It’s Been a While….

Greetings from the other side.

Winter has arrived!

I think it’s been a few months since I wrote one of these; let’s just say life has been busy!!

Now that we have moved house and have settled in to the rhythms that come along with that, hopefully I can settle in to regularly updating this here newsletter.

So, what’s been happening since I last posted, aside from moving house and general day to day stuff like working a day job, there’s been a few things over the last few months that are probably worth detailing, so I’ll do my best to peel back the fog….

The Black Dahlia Murder @ Meow April 10th

This was something I had been looking forward to for months since it was announced, and considering I missed seeing them live the last time they came to New Zealand (which was in around 2018) I did not want to miss this show.

The band has changed since then, most obviously with the death of their original frontman Trevor Strnad in 2022 - Trevor was a force - a powerful frontman but someone who offstage had the personality of a loving huggable bear. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person but had had a few chats with him over the years via social media, about things like video games and 80s hair metal!! He was full of wit, humour but mostly passion - for music and the fans of his band.

Like a lot of us, the guy was a massive nerd, here a vid of him talking about video games, which I really enjoy going back to.

After his passing, it certainly seemed like the band may have just come to an end, but that was not the case - after switching up guitarist Brain Eshbach to vocals and returning previous guitarist Ryan Knight back into the band, they were off again.

Their gif at Meow was AMAZING, the bad was on form and so was the crowd - eating up their blend of lightning-fast precision played melodic death metal and their standard almost comedic banter in between songs. Don’t get me wrong, they take this shit seriously but it’s refreshing to see a band that isn’t all about how tough and evil they are!

I also had some REALLY good tacos that night!

With a set list that moved effortlessly between most of their albums, they kept everything fresh and vibrant. I’m a big fan of the songs “What a Horrible Night to have a Curse” and “Nightbringers” and was not disappointed when these were blasted out early (I’m old and need to go home to bed at some point)

They finish up with my all time fav “Deathmask Divine” and we were sent off sweaty and satisfied.

Top night 12/10 would do it again!

Writing News

Since the last newsletter, there’s been a few things on the boil; my body horror story “Like, Share & Subgenerate” was published in the flash fiction anthology “Flash of the Dead; Requiem” by Wicked Shadow Press
Flash Of The Dead: Requiem by Ian Gielen | Goodreads

This was followed by my short crime/horror story “Pica” appearing in the first anthology issue of The Dark Corner magazine.
Pica by Dan Eady – The Dark Corner

I am also currently exploring the option of taking “Pica” into the world of animated, immersive story telling.

Alongside the above, I have finished the first draft of the horror/sci novella I started just over a year ago. Currently titled “Deadfall’ it is the story of a logging crew who discover something they didn’t quite expect when the set out to deforest a hillside site. I have now locked it in a ‘virtual’ drawer, where it can marinade for a little while, before I have another pass at it.

In the meantime, I have started a new novel writing project, a crime thriller with a layer of horror underneath and I am really enjoying this project, mostly because I have never written in this genre specifically, but I certainly enjoy it in its written and movie/tv form, so feel relatively comfortable with the process.
I currently has no title and is sitting at around 55,000 words of a proposed 100,000 words and is the fastest I have written anything so far!!!
More on that when I can.

Other than that, just doing what every other burgeoning writer does; submitting short story’s and flash fiction etc whenever possible, so hopefully more news to come on that front.

Entertainment

There has been some great genre TV of late, with things like Fallout and Dark Matter. I also need to finish Shōgun, as what I have seen so far is pretty stunning. As a fan (is fan the right word?) of Japanese history, particularly feudal Japan, this is right in my wheelhouse.

I also really looking forward to the new season of The Bear - as an amateur/wannabe chef, it appeals to me, in a masochistic way!

Books Books Books

The last few months have seen me read a lot more straight thrillers/crime thrillers rather than usual horror or fantasy that I usually enjoy.

I am currently reading through Stephen King’s new collection of short stories and novellas “You Like it Darker” and the guy really knows how to enthrall - one would say he’s quite good at the writing stuff!

I also particularly enjoyed the Danny Ryan trilogy by Don Winslow, which starts with City on Fire, City of Dreams and finally City in Ruins, which it also turned out is crime writer Don Winslow’s final work of fiction as he is retiring.

The story of a war between Irish and Italians in New England which then sprawls across the country to Hollywood and Las Vegas. I also heard that it is being turned into a TV series with Austin Butler starring as Danny - I can see that working!

Well that about wraps it up - until next time, hopefully it won’t be as long