Monday, August 31, 2009

New! RED RACING STRIPES

Now Available

Red Racing Stripes
A horrific short story
by Gail Smith
(Linda Mooney w/a)
Word count: 2.2K

All Albert Deems wanted was a new car with red racing stripes. He was not prepared for the results.

You can purchase this short story here.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Red Rose Publishing Has Contracted CODE 30!

I'm thrilled to say that I just signed a contract with Red Rose Publishing to publish CODE 30, my novella of supernatural horror.

Blurb:

Hi. My name is Alexis Hembree, and I’m a cop. My partner and I are good at our jobs. Except we don’t tend to work what others would call a "normal" beat. For some reason we draw evil to us like flies to sugar.

Sometimes there are things in this world we can’t explain or anticipate. But when they cross that line between their existence and ours, when they show up, we have to deal with them as best we can.

Some cops fight criminals. We fight things that never should have existed.

303 Lexington St.
It was a crack house. Except, in this case, drug dealers went in but they didn’t come out. Not alive, anyway, but in body bags. What’s more, if everyone who went inside ended up being shredded to death, who was doing the killing?

Georgie Porgie
The killer targeted women. Young, old, prostitutes, business women, it didn’t matter. One moment they would be walking down the sidewalk in the middle of town, and the next what was left of their bodies would be found in a nearby alleyway. Devoured. That’s why I had to be the next one to walk the streets. To draw out whoever was doing this. To be his next victim.

The Goodbye
He murdered young girls by crucifying them with icepicks. He was slick, elusive, and heading for our city. My partner and I were damned and determined this murderer would get no further. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep my head on the job. Neither could I ignore the weird-ass dreams I was having about this deviate. This case was becoming more personal, more foreboding, and more dangerous with each passing day. And there was no damn way I could avoid what I dreamed would be the final outcome.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Movie Review - CORALINE

Sometimes horror movies aren't all hack and slash. Sometimes the greatest horror movies are the ones created in our minds back when we were children.

Coraline began as a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman writes what I call "adult fairy tales". And, make no mistake, his stuff is dark. Not necessarily bloody, but it has the stuff which creeps up on you when you least expect it and bludgeons you over the head.

It's the stuff that will give you nightmares.


Coraline is rated PG, but I don't hesitate to tell people it pretty much deserves a PG-13 rating.

If you like The Nightmare Before Christmas, you'll find a lot to like in Coraline. However, the comparison ends there. Where the horror was poked at in fun in TNBC, it's taken seriously in Coraline.

Short spoiler-free summary, Coraline and her parents move to a place in the middle of Oregon, where her folks continue their writing careers as authors of gardening books, although neither one of them has ever stuck their hands in a pile of dirt, much less planted anything.

Coraline finds herself bored and restless, and goes investigating the neighborhood, and then her 150-year-old house, for something to do. She finds a tiny door in one of the drawing rooms. A door that's been bricked up and wallpapered over. Once the key to the door is found, that's when Coraline finds a passageway to an alternate world that looks exactly like her own, except better. It also includes an Other Mother and Father who, instead of ignoring her, spends quality time with her. Plays with her. Cooks her great meals. The list goes one.

Beware the warning: If it seems too good to be true...


She quickly finds out that this other world is false and filled with terrifying things that were only glossed over with pretty colors to disguise them. When she finally discovers the true intent of her Other Mother, Coraline is forced to gather her courage and try to save her own life, as well as the lives of her real mother and father.
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy cartoons. Or, in this case, excellent stop-motion animation. If you have 3D glasses, flip the disk over for the 3D version.



My recommendation?

Monday, August 24, 2009

History Haunts and Legends! Attend it! November 7th, Jefferson, Texas

My friend Jodi in Jefferson, Texas has sent me information about a great ghost-walk happening on November 7! I'm sharing the information she sent me below.


Below you will find a registration form that you can print and send in with your check for your tickets. If you don't have a printer just write down the needed info and mail in to the address provided. For those of you that have attended previous HISTORY HAUNTS AND LEGENDS it will be held at a new location downtown Jefferson in the new Transportation and Visitors Center located at 305 E. Austin St. (same street as the Jefferson Hotel, only going the opposite direction past the General Store going towards the train ride) We are so excited about this event! I have included a rough draft of the schedule for those of you who need to make travel or hotel arrangements. Please contact me if you need additional info. Hope you can join us!

Jodi

Rough draft of schedule

8:00-9:30: Sign In Pick Up Packets and Name Tags Coffee/donuts
9:45 Welcome/ Give away a few door prizes
10:00 Mitchel Whitington-"Successful Ghost Hunting Lessons Learned"
11:00 Derrell Sims-"Alien Visits"
12:00 Lunch catered in by Riverport BBQ
1:00-Ken Gerhard"Bigfoot Hunter!"
2:00-Dr. Rita Louise "Clairvoyants how they assist in Paranormal Investigations"
3:00 15 min. BREAK
3:15 The Ghost Divas! Tonya Hacker and Tammy Wilson
4:00 Mike McCaskill " Hauntings"
4:30Pete Haviland "Ghost and Poltergeist Phenomena"
5:30 BREAK/ dinner on your own
8:00 The Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk
9:30 SPECIAL SURPRISE INVESTIGATION!

SPECAIL GUEST INCLUDE:
Ken Gerhard: Cryptozoologist and field researcher for the Centre for Fortean Zoology and Gulf Coast big foot research. He is a published author and has appeared on such shows as Moster Quest, and Legend Hunters on The History Channel, The Travel Channel and A&E

Derrell Sims: World renown speaker on television, radio and conferences. Researched for over the past 3 decades for evidence of human/ alien contact. Known as the alien hunter

Dr. Rita Louise: Clairvoyant and Medical Intuitive, Host of Just Energy Radio, Founder of the Institute of Applied Energetics, and author of several books

Peter James Haviland: President and Lead Investigator of The Lone Star Spirits , Advanced Certified Clinical Hypnotist, SE Texas Rep for the American Ghost Society, co-host of Parahub Radio, Co-Founder of PRO with Loyd Auerbach

The Ghost Divas
Tonya Hacker- Founder of GHOULI Ghost Haunts of Oklahoma & Urban Legend Investigators. Tonya is a published author
Tammy Wilson- Founder of Eerie Oklahoma is an avid history buff and conducts historical tours of local ghost towns. She also is a published author

Mitchel Whitington- Author and Lecturer on the paranormal. He lives in a 160 year old haunted house in Jefferson, Texas

Mike McCaskill - Upshur Paranormal Founder and Lead Investigator. Is a sensitive that has investigated such famous haunts as The Myrtles Plantation and Waverly Hills

We have also added to the Guest List Dash Beardsley with the Galveston Ghost Walk and Larry Flaxman with ARPAST.

REGISTRATION FORM

HISTORY HAUNTS AND LEGENDS
Saturday November 7, 2009
Historic Jefferson Texas
305 E. Austin Street

$75 PER PERSON. FEE COVERS ALL LECTURES, TOURS, AND NOON MEAL

NAME________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________

CITY_______________________STATE______________________ZIP_____________

PHONE_______________________________EMAIL____________________________

ORGANIZATION/ CLUB (If applicable)_______________________________________

# Of Tickets You are Purchasing____________________

AMOUNT $_________________

Please List the First and Last Name of each ticket holder as name tags and packets will
be given at check-in.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Mail Payment in the form of check, cashiers check or money order to event Coordinator:
Jodi Breckenridge
144 Samuel Street
Jefferson, Texas 75657
903-665-6289
jodijodibreck@aol.com
http://www.jeffersonghostwalk.com/

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Blair Witch Project Celebrates 10 Years

And to honor that occasion, I give you

THE BEAR WIT PROJECT

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Not For Kids - Bad Taste Bears




You can find these Bad Taste Bears (and others) at wellcoolstuff.com
WARNING: This is a very adult site. Not safe for work or home where children can see.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Mooney Does Movies - DYING BREED

This movie is one of the reasons why the AFTER DARK HORRORFEST was created. An independent horror film that doesn't tread softly - it stomps right up to you and grabs you by the throat. Warning: If you haven't seen this movie yet, be prepared for some major "Ewww!" factor.

Nina is heading to Tasmania supposedly to research and hopefully come across a Tasmanian tiger, which has been declared extinct for many years. Her real purpose is to find out what happened to her older sister, whose body was discovered floating in the Pieman River.


Accompanying her are her boyfriend, Jack, and their guide is Jack's friend, Matt, who brings along his girlfriend Rebecca to make it a foursome.

We're made to believe that the backwoods people they meet in the middle of nowhere are the descendants of Alexander Pierce, a man who escaped from prison and managed to survive by going canniballistic. Apparently his "tastes" were handed down through the generations.

The movie is relentless. The scenary is breathtaking. And the gore is sparse, but the shocks make up for it.

It's a little slow in places. I didn't mind. It gave me a chance to catch my breath. And just when I thought the movie was over...

My recommendation?

(However, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up buying a copy. Even a second-hand copy!)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

EW's List of the Top 20 Films of the Past 20 Years

Entertainment Weekly has just come out with it's list of Top 20 Horror Films of the past 20 years. Listed below, I've put a star next to the ones I've seen. How does your checklist look?

20. DEAD-ALIVE (1992) *

19. DARKMAN (1990) *

18. EVENT HORIZON (1997) *

17. THE KINGDOM (1994) - Saw the King remake, not the original Danish version.

16. THE DESCENT (2005) *

15. SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) *

14. HOSTEL 2 (2007) *

13. MISERY (1990) *

12. FROM HELL (2001) *

11. PLANET TERROR (2007) *

10. RINGU (1998) - Again, I saw the American remake, not the original - yet!

9. ALIEN 3 (1992) *

8. DRAG ME TO HELL (2009) Soon!

7. THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) *

6. WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000) * (Personally, I don't agree with this choice.)

5. 28 WEEKS LATER (2007) *

4. SCREAM (1996) *

3. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) *

2. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) *

1. AUDITION (1999) *

My final score = 95%


Thursday, August 13, 2009

A New Review for EENIE MEENIE

My short horror story gets kudos!

http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2009/08/10/wrdf-review-of-eenie-meenie-by-gail-smith.aspx?results=1

A tantalizing short story, Eenie Meenie wastes no time racing out of the starting gate to seize the reader’s attention. Gail Smith immediately sets her tone, reaching out to her audience through the eyes of Jack, a sinister vagrant whose ruthlessness knows no bounds. However, just when the reader thinks he has the story figured, Smith unleashes a surprise of her own, keeping the reader thrilled from start to finish.

Character description good, dialogue spot-on accurate, my only reservation was the trace of passive language used, barely noticeable amidst the well-paced developed plot. Eenie Meenie earns its black ribbon.

Reviewed By Evie Alexis
WRDF Review

Monday, August 10, 2009

What Kind of Horror Scares You the Most?



Zombies or the Living Dead?











Serial Killers?











Ghosts or the Unknown?











Freaks of Nature, or Mutations?







or Aliens?



Saturday, August 8, 2009

DownloadHorror.com - Horror On Demand



From the site:

All of the horror movie downloads at Download Horror are high resolution, DVD Quality MP4 downloads that will play on nearly any computer or device including the iPod and look great when played back on a TV. Purchasing movie downloads from Download Horror requires no membership and it's fast, easy, and secure. Every week we add new horror movie downloads from many different film studios and distributors, so come back often and enjoy!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Eenie Meenie is an ARe Best Seller!


Whoohoo! My horror short EENIE MEENIE, that I wrote under the pseudonym of Gail Smith, went up on ARe Monday, and it's already a starred, certified Best Seller!

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-eeniemeenie-80306-241.html?oid=1

Saturday, August 1, 2009

After all these years, it still creeps me out.


I grew up in the age where tv was in black and white, and the creeeeeepiest show that I loved to watch was Serling's The Twilight Zone.

Except when that eyeball zoomed into the middle of the tv screen and open up.

Sheesh! I still avert my gaze whenever that appears!