Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction June 2012 Featuring Erik Larson Justin scott Don Mann Meet Debut Authors Stephanie Jaye evanS Shannon Dittemore Anthony FrAnze Peek InsIde new Brings you Releases FRom AmericA’s FAvorite alan Jacobson suspense Authors JeRemy RobInson on Writing Fiction &VIckI Tyley C r e di t s John Raab From the Editor President & Chairman Shannon Raab Summer reading and blockbuster movies are Creative Director what June brings. I know that the blockbuster season technically starts in May, but most of the Romaine Reeves country hasn’t really hit the summer weather ’til CFO June, so I’m starting there. Starr Gardinier Reina The grill is on and the beer is flowing, but Executive Editor something is missing. That’s right: you are still deciding on how to spend your money on the Terri Ann Armstrong Executive Editor books you love. But maybe this year you made a resolution to go out and try some new authors, but J.S. Chancellor are confused when you search Amazon. Because Associate Editor there really are so many choices, you end up picking up the old standby author, because Jim Thomsen you know what you’ll get for your twenty bucks. But where is the fun in that? You are Copy Editor reading the same story with a different cover, aren’t you? I can understand the pros and cons of having the market become flooded with new Contributors authors that either have come from a small publisher, or are self-published. But this is the Donald Allen Kirch future of publishing, so you better get used to it even if you don’t like it. However, there Mark P. Sadler Susan Santangelo is a light at the end of that tunnel and it is not a train—it’s the light of your new e-reader. DJ Weaver For new authors, this is how they are marketing themselves. They are putting out CK Webb their work in e-book form, and hitting the blog and social media circuit, hoping to Kiki Howell Kaye George capture some new fans. For authors now, writing the book is the easy part. Think about it Weldon Burge before the Internet; did an author ever have to market themselves? Random House would Ashley Wintters pick up their book and spend the money to market them. They would pay for the book Scott Pearson D.P. Lyle M.D. tours and get them on some radio shows and that would be about it. Well, those times Claudia Mosley are long gone. I don’t have an easy answer for marketing. In fact, nobody does. Right Christopher Nadeau now marketing is like playing darts. But if you don’t play the game then you will never Kathleen Heady Stephen Brayton succeed. All I can say to authors right now is to throw as many damn darts as you can, Brian Blocker because the more you throw the more they stick. Andrew MacRae But what is a casual reader to do? Word of mouth is still a big reason to try out a new Lisa McCourt Hollar Val Conrad author, but what if you want to be the first and then spread the word? Who gets your Laura Alden click? I would suggest finding about ten books on Amazon or B&N.com and research the Melissa Dalton author. Find out about them, more than just what they say in a book. Is the author writing Elliott Capon J.M. LeDuc a legal thriller but has no background in law? Or writing a political thriller, but without Holly Price having been in the military or in public service? Kari Wainwright All the great authors have one thing in common. They write about what they David Ingram Bill Craig know. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, if a lawyer like John Grisham is Jodi Hanson writing a legal thriller, then you will have some confidence that he/she knows what he/she Amy Lignor is talking about and bring realism to the story. Second, Susan May J.S. McCormick you will see more in depth detail with the story and more Kestrel T. Andersen well-rounded characters. Lynne Levandowski Now, readers, you have homework to do also. Cassandra McNeil Jenny Hilborne Discovering a new author can be a challenge, but you Tanya Contois will at least have a better chance and more confidence in spending your money if you do the work and find out Customer Service and Subscriptions: about who you are investing in. For me, it’s Miller Time. For 24/7 service, please use our website, Enjoy the issue! www.suspensemagazine.com or write to: SUSPENSE MAGAZINE at 26500 Agoura Road, #102-474 John Raab Calabasas, CA 91302 CEO/Publisher Suspense Magazine does not share our Suspense Magazine magazine subscriber list to third-party companies. “Reviews within this magazine are the opinions of the individual reviewers and are provided solely to provide readers as- sistance in determining another's thoughts on the book under discussion and shall not be interpreted as professional advice Rates: $24.00 (Electronic Subscrip- tion) per year. All foreign subscrip- or the opinion of any other than the individual reviewer. The following reviewers who may appear in this magazine are also tions must be payable in U.S. funds. individual clients of Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine: Mark P. Sadler, Starr Gardinier Reina, Ashley Dawn (Wintters), DJ Weaver, CK Webb, Elliott Capon, J.M. LeDuc, and Terri Ann Armstrong.” SuspenseMagazine.com 1 CONTENT Su Sp E n SE M ag a z i n E June 2012/Vol. 035 The Kindness of Strangers by Elliott Capon . 3 Sneak Peek Excerpt of Brittle Shadows by Vicki Tyley . 6 Ghost Story v. Salem's Lot by Noah Charney . 7 Unsolved: The Frankford Slasherby CK Webb . .16 Sneak Peek Excerpt of Hard Target by Alan Jacobson . 18 Chasing Nightmares by Melanie Shugert . 29 Inside the Pages: Suspense Magazine Book Reviews . .33 Suspense Magazine Movie Reviews . .44 Featured Artist: Celine Grandidier . 49 Beyond the Shadows with Kathryn Leigh Scott . 53 America's Favorite Suspense Authors: On Fiction by Anthony Franze . .56 Sneak Peek Excerpt of SecondWorld by Jeremy Robinson . 63 Stranger Than Fiction: Rot! by Donald Allen Kirch . .69 Contributor's Corner: Andrew MacRae . 72 On Location: Malice Domestic by Susan Santangelo . .74 Head to Love by Kazimer Kyrcz Jr . 76 Just for Fun . .79 The Kindness of sTrangers By Elliott Capon ete stood by his car, swaying sooooo slightly. He the ‘Accounts Receivable, ‘Pete’ account in his general ledger. wasn’t drunk, not by a long shot. He had a slight Two tibias, two metacarpals and a humerus later, Pete was buzz,P was maybe one sheet to the wind, had a half a toot, was still unavoidably recalcitrant in repaying his debts. maybe a little passing-wind-faced, certainly not shitfaced. A visit from Santangelo two days before was a rare honor Still, he wasn’t drunk enough to think that he was okay to that Pete did not recognize—after the original meeting to drive, because he wasn’t at the point that, with the logic of exchange the money and the IOU, Santangelo’s clients never the intoxicated, that knowing one was drunk made one drive saw him again: they mostly saw Ernie or Terrance, who more cautiously, hence better. He wasn’t past that point, i.e., collected the weekly installments. Or, if things didn’t go their drunk enough not to realize he was too drunk to drive. He way, they saw Bruno. For Santangelo to visit debtors’ prison, was just tipsy enough to realize that his reactions would be as it were, was a rare occasion. slightly delayed, his judgment slightly impaired, his depth “Let me explain to you,” Santangelo said to Pete, “the perception and reasoning functions just barely compromised. concept of the loss leader.” He was also sober enough to realize that he was perhaps just “I’m in retail,” Pete bravely if foolhardily snapped. “I too barely drunk to drive, and thus his dilemma as he stood know what a loss leader is.” by his car and wondered if he should risk the fifty-minute “Ah,” Santangelo riposted, raising a finger but apparently drive home or…or pursue some other alternative, which was not taking umbrage, “let me explain how it works in my not quite apparent yet. business. People pay me back, at interest, because they fear the His debate with the universe turned angry: well, why recriminations if they don’t. Those who do not pay are taught shouldn’t he indulge in a drink or two too much now and a painful lesson…or five. This encourages them to redouble then, with his problems? His problem. His PROBLEM. A guy their efforts in securing remuneration to their lien holder. named Santangelo, to whom Pete owed a substantial sum But sometimes, even those who are so incentivized fail to of money. Santangelo had a guy named Bruno who would meet their obligations. Such persons are then dispatched to break thumbs and noses and arms and legs without the least the care of their Maker. This is done with sufficient publicity, bit of motility crossing his face (later, though, and no one so that others, who may be at the lesson stage, realize that but Santangelo and Mrs. Bruno knew this, Bruno would go thumbs may heal but the big sleep goes on forever. The loss, home and throw up all over the place after an enforcement of course, is that yours truly cannot recover the principal or engagement.