New Book Updates!

It is a great honor to be asked, "When's the next book coming out?" For those who have private messaged me and commented on social media, I can't thank you enough.

I thought I'd take a minute to tell you where I am and where I hope to be.

My latest project is titled DARKNESS CALLS. Originally titled The Pit of Darkness, this book has gone through quite a metamorphosis (ironic and appropriate, you'll see, when you read the story).

Here's a little "what's it about" blurb:

The woods outside of a small Midwestern high school lead to all sorts of evil and monsters, collectively called the Darkness. The Darkness feeds on children with great energies—webs of light that only it can see. Beyond the woods hides a powerful magic, the greatest secret in the world. The Darkness desires to consume the webs of light and transform itself into the ultimate beast, all the while guarding the one secret that can destroy it.

Christina and Fiara fought the Darkness once before as kids, and although they survived, they certainly aren’t the same. The Darkness destroyed Christina’s family, and it turned Fiara into something not fully human. Now, it temporarily possesses Christina’s body to gather the new kids it needs.

But Christina isn’t having it this time. She refuses to willingly kill for the Darkness, and she manages to break free from its hold on her. She gathers the ones it wanted dead and forms a small army instead. From all the turbulence of adolescence to life’s biggest mysteries, a group of teenagers embark on a quest to save their friends and ultimately the world.

So, just by reading that I hope you will see that I am trying to create something BIG. That blurb represents just the first part of the story, and I've created five parts-- each told from a different character's point-of-view. I have fallen in love with these characters. Christina, Lawson, Angelica, Teddy, Fiara, Elle, Mr. Lee . . once you meet them all, I hope you will love them, too.

When can you expect it?

Well, Rabbit in Red earned tens-of-thousands of readers, and I will always be honored by its success and the fandom it created. I hope all Rabbit in Red fans will enjoy this, but I also hope Darkness Calls brings in tens-of-thousands of new readers.

So, I'm shopping the book around to agents and new publishers. 

In the meantime, I am working my a$$ off on edits. Here's a summary of that, meant to be advice to all you aspiring authors

I finished the first draft of Darkness Calls in summer 2017. I spent the fall of 2017 doing a re-write. I gathered a team of beta readers winter 2017. Based on their feedback, I re-wrote the book again. Then I found a second team of beta readers early 2018. Re-wrote the book again. Now, I'm working with my Rabbit in Red editor Kathy Teel to go over it one more time. Yes, it's another re-write! 

If it sounds like a lot of work, well, it is! But every edit, every rewrite, every revision takes me one step closer to making this my best book yet. I want to give it my best, and that's why I'm providing you with this update. Yeah, I think you may have enjoyed it just fine, if I had published it already. But by taking a little extra time and collaborating with others, I hope you will LOVE it.

Wish me luck, too, please. Some of you may think it's a given that because I'm already published, I will have no problem publishing this one. Unless you self-publish or run your own publishing company, this is a very challenging industry. So, I need your well wishes and positive thoughts!

If I'm "lucky" (and by lucky I mean if I've worked hard enough to make it happen!), I hope to announce a new partnership this summer. Stay tuned, my friends!

Bonnie Morgan Crawls into our Nightmares, an Interview

Actress Bonnie Morgan scares her way out of screens and into our hearts. Or perhaps into our nightmares.

Horror fans enjoy reminiscing about the first films and scenes that scared them. Maybe it was Pennywise peering through the street gutter, or the white face of Michael Myers appearing in the dark. In 2005, Bonnie Morgan scared a generation of fans as Samara chasing Naomi Watts’ character with her infamous “spider crawl” in The Ring Two.  Now, a decade later, Samara is back in Rings, and Bonnie Morgan plays the role in its entirety, bringing back the crawl that made the character epically frightening—no CGI required. Contortionism is one of Bonnie Morgan’s specialties.

“Buckle in for the ride. Samara is here to stay. She never sleeps. The first sequence will terrify you,” Bonnie told me. I had the honor of speaking directly to Bonnie to get the inside scoop on Rings, learn about other upcoming projects, and received some inspiring advice for making it in Hollywood.

“I’ve played many scary monsters, but Samara has been my favorite to create. I enjoy doing terrifying more than anything else. Samara is near and dear to my black little heart,” Bonnie states.

As a little girl, Bonnie loved to scare her sister and her sister’s friends. Bonnie would pop out from behind the couch and laugh as the other kids screamed in fright. They called her “Gollum” because of the way she could creep and crawl. Bonnie’s the daughter of third-generation circus performers and is also a trained stunt-actress. She’s deeply connected in the horror genre, too. Her father famously played the stunt-double to Cujo, and her aunt was Jason Vorhees’ first victim.

From scaring her sister to scaring the world, Bonnie delivers terrifying like no one else. In a Rings prank, the actress played Samara in a department store and crawled out of a television display to scare unknowing costumers—the video went viral and had over 200 million views in less than 24 hours. She’s also known for the possessed Rosa in The Devil Inside.  Every part of Rosa—vocals, spasms, twists and turns—is played by Morgan. It’s a great role to watch to see her diverse talent.

Her acting career started early—she was an Oscar Meyer Weiner kid and had roles in several favorite shows from the 90s, like Quantum Leap, Blossom, Step by Step, and Dr. Quinn.

But the turning point, Morgan told me, was her role as a Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. “It was that movie where I played and created innovative movement,” she says. The live-action movie with Jim Carrey as the Grinch and Ron Howard as the director got her noticed by lots of other Hollywood stars.

When you get the amazing opportunities that she’s had, Bonnie says, “Make yourself invaluable. Be ready. Train hard. Work hard. Find people to train with. Ask who they train with. Have a specialty. Pitch in and help out, and always do what makes you happy.” On the phone, Bonnie’s enthusiasm is as powerful as Samara is scary. Her love for her work and fans is genuine, and it’s easy to tell that she’s someone who goes above and beyond.

“It takes six and a half hours to get into Samara’s make-up,” she says. “I’m at the studio by 4:00 a.m. or earlier. In total, I wear 43 appliances.” Her legs, arms, neck, chest—every part is covered to bring Samara to life. She’s also hooked up to hoses because Samara is always weeping—she’s the girl in the well, after all. In addition to the 43 individual pieces and attached hoses, she’s covered in paint and gels. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it to make Samara genuinely terrifying.

Morgan’s evolution becoming Samara is now a legendary story. The director, Hideo Nakato, originally wanted to go with CG. The stunt coordinator, though, had a better idea and contacted Morgan. That’s when Morgan created the spider walk. “Real is always more scary.” The spider walk originated on her living room floor, and when the director saw Morgan’s work, she was hired to create the spider crawl for The Ring Two. Now, she not only plays Samara in Rings, but she’s also the inspiration behind possession movies using contortionists instead of CGI to create more realistic and haunting movements. As a contortionist, she also holds a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for staying in a two by two box for nearly three minutes with two others. And after so many stunts and rolls, there is one only thing that scares her: being buried alive.

Morgan’s skills landed her parts in a variety of successful Hollywood projects. She’s had roles in Minority Report with Tom Cruise, a hilarious part in Piranha 3D—remember the victim eaten alive through the inner-tube? That’s Bonnie Morgan. In Men in Black II, she became known as Jabba the Butt—she’s the one with a head-like appliance placed on her rear. The list goes on and on with stunts and roles in films like Hellboy II, Fright Night, and Peter Pan, and television roles on hits like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, CSI, Criminal Minds, Castle, and more.

Morgan has a variety of new projects coming, too. In the spring, she’ll be on the small screen for Sundance’s Hap and Leonard, a “swamp noir,” she says. Among other things, “you have a gay black cowboy hunting down a murderer who is killing children,” Morgan says.

Additionally, Morgan is thrilled to have just joined a major sci-fi franchise overseas.  “I can’t tell you what it is yet, but it will be amazing.”

What’s Morgan’s favorite horror movies? If you don’t love her already, you will after her first response. “IT. I love Tim Curry. Also, Pet Semetery. That scared me because we had a pet cemetery near our house. I also love Killer Klowns from Outer Space, even if it’s not really scary.”

Rings opens in theaters February 3. Hap and Leonard season one is available now on Amazon, and season two premiers March 2 on Sundance TV.

Follow Bonnie on Facebook, Instagram, and be sure to check out her website and her IMDB page.

About the author:

Joe Chianakas is the author of Rabbit in Red, a horror trilogy. Rabbit in Red won best horror book of 2016. It was picked up by Horror Block and sent to thousands around the world. The second book, Burn the Rabbit, hit #1 on Amazon’s hot new horror releases and is available now. The trilogy concludes this fall with Bury the Rabbit. Follow Joe on Facebook or visit his webpage here. 

Readers will find a fun tribute to Samara in the book.

#1 Hot New Horror Release!

This morning, I awoke to great news: Burn the Rabbit hit #1 on hot new horror! Thank YOU-- my friends, my readers, all of you who got the book on day one.

Now, let me tell you all the places you can get the book and the upcoming events I'm doing, so you can get a signed copy if you'd like.

Get ebook or print from Amazon.

The audio book of Rabbit in Red book one is available on iTunes, Audible, and Amazon. Click the link of your preferred retailer, and download Rabbit in Red today!

Get any of my books off the hot app, Tapas, which allows you to start reading for free and then purchase new "episodes" with keys. Fun! Download the Tapas app for your iPhone/iPad or Android device. Then search for Rabbit in Red, Nightmares Under The Moonlight, and Burn the Rabbit-- all three are featured in Tapas' New Releases!

Of course, I also encourage you to shop local. You can request Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit from any bookstore in the world. Call them up, tell them you want it, and if they don't have it, they'll order it for you.

In Central IL, thank you to Zeek's Comics & Games (Washington), Barnes and Noble (Peoria), I Know You Like a Book (Peoria Heights), Lit. on Fire Used Books (Peoria), and the ICC Bookstore (East Peoria) for stocking my books.

UPCOMING EVENTS

This Saturday, Sept 17, I'll be at Zeek's Comics & Games from 12-7 as part of their one-year anniversary party. I'll have all of my books plus some extra swag to giveaway! Zeek's is having all sorts of fun: the first 200 people get a free Batman gift, there's face-painting for the kids, tons of specials, and lots of other visiting artists and authors, like Camron Johnson, the artist who did Burn the Rabbit's cover design. He's releasing his own comic that day, Thy Neighbor!

On Sunday, Sept 18, I'll be at the Peoria Barnes & Noble from 2-4 with several other local authors. Come get a signed copy of Burn the Rabbit there!

Here are a few other events coming up in future months:

Book club reading & signing

    Tuesday, October 11, 4-6 p.m. Join Joe at the Chillocothe, IL Public Library for a book club discussion of Rabbit in Red followed by a book signing!

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Get ready for NaNoWriMo!

   Monday, October 17, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Join Joe at the North Branch of the Peoria Public Library for a FREE workshop on National Novel Writing Month. 

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Burn the Rabbit Halloween Party and Signing!

   Wednesday, October 26, 6:00 p.m.: Join us at I Know You Like a Book in Peoria Heights, IL for a special signing of Burn the Rabbit. Plus, we'll have a costume contest with prizes, candy, and more!

Peoria Public Library Book Fair

   Saturday, November 5, 2-4 p.m. Join Joe at the North Branch of the Peoria Public Library to get a signed copy of any of his books!

WHAT"S BURN THE RABBIT ABOUT?

Bill Wise can't wait to return to Rabbit in Red Studios--this time as a student in JB's brand-new Horror College. He's looking forward to learning the craft, renewing last year's friendships, and above all, to seeing Jaime, and finally asking her to be his girlfriend. 

But before he even gets to see her, one of their own is violently attacked. JB goes on the hunt, and the students learn about his troubled past, which changes their views of him forever. As their project, they create Rabbit in Red's most terrifying and disturbing challenge yet, Hellfire, and use it to recruit a new class of horror students. 

Then the bodies start piling up, and the mysteries become more and more dangerous. Is this another one of JB's dark games-within-a-game, or will Rabbit in Red--and everyone in it--burn in the end?

Follow Joe, the author of Rabbit in Red on Facebook, and visit his webpage here for more info on his books!

Burn the Rabbit Release Dates

Hello, my friends--

I'm excited to announce the Burn the Rabbit release dates, AND officially post the back-of-the-book for you to see!

Burn the Rabbit, the second volume in the Rabbit in Red trilogy, doesn't harm any actual rabbits. What might get hurt? JB's Rabbit in Red studios and every single person in it. It's a fun story that I can't wait for you to read.

As I said in book one's acknowledgments (book two's first draft was written in the summer of 2015-- I work about a year ahead, and yes, I finished the final book just this summer), book two is to book one the way Game of Thrones is to Goosebumps. Things get darker, deeper, and it's one heck of a wild ride!

The book, both print and digital formats, will be available Thursday, September 15. We will do a special ebook sale price the day of the release, and some incredible giveaways, including a few Amazon gift cards! To be a part of that, please join the Facebook event here.

Then that weekend, for my Central IL friends, we'll have some special signings. The first will be at Zeek's Comics & Games in Washington, IL on Saturday, September 17. That's also their one-year anniversary party, and there will be all sorts of other authors and artists attending. It's also Batman day, and Zeek's is giving away a free, special Batman comic to the first two-hundred people. Of course, I'll have Burn the Rabbit and all my books there with some great specials and giveaways, too. Make plans to see me between noon and seven.

If that doesn't work for you, I'll be at the Peoria Barnes & Noble Sunday, September 18 from 2-4, too!

Again, join our Facebook event here today, and you'll get info about the release parties. You'll be eligible to win prizes, and it doesn't matter where you live or when you're free-- we'll be celebrating for the whole weekend, and if you can check Facebook, you can get in on the fun!

There will be other surprises, too. But we've got a month to go, so I'm not sharing everything just yet.

And, now, as promised, here's the back-of-the-book, designed and illustrated by Camron Johnson Illustrations!

Like it? Share it!

Follow the author on Facebook, and visit his webpage for more Rabbit in Red news here.

Pictured above:Rabbit in Red author Joe Chianakas, thanks to Apartment Two for the pic.

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!