DAY 9 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: POP THE CLUTCH: THRILLING TALES OF ROCKABILLY, MONSTERS, AND HOT ROD HORROR

I’ll be posting all contributors here, one-a-day, to reveal the table of contents for the latest anthology that I’ve created: Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror, to be published by Dark Moon Books on January 14, 2019!

DAY 9 of 18: John M. Floyd

1. Seanan McGuire presents “The Golden Girls of Fall”
2. Weston Ochse presents “Sea Lords of the Columbia”
3. Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale present “Tremble”
4. Gary Phillips presents “The Demon of the Track”
5. Jason Starr presents “Outlawed Ink”
6. Nancy Holder presents “We Might Be Giants”
7. Duane Swierczynski presents “Universal Monster”
8. David J. Schow presents “Draggers”
9. John M. Floyd presents “The Starlite Drive-In”

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EXCERPT:

       . . . That second room was empty too, except for the wall shelves. Stacked there were dozens of big reels of film, some in cases, others lying overturned with their black and shiny innards spilling out. Katie used Foley’s flashlight to examine several of the reels. “Old movies,” she said to him, then smirked and added, “Real gems, too. From the fifties and sixties, looks like.” She read off a few titles: “Mothra. Killer Shrews. Day of the Triffids. Rodan. Son of Godzilla. The Horror of Dracula. The Blob. The Creature From—”
       “I get the idea. In fact, I’d heard about it.”
       “Heard about what?”
      “Delbert Turner, the guy who owned this place forever, died a while back. When he had to close down, years before, and sell all his projection equipment—well, some said he couldn’t make himself get rid of the old movies. Or at least the scary ones.”
      Katie narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about, Billy?”
      He let out a sigh. “It was a crazy thing. Notice I didn’t say he closed down—I said he had to close down. From everything I’ve heard, there was a rash of unexplained murders around here, along with . . . well . . . sightings.”

—“The Starlite Drive-In” by John M. Floyd

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ABOUT: JOHN M. FLOYD

JOHN M. FLOYD’s work has appeared in more than 250 different publications, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine, Woman’s World, The Saturday Evening Post, Mississippi Noir, and The Best American Mystery Stories. A former Air Force captain and IBM systems engineer, John is also an Edgar Award nominee, a three-time Derringer Award winner, and a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. His seventh book, The Barrens, is scheduled for release in fall 2018.

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PREORDER NOW FOR THIS AND 17 OTHER TALES OF THRILLING FUN AND IMAGINATION!!

Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Clutch-Thrilling-Rockabilly-Monsters/dp/1949491056

Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/pop_the_clutch.html

Releasing: January 14, 2019

“A fitting tribute to the 1950s with this 18-story compendium of hot rods, rock ’n’ roll, and creature features come to life.” —Publishers Weekly

DAY 8 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: POP THE CLUTCH: THRILLING TALES OF ROCKABILLY, MONSTERS, AND HOT ROD HORROR

I’ll be posting all contributors here, one-a-day, to reveal the table of contents for the latest anthology that I’ve created: Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror, to be published by Dark Moon Books on January 14, 2019!

DAY 8 of 18: David J. Schow

1. Seanan McGuire presents “The Golden Girls of Fall”
2. Weston Ochse presents “Sea Lords of the Columbia”
3. Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale present “Tremble”
4. Gary Phillips presents “The Demon of the Track”
5. Jason Starr presents “Outlawed Ink”
6. Nancy Holder presents “We Might Be Giants”
7. Duane Swierczynski presents “Universal Monster”
8. David J. Schow presents “Draggers”

###

EXCERPT:

       . . . Tool’s heap shambled to a halt in a storm front of track-shoulder dust, but Rodrigo was nowhere to be seen . . . until Breezer saw the big guy filling up the Beast’s driver’s side window, heard him yanking open the door, felt him rousting Breezer out of his ride with one fisted glove.
       “You cut Tool off! You cut me off! That f**ker had better die, and I mean it!”
      It was track law among Faults, like a commandment: You die, you lose.
      Rodrigo’s voice was hot tar and broken glass. He was strong enough and mad enough to hold Breezer aloft one-handed. Breezer’s boots dangled a foot off the ground. Rodrigo’s breath would haze your eyes to tears and make you regret thinking of roadkill. His teeth ran in irregular crags that looked sharpened, maybe filed. One eye was fused almost shut by an old injury. The more visible eye had a huge black iris, like a dog’s. His shredded leathers were smoldering and Breezer could see him bleeding from a dozen fresh wounds. Rodrigo tore off his helmet with his other hand and smashed it down to spin in the gravel with that abrasive bucket sound helmets make. Close-up, Rodrigo’s exposed head seemed twice the size of Breezer’s own, upholstered in thick features, scar tissue, and crimson rage. His hair hadn’t grown back on one side after a previous race. His features had caught a lot of flak, and his skin looked like rubber bacon . . .

—“Draggers” by David J. Schow

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ABOUT: DAVID J. SCHOW

DAVID J. SCHOW is an award-winning writer who lives in Los Angeles.

His novels include The Kill Riff, The Shaft, Rock Breaks Scissors Cut, Bullets of Rain, Gun Work, Hunt Among the Killers of Men (part of Hard Case Crime’s “Gabriel Hunt” series), Internecine, Upgunned, and the forthcoming The Big Crush (2019).

His short stories have been regularly selected for over thirty volumes of “Year’s Best” anthologies across three decades and have won the World Fantasy Award, the ultra-rare Dimension Award from Twilight Zone magazine, plus a 2002 International Horror Guild Award for Wild Hairs, his compendium of justly provocative “Raving & Drooling” columns written for Fangoria. The newest of his ten short story collections is a greatest hits anniversary compendium titled DJStories (2018).

He has been a contributor to Storm King Comics’ John Carpenter’s Tales for a Halloween Night since its very first issue. Storm King has just released the first in his five-issue series for John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction—“The Standoff.”

Schow is also the editor of the landmark horror anthology Silver Scream (1988), the three-volume Lost Bloch series (reprinting Robert Bloch obscuria) for Subterranean Press, and Elvisland by John Farris (Babbage, 2004).

DJS has written extensively for film (The Crow, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, The Hills Run Red) and television (Masters of Horror, Mob City). His nonfiction works include The Art of Drew Struzan (2010) and The Outer Limits at 50 (2014). He can be seen on various DVDs as expert witness or documentarian on everything from Creature from the Black Lagoon to Psycho to I, Robot. Thanks to him, the word “splatterpunk” has been in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2002.

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PREORDER NOW FOR THIS AND 17 OTHER TALES OF THRILLING FUN AND IMAGINATION!!

Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Clutch-Thrilling-Rockabilly-Monsters/dp/1949491056

Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/pop_the_clutch.html

Releasing: January 14, 2019

“A fitting tribute to the 1950s with this 18-story compendium of hot rods, rock ’n’ roll, and creature features come to life.” —Publishers Weekly

DAY 7 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: POP THE CLUTCH: THRILLING TALES OF ROCKABILLY, MONSTERS, AND HOT ROD HORROR

I’ll be posting all contributors here, one-a-day, to reveal the table of contents for the latest anthology that I’ve created: Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror, to be published by Dark Moon Books on January 14, 2019!

DAY 7 of 18: Duane Swierczynski

1. Seanan McGuire presents “The Golden Girls of Fall”
2. Weston Ochse presents “Sea Lords of the Columbia”
3. Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale present “Tremble”
4. Gary Phillips presents “The Demon of the Track”
5. Jason Starr presents “Outlawed Ink”

6. Nancy Holder presents “We Might Be Giants”

7. Duane Swierczynski presents “Universal Monster”

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EXCERPT:

      . . . Bobby hired him because he needed another monster picture. He always needs monsters. The studio hasn’t had a bona fide hit since the green guy with the gills. When you’re desperate, you turn to desperate people. People like Marvel Whitehead. Goddamn weirdo.”

      We were headed up into the mountains by this point, on our way to the desert. I wondered if I should put the top up. It was already oven-hot.

       “I was in the office when Bobby brought him in to pitch. He tried a bunch of bullshit on us. Rampaging insects made of human body parts. A country full of witches. Ghosts who weren’t really dead, and so on. Nothing clicked with Bobby. And then Marvel pulled the old, ‘Well, I do have one more thing, but I don’t know if it would interest you, people have never seen anything like it, I don’t know if audiences could stand it, blah blah blah.’ We both realized all that other bullshit had been a set-up for this big idea he obviously wanted to pitch. So Bobby says, ‘Come on, let’s hear it, already.’”

      I side-eyed new girl to see if the warm air had made her drift off to sleep. But no. She was paying close attention to me, hanging on my every word.

       “Marvel had an idea for a new kind of monster. One that people in the audience can’t escape, he says. That’s because it actually comes to life and crawls off the screen, he says. . .

—“ Universal Monster” by Duane Swierczynski

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ABOUT: DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI

DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI is the Edgar-nominated author of ten novels including Revolver, Canary, and the Shamus Award-winning Charlie Hardie series, many of which are in development for film/TV. Duane has also written over 250 comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Valiant, IDW, and Archie, and collaborated with James Patterson on The House Husband, The Shut-In, and Stingrays, as well as CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker on the bestselling Level 26 series. Earlier in his career, Duane worked as an editor and writer for Details, Men’s Health, and Philadelphia magazines, and was the editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia City Paper. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

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PREORDER NOW FOR THIS AND 17 OTHER TALES OF THRILLING FUN AND IMAGINATION!!

Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Clutch-Thrilling-Rockabilly-Monsters/dp/1949491056

Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/pop_the_clutch.html

Releasing: January 14, 2019

“A fitting tribute to the 1950s with this 18-story compendium of hot rods, rock ’n’ roll, and creature features come to life.” —Publishers Weekly

DAY 6 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: POP THE CLUTCH: THRILLING TALES OF ROCKABILLY, MONSTERS, AND HOT ROD HORROR

I’ll be posting all contributors here, one-a-day, to reveal the table of contents for the latest anthology that I’ve created: Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror, to be published by Dark Moon Books on January 14, 2019!

DAY 6 of 18: Nancy Holder

1. Seanan McGuire presents “The Golden Girls of Fall”
2. Weston Ochse presents “Sea Lords of the Columbia”
3. Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale present “Tremble”
4. Gary Phillips presents “The Demon of the Track”
5. Jason Starr presents “Outlawed Ink”

6. Nancy Holder presents “We Might Be Giants”

###

EXCERPT:

      . . . “Listen, Johnny, we don’t have much time,” Flat-top said. “As we feared, your people have exploded their weapon. Your atmosphere will soon grow too toxic for us. We are departing.”
      “Okay, so, that’s good, right? For us? That you’re beating feet?”
       “I can offer you sanctuary, but you must come back inside our vessel now.”
      He reached for Johnny’s arm, but Johnny turned and—
      His house—
      It had grown, it had to be at least sixty feet high. It reached into the cloudless sky like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. His knees buckled and Flat-top grabbed at him as if to drag him back to the panel.
      The porch door swung open with a mighty crash and there stood his own mother, now massive, terrifying, at least fifty feet tall! She scanned the horizon.
       “Johnny!” she shouted, and the force of her voice knocked him flat on his back.
      “Oh, my gosh, oh, gosh,” Johnny blubbered. “Ma! Ma, down here!” He waved his arms.
      She froze and cocked her head. Then she bent over and stared down at him. The pores in her skin were like craters; her eyes were as big as the high school gymnasium . . .

—“We Might Be Giants” by Nancy Holder

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ABOUT: NANCY HOLDER

NANCY HOLDER is the New York Times bestselling author (the Wicked series, with Debbie Viguié) of over 80 novels and 200 short stories. She has received five Bram Stoker awards, a Scribe award, and a Young Adult Fiction Pioneer Award. She is the former vice president of the Horror Writers Association and currently sits on the HWA board of trustees. A recent work was the novelization of Crimson Peak, the classic gothic film by Guillermo del Toro. Her current ongoing project is the comic book series “Mary Shelley Presents” for Kymera Press, adapting the work of women writers of the supernatural from all over the world. She presents lectures and presentations on Mary Shelley whenever possible. She is on Facebook and Twitter @nancyholder. She lives in Washington state and travels to Italy whenever possible.

###

PREORDER NOW FOR THIS AND 17 OTHER TALES OF THRILLING FUN AND IMAGINATION!!

Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Clutch-Thrilling-Rockabilly-Monsters/dp/1949491056

Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/pop_the_clutch.html

Releasing: January 14, 2019

“A fitting tribute to the 1950s with this 18-story compendium of hot rods, rock ’n’ roll, and creature features come to life.” —Publishers Weekly