Showing posts with label Serial Killer Quarterly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serial Killer Quarterly. Show all posts

Reviews make the world go round . . .


I try to read and review as many books as possible, especially from those authors who I have read previously and enjoyed. Many of the authors I have read have come by way of recommendation and in my opinion, there is nothing better for a writer than receiving fair, honest and appreciative (of course) reviews. Anyway, I really want to share this one with you guys as Vix makes some delightfully insightful glimpses into each of the stories in my recent collection, 'Dreams of Thanatos.' After reading the review, maybe check out the collection but also, please, leave a comment below and recommend some of your favorite books. Would love to hear what other authors you guys are reading . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Thanatos-Collected-Macabre-Tales/dp/1495994333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415610115&sr=8-1&keywords=dreams+of+thanatos
Amazon Review: 

By Vix Kirkpatrick on July 21, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
Firstly I noticed the beautiful cover art and then noted at the back in the blurb that WC designs his own, and others, covers – what talent.* [*I have to interject here as the fantastic cover art was done by the talented Steve Upham from Screaming Dreams
I was only going to read one story in this book to see if I would be interested or not, hahaha yeah right! I came out of my Kindle many hours later a little staggered and wide eyed.
How have I overlooked this fabulous author for so long? I have read a few of his books but this collection of shorts is intense and shows off his erudite flow and use of words perfectly.
So, on with the stories in this book.
The Reader: my first thought when finishing the final sentence was WTF! This was so brilliant and intense, I was not sure whether to “shut” the book or carry on!
A man gets hooked on reading after the birth of his daughter, what a wonderful thing you may imagine, until it absorbs him in the most hideous way.
Delightfully gore laden WC captures that feeling that US avid readers get when we find a new story or author to indulge ourselves with, only he ratchets up the “forgot to eat dinner” scenario and then bangs you over the head with it!

Kaleidoscope Kid: I have always wondered if human monsters are nurture or nature? This poor chap seems to be part of that question, with such a sad start, middle and end to his life.
I almost wanted visions of my own for the wonderful little critters that visit and chat with him, almost.
I was so glad that Pa got his justice but eeeew what a way to go! Intrigued? You should be! The stories seem to only be getting better in this collection.

What a Man wants: This little show stopping story is much more the clipped, yet deep style I expect from WC (having read his other novels).
A harsh life is described and just as I started to feel sorry for the poor sap he twists his tail (no miss spell!).
Fantastic ending to an icky story.

Blinded by the Light: Quite possible the most sickening first line I think I have ever read, made my stomach knot and retch.
It does not get any better or it becomes more brilliant depending on how you like your grotesque!
Amazing in all its disgusting glory, yet still so full of story.

The Night Terror: Much more flowery and esthetic in its prose this story begins to soothe the thus far shocked and tattered mind that is mine, but I cannot stop reading.
Don’t be fooled though, the initial calm relaxes you into a stupor of rhythm before WC tosses you into the pit of hell fire once more.

Legacy; The Eternal Now and Hereafter: It is kind of scary that these two loons thinking up a declaration of independence and freedom for all using pipe bombs and destruction actually made sense, such is the power of the authors writing skill.
This story lurches from weird to horrific and then onto freaky. By far the longest story in this collection I think “enjoy” would be the wrong word but I was totally engrossed.

Til Death Do Us Part: Hugo does not take his wife’s request for a divorce too well.
This has to be my favourite story for all the mental visuals of gore, even had some smell and touch in there too I think.
Almost tongue in cheek complete with fumbling surgeon, shotguns and clueless cops. This story alone is worth the cost of the collection.

Dead Memories: WC manages to write about love lost in such a beautiful way that you almost don’t notice the dull edge of pain as he then rips your heart out.
As the nightmare hauntings intensify I was not sure of the history but was too wrapped in the destination to care.

The Devil Inside: Poor young Jacob what an awful life he has, but is seems he has an avenger, and they live under his bed.
The Beast has finally matured and is hungry…..
A tale of revenge that left me smiling.

Creeper: The poor crow or creeper bird gets blamed for all the bad things that befall this stuck up idiot! Short and with no obvious outcome this was a snippet of a moment, but wonderfully written.

Conceived by Death: If you want well placed gore and stomach churning horror, this is the read for you; from drug use, murdering of mums and babies to the birth of something unknown WC wraps all of that horror into a great story with a purpose and not just for the sake of more gore of puke factor.

Burnt Offerings: WC does tales of abusive revenge like no other. He is able to portray the pain so that any wrong doings done to the perpetrators don’t feel at all excessive and possibly deserve one ounce more.
Short but not sweet a strong female lead this time.

Pretty Boy: Another bucket load of eeeeew!
Jasper is on the prowl for more fresh flesh to rape and kill when the local police stop him and give out their own brand of unique justice.
I would really like to read the extended version of this! (hint hint)

Aspects of Infinity: Really disliked this story as it was far too abstract in writing style for me to connect with and I was getting bored with my own struggle to keep up.
Am glad this was near the end as not sure I would have continued with the book had it been first.
Just not MY thing, but probably somebodies.

Dead and Buried: Poor Donny and Max. This felt like a really “nice” ending to the whole book, full of possible hope as well as the spine chilling horror, not the usual WC gore and rub your face in it, this was much more subtle and ultimately more intrusive.

Really enjoyed this book of revenge with some strong drinking, smoking, drug and abuse themes going on. I’m sure a shrink would have a field day with WC brain – maybe he should visit Hannibal! That would be a certain match.

http://www.amazon.com/William-Cook/e/B003PA513I/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
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Any reviewers out there who would like an e-copy, please contact me via the email address at the foot of the posts.

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I haven't done any fresh book covers (aside from the Serial Killer Quarterly Magazine monthly covers) and the following titles needed sprucing up, hence the following images (linked for your convenience to the appropriate Amazon page - J):


http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Water-Selected-William-Cook-ebook/dp/B00AIEYP86/ref=la_B003PA513I_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415613199&sr=1-10

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Quartet-Short-Horror-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00FPT3MZQ/ref=la_B003PA513I_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415613199&sr=1-7

http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Inside-William-Cook-ebook/dp/B00B3OCVMC/ref=la_B003PA513I_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415613199&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Moment-Freedom-Selected-William-Cook-ebook/dp/B009XZI7LC/ref=la_B003PA513I_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415613199&sr=1-12
William Cook (C) 2014.

Serial Killer Quarterly - a new magazine from Grinning Man Press

http://www.serialkillerquarterly.com/product/subscription-2-5


Whatever you might think about serial killers and the vile deeds they do, there is no denying the morbid fascination they induce with their repugnant personalities and the bizarre (and often quite ordinary) reasons behind their abhorrent actions. The thing that continues to fascinate readers of true crime and global media networks is that these criminal monsters are on the outside everyday people like you and I. It is the mystery and the perversity of their inner worlds that marks them as objects of interest to amateur 'arm-chair' psychologists and detectives. 

As an author who has dealt with this subject matter in my own work ('Blood Related') I did countless hours of research into both real true-crime cases and fictional accounts of serial killers. With the publication of my book and the subsequent interest in it from the reading community at large, I have also had occasion to rub shoulders with other authors who share the same morbid curiosity about these creeps. Indeed, the archetypal serial killer protagonist has become a common trope across Thriller, Action and Horror genres with no signs of abatement to date. I met Lee Mellor, the co-creator of the magazine - Serial Killer Quarterly, online through a mutual project and have stayed in touch ever since. Lee is an interesting chap and has some intelligent and profound insights into his chosen fields of study. Before you read the interview below that Katherine Ramsland has kindly given me permission to share, here is some information about Lee Mellor - a talented writer and musician and the creator of Serial Killer Quarterly.

WHO IS LEE MELLOR?


Lee Mellor is a published author, musician, and doctoral student currently based out of Montreal. Lee's books, Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder (2012) and Rampage: Canadian Mass Murder and Spree Killing (2013) focus on the underexplored topic of multicide in Canada. Both are available in the True Crime section of most Canadian bookstores, and in hard copy and e-book form through www.amazon.com (USA), www.amazon.ca (Canada), and www.amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom).

Until his career as an author took off, Lee devoted a great deal of time to writing, performing, and recording storytelling music. He was voted among the Top Ten Singer-Songwriters in Montreal three years in a row, and in 2008 ranked #3 next to Leonard Cohen and Rufus Wainwright. His first album Ghost Town Heart (2007) was considered one of the best “country” albums of the year by numerous indie publications and reviewers, and is notable for the songs “Liberty Street” and ”Nowhere, Manitoba.” After some soul searching, in 2011, Lee recorded ten more tracks for his second album Lose - a low key release, with the title track and “Suzy Blue Eyes” being two of the more popular tunes. 

IMG0009

Lee also conducts historical and criminological research for several television programs.

lee_BioMain_5


After obtaining his Bachelor of the Arts in 2009, Lee relocated back to Brighton, ON, where he began work on his second album and first book.  Originally, he had intended to write a fictional novel about a criminal profiler who tracked serial killers in Canada.  Upon realizing that he was only aware of three Canadian serial murderers, Lee began researching the topic in order to avoid unintentionally copying a real life Canadian killer in his novel.  Along the way, he became so fascinated by the secret history of serial homicide in the great white north that Lee decided he would write a non-fiction book about the subject. 

In 2011, Lee's book Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder was picked up by Dundurn Press, and published in March 2012. Dundurn asked him to write a second, Rampage: Canadian Mass Murder and Spree Killing, which he completed in early October. Both books are available to purchase through most major book retailers and Amazon.

  lee_BioMain_6

Recently, Lee has entered a PhD program at Concordia University to pursue his academic interest in multiple murderers and sex offenders. Stay in touch with Lee and his various ongoing projects via the links below.

Contact Lee 
Facebook Cold North Killers  
FacebookRampage  
Facebook – Lee Mellor’s music  
Twitter@leemellorwriter
Bloghttp://mellortalksmurder.blogspot.com

Lee Mellor interview by Katherine Ramsland.

A new digital quarterly on serial murder promises to entertain but also educate. 






One of my colleagues, Lee Mellor, got it into his head that someone needed to create a quarterly magazine devoted exclusively to serial murder. So, he did it, and it’s a stunner. Beautifully designed, this debut issue features case histories written like short stories of such people as Col. Russell Williams and the enigmatic Israel Keyes. Lee, the editor-in-chief, even wrote a feature about the final words and meals of these offenders.

I asked Lee some questions, which he graciously answered below:

1. Please describe the concept for Serial Killer Quarterly and tell us what's in the first issue.

Serial Killer Quarterly is an e-magazine, the first publication by Grinning Man Press. This issue includes the killers you named above, plus the DC Snipers and the Internet's first serial killer, John Edward Robinson. We've also included some lighter sections to break things up, such as “Killer Flicks,” where we review films featuring real or fictional serial murder cases. Mr. Brooks is in the hot-seat this quarter.

2. What motivated you to found this magazine?
 
I was inspired by the true crime/detective magazines of the twentieth century. Though popular in the first half of the century, by the 1970s, most had been forced out of print due to the high overhead costs of printing and distribution, along with competition from television and cinema. With the advent and increasing popularity of electronic books, Grinning Man Press wants to take advantage of the lower cost of e-publishing to resurrect the genre. We’re focusing exclusively on serial murder cases due to the immense and enduring public interest in the topic. Research has shown that 40% of true crime publications feature cases of serial killing.

That said, there were some elements of earlier true crime magazines that we do not wish to replicate. One example is the ubiquitous cover illustrations of scantily clad women being bound and gagged by hulking males. Not only are these images dangerously misogynistic and insulting to our female readers but many serial killers have admitted to having used them pornographically in late childhood and adolescence.

The last thing Grinning Man wants to do is foster a new generation of Ted Bundys, so we take a more subtle, ominous approach to our illustrations. For example, “21st Century Psychos” features an image of Alaskan serial killer Israel Keyes unearthing his “hit kit” on a moonlit night. We've also replaced the earlier magazine's tacky bright colors with a grittier more noir aesthetic. 

3. What’s your vision for it? 

Artistically, we aim to bring our readers nail-biting true life page turners that make for compelling reads without resorting to sensationalism. For readers who are interested in criminal psychology or criminology, we have also included a number of sidebars with descriptions of concepts such as psychopathy, sexual sadism, victimology, etc. However, this content is supplementary, and readers who are simply interested in a gripping story can ignore it. So the magazine is both entertaining and educational.


Also, I think there is a certain unwarranted stigma attached to reading true crime publications. Where I personally don't mind sitting on the subway thumbing through a paperback on Richard Ramirez (great way to stop people from sitting beside you), I feel that a lot of curious readers are very self-conscious about how this would be perceived. By bringing true crime to our readers' tablets, laptops, cell phones, and e-readers, they can enjoy this genre in public without having to worry about being unfairly judged by workmates or fellow commuters. 


4. You're laying out some issues by themes. What can we expect in the near future?

This year's line-up is already finalized, and I am incredibly excited about it. Following our Winter 2014 issue “21st Century Psychos,” will be “Partners in Pain.” This issue focuses on serial murderers who kill in teams, including male-male couples (Burke & Hare/Duffy & Mulcahy/Lake & Ng), male-female (Clark & Bundy/Bernardo & Homolka), female-female (Golay & Rutterschmidt), and murderous teams of three or more people (Corll, Henley, and Brooks).

Issue #3, “Unsolved in North America,” will be published in the summer of 2014, with features on the "Servant Girl Annihilator" by the legendary Harold Schechter, with whom I had the pleasure to dine in NYC last summer, and Michael Newton's look at the compelling case of the "Cleveland Torso Murderer," which left a black stain on the career of the celebrated detective Eliot Ness. 

The year will end with Fall 2014's “Cruel Britannia” – an issue devoted to British serial killers. Burl Barer will write a feature piece on the infamous “Yorkshire Ripper” Peter Sutcliffe, Carol Anne Davis returns with a story about the grotesque Robert Napper ripper-murders, and you’ll be there with the horrific crimes and philosophies of “Moors Murderers” Ian Brady and Myra Hyndley. 


5. What fresh angle on the topic does your publication bring?
 
As Serial Killer Quarterly is an electronic publication which can reach the world, we're striving to build a magazine which truly reflects and respects our international readership. By the end of the year we will have featured killers from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Russia, and Mexico. So we're hoping to broaden our reader's knowledge of multiple murder as a truly international phenomenon.

 
We will hold off on the more notorious cases until at least 2015, as Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, Gein and Jack the Ripper have already been done to death (no pun intended). Serial Killer Quarterly will present cases that are equally as fascinating, but have, for whatever reason, flown under the radar of the general public.



END 

About Grinning Man Press:


Grinning Man Press is an e-publishing company founded in 2013 by Lee Mellor (author of Cold North Killers and Rampage) and his long-time friend, Aaron Elliott. Through the advent of .PDF publications, we seek to resurrect popular fiction and detective magazine formats from the early-mid 20th century, allowing a new audience to enjoy them on their computers, tablets, smartphones, or Kindle readers.

We are proud to feature articles and stories by world-class authors such as Harold Schechter, Katherine Ramsland, and Michael Newton.

Grinning Man operates on one principle: if it’s creepy, dark, disturbing, outlandish, macabre or unsettling, we print it. Currently, Grinning Man’s sole publication is the nail-biting Serial Killer Quarterly – a gripping True Crime e-mag featuring real cases of serial killing from around the globe. Our 2014 line-up consists of:

Winter 2014: 21st Century Psychos – Katherine Ramsland, Michael Newton, Lee Mellor

Spring 2014: Partners in Pain - Cathy Scott, Katherine Ramsland, Carol Anne Davis

Summer 2014: Unsolved in America – Harold Schechter, Michael Newton

Fall 2014: Cruel Britannia – Burl BarerCarol Anne Davis, Katherine Ramsland

In the near future, GMP plan to launch magazines on the paranormal, along with fiction mags featuring serials in the genres of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, mystery and erotica. For more info, please contact them.


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Katherine Ramsland, Peter Vronsky, Michael Newton, Lee Mellor, Grinning Man Press, Serial Killer Quarterly, Serial Killers, Serial Killer, True Crime, Interview, Article, Harold Schechter

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