Kevin Lucia

I'm no one to crow, but I'm certainly not going to miss the chance to pimp my stuff for Christmas, even if most of these would arrive late enough to be belated Christmas gifts. Even so...

Coach's Midnight Diner - On Sale for $10.00:

A hard boiled anthology of horror, mystery, and paranormal fiction, Coach's Midnight Diner is the faith-based anthology readers have been waiting for. With full allowance for artistic freedom, Diner authors pull no punches. Entrees of Jesus Vs. Cthulhu Fiction by Chris Mikesell, Kevin Lucia, Neil A. Riebe, and Jens Rushing highlight in the first edition of Coach's Midnight Diner, but there's so much more on the menu. We'll server up horror fiction by Editor's Choice Award winner Robert N. Jennings, J. Mark Bertrand, Melody Graves, Nathan Knapp, and Caroline Misner. Side orders of Crime, Mystery, and Detective Fiction by Charles Browning, Suzan Robertson, R.M. Oliver, S.J. Kessel, Michael Medina, and Mike Dellosso will have you trying to guess who the culprit is until the very end. We'll quench your thirst for Paranormal Fiction with stories from Mike Duran, Robert Garbacz, Matt Mikalatos, and Paul Luikart. And for dessert, Jennifer J. Edwards and Linda Gilmore bring stories from That One That Happens in A Diner. Coach's Midnight Diner will satisfy your appetite for thrills and quench your thirst for something a little deeper than your average fare.

Abominations: 17 Tales of Murderous Monsters, by Shroud Publishing:

Shroud is excited to announce a collection of thrilling short fiction, compiled from some of the most horrifying stories of creatures, mythical beasts, and murderous monsters. Abominations features expertly-crafted tales, NEVER before published, from the best voices in modern horror. Stories and authors include: John Teehan- Whatever happened to Baby Charles? Anna Lowther- Grace's Garden; Eric Christ- Riding The Oak Mill Bridge; Rhonda Parrish- Spoiled Picnic; William Vogel-Papa Mort; Tracie McBride-Marked; Mark Tullius- When it Rains; Kevin Lucia - The Water God of Clarke Street; Brandon Berntson- Mosquito; Jeff Parish- For the Good of the Flock; Lee Zumpe- Worm-sacks and Dirt-backs; Lon Prater- Starvelito; Lincoln Crisler- Old Stooping Lugh; Gerard Houarner- Devoured Smile; R. Scott McCoy- Good Dog; Dave Dunwoody- The Ambrosia Supper Club; Richard Farnsworth- B.E.K.s.

Northern Haunts: 100 Terrifying New England Tales, by Shroud Publishing (features my story, "Old Bassler House"

Northern Haunts is much more than an anthology. It is an indispensable guidebook for your journey through the shadowy New England otherworld. 100 original tales of ghosts, creatures, mad men, and other horrifying mysteries. Each story is told in the first person so that you can employ NORTHERN HAUNTS as a fireside ghost story reference book. It is designed for you to customize these treacherous tales in order to tantalize your friends and terrify your family. Proceeds from the sale of NORTHERN HAUNTS will be donated to the AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY. This book is currently open for PRE-ORDERS only. Amazing cover art by Christopher Zibelli!

Life Savors, by Tyndale House (Features my story, "Right Choice")

Life Savors and Life Savors for Women are collections of inspirational stories about the struggle for life and how God always comes through. They are raw, heart-warming stories of God at work in the midst of the struggle of everyday life. Just as we need food every day, we need "soul food" every day to keep our souls energized and full of life for life's journey. These are sto-ries that help you savor life to the fullest.

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Shroud Magazine Issue #5 Winter 2008

An introduction to the scandalous and scurrilous Hiram Grange, reluctant hero against the unseen terrors of the earth! Novella excerpts from the upcoming Hiram Grange series, featuring authors Richard Wright, Kevin Lucia, Scott C. Carr, Robert Davies, and Jake Burrows, fiction from Kim Paffenroth, Michael West, John Bruni, Norman A. Rubin, an interview with Ronald Damien Malfi, columns from Michael Knost, Steve Vernon, Norman Rubenstein, and DL Snell, the Webley revolver, and real life confluences!

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Final "Raw" table of contents is announced. The anthology is in the editing process.
A December release is planned. (From Snuff Books)

Violin Concerto No. 9 in A Minor" by Inanna Gabriel

"Painted in Red" by Brandon Ford

"The City of the Dancing Lights" by Frank Roger

"Pretty Face on Genocide" by Steven L. Shrewsbury

"Scavenger Hunt" by R.J. Cavender

"Still Life with Soul Juice" by L.L. Soares

"A Willing Donor" by Kevin Lucia

"Onyx Noir" by Jessica Lynne Gardner

"One Headlight" by Eric Enck

"The Exhibition" by James Roy Daley

"Cry Little Sister" by John Edward Lawson

"Squeezing Out Sparks" by Stephen Couch

"You Come When I Call" by Trever Palmer

"Chef of the Gods" by Andrew Wolter

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No, that isn't him - it's artwork from Stephen King's upcoming graphic novel version of The Stand, but it is Randall Flagg - one of Nylarhotep's many literary incarnations, and one of my all time favorite bad guys. And yes...I'm foolish enough, apparently, to be chasing him.

By hook or by crook, by fate or design, (maybe because of someone dreaming in R'lyeh?) all the stories I've had published on a signifigant level have either directly involved the Cthulhu mythos, or have incorporated a Lovecraftian vibe of dealing with the unknown.

It's made me want to write more stories like those, and I've even dabbled with the thought of writing a novel-length manuscript about the Cthulhu Mythos - not a small undertaking, by any means. Not only would I have to write it fresh and new for people who have no idea who Cthulhu is, I'd need to write it well enough to honor those who do know Cthulhu and his merry band of Old Ones and Elder Gods.

And I've - gasp - never really read much about Cthulhu (bowing head in literary shame now). So, since I seem  to be hearing his call lately, I've decided to bone up on the Mythos. I'm reading "The Lurker at the Threshold" right now, and I've got "Quest for Cthulhu" coming from Amazon.

It's good so far. It has sprawling sentences that go on forever, with awfully dense descriptions using ten adjectives in a row (I certainly don't want to copy Lovecraft or Derleth's style), but there's still something haunting about an ancient circle of stones holding SOMETHING prisoner inside, and a strange native American Indian bowing before a stone tower, reverently calling out to the skies, Nylarhotep....come to us. Something spooky, eerie, regardless of the dense writing style.

I'm not sure why I'm fascinated with the Cthulhu mythos, especially so late in the game - after years of hearing about Lovecraft without actually reading his work. Maybe it's because I imagined a novel featuring Dagon, long before I knew he featured heavily in Lovecraft's mythos. Hopefully I'm not interested in the mythology just because I'm not creative enough to make up one of my own.

I think it has to do with the vibe of something ancient, pre-human. The Cthulhu mythos, Elder Gods and Ancient Ones carry heavy resonance. Stories about such stuff seem heavier, weighty, because of the tangible plausibility of it all. Even for a guy who believes in one ultimate God who cares for us, it seems likely there are other gods out there - gods, fallen angels or "fallen ones", demons/ daemons, Ancient Ones - who are beneath the one God, maybe even striving against Him and His order. Indeed, the Crawling Chaos himself, unalive but well.

So anyway...Yog Sothoth, and all that. Have a good one. Let's just hope THEY'RE ALL sleeping in R'lyeh.

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