And the Wiener of the Tease is...?


And the Wiener of the Tease is...?


I meant WINNER, silly! But I got your attention, didn't I?

Well, you've all waited long enough. I know I was going to announce the WINNER of The Shameless Mama's Boy Tease Contest on Sunday, but since it's my contest, I can do whatever I want. Oh, the power...

Anyway, I want thank everyone for reading about my novella, Mama's Boy, and for all those of you who played along with the Tease Contest. I'm truly grateful for your support. A novella may sound like a small thing, but it's HUGE for me and very dear to my heart...you know how "firsts" can be that way.

So without further delay, the illustrious WINNER of the coveted Shocklines Bucks is:

Mark Allen

Mark is a wonderful illustrator from Racine, Wisconsin who I've had the pleasure of meeting on MySpace. Be sure to visit him there and at his website, marjasall.com, to check out his fine work.

Congratulations, Mark!

And thank you again to all the wonderful folks who sent messages of congratulations and well-wishes for the Mama's Boy project. It means more to me than you know. And I promise I'll have more information soon!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran

PS - Stop by for a little free taste of Fresh Meat fiction at The Horror Library. My story Under the Dryer is quietly waiting there for you...in the shadows.

No More Teasing...For Now!



















The Mama's Boy Teaser Contest ENDS AT MIDNIGHT!

Send in your 5 Clues by Midnight tonight, Sunday, April 2nd. The winner of the coveted Shocklines Gift Certificate will be announced next Sunday, April 9th!

Thank you so much for playing along with my tease. I hope that it's given you a chance to learn a little bit about the launch of Insidious Publications first small press offering.

A 28,000 word novella, Mama's Boy is a wicked tale that grew from a short story, which came from a simple Valentine's writing prompt from my friend, Dawn Dare. All she offered was the phrase, "And that's why I love you." And yes, like you, I have to wonder about the workings of my mind when such a lovely phrase could prompt such a nasty little ditty like, Mama's Boy. Ah, the mysteries of the muse.

So I've teased you enough for now. I'll be back again soon with offerings of cover art, pre-order information, size of the signed and numbered limited edition print run and hopefully a few tasty blurbs from some VERY wonderful writing heroes of mine. And no doubt, another contest looms on the horizon!

It's been a privilege to share my news with you. I hope you'll stay tuned and nab a copy of Mama's Boy to read on a dark and stormy night. Just be sure to hide the sharp knives...you never know how might stop by for a visit.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - Still looking for that Special Clue for the extra cash? The clue is the answer to this question: What's the writing prompt phrase that was the inspiration for the original Mama's Boy story?

Contest Reminder:

The Shameless Mama's Boy Teaser Contest

It's easy to play! Just stop by my Blog at MySpace throughout the week and scavenge a total of Five Clues. Email your list to franfriel@gmail.com (temporary account) by Midnight, Sunday, April 2, 2006.

Combine any items from the list for Five Clues:

1. Visual clues (hint, hint...start here)
2. Author's Name (uh, tough one)
3. Short Story Titles by Author
4. Name of Publishing Company
5. Artist's Names - Cover Art or Illustrations
6. Name of the Foreword Author
7. Character's Names
8. Books Titles by the Foreword Author
9. One Story Title from The Horror Library's Fresh Meat Section

So, it's just that easy. Provide an accurate list of 5 clues and I'll toss your name in the hat. An independent party will draw the winning name, and that lucky Shameless Mama's Boy Teasee will receive a $10 gift certificate to the magnificent Shocklines.com.

I hope you'll play, even if it's just to humor me. I'm sensitive, you know. And heck, $10 isn't too shabby for a couple of clicks. And if you provide the "Special Clue," which will be made pretty darn obvious, I'll make it $15!

The Final Tease!



















The Final Tease!

Today is the final day of The Shameless Mama's Boy Teaser Contest. You'll find the last clues of the tease for you to choose from for your entry. Remember, you only need Five to enter and win. But if you want that Special Clue for the bonus cash, you'll have to stop by tomorrow.

Now, it's my pleasure to introduce you to the people who are bringing Mama's Boy alive and into print. You may already know them as the publishers of the fantastic dark horror magazine, Insidious Reflections. IR has featured some of the hottest names in horror, like Jack Ketchum, Joe Lansdale, Jeff Strand and J.F. Gonzalez. And they've just received commercial distribution, which means they'll be spreading their dark joy far and wide across the land.

I am privileged to be the first author to have a title published by IR's new small press, Insidious Publications. IP is the horror press monster being born of the devious minds of publishers, Chris Hedges and Paul Danda. This dastardly pair will be bringing Mama's Boy to you this summer in the fine form of a signed and numbered limited edition chapbook. I'm hearing whispers of silk end papers and details that will make this, one beautiful maiden launch for Insidious Publications. I'm truly honored to be their first.

So with the help of Chris and Paul, and their minions, Insidious Publications will help me tell you the wicked tale of Frank Doe. Scarred unrecognizable by fire, he has been silent for twenty years, that is until a talented young doctor arrives at his home in Penn’s Asylum. Driven by her own secrets, she risks everything to unlock Frank’s dark history, and the twisted making of a monster.

So, there you have it, the last of The Shameless Mama's Boy Tease Contest clues. Well, of course, there's the Special Clue still to come tomorrow. So, I hope you'll stop by for the final recap on Sunday. I've had fun teasing you. I hope you've enjoyed it, too.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran

PS - Below is a little recap of the contest rules, just in case you need a peek. Good luck!


The "Shameless Mama's Boy Teaser Contest!"

Just stop by my Blog at MySpace throughout the week and scavenge a total of Five Clues. Email your list to franfriel@gmail.com (temporary account) before midnight, Sunday, April 2, 2006.

Combine any items from the list for Five Clues:
1. Visual clues (hint, hint...start here or go back to Sunday's)
2. Author's Name (uh, tough one)
3. Short Story Titles by Author
4. Name of Publishing Company
5. Artist's Names - Cover Art or Illustrations
6. Name of the Foreword Author
7. Character's Names
8. Books Titles by the Foreword Author
9. One Story Title from The Horror Library's Fresh Meat Section

So, it's just that easy. Provide an accurate list of 5 clues and I'll toss your name in the hat. An independent party will draw the winning name, and that lucky Shameless Mama's Boy Teasee will receive a $10 gift certificate to the magnificent Shocklines.com. I hope you'll play, even if it's just to humor me. I'm sensitive, you know. And heck, $10 isn't too shabby for a couple of clicks. And if you provide the "Special Clue," which will be made pretty darn obvious, I'll make it $15!

Shameless Clues Continue!


















The Shameless Mama's Boy Tease Contest Continues!

Today: More Clues You Can Use!

Beside the obvious visual clue (hint, hint - uh, something red), today I'd like to introduce you to the artists of the Mama's Boy project.

First, is one of my favorite artists and a very classy guy, Tom Moran. I recently highlighted his work at the Horror Library Blog-O-Rama and on MySpace as one of the wonderful artists blitzing the Horror world. I'm thrilled that Tom is doing the cover art for Mama's Boy. I've had a glimpse and it's awesome. Yes, I'm teasing you again, but only because I can't show you just yet. But I will as soon as possible. I promise!



But what I can show you, is a great piece Tom illustrated for my story in the Wicked Calendar 2006 from Wicked Karnival. My story, Connected at the Hip, appears as the month of June pin-up. And yeah, it's fun being a pin-up. Besides my little story, Tom's work is popping up everywhere. You can see many of his raw, humorous, freaky, beautiful illustrations in magazines like Wicked Karnival and Insidious Reflections. Be sure to visit his gallery at Grimamericana.com. And multi-talented as he is, you'll also find that Tom is a published author.

Next on our artist hit parade, is my friend and colleague from Dark Recesses Press, Jason Beirens. Jason not only does a fantastic job as Art Director for DR, he also provides illustrations for many of the stories. Jason will be providing interior filigree art for the pages of Mama's Boy. You'll also find Jason's excellent ongoing project, The Ill-Tempered Bear. You'll love the ITB, so be sure to visit!

I'm a lucky girl to have so many talented people working on this project!

So there you have it - at least 3 more clues for you today. For more information on how to play AND WIN, The Shameless Mama's Boy Tease Contest, check the previous two blogs for details.

Are you having fun yet? I am!

Thanks for playing (and humoring me), gang. I'm pretty darn excited about this project, and I'm just happy to be sharing it with you...even if I am teasing you a little.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel