New Prices on Some Old Favorites

We here at Acid Grave Press have lowered the prices on some of our best sellers.

David T. Wilbanks's sword and sorcery novella Hellfighter and Randy Chandler's modern horror classic Bad Juju are now each priced at only $2.99.

And the book that started it all, our "heavy metal horror" anthology Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories, can be had for only 99 cents!

LIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT: HARD AND HEAVY STORIES

Q: What happens when heavy music inspires dark fiction?

A: Hard and heavy stories.

The concept behind Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories is simple: 63,000 words' worth of horror and dark fantasy inspired by the authors' favorite hard rock and heavy metal bands. From the music of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest (of course), and others come exciting tales of zombies, ghosts, wizards, serial killers, and more. You don't have to like hard and heavy music to enjoy these stories -- you just have to like well-written, hard-rocking genre tales.

BAD JUJU

Dark forces are afoot in Vinewood, Georgia, a deceptively sleepy town where the dead don't stay dead and a sinkhole is as sinister as it is deadly. Violent events both natural and supernatural build to a chaotic crescendo of horrors that will threaten the entire town and everyone in it.

An odd handful of townsfolk put their lives on the line to save the town—but the darkness may swallow them up before they have a chance.

"Hot and thick, the atmosphere reeks of earth, blood, and decay. The astringent air carries with it a sense of malevolence and resentment. No matter where you look, no matter how shallow you breathe, this town will touch you." -- Kelly Tomblin, Horror-Web

HELLFIGHTER

Pleasure-seeking vagabond, Caddoc, falls madly in love with a saucy tavern wench. Then she disappears, carried off by the mysterious army of evil creatures known as drakuli, her town burnt to the ground. Now Caddoc, joined by a wise old monk and a cocky demon, must literally travel to Hell and back on his quest for true love.

Filled with horrifying creatures, dark magic, and intense battle scenes, Hellfighter is a fantasy novella any sword & sorcery fan will not want to miss.

"David T. Wilbanks gives us a welcome return to my kind of old-school heroic fantasy. Earthy characters, epic fight scenes and more fun than a barrel of monkeys." -- William Meikle, author of Berserker and The Chronicles of Augustus Seton

All Acid Grave Press titles are available in a wide variety of formats at all the best ebook retailers.

Acid Grave Press Author Update

For those who'd like to keep up with the latest from their favorite Acid Grave Press authors, here's a little update with some information on a few of them.

David T. Wilbanks (Hellfighter, "Judas Priest" from Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories) is the subject of an interview over at Ginger Nuts of Horror. Also his second novel in the Dead Earth series, The Vengeance Road (co-written with Mark Justice), is now available as an audiobook.

L.L. Soares ("Slayer" from Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories) recently released his first novel, Life Rage. Soares is also a guest on the latest episode of Pod of Horror (#69), available at iTunes or Horror World.

Randy Chandler (Bad Juju, "Spooky Tooth" from Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories) has a new story available as an e-book: Deadside in Bug City was originally published in Bare Bone #6 and now comes along with an extended preview of Chandler's novel HELLz BELLz.

Kent Gowran ("Motorhead" from Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories) has been one of the guiding forces behind the crime-fiction magazine Shotgun Honey. Gowran and his compatriots have compiled the first anthology from the zine: Shotgun Honey Presents: Both Barrels (Volume 1).

Support these authors and others you enjoy. It's important to treat yourself to a good book. Thanks from your friends here at Acid Grave Press.

Acid Grave Press is Two Years Old!

I know, I can't believe it either.  Did you get us a present?

On November 18, 2010, a new e-book publisher came on the scene with their first book, an anthology of horror and dark fantasy stories and novellas inspired by the music of hard-rock and heavy-metal bands: Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories, edited by David T. Wilbanks and Craig Clarke.

Since then, Acid Grave Press has published two other books: a reprint of Randy Chandler's modern-classic horror novel Bad Juju and an original sword and sorcery novella, Hellfighter by David T. Wilbanks, and it's been such a great ride that I'm already looking forward to what is to come.

If you haven't yet tried one of our books, please do.  They've been quite well received, and they're all available at your e-store of preference, whether that's Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Smashwords or another.

Hellfighter reviews

David T. Wilbanks's sword-and-sorcery novella Hellfighter has been out for a while now and is garnering some excellent reviews, including the following.

Hellbound Times

Vintage Horror

Hellfighter can be purchased at Amazon and Smashwords, with other venues soon forthcoming. In the meantime, check out our Facebook and Twitter pages and stop by the Acid Grave Pulp forum to discuss our books and whatever other genre fiction you're reading these days.

Now Available: Hellfighter by David T. Wilbanks

Pleasure-seeking vagabond, Caddoc, falls madly in love with a saucy tavern wench. Then she disappears, carried off by the mysterious army of evil creatures known as drakuli, her town burnt to the ground. Now Caddoc, joined by a wise old monk and a cocky demon, must literally travel to Hell and back on his quest for true love.

Filled with horrifying creatures, dark magic, and intense battle scenes, Hellfighter is a fantasy novella any sword & sorcery fan will not want to miss.

Praise for HELLFIGHTER:

"David T. Wilbanks gives us a welcome return to my kind of old-school heroic fantasy. Earthy characters, epic fight scenes and more fun than a barrel of monkeys."

—William Meikle, author of BERSERKER and THE CHRONICLES OF AUGUSTUS SETON

"A page-turning, sword-swinging adventure. Highly recommended."

—Iain Rob Wright, author of ANIMAL KINGDOM

“Remember when fantasy was can't turn the pages fast enough fun? David T. Wilbanks does. Wilbanks takes you by the throat, kicks it into overdrive and delivers the goods with HELLFIGHTER.”

—Kent Gowran, writer of nasty little stories and founder of SHOTGUN HONEY.

"Wilbanks's HELLFIGHTER has everything you could want in a fantasy tale ... tavern wenches, black wizards, weird creatures and evil whelps. When […] Caddoc sets off on his journey, saddled with a priest and a boy who is not what he seems, things really go to Hell -- literally! This tale is escapism at its finest. So sit back, pack yourself a pipe of Krellin headbash, and get ready for a wild ride!"

—Christopher Fulbright, co-author of SCAVENGERS and SORROW CREEK

"David Wilbanks has written a two-fisted tale straight out of the Robert E. Howard Playbook. You want action, adventure, swordplay, and blood? HELLFIGHTER will satiate your appetite for all that and more."

—Bob Freeman, author of SHADOWS OVER SOMERSET, KEEPERS of the DEAD, and DESCENDANT

Sinkhole Shakes Up Vinewood Residents

Vinewood, GA — A sinkhole that appeared without warning in the middle of Main Street has the residents of Vinewood up in arms. It has already claimed one life, that of local man Calvin Hull, when it opened up under his car while he was driving. Local pharmacist George “Doc” Taggert attributes Hull’s demise to pure bad luck — simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. “It could’ve been any one of us,” Taggert said. “But it just happened to be Calvin on that very spot when the earth fell out from under him. Can you imagine what that must’ve been like? Tooling along Main Street in your new car, then boom. The street falls away and the earth swallows you up.” The sinkhole is currently roped off with yellow “Caution!” tape, and through-traffic is blocked by yellow-and-black saw horses affixed with battery-operated flashers. But one man thinks that is not enough to protect the town. Though scoffed at by officials, Cornelius Weehunt feels he has his finger on the common man’s pulse. “Folks is worried now the whole town might be swallowed up,” he states, pointing down at the slab of Main Street slanting into the deep pit. “Lookit that. Like a road to Hell.” Weehunt has taken to standing guard by the sinkhole at night. “I don’t like standing this close to it, but somebody has to keep watch until it’s filled in and paved over. Nobody else is doing it.” He further explains, “All I care about is making sure nothing evil comes out of there. But if something does, I’ll raise the alarm.” Weehunt likens himself to railroad signalmen, and especially to the boy who stuck his finger in a dyke. Known to locals as “Corny,” Weehunt was nearly killed himself ten years ago when he took a fall from a ladder while painting and landed on his head. Some locals believe that the accident affected Corny’s intelligence, but he disagrees. “People say I’m retarded, but that’s not true. It’s just that part of my brain is dead. And it can’t be one of the real important parts. If it was, I wouldn’t be helping out the town by watching over things at the edge of this sinkhole in the middle of the night, would I? Heck, no. Ain’t no flies on Cornelius Weehunt.” Whether Weehunt becomes a local hero or the sinkhole’s next victim remains to be seen, but the mood has definitely changed here in Vinewood. “Vinewood used to be such a quiet little town,” seems to be a common refrain. Well, it’s very unlikely that things will be quiet in Vinewood for some time to come. Readers looking for more information on Vinewood and its residents are invited to seek out Bad Juju, author Randy Chandler's history of the incident, published by Acid Grave Press.

Coming soon: Hellfighter by David T. Wilbanks

The next release from Acid Grave Press will be Hellfighter, an action-packed sword and sorcery novella from the co-author of the Dead Earth series, David T. Wilbanks. (He also co-edited our own Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories.)

The eye-popping cover art was commissioned from Nick Gucker. Check out what he says about it on his website, Nick the Hat.

Bad Juju by Randy Chandler -- now available from Acid Grave Press

The latest e-book offering from Acid Grave Press is the modern horror classic Bad Juju by Randy Chandler. Now available from Amazon in a bright and shiny Kindle edition (other stores/formats coming soon), Chandler's debut novel is a stunning example of small-town horror. (Cover by Bob Freeman.)

Dark forces are afoot in Vinewood, Georgia, a deceptively sleepy town where the dead don't stay dead and a sinkhole is as sinister as it is deadly. Violent events both natural and supernatural build to a chaotic crescendo of horrors that will threaten the entire town and everyone in it.

An odd handful of townsfolk put their lives on the line to save the town — but the darkness may swallow them up before they have a chance.

"Hot and thick, the atmosphere reeks of earth, blood, and decay. The astringent air carries with it a sense of malevolence and resentment. No matter where you look, no matter how shallow you breathe, this town will touch you."

—Kelly Tomblin, Horror-Web

Randy Chandler is the author of Daemon of the Dark Wood, the forthcoming mystery novel Dime Detective, and HELLz BELLz. He also co-authored Duet for the Devil with the late t. Winter-Damon and has contributed short stories to numerous anthologies, including Acid Grave's own Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories. Randy has been a magazine editor/publisher, a freelance book reviewer, a mental health worker, a gas-pump jockey, an ambulance attendant, a soldier in Vietnam, and a funeral home flunky. He often haunts fields of carnage where angels and devils do battle.

Coming soon...

Living After Midnight reduced to $.99 throughout the month of April

It's April, and throughout this whole month, Acid Grave Press's hard-rockin' horror and dark-fantasy anthology Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories is being reduced to the insane price of only $.99 from its original rock-bottom deal of $2.99.

So, for all you April fools who haven't yet bought a copy, snatch one now before the price goes back up in May!

This price reduction is primarily effective at Amazon (Kindle format) and Smashwords (other formats), but you may be able to find this lower price at your favorite e-tailer.

If you still need convincing, just check out these great reviews:

"One of the things that make having an e-reader worthwhile." — Dead in the South

"Heavy metal horror heaven." — Ginger Nuts of Horror

"A good variety pack of scary stories ... an easy read, and a satisfying one." — author Patrick D'Orazio

And here's another great review from Martel Sardina at Dark Scribe Magazine.

David T. Wilbanks interviewed at Bookhound's Den

Neal Hock over at the prestigious Bookhound's Den interviewed our own Dave Wilbanks on his site. Dave discusses his various works, including the Dead Earth books (and our favorite, Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories).

Check it out.

Review copies of Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories available on request

Just contact acidgravepress at gmail dot com with your credentials (where your reviews appear) and e-book format of choice. Thanks for your interest.

Living After Midnight now available for the Nook at Barnes & Noble

Living After Midnight reviewed by Ginger Nuts of Horror

"David T. Wilbanks has assembled one hell of a squad for this heavy metal horror heaven.... The hit rate is damn near perfect; each of these tales are highly deserving of inclusion in a book of this calibre."

(Read more...)

Living After Midnight featured at Indie Books Blog

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

[A:] The diversity! We have ghost, demon, zombie, serial killer, and werewolf stories for those who want the genre tropes. We have action, love, and magic for those who like a little extra. We've got mythic and modern, British and American, long and short ... hard and heavy.

In short, Living After Midnight has a little something for anyone who likes their fiction sharp, dark, and more than a little exciting.

(Read more...)

Living After Midnight reviewed on Dead in the South

"There are six stories in Living After Midnight, all inspired by heavy metal/hard rock bands (each story title is the name of one such band). Less that discourage those of you who are fans of chamber music and Celine Dion, no knowledge of the heavy music scene is required to enjoy these stories, as the authors for the most part use a name or image as a starting point."

(Read more...)

Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories, edited by David T. Wilbanks and Craig Clarke

Acid Grave Press is proud to announce our inaugural release — Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories — an anthology of horror and dark-fantasy stories edited by David T. Wilbanks and Craig Clarke and now available in a variety of e-book formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo, Sony, and Smashwords.



Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories
Edited by David T. Wilbanks and Craig Clarke
—A Hard-Rockin' Horror and Dark-Fantasy Anthology—

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HEAVY MUSIC INSPIRES DARK FICTION?

Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories consists of six horror and dark-fantasy stories inspired by some of the greatest hard-rock and heavy-metal bands in that music’s long and influential history. Each author was invited to submit a short story or novella inspired by the band of his choice.

You're sure to be impressed by the half-dozen diverse tales they came up with. The set list is as follows:

“Spooky Tooth” by Randy Chandler
“Iron Maiden” by Matthew Fryer
“Black Sabbath” by Steven L. Shrewsbury
“Judas Priest” by David T. Wilbanks
“Motorhead” by Kent Gowran
“Slayer” by L.L. Soares

An original lineup indeed. Grab a copy now for only $2.99 because you’ll not want to pass up the chance to read six of the sharpest, savviest, hardest, and heaviest stories published this year.

Reviews:

"One of the things that make having an e-reader worthwhile." — Dead in the South

"Heavy metal horror heaven." — Ginger Nuts of Horror

"A good variety pack of scary stories ... an easy read, and a satisfying one." — Patrick D'Orazio