All About Audio(books)—H.P. LOVECRAFT

The Dark Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft are perhaps the perfect treat this Halloween season. Six volumes of short stories filled with suspense, intrigue, horror, myth, cosmicism, and the arcane by a writer Stephen King has called ”the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” Add to that the aesthetics of oral story telling, and you have yourself the perfect scary story for the campfire.

Treat yourself with to a sample listen of “Haunter of the Dark” from volume five of the Dark Worlds collection, a story from Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, in which Lovecraft spars with a character created by his contemporary, Robert Bloch. Layered and complex, “Haunter of the Dark” pulls you in from the first line. “I have seen the dark universe yawning…where the black planets roll without aim…where they roll in their horror, unheeded, without knowledge or luster or name.”

All About Audio(books)—HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR

Take a listen to the action-packed first chapter of Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear by Gabriel Hunt.

“Indiana Jones is dead. Long live Gabriel Hunt.”
—Lev Grossman on the Gabriel Hunt series

“The opening pages entice the reader into a world of intrigue, fast perilous adventure and charming heroic wit. If you enjoy an “Indiana Jones” style of action and a ruggedly handsome hero with many well-earned scars, then the Gabriel Hunt series is for you.”
— Fresh Fiction

“…packs plenty of action and a nice-sized body count into this story.”
—Bookgasm

“Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear packs a wallop of an ending that will leave you breathless. This is exactly what pulp adventures are supposed to do. “
—Book Reporter

“…wonderful job of re-creating the look and feel of classic pulp fiction…”
—Booklist

All About Audio(books)—SIREN by John Everson

Today, we spend some time with John Everson’s melodious monster Ligeia in Siren. A novel of obsession and fear, Siren plays all the right notes, but don’t get too caught up in its song…

“John Everson is an original voice and rising star in horror fiction today. You are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t give his books a try.” —Famous Monsters of Filmland

John Everson is the king of Erotic Horror…The writing is tighter than an airlock, the scenes just absolutely bleeding off the page, leaving you with the taste of saltwater in your mouth, begging for mercy.” —Paperback Horror

“[A]n exceptionally entertaining horror tale.” —Paul Goat Allen, The BN Community Blog

All About Audio(books)—A CONGREGATION OF JACKALS

Nominated for the Spur award and the Peacemaker award, A Congregation of Jackals by S. Craig Zahler is that unique book that crosses genres. Fans of thrillers, horror, and Westerns will find all their tastes buds satisified. Listen to the first chapter of the audiobook and see what all the fuss is about.

“Craig has a completely original and unique voice as a writer. This kind of talent is very rare.” —Doug Davison, Vertigo Entertainment

“Quirky, colloquial, violent, original. A high-speed ride into the dark heart of the West.” —Walter Hill, Director of The Long Riders and Wild Bill

“A CONGREGATION OF JACKALS is a truly modern Western. Zahler takes all the traditional excitement of a narrative of the Old West and injects it with a 21st-century sensibility, giving it a freshness not often seen.”
—Somebody Dies

“[A] noir western of uncommon power…what happens…is more horrific than anything we might have imagined…All of (the) characters…confound us with their complexity.” —Booklist

All About Audio(books)—LORD OF THE FADING LANDS + Giveaway

There’s not much that can be said about C. L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul series that hasn’t been said before. So just sit back and enjoy this beautiful excerpt from the audiobook of Lord of the Fading Lands. Share your thoughts in the comment thread and be entered to win the the MP3 audiobook!

Once he had scorched the world…

Once he had driven back overwhelming darkness…

Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend…Tarien Soul.

Now a thousand years later, a new threat calls him from the Fading Lands, back into the world that had cost him so dearly. Now an ancient, familiar evil is regaining its strength, and a new voice beckons him-more compelling, more seductive, more maddening than any before.

As the power of his most bitter enemy grows and ancient alliances crumble, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. The tairen must claim his truemate and embrace the destiny woven for him in the mists of time.

All About Audio(books)—BREEDING GROUND

Today’s sample audio chapter is not for the faint of heart. Sarah Pinborough’s Breeding Ground delivers creepy-crawlers in a most terrifying spin. Infestations don’t get more disturbing, or personal, than this. 

“With BREEDING GROUND I think Sarah Pinborough has finally cemented herself among the big boys of horror, gender issues be damned. As it was with all her other books, I can’t wait to see what she’s got in store for us next!” —Dread Central

Listen to the first chapter of Breeding Ground for free!

All About Audio(books)—sample chapter of DARKLY LUMINOUS

Read by Lyssa Graham

With the release of the third title in Leanna Renee Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful series, The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess, we revisit its predecessor The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker.

Listen to the first chapter of the audiobook for FREE. Chime in on the comment thread and let us know what you do and don’t like about audios.

“Leanna Renee Hieber’s second book is as beautifully written and hauntingly captivating as the first. The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker enchants the reader from the first page and takes them on a darkly luminous flight through Victorian London and the Whisper World. … The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker is pure Gothic brilliance. Ms. Hieber expertly and eloquently weaves together a beautiful story full of Greek Mythology and a myriad of Shakespearean references in this delightfully dark romance. The Strangely Beautiful series is a must-read for every paranormal romance fan.”
—Pop Syndicate

“What I loved the most about this gorgeously written installment of Percy’s tale was witnessing our heroine’s journey from a timid girl to a confident woman. A close second was the peek I got into the lives of the other members of the guard and their predecessors. Leanna’s way of making these characters seem real makes their life and death struggle against the forces of evil that much more compelling. I cannot wait to see what this talented writer does next.”
—Publishers Weekly Beyond Her Book

“The romance in this book is just swoon worthy…The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker is a book not to be missed. It is adorable, utterly romantic and while the first book in the series, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker made my favorites list of 2009, Leanna Renee Hieber wrote a second book that I enjoyed even more.”
—Smexy Books

“I feel repetitive when I say that her work is pure magic, but it’s true. Having read the previous books in the Strangely Beautiful series I have come to really love and enjoy the haunting beauty that she’s created…their journeys provide a thrilling, emotional, and magical tale that continues to enthrall me.” —P.S. I Love Books  on The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess.

All About Audio(books)—THE DANGEOUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS

Today’s edition of All About Audio(books) brings a little spice to your Monday with Angie Fox’s The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, the hilariously fun follow-up to The Accidental Demon Slayer. Listen to the first chapter for free and start your week out right! 

“Fox is back and serving up a second helping of high-octane mania. The world according to new demon slayer Lizzie Brown is full of major potholes and irritating biker witches, and the gaps in this heroine’s demon-slaying education are both hilarious and dangerous. The phrase Sin City never rang truer than it does in this supernatural ruckus!”
—RT Book Reviews

“THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS by Angie Fox is a riot! But be prepared for cheeky humor and some outrageous behavior, as this seems to be the modus operandi for Ms. Fox.”
—The Romance Readers Connection

“Fox will snare you with humor, crazy but lovable characters and more than a dash of excellent dialogue. In a dictionary somewhere, Lizzie and Gertie are featured under the definition of ‘fun.’ Enjoy!”
—Fresh Fiction

“Angie Fox charms readers with her uniquely humorous storyline and outrageous characters that steal their way into readers’ hearts. I have to confess I’m anxious to delve into more of Ms. Fox’s storylines in the near future—they’re demonically good.”
—Romance Junkies

“This book is a pleasure to read. It is fun, humorous, and reminiscent of Charlaine Harris or Kim Harrison’s books.”
—Sacramento Book Review

“THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS was a fast, savvy, hilarious romp through a real world populated by paranormal mischief…Fox is one of my new favorite paranormal authors. Her books are simply a delight…give Fox’s Demon Slayer books a try…fantastically fun reads and leave you craving more.”
—Pop Syndicate

All About Audio(books)—sample chapter of SNOW, autographed copies available

“What if a snowstorm wasn’t really a snowstorm, but a camouflage for something hideous? A cover or a mask for something horrible that comes in to feed? ” —Ronald Malfi

Malfi asks the questions and provides one hell of an answer with Snow.

Preview the first chapter of Snow for free.  A limited supply of autographed copies are available at the regular price, so be sure to order your copy today!

“Ronald Malfi has a way with words. His command of the language will leave you breathless, dreaming of vivid landscapes, and in terrible fear for your life. The monsters in Malfi’s mind become tangible and all too real when he sets them loose on the page. Snow is an incredible modern horror story with a decadent feel, and the perfect marriage of beauty and brutality. His writing is reminiscent of the old classics, but has all of the daring and flair of the modern genre.” —Paperback Horror

“Malfi’s use of language and his power of description are sublime.” —Fear Zone

“An immensely talented writer.” —Literary Strange Digest

“What horror should be! [Five stars]” —SF Reader on The Fall of Never

“Filled with subtle horror, imagination and skill. [Five stars]” —Horror-Web on The Fall of Never

“Ronald Malfi masterfully blends psychological terror and traditional gothic horror.”
—Dark Realms on The Fall of Never

All About Audio(books)—sample chapter of Offspring

Read by Hannah Kane

Horror fans listen up. Preview the first chapter of the audio book Offspring by Jack Ketchum, available now in audio CD and MP3 Download.

“Who’s the scariest guy in America? Probably Jack Ketchum.” —Stephen King

The local sheriff of Dead River, Maine, thought he had killed them off ten years ago—a primitive, cave-dwelling tribe of cannibalistic savages. But somehow the clan survived. To breed. To hunt. To kill and eat. And now the peaceful residents of this isolated town are fighting for their lives…

“There are writers, there are authors, and then there’s Jack Ketchum. Probably one of the most respected and feared wordslingers in today’s society, the man has been responsible for some of the best horror stories of the last few decades. OFFSPRING is absolutely no exception.” —Dread Central