I want this to be a platform for EVERYONE within the horror community; authors, publishers, bloggers, reviewers, actors, directors, artists. I could go on, if you work in the genre then you are more than welcome to apply for the job.
The rules are quite simple…
You are invited to imagine yourselves as warden for an old graveyard, and choose eight books, preferably horror/dark genre, to take with you to cover your shift; here you can discuss why you chose the books.
As well as the books, wardens are allowed one song/album to listen to. Again, an explanation for this choice is required.
You must also discuss one luxury item you can bring, which must be inanimate and not allow communication.
If you’d like to take part in The Graveyard Shift then please submit an application to gavin@kendallreviews.com
A new shift is about to begin. The warden for the week’s #GraveyardShift is…
C.M. Saunders
Craig, a journalism graduate trying desperately to get a foothold in a fading industry, is going nowhere fast. While searching for a project to occupy himself, he stumbles across a blog written by a girl called Kami about internet rituals – challenges undertaken by those seeking to make contact with ghosts or other supernatural entities. Craig becomes obsessed, and when Kami suddenly disappears he goes in search of her. From there he is powerless to prevent his life spiralling out of control as he is drawn deeper and deeper into a dark, dangerous world where nothing is quite what it seems, a world populated not just by urban myths and hearsay, but by real-life killers. He thinks he is in control, but nothing can be further from the truth.
You can buy Tethered from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Books
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
I considered a dozen or more King books for this spot. In the end I went with Skeleton Crew, his first collection of short fiction, because it includes The Mist and Survivor Type, two of my favourite stories of all time. Still waiting for someone to attempt a screen adaptation of the latter!
The Ritual by Adam Nevill
A modern classic of the ‘folk horror’ genre following a group of friends on a hiking trip in Scandinavia. It’s the kind of book that transports you to a different place. Not only is it a study in horror, but it’s also a study in friendship. You might be surprised at how closely the two are linked.
The House of Jack the Ripper: The Complete Series by Amy Cross
Again, I had an awful job narrowing down my choice to one Amy Cross book. She knocks them out at a terrifying rate. I circumnavigated the problem by cheating and going for this eight-book set which expertly treads the line between fact and fiction. We are all closet Ripperologists. It should keep me going for a while.
The Dirt by Motley Crue
The ultimate rags to riches rock n’ roll story as ghosted by Neil Strauss, who is undoubtedly one of my favourite journalists. How any of these guys didn’t die on the way to becoming legendary is a mystery. Well, actually one of them (Nikki Sixx) did clinically die, but he got better.
Body Rides by Richard Laymon
Right up there with Funland, this book about a magic bracelet that lets you hitch a ride ‘inside’ other people is one of Laymon’s finest. The ending is just to die for, and will stay with you long after you finish the book.
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
I started reading Koontz in my early teens, and he’s still one of those writers I keep coming back to. I prefer his more experimental earlier output. His more recent material is a bit too formulaic, but he broke the mould with the Odd Thomas series.
The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart
An often-overlooked American classic about a psychologist who gets tired of making decisions and instead puts his fate in the hands of chance. The dice life is liberating and intoxicating if you are brave enough to see it through, but invariably takes you down the wrong path.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
A modern classic. You’ve probably seen the film, but I urge you to give the book a shot, if you haven’t already. It’s spellbinding. You could read it a dozen times over and take something different from it every time.
Album
Iron Maiden: Live After Death
I’m normally into punk rock, but it doesn’t seem right to listen to that in a cemetery in the dead of night. Too upbeat and bouncy. So instead, I’m taking Iron Maiden’s Live After death from 1985, and again cheating a bit because it’s a double album. At least the vinyl was. They squashed it all onto a single CD by omitting the fourth side, and that’s the one with Wrathchild on it, so I’m not having that. I first listened to this on a Sony Walkman as a teenager with a thunderstorm raging outside, so I can’t think of anything more suitable.
Luxury
Pocket survival kit.
I’ve always been into prepping. I don’t have a bunker in the garden or anything, but a pocket survival kit containing some essential items that might come in handy in the event of a complete societal breakdown would make me feel a whole lot more secure. Plus, if I get cold I can make a fire and if I get hungry or bored I could go fishing or snaring rabbits or something.
Tethered
Craig, a journalism graduate trying desperately to get a foothold in a fading industry, is going nowhere fast.
While searching for a project to occupy himself, he stumbles across a blog written by a girl called Kami about internet rituals – challenges undertaken by those seeking to make contact with ghosts or other supernatural entities.
Craig becomes obsessed, and when Kami suddenly disappears he goes in search of her.
From there he is powerless to prevent his life spiralling out of control as he is drawn deeper and deeper into a dark, dangerous world where nothing is quite what it seems, a world populated not just by urban myths and hearsay, but by real-life killers.
He thinks he is in control, but nothing can be further from the truth.
You can buy Tethered from Amazon UK & Amazon US
C.M. Saunders
Chris Saunders, who writes fiction as C.M. Saunders, is a freelance journalist and editor from south Wales. His work has appeared in almost 100 magazines, ezines and anthologies worldwide, and he has held staff positions at several leading UK magazines ranging from Staff Writer to Associate Editor. His books have been both traditionally and independently published, the latest release being Tethered on Terror tract Publishing.
You can follow C.M. on Twitter @CMSaunders01
Find out more about C.M. by visiting his official website www.cmsaunders.com
Look for C.M. on Facebook HERE
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