This week’s Show-Off and Tell is a book that holds a very
dear place in my heart for more than one reason. Widowmakers. A benefit anthology put together by Pete Kahle to
raise some funds to help out horrors Mr Nice guy James Newman after he had an argument
with a tree, and lost.
Reasons why I love this book so much? Number one is the
fact that it shows quite clearly how deep the friendship goes in the horror community,
when one person is prepared to go all out to put something like this together
to help out another individual going through a rough time.
Number two is the fact that due to this books hugeness
(fifty individual stories by fifty individuals!) I discovered a plethora of new
authors. New to me anyway, and my TBR pile has quadrupled since. I have since
made some very good friends in the horror world and to be honest a lot of it is
down to this one, single book.
This is my copy.
The third reason I love it so much? Well by sheer luck, and
a lot of messages sent back and forth, and the kindness of Mr Newman, I managed
to get mine signed by the man himself!
Reason number four? Y’all know the master of Southern
Fried Horror, Ronald Kelly? Well just before my copy of Widowmakers was put in
the post and sent on its merry way to me, Mr Kelly and family visited Mr Newman
and family for a weekend. Mr Newman got Mr Kelly into a headlock and refused to
let him go until he signed his story in the book as well!
So unless anyone comes along to ruin my party, I think
this little copy is rather unique. I made a bet with James once that if I won
the lottery, I would travel the world and get every author involved to sign
their individual stories. I think I will need a big win and a lot of time on my
hands for that one!
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer then please consider using the links below to buy Widowmakers or any other books
written by any of the authors involved or indeed anything at all from
Amazon. This not only supports me, but also lets me know how many people
actually like to buy books after reading my reviews and features.
Thanks.
Obviously I apologise for not having the room (or time)
to post bios for everyone involved in this book but here is the stuff you need
to know about the three guys mentioned above.
Pete Kahle has been dreaming about writing novels since
his teens, but after flirting with the idea in college, he spent 25 years
working in a variety of careers before he finally stopped talking about it and
started writing.
He has lived in New York, Arizona and Spain, but now he
resides in Massachusetts with his beautiful wife Noemi, his two amazing
children Zoe and Eli, one dog, two hamsters, two guinea pigs and two frogs.
Pete is a voracious reader of horror, thrillers and
science fiction novels and he writes in the same vein. He is also an insane fan
of the New York Jets, despite living deep in the heart of enemy territory near
Gillette Stadium.
THE SPECIMEN is his first novel, but it certainly will
not be his last. He is currently working on BLOOD MOTHER, a stand-alone
vampiric novel - without vampires - due out in the spring of 2015. On the
horizon is THE ABOMINATION, Book 2 in the Riders Saga, and most likely a 3rd
book in the series with the tentative title of THE HORSEMEN.
Pete most recently organized and edited WIDOWMAKERS, an
anthology of dark fiction and poetry to help fellow author James Newman in a
time of need.
Now that the dark closet in his subconscious has been
opened, the monsters are clamoring to come out for a visit.
And for more about Pete, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page
James Newman is the author of a diverse selection of
horror and suspense tales, dark fiction told with a distinct Southern voice and
more often than not with a hint of pitch-black humor. His published novels
include MIDNIGHT RAIN, THE WICKED, ANIMOSITY, and UGLY AS SIN. When he's not
writing, he enjoys watching horror movies (and showing off what he knows about
the genre with the recent release of his first NONfiction book: 666 HAIR-RAISING
HORROR MOVIE TRIVIA QUESTIONS), listening to loud rock n' roll, and even
dabbling in some stage-acting every now and then.
In real life, James lives in the mountains of North
Carolina with his wife and their two sons. Online, he divides his time between Facebook
and his website.
And for more about James, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page
Ronald Kelly has been writing horror tales set in the
American South since the small-press days of the 1980s. His published works
include Undertaker's Moon, Fear, Blood Kin, Hell Hollow, The Dark'Un, Midnight
Grinding & Other Twilight Terrors, After the Burn, Hindsight, Restless
Shadows, Cumberland Furnace & Other Fear Forged Fables, Hindsight, The Sick
Stuff, Twelve Gauge, and Mister Glow-Bones & Other Halloween Tales. His
audio collection of Southern-fried short stories, Dark Dixie: Tales of Southern
Horror, was included on the nominating ballot of the 1992 Grammy Awards for
Best Non-Musical or Spoken Album. He lives in a backwoods hollow in Brush
Creek, Tennessee with his wife and three young'uns.
And for more about Ronald, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page
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