LEAVING THE #9 BY E.M. MARKOFF

LEAVING THE #9 BY E.M. MARKOFF - Today’s post features another writer from Tales for the Camp Fire. While some stories in the anthology are reprints, ‘Leaving the #9’ by E.M. Markoff was written especially for Tales. After witnessing an incident involving her brother, a sister takes the #9 bus to the end of the line, to seek guidance from a curandera. Markoff provides a fresh take on the ghost story, imbued with Mexican folklore, and portrays instantly relatable characters. In particular, Miss Cire is unforgettable. Please remember that profits benefit victims of California’s greatest disaster, the Camp Fire of 2018. Want to read more? 

Sign up for her mailing list here: http://www.ellderet.com/campfire

REVIEW OF MIDWINTER BY MICK D

REVIEW OF MIDWINTER BY MICK D - ‘Short story about the bronze age origins of Christmas. Could very well serve as prologue of a larger work. Very well written and an enjoyable read.’

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2808948213

MARY SHELLEY

MARY SHELLEY - Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin’s mother died only 11 days after her birth. In her later writing, death would become a pervasive fixture of Mary’s life. She was born to her father William Godwin, an anarchist and atheist, and her mother Mary Wollstonecraft, a radical feminist for the time. When her father remarried, she had a difficult relationship with her stepmother. Percy Bysshe Shelley, an influential Romantic poet, began a romance with Mary in 1814 while he was still married. When they returned to England from travels in France, she was pregnant with his child. After his wife’s suicide they married, and Mary also endured the death of their premature daughter. One historic day at the age of 18, Mary rented Swiss villa with her husband, joined by Lord Byron and his mistress/ Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont. They were accompanied by John William Polidori, the creator of the vampire fiction, and author of The Vampyre. The group wrote, canoed on Lake Geneva, and talked late into the night. It rained incessantly, which forced them to remain indoors. So they gathered around the fireplace, telling tales of German ghost stories. Lord Byron, a well-known Romantic poet in his own right, urged everyone to write their own ghost story. Each morning, upon being asked what she came up with, Mary couldn’t articulate a new idea. But on one particular sleepless night, she was haunted by a waking dream, wherein she was paid a visit by a reanimated corpse. At first she thought it would be a short story, but her husband encouraged her to develop a novel. Frankenstein--or, The Modern Prometheus--was published in 1818. During their marriage she edited and promoted her husband’s writing. But after Percy drowned in a sailing accident, she devoted herself to a career as an author. She died at the age of 53, most likely from a brain tumor. 

http://www.chadschimke.com/2020/07/frankensteins-monster.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/06/mary-shelley.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/frankenstein.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/frankenstein-by-mary-shelleymp3.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2015/07/frankenstein-1931.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2015/07/frankenstein.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2012/10/frankenstein-or-modern-prometheus-by.html

ADA, AWAKE BY L.S. JOHNSON

ADA, AWAKE BY L.S. JOHNSON - In the short story entitled ‘Ada, Awake’ L.S. Johnson blends Regency romance and Gothic fiction, with a touch of HPL cosmic horror. A fetching peasant awakens to her true gifts, after a carriage ride to a French chateau, with a mysterious artifact for sale. ‘Ada, Awake’ first appeared via Strangelet Press in 2016. Find this story, along with others by 24 horror authors from Northern California, included within Tales for the Camp Fire. Profits go to the victims of the November 2018 Camp Fire, California’s worst natural disaster. Want to read more? 

Sign up for L.S. Johnson’s newsletter here: https://traversingz.com/tag/tales-for-the-camp-fire/

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews (2013)

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews (2013)
At the Sparrow School, a former ballerina is forced to undergo espionage training, to seduce targets of the Russian government.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...


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THE VAMPIRE LOVERS

THE VAMPIRE LOVERS - Produced by Hammer Films, The Vampire Lovers stars Ingrid Pitt in the title role, a vampire first depicted in a novella, Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. After a carriage ride, Carmilla is dropped off at the chateau, when she captures the lord of the manor’s daughter (Emma). The vampire kills everyone who tries to take her new lover away, but somehow Carl is able to rescue Emma. Carmilla flees to her ancestral castle, now laying ruins.  Carl, Emma and two accomplices find Carmilla's grave, and according to vampire lore, she can only be killed by one method. So they cut off her head and drive a stake through her heart. The film was considered daring for its depictions of lesbianism and nudity, which are quite innocent by today’s standards. These themes reference the source material and provide all the trappings of gothic fiction. Shot in a bona fide mansion, the majestic building adds to the dream-like ambiance. Brooding actors flit down hallways lit by candelabras, attired in Regency costumes. I have loved vampires for as long as I can remember. Having watched most every vampire flick, I’ve seen each one, from Nosferatu up to the present. The Vampire Lovers is a film you should not miss! 

#vladdracula #bramstokersdracula #hammerhorror #fangs #draculavlad #christopherlee #immortal #dracula #vampire #childrenofthenight #dracul #petercushing #belalugosi #vampires #castlevania #bramstoker #romania #nosferatu #boriskarloff #vampyre

REVIEW OF VIVIFIED BY AMI

REVIEW OF VIVIFIED BY AMI - ‘This is an interesting short story with an excellent way of pointing out how actions, and their consequences, are often ignored. Sometimes, only after it is to late, it appears to be such an obvious consideration. Suspense flows throughout and the conclusion is surprising. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.’

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2740083277

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003)

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003)
When a symbologist investigates a murder in the Louvre, the victim is discovered with an inscription beside his body. This involves him in a battle between two secret monastic orders.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...


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WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE

WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE - AMC is filming a 3rd series this summer in Virginia, currently slated for 10 episodes, it’s scheduled to premiere in 2020. Based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, the new show will follow its predecessors: The Walking Dead (2010) and Fear the Walking Dead (2015). TWD wrapped its 9th season in March and FTWD premieres its 5th season in June. The newly minted as-yet-unnamed series will feature two females coming of age in the apocalypse. When viciousness is ubiquitous, some commit their own acts of terror, while other disdain injustice. Choosing females to portray came about since audiences liked them so much in the TWD/ FTWD universe. Michonne, Carol, Maggie and Sasha are huge breakout stars, noted for their epic portrayals. Also planned are 3 films starring Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), as part of the ever expanding franchise. The Grimes storyline, which goes into production this year, follows him after being separated from the rest of his group. While zombies in entertainment become just as prevalent as vampires were a decade or so ago, the original TWD is still sinking in ratings. But conceptually, TWD continues to be a powerhouse for content creation with the folks at AMC. We shall see what happens next, in the Fragmentation of the Dead. 

https://www.chadschimke.com/2021/08/the-walking-deads-final-season.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2021/02/maggies-back.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2020/03/michonnes-sword.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2020/03/heavycom-michonnes-sword.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/05/walking-dead-franchise.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/02/michonnes-last-stand.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2018/10/fragmentation-of-dead.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2018/02/goodbye-carl.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2017/05/the-walking-dead.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2017/05/the-walking-dead_4.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2017/05/the-walking-dead-vid-clip.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2015/10/the-walking-dead-1-5-circa-2003.html

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)
When a man complains of insomnia, his doctor advises him to attend a support group to experience real suffering, like Fight Club.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...


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5 QUESTIONS FOR CHAD SCHIMKE BY LOREN RHOADS

5 Questions for Chad Schimke

Chad Schimke is a member of my local Horror Writers Association chapter. His story "Vivified" will appear in Tales for the Camp Fire, a charity anthology put together by the HWA group to raise money for victims of the deadliest wildfire in California history. Chad's newest short story "Behind the Walls," was released via TANSTAAFL...

Phantoms by Dean Koontz (1983)

Phantoms by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phantoms by Dean Koontz (1983)
Heavily influenced by Lovecraft, two sisters return home to find everyone mutilated or missing. Their town was built over the den of amoeboid shapeshifter that mimics and consumes life forms.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...
Phantoms

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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)
Buffalo Bill kidnaps, starves, skins and sews his victim’s skin into suits, then dumps their remains in nearby rivers. Clarice Starling questions Dr. Hannibal Lecter as she tries to locate him.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...


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