JASON L. KEENE

Shroud 7 is now out in stores and available for purchase online, and I highly suggest you purchase a copy.  If you’re more of an online shopper, I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction: you can get it straight from Shroud’s website or you can opt to grab it over at Amazon.com.

Inside those hallowed pages you’ll find not one…but two offerings of my short fiction.  I’ll admit, having my name on the cover and being singularly segmented in the table of contents makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The first is called “A Picture’s Worth” and I have to say that I believe this to be my best short fiction yet.  The story revolves around Lorrie Spencer and her young son Cody, a remnant from a satanic artist’s vile work, the trapped souls of children, and the love and protection a mother feels for her offspring.  Writing the story disturbed me several times through the endeavor, and I honestly had to get up and go have a smoke to calm down.  This was probably the first story where what I had intended was completely sidestepped by the characters, and fate took over to rule out the final act.  Because reality rarely has happy endings…

The second offering is called “Collaboration of B. Lyle” and, from the title, you can probably guess at least one of the characters in this one.  This story came to me after seeing first-hand the way a small handful of publishers and editors (not all, mind you) in this genre feed off of new writers.  The main character’s name may even strike a chord to some of those out there–and that was intentional.  Most of the time, said types of people get away with their dirty deeds.  In this story, they do not.

The issue also introduces the first in a line of columns Brian Keene is penning for Shroud entitled “Seminal Screams”, where he introduces readers to books of extreme importance in the genre.  Awesome column.  Michael Knost’s “Prog-Knost-Ications” this time around focuses on the Sinister Minister himself, Maurice Broaddus.  Other pieces of non-fiction included are from Norman L. Rubenstein, Kevin Lucia, Kurt Bachard, and I.E. Lester.  There’s a novel excerpt from John Shirley, an illustrated story from Brothers May, winner and runner-ups of the flash fiction contest, and enough great fiction in this 150+ page monster to keep you occupied for a long, long time.  Highlights include stories by Jackie Gamber, Joel Sutherland, Timothy P. Remp, Richard Alan Scott, Steve Vernon, and D.L. Snell.

Not to mention a beautiful layout and designs by the unbelievably talented Danny Evarts, and some insanely gorgeous art by Mark Pexton and a host of others.

Mr. Deal and the rest of the Shroud team have outdone themselves yet again.  Go find out for yourselves.