Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
STORY ACCEPTED
MY STORY THE HAUNTED SHOTGUN HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY SCARLET RIVER PRESS FOR THEIR ANTHOLOGY TORTURED SOULS, EITHER VOLUME 1 OR TWO.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
HORRIFIED PRESS INTERVIEWS ME.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
Nathan J.D.L. Rowark interviews:
Mark Slade
Hi Mark. Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions for our facebook followers; about yourself and your work.
Q.) Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about the experiences in your life which helped you decide to become a writer...
A.) Lots of T.V and my older brother, Doug. He read all the time and had a crap load of books. His fav writers are mine as well.
Q.) In your contributions to ' Tales of the Undead – Suffer Eternal: volume II' (The Auction / The Three Hells of Guy Franklin). Give us a spoiler free insight to the concepts of your tales and what you feel inspired you to write them...
A.) I believe those stories were written in two day spans, back to back. One was a writers prompt from Writers Café. The auction was that story, and the second tale (The Three Hells of Guy Franklin) was based on the thought; what if Richard Matheson had written a story with this plot.
Q.) I like that, and it's what I was most excited about when this collection came together; so varied in content, the more traditionally told tales followed by the frighteningly modern and subversive. Where do you see your writing career going in... for example, let's say ten years time? Is this the medium you want to write for? Where would you like to be?
A.) Just hoping to sell more stories, having fun writing these screwed up tales.
Q.) Who were your literary influences, Mark?
A.) Definitely RAY BRADBURY, RICHARD MATHESON, ROD SERLING DENNIS ETCHISON, CHARLES BEAUMONT, ED MCBAIN, CLIVE BARKER, JOE LANSDALE...too many to list.
Q.) Top 5 Novels?
A.) HELL HOUSE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY WAY COMES, SALEM'S LOT, BOOKS OF BLOOD VOLUME 1-3, THE DROWNING POOL by Ross MacDonald.
Q.) Top 5 Inspirational horror movies that affected your own working style?
A) HORROR OF DRACULA, DEVIL'S BRIDE (DEVIL RIDES OUT) HELLRAISER, THE EXORCIST, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
Q.) Your Top 5 horror icons?
A) CLIVE BARKER, CHRISTOPHER LEE, PETER CUSHING, RAY BRADBURY, INGRID PITT.
Thanks for taking part in our little Q & A. And don't forget, fans of the gruesome and grotesque, our latest horror anthology, 'Tales of the Undead – Suffer Eternal: volume II', is available from the 28th of May 2013 at Amazon.com & Lulu.com
Nathan J.D.L. Rowark interviews:
Mark Slade
Hi Mark. Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions for our facebook followers; about yourself and your work.
Q.) Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about the experiences in your life which helped you decide to become a writer...
A.) Lots of T.V and my older brother, Doug. He read all the time and had a crap load of books. His fav writers are mine as well.
Q.) In your contributions to ' Tales of the Undead – Suffer Eternal: volume II' (The Auction / The Three Hells of Guy Franklin). Give us a spoiler free insight to the concepts of your tales and what you feel inspired you to write them...
A.) I believe those stories were written in two day spans, back to back. One was a writers prompt from Writers Café. The auction was that story, and the second tale (The Three Hells of Guy Franklin) was based on the thought; what if Richard Matheson had written a story with this plot.
Q.) I like that, and it's what I was most excited about when this collection came together; so varied in content, the more traditionally told tales followed by the frighteningly modern and subversive. Where do you see your writing career going in... for example, let's say ten years time? Is this the medium you want to write for? Where would you like to be?
A.) Just hoping to sell more stories, having fun writing these screwed up tales.
Q.) Who were your literary influences, Mark?
A.) Definitely RAY BRADBURY, RICHARD MATHESON, ROD SERLING DENNIS ETCHISON, CHARLES BEAUMONT, ED MCBAIN, CLIVE BARKER, JOE LANSDALE...too many to list.
Q.) Top 5 Novels?
A.) HELL HOUSE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY WAY COMES, SALEM'S LOT, BOOKS OF BLOOD VOLUME 1-3, THE DROWNING POOL by Ross MacDonald.
Q.) Top 5 Inspirational horror movies that affected your own working style?
A) HORROR OF DRACULA, DEVIL'S BRIDE (DEVIL RIDES OUT) HELLRAISER, THE EXORCIST, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
Q.) Your Top 5 horror icons?
A) CLIVE BARKER, CHRISTOPHER LEE, PETER CUSHING, RAY BRADBURY, INGRID PITT.
Thanks for taking part in our little Q & A. And don't forget, fans of the gruesome and grotesque, our latest horror anthology, 'Tales of the Undead – Suffer Eternal: volume II', is available from the 28th of May 2013 at Amazon.com & Lulu.com
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
BOOK OUT FEATURING MY STORY
MY STORY WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE? IS IN THE ANTHOLOGY TALES OF THE UNDEAD--SUFFER ETERNAL
HERE'S A FEW MORE LINKS TO IT.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
STORY ON COLD READS PODCAST
COLD READS IS RUNNING MY STORY DON'T FORGET TO WIPE.http://nathanieltower.podomatic.com/entry/2013-03-07T04_31_14-08_00
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
A STORY READ HERE
SURREAL GROTESQUE PODCAST HAS READ MY STORY DETACHED. NOTE: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE AND DEPICTION OF SEX ON THIS PROGRAM.
IF YOU LIKE UNUSUAL AND BIZARRE STORIES, GIVE IT A LISTEN, http://www.spreaker.com/user/aliensoul77/surreal_grotesque_podcast_episode_6_mp3
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
TWO STORIES IN CHICAGOLAND JOURNAL
Monday, February 4, 2013
STORY ACCEPTED
MY STORY FEAST WILL APPEAR IN ANOTHER 100 HORRORS. THIS ANTHOLOGY HAS STORIES WRITTEN IN 100 WORDS BY 100 WRITERS.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
NEW STORY IN MAGAZINE
MY STORY ANTISEPTIC HORSE MOUTH IS NOW OUT IN SURREAL GROTESQUE
http://issuu.com/xy77boy/docs/twisted_love__issue_9
http://issuu.com/xy77boy/docs/twisted_love__issue_9
Saturday, February 2, 2013
DARK DREAMS PODCAST: CHECK OUT IN HIS OWN IMAGE BY E.S. WYNN
DARK DREAMS PODCAST: CHECK OUT IN HIS OWN IMAGE BY E.S. WYNN: ART BY Łukasz Wodyński http://lukaszwodynski.deviantart.com
DARK DREAMS PODCAST: CHECK OUT EASY TO DIGEST BY Scott M. Goriscak
DARK DREAMS PODCAST: CHECK OUT EASY TO DIGEST BY Scott M. Goriscak: http://polygonist.deviantart.com/ ART BY Thomas Demuth ...
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
CONFESSION IS OUT TODAY
CONFESSION IS PUBLISHED TODAY ON WORDHAUS MAGAZINE.
HERE'S THE LINK
Monday, January 21, 2013
STORY IN ANTHOLOGY
MY STORY WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE? WILL APPEAR IN THE ANTHOLOGY TALES OF THE UNDEAD--SUFFER ETERNAL. IT COMES OUT LATE FEB. I THINK.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
STORY PUBLISHED
http://bloodmoonrisingmagazine.com/bloodmoonrisingmagazine51.html
MY STORY DEVIL BY POSSESSION IS FEATURED IN
MY STORY DEVIL BY POSSESSION IS FEATURED IN
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
A VESSEL TO HEAVEN copyright2013 m.s.
Doyle was standing under the bright hue of the street lights on 52nd
street. He leaned on a stop sign and lit a cigarette. In front of
him was a monolith of a dark building with one window lit up. That
window belonged to Amy McPherson, the daughter and sole heir to the
McPherson newspaper empire. She lived in the very top penthouse on
the thirtieth floor. She was not the nicest of people, never married,
had no children, and was almost always discussed as one of the
homeliest women in America by gossip rags.
Amy McPherson was on her death bed.
Doyle felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw Jerry was
behind him. Doyle smiled, patted Jerry’s hand.
“So that's where the old biddy lives?” Jerry said.
Doyle drew in the smoke from his cigarette, exhaled it out in a long
sigh. “That's her, yes. The one and only Amy McPherson. Meanest
bitch in the city. The one who once beat a Salvation Army charity
worker with her cane for asking for donations.”
Jerry nodded. “A real sweet heart.” He stepped up on the sidewalk
from the empty street, turned the collar from his trench coat up
around his neck. “You sure you can do this?”
Doyle shrugged, made a noise in the back of his throat. “Yeah.”
He tossed the cigarette behind him. “One more time, Jerry. Then we
will be set for life.”
“We have enough to settle down with. She's the third rich asshole
who has signed over their will to us. We can catch that plane to
Honolulu. You don't have to do this ”
“I know. Might as well go through with it to prove to myself I can
do it three times in one year.” Doyle told him.
Jerry looked at his watch. “I guess we should get started.” He
took a white collar from his trench coat pocket, carefully fixed it
around his neck.
Doyle came over and made sure it was straight. He nodded, said, “Oh
yes. Looking good Father West.”
“Thank you, brother Doyle.”
Doyle had a special talent.
Every since he had a near death experience six years ago, that talent
was discovered. After a car crash that landed him in a crowded
hospital, Doyle found out that not only could he die and come back,
he could carry souls to Heaven.
That night he died the first time, he was laying in a hospital bed
next to a man dying of cancer.
Just as Doyle slipped into what he described to Jerry: “A white
light that seemed to suck me in, I realized I had someone attached to
me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the old man who was in the bed
next to mine. I panicked. There was nothing I could do though. I was
on my way. I carried that old frail man to the pearly gates. At
least I think that’s where I took him. I didn't really see any
pearly gates. Just more bright lights and a warm feeling. I felt
good about what I did. And he thanked me...oh, no...i didn't hear a
word from him. I didn't even see his lips move. I just left that
bright light knowing he was thankful.”
When Doyle came to, the old man was no longer in that bed beside him.
They'd taken the sheets, pillow and scrubbed the floor around the
bed.
Three years later, he met Jerry. Jerry's mother was dying and a
friend suggested Jerry talk to Doyle. After Doyle helped Jerry's
mother to the beyond, their friendship became more intimate. Out of
this love for Jerry and to help him out of debt, they convince the
ones dying who can afford it, to sign over their wills. Jerry
pretends to be a man of whatever religion the marks are, and Doyle
does the rest.
Doyle has a heart condition. Jerry incites a heart attack by taking
away Doyle 's prescribed heart medicine. After the job is done, Jerry
brings Doyle back by pounding on his chest and using a portable
Cardioversion Machine, and electrodes will shoot small dosages of
electricity to jump start his heart.
The apartment was immaculate.
After a doorman showed them in and a night guard carried them up in
the elevator to Amy's golden palace.
And it was just that, set up to be a palace of some kind, works of
art from all over the world, furniture from every part of man's
history. Doyle and Jerry were shown to Amy McPherson's bedroom by a
emotionless servant girl. When Jerry began to say a mock prayer, the
woman turned to him with the same plain face, no smile or frown, no
questioning eyes. She only let out a loud sigh and pushed open the
bedroom door.
There she lay upon white silk sheets with white blankets on a white
canopy bed. Amy rolled her head gingerly toward them. With a crooked
finger, she motioned for them to approach.
Her lawyer Lucian Daniels stood beside the bed, a binder of papers
under his folded arms. His gray suit was perfectly prim and his dark
hair had so much oil it was oozing down his neck. He faked a smile at
Jerry and Doyle. He moved a hand to adjust the large rimmed glasses
on the bridge of his nose.
“Show time,” Jerry whispered to Doyle as they walked slowly
toward Amy. Doyle smiled hugely at Jerry, stifled a laugh.
“I'm Lucian Daniels, Ms. McPherson’s lawyer. I'm here to make
sure everything goes off with a hitch, as they say.” He took
Jerry's hand firmly, but did not shake hands with Doyle. He only
grunted in his direction. “I'm a little baffled Father, that you
are into spiritualism.”
“I'm not a psychic,” Doyle said. “I'm a vessel to heav---”
“Yes,” Daniels cut him off. “I read your pamphlet. Frankly,
sir, I believe it's bollocks.”
“Look,” Jerry intervened. “It matters not our beliefs, Mr.
Daniels,” Jerry took Daniels by the elbow and led him away from
Doyle. “We are here for Ms. McPherson. Her time in need, is that
not true? Help her achieve peace, any way we can?”
Daniels nodded. “Yes, if you say so Father. I am here for her
protection.” He shot a cold look over to Doyle. “No one will take
advantage of Ms. McPherson. Understood?”
“Exactly,” Doyle said.
“Why....is...there so...much talking, Lucian....?” Amy said. Her
voice was very weak, every breath labored, even speaking is a a
chore. “Let's begin this.....”
Reluctantly, Daniels took the binder from his arms and opened it up
to the legal documents drawn up as a will. He walked over to Doyle,
handed the papers to him. “This document is binding,” He said in
a threatening tone.
Doyle signed without taking his eyes off Daniels. He handed the
papers back to him. “I will take her to heaven. I promise.”
Daniels laughed. “That, my friend will be a rough ride. In fact, I
doubt those pearly gates will open for Ms. McPherson.”
Jerry was stunned by Lawyer's words. “Surely Ms. McPherson can be
judged so harshly, even by her friends.”
“Ohhhh...I am not her friend, Father. I am her employee. When there
was merger between her company and Diamond communications, my wife
was dying in a hospital bed from a car wreck. I was not allowed time
off from those meetings. She died without holding my hands.” His
eyes rolled toward Doyle. “Personally I don't care if you take all
of her money and not give her safe passage to heaven. But I signed a
contract to get whatever she wants. And I am beholden to that binding
contract, even after the bitch is gone.”
A low whining crackle came from Amy. Just the burst of laughter
ended, a wheezing coughing spell almost started the dying process.
But Amy held on, recovered quickly, or at least long enough to throw
her two cents in.
“Lucian, you are a card,” She breathed out those words. “My
trusted number one employee....you know if only you had a backbone
you could have tended to your wife properly. I would have let you
off, I just wanted you to fight for it.”
Doyle gave Jerry the look and Jerry cleared his throat.
“I'm sorry,” He flashed a smile. “We need to clear Ms.
McPherson's soul.”
“Clear her soul? What does that entail?” Daniels chuckled, shook
his head.
“A confession to the Father.” Doyle interjected. “It's apart of
the process.”
“Of course it is. I'm not going anywhere,” Daniels frowned at
Doyle. “I'm watching everything you do.”
Doyle began to speak, Jerry put up his hand. “That's fine,”
Jerry told them both. “Ms. McPherson needs solace from others as
well. Clearing of the soul, I must warn you, can be an upsetting
event.”
Daniels kept staring at Doyle. He wasn’t sizing him up anymore, he
was making plans for him. Doyle had seen that look a lot in his life.
Every time he was getting involved with a bar fight, or when his
father was going to beat him for whatever crime he had committed
before the beatings, or when he was bullied in high school by Tom
Carmody, the first boy he ever had a crush on.
Yes, Daniels was making plans for him.
His attention was drawn back to Amy and Jerry. Jerry was definitely
giving the best performance his ever done as a priest. Much better
than the first time they tried this. Last year, was not only the
first time Jerry played a priest, it was the first time he witnessed
Doyle taking the dead's soul to the other side.
***********************************************************************
When Doyle was done taking Mr. Lassiter for his celestial ride, Jerry
was freaked out about the whole thing, more so bringing Doyle back to
life.
On the way home, Jerry had to ask him “Did you ever take any one to
hell?”
Doyle stopped the car at a stop light. He didn’t answer right away.
He had a distressed look on his face.
He bobbed his head up and down quickly. “Yeah,” Doyle whispered.
“Once.”
“Who was it?” Jerry asked, shocked.
“My Father.” Doyle' s upper lip poked out a bit in a quiver.
“After I turned his respirator off.”
*************************************************************
“It was in the fifth grade....” Amy said. Her voice cracked, her
breathing was even more labored.
Doyle made his way over and took her other hand, Jerry already had
her right hand in his hands. He was mouthing a fake prayer. Doyle
moved his eyes away from Amy and Jerry to meet the cold hard stare
from Daniels, who by now was seated in a chair a few feet from Amy's
bed.
Amy continued.
“Marrisa Buck was the prettiest girl in class. She would not be my
friend for any reason at all.
“She kept a Suzy Q doll in her desk. When the teacher told us to go
out and play, I stayed behind, hiding in the broom closet. Mrs.
Walters left for the lunchroom. I took that Suzy Q doll and ran
behind the school. I destroyed that doll with a loose brick I found.
“Pieces of plastic lay all over the black top of the basketball
court. I....I ….felt horrible....” Amy began to weep, but that
was cut short.
Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, her body jumped, her hands
clutched Jerry and Doyle' s. Daniels bolted from his seat. He didn't
move any further than the chair. He was stunned, the event was
happening to quick for him.
Amy gasped.
Doyle felt weak, his eyelids fluttered.
**************************************************************
The light was bright. He was sailing through a cold, dominant wind.
He felt something heavy clinging to his naked body. He looked behind
him, saw a hands clutching his shoulders. The hands belonged to Amy.
They were digging into the soft pink skin, her face was full of
confusion and guilt, remorse.
Then the face changed. It was Jerry's face. He was looking at Doyle,
screaming like he was in severe pain. The face changed again. For a
spit second, Doyle saw his Father's angry face. The cheeks were
bloated, eyes bulging out, skin a deep red.
The face disappeared.
Darkness took over the bright light. Instead of a sucking sound from
the wind, he heard screams. Terrible, tortured screams. He was
surrounded by glowing red eyes. Ice cold hands were grasping at
Doyle.
He knew where he was.
He tried to run. It was no good, he was stuck in place, like his feet
were glued down.
Doyle screamed.
****************************************************************
Daniels was standing over top of Jerry. He was pale, a cold sweat
was dripping from his fat face.
“What the hell happened?” Daniels said.
He heard Amy moving around in her bed. “Am I in heaven?” She
whispered faintly.
Jerry had tears streaming down his cheeks. The portable
Cardioversion Machine fell from his hands. He was holding Doyle
tightly in his arms.
“He died,” Jerry said. “He died.”
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
PUBLISHED IN WORDHAUS
MY STORY MESSAGES IS UP ON WORDHAUS FIRST ISSUE.
http://www.wordhaus.com/2013/01/02/mysterythriller-messages/
http://www.wordhaus.com/2013/01/02/mysterythriller-messages/
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