Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Coffin Hop 2012



I will admit, I don't get into the Coffin Hop, or any hops, as much as I would like to.  A forty hour work week, two crazy kids, a wife with her own hectic schedule, a dog that seems intent on creating as much chaos as possible, multiple ongoing writing projects... they all conspire to keep me from getting as involved with blog hops as I should be.  And with the Wii U being released in a short three weeks, my on-line presence will even more diminished. 


Anyway, excuses aside, a brief note about me for anyone who is visiting here for the first time.  My name is Brad Convissar and I am a dentist by trade.  And if anyone knows horror, it's a dentist.  The look of terror on a patient's face as I, clad in mask and special glasses, lean in with needle that looks like it is ten feet long, aiming for their mouth, is simply unique.  And there is nothing more enjoyable in my profession than yanking out a nice, infected tooth.  Other writers may talk about blood, may try to describe it, but my hands are covered with it every day.  I know blood.  I live blood.  And I know what true horror looks like.




I would love to be able to write full time, but I can't complain about my job.  I enjoy what I do.

By the way, don't forget to visit the main Coffin Hop website at http://coffinhop.wordpress.com where you can discover over 100+ other awesome horror authors

Anyway, on to the Coffin Hop...

Last year I simply gave away some eBooks.  All I asked was the people told me their most embarrassing Halloween costume.  This year I am going to give away some physical books.  I, like many people, still love the feeling of holding a real book in my hands.  Do I read eBooks?  Sure I do.  I read a lot of Indie authors   I'm always reading at least one Indie/small press book at a time on my Droid X.  Would I prefer a physical book?  Yeah, but and let's be honest: a $2.99 eBook is much more appealing than a $14.95 soft cover.  Anyway, this year I am going to be giving away 2 signed copies of Reflecting on Midnight, my novella collection (collects the novellas Dogs of War, King of the Merge, FotoShop of the Gods, I Never, and two short stories The Butcher and Drop House).  I am also going to give out 2 signed copies of my first full length novel, a supernatural thriller called Blood, Smoke and Ashes.  Unfortunately, this will not be available until February, but I will keep e-mail addresses so I can contact winners when they are done.  (Note: the eBook version will be finished beginning of January, and I will gift the winner copies of this in addition to the signed books).

This year, I'm going to ask something slightly different but not difficult: in the comments section, simply tell me the best Indie or small press horror book you have read this year and why.  On November 1st, I will randomly select four winners and announce them on a follow-up post.  If you want a chance to receive a book, you must leave an e-mail address for me... this will allow me to gift you an e-copy of the book as well as contact you about an address where the signed copy can be mailed.

If you you want to know more about me,  click on the "About Me" and "Welcome To My Chair" tabs above.

If you want to know more about my books, which include 2 large short story collections, a two-story short story collection, and  four novellas, hop on over to my official page www.darkestdayspublishing.com.

You can also find my on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BradleyConvissarAuthor.  Don't be shy about following me.  My Twitter handle is @bconvisdmd.  Find me if you dare.

So that's it... I look forward to hearing from you guys.  And next year, next year I hope I will have the time to put together a nice swag bag full of Halloween and horror goodies... maybe I'll start saving the teeth I rip out...

15 comments:

  1. That tooth is my nightmare.
    And now I cannot unsee it as long as I live.
    Thanks.
    XO
    Pen
    Happy Hopping

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  2. The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted. It is a rollercoaster road and kept me guessing until the end. I like that. :-)

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  3. My best indie small press books have all been nonfiction so far. I really enjoyed John Locke's book, even though everyone hates him.

    Jolie du Pre
    Precious Monsters

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  4. Yikes -- not a big fan of dentists, but a new follower here. Best indie horror? Probably The Shadow People by Erin Cole -- such a uniquely creepy idea. Best small press horror: hands down, Soundtrack to the End of the World by Anthony Rapino -- great stuff!

    milojamesfowler at gmail

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  5. The best indie horror book I've read this year would probably be The Watchtower by Darke Conteur.

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  6. I think for me that my favorite book had to be Alex by Adam Nicolai. The psychic aura of the book was so strong and I felt so strongly for the father in the book that it brought a rush of different emotions that most authors are unable to do. I recommended it to many people who found it a difficult book to read since they were either pregnant or had small children. But that's what makes a book a winner, isn't it?

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  7. Shelley, I read Alex. I enjoyed it. i've e-mailed the author several times, talked to him. I had two issues with the book, and I'll try to explain without giving anything away. The end of the book, the final scene where he goes snooping around... I know that none of us knows how we'd act in such a situation, and I know that things need to fall a certain way to build suspense, but it was stretched a little for me. For the sake of suspense, of course. And it worked, I was just like, dude, that was stupid and unplanned. My second issue was... I have a five year old. I would NEVER in this day and age let a five year old walk to school by himself. Heck, I wouldn't let a six or seven or eight year old to walk by himself. So that kind of killed the whole thing for me. Again, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it, and if you have no kids, you may buy into the premise, but those of us with kids know that five year olds are generlaly not ready to walkanywhere on their own. So a lot of suspsense of disbelief is needed. This fact really niggled at the back of my while I was ready it. Okay, I'm done. That said, it was a decent read

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  8. Hi, Brad. It's been a while. I just emerged from writer's cave. I was stuck there for three weeks while I finished my latest book. Thankfully I am now free and able to visit others once again. I'm late to the Hop this year, thanks to the endless promo that we need to do and the 55 hour work week that surrounds it. *sigh*
    I haven't read much this year thanks to everything going on, but I just finished The Book of Paul by Richard Long which was mind-blowing. That man can create a page turner and has a great writer's voice. Earlier in the year I read The Well by Peter Labrow. It was a great combination of thriller, police procedural and supernatural ride and was fantastic.
    Happy Hopping!

    -Jimmy
    rapture22 (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  9. Tough, tough, tough to select the single best indie book I've read this year. I'm going to go with The Quickening, by Mari Biella and 100 Unfortunate Days by Penelope Crowe. Yes, I just broke the rules and gave you two bests. They are totally different works, but both surprised me and kept me rapt... I see someone mentioned Labrow's The Well. Thank goodness I read that last year! I think. Okay, enough! Time to go brush my teeth b/c, well, I don't like the looks of that tooth!

    (And I see Penelope has commented here!)

    -aniko

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    1. Gee, of course they are "two totally different works." I meant to say two totally different kinds of stories. Maybe I should lay off the red wine whilst hopping!

      -aniko

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  10. I just read Pandora's Box by Joanna Parypinski and it had been years since I enjoyed a book so much! It was scary, surprising, and very well done. I can't wait for her next book to come out!

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  11. Great Post Bradley, it definitely is a small world; I just finished reading "Blink" and I thought it was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the tentacles being that I am a cephalopod fanatic. Despite my hatred for dentists I enjoyed the book.

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  13. I loved The Quickening, by Mari Biella.
    erma2167@sbcglobal.net

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  14. I envy your skilled hand. The best small press book that I read this year would be 7Brains by Michael Louis Calvillo from Burning Effigy Press. It was nominated for a Stoker, if you need any more convincing.

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