love dropping Easter eggs and when readers reach out to me and say things like, “Oh my God! You said that in book 2, and then it like happened in book 4, but book 4 takes place before book 2!” Mind-blown moments like that make the tedious research so rewarding. Or when someone tells me they have a kinda-obsession-kinda-crush on Ricky Kasso, too… makes me feel like I’m not the only weirdo in the world. 

The bottom line is this: know your stuff. Know what you’re talking about. Present the information in your world in a well-prepared and logical way. Readers will pick up on it and have a stronger attachment to your characters and story. As the author, proper research can empower you to produce work that is meaningful, respectful to your readers and subject matter, and will make your audience want to dive into your entire catalog!

Follow Maria on all the things!

Posted on by

How (and Why) I Wrote Mackinac Island Nation

It was 1995, and my wife and I were on a carriage tour around Mackinac Island when I thought, “What would happen if the island got cut off from the mainland? How would they cope?

Mackinac Island is notable in that there are no cars allowed on the island, only horses and bicycles. If you wanted to go anywhere, you rode a horse, rode a bike, or walked. 

There are no bridges. The only way to cover the eight-mile distance to the mainland was by ferry or a private boat between Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City. Or a snowmobile in the winter if it got cold enough.

We visited Fort Mackinac, the Iroquois Hotel, the Pink Pony restaurant, and the Grand Hotel — the place where Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve fell in love across the decades in Somewhere In Time.

The question pinged around in my brain over the weekend. How would people get food? Would they still be able to leave the island? Could people bring in supplies? Would smugglers bring in groceries? Would they build a self-sufficient economy where they didn’t need the outside world?

Vacation ended, but the question never left me. We went back three or four more times, staying in different inns and hotels, and I pondered it for the next 14 years.

Finally, one day in 2014, I started writing:

Pete stared at the fussy man in the gray wool suit sitting across from him. The man constantly adjusted and touched his glasses, and Pete wanted to rip them off his face and stomp on them.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about this,” said Pete. “It sounds like your problem, not ours.”

“Well, this affects us both, Mr. Bidwell,” said the man, touching his glasses again. “And it affects everyone who lives on this island, visits it, or has business interests on it.”

“I don’t see how. It’s a 200-year-old treaty that’s been sitting in a dusty old office somewhere.”

The story didn’t come easily — I’d had 14 years to think of it, but honestly, I hadn’t gone past the opening scene and a few additional scenes that happened later in the story. So I started writing and waiting to see what happened as the story developed — “pantsing” it, as it were.

It was a slog, and I eventually got stuck on chapter 4. I had no idea what should happen next or how the story should progress. I had mentally certain scenes much further into the book, but I had no idea how to get there.

A friend taught me how to plan out the story on index cards, writing one plot point per card and organizing them into chapters and storylines. I learned that little trick about a week before I entered the Kerouac House in Orlando to be the Spring 2016 writer-in-residence, so I knew what I had to do once I got there.

I was dealing with a major case of impostor syndrome when my residency started, and I was sure the board was going to realize they’d made a mistake in choosing me because I wasn’t a “real writer” and were going to kick me out.

So, I buckled down and got to work. I plotted out the entire book on index cards in two days, spent a third day organizing them into chapters, and writing the outline. After that, I got to work.

I wanted to get as much done as I could because any day, the board was going to show up and kick me out. I wanted to be able to say, “No, look! I’ve been working really hard. I got a lot done. Can I please stay?”

But they never came.

They never showed up, never knocked at the door, and never asked me to leave.

In fact, they did the opposite: two months later, they asked me to join the board.

I spent the next three months working on my novel and completed half of it during my time. Then, in 2017, I didn’t touch it. At all. Ever.

Not even to look at it, gaze at it in the moonlight, or stroke its cheek and say, “Soon, my darling.” Because it was on my computer, and that would be weird.

Then, in 2018, I decided, “I’m fucking well sick of this!” and worked on it every weekend. I hung out at Vespr Coffee in East Orlando for four hours every Saturday and Sunday night and pounded away at the book, trying to finish it before the end of the year.

In September, I thought, “I must be halfway finished with this by now.” A first novel is generally about 60,000 words long, and I thought, “Surely, I’m at 30,000 by now.”

I counted up the words for each chapter and discovered I was at 90,000 but still had half the outline to go.

Uh-oh.

I started hacking up the outline, removing sub-plots and minor characters’ storylines, and was able to knock it down to five chapters to go. 

I managed to finish the rest of the book before the end of the year and clocked in at 128,000 words. 

I self-published the book in April 2019, and four years later, it was picked up by 4 Horsemen Publications, given a brand new cover, and they’re now producing my next novel, Whither, Utopia, while I’m in the middle of writing my third.

I’ve been writing satire and humor ever since a banned books poster told me not to read Slaughterhouse-Five and Catch-22, and I went and read them. Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to write books that make fun of people in power and that contain a lot of swear words.

Little did I know that one of my favorite vacation spots and an idea that bubbled and brewed for twenty years would end up becoming my most favorite book I’ve ever written. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Posted on by

Welcome to My World

“The Black Dust fell, and the world changed…”

Welcome to the world of THE JUNGLE SERIES.

As an author I followed one of the main tenets in writing, and that is, always write about what you know. Though the JUNGLE SERIES is a work of dystopian fiction, all four novels are set in the “real” world, the world I grew up in.

Southeast England is a beautiful part of the United Kingdom, the places I write about are real places, though some of the names have been changed. The same with the third novel, [LINDA’S STORY] which is mainly set in Ireland. The fourth novel [GENOCIDE] incorporates most of the U.K. especially Scotland, a wild, exciting land.

A lot of the characters are based on people I have met, people that have stuck in my memory. I have a lot of fun giving them new personas, making them dance to a new tune. Turning them into heroes or villains, colourful, whimsical characters that inhabit a real world, my world.

The world[s] I create have to be real, they have to resonate, give the characters stability, a purpose, and a home. It gives them a reason to fight. 

You are invited into my world, come meet Adam Blake, Linda Stephens, Charlie… They’re just ordinary people like you and me, in an extraordinary situation. You probably already know people who are just like them, everyday people, until they’re not.

This new world is a dangerous place, every day is a fight for survival, death lurks behind every tree, every bush. Real monsters lurk in the woodlands, in the forests, the plant life seeks your death, sentient, evil, patiently waiting for the unwary.

It’s also a beautiful place, where true friendships are born, where everyone comes together with one purpose, one goal, working together, for the common good. Love blossoms, bonds are forged, despite the terror that continually assails them. They are strong in the knowledge that whatever challenges they face they will face together, as friends, as brothers and sisters, as a family.

Welcome to my world, make yourself at home, I will tell you a story….

Follow Alan at: 

Posted on by

The World of Lizardville

I’m frequently asked how I came up with the Lizardville Ghost Story series idea. The answer is simple: I lived it, well, sort of.

I’m grateful to my mom and dad for buying the damkeeper’s house in 1969. I grew up in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. We lived on Lizardville Road in a historic four-story home built in the early 1900s, complete with a full basement, first floor, second floor, and a spacious attic.

Our house was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. Across the way, we had the ruins of a dam and the remnants of the Axe Factory along Fishing Creek. As kids in a small town of just a thousand people, we often thought life was boring. So, we made the best of it. But now, as an adult, I realize how fortunate I was to grow up in such a close-knit community.

I want to thank my older brother and a small group of neighbor kids—though I use the term “neighbors” loosely since most houses were a quarter mile apart or further. We would walk or ride bikes to visit each other. That was our only way to spend time together. We loved fishing, camping, and hiking in the woods. We used our imagination, or at least I did. Growing up in the seventies was a different experience than what the children of today face. Many of my childhood memories inspired the stories I write.

About half a mile from our house was a motorcycle shop. Back then, motorcycles were shipped in wooden crates lined with large pieces of Styrofoam, and the shop would pile all the foam out back. We would drag these large pieces of foam to Fishing Creek during the summer and float down the river, turning simple summer days into memorable adventures. We would spend a lot of time on the creek swimming and fishing. 

Wildlife thrived in the woods, creek, and the dried-up lake bed where the dam once held back the water. From swimming in the creek to fishing and encounters with various animals, these experiences became the foundation for many of my stories. I often get asked if the scene on the bridge was real. Yes, it was, and you will find many of our adventures in The Camping Trip were real, except for me talking to ghosts. 

The remains of the Axe Factory, mostly destroyed in a flood before my time, provided a fascinating area to explore. People often ask if we ever had any ghostly encounters as kids. I have to say no, but there were unexplained occurrences that left us puzzled. Our parents or older kids usually say animals or other explanations caused these events.

I encountered all sorts of wildlife in the woods—snakes, muskrats, beavers, deer, and even the occasional black bear. No matter the season, I loved the outdoors. As we became teenagers, our adventures evolved from overnight trips to full weekend excursions. Learning to live off the land was a part of life. We spent more time outside than inside. I look back now and think, what were my parents thinking. But I must mention that times were different back then. 

Posted on by

Secrets & Spires is an NIEA Finalist!

Secrets & Spires is a National Indie Excellence Award Finalist! 4 Horsemen is so excited to have Dominic N. Ashen receive this acknowledgement for Secrets & Spires – Book 3 in the Steel & Thunder series. This is such an amazing adventure with Khazak and David! If you have not started you need to dive in and catch up with all of these amazing books.

Can they make it to the top before it all comes crashing down?

Khazak has been feeling a little lost lately. By the age of thirty, he’d become the youngest Ranger Captain in his city’s history. He thought he had the rest of his life figured out until he was betrayed by people he trusted and forced to resign. The one bright spot is David, his human lover and former captive (though “former” doesn’t always apply in the bedroom). After coming so close to losing him, Khazak didn’t think twice about leaving everything behind to follow after him. Things are still new, but they have all the time in the world for David to grow comfortable with their relationship.

David’s having a rough time himself. After miraculously surviving a deadly attack, he’s left looking for answers and seeking revenge on those responsible. His search brings him to the city of Pákannon, and he’s not alone: not only is his entire team behind him—he also has Khazak, the orc who loves him and once owned him (and technically, still does). Just as he’s getting used to the idea of people knowing they’re together, someone from his past shows up and threatens all of his progress. Lucky for him, a side-quest to a mysterious city in the mountains should be exactly the distraction he needs. It’s not like anything bad or dangerous could happen, right?

This is a book filled with action, comedy, tent sex, giant snakes, and ghost stories! Read the next chapter of Khazak & David’s story and join them as they explore more of the magical world they inhabit. Readers of gay/male-on-male romances that feature kinky power-exchange relationships, BDSM, and Dom/sub elements: this book is for you!

Male/Male, Kink, Orcs, Anachronistic World, Magic, Otherworld, Award Winning, Elves, BDSM, Action & Adventure, Erotica, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Our Own Voices, Romance, Ken B. Erotic, Dominic N. Ashen, Steel & Thunder

You can purchase this book and all the others in the series here:

Secrets & Spires (Steel & Thunder #3)

You can learn more about these awards here:

https://www.indieexcellence.com/18th-annual-finalists

Posted on by

I’m in Love with Mothman: One of Halloween’s Best Romance Novels!

We are so excited for Paige Lavoie!

I’m in Love with Mothman was included by The Mary Sue in her 10 supernatural romance books to keep Halloween in your heart

22-year-old Heather is suffering from an epic case of burnout.

So, just like any other young influencer, she

  • abandons her social platforms. Check!
  • gathers up her best flowy dresses. Check!
  • and moves to a desolate cabin. Check!

Heather imagines spending her #unplugged days traipsing through the woods and tending to her garden. However, her cottagecore fantasy is turned upside down when a wounded cryptid crashes into her roof—and her heart.

With no help from her internet followers, and the local monster-hunter growing suspicious, Heather’s quiet life in the wilderness has suddenly become a little more complicated. To make matters worse, she thinks she might be falling in love with the brooding winged man in her living room.

See post from The Mary Sue here:

Or you can order I’m in Love with Mothman and the two sequels to the trilogy here:

I’m in Love with Mothman (Mothman in Love #1)
Posted on by

Haunter’s Tale: Where Terror Comes to Life

The sun sets earlier, and the chill in the air grows sharper as we approach October 31, 2024 – the release date for Haunter’s Tale. Published by Accomplishing Innovation Press, this anthology promises to be a haven for horror enthusiasts, filled with spine-tingling tales, real-life ghost encounters, haunting artwork, and more. Curated by none other than the legendary mastermind of Halloween events, James-Michael Roddy, Haunter’s Tale is set to become the ultimate horror anthology series.

Behind every horrific creation lies a dark mind. In the case of Haunter’s Tale, that mind belongs to James-Michael Roddy. With his impressive background in crafting fear-inducing experiences, Roddy brings a unique perspective to this anthology. Fans are eagerly anticipating the release of Haunter’s Tale, curious to see what horrors he has in store for them within its pages.

Haunter’s Tale promises to be more than just a book; it is an immersive experience. Each volume will feature:

  • Original Stories: Terrifying tales that push the boundaries of horror.
  • True Ghost Accounts: Real-life hauntings that will make you question the safety of your own home.
  • Haunting Artwork: Stunning visuals that perfectly complement the stories.
  • Backstories and More: A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of these terrifying tales.
  • Interviews: In-depth conversations with the creators, offering insight into their dark minds.

Volume One, Haunters and Hauntings, kicks off the series with an introduction from none other than horror legend Tom Savini. Known for his work in special effects and makeup on some of the most iconic horror films, Savini’s foreword sets the tone for the rest of the anthology. His unique insights and experiences add an extra layer of terror to the collection.

The Haunter’s Tale Podcast

To further engage with the horror community, a podcast will be launched alongside the book series. This hour-long show will feature:

  • Interviews: Conversations with the creators featured in Haunter’s Tale.
  • Genre Discussions: Deep dives into various aspects of horror, from literature to film.
  • Readings: Dramatic interpretations of the original works, bringing the stories to life in a new way.
  • Enter the World of Haunter’s Tale

Dare to enter the world of Haunter’s Tale, where every shadow conceals a story and every whisper is a warning. This anthology is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to be terrified!

www.haunterstale.com

www.michaelroddystoryteller.com

Posted on by

Meet J. B. Moonstar

A woman in a blue shirt witha blonde ponytail smiles at the camera.

Hi, I’m J.B. Moonstar!  

I have loved the natural world from an early age and enjoy going to zoos and aquariums and watching animal shows on TV.  One of my favorite animals is the meerkat!  My stories are eco-fantasy adventures for juvenile readers (7 years and up).  In my stories, the dragons and mermaids are the “good guys”, and with help from my young heroes, they rescue endangered animals.  I want my readers to learn that animals have lives – families and homes – and just want to survive among the growing threats posed by humans.  My books also give children a glimpse of the world from the animal’s point of view.  I hope that I can encourage children to learn about, and love, nature as much as I do!

Living in Florida, it is summer most of the year. Even in winter it doesn’t get too cold, and I don’t even own a heavy coat. I raised orphan squirrels for several years and started because in 2004 we had three hurricanes within a six-week period and numerous squirrel nests were blown from the trees. I rescued two of them and contacted a local wildlife group on how to raise them.  While I don’t raise the babies anymore, I have “my squirrels” now whom I feed and provide water out in the back yard. One squirrel is a character in my books (Sedric from the Jenna books). I also have two red-winged hawks that perch on my fence and screen porch on a regular basis, we can hear them calling to each other all the time. We call these two beautiful hawks Mr. and Mrs. Taylor based on Taylor’s hawk from the Taylor books.

Why did I start writing?  

My daughter was an avid reader in grade school, always one of the top readers in the class. When she was in 4th grade, she was reading at a much higher level. However, as a 4th grader, I didn’t want her to be reading some of the books that are out there for high school students. So that is why my first book was written, I wanted to write a story with lots of action and adventure, dragons, unicorns and magic, but still safe for a 4th grader to read.  

It hasn’t been an easy road – but I’m glad I decided to keep going!  One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Ford – “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right!”  When I first started writing books, I had a rocky start, and almost stopped; however, I answered the call for submissions from the 4HP and I feel great now about writing – my characters are ready to have adventures and happy to be part of my books.  Some of them write their own books, and I’m just here to type them up.  I really enjoy writing now and consider myself an author.  Thanks, 4HP!

How do I write – am I a Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser? 

I’m not sure. I try and plan the facts out, but facts don’t tell the story. Sometimes you just don’t know what is going to happen. When writing Jenna and the Eyes of Fire, I remember getting about three quarters of the way through and everything was stacked against Jenna. I thought to myself – how is she going to get out of this, and I just stared at the computer screen for a several minutes. My character, Jenna, (in my head) realized she had to do something now – time was running out.  She couldn’t wait for me to figure it out, so Jenna basically wrote the rest herself, letting me know how she would handle things and how the book would end.  I was just there to write it down. Now that dragon Megan is in Ituria’s world, she loves adventure, so I just put her in a situation, and she takes it from there.  As I told my publisher, Taylor and Megan really wanted to be in a book together, so they basically wrote Taylor and the Final Nine themselves in just a few weeks.  

I learned early on that I should listen to what my characters want to do, because if I try to force them to do something they don’t want to do, whole chapters fall apart, and I have to start over. They are in control, and if they don’t get what they want, the story doesn’t work. 

Ituria’s Alliance continues!

Come join me in the adventures of Knocker, Megan, Michelle (the part-time mermaid), and the other members of Ituria’s Alliance as they rescue animals and protect nature from illegal poaching and other dangers posed by humans!   We are always looking for new recruits for Ituria’s Alliance! 

Website:   www.jbmoonstar.com

Instagram:   @j.b.moonstar 

Email:  jbmoonstar.author@gmail.com

Posted on by

A True Story of Cosmic Horror

Let me tell you a true story of cosmic horror. 

It’s a story from my childhood. 

I used to be so afraid of lightning storms. A long time ago now, I lived in Illinois, in a small town—I’ve basically always lived in small towns—and the weather in that state can be extreme. It’s got tornados, yes, and I have some memorable moments hiding from those—but that’s not what I mean. Illinois doesn’t mess around. 

The summers aren’t as hot as Florida, where I currently live, but they certainly weren’t pleasant. Springtime brought rain that would last for hours. The wind during fall was enough to make you step backward. And the winters…there’s a reason Chicago is famous for its winters. To my now Florida-acclimated self, the idea of the outside being that cold is truly scary. 

But what scared me was the lightning storms. The sound of them. The wind. Loud noises didn’t usually scare me. But the thunder did. I would try to sleep, try to rest, but each and every thunderclap would keep me awake. The usual childhood fears often didn’t find me, but the storm was real. I’d seen the damage storms can do. I can’t recall now, but I have to imagine I even feared that the house’s walls would not hold back the storm. That the world, at least where I was, was ending.

If you’ve read my first book, Nothing Will Be Left, the idea of something in the sky destroying things might sound familiar. The very first part—and still one of my favorite things I’ve written—of the book is about an event where hands from the sky take thirteen people. I gave it the name Murder Sky. 

One of the things I’ve always liked about exploring cosmic horror—and science fiction, too—is the idea of scale. Going back to my time in Illinois, I would marvel at the scale of a city. Skyscrapers are impressive, yeah, but it was thinking of each of those massive buildings being full of people that really got the mind going. Being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic is unpleasant—to put it mildly—but even seeing that sea of cars hinted at how many people there were. Even to this day, I get a sort of existential vertigo when I consider that things are happening everywhere at all times. The stores are open all day, the restaurant makes hundreds of orders, and cars are constantly carting people to more locations than I can know, visit, or understand. 

It’s honestly kind of shocking it took me until my late twenties to really start writing cosmic horror, given all this. Sure, I haven’t been scared of lightning storms in a long time. Sometimes the arcing lighting is amazing, and the rain helps clear away the heat. I think I like storms now. But the sky is a different matter. I think about the night sky and the space between planets and it does, in a way, still scare me. 

Follow October Kane on social media: