Tag Archives: blurbs

Now Available: A Spectral Hue

Craig Laurance Gidney’s A Spectral Hue drops today, marking and celebrating both Pride and Juneteenth with a tale of of art, obsession, and the ghosts that haunt us all. Here’s just some of the praise A Spectral Hue has received so far…

A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney

“A deft look at obsession through a group of outsider artists in touch with something truly outside. A Spectral Hue is the kind of book that creeps up on you, baring its teeth only once you have moved calmly into the depths of its trap.” –Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World

“A town and an art movement arise from a ghostly source in this arresting, hypnotic debut novel from Craig Laurance Gidney. Upon a grim undercoat drawn from America’s shameful histories of slavery and homophobic oppression, Gidney masterfully layers a centuries-spanning tale of survival, triumph, and obsession, with a memorable cast of characters linked by a secret both joyous and frightening. No simple tale of terror, A Spectral Hue enthralls as much as it disturbs.” –Mike Allen, author of Unseaming and Aftermath of an Industrial Accident

“A Spectral Hue is a subtly disturbing hymn to the joy and terror of working with a muse, to queer passion and creation, and to the power of art to channel both ancestral voices and personal journeys with equal intensity.” –Ruthanna Emrys, author of Winter Tide

Ask for A Spectral Hue at your favorite bookseller, or order your copy direct from Word Horde today!

Landing Today: A Hawk in the Woods, by Carrie Laben

Carrie Laben’s debut novel, A Hawk in the Woods, is now available. Here’s just some of the praise it has received so far:

A Hawk in the Woods by Carrie Laben

“At once sly and grim, soberingly real and darkly fantastical, the story of the Waite sisters will haunt readers like an eerie old folk song.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In this uncanny world, the darkest moments don’t come from the supernatural horror but from the realization that the Waites’ underlying dysfunction is a near and dear part of our own.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)

“A Hawk in the Woods is wonderfully dark and spellbinding, mixing the road novel, family drama, time travel, cosmic horror, and maybe even a little Heathers. Carrie Laben is an original, compelling new voice. Consider me a fan for life.” —Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts

“Ride or die sisterhood, conjured from the bones of H. P. Lovecraft.” —Molly Tanzer, author of Vermilion and Creatures of Will & Temper

“A Hawk in the Woods is a stunning, chilling masterpiece by one of the best new voices in literary horror. Searingly intelligent, gorgeously wrought, this gripping tale of two gifted, haunted sisters begins as a classic get-away story and soon unfolds into a terrifying excavation of the American dream of unbridled power. Carrie Laben writes with a ferocious grace; a master of the gothic pastoral, of the slow burn, of surprise. Carrie Laben is a monster–they don’t even make writers like this anymore. You will be reading her name for decades to come.” —Cara Hoffman, author of Running and So Much Pretty

“A Hawk in the Woods is an excellent book that I couldn’t put down. The interesting characters and twisty plot created a mystery that will keep you constantly guessing at what will happen next. Laben’s strong prose and expert handling of dual storylines is mesmerizing. This book will sink its hook into your flesh and won’t let go until you finish the last word.” —Matt Brandenburg, High Fever Books

“A Hawk in the Woods can stand on its own as an excellent debut. I can’t wait to read more from Carrie Laben in the future. If you enjoy family rooted witchcraft, you are going to want to pick this one up.” —Book Den

Fright Into Flight coming this fall, an open call, and Corpsepaint is unleashed upon an unsuspecting world…

This fall, Word Horde will be releasing Fright Into Flight, an anthology of horror stories by women themed around the idea of flight, edited by Amber Fallon. Whether you’re flying the unfriendly skies or safe on the ground, we think you’re going to enjoy this turbulent ride. Here’s a peek at the cover…

From the earliest depictions of winged goddesses to the delicate, paper-winged fairies of the Victorians, from valiant Valkyries to cliff-dwelling harpies, from record-setting pilots to fearless astronauts, women have long since claimed their place in the skies, among the clouds and beyond.

Word Horde presents Fright Into Flight, the debut anthology from Amber Fallon (The Terminal, The Warblers), in which women take wing. In these stories connected by the unifying thread of flight, authors including Damien Angelica Walters, Christine Morgan, and Nadia Bulkin have spread their wings and created terrifying visions of real life angels, mystical journeys, and the demons that lurk inside us all. Whether you like your horror quiet and chilling or more in-your-face and terrifying, there’s something here for every horror fan to enjoy.

You’re in for a bumpy ride..So fasten your seatbelt, take note of the emergency exits, hold on to your airsick bag, and remember that this book may be used as a flotation device in the event of a crash landing.

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Amber Fallon has picked a great lineup of stories for Fright Into Flight so far, and we’ll be opening up preorders soon, but for now, we’re looking for a few more stories to fill in the gaps. As Amber says, “I want stories with wings and teeth, I want fear, I want heartbreak, I want depravity and darkness. I want to read things that will make me afraid to look up into the sky. The interpretation of the theme ‘flight’ is really up to you. You can go more traditional and give me stories of airports, airplanes, and demons on the wing or you could stretch it and offer tales of winged harpies, space crafts, flying beasts, angels, demons, or anything in between. The ideal story would be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length.” If you’re a woman who has the right stuff, reprint or original, please drop Amber a line at amber[at]amberfallon[dot]net. This open call closes Monday, May 14, 2018, so move with the speed of Nike if you want your story to be considered.

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We’ve also just released David Peak’s black metal horror novel Corpsepaint onto the world. Here’s just some of the press Corpsepaint has received so far…

“If you live and breathe both black metal and literary horror, this book is a gift.” –CVLT Nation

“An icy hymn to apocalypses both cosmic and personal, David Peak’s novel is as savage and grim as the music of Darkthrone, but also as intricate and otherworldly as that of Emperor. A black metal masterpiece…” –Ginger Nuts of Horror

“I loved Corpsepaint. I love black metal, I love cosmic horror. This book is a match made in heaven (or should that be Hell?!) for me.” –The Grim Reader

“Cosmic-pessimism is Peak’s speciality, and when you combine that with the brutal aggression of a black metal band recording an album with a strange cult act, you know things are going to get pretty weird.” –This Is Horror

Corpsepaint is best read at maximum volume. Ask for Corpsepaint wherever better books are sold, or order direct from Word Horde today.

The Horror Fiction Review previews Giallo Fantastique, John Skipp opines on Nicole Cushing’s Mr. Suicide

Two brand-new bits of Word Horde news for you this Monday:

The Horror Fiction Review‘s Christine Morgan previews Giallo Fantastique this week, calling the anthology “a lavish, sumptuous tapestry of luxurious surrealism and strangeness,” and singling out the stories by Garrett Cook, Nikki Guerlain, and MP Johnson as personal favorites. Giallo Fantastique will be published May 15, 2015, and may be pre-ordered here.

And esteemed author, editor, and filmmaker John Skipp weighs in on Nicole Cushing, author of the forthcoming debut novel Mr. Suicide, saying, “Nicole Cushing comes in smart and hard, skilled and strange times three. Many aspire. But you can’t fake this kind of weird.” Mr. Suicide will be published July 15, 2015, and may be pre-ordered here.

Critical Acclaim for Molly Tanzer’s Vermilion

Available for preorder now and shipping in April, Molly Tanzer’s Vermilion is beginning to pull in some major praise. Here’s what Publishers Weekly has to say (with a starred review!):

Tanzer’s first novel is a splendid page-turner of a Weird West adventure. Elouise Merriwether is a psychopomp, tasked with escorting newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Half Chinese and half English, with a bizarre job that few people understand, she struggles to find a place for herself in 1870s San Francisco, often vacillating between pluck and self-effacement. When her mother asks her to investigate why young Chinese men are going missing after being offered jobs in Colorado, Lou agrees to turn detective, but she’s bitten off way more than she can chew, especially once she runs up against the mysterious Dr. Panacea and his possibly fraudulent Elixir of Life. This hugely entertaining mixture of American steampunk and ghost story is a wonderful yarn with some of the best dialogue around.

Vermilion by Molly Tanzer

And Cherie Priest, award-winning author of Maplecroft and Boneshaker, has this to say about Vermilion:

Vermilion is fresh and strange — a dark and sparkling story of magic, monsters, and mystery in the Old Weird West. Gloriously weird and heartfelt, it’s a credit to the genre from start to finish.

Vermilion is available for preorder from Word Horde now. Available soon from booksellers everywhere.

Tales of Jack the Ripper – First Reviews

The first Amazon reviews of Tales of Jack the Ripper have started to appear, and it seems that people like our little book. Here are just a few of the things readers have said:

Ellie-and-Jack

“…a truly spellbinding collection…”

“A must have for all Ripper scholars.”

“…what this anthology truly has going for it is its relentlessness.”

“Blood starts to seep from the pages (yes, even on the Kindle), and pools around the words.”

“The ‘Must-Read’ Jack the Ripper Anthology”

“Jack the Ripper stories that will keep you up at night reading (or hiding beneath your covers).”

“These stories will have you feverously flipping pages in a hungry suspense–each holding that ‘one more page’ grip that established readers search for.”

“I suggest cutting into a copy as soon as possible…”

What can we say but, “Wow!”

Even though our official street date isn’t until August 31, Tales of Jack the Ripper is now available to order in Trade Paperback from Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, Powells, and The Book Depository. A Saucy Jack Deluxe Pack is available directly from Word Horde. Tales of Jack the Ripper is also available as an ebook for Kindle and Nook.

Thanks for reading. And if you enjoy the book, please tell your friends.