The March round now begins: today it's The Gate: 13 Dark and Odd Tales that gets the no-cost treatment.  It will be free today, March 7th, until tomorrow, March 8th.  Head on over to the 'Zon and pick yourselves up a copy!

Yes, here we are folks.  The new anthology is now here...at least the ebook is.  The proofs for the paperback should be coming today, so if it looks good, it should go live in the next few days.  For now, take a look at the fabulous new cover, description, and table of contents, which includes 12 fantastic authors.  To say we're excited about this product is a bit of an understatement!

…a young man tries to build a better life while trapped in a mall after a plague has killed off most of humanity…

…zombies overrun a world gone mad, leaving a boy with no choice but to rely on possibly mystical means of escape…

…Halloween night brings out a darkness so threatening that a young couple’s only hope of survival may be a procession of strange, ghostly children…

…when the world is given a brief glimpse of divinity, a formerly disabled man must come to grips with the fact that not everything is as good as it seems…

These tales and many more await in The Gate 2: 13 Tales of Isolation and Despair, the new collection edited by Robert J. Duperre. Thirteen talented authors have been assembled, bringing with them the best they have to offer in a wide range of horror, be it slice-of-life or paranormal in nature. Also included are two bonus stories by the editor.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Plastic by J.L. Bryan
The Indian Rope Trick by D.P. Prior
Night Night by Daniel Pyle
Dead Things by Michael Crane
Does Laura Like Elephants? by Steven Pirie
39 Days by Robert J. Duperre
The Candle Eaters by K. Allen Wood
Black Mary by Mercedes M. Yardley
Exhibit C by David McAfee
The Canoe by Joel Arnold
Destination by Benjamin X. Wretlind
The Ghastly Bath by Dawn McCullough-White
Worldwide Event by David Dalglish
2 Bonus stories by Robert J. Duperre
Traipsing Through the Dark: The Stories Behind the Stories

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ON AMAZON.COM!

That's right, folks!  A new collection of horror shorts is almost upon us!  The Gate 2: 13 Tales of Isolation and Despair should be ready to publish come the middle of February.  All the stories are in, and all that's left is editing and the illustrations and cover from TRO's better half.  I'm really, really excited about this anthology.  All the stories are fantastic, and there are a few that rank right up there with the best fiction I've ever had the pleasure of reading.  There are a ton of great new writers featured, as well as a few carryovers from the first compilation.  Oh, and check this out:

 

That right there is Chorus, an illustration by the fabulous Jesse Young that both inspired one of the stories within and will appear on the back cover.  Just looking at it, I'm sure you can see the direction in tone this collection is going to take.

And now, here is the current table of contents, in the order I have them set to appear.  As always, with two months left before release, both titles and order may change:

INTRODUCTION
Plastic by J. L. Bryan
Chorus by Robert J. Duperre
The Indian Rope Trick by D.P. Prior
Destination by Benjamin X. Wretlind
39 Days by Robert J. Duperre
Worldwide Event by David Dalglish
The Canoe by Joel Arnold
Night Night by Daniel Pyle
The Candle Eaters by K. Allen Wood
Does Laura Like Elephants? by Steven Pirie
Black Mary by Mercedes M. Yardley
Dead Things by Michael Crane
The Ghastly Bath by Dawn McCullough-White
Traipsing Through the Dark: The Stories Behind the Stories
BONUS 14th STORY

So that's it!  Peace to all you gentle readers, and we'll see you soon.

RJD

Wow.  It's been almost two months since I've posted here.  TWO MONTHS!  Can you believe that???

Anywho, since it's now closing in on the end of November, I figured it's time to come at y'all with some much-needed updates as to what's going on in the world of TRO.

First of all, I've had three short stories appear in different anthologies over the last two months.  The first is a tale called CHORUS (inspired by one of Jesse's drawings), that appears in J.L. Bryan's DARK TOMORROWS alongside Amanda Hocking, Joel Arnold, and S.W. Benefiel.  The second is one of the favorite tales I've ever written, a little ditty called 39 DAYS, which leads off the Daniel Pyle-edited UNNATURAL DISASTERS compilation, including the likes of the fantastic Scott Nicholson, William Meikle, and J.A. Titus.  And finally, I wrote a disturbing short titled ONE GOOD TURN that is included in the Holiday Special Ebook Edition of SHOCK TOTEM MAGAZINE.  In this issue it's the staff who gets to shine, as the editors and reviewers (moi!) steal the show, our voices heard loud, squishy, and (mostly) clear.

In other news of a more US variety, I'm right now putting the finishing touches on the 3rd Rift book, DEATH SPRINGS ETERNAL.  From there it's on to editing and proofing, and Jesse then has to get his ass in gear with the cover and illustrations.  This is both an exciting and nerve-wracking project, as it's so different than either of the first two books.  However, I'm confident it's still a good book - I'm thinking it's the best of the bunch so far - so we'll see how that plays out.  The release date is (fingers crossed) January 5th.

After that, it's on to the second installment of THE GATE.  For this one, I've collected stories from 10 fantastic writers - a few carryovers from the first issue, plus some rather exciting additions.  The tentative release date is February 15th, though with the unexpected snowfall at the beginning of the month setting Jesse back a bit, it might end up being closer to the end.

This is a REALLY busy time for us.  Personally, my schedule is jam-packed with projects, which means my partner's is, as well.  Interested to see what my plan is from here on forward?  Here's a list of what I have slated to be released through January 2013:

January 5, 2012 - DEATH SPRINGS ETERNAL: THE RIFT BOOK III
February 15, 2012 - THE GATE 2: 13 TALES OF ISOLATION AND DESPAIR
March/April 2012 - THE FOREVER MAN (working title)(novella)
July 2012 - THE SUMMER SON: THE RIFT BOOK IV
November 2012 - THE GATE 3: 13 STORIES OF MONSTERS AMONG US
January 2013 - THE MIRROR OF SOULS: COVENANT BOOK 1

So there you have it.  That's six planned releases in a span of 12 months.  Too ambitious?  We'll see...

Peace, folks, and we'll chat soon.

RJD

Isn't it fantastic?  I think it is.  The Grumpy Artist's best work, if you ask me.

Now, in regards to the paperback, it should be available very soon.  We had some issues with the spine, which are slowly being resolved as we speak.  Hopefully, it will only be a couple days away from completion.

That's it for now, folks.  Keep reading!

RJD

The review blog, SyriaSays.com, was nice enough to give our little short story collection a rather glowing sendup.

SYRIA SAYS REVIEW

That's right, everyone.  The Gate is now available in ebook format for the Barnes and Noble Nook!  Click the link below to see the new product page:

The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales for the Nook

#1 - Reviews are important.  Whatever anyone thinks of our books, good or bad, feel free to post a review on Amazon.  It helps us gain a readership and guides potential customers to the page.

#2 - If anyone doesn't know yet, here is a little bit about our library for all you Kindle owners out there:

The Fall: The Rift Book I

Available for $2.99 in the Kindle Store

An ancient evil, trapped in the ruins of a lost Mayan temple for centuries, has been unleashed. It takes the form of a deadly virus, one that causes violent insanity in the living and the recently departed to rise and walk. It spreads around the globe, throwing the world into chaos and war.

As it progresses, those in the States who find themselves far away from the epicenter watch it unfold with unbelieving eyes. From Washington D.C. to Dover, New Hampshire, regular people are hurled into an existence outside their control, left to deal with catastrophic situations that they aren't prepared to handle. Life becomes a nightmare, and that nightmare is spreading.

First time author Robert J. Duperre presents this scenario with The Fall: The Rift Book I, the first of a four-part series. In this book, he throws his characters into a gambit; when the alternatives are life or death, self-preservation or the protection of others, what path will they choose? Is there a darkness that resides in everyone, from every walk of life, that is screaming for release? When society falls apart and we are left to our own devices, will we make the right decisions, or let the tide take us where it may? There is horror, there is death, there are the walking dead, and all around are choices.

The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales

Available for $0.99 in the Kindle Store

...Three brothers traipse across a post-apocalyptic landscape, encountering unspeakable horrors...

...A young boy growing up in suburban hell thinks there might be more to his home town than meets the eye, what with all the children going missing...

...A woman dying of cancer is given a way out, if only she is willing to pay the price...

...The crew of a space station must battle their fears and a strange alien relic when they are isolated from humanity...if humanity exists any longer...

These stories and more await inside the pages of The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales, the new compilation by Robert J. Duperre, author of The Fall: The Rift Book I. Also contributing to this collection are the talented Mercedes M. Yardley, David Dalglish, David McAfee, and Daniel Pyle.


Enjoy, folks, and remember - we can't succeed without you, gentle reader.  I hope you enjoy the experience we bring you.

- RJD

That's right, folks.  My new compilation of short stories - "The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales" - is now available in ebook format for the Amazon Kindle.  Some of the stories are intense, some are poignant,  some of just made to entertain.  There are also four additional tales by fantastic writers Mecedes M. Yardley, David Dalglish, Daniel Pyle, and David McAfee.  Feel free to check it out.  There is also a super-special bonus at the end.  Click on the image to go to the Amazon page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction
The Gatekeeper by RJD
Sullivan Street by RJD
The Container of Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley
Sins of Our Fathers by RJD
Blight by Daniel Pyle
Feeding the Passion by RJD
Dispatch #337 by RJD
Exhibit A by David McAfee
The Emancipation of Po-Po by RJD
I Spy by RJD
Kitty in the Cellar by David Dalglish
Perfect Blue Buildings by RJD
Empty Spaces by RJD
Traipsing Through the Dark (by all authors)
Excerpt from "Dead of Winter: The Rift Book II"

(as a reminder, this book will also be reissued in January as a digest-sized print book

Here is where we stand right now when it pertains to the two separate projects we have going on right now:

#1 - Dead Of Winter

Yes, the final round of edits for the second book of The Rift are now finished!  The manuscript has been sent off to our first editor to look over.  When it comes back, it will be sent to yet another editor.  By the time it comes back to us complete, it should be a pretty spit-and-polished final product - unlike the many versions of The Fall in which the mistakes we (I) made cost me a ton of money and will not be repeated.

Jesse is also hard at work putting together the cover and interior illustrations.  When he's finished, we'll be putting it all together, producing the paperback and hardcover, and then it's up to me to format and upload a version for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad.  Yes, it's still a lot of work to do, and many more sleepless nights.  But in the end, it's all worth it.  This is going to be a fantastic book, better than the first, and will hopefully please those looking forward to following the exploits of Josh, Kyra, Colin, and a host of new and interesting characters.  And yes, our release date is still tentatively scheduled for around December 15th.

#2 - The Gate: 13 Dark and Odd Tales

This is a special - and now collaborative - project.  I have collected nine of my best short stories, and gathered contributions from a few great writers I know - David Dalglish, Mercedes Yardley, David McAfee, and Daniel Pyle.  These shorts will all be gathered in this 50,000 word tome.  It will be released at first for the Kindle only, again with Jesse's artwork adorning the cover.  Then, after we put finishing touches on Dead of Winter, we will go about creating a digest-sized paperback, complete with sketches from the fabulous artist himself based on the stories included.

There are a wide range of tales in here, everything from straight horror to science fiction to slipstream.  It's quite exciting for me, and all the stories (even mine) are good.  Look out for this to be released by the middle or end of this month.  Here is the table of contents in the order I have them right now:

1 - The Gate
2 - Sullivan Street
3 - Container of Sorrows (Mercedes M. Yardley)
4 - The Sins of the Father
5 - Blight (Daniel Pyle)
6 - Feeding the Passion
7 - Dispatch #337
8 - Exhibit A (David McAfee)
9 - The Bandits of Yaddo
10 - I Spy
11 - Kitty in the Cellar (David Dalglish)
12 - Perfect Blue Buildings
13 - Empty Spaces

That's all I have for now, folks!  Check back later for more.