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Feb Fear

1/22/2021

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Don Smith has joined the HAG board!

Facebook Group: Post your news!

Josh Schlossberg

Josh Schlossberg is a biological and microbial horror fiction author, editor, and publisher hiding out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He's a founding member of Denver Horror Collective (DenverHorror.com) and creator of Josh's Worst Nightmare (JoshsWorstNightmare.com), where he surveys the dark landscape of today's biological horror fiction. 
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Josh's novella, Malinae, will be unleashed by D&T Publishing in April 2021.
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Short film by director Marc Pearce. Featuring HAG members Angie Guinn, Maria Morrison and David Dahman.

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​Evil lurks from beyond its tomb
Summoning the souls of the damned to his clutches, feeding from their auras to replenish its strength so he may reclaim his throne. In his absence, a new beast rises to claim the seat of power, threatening pain and destruction upon the world. Fueled by hatred and the lust for power, the fiend known as Atrin lurks in the shadows and slaughters the creatures known as rifters, suckling on their souls to build his own power. Two unlikely heroes, a teenage boy named Franklyn and his wolf brother named Chij, find themselves stuck in the middle of the fight between the two evils. Along the way to save the world, Franklyn and Chij overcome obstacles that would find a lesser pair dismembered and cast deep into the pits of hell. Together, they risk their lives so that the rest of the world may once again live in peace without worry of damnation on Earth. Inexperienced and unprepared, the unlikely duo discovers that the only option is to face the evil entities head on, whether the outcome results in life or death. Join them in their destiny as they embark on their Final Reverie.

Scott Essel Pratt



Josh Davis
Andrew Lennon
 Authors of Terror Tract and a few guests take Christmas a horrifying direction.
Filled will tales that will have you changing the words to your favorite carols.
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Jonathan Lambert
Thomas M. Malafarina
Aaron Lebold
Terry Miller
L.C. Valentine
R.C. Mulhare
Edmund Stone
Derek Austin Johnson
Craig Gerard Ferguson
David Owain Hughes

​Eric Kapitan
​Josh Davis

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Rob Shepherd
Dusty Davis
Mawr Gorshin
​Andrew Lennon
C.M. Saunders & Michael McCarty

Ruthann Jagge

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Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York where her favorite month of October is magical and terrifying. 
She currently lives on a cattle ranch in Texas and the porches on her 100 year farmhouse are painted "haint blue" just in case...If you listen closely, the night air whispering through these old fields has a lot to say. Her stories are influenced by extensive travel and appreciation for homegrown horror and superstition.Several works are in progress including a full length novel that wakes her at night for editing.

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Josh was a contributor to Rue Morgue for four years, and a contributing writer for The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror and The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles. He lives near Fort Worth, Texas with his wife Jordan, two children, and their dog Behr.
The God in the Hills is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for any die-hard feminist horror fans: all of the male characters are despicable misogynists. There is an embarrassment of riches for fans of splattergore, for certain: characters are impaled, spines are broken, and orifices are violated in the most excruciating ways imaginable. (…) Steffens’ imagery is wickedly colorful and effective, so don’t read on an empty stomach unless you’re looking to lose a few pounds.”– Rebecca Rowland (Rowland Books)

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Jon Steffens is the author of the short novella The God in the Hills, and the short story “Foul Treats”, featured in the anthology Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, & Madness: Twenty Tales of Halloween.

Jon Steffens


  • Most common mistakes
  • Subject-Verb Disagreement
  • Could of
  • Your and You’re
  • Case of Pronouns
  • Subjunctive Mood
  • Dangling Participles
  • There, Their, They’re
  • Affect vs. Effect
  • It’s vs. Its
  • Lead vs. Led
  • Principle vs. Principal
  • Bring vs. Take
  • The Horrible Like Word

What does your favorite color say about you?
​Find out here:  Personaity Traits



Kevin David Anderson

 Kevin David Anderson was born in Indiana, and currently lives and writes speculative fiction in Southern California. Before becoming a writer and active member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association), Anderson earned a B. A. in Mass Communication (TCOM) with a focus on Media Production from CSUF (Fresno State), and worked as a marketing professional for more than a decade, during which he managed award-winning campaigns for both television and radio. Anderson's short stories have appeared in almost a hundred publications, from anthologies and magazines to podcasts and radio dramas. His work has appeared in multiple languages and on every continent, excluding Antarctica - mostly because penguins and polar bears don't read. Anderson was the first American to be published in the award-winning South African Horror Magazine, Something Wicked. Anderson's short story Third Shift took first position in the Top International Horror competition from Rain Fall books in the UK. Anderson has contributed to many award-worthy publications including the British Fantasy Award-winning magazine Murky Depths, and the Bram Stoker nominated anthology, The Beauty of Death from Independent Legions Publishing. Several dozen of his stories have been turned into audio productions with voice talents like Jason Hill, Rish Outfield, and Mur Lafferty, on Parsec Award-winning podcasts like Pseudopod, The Drabblecast, The Dunesteef and on the very popular Simply Scary Podcast and the No Sleep Podcast.
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February Cover of the Month

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When we suffer for our art....

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New Year: New Fears

12/30/2020

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How about a Wendigo or an Apex Predator, or even worse? DA Roberts has it!
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Scary Blog !
Welcome to Horror Bob's Blog II. This is a Memorial blog for retired video store owner and blog interviewer Robert "Horror Bob" Masters. Eric Morse and The Wolf Pack inherited the original Horror Bob's Blog on Overblog after Robert's death in January 2012. Since then in honor of him we have strived to do quality movie reviews, interviews, and commentary to keep his memory alive....Keep on Creepin'! Unearthed Tombs: An Analysis of Poltergeist, and Poltergeist II
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Check out these covers!

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Find Brenda Tolian in these!

Christophe Maso ------------->>>

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S. Feaker is an avid story teller, lover of the paranormal and reader of the macabre. Married for eight years and a mother of three living in rural Iowa she enjoys reading, writing, spending time with her family and exploring the unknown.

Summer Feaker

The secrets here are seldom told
None are known from young to old
Songs and footsteps in the hall
Just hold your breath when whispers call
The air will chill, your body shakes
With every new soul, it will take
Listen closely to the ghosts
For they know what it aches for most
Beware of shapes the shadows make
For you will be the next it takes
Haven Manor has the beauty and elegance of a modern-day castle. But regardless of its outstanding exterior dark secrets haunt those who dare to enter. Scarlett finds herself forced into an uncomfortable move after the death of her mother in law. Being kept in the dark about its questionable history, she is on a mission to uncover its secrets. Her husband Jeremiah, on the other hand, is trying to protect his family from the dangers of Haven Manor, he leans into his addictions for comfort. With help from a few unlikely allies, they work to piece together the secrets buried under Haven Manor. And welcome to the first book in the Haven Manor Trilogy! But beware, once you enter you may not ever escape the grasp it holds on you. Get ready for a story full of twists and turns. You will not be able to put it down! Get ready for dysfunctional family dynamics, ghosts, and monsters in the hallway of this severely haunted house.

Twin Peaks changed television and inspired a new kind of horror including The X Files. A drama series set in a small town, Twin Peaks showed us that high school student had been murdered. Who killed Laura Palmer? FBI agent Dale Cooper took the case and found supernatural aspects. Lynch said, "The project was to mix a police investigation with the ordinary lives of the characters." Characters such as the log lady, Hawk, Andy, Audrey and more became household names. We cared about each and we found ones to hate: Leo, Windom Earle, and more. We discovered what goes on behind closed doors, horrific secrets, Project Blue Book and UFOs, cave secrets, that owls are not what they seem, and that the log had plenty of advice. Creamed corn is evil. And along the way, we discovered who killed poor Laura. But there was more.  Beware the black lodge. Mister Lynch, we salute you!...http://tobtr.com/s/11880056..

Welcome to Wicked Little Things! Join us as we delve into an extra special episode. Tonight we have an exclusive interview with Morton Ordwell, a man sitting on death row for the conviction of two murders of women in the prostitution industry. The interview will dig deep into his mind and draw the listeners into his world at the time of the murders.  This is a a once in a lifetime interview.  http://tobtr.com/8767451  H

And after a general call-out, in case he was listening (cell phones are one of the most usual types of contraband available in prison), he called. The following is a cat-and-mouse type discussion that gives a view into the mind of a master-mind killer. http://tobtr.com/11839303


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More Holiday Cheer

12/16/2020

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Join the cast and director of CRAVE

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​THE HOOSIER BIGFOOT

Verona Jones

This week is about Indiana’s cryptid. Indiana has fascinating cryptids, which include a demon snake. This demon snake haunts a graveyard in Evansville, Indiana. Witnesses say the demon snake has red glowing eyes and has horns on its head. 

I wanted to write about the demon snake, which is an exciting story I will write later. This week is the Indiana Bigfoot.
The cryptid reported most times is the Evansville Monster. Yes, it is a Bigfoot-like creature. Indiana State University Folklore Archives is the largest university-based folklore repository in the Midwest. Tony Ward, an Archives representative, recorded Janet Archibald’s first-hand account. Archibald told of a tall, large-footed, man-like monster seen by many witnesses. The couple was parking in the woods when the monster held back a car.  
TO READ MORE:

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Don't use too many commas!

We often have a choice about whether or not to use a comma.  But if we add them to our sentences when and where they are not needed, then we may obscure rather than clarify our meaning.
Do not use commas to set off restrictive elements that are necessary to the meaning of the words they modify.  Here, for example, no comma is needed to set off the restrictive phrase of working parents, which is necessary to indicate which parents the sentence is talking about.
Many children, of working parents, walk home from school by themselves.
Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) when the conjunction does not join parts of a compound sentence.  In this example, no comma is needed before the word and because it joins two phrases that modify the same verb, applies.
  This social scourge can be seen in urban centers, and in rural outposts.
Do not use a comma before the first or after the last item in a series.
           The students asked their TAs to review, the assignment rubric, a sample paper and their comments, before the end of the quarter.
Do not use a comma between a subject and verb.
            Happily, the waiters, sat down during a break.
Do not use a comma between a verb and its object or complement.
            On her way home from work, she bought, a book at the bookstore.
Do not use a comma between a preposition and its object.
            On her way home from work, she bought a book at, the bookstore.

Edgar Allan Poe
Quotes

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“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.”

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

“We loved with a love that was more than love.”

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”

“I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.”

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door --
Only this, and nothing more."



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Holidays

12/12/2020

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Holidays. Some become sad, some are excited about Santa, and some of us are busy calculating our word-count for the year. Highly self-critical, we wish we had added another 70K. One more interview. Two more reviews. We think of all we MUST do and have. It's enough to make the toughest writer shiver. Don't be too hard on yourself. Focus on what you have accomplished this year! There's always next year to do better, but hey...you did fine. You survived another year in the horror world.
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The fighting gets tiring.
Maybe one day people will stop arguing and actually WRITE or ACT or whatever they are born to do!

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Juan Perez

Juan Manuel Pérez, a Mexican-American poet of indigenous descent and the current Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi, Texas (2019-2020), is the author of Another Menudo Sunday (2007), O' Dark Heaven: A Response to Suzette Haden Elgin's Definition of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under the Influence of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), Live From La Pryor: The Poetry of Juan Manuel Perez: A Zavala Country Native Son, Volume 1 (2014), Sex, Lies, and Chupacabras (2015), Space In Pieces (2020), and Screw The Wall! And Other Brown People Poems (2020), as well as, the co-editor of The Call Of The Chupacabra (2018). He is the 2011-2012 San Antonio Poets Association Poet Laureate and the Lone Star State's only EL Chupacabras Poet Laureate (For Life). The former Gourd Dancer for the Memphis Tia Piah Big River Clan Warrior Society is also a Pushcart Prize Nominee as well as a SEATTAH Scholar (Striving For Excellence And Accountability In The Teaching Of Traditional American History) through the University Of Dallas. Juan is a ten-year Navy Corpsman/Combat Marine Medic with experience in the 1991 Persian Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Desert Calm) with the 2nd Marines and the 1992 Hurricane Andrew Relief Marine Air Group Task Force. 
Head to where the chupacabras roam

Chupa-burra

Chupacabra sits near the mesquite tree
Happy, happy lord of the sticks is he
Growl, Chupacabra! Growl, Chupacabra!

Contact
website
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This two-time Teacher of the Year, along with his wife, Malia (a three-time Teacher of the Year), is a co-founder of The House of the Fighting Chupacabras Press. The former migrant field worker previously from La Pryor, currently worships his Creator, teaches public high school history, writes poetry, and chases chupacabras in the Texas Coastal Bend Area.

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A DIVORCÉE DETERMINED TO GET THE BODY SHE WANTS


A SADISTIC HEALTH SPA PROMISING MIRACLES.
Where starving to death is the easy way out!
 
Marilyn is ready to drop the weight and stop looking like a ‘before’ photo. So when her good-for-nothing husband kicks the bucket during divorce proceedings, she thinks the perfect place to blow his dough is at a secluded New Zealand health retreat.
 But more frightening than low-carb and bikinis is the sinister force on the other side of the high fences. One with dark cravings of its own…
 With the daily enemas and kale salads not working, and the retreat determined to maintain their success rate, she’s signed up for an exclusive add-on package. It’s one that’ll transform her physique in ways she never imagined — even in her wildest nightmares.
 Will Marilyn succumb to the shadowy power that hungers for much more than her extra curves, or will it be the spa treatments that prove fatal?
 DietVale is a laugh-out-loud comedic horror novel. If you like cringe-worthy creepiness, snarky heroes, and moments both sublime and terrifying, then you’ll love Low’s spine-tingling tale.
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TRIGGER: Contains rape and torture. It also contains retribution that involving a cricket bat and a cast iron frying pan.
To Buy....

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October 11th, 2020

10/11/2020

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Stephen King’s ultimate evil vehicle of terror, Christine: the frightening story of a nerdy teenager who falls in love with his vintage Plymouth Fury. It’s love at first sight, but this car is no lady. Evil is alive in Libertyville. It inhabits a custom-painted red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine and young Arnold Cunningham, who buys it. There’s a peculiar feeling that surrounds Christine—she gets revenge on anyone standing in her path.
Trivia:
The film was released in 1983
Kevin Bacon auditioned for Arnie.
Christine was a '58 Fury with her plate reading: 
CQB 241
The script was written with extra cursing to get an R rating.
Nicolas Cage auditioned for the role of bad guy Buddy.
Continuity mistakes remain in the film, especially when Christine "attacks" the Camaro.



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Test Yourself! Horror Quiz:
1. Michael Myers' mask is based on this person's face:
2. What is the shark's name in Jaws? _____
3. T
here are many cases of razors and poison in Halloween candy   True or False
4. Friday the Thirteenth was filmed in a real camp in what state? ________
5.Who actually got lost in the hedge maze at the Overlook Hotel? _______
6. Danny changes his voice and wiggles his finger to speak for his imaginary friend named ___
7. 
Tom Cullen is spelled: _____
8. The first time a flushing toilet was shown on screen was in this movie:
9. What is 
amontillado?
​10. LeStat plays a central role in what author's series of vampire stories?

Born on Halloween:

Peter Jackson
John Candy
Willow Smith
Vanilla Ice
Dermot Mulroney
Michael Landon
​John Keats
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    Favorites of these movies

Submit

    PICK ONE to survive zombies

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    Pick one

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    WHAT SCARES YOU MOST?

Submit
Just a spooky quiz to make you think. .We'll have results in the next blog :)
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New Releases

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Catch the catt
​Elizabeth is attending a foreign university when she is kidnapped and brutally beaten into submission. Over the course of months, she is punished cruelly for disobedience and rewarded with luxurious gifts when she is compliant. Spoiled by opulence, she lives in fear, wondering about her captor’s motives. His only requirements for her are that she improve herself and that she is the perfect dining companion. She is forced to accept and eat the most exotic foods in the world. Can she trade luxury and excitement for poverty and mundane? Has she been groomed to be another person entirely? How much does freedom mean to Elizabeth? What hellish secrets does her captive keep hidden? What is the end game, and what happened to the young women who failed his games? Elizabeth finds that the games go deeper than she imagined, and she knows that if she fails, she may end up the victim of a sex-trafficking ring that wants her. Psychological horror meets high cuisine. Bon appetit!

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When the US Air Force loses contact with an experimental drone carrying a classified weapon system over a remote section of the Ouachita Mountain Range of eastern Oklahoma, a team of elite Pararescue personnel are sent in to recover the asset. After the entire team and the helicopter sent to extract them vanish without a trace, it is discovered that a highly-aggressive, hairy, bipedal hominid is responsible for the attack. Code Name: Wild Hunt is called in to handle the paranormal threat.
Read a Roberts

​These tales will take you places you’ve never been before and may never dare revisit. They’ll whisper truths so twisted you can only face them in the darkest hours of the night. They’ll unlock desires so decadent you’ll never wash their taint from your flesh. Think Jack Ketchum meets Poppy Z. Brite.
“The kind of magic we’re looking for when we search the horror section in our local book store” - Jim Dodge, Mass Movement Magazine
Bag the Bark
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Essel Pratt  (HERE)

Essel Pratt is a purveyor of horror and fantasy, conjuring tales that haunt souls and inspire imagination. As a student of psychology and teller of tales, Essel writes to share the complex nature of his imaginings with the world. His ever-expanding catalog of short stories spans multiple anthologies and collections, ranging from whimsical fantasy to bizarre horror, including everything in between. Dedicated fans have praised his creations, labeling his talents as prolific in substance.

Hailing from Mishawaka, Indiana, his passion for writing began in the early years as his imagination taunted from within, begging for a release. Dabbling in art at first, he found that the stories that pleaded to be told could not be imprisoned by ink and paint alone. His most notable and prevalent accomplishments include Final Reverie, Sharkantula, and the multiple short stories that have garnered a following of their own, such as the adventures of Detective Mansfield.

 Answers to Horror Quiz:
​1. Captain Kirk      ​2. Bruce   3. False. It all came from  a father who gave his own son cyanide-laced candy on Halloween.      4. New Jersey      5. Director Kubrick      6. Tony     7. M-o-o-n    8. Psycho 
​9. wine  10. Ann Rice
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To Purchase
Jerry W. McKinney's writing captures his readers' attention from the initial sentence to the very last word. Nightsound, McKinney's first full-length book of short stories, offers a terrifying smorgasbord of horror, suspense, love, loss of innocence, and eeriness. This haunting collection of dark tales elicits feelings of dread, hatred, fear, loss, sadness, and sympathy that will resonate with you long after you've finished reading it. So immerse yourself in a terrifying coming-of-age, and thirst for a taste of blood. Witness the rhythmic sways of a young girl to restrain a curse, and an unholy mass held by the dead. Try to dodge a rain of unspeakable horror, and then there is the madness of serial killers to keep you tucked in tonight. So check under your bed. Yeah ... twice would be better.

Wicked Little Things:

Oct. 23: Big foot
Oct. 28 Slender man and flesh eaters
​Oct. 30 Thorn and Cross  
Oct. 31 Serial Killers 
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We lost Alex Trebek and Sean Connery this year. RIP. 
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Scaretober Creepies

10/6/2020

0 Comments

 
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Why Join Horror Authors Guild?

HAG is a non profit organization for horror writers, actors, film workers, musicians, artists, and readers. Anyone with an interest in horror is welcome. 
Our mission is to offer a diverse group of horror (dark fantasy, dark gothic, dark historical, dark mystery, sci-fi horror, true crime) writers, artists, cover artists, editors, and poets a place to belong and connect. We celebrate horror in all forms and wish to help build relationships, share information, give support, and reward excellent works. The Yaggies, named for the Baba Yaga award, is based upon Debut Novel, Novel of the Year, Novella of the Year, Short Story of the Year, Anthology of the Year, Cover of the Year, Art of the Year, Poem, and Best Audio Book. All members are welcome to any HAG events.

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 The Baba Yaga (Haggie) award. Designed by Trevor Smith. Winners have their name, date, and award engraved on a plate. Imagine your book displayed with a Haggie! ALL HAG members may use the HAG logos for webpages, etc.
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Winners may use:
"
HAG Award Winner"
"Yaggie Award Winner"
"Baba Yaga Award Winner"
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Many ways to kill off characters:

Below is a list of ways people might die
and it reflects common fears. How many
of these have you used in your writing?

(Meryl Rothstein   July/August 2017 Popular Mechanics)
Article


* wild pigs (they eat anything, swine flu)
* microwaves             * electrical outlets
* boats and cars        * parasites
* sharks                     * lightning
* stabbing and getting shot
* power lines             * solar flare
* EMP                       * hospital mishap
* bad food                 * poison


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Common poisons: hemlock, nightshade, mandrake, aconite, foxglove, opium, strychnine, 
​mercury, lead, and arsenic.


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Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.”— Stephen Chbosky

“I hate it that Americans are taught to fear some books and some ideas as though they were diseases.”— Kurt Vonnegut


“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”— Mark Twain



2019 most challenged books   (source: American Library Association)

  1. George by Alex Gino:   Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
  2. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin:    Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
  3. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller:    Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
  4. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth:   Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate” 
  5. Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis:   Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
  6. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
    Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
  7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood:   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
  8. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier:  Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
  9. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling:  Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
  10. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole
    Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content

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Click
Click above to go to Michael's website. He takes commissioned art job and provides legal, creative, unique book cover.
​Michael Fisher, Fish to his friends and family, has worn many hats in his long life. He’s done a little of everything, including US Navy Hospital Corpsman, club DJ, security specialist, psychiatric technician, painter, and currently, father, Mason, author and tattooer, not necessarily in that order. He has a love of ugly Hawaian shirts. He also bears a passing resemblance to Walter Sobchak. His work includes the collaborative novel It Always Bites You in the End,
Legends: Emergence of Fear, FVM: The Deadliest of the Species, Doorway to Death as well as many other upcoming anthologies. Within Stranger Aeons is the first anthology on which he has taken lead. Michael is an award-winning author, artist and editor with J. J Ellington Ashton Press. Awards include Honorable Mention for Short Story of the Year 2013 for the Return of the Devil Fly in Midnight Remains, as well as Top Ten Artist and Top Ten Editor from Critters Workshop Annual Predators & Editors 2014 Awards and Top Ten Author, Artist, Editor, Book Cover, Nonfiction Article and Short Story from Critters Workshop Annual Predators & Editors 2015 Awards. He also placed in the Top Ten Author, Artist, Editor, Book Cover, Mystery Novel from Critters Workshop Annual Predators & Editors 2016 Awards. DC’s Dead was awarded J. Ellington Ashton Press’ Editor’s Choice Award for Novel in 2015, while It Always Bites You in the End was runner up for J. Ellington Ashton Press’ Editor’s Choice Award for Novel and Within Stranger Aeons was runner up for Anthology of the Year in 2016. Michael is the art director at J. Ellington Ashton Press and designs book covers under the name Meister Arthur Dunkel. He is also a member of the Horror Writers Association.
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Fill a bowl with water. Pinch off and remove any fibers that remain on the seeds. Pour off the cloudy water. Drain in a colander. Saute the seeds in the oil of your choice. with the seasonings of your choice. Or spread the dry seeds in a single layer and bake them in a 300 F oven for 15–20 minutes, checking frequently.  You want them to be dry and crunchy, but not so brown they taste burnt. You can eat them plain. Or toss them with coconut oil and sweet or savory seasonings. Then return them to the oven for a few more minutes.
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Jeremy Mac

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Hazal Kaya

Hazal is a new artist and model. For Whipping Girl, she modelled and tweaked the photo to reflect a Hitchcock feel. For the Curse of Cain, Hazal layered a monster that she created. Her attention to detail and ability to design what an author needs is amazing.
​If interested in hand-drawn, original art, contact catt dahman for details.
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I got a bad review! What now?

When you publish your book or written project, you will get reviews on Amazon or whatever platform you’re using. Those reviews will be used by the platform’s algorithm to determine how much promotion the work will receive. For example, when you reach certain levels of reviews on Amazon, they will begin including you in their bulk emails and you will appear in more searches and recommendations. It’s just how it works. So, yes, as an author, we really do need those reviews. They help us on so many levels.
Read the article
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The author of dozens of books offers great advice for everyone. Reviews can be cruel, wonderful, unfair, vicious, inspirational, on target, personal, of no help, funny, serious, and even unfounded. How YOU respond (or don't) will flavor your entire career. Read the article to learn all about reviews.

Dani Brown: a rare blog

Dani Brown, Halloween 2020 HAG post
 
Nothing like a global pandemic to notice sales of Reptile (JEA Wetworks) dipping. If you’ve ever met me at an event, you’ll know you can open to any page and there will be something extreme and something horrible. It is my personal promise to you. You’ll know I sell out of this book fast and if you want a copy, you have to get there EARLY! (So early, I’ve put it in caps.) What you may not know is Reptile, along with all my other titles are available on Amazon. That particular one is even available for Kindle Unlimited. I know it is difficult to bring up on amazon, so here’s the links:
USA: Link
UK: Link
Reptile must be my most requested book. Don’t miss out just because amazon makes it difficult. If you don’t save these links, you can always message me on facebook.com/danibrownbooks for the link or visit the pinned post, which has links for all my books.
In Reptile, Ruth guts herself while enduring flashbacks of the local fetish community (who aren’t really fetish, just attention seekers, Ruth would actually be into BDSM if she had the chance to experience it for real and there’s lots of bizarro-esque madness). Becoming is told through Marcy’s flashbacks. It doesn’t have a straightforward narrative like Reptile and is much more representative of what it is like to think and function under extreme stress. It really is one of those books that you have to experience (preferably in paperback as kindle lost the formatting). I can describe it all day but you still wouldn’t get the full impact. It explains what happened to lead Marcy up to where she is, where Kord comes into her life. The demonic robotic shapeshifter from Mars.
Becoming     USA kindle: Link
                     USA paperback: Link
                     UK kindle: Link
                     UK paperback: Link
56 Seconds  USA kindle: Link
                     USA paperback: Link
                     UK kindle Link
                     UK paperback: LInk
Hopefully I’ve copied all those links properly. The important one is Reptile. It comes up on my author page but not on the amazon search (yes, it really must be that extreme). Becoming and 56 Seconds come up when you search both my name and the book.
While we’re on releases, Night of the Penguins experienced an audible release while we were on full lockdown here in the UK and every day blurred into one. That’s the book you’re looking for if you’ve ever worked a job you hated or suspected management were in some sort of cult.
USA: Link
UK: Link
I’m afraid I don’t have a fun Halloween story for this year. No vampires that sparkle when they feed on women wearing glittery eyeshadow. No Chester and Lester with Lester’s special hairspray. I don’t even have a spooky Halloween story with the Forest of the Dead and the creeps carved into the trees. However, I do have some art that features creeps carved into the trees, their souls trapped through eternity.
I have a thing for medieval art, particularly from medieval manuscripts. I was sketching based on google searches for medieval art (possibly general ones, but put whatever you want to search in google, add medieval manuscript to the end and do an image search, you won’t be disappointed). I noticed one of the sketches resembled the last creep to grab at me. I decided to use that face and put in it into a tree where the creeps are trapped in eternal agony (where they belong).
Medieval art is fun. It is a lot of fun. I didn’t do so well in art history so I can’t really go into the background of it, but the images are great (I should look into it one day). All of my visual art is based on medieval art. It started with cats licking their buttholes in medieval manuscripts and took off from there. I had been trying to recover my visual art skills for about two years when someone sent me a meme with the cats licking their butts in medieval manuscripts. I drew it. I drew more cats licking their butts. I drew a cat-i-pede (I haven’t seen the movie version of Cats but the reviews influenced that one, I haven’t seen Human Centipede either, think I’ll live without seeing that one). I think it is fair to say that my visual art skills are back
I think Halloween has been cancelled in Liverpool this year due to lockdown restrictions, which is sucks because I love seeing the children in their costumes (my son hates trick or treating and these past few years, I’ve been providing him with a Halloween bucket filled with sweets and chocolate). I guess I’ll have to eat all the candy myself then. I can’t not buy it. It is a yearly tradition.


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Another thing from medieval art is the Penis Birds (or Richard Gizzards for the sake of possible Redbubble censors). They look nothing like the original image. It was a little image someone sent to me, possibly part of a larger doodle in a medieval manuscript. It had buttcheeks with a man’s face stuck in it. Some sort of bird with a twisted neck. I removed the man’s face and the twist in the neck. The birds looked like giant penises. So that’s what they were.
​Prints and random products can be found here QueenofFilth.redbubble.com

​While we’re on the topic of global pandemics and my extreme titles, Becoming (Death’s Head Press) was released in February. If you’ve read 56 Seconds (Nihilism Revised), you’ll be familiar with Marcy. Marcy stalks DJ Donnie (still a dick, still a jerk) in a rundown bar while Honey screams inside his head. The walls ooze golden honey with a taint. Flies reanimate when Marcy twitches her fingers. Even the dusty taxidermy springs back to life. Becoming is the story of how Marcy died. This story is just as extreme as Reptile but a lot more complex.
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If you read my story 
Visions in Blue in Dig Two Graves Vol 1 (Death’s Head Press), you’ve met the creeps before. I don’t typically write from real life, but I was getting absolutely sick of men (mainly men, women can be just as bad), coming up to me and grabbing at me because I write sex in my books or “if you aren’t asking for it, why are you wearing that”. I don’t often leave my house because of it, but I reached my breaking point, especially as this was happening at events and cons where I’m trying to speak to people interested in my books. Wannabe writers can be especially guilty of this. So I trapped the souls of these creeps into the bark of the trees inside the Forest of the Dead (Marcy’s underworld). By the way, not like it is anyone’s business, but I’m really prude, uptight and squeamish in person. Why do you think I can describe body fluids and body functions in such vivid detail!?! If the creeps were going to accuse me of writing from life as an excuse for sexual harassment, then damn right I would write them. Guess that isn’t the real life they were wanting though.
I am currently open to illustration commissions. I don’t do book covers yet, but as I’ll be doing my own book cover for my next self published title, 
Karen and the Crabs from Outer Space, it is only a matter of time.
I’ve been using my lockdown time to really put my career where I want it. However, I still haven’t found the time to clean up my Deviant Art page. Prints and random products are available on Redbubble.
​I haven’t had much time for “fun” writing but all writing is fun for me. I’ve been more focusing on my more experimental texts, all of these hit elements of horror.  However, I did eventually finish 
Karen and the Crabs from Outer Space. That’s the first “fun” story I’ve written since Sparky the Spunky Robot way back in October of 2017. Also wrote a Chester and Lester Halloween story that year. There will eventually be a Chester and Lester novel. I have notes for it. I also have notes for a second Ketamine Addicted Pandas and two spinoffs (okay, that one is both fun and extreme). Once I get Karen and the Space Crabs out into the world and I finish We Gave the World Synthpop Dreams (think horror and erotica, but not paranormal romance) I have notes for a serious sci-fi offering and notes for a fun, erotic sci-fi offering. That second is finally the Dream Princess novel I’ve been talking about writing since January 2018. Lots of sexbots.
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August End

8/10/2020

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Life has been crazy. We have Covid-19 zipping around, people being outed for sexual misconduct, and the rest of the zany horror stuff. Let's talk about that. Sexual misconduct. Why? Why is it happening so much in the horror community? Probably because it has always been around, and we're now hearing about it. Do your research, avoid those situations, and please don't send nudies. If you feel nervous at a convention, get someone to walk with you. TELL people if something happens that makes you feel threatened. That is for males and females. Trust your gut.  There are always nice people who will walk with you, listen to you, and help you. THINK.
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Art By Jackie Lane

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Celebrating actor Andrew Lincoln
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Naomi Downing found a use for a ruined book. Modge Podge and some work made this bookshelf one of a kind! *No healthy books were harmed*

Fantastic Interview With One of Our Own

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Breaking it all down so you have a strong flow....

Young Students in Horror. Deadline is approaching. Teachers and Budding Young Authors spread the word please. With school restarting at least give your kids something positive to work on. The Horror Writers Assocation is looking for applications for the Etchison Young Writer Award. Applicants open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. Applicants must be at least 13 years of age. Affiliation with the Horror Writers Association is not required. The $500 award can be applied to college tuition, course fees (on line or traditional), and/or materials pertaining to the enhancement of writing skills, such as textbooks, software, or computers. The money can also be used for online Horror University courses from the HWA (information on Horror U. courses available online – www.horror.org or by request). It is a great opportunity to encourage young writers. The recipient will have 2 years to utilize the funds and multi-award nominated author JG Faherty will mentor the winner for 6 months.The Deadline is September 1, 2020. Please share with any high school student or high school teachers you may know. https://horrorwritersassociation.submittable.com/…/2020-sch…


 D.A. Roberts is an author of fiction,primarily in horror/dystopian and science fiction genres. Born in Lebanon, Missouri, he now lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife and sons. When not writing, D.A. serves his community. He has been in law enforcement for nearly two decades, serving as a Corrections Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Hospital Security Team Supervisor, and most recently Patrolman, with the Walnut Grove Police Department. 

“Ragnarok Rising Saga,”he blends the zombie genre with the
events of Norse Mythology.
The series has been called “a thinking
man’s apocalyptic world.”
This is a unique approach that creates
a new sub-genre in
Apocalyptic Fiction. Debuting in July of 2012,
the series has been f
eatured on radio shows on three continents.
He is also known in
science fiction for “The Infinite Black Series
This series is based
n the hit video game from Spellbook Studio.
​Approached by Spellbook Studio to create the history of their universe, D.A.’s series explores the rich tapestry that is The Infinite Black. Download and play the game for free at www.Spellbook.com. His two most recent releases are Cold Hunger which he co-wrote with Author Catt Dahman and Apex Predator: Wolf Moon. Wolf Moon is a tale which explores Native American lore and creatures known as the Dogman. Both available now from J. Ellington Ashton Press. 
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In November of 2018, D.A. took on the challenging role of C.E.O. of J. Ellington Ashton Press. In March of 2020, D.A. was elected first president of the Horror Author’s Guild. Find more about his work at: www.jellingtonashton.com www.amazon.com/author/daroberts https://www.facebook.com/DARobertsAuthor/ https://www.haguild.com/

Just because it's cute and we love cats and bats....

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May 2020-2

5/21/2020

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5 stars!

purchase
In this collection of old-school style horror stories, Mark Towse takes readers on a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns. Once read, these tales will not be easily forgotten.
About Mark Towse: After a 30-year hiatus, Mark recently gave up a lucrative career in sales to pursue his dream of being a writer. His passion and belief have resulted in pieces in many prestigious magazines, including Flash Fiction Magazine, ParABnormal, Suspense Magazine, Raconteur, Breaking Rules Publishing, Artpost, Colp, The Horror Zine, Antipodean SF, Page & Spine, Twenty-Two Twenty-Eight, and Montreal Writes. His work has also appeared twice on The No Sleep Podcast and The Grey Rooms and is also set to appear on Centropic Oracle. Seven anthologies to date include his work, two of which are on the 2019 Horror Writers Association recommended list, and a further eight anthologies set for imminent release also contain his work. His first collection, 'Face the Music' has just been released by All Things That Matter Press.
Mark resides in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children.

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Purchase
They exist in myth and legend dating back to the earliest history of man. Different cultures have different names for the same creature, which has haunted the dark places of our collective psyche. Loup Garou, Werewolf, Lycanthropes, Rougaru, Michigan Dogman, The Beast of Land Between the Lakes, Oolonga-Doglalla, Shunka Warak'in, Skinwalker. The beast is known by many names, but they all lead to the ultimate Apex Predator. A predator that has no equal. A predator that preys on man.


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Listen to part of:
​ Apex Predator Wolf Moon

Horrific murders plague a rural county, leaving bodies torn and partially eaten in their wake. Detective William Greyeagle of the Lacland County Sheriff’s Office is assigned to the case. What he believes to be animal attacks awakens a dreaded fear from deep in his subconscious. It draws him deeper into his own heritage and the lore of beasts that prey on men.
To find the killer, he must delve deeper into the teachings of his grandfather, a Lakota Medicine Man. Things he believed to children’s stories are proven to be hauntingly true. There are things in the darkness that haunt the world of men. Humans are not the Apex Predator that they believed themselves to be. There is something far worse waiting just outside the light.
The deep valleys and forests of the Ozarks prove to be the perfect hunting grounds. Predator versus prey in the ultimate game of life and death. Who will be the victor?

Who will be the Apex Predator?
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0 Comments

May 2020

5/1/2020

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Carmilla Voiez

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Starblood http://smarturl.it/Starblood 
Psychonaut http://smarturl.it/PsychonautVoiez 
Black Sun http://smarturl.it/BlackSun 
Ribbons http://smarturl.it/RibbonsStarblood
Graphic novels: Starblood the graphic novel http://smarturl.it/sgnebook 
​Psychonaut the graphic novel http://smarturl.it/Psychonaut 
Short story collection: Broken Mirror and Other Morbid Tales http://smarturl.it/BrokenMirrorShorts 
Website address http://www.carmillavoiez.com

Must have!

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Horror With A Heart

There are contributions from new writers in England, Scotland, Wales, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Russia. The subjects covered range across the whole of the genre spectrum, and all have one thing in common; they illustrate what has always been the cornerstone of these volumes: Horror with a Heart.
Hellfire Crossroads 7 is a preview of who we’ll be reading 5, 10, 15 years from now. Highly recommended.” Ralph Robert Moore - Author of ‘Father Figure’
"An impressive collection of dark stories from writers who will be new to most of us, and whom we should be hearing from in the future. From tales of psychological darkness to ones of wartime guilt and family trauma to present-day fears, there is plenty for any horror reader." Gary Couzens ‘Blood Spectrum’ film reviewer for BLACK STATIC
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HAGS!

Did you know that HAG has a lot for members? Nominate for Yaggie awards.  WIN Yaggie awards. Show off a book cover in the library. Get noticed on the front page with our revolving images. Presses and individuals can get special free PR on the front page until the end of the year. Gets the latest news. Find open calls or show open calls. Celebrate new releases. Get seen on the blog. Show off your book and pets. Connect with others. And more!  NEWS here.

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They exist in myth and legend dating back to the earliest history of man. Different cultures have different names for the same creature, which has haunted the dark places of our collective psyche. Loup Garou, Werewolf, Lycanthropes, Rougaru, Michigan Dogman, The Beast of Land Between the Lakes, Oolonga-Doglalla, Shunka Warak'in, Skinwalker. 
 The beast is known by many names, but they all lead to the ultimate Apex Predator. A predator that has no equal.A predator that preys on man.Horrific murders plague a rural county, leaving bodies torn and partially eaten in their wake. Detective William Greyeagle of the Lacland County Sheriff’s Office is assigned to the case. What he believes to be animal attacks awakens a dreaded fear from deep in his subconscious. It draws him deeper into his own heritage and the lore of beasts that prey on men. To find the killer, he must delve deeper into the teachings of his grandfather, a Lakota Medicine Man. Things he believed to children’s stories are proven to be hauntingly true. There are things in the darkness that haunt the world of men. Humans are not the Apex Predator that they believed themselves to be. There is something far worse waiting just outside the light.The deep valleys and forests of the Ozarks prove to be the perfect hunting grounds. Predator versus prey in the ultimate game of life and death. Who will be the victor? Who will be the Apex Predator?

Capresse Cake
For the cake
100g whole blanched almonds
50g caster sugar
1 whole egg
5 eggs separated
160g caster sugar
265g dark chocolate, melted
50g chopped almonds
For the topping
70g water
90g caster sugar
30g cocoa powder
25g liquid glucose

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20cm deep round tin.
2. To make the cake, grind the whole almonds with the 50g of caster sugar in a food processor.
3. Beat the whole egg and yolks with the 160g of caster sugar until the mix is pale and creamy and leaves a trail on the surface. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Mix the cooled melted chocolate with the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Stir in the ground almonds and chopped almonds.
4. Beat in a spoonful of egg whites to loosen the mixture. Now gently fold in the remaining egg whites a spoonful at a time.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40–45 minutes.
6. To prepare the topping, place the water, sugar, cocoa powder and glucose into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and stir.
7. Soften the gelatine in a little water. Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze any liquid from the gelatine and add the gelatine sheet to the pan. Stir until it has dissolved. Leave to cool.
8. Once the cake is cooked, leave in the tin to cool before turning out onto a serving plate. Pour the chocolate topping just on the surface of the cake and decorate with candied lemon or extra chopped almonds.
From FoodNetwork
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0 Comments

April 2020

4/30/2020

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Jasper Bark  is modest, friendly, a stunning writer, and now he presents the funniest video ever!


Gorgeous cover designs

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CONTACT
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Mark Woods

Mark Woods is the Head Chef of a small community pub in Norfolk where most of his work is set, and is a U.K horror author responsible for the novels Time of Tides, Fear of the Dark, Arachnattack, Killer Cruise, The Golem, and more recently, Fear of the Dead., He was also one of six authors who contributed towards the creation of the vampire novel, Feral Hearts, for J.Ellington Ashton Preas.

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Stuart Brogan
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John Herres

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I am a fiction writer; A creator of larger-than-life heroes of ages gone by;Great wizards gone bad, and those who resist them; War between Alien races intent on the annihilation of any being not their own, and weaker ones in need of a savior- as well as the One who becomes their savior; A horrific selection of common items and places holding terrible secrets, some tales to get you to laugh or cry, or even to jump out of your seat. When you get to my writing, sit back, hold on, and enjoy the adrenaline rush!
http://johntmherres.wordpress.com/
​
  •  Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00JNOMUHK
  •  My novel: Hell's Beginning
  • Twitter Handle @iamyeehaw
  • Facebook Author Page:  
  • https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJohnTMHerres/​
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Violet Tempest

Summerville, SC
Look around you, there are strange and unusual things taking place all the time.
Hi, I'm Violet Tempest, my goal is to help others see the world the way I do. Beyond the ordinary lies another realm, one that is bizarre and eerie; yet at the same time, alluring and breathtaking. That's the one I hope to help you see.
Come join the journey at http://violettempest.com where I introduce some of the paranormal legends from South Carolina, short fictional pieces of horror, and other items of interest. When you hop on over there remember to grab on to your soul, unleash your imagination, and let your mind soar into the unknown.
You can also find my short story, "Deceitful Innocence" in The Grotesquerie. An Anthology of 22 short stories of horror written by women authors.
The link to my book is https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Old-Violet-Tempest-ebook/dp/B06XCHWNG9
Website is https://violettempest.wordpress.com/
My Twitter handle is @violet_gothicau
 Facebook link  https://www.facebook.com/violettempest1

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Check this out!

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Suggested Reads:

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