Aliens Invade Your Ears! Black T-Shirt Books Goes International!

Big news! My first novel, Video Night, is now an exquisitely-produced audiobook. Narrator Matt Godfrey (who audio fans may know for his production of Micheal McDowell’s Blackwater) gives an incredible performance here and I am overwhelmed to have such a talent bringing life to a book that’s very near and dear to my heart.

If you’ve been holding off on checking out the book, now’s the perfect time to grab it in this new format. Or, if you’ve read the book when it first came out, now’s the perfect time to revisit. And if you’re a “eh, audiobooks aren’t for me” kind of reader, I think this might be the book that breaks you into the habit. As someone who didn’t consider myself an audiobook guy until recently, I have to say that I now LOVE the format. It’s a great way to supplement my reading while I’m doing the dishes or walking the dog. It’s available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

The OTHER piece of big news is that Black T-Shirt Books has expanded again. Please welcome the amazing Aaron Dries to the family by picking up The Fallen Boys: A Novel of Psychological Horror in either ebook or paperback. 

Author and filmmaker Mick Garris (Masters of Horror, Stephen King’s The Stand, Critters 2: The Main Course) calls it “A terrific book. Beautiful and brutal. Heartbreaking and incredibly emotional. I really, really enjoyed it.” And Hellnotes says: “It will upset and maybe even offend. It will trick you and make you wince. But above all else, The Fallen Boys will move you. This is a tale you will never forget, as told by one of the most important new voices in the genre.”

Aaron is flat out my favorite writer from the Samhain-era and I’m so happy he’s chosen to release this incredible novel with us. He’s a master of what I like to think of as tragi-horror, his stories imbued with such verisimilitude and melancholy that they all really put you through the emotional wringer while at the same time shredding your nerves. Which is very different from what the other writers in the Black T-Shirt stable do, but it’s good to mix it up, right?

As with all Black T-Shirt releases: both The Fallen Boys and the Video Night audiobook will live and die on your support. So please pick up a copy (or help spread the word, even if you can’t commit right now) and then consider leaving each a quick, honest Amazon and Goodreads review when you’re finished. It’s how we make our livings and how we get the word out about the books. Thanks!

That’s it on the announcement front. But while I still have you here, have you been to my YouTube channel recently? I’ve got new videos up discussing the virtues of Syfy’s Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block and another one foaming at the mouth over Arrow Video’s new release of Basket Case. Please subscribe and then come join the conversations going on in our (lively) comments section.

Check in to The Brant Hotel… again.

Less than a month after Video Night‘s triumphant return, The Summer Job is now available on Amazon.

Check out the new cover by artist Fredrick Richardson:

Like Video Night, this new edition is not meant for double dipping, but does contain a new afterword and some tiny nips and tucks in the text. If you’re familiar with some of my other work but haven’t yet checked out The Summer Job: I highly suggest you give it a chance. It’s some of my strongest work, if not my flat-out best novel. You can pick up a copy here.

If you’re not looking to check out my words but would instead like to watch me rant about books and movies: I also have you covered there. Last week’s episode of Project: Black T-Shirt is a top 5 list of the “Best Vampire Novels You Haven’t Read”! The trick is that you may have read a few of them, but at least we have a fun discussion in the comments. Click here to watch that. Be sure to hit the “Subscribe” button while you’re over there.

If you’re watching that and thinking: “Boy, I love black t-shirts too but I wish I had one with my favorite Long Island alien invasion novel” than I ALSO have you covered there.

Well, artist Chris Enterline and I both have you covered. Because we’re proud to announce a brand new line of t-shirts and merch through our Redbubble store. The inaugural design is based on Video Night and you can pick up a shirt right here. And, yes: it is a deliberate homage to “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli.

They’re a little pricey, but the quality of Redbubble’s products is completely off the charts. If you pick one up: please send me a picture of you wearing it!

These designs are not meant to compete with Sam Mcanna’s Skurvy Ink shirts, but Sam has shut down his site and that business will hopefully be returning soon in some form or another.

Hope ya’ll are having a great day. Peace and love,

Adam

I Am The Pretty Ghost Kaiju That Destroyed Germany

Hey guys and gals,

Quick catch-up post just to dump some links tonight.

First of all: thanks to everyone who came out to the KGB Bar reading last week. Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Nick Cato, and Leza Cantoral were all awesome. And an extra special big thanks to Christoph Paul for hosting and inviting me to participate.

But speaking of Christoph, I give his new horror film poetry book a shout out in this week’s episode of Project Black T-Shirt. We also discuss the Netflix original film I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House(2016), written and directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Ruth Wilson. I liked it a lot, but click here to find out why.

Another huge thanks to author/photographer Jonathan Lees, who took this awesome picture while I was reading:

The week before that I was reviewing Shin Godzilla, which I caught during its limited theatrical run and lived to tell the tale about. That’s right here.

This week I celebrated a huge milestone in my career with the German-language release of Tribesmen. A huge thank you to Voodoo Press for taking a chance on me overseas. If you’re a German reader, please click over to their website to pick up your copy in ebook or paperback. Here’s that sweet sweet German cover:

Other than that, things are all quiet on my front. My newest novel, The Con Season, has been selling unbelievably well, probably due to the release of the audiobook and the kind words from everyone who’s taken the time to leave an Amazon review. Just a quick public service reminder that the audiobook’s actually cheaper if you buy the Kindle version ($2.99) and then the audio ($1.99) as opposed to buying the audio straight-out.

Have a great week!

Getting in the Halloween spirit (plus Splatterpunk lives!)

Hey y’all,

It’s been a spell (a couple months) since I checked in on the blog and offered an update. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube I’ve been just as gabby as usual.

Project: Black T-Shirt has been going strong, with weekly video uploads and this week’s is one I’m particularly proud of. It’s a list of 6 great books to get you in that Halloween state-of-mind. Authors like Paul Tremblay, Gillian Flynn, and Bracken MacLeod show up, so please go check it out here. If you’ve got titles of your own you’d like to share: please speak up in the comments.

Click here to watch!

Speaking of Bracken MacLeod: we’re going to be selling books next weekend at Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA. Author Patrick Lacey will also be joining us at the table, so if you’re going to be at the con: please come by the table and say hi. Maybe even buy a book, both Pat and Bracken have new ones (Dream Woods and Stranded, respectively).

Rock and Shock is always a great time (I’ve been going since the second year, and even though I now live in Philly it’s a great excuse to go sip Dunkin Donuts in New England once a year). It’s a special show: if you’re in the area I guarantee you’ll be happy you went.

Also, if you’re tracking my movements: I’ll be reading at KGB Bar in NYC on October 26th along with Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Nick Cato, and Christoph Paul (who’s also hosting). If you’re a New Yorker or are willing to travel: I’d love to see you.

In keeping with the Halloween theme: Sinister Grin Press has put All-Night Terror (my collaborative collection with Matt Serafini) on sale for 2 bucks. That’s cheap as hell! If you pick up the book: please consider leaving a quick review when you’re done.

 

$1.99 for a limited time!

 

Lastly but not leastly: if you’re looking for a NEW Halloween treat from me I’ve got a story in Jack Bantry’s new collection Splatterpunk’s Not Dead! There are a ton of great authors in here, and it’s all new stories, so you don’t have to worry about getting skunked with a reprint. My story “Please Subscribe” has already been selected for next year’s Year’s Best Hardcore Horror from Comet Press. So I’m happy with it.

Other than that, no big publishing news. I’m slowly chipping away at a number of projects, all of them still secret at this point. While you’re waiting for the new stuff: have you read The Con Season? If so: leave a review and then go check out some of the authors in the video at the top of this post.

I’ll have new scares for you soon.

Best,

Adam

 

 

Surprise! THE CON SEASON is available NOW!

First the good news: you can click here, right now, and secure yerself a copy of The Con Season: A Novel of Survival Horror. That’s the ebook link, but paperback will be out in a month or two if you’re an absolute tree-hating physical media diehard.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Horror movie starlet Clarissa Lee is beautiful, internationally known, and…completely broke.

To cap off years of questionable financial and personal decisions, Clarissa accepts an invitation to participate in a “fully immersive” fan convention. She arrives at an off-season summer camp and finds what was supposed to be a quick buck has become a real-life slasher movie.

Deep in the woods of Kentucky with a supporting cast of B-level celebrities, Clarissa must fight to survive the deadly game that the con’s organizers have rigged against her.

A demented, funny, bloody, and strangely-poignant horror novel from the acclaimed author of Tribesmen, Zero Lives Remaining, and Mercy House.

Go ahead and buy the book before scrolling any further.

I’ll wait.

Now the not-so-good news: if you nominated the book, probably already you know that Kindle Scout has decided to pass on publishing The Con Season.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s a bit of a bummer. I feel like our numbers game was strong, but I also understand where the editors are coming from.

This book—an inside-baseball horror fandom satire with moments of blackly comedic ultraviolence—probably doesn’t scream “marketable!” It also doesn’t help that their cover guidelines suggest “no weapons or blood” and I was trying to sneak in a book featuring a blood-smeared woman holding a rifle…

Or all of that could be me trying to justify them simply not liking the book. I’m big enough to admit that.

But enough about the past! Let’s talk about the future. More specifically, let’s talk about Black T-Shirt Books!

Boom! We got a logo and everything. Huge thanks to Chris Enterline for getting that done.

I wasn’t messing around in last month’s post where I claimed to have “contingency plans” in place for The Con Season. As touched as I am at all the messages of condolence that I’ve received for being passed by Scout: really, it’s cool, nobody died!

I entered into this campaign knowing that having the book rejected was a very real possibility. I had to hand KS a completely edited manuscript and final cover art: so I was always viewing the program as an experiment in self-publishing.

And now that experiment is live and YOU get to decide if it keeps going or not.

Will Black T-Shirt books be releasing more titles? Yeah, if you and a few friends buy, review, and share this one.

I know I harp on the need for reviews (seriously, not just my books, if you read ANY book and like it: please review that ish on Amazon, you’ll be helping make quality writing more visible). But this time, since Black T-Shirt books is me doing this all by myself without the backing of a publisher, reviews are doubly important. As is word of mouth, shares on Facebook and Twitter, and updates to your Goodreads.

And if the Black T-Shirt Books experiment doesn’t succeed? Well, then it’s back to the drawing board, because we all know I’ve got schemes and machinations and secret-books for miles. 🙂

Thanks so much for everything, guys and gals, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support.

With love,

Adam Cesare
CEO and Master of Shirts at Black T-Shirt Books

P.S. New episodes of the YouTube show are up:

An early review of Evil Dead remake director Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe:

And a less-SEO friendly review of 1984’s The Mutilator, recently reissued by Arrow Video: