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Destination: Florida– A Spring Break Booklist

I don’t know about your state, but for the majority of residents in Indiana, spring break means Florida (or a staycation, in which you wish you were in Florida).  I’m pretty sure that if you live in a cold climate (which this winter has been all of us) Florida sounds pretty good right now. Whether you’re looking for reading material that takes place there, or just wish you were there yourself, here’s a list of books set in Florida that should get your blood pumping.

 


Duma Key by Stephen King

A terrible car accident that causes dramatic personality changes and leads to his divorce causes Edgar Freemantle to relocate to an isolated island in the Florida Keys, where he discovers that he possesses a remarkable artistic talent with supernatural aspects.

 

Hunger by Rodman Philbrick

 

Genetically engineered, human-eating sharks are loose in the Florida Keys. Doesn’t that summary make you want it for your next beach read?

If you prefer to stay inside while reading about malevolent, carnivorous, underwater predators, you could consider pairing this with the movie Deep Blue Sea. While I haven’t actually read this book, the plot sounds remarkably similar.

 


The Vision by Heather Graham

Treasure hunters, ghosts, and a serial killer haunt this romantic suspense thriller.

 


Fatal Treasure: Greed and Death, Emeralds and Gold, and the Obsessive Search for the Legendary Ghost Galleon Atocha by Jedwin Smith

 

Speaking of treasure hunters, here’s a real life story of treasure hunting filled with tragedy, obsessiveness, and, well, treasure. I can’t remember how old I was when the discovery and salvage of the Atocha became a big deal, but there was a massive exhibit at the Children’s Museum here, called The Search for the Golden Treasure, and I remember it well. The author of this book, Jedwin Smith, actually accompanied Mel Fisher and his company of treasure seekers on several dives.

 

Dead Tide  and Dead Tide Rising by Stephen A. North

These are fast paced zombie thrillers set in Pinellas County, Florida. Dead Tide Rising is the sequel to Dead Tide. Zombie lovers will find these to be good vacation reads, unless they happen to be vacationing in St. Petersburg.  Read our review of Dead Tide here and our review of Dead Tide Rising here.

 

Wolf Hunt by Jeff Strand

Jeff Strand is well known for his comic horror. Werewolf fans on their way to Florida are in for a treat with Wolf Hunt, which describes a road trip across Florida by two low-level thugs charged with delivering a man in a cage to a crime lord. Given the title, I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to reveal that the man is, in reality, a ravenous werewolf. Strand doesn’t short his readers on the gore, though, so even with the comedy, it’s not for the weak of stomach. Read our review here.

 

Dying Days by Armand Rosamilia

Another fast paced zombie thriller that takes place in sunny Florida. Rosamilia has written several books and short stories set in this world. This one is available for 99 cents on Kindle, so it’s an inexpensive and easy choice that will help you to decide if you want to try more of his work. Read our review here.

 

Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole: Tales of Haunted Disney World by Kristi Petersen Schoonover

Six short horror stories for adults set at Disney World. The perfect antidote to Disney sweetness.

 

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

He is not a horror writer, but I have read and loved most of Cory Doctorow’s work. I haven’t read this one, however. Reviews I have seen on it suggest that Doctorow was focused more on his setting (Disney World) and exploring ideas than on character development and plot. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom takes place in a future where scarcity is not a problem, wealth is based on reputation, and death is temporary, lasting only until your personality can be downloaded  into a clone. This doesn’t leave a lot of opportunity for meaningful conflict in a murder mystery. However, it sounds like Doctorow does put a lot of love into detailing the setting and the feelings of the people who really do live for Disney, which makes me wonder if he once wished he could live there himself. This was his debut novel, and his writing has become much more mature since then, but if I ever get back to Disney World (it’s pricey these days), I think I’d take this with me.

 

Shadows Over Florida by David Goudsward and Scott T. Goudsward

This nonfiction title is one horror movie fans can actually use to plan their vacations! Florida was the site of the filming of many grindhouse and exploitation movies in the 1960s and 1970s, and the Goudswards cover this in detail. They also document some of the influences Florida has had on prominent horror writers. Read our review here.

 

Not interested in Florida, and still want to warm up with a good book? Check out this booklist from earlier this year for more titles.

Whether you stay home, travel to sunny Florida, or choose some other vacation option, have a great spring break and enjoy some good reads!

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Posted on March 31, 2014 by , Reply

Women in Horror Fiction: Mercedes Murdock Yardley

 

Image of Mercedes M. Yardley   Mercedes M. Yardley’s most recent book, Nameless: The Darkness Comes, is out this month. In addition to this and the titles she mentions below,  her fiction can be found is such anthologies as Demons: Encounters with the Devil and His Minions, Fallen Angels, and the Possessed (2011 Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers), Tales of Jack the Ripper (2013 Word Horde), Undead and Unbound: Unexpected Tales From Beyond the Grave (2013 Chaosium), and a number of collections from Shock Totem.

 

1. Can you give our readers a brief introduction?

My name is Mercedes M. Yardley and I write dark fantasy and whimsical horror. I write about monsters who love, sympathetic serial killers, and the ominously beautiful. I have a book of short stories out titled Beautiful Sorrows, a novella titled Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, and my debut novel just came out in January of 2014. It’s titled Nameless: The Darkness Comes and it’s Book One in THE BONE ANGEL trilogy. I wear red lipstick, stilettos, and poisonous flowers in my hair.

 

2. Why do you write horror?  What draws you to the genre?

Horror is pure. There’s something so very honest about writing darkness. It’s thrilling. I find that sweet things are a joy, but they get tedious after a while. I like my sweet little stories to have bones and teeth underneath.

 

3. Can you describe your writing style or the tone you prefer to set for your stories?

My style tends to be elegant and very feminine. I love language, love the way words soun

 

4. Who are some of your influences?  Are there any women authors who have particularly inspired you to write?

One of my major influences growing up was Erma Bombeck. She was brassy and hysterical and kind. She took mundane things and found beauty in them. I also love the dreamy style of Aimee Bender. Her work is amazing.

 

5. What authors do you like to read?  Any recommendations?

I find that I read more newer authors than fully established ones, and that’s really fun. My favorites that I usually recommend are Lee Thompson and Christopher Barzak. I also enjoy Kristen Lamb’s books on social media. They’re so helpful!

 

6. Where can readers find your work?

I’m all over the place! My blog is www.mercedesyardley.com. I have a list linking to finding my work. I’m also on Amazon and Goodreads. Stop by and say hi!

 

Want to find out more? Visit Mercedes Yardley’s recent article for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer here.

Posted on March 6, 2014 by , 2 comments

Women in Horror Fiction: Women in Horror Month– Introducing “Shelley’s Daughters”, by Colleen Wanglund

 

February is officially Women in Horror Month, and while it began with a focus on women in the horror film industry—including actresses, writers, directors, and others working behind the scenes— our goal is to expand this focus to include female horror authors. There are so many women writing horror, some famous but many who are not well-known. Their work is not published and pushed by the major publishing houses; most female authors are published by small houses and in some instances, they self-publish (hooray for the internet!).  And yet, time and again, “Best of” lists continue to be made up of male writers.  Are the women any less worthy?  Is their work not as good as their male counterparts?  Hell no!  We don’t know why female horror authors, for the most part, are overlooked, but we hope to remedy that. So, here at Monster Librarian, we are going to make an active effort to promote women in horror not just by occasionally publishing interviews, but by compiling an index of published women horror writers from Ann Radcliffe to the present.  It’s an ambitious project, but there is no resource that really addresses this topic: in her Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror Fiction, Becky Siegel Spratford was able to spotlight only five women writers, although I know she would have liked to include more.  Colleen Wanglund and I are going to be spearheading this project, which we’re calling “Shelley’s Daughters”, If there are people who would like to contribute, you can contact  me at our general email address, monsterlibrarian@monsterlibrarian.com, or at kirsten.kowalewski@monsterlibrarian.com. And now, some words from one of my favorite women in horror, and partner in crime (or at least in promoting women writers of horror), Colleen Wanglund.

 

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Women in Horror Month

by Colleen Wanglund

I am a woman in horror; I am one of Shelley’s Daughters, and I am proud to be able to say that.

I was exposed to horror at an early age, both books and movies, thanks to my parents. When I was in high school I wanted to be a writer, but life got in the way and I got sidetracked. At the age of 39, I was asked to write a book review as a favor for a friend of mine. The book was Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes: Zany Zombie Poetry for the Undead Head (2009 Coscom Entertainment). That began my journey back to being a writer. And I cannot thank that friend enough as he has also become a sort of mentor. For years I’ve written book reviews, eventually branching out into film reviews, and the genre I’ve always written about is horror. I have dabbled in fiction here and there, but only recently have I begun to seriously write horror fiction. I won a horror fiction contest for unpublished writers with my short story “Slugs”, I’ve recently sold a short story titled “The Mad Monk of St. Augustine’s” to an upcoming anthology, and I’m working hard on finishing up a novella based on Japanese Pinku (exploitation) films.

But why the love affair with horror? One answer is that I have many fears in this life and horror allows me to face some of those fears at a safe distance. I can put my fears and anxieties to paper as a sort of therapy. It has the potential to help me wrap my brain around some of the horrible atrocities committed by humans all over the world and throughout history. I also find horror to be the most “real” genre out there. Everyone suffers tragedy—in varying degrees, mind you—and horror can act as a catharsis for the feelings associated with those tragedies. We can relate, empathize, or sympathize to what is happening on the page (or on the screen).

As a society horror brings people together to face our collective fears, whether real or imagined. Serial killers, monsters, ghosts—they all represent something for everyone. And I’ve said before that I think women have a unique perspective to bring to the table when it comes to writing horror. We are more emotional and I believe that translates well to the development of characters and the situations they may find themselves in. We live our own horrors in childbirth, letting our children out into the real world, love and loss. We are viewed as the weaker sex, depicted as needing saving, yet at the same time we are expected to be strong for the people around us—our children and loved ones. We are the caregivers and that doesn’t stop because the apocalypse is upon us.

I would like to eventually see Women in Horror Month become unnecessary, but for now it’s needed.  All too often women are being overlooked in a genre they—we—love, and that’s just wrong. I think my main objective is to get the reader to see that gender shouldn’t matter in writing horror stories.  What should matter is the story itself.

 

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Stay tuned and see what we come up with next to promote “Shelley’s Daughters”, and the women of horror fiction!

 

Posted on March 2, 2014 by , Reply
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