Unboxing Videos for Boxing Day

It’s December 26, otherwise known as Boxing Day, so we’ve decided to share a series of thirteen unboxing videos featuring Word Horde titles. Thanks to the folks at Nocturnal Reader’s Box, we were able to put copies of Tales from a Talking Board and Vermilion into 2300 readers’ hands from coast to coast. If you like what you see, consider subscribing (and let them know that Word Horde sent you). Enjoy!


BingeReader


jeffingoff


Marcy Reads


April Grob


Mama’s Place


paul reads


out of the bex

https://youtu.be/bkfel4jgjxQ
Mindy’s Book Journey


bambisgotbooks Bambi Pitre


Chapter32


The BoxFox


Nightmare Maven

https://youtu.be/wXs8ltNSvDI
Leighanne’s Lit

Thank you to all of the unboxers and Nocturnal Reader’s Box subscribers, we hope they enjoy the books.

Here’s hoping you got to unbox some cool stuff this holiday season. And if you didn’t find the Word Horde books you wanted under your tree, do keep in mind that our last minute year-end coupon. Just use coupon code word2017, and save 30% on all Word Horde books! And thanks for helping make 2017 a year to remember!

2017 Last Minute Xmas Coupon

It’s been a busy year. So busy that it’s quite possible you just realized (like us) that the holiday season is in full swing, and that you’ve got less than two weeks to get your Xmas shopping done. So, we decided to run a last minute year-end coupon. Just use coupon code word2017, and save 30% on all Word Horde books (excluding Scratch-and-Dent titles). Here’s where to order:

https://www.wordhorde.com

This year, we published five books: The Raven’s Table, by Christine Morgan; Beneath, by Kristi DeMeester; An Augmented Fourth, by Tony McMillen, She Said Destroy, by Nadia Bulkin; and Tales from a Talking Board, edited by Ross E. Lockhart, featuring fourteen all-new stories of the strange and supernatural by Matthew M. Bartlett, Nadia Bulkin, Nathan Carson, Kristi DeMeester, Orrin Grey, Scott R Jones, David James Keaton, Anya Martin, J. M. McDermott, S.P. Miskowski, Amber-Rose Reed, Tiffany Scandal, David Templeton, and Wendy N. Wagner.

We also picked up a few awards, with Word Horde selected as Publisher of the Year 2016, Livia Llewellyn’s Furnace receiving Short Story Collection of the Year 2016, and John Langan’s The Fisherman landing Novel of the Year 2016 in the This Is Horror Awards, and John Langan’s The Fisherman capturing the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel. Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2017 Word Horde titles in your favorite genre awards!

Here’s just some of the critical acclaim our 2017 titles have received (so far):

“These works have the sure, solid feel of a talented author deeply engaged with her source material and genre. They’re an excellent read for those who enjoy myths and legends of all kinds.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Raven’s Table

The Raven’s Table is a must-have for anyone with an interest in stories based on Nordic mythology and lore.” —GreyDogTales on The Raven’s Table

“This novel is going to propel DeMeester onto that list of authors you’ll want to follow.” —John Boden, Ginger Nuts of Horror on Beneath

“…one of the most upsetting and horrifying tomes of dark fiction in recent memory.” —This Is Horror on Beneath

“Tony McMillen’s An Augmented Fourth (2017) is heavy metal rock and roll horror at its wailing-guitar best. Set in 1980, the point of transition from heavy metal to punk, An Augmented Fourth blends inter-dimensional eldritch horror, David-Cronenberg-movie grotesquerie, and psychedelia in a thrash-metal twenty-minute-guitar-solo of a story.” —Fantasy Literature

“This is a wildly entertaining novel that is both a hilarious deconstruction and a tender love letter to rock and roll. McMillen has a knack for dialogue and that helps the action and the story move forward at breackneck speed. […] If you think you’d dig watching a psychedelia-infused version of The Thing while blasting awesome tunes and having a great acid trip, then you need to pick this one up.” —LitReactor on An Augmented Fourth

“Weird fiction has been stuck in the era of new-fangled radio sets and fifteen-cent pulp magazines for ninety years. Finally, Nadia Bulkin has come to drag us kicking and screaming into the horrors of The Endless Now with a collection of hip, ultracontemporary, politically astute, and chilling stories.” —Nick Mamatas, author of I Am Providence on She Said Destroy

“Bulkin delivers a dose of delicious darkness with her debut collection.” —World Fantasy Award-winning editor Silvia Moreno-Garcia on She Said Destroy

“Striking debut collection” —The New York Times on She Said Destroy

Tales from a Talking Board (Word Horde) is a brilliant collection of 14 short stories by some of today’s greatest authors, centered around the theme of the Ouija board, in its various forms and incarnations […] It’s an eerie compilation of tales that belongs in the personal libraries and/or Kindles of everyone who loves the macabre.” —Douglas Cobb, What’s New in Book Reviews

Tales from a Talking Board is a seasonal treat meant for crackling fires in the fireplace and dark spooky evenings. Enjoy.” —Marion Deeds, Fantasy Literature

“A blast to read.” —TheShadesofOrange on Tales from a Talking Board

Remember: Use coupon code word2017, and save 30% on all Word Horde books (excluding Scratch-and-Dent titles). Here’s where to order:

https://www.wordhorde.com

Awards Eligibility

As we come to the end of another year, it is traditional to look back through the last 365 days and take stock of one’s accomplishments. In 2017, Word Horde published five books: The Raven’s Table, by Christine Morgan; Beneath, by Kristi DeMeester; An Augmented Fourth, by Tony McMillen, She Said Destroy, by Nadia Bulkin; and Tales from a Talking Board, edited by Ross E. Lockhart.

If you read and enjoyed any (or all) of these Word Horde books in 2017, we ask that you consider nominating those books in their respective categories in the Hugos, Locus Awards, Nebulas, Bram Stoker Awards, This Is Horror Awards, or similar awards. Likewise, the Novellas, Novelettes, and Short Stories we published this year that are eligible for your awards consideration. Plus, we’ve included a list of Related Works you may have otherwise missed. Thanks for your consideration, it means the world to us!

Best Collection:
The Raven’s Table, by Christine Morgan
She Said Destroy, by Nadia Bulkin

Best Novel:
Beneath, by Kristi DeMeester
An Augmented Fourth, by Tony McMillen

Best First Novel:
Beneath, by Kristi DeMeester

Best Anthology:
Tales from a Talking Board, edited by Ross E. Lockhart

Best Short Story:
“Deep Into the Skin” by Matthew M. Bartlett (5215 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“May You Live In Interesting Times” by Nadia Bulkin (5431 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“When the Evil Days Come Not” by Nathan Carson (5229 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“YesNoGoodbye” by Kristi DeMeester (3013 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Harupscate or Scry” by Orrin Grey (5300 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Worse than Demons” by Scott R Jones (4170 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Spin the Throttle” by David James Keaton (4900 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Weegee Weegee, Tell Me Do” by Anya Martin (6664 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“The Devil and the Bugle Boys” by J. M. McDermott (3784 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Pins” by S.P. Miskowski (2618 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“The Empress and the Three of Swords” by Amber-Rose Reed (2200 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Grief” by Tiffany Scandal (3259 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“Questions and Answers” by David Templeton (5000 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“The Burnt Sugar Stench” by Wendy N. Wagner (4100 words, Tales from a Talking Board)
“The Seven Ravens” by Christine Morgan (5010 words, The Raven’s Table)

Best Novelette
“Brynja’s Beacon” by Christine Morgan (9600 words, The Raven’s Table)

Best Novella
“No Gods, No Masters” by Nadia Bulkin (11900 words, She Said Destroy)

Best Poem
“The Shield-Wall” by Christine Morgan (480 words, The Raven’s Table)
“As We Drown and Die” by Christine Morgan (2070 words, The Raven’s Table)

Best Publisher:
Word Horde

Best Editor, Short Form:
Ross E. Lockhart

Best Editor, Long Form:
Ross E. Lockhart

Best Original Cover Art:
An Augmented Fourth, Alan M. Clark
Tales from a Talking Board, Yves Tourigny

Related Works:
Music from the Novel An Augmented Fourth: “Beyond This Sleepless Dream”/”Frivilous Black” by Frivilous Black/Tony McMillen

Look what we’ve summoned up: Tales from a Talking Board release/reviews/launch, Nadia Bulkin’s She Said Destroy reviewed in The New York Times

Today marks the launch of our latest anthology, Tales from a Talking Board. We’re really looking forward to putting this one into your hands.

Available now: Tales from a Talking Board

Can we speak with the spirits of the dead? Is it possible to know the future? Are our dreams harbingers of things to come? Do auspicious omens and cautionary portents affect our lives?

Edited by Ross E. Lockhart, Tales from a Talking Board examines these questions–and more–with tales of auguries, divination, and fortune telling, through devices like Ouija boards, tarot cards, and stranger things.

So dim the lights, place your hands upon the planchette, and ask the spirits to guide you as we present fourteen stories of the strange and supernatural by Matthew M. Bartlett, Nadia Bulkin, Nathan Carson, Kristi DeMeester, Orrin Grey, Scott R Jones, David James Keaton, Anya Martin, J. M. McDermott, S.P. Miskowski, Amber-Rose Reed, Tiffany Scandal, David Templeton, and Wendy N. Wagner.

Here’s just some of the praise Tales from a Talking Board has received so far:

Tales from a Talking Board (Word Horde) is a brilliant collection of 14 short stories by some of today’s greatest authors, centered around the theme of the Ouija board, in its various forms and incarnations […] It’s an eerie compilation of tales that belongs in the personal libraries and/or Kindles of everyone who loves the macabre.” –Douglas Cobb, What’s New in Book Reviews

Tales from a Talking Board is a seasonal treat meant for crackling fires in the fireplace and dark spooky evenings. Enjoy.” –Marion Deeds, Fantasy Literature

“A blast to read.” –Rachel @ TheShadesofOrange

Don’t miss the Tales from a Talking Board launch party, this Friday night, October 27, at 7 pm at Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma, CA. RSVP and details at Copperfield’s Books.

In other news, Nadia Bulkin’s She Said Destroy has just received a mention in The New York Times. In “A Roundup of New Horror, All Indebted to an Early Master,” Terrence Rafferty calls She Said Destroy a “striking debut collection,” praising the way Bulkin’s stories “examine political oppression and the terrible choices it imposes,” and, singling out story “Endless Life”, the way “Bulkin sketches a deft portrait of a wounded society.” Read the full review and round-up here.

She Said Destroy by Nadia Bulkin

Review Round-Up: Tales from a Talking Board, An Augmented Fourth

Our forthcoming anthology Tales from a Talking Board (Oct 24) just picked up its first review, courtesy of Leah Bond at Legends of Tabletop. Leah shares spoiler-free thoughts on all fourteen stories, and on the anthology as a whole. Check out the full review at Legends of Tabletop, and preorder your copy of Tales from a Talking Board today!

Tales from a Talking Board edited by Ross E. Lockhart

In other news, Tony McMillen’s An Augmented Fourth just picked up a new review–in Russian–as one of RussoRosso‘s Top 8 Recent Horror Books. From what we’ve been able to figure out with the help of Google Translate, it’s a rave review. And, we’ve got to say, the title looks downright metal in Russian: Дьявольский интервал (Literally, “The Devil’s Interval”).

An Augmented Fourth by Tony McMillen

And finally, it looks like Amazon has a few Word Horde titles at deep discounts right now. Grab Livia Llewellyn’s Furnace for just $8.47 (43% off!), This Is Horror Award-winning anthology Cthulhu Fhtagn! for just $13.38 (33% off!), and Michael Griffin’s The Lure of Devouring Light for just $11.37 (33% off!). While supplies last, of course.

Sing “The Soul of You,” a Jack the Ripper-themed contest

Today marks 129 years since Jack the Ripper began his deadly spree. To mark the occasion, we’re giving three lucky winners two free books: 1) a copy of Alan M. Clark’s novel A Brutal Chill in August, which tells the story of Polly Nichols, Jack the Ripper’s first victim, and 2) A copy of the anthology Tales of Jack the Ripper, which includes stories by Laird Barron, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, E. Catherine Tobler, and Mercedes M. Yardley, among others.

The catch? To win, you have to post a video of you singing “The Soul of You,” the Bonehill Ghost’s song from A Brutal Chill in August, and tag Word Horde in your post. A link to the original music video is below. Contest ends November 9, 2017.

We’re looking forward to hearing you sing. And to giving you cool books.

Now Available: She Said Destroy, by Nadia Bulkin

Nadia Bulkin’s debut collection She Said Destroy landed this past weekend at NecronomiCon in Providence, arriving on what would have been H. P. Lovecraft’s 127th birthday. Filled with thirteen weird and wonderful stories (including three Shirley Jackson Award nominees!) and an introduction by Paul Tremblay, She Said Destroy is now available where better books are sold. Here are just a few of the glowing reviews that She Said Destroy has received so far…

“…a debut collection that will surely be recognized as one of the year’s sharpest.” —Tor.com

“Most of the stories hit the ground running and don’t slow down…” —See the Elephant

“Bulkin serves up cerebral horror with plenty of bite.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Order your copy of She Said Destroy today!

If you’ve already picked up a copy of She Said Destroy, show us your #bookface! Just snap a photo like the two attached to this post (Thanks, Katie and Amber!), and email it to us at publicity[at]wordhorde.com, and/or post it to your own social media with the hashtag #SheSaidDestroy and tagging @WordHorde. On October 1, 2017, we’ll pick our favorite and send the winner a very cool prize!

Cover Reveal/Preorder Tales from a Talking Board

Today we reveal the cover to our newest anthology (out October 24), Tales from a Talking Board, in conjunction with this profile on Word Horde and publisher/editor Ross E. Lockhart in the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Check ’em out and order your copy today!

Tales from a Talking Board edited by Ross E. Lockhart

Can we speak with the spirits of the dead? Is it possible to know the future? Are our dreams harbingers of things to come? Do auspicious omens and cautionary portents effect our lives?

Edited by Ross E. Lockhart, Tales from a Talking Board examines these questions–and more–with tales of auguries, divination, and fortune telling, through devices like Ouija boards, tarot cards, and stranger things.

So dim the lights, place your hands upon the planchette, and ask the spirits to guide you as we present fourteen stories of the strange and supernatural by Matthew M. Bartlett, Nadia Bulkin, Nathan Carson, Kristi DeMeester, Orrin Grey, Scott R. Jones, David James Keaton, Anya Martin, J. M. McDermott, S. P. Miskowski, Amber-Rose Reed, Tiffany Scandal, David Templeton, and Wendy N. Wagner.

Edited by Ross E. Lockhart
Cover Design by Yves Tourigny

Order your copy today!

Now Available: An Augmented Fourth, by Tony McMillen

Tony McMillen’s An Augmented Fourth dropped on Tuesday, so if you’re looking to rock ‘n’ roll all night long this weekend, we’ve got you covered. Here are just a few of the reviews An Augmented Fourth has received so far:

Fantasy Literature‘s Marion Deeds says, “Tony McMillen’s An Augmented Fourth (2017) is heavy metal rock and roll horror at its wailing-guitar best. Set in 1980, the point of transition from heavy metal to punk, An Augmented Fourth blends inter-dimensional eldritch horror, David-Cronenberg-movie grotesquerie, and psychedelia in a thrash-metal twenty-minute-guitar-solo of a story.”

LitReactor‘s Gabino Iglesias says, “This is a wildly entertaining novel that is both a hilarious deconstruction and a tender love letter to rock and roll. McMillen has a knack for dialogue and that helps the action and the story move forward at breackneck speed. […] If you think you’d dig watching a psychedelia-infused version of The Thing while blasting awesome tunes and having a great acid trip, then you need to pick this one up.”

An Augmented Fourth by Tony McMillen

“It would take a real virtuoso to properly blend The Thing, The Mist, Black Sabbath, and Bowie into one rollicking, comical cosmic horror tribute to early metal and the dark beyond. Lucky for us, Tony McMillen has the chops to make this mutant beast fly on blessed black wings. An Augmented Fourth is a strange, sludgy, progged-out blast!” –Jeremy Robert Johnson, author of Skullcrack City and Entropy in Bloom

Ask for An Augmented Fourth wherever better books are sold.