February is Women in Horror Month
February is Women in Horror Month. For me, this means I have a great opportunity to learn about other authors as well as promote myself. Sunbury Press has published a few of these women, such as: The Weeping Woman, a ghostly mystery centered on Mexican legend, by Patricia Santos Marcantonio; The Ghosts of Laurelford, a paranormal suspense, by Margaret Meacham; and Seeking Samiel, a supernatural quest where the anti-Christ seeks the devil—Samiel, her lover by, Catherine Jordan.
Then, there are the women characters of horror. Studying them has been a great lesson and who doesn’t love the bad-ass chicks, such as: Alma/Eva in Ghost Story, Annie in Misery, Miriam in The Hunger, Lucy in Dracula, and Rynn in The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane. Claudia in Interview with the Vampire, Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca, and last but not least, The Bible’s Jezebel.
Those women are not delicate, sensitive or passive. They are good and bad, sweet and salty, and they will dish out whatever they are backhanded. They have dark feelings and fears that every woman can identify with in some capacity. Like reaching out and taking something, no matter what the violent cost, just because they want it.
Which brings me to my novel titled, Seeking Samiel, where the female antagonist, Eva, is the self proclaimed anti-Christ, the Lamia, seeking out her long lost lover, Samiel. She is based on the Lamia folklore and is half serpent, half female, demon and human. All men, with the exception of one, play a role in her life as surrogate chumps and wind up on her dinner table when she is finished them. Burp.
Women are not supposed to like violence or gore, or be overly aggressive. We are usually the weaker sex, sensitive—the victim. But, what am I to take away from a book that portrays my gender as a victim of circumstances, silly and weak and thereby deserving of the predictable fate on the pages? Eva is no victim. She is a horrible woman. I loved writing about her and fleshing out her nature. As a horror writer, I don’t know how successful I am at scaring, but my favorite female authors and female characters have influenced my writing, for the better, I hope.
Monster Mania Con a blast for Sunbury Press horror authors Malafarina, Jordan and Rommel
Cherry Hill, NJ – Monster Mania Con was held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ from Friday August 16th through Sunday August 18th, 2013. Sunbury Press utilized its vendor space to promote the horror category. Thomas Malafarina, Catherine Jordan and Keith Rommel were present to meet the crowds and sign free copies of their books. The convention featured such celebrities as: Carrie Fisher, George Romero, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Glover, Malcolm McDowell, Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Jessica Clark, Claire Coffee, Chandler Riggs,
Dick Warlock, Gary Busey, and many more…
Thomas Malafarina gave away dozens of his books including Fallen Stones, Ghost Shadows, 13 Nasty Endings, 99 Souls, Eye Contact and Gallery of Horror. Tom was very pleased to meet some fans who were familiar with his work.
Catherine Jordan promoted her debut novel Seeking Samiel to her female target audience. Dozens of copies of her book found enthusiastic readers as well of piles of bookmarks.
Keith Rommel promoted his novel The Cursed Man, now in the works as a major motion picture. The booth also displayed a large poster, postcards and buttons regarding the movie. Keith was careful to give his signed copies to readers who promised to talk about his book and/or write a review. Lots of patrons picked up buttons and cards, too. Keith was also fortunate to meet representatives from Fangoria magazine, who promised to follow up with a book review and coverage of the movie, as it is being released.
In all, it was a very successful weekend for Sunbury Press and the authors, who got to meet their target audience in person — by the hundreds.
Two gentlemen who dropped by to discuss their taste in literature.
The aisles were packed
Thomas Malafarina
Catherine Jordan
Keith Rommel
Thomas M. Malafarina -- Author of Horror 