Serious questions answer by a monkey.
Category: Life

Cornelius, the mighty ape from the future that offers advice to filthy humans at the Horror Fiction Review, has answered some very thought-provoking questions from the likes of Mark McLaughlin (you'll have to guess which one) and Jerrod Balzer (midway down the page).

Check it out: http://www.freewebs.com/hfrzine/cornysadvice.htm

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Skullvines Press is in the news!
Category: News and Politics

Local entrepreneur pens, publishes the ghoulish and ghastly
Skullvines Press to produce several horror novels this year

Jul 29, 2008 - 11:40:52 CDT.

by Michelle Miron
Managing Editor
Quad Community Press


LINO LAKES — Oh, the horror.

S. D. Hintz was a third grader in Circle Pines when he started writing fiction. The 32-year-old Centennial High School graduate has since written a horror novel, published several short stories in "zines" and become a publisher of other writers' work in the genre through his local company, aptly named Skullvines Press.

In his other life, he says, he's a relatively normal, married father of two who works as a supervisor in the Stores and Distribution department at St. Joseph's Hospital.  While running his business, though, he employs a penchant for horror and science fiction that started in high school as he read authors like Stephen King and Clive Barker.

"What I love most about horror is that it seems to be the radical genre," he said. "People truly look at you like you're crazy — and I'm not denying that fact. I'm sure my wife and children will agree that I'm weird and 'out there.' But sometimes I just like to remind people to stretch their imaginations and make life more interesting when it's at its dullest."

He said he tries to write for at least an hour a day, and finds the most difficult part of the writing process "putting a different spin on an idea."

Hintz started Skullvines Press out of his own pocket last year as a way of furthering the horror genre, which some have referred to as — pardon the pun — dying out. While some of his short stories are featured in two Skullvines anthologies, his company primarily focuses on other authors.
The typical reader of Skullvines publications, he said, is "across the board, female and male alike, probably ranging from age 21 to 121."   

"I'm happy to say readership is steadily growing," Hintz said. "We started, really, to give new authors an opportunity to get their work published and get their foot in the door.  We are publishing seven or eight titles this year; it's been pretty busy."

How does the business work? Hintz and his assistant editor, Jerrod Balzer, select a manuscript, edit it, and assemble it into book form. Artist Mark McLaughlin creates a cover.  Texas-based printer Lightning Source Inc. prints the book, then it's promoted to bookstores and online sources by Skullvines and/or the Charlotte, N.C.-based distributor Baker & Taylor Inc.

Skullvines typically gives 50 percent of net profits to its authors.  

"We tend to be real picky and choosy about what we accept," Hintz said. "It not only has to sit in that (horror/ dark humor) niche, but it has to keep us entertained. If it can do that, and we both agree on it, we'll take it."

Most Skullvines publications retail for $13 to $20, he said.

The company's five-year plan calls for wider distribution of Skullvines titles in major bookstores across the United States. Hintz would eventually like to run the business full-time.

"The biggest misconception for new writers is that once they publish a book, they can sit back and it will sell," he said. "The truth of the matter is that the book will sit there and rot unless the author promotes it every way imaginable. The key is to get people to notice you, to stand out from everyone else."

"It is a highly competitive business. But I've met some of the nicest people and made the best friends in the horror genre. Knowing just how much work and how much time an author puts into these books, and knowing how much work goes into editing and publishing these books, is really what drives me."

To buy Skullvines publications or find information about submissions, access www.skullvines.com.

Contributing writer Chris Hamble added to this story.

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The Skullvines McMonstrous Contest! Enter now!
Current mood: excited
Category: Writing and Poetry

Announcing the Skullvines McMonstrous Contest!

To enter, all you have to do is buy a copy of

ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED POETRY MONSTER by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin. 

You must purchase the book from the Skullvines Press website only to qualify, and you will automatically be entered. 

Go to skullvines (dot) com to get your copy now!

The deadline is midnight (central time) on Halloween. At that time, winners will be drawn to win one of these McMonstrous prizes:

From Dead Letter Press comes this gorgeous book, BOUND FOR EVIL: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad.   One winner will receive this Limited Edition, 800-page tome that includes a disturbing story by Mark McLaughlin.  

But that's not all.  Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty will collaborate to write a unique poem inside the book, and of course sign it. 

This book is valuable enough as is!  The lucky winner will never want to part with this.  

While we're talking about Dead Letter Press, why not go to their website and consider buying one of their limited books.   They have several fantastic titles to choose from, so you're certain to find something to curl up with for Halloween. 

CLICK HERE to visit them.

Also from Dead Letter Press, PHANTASMAPEDIA is a chapbook collection of poems about 32 little-known creatures – demons, entities, mutants, and pseudo-biological aberrations. 

This chapbook will be signed by Mark Mclaughlin.

Yet another title from Dead Letter Press, you could win a copy of the limited hardcover of ENGELBRECHT AGAIN! by Rhys Hughes (another author from BOUND FOR EVIL). 

This book about a dwarf surrealist boxer furthers the adventures first chronicled in the 1940s by Maurice Richardson in Lilliput magazine.

A few years ago, Michael McCarty did an awesome interview with Elvira: Mistress of the Dark for Brutarian Quarterly Magazine.  She was gracious enough to give him a smokin' picture of herself and sign it, personally. 

And now, you could win it! 

Any drool on the photo is a bonus.  We can't help it.  I mean, look at the size of those pumpkins!

Win a copy of the issue that Michael McCarty's interview with Elvira appeared in! 

This is signed by McCarty in two places, and one of them is signed to Bentley (as in Little). 

Please, don't ask how we got a hold of it and don't tell Bentley.  Let's keep it our little secret.

You could also win a copy of TABLOID TERRORS: I WAS A SASQUATCH SEX SLAVE, the very first Skullvines title that features a story by Mark McLaughlin and an introduction by Michael McCarty! 

This copy will be signed by all those involved:  Mark McLaughlin, Michael McCarty, S.D. Hintz, Jerrod Balzer, and Bill Collins (one of the interior artists).

From Graveside Tales, you could also win a signed copy of HAWG by Steven Shrewsbury! 

Find out what horrible beast escaped from Mr. Solow's shed. 

Be sure to check out the Graveside Tales site, as well.  It's run by great folks and their forum is wild.

CLICK HERE to go there!

All of the above prizes would be great to win, but seriously, everyone who buys their copy of ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED POETRY MONSTER (Remember to go to skullvines [dot] com in order to qualify) is a winner.  They will have the opportunity to laugh and scream at some truly unique and talented poems that only these two guys can create.

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Another cool review for INTO THE CRUEL SEA!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Nick Cato wrote a nice review here comparing it to the older b-movies and CREEPY magazine, which is cool by us 

Thanks Nick!  And remember to pick up a copy at Horror Mall.

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Coming this Summer!!!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Prepare yourself for...

11:50 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Why no links to our site on here?
Category: Writing and Poetry

We don't mean to shit on MySpace much because we're thankful to them.  Since S.D. Hintz and Jerrod met each other here, Skullvines Press probably wouldn't exist without it.  We've also met some of our upcoming authors here and we're very thankful for that.

That said, those fucking msp links suck!  Some links are fine while others are deemed spam for no reason (a lot of people with outside blogs no about this).  Those (as Charles Fort would say) "damned" links used to just go straight to the MySpace home page.  Now, they go to a page that comes right out and accuses the link of being spam or a hacker.  This is really fucked up.

It's not the site's domain because Jerrod uses the same one for his personal site and it goes to it just fine.  It just picks random targets and puts the SPAM stamp on it.  At least, that's how it appears.  We're no techies.

So we started out just typing the website address instead of linking to it, but now MySpace automatically puts the link in - leading to the spam page.

This is why you keep seeing www(dot)skullvines(dot)com instead of a link.  We apologize for the inconvenience, but just put a period in place of (dot) and you can get to our site.  There, you can find more details on our releases and order them.  Some are available elsewhere but some are exclusive to our site.  We also have special promotions that you won't find elsewhere, and we use PayPal so the transactions are secure.

We figured a lot of people figured out what was going on, but wanted to clarify for those who didn't.  Thanks again for all your support!

10:26 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Yet another excellent review!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Michael Lovell was kind enough to review Rich Ristow’s INTO THE CRUEL SEA, and it’s another awesome one!  It must be pretty good, heheh.

It’s posted in two places:

http://maguspress.blogspot.com/ and http://mattstaggs.blogspot.com/

And remember that this month, it can be bought at the Skullvines site as a combo with Sasquatch Sex Slave (discounted, of course).  Just go to www(dot)skullvines(dot)com and visit their bookstore.  Scroll down to INTO THE CRUEL SEA where you can pick up both books for $17.95 (shipping included).

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Wrath James White’s SLOPPY SECONDS for pre-order!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Pre-order now at www(dot)skullvines(dot)com! Also available at:

Who Wants Some of Wrath's Sloppy Seconds?

Who wouldn't? Each year at the World Horror Convention, the most anticipated event is the Gross-Out Contest, where authors stand up in front of everyone and deliver some of the most disturbing, gut-wrenching tales anyone has ever heard.

Wrath James White's stories are among the best of them. Now, we present his stories for the first time in print - uncut.

Here are his four stories from previous years, as well as his entry for the 2008 WHC.

But there's more! We have a bonus story that is "one of the most grotesque and horrific murder/rape/revenge stories I have ever written."

Mark McLaughlin provided the cover art in addition to a hilarious introduction.

Approximately 40 pages

6 X 9 Perfect Bound Paperback

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Pre-Order DOUBLE-D AVENGER now!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Available directly through www(dot)skullvines(dot)com or Amazon.com!

The bikini bar owner, Al Purplewood, is up to no good with his murderous strippers, and only big-bosomed Chastity Knott can stop them. 

Will her superhuman abilities as the Double-D Avenger be enough to save the day? 

William Winckler, the Ed Wood of this century, created an instant cult hit with his hilarious film of a top-heavy superhero and sexy villains, reuniting some of the original Russ Meyer girls. 

Now, fans won't want to miss Jerrod Balzer's wild novelization based on William's screenplay. 

With over 100 references to breasts, the fun never stops! 

All books ordered through this site will be signed by the author. For inscriptions, just type what you'd like in the PayPal comment section!

91 pages

6 X 9 Perfect Bound Paperback

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New Review of INTO THE CRUEL SEA !!!
Category: Writing and Poetry

There’s a new review for Rich Ristow’s INTO THE CRUEL SEA up at Fatally Yours, and WOW!  It’s awesome.  You’ve got to check it out:

Fatally Yours Review

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