S.M. Douglas

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Sale: Apex Predator Only $0.99 From February 21-28th

February 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I have good news. For the first time in over a year my werewolf novel Apex Predator is on sale over at Amazon.com!

The sale starts on Thursday February 21st and ends on Thursday February 28th. During that time Apex Predator’s e-book version will be available for only $0.99! That’s 75% off the $3.99 list price for those of you who are like me and not the most math savvy.

Apex_Predator_Cover

If you already pay attention to my ramblings you know that I don’t spend much time promoting my work. So you might say, why now? That’s simple. I just finished a new edition of the book. Needless to say, I think those edits make it an even better reading experience. Which is pretty cool considering some of the glowing editorial reviews Apex Predator has already garnered:

“It takes mere paragraphs to become addicted to author’s unique style and infectious story telling prowess…pace is swift… rare commodity for one to stumble across… mesmerizing conclusion… vivid description… pulse pounding action… borderline poetic and the crystal clear imagery inspires the suspense fanatic in each of us… eloquent grisly, gory and gruesome prose. Douglas evokes an unsettling level of skin crawling hysteria for even the most cynical of readers…one cannot help but squirm with unease and maybe double and triple check that the locks have been secured for the night. Rest assured Apex Predator is not your Uncle Ned’s Werewolf story. It’s invigorating, innovative and refreshing to see an age old premise composed with a brand new edge…will jump at the chance to embark upon another S.M. Douglas odyssey.”
— Horrornews.net
 “More than just Lycanthropes vs. Wolves of Wall Street, the novel is an ambitious examination of corporate corruption–with carnage that feels cathartic…shape-shifters have definite horror appeal…guaranteed to amuse horror aficionados.”
— Diabolique Magazine
“Apex Predator, with its classic occult-like mainstay and a vivid representation of a dystopian world, certainly makes for a fun read…will rightfully keep you up all night…Awarded five out of five stars.”
— Serious Reading
“The ending was a surprising twist. The book is well-written and a very enjoyable read.”
–Mildred Fontanez, Goodreads Review
“This book was a great read. It’s a great mix of historic events and really good fiction.”
–Michael Smith, Goodreads Review
 “I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having always been a werewolf fan, this was an interesting twist on the tale. The characters are complex and endearing enough that you find yourself drawn into their world. The action is fast paced and keeps you reading page after page to find out what happens.”
–Rob De Stefano, Goodreads Review
 “A very good read. I loved it one of the best werewolves books I’ve read. I recommend this to anyone”
–William Riley, Goodreads Review

That’s enough of that. I’m feeling downright immodest. But hey, a sale is a sale! So, if you’re a fan of werewolf horror, or maybe you’ve been wondering if I know how to spin a tale then now’s your chance. Beginning this Thursday you have a whole week to check out Apex Predator for only $0.99!

Give it a chance. If you like it then let me know (ideally doing so on the book’s Amazon page).

 

The Godfather of the Cinematic Werewolf

October 10, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Like many of you I have a preference in terms of how I like my werewolves to look. That said, I definitely appreciate diversity in ideas; as well as the classics.  For instance, the werewolves in my novel Apex Predator are definitely wolfish albeit two legged beasts (with a muzzle and wolf-like head on top of a muscular fur covered body).

However, you gotta love Lon Chaney Jr. and his representation of Larry Talbot in 1941’s The Wolf Man.  Here’s a pic I like quite a bit of Lon relaxing in character, and with his dog.

Lon Chaney and His Dog

RIP.  You are an inspiration even now, nearly 80 years later.

One of My Writing Influences

September 21, 2018 / / 0 Comments

When we think of a genre of books or films that include a message about social and political issues science fiction often crops up. As well it should.

Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek (and its progeny) is widely praised for this reason. However, it is of course far from alone in this regard. Nevertheless, many people frequently dismiss horror. This is in spite of the reality that horror offers a great way of exploring contemporary issues within our society.

Leveraging horror in such a manner is something I very much tried to do with my werewolf novel Apex Predator (https://www.amazon.com/Apex-Predator-S-M-Doug…/…/ref=sr_1_1…). In that regard I am far from the first. Among my influences is Whitley Strieber – the author of one of the all-time great “werewolf” books:

Wolfen Book Cover

The Wolfen: http://smdouglas.com/…/the-horror-genres-often-overlooked…/…

The Sequel That Never Was

November 28, 2017 / / 0 Comments

As it turns out John Landis had an idea for the An American Werewolf in London sequel that unfortunately never happened.

American Werewolf In London Poster

Landis explains his idea in an excerpt from a new book by Paul Davis entitled Beware The Moon: The Story of An American Werewolf In London:

“The movie was about the girl that the boys talk about at the beginning of the movie, Debbie Klein. She gets a job in London as a literary agent and while she’s there, starts privately investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Jack and David. The conceit was that during the time in the first film where Jenny (Agutter) goes to work and David is pacing around the apartment, he actually wrote Debbie Klein a letter. It was all to do with this big secret that David had never told Jack that he had a thing with her. She went back to the Slaughtered Lamb and everyone is still there! I think the only changes were a portrait of Charles and Diana where the five-pointed star used to be and darts arcade game instead of a board. It’s then when she speaks to Sgt McManus, the cop from the first movie who didn’t die, that she finds out that Jenny is still in London. She calls her and leaves an answer phone message, which we then reveal is being listened to by the skeletal corpses of Jack and David, watching TV in Alex’s apartment! The big surprise at the end was that Alex was the werewolf. It was pretty wild. The script had everybody in it from the first movie, including all the dead people!”

Off the top of my head I am wondering how this would work. Consider that the werewolf infecting Jack and David had been killed on the moors and thus could not have been Alex. For that matter, why was Jack in limbo again? After all, the werewolf that killed him was dead? David didn’t kill him, it shouldn’t have mattered that David was still alive except for the people he killed.

Anyone else with me on this? Or am I missing something that explains like a pretty glaring plot hole in the original movie (a movie which I love by the way – so don’t crucify me about this) regardless of what it would mean for a sequel?

Anyway, obviously Landis’ idea was never fleshed out. The upshot being that we got the mediocre American Werewolf in Paris CGI cartoon fest for our sequel – ugghhh!

Of course, I would love to see you read my work. But if you aren’t reading my werewolf book then have at this one! Anything about one of the best ever werewolf movies always looks pretty good to me!

On select nights from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, guests’ worst nightmares will be unleashed as evil takes root at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23. Universal Orlando’s award-winning Halloween Horror Nights event transforms Universal Studios Florida into a realm of movie-quality haunted houses, incredible live shows and streets filled with hundreds of horrifying “scareactors.”

Follow Up: So far I’ve already received a ton of feedback. The best answer to the bloodline questions above went like this: “The bloodline wasn’t severed with the death of the werewolf on the moors, it was passed on to David. Think of the bloodline as children; if a person is infected, then they become children of this lycanthropic family tree. Killing one werewolf wasn’t enough, eradicating every member of this “tree” was the only true way to lift the curse of the undead. It’s the only way to explain why Jack was still around even though the werewolf that killed him was dead itself.”

Werewolves and Us

June 26, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Two illustrations. Two werewolves. Two people. In the first, the Polish artist Jakub Rozalski (aka “Mr. Werewolf”) showcases a new work titled “hunt or be hunted” (from his Wolfpack 1863 series).

Werewolf_the hunter or the hunted

Since I discovered Jakub early this year I’ve been a huge fan. Perhaps not surprising considering my werewolf book Apex Predator (published last year) features a winter werewolf hunt of it’s own – one that similarly leads one to wonder who is hunting whom.  A question that leads one to also re-examine the werewolf’s role in defining who we are as people. A thought that leads to our second image.

Werewolf Chasing Woman

I get a kick out of these old pulp magazine/book illustrations featuring a werewolf invariably chasing a scantily clad woman. Don’t get me wrong – I get it. Perhaps one of the signature concepts behind that of the werewolf is as a representation of man’s untamed, shall I say, err “impulses”.

However, werewolves are meant to be more than that – they are what is wild and untamed in ALL of us.  One of the things I really enjoyed about creating the werewolves in my novel Apex Predator came from flipping stereotypical images such as these upon their head – presenting both females and males at various times losing control to the beast within. This goes back to the thought I would like all my readers to ponder. Do we love werewolves because of what they say about our worst fears regarding our darkest impulses? Or do we like werewolves because they are representative of the reality that is the human animal?

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