Trilogy Pre-Order, FREE SHIPPING!

Hello, Rabbit in Red friends. Thank you to all who have expressed interest in getting the special trilogy edition.

I am now accepting pre-orders, and I have a great special for you! Let me tell you the how and the why:

Pre-order special: FREE SHIPPING for orders in the United States! Well, it's not free, but I'm paying for it so you don't have to! :)

Plus, it comes SIGNED by me! (International friends-- details for you at the end of this post!)

Considering the size of this book (it's three books in one, after all), that's a really good deal!

1. Pay via PayPal right here for the new low cost of $24.95! You don't even need a PayPal account to do this. There is a regular "pay as guest" option.

2. Double check you enter the correct mailing address. You can change it if you want to ship to a friend.

3. Also tell me in a message to whom I can endorse the book. If you don't tell me this (a lot of people order gifts, so I never assume who to make it out to), I will simply sign it without making it out to anyone. If you have any trouble messaging me that when you order, you can always follow up with an e-mail to joechianakas@gmail.com.

Pre-order dates:

This is part of my way of celebrating my birthday, March 1. :) So from now through my birthday week and a bit beyond, you can pre-order. PRE-ORDER SALE ENDS THURSDAY, MARCH 15.

Books will ship on or near APRIL 2. Estimated arrival of books is the week of April 9. Please make a note that you will not receive these until April.

WHY the wait? Well, part of the reason is that these books are expensive even for me to buy. So, a pre-order allows me to order the books in one bulk shipment, which helps me keep the cost low for you (and offer the special free shipping deal!).

I simply love that you want this book and want to share it with others. It's not about how much money I can make on each book. It's about sharing a love of horror, reading, and Rabbit in Red!

If you can't order by March 15, I will make some extra copies available on my online shop at www.joechianakas.com. However, I will not be able to offer free shipping, so please expect to pay a bit more.

International friends-- shipping is going to cost me about $15 extra. So, my deal for you-- add $10 to your pre-order, and I'll cover the rest. Your total price then is $34.95. Order here.

I know some of you want to know if and when you will be able to order the trilogy edition in bookstores. Right now, no. That's why this is extra special. You can get the individual books from any bookstore in the world. I will try to make this available for more bookstores in the future, though, and maybe even later this spring. But if you'd like to get one signed, then order today.

$24.95 for U.S. customers

$34.95 for international

Order here: https://www.paypal.me/Chianakas

Short Story Contest

Attention all writers and lovers of horror!

I'd like to offer you a chance to be published in the final book of my Rabbit in Red trilogy, Bury the Rabbit!

Why? Well, I'm ending a series that, in part, celebrates our passion for the horror genre. Although stories end, our excitement for this genre, I hope, never will.

I've also experienced an incredible publishing journey. Trust me: it wasn't easy and it sure as heck wasn't always good. I'm honored and thrilled that Rabbit in Red has reached tens of thousands out there, and if I can give something back to a fellow writer, then I'd love to do that.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Write a short story (no more than 5000 words, no minimum word requirement) using one of the characters in Rabbit in Red. This can be ANY of my characters. Think fan fiction.

2. Put that character (or more than one) through one of the following scenarios:
   A. Have them re-create a famous horror movie scene in virtual reality like we do in book one
   B. Have them journey through your own section of Hellfire, like we do in book two. Add your own twist to the haunt!
   C. Have them explore a real-world horror location (and of course make something creepy happen!).

3. Submit to me no later than Monday, July 3. That deadline is approaching quickly, but we need to be able to go to print soon. Bury the Rabbit releases on Halloween, but it still goes through several proof copies before it hits the shelves.

EMAIL stories to me at JOECHIANAKAS@GMAIL.COM. Stories should be either attached as a Word Doc or share with my a link via Google Docs.

Keep in mind that I won't be the judge. I know some of you, and I don't want to be biased. I will have a panel of independent judges.

I will notify the winner early July. Your story will be included in Bury the Rabbit, along with your own introduction/short bio. It's my way of thanking fellow horror writers for following Rabbit in Red with me. Your story will potentially be read by tens of thousands!

GET TO WRITING! Spread the word!

Haven’t started the series?

Get Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit on sale on Amazon for just $2.99 (Kindle edition). Or request the paperback copies at your favorite local bookstore!

Or search for them on whatever platform you prefer to read. We even have a great audio edition for the first book on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible. But if you ask me where to get them: always support local. Call your favorite bookstore and put in an order for the first two books today and get caught up!

Follow me on Facebook for all sorts of extra fun updates and contests, or visit my webpage here.

7 Horror Films to Watch While Waiting For Book Two

While we wait for Burn the Rabbit to release on September 15 (RSVP to the online event here!), let's talk about a few horror movies you can watch now while you wait.

Here are 7 (maybe 8 or 9, really) horror films to watch now!

As you know, Rabbit in Red is packed with horror references. (Haven't started Rabbit in Red? Grab a copy on Amazon or request it at your favorite bookstore!) Burn the Rabbit, the second book in the trilogy, will similarly test your horror knowledge, but it does so in new ways--  from fresh riddles to darker challenges. My love letter to the horror genre continues, and the stories of our characters also significantly evolve. This book, more than anything, is about what happens to them.

Still, if you're like me, you enjoy a good horror-binge-a-thon. Here are a few movies available to watch (at the time of this post) that may influence a bit of the terror and fun in book two!

1. The Babadook

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her."

2. The 'Burbs

This is horror comedy, but it's possibly my favorite summer movie and horror comedy of all time!

Available on Netflix.

From IMDB: "An overstressed suburbanite and two of his neighbors struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family on the block are part of a murderous cult."

3. Hellraiser and Hellbound, Hellraiser II

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover; demons are pursuing him after he escaped their sadomasochistic underworld."

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "Kirsty is brought to an institution after the death of her family, where the occult-obsessive head resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites once again."

4. From Dusk Till Dawn

Available on Netflix.

From IMDB: "Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results."

5. Candyman

Available on Starz/Encore On-Demand

From IMDB: "The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth."

6. Alien

I may be disappointed if you haven't seen this one, but I'm adding it because it's always a fun one to rewatch.

Various showings on AMC; check your local listings

From IMDB: "After a space merchant vessel perceives an unknown transmission as distress call, their landing on the source moon finds one of the crew attacked by a mysterious lifeform. Continuing their journey back to Earth with the attacked crew having recovered and the critter deceased, they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun."

7. The Hills have Eyes

I love both versions. The classic is great-- you can't beat a Wes Craven original! The remake is fun, lots of jumps and scares. It gets no hate from me. 

Available on Showtime On-Demand

From IMDB: "On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack."

Available on Showtime On-Demand

From IMDB: "A suburban American family is being stalked by a group of psychotic people who live in the desert, far away from civilization."

So, there's a few to add to your watch-list between now and September 15. There are tons of other allusions in the book, but I won't give away all the fun. Give these movies a watch, and see if you can spot their references in Burn the Rabbit!

The book releases September 15. Say you're "going" to this Facebook event. It's there I'll share the links for the online release as well as give away some prizes!

If you're new to Rabbit in Red, request a copy at your favorite bookstore or order it from Amazon here. It's the perfect time to start following the rabbit.

Follow me on Facebook, and explore my website for even more news and events.

Artist and Comic Expo Specials!

Hi friends-

I hope you Central IL folk will swing by and see me at the Artist and Comic Expo this weekend, June 11 & 12. I've got all sorts of sales and swag to give away!

The expo is at the Lakeview Center in Peoria, 1013 N. Lake Street, Peoria, IL 61614. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and again on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. I'll be there for all of it.

There's a ton of artists there-- much more than just me, including a dude who did some voice acting in Gremlins and Star Wars (how cool is that?!?). But let me get to my specials.

FIRST, you get the very first physical copies of my new book, Nightmares Under The Moonlight! Nightmares released on Amazon this week, and it hit the #2 spot on hot new horror! How cool is this? I'm still fighting for #1.

Online, paperback copies are $9.99. At the expo, I'll sell it to you for $7.50! 

Plus, buy Nightmares and you get this magnet, too! (Props to Camron Johnson for the awesome art work! Camron will be at the expo, too! He's got an amazing collection of art work that you'll be able to purchase.)

As they say in the infomercials, that's not all. Not all by a long shot!

If you also get a copy of Rabbit in Red-- my debut horror novel that at the time of this post has like 54 amazing Amazon reviews-- I'll throw in a copy of Nightmares for only $5.00. 

Buy Rabbit in Red, and you get two more gifts-- you get the Camron Johnson Rabbit in Red art BOTH as a fun magnet and a kick-ass poster (while supplies last). 

You saw stickers in the above picture, too. Those are from Fitz of Horror- the best horror Facebook page out there. Buy anything from me, and I'll give you that, too! 

I've even got Rabbit in Red coasters! Free with any purchase! That's FIVE free gifts if you buy both books!

The point is that this Expo is going to be incredible. I've got Rabbit in Red and Nightmares Under The Moonlight to sell to you, and I'll throw in all the gifts I can to celebrate!

But, like I said before, THAT'S STILL NOT ALL.

For the first time ever, I have HARDCOVER editions of Rabbit in Red to sell! These are VERY limited, but so freakin' cool! Online, the retail price of our hardcover Rabbit in Red books sell for $28.99. At the expo- you can get one for just $20.00!

ONE MORE ANNOUNCEMENT:

I'll be part of a round table discussion Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Come join the fun!

See you this weekend!

Follow Joe on Facebook!

Welcome to my Nightmares

Hello, friends. It's time I took a little time to fully introduce to you my new collection of horror shorts (now available on Amazon), Nightmares Under The Moonlight.

As I'm writing this, Nightmares is #6 in hot new releases in horror, with Stephen King holding the top two spots. I can't help but be relentlessly optimistic that I can beat him. Maybe even today!

Nightmares exists because of a few reasons. The first is because I had this really awesome Rabbit in Red short story, a tale that takes place after the Halloween events in book one. It's a story of a home intruder and a stalker, and it sets the stage for book two, Burn the Rabbit. I really wanted Rabbit in Red fans to read it and hopefully get even more excited for the second book (scheduled to release this fall!). Also, I thought it could be a great way for non-Rabbit readers to get a taste of that universe. Maybe they'll wonder exactly what happened that Halloween that makes Jaime so confident in picking up a weapon and going after a home intruder! That's my hope.

But I also wanted my readers to know me for more than Rabbit in Red. I love horror, obviously. I seriously have the most messed up dreams, and I love them (crazy, I know)! Each of the tales in this book is based on an actual nightmare that I've had. Here's the back-of-the-book blurb.

Yes, I dreamed of the semi-driver in my tale "The Destroyer." That printer in "PC Load Blood" haunted me late at night, too. The earbuds in "Easy Listening" and the Fitbit device in "Restless"-- you may wonder how I ever sleep after reading those tales. 

They are very different from Rabbit in Red, and as a writer, I want to have a variety of stories and range. So I made a goal to put together a one-hundred page short story collection.

It makes for an easy read to escape from work or school, I think. Coming up with horror ideas is always a fun challenge, and I hope these will make you think, "Ooh, great idea." That's all I ask for.

BUT I'm also giving you the first look inside Rabbit in Red book two, Burn the Rabbit. Near the end, I've included the first, unedited chapter of book two. We're getting darker and scarier-- book two is a wild ride and I can't wait for you to read it!

Here's the table of contents for Nightmares:

That's worth the 99 cent e-book price, right? Definitely.

Now, go snag a copy here and let's beat Stephen King. We can do it. With friends and readers like you, of course we can!

Don't forget to join me this weekend, June 11 and 12, at the Artist & Comic Expo in Peoria. I'll have print copies available to sign at a discounted price!

Thanks, everyone, for still following that damn rabbit in red.

6/6/15, 10:10 a.m.

Follow me on Facebook for the latest updates. 

Artist and Comic Expo: So Much Horror Swag!

I'm going all out for Peoria's Artist & Comic Expo (ACE) on June 11 and 12, and I sure hope you'll join me there!

What will guests have a chance to get? Besides tons of artists, comics, cosplay, vendors, food, entertainment and more, I want to make it worth your time to stop by and see me.

Here's what you'll get from me:

1. ACE attendees will be the FIRST to get a copy of my new book, Nightmares Under The Moonlight! 

2. ACE attendees will get Nightmares at a special discount! The retail price in stores and online is $9.99. But for you: Just $7.50!

3. Actually, I'll make it even cheaper for you, if you get a copy of Rabbit in Red that weekend, too. Get Rabbit in Red for $15 and I'll add Nightmares for only $5! That's TWO books for $20!

4. ACE attendees also get access to some awesome swag! Purchase either book from me and get this Rabbit in Red signed poster (by the artist, Camron Johnson) AND a Fitz of Horror sticker (Fitz is the coolest Facebook horror page, ever-- go give it a like!) while supplies last.

5. But that's not all! How cool would these magnets look on your fridge? 

I'm talking about the magnets for my books, of course, not my kick-ass Pac-Man or Game of Thrones magnets. Whatever book(s) you buy from me during the ACE weekend, I'll give you that magnet for FREE, too!

6. Oh, how about just one more freebie? 

I have brand new Rabbit in Red coasters! You can get this with ANY purchase, too!

So-- two awesome books for twenty bucks. Both signed. Plus a poster signed by the artist. Plus a couple of magnets. Plus a coaster. Oh, and you'll be part of the first group to get Nightmares Under The Moonlight. That sounds like a heck of a deal, don't you think? (And I'm still working on one more extra, actually!)

It's all because I want to share these passions with you. These books-- the stories in them, the time and energy they took-- I love them, and I hope you will, too. And it's also because I want to do all I can to celebrate amazing local events like Peoria's Artist & Comic Expo (give their page a like)! 

For my wonderful readers who live too far away to attend ACE, I sure hope you'll keep following. I've got a very special opportunity for you coming soon, too. Imagine all of the above items boxed together with ONE MORE surprise . . . it could be yours, and I'll give you all the details about that later this June.

Make sure you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, subscribe to my author newsletter, and find even more scares on my website at www.frightfest4d.com. 

Get the details about ACE here!

Life Update: From Moving to "Nightmares"

It’s time for a good old life update on the blog! My apologies for taking forever to update, and I sincerely thank those of you who pay attention and support my work. I even had a few Facebook and Twitter messages from followers asking if I was okay. I wonder if that means I spend too much time on social media :)

So, here’s a 2016 life update.

I moved! As of 4/20, I reached a new high in life (bad pun intended). Check out some of the space below!

A view of part of the main floor from when you open the front door: This is where I write when I want to write, as Stephen King says, "with the door open." 

Organizing my horror collection

A view of my office

Putting together my other creative writing space: This is where I work when I want to write "with the door closed." I love being surrounded by all my favorite books and pop culture inspirations!

Moving is a HUGE process, as many of you know. I have months more of work to do on the house. So whenever I'm slow at posting or being active online, it's a safe bet that I'm either working on the house or writing. 

Rabbit in Red Volume Two (Burn the Rabbit) is DONE! It just needs to go through one final and formal round of editing with my favorite editor in the world, Kathy Teel, who helped me turn book one into what I had always hoped it could be. I hope to release it in September. My goal is one Rabbit in Red book every fall or Halloween season. It's the BEST THING I HAVE EVER WRITTEN. I LOVE all of you who loved Rabbit in Red. It makes my day. But looking back, Rabbit in Red was just my warm-up. Book two is a total game-changer. I can't wait to share it with you. Expect to see some promotions and whatnot this summer if you'd like to get involved and help with those!

I’ve got a special collection of horror shorts releasing soon! It’s called Nightmares Under The Moonlight!

First, a big thanks to Camron Johnson Illustrations for the awesome cover art! I've got several awesome horror short stories and a few extra surprises in this collection. Right now, I'm keeping the content as a surprise: If you want a chance to WIN A FREE COPY and be among the first to read it and know those surprises, please sign up for my author newsletter HERE. That link will take you to my wesbite. The newsletter is free, and I promise to send something out no more than once a month-- you won't get sick of me. I don't update too often :) But when I do, it's to give away free stuff and tell you about cool news! 

Special events! I’ll be at the Artist and Comic Expo in Peoria on June 11 and 12. I’m working on the specials for that weekend, but the coolest thing is that Nightmares Under The Moonlight will be available to convention-goers first! I’ll discount the book and offer special prices if you buy that and a copy of Rabbit in Red, too. So please mark your calendars for that convention, and come out and be the first to get a copy! For those outside of Peoria, I'll make the book available online later that weekend, too!

Go HERE to like ACE (Artist and Comic Expo) on Facebook!

My ACE promo

On a final note, authors are often asked to give advice to those aspiring to be published. Let me tell you one story that made me very proud, and how it happened.

The other day, a manager from a Barnes and Noble store called me. She asked if I would do an event—a solo signing and speaking event. That’s huge! Trust me, especially with the big stores, it’s usually us authors calling them and hoping they will hook us up. It completely made my day! 

She said, “our assistant manager is a huge fan of your book!” Then she checked to see how many copies they had in stock, and told me, “well, we’ll order a bunch more. I have no doubt they’ll sell.” 

These are words that sent me on another high—a compliment from a reader who is also a bookstore manager! Plus, the confidence of a business that your product will sell: these are the little examples that make me feel that all the hard work I put into writing and promotion have really started to pay off.

Now, how did I get there? Be GRATEFUL and appreciative for all the opportunities you get as a writer. A few months back, I did an event with a half dozen authors at the same store. To be brief: virtually every author complained about the set up or was rude to the people in charge. I couldn’t believe it. I made sure that day to be even extra appreciative for the opportunities given me. Not every event is going to be perfect. You make the most of it, and all parties learn from that experience.

And, of course, guess who got invited back? And guess who didn’t? Not a surprise to me.

Be kind to the booksellers, business owners, readers, fans, and everyone who is helping you out. There will be poorly coordinated, organized, and marketed events. That’s life. How you react to such events will determine your success (and invites) at future events. 

With that said, let me thank some Central Illinois stores who have been nothing but AWESOME. I'm going to link their Facebook pages. Give them a LIKE, please, and even more importantly, go buy stuff from them.

ZEEK'S COMICS AND GAMES: what a treasure cove of fun stuff in Washington, IL. A MUST SEE.

LIT. ON FIRE USED BOOKS: a hidden gem in Peoria, IL with monthly events for readers and performers-- so cool!

I KNOW YOU LIKE A BOOK: a gorgeous boutique store in Peoria Heights, IL that constantly supports independent authors

Thanks for reading and supporting me, too. Please follow me on Facebook or Twitter, and sign up for my author newsletter on my website.

Get your copy of Rabbit in Red today!

My problems with The Walking Dead

I welcome guest blogger, Kalee Christian, to my blog today! Feel free to comment and discuss her problems with The Walking Dead!

The Walking Dead universe has been a rather large part of my life since the very first day the television show aired. I remember sitting around with my father, grandmother, and grandfather to watch what would soon become my favorite thing on air. However, when you get past what an amazing job Robert Kirkman does, there’s a few things that irk me to the core. With how season six ended (Spoilers from here on down! You’ve been warned!), I figured now was a perfect time to work out the issues I’ve been experiencing.

1. How are you still driving?

Gas has an expiration date, and it’s typically not this far into the fall of humanity. On average, gas can last about four months, but maybe up to eight if you add in a stabilizer. So, let's assume everyone knew that the dead was coming back to live, headed on over to their local auto store and bought the aforementioned stabilizer. That would still, at the very most, provide up to eight months. Now, even though the Walking Dead doesn’t date anything, it is a pretty safe bet to assume that more than eight months has passed in the six seasons. Lori’s baby drama proving this alone (but let’s not get started on that and how Judith is still around). While I’ll still take into account the fact that it is a television show, I’d still like some real aspects. It’d also change our character’s world right around if they couldn’t magically drive everywhere. It also would have saved one of our character’s from Negan, and Lucille wouldn’t have taken the place of Sammy Sosa’s corked bat for everyone’s least favorite bat scandal.

        2.) Speaking of cars, lets talk about Rick’s rides.

Again, assuming the predictability of the impending apocalypse, it’s safe to assume that car deals promptly launched all of their newest vehicles as soon as possible. That’s the only way it would make sense for Rick to be driving a car that wasn’t released until 2013 in season four. Keeping in mind that the show started in 2010, something that could perhaps be pushed back until 2011, it still seems odd that a shiney new little car would come about. Again, still know it’s a TV show, but does Robert Kirkman know that reality is sometimes way cooler than pretend? Sometimes.

       

        3.) No one can shoot until we need them to shoot.

This is true for any production, but nonetheless still irking. Take the best shot in this hypothetical universe, and they’ll just so happen to miss the main character in any situation. While no one wants their favorite to die, no one should be able to miss fifty shots in a row when it comes to aiming at the aforementioned character. Most recently, an example of this would be the sneak attack that occurred when Rick and company come into contact with the Red Rover set of walkers blocking their RV’s path. Sneaking up on an unsuspecting group that are located under you, it’s pretty damn hard to miss the shot but that’s just what happened.

        

        4.) Carol’s suicide (Super spoiler for books too!)

In the comics, Carol does herself in by becoming too friendly with a hungry walker. It’s a big change from the Carol we see in today’s TV verse, but still a huge plot that comes along in the comics. Sophia’s alive, Andrea becomes Rick’s ‘wife’, and Carl takes nine zombie filled years to sleep with a girl. The question of would these things still occur, and in what order, certainly come up with the idea of Carol still being around. It makes for one of the most iconic Walking Dead deaths - perhaps right after Glenn’s unfortunate end.

      5.) Why can’t The Walking Dead be on HBO?

Now, this isn’t something that Kirkman or any other show runners really had a say in, but it’s still a damn valid question. There’s a lot of plots that couldn’t make it on to TV, like how during the time in the prison, a child rapist comes in to sexually assault then behead Hersel’s children. It would have been perhaps one of the most interesting plots to see acted out, but isn’t safe for AMC. It’d be interesting to see an unedited Walking Dead be on the same level as Game of Thrones, and something that I can only hope for. 

Kalee Christian is an intern for Four Phoenixes Publishing, which houses, among many great books, my novel-- Rabbit in Red! Check it out, especially if you're a TWD fan. It's the book readers say horror fans must read!