Hello again, faithful readers!

Well, the old saying about time flying by when you’re having fun could not be more true.   These are truly exciting times at West Manor, full of new releases and more big announcements.  So without further ado, here’s a quick recap / status update…

The month began with the release of the book trailer for my debut novel, The Wide Game.  Produced by Darkrider Studios,  who also did the trailer for Skull Full of Kisses,  the clip perfectly captures the atmosphere and terror of the book.  I could not have been happier with it! 

I was then lucky enough to be Greg Hall’s guest on The Funky Werepig.  It was such a fun time!  We talked about the novel and I was able to hint for the first time at a big announcement.  (More on that in a minute.)

Then, on Tuesday, February 15th, The Wide Game was released by Graveside Tales Books.  As if that wasn’t wonderful enough, the Sci-Fi Guys gave the novel a glowing review.  You can now order the book here!

That same week, Dark Quest Books put the Fell Beasts anthology, featuring my short story “Sandwalkers,” up for presale.  I’m very proud of this story, and happy that my faithful readers can now order it here.

And then I got the word that another of my short stories, Blood and Silk, had been accepted for the upcoming The Beast Within 2 anthology, due out later this Summer from Graveside Tales Books!

And last, but certainly not least, I was only able to hint at it on The Funky Werepig, but late this month it was announced that I signed a three book deal with the good folks at Seventh Star Press!     The novels will all be set in the fictional town of Harmony, Indiana, and the first of them, Cinema of Shadows, will be released later this Summer.  The second novel, Spook House, will come out in 2012, and a third yet-to-be-titled book will be released in 2013. 

The novels will be available in hardcover, trade paperback, and E-book formats, and because they are all set in Harmony, Indiana, faithful readers can look for many of their favorite settings and characters from The Wide Game, and several stories in Skull Full of Kisses, to make an appearance. 

Look for more updates throughout the coming months.

And that’s about it.  February 2011 now slips into history.  But looking ahead to March, it is clear that there is much more excitement ahead! 

Stay tuned, faithful readers…

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2011

Seventh Star Press Proudly Announces the Addition of Award-Winning Author
Michael West in a Three Book Deal

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce the addition of award-winning
horror author Michael West to its family of writers, with the acquisition
of the novel Cinema of Shadows, and two more titles that will all have a
thematic connection with the town of Harmony, Indiana.

Building upon the recent additions of Jackie Gamber, with her YA Fantasy
Leland Dragon Series, and Steven Shrewsbury, with his dark-edged, heroic
fantasy novel Thrall, Michael West’s Cinema of Shadows continues to
demonstrate the range and quality of writing that is finding a home at
Seventh Star Press.

“Seventh Star Press clearly loves its authors and has great respect for
their work,” Michael said.  “Not to mention the fact that they put out
some of the most exciting and beautifully crafted books in the industry.
I am thrilled to be a part of the family, and hope readers will be equally
thrilled by what we have in store for them with these Harmony, Indiana
novels.”

Cinema of Shadows welcomes readers to the Woodfield Movie Palace.

The night the Titanic sank, it opened for business…and its builder died
in his chair.   In the 1950s, there was a fire; a balcony full of people
burned to death.  And years later, when it became the scene of one of
Harmony, Indiana’s most notorious murders, it closed for good.  Abandoned,
sealed, locked up tight…until the present day.

One momentous night, Professor Geoffrey Burke and his Parapsychology
students go to the Woodfield in search of evidence, hoping to find
irrefutable proof of a haunting.  Instead, they discover that, in this
theater, the terrors are not confined to the screen.

Michael West is a fast rising force in the horror world.  His work
includes novels such as The Wide Game (Graveside Tales), and a single
author collection, Skull Full of Kisses (Graveside Tales).  He also has an
array of short fiction published, spanning many magazines and anthologies,
including appearances in Shroud Magazine, and the Apex Science Fiction and
Horror Digest.

Amanda DeBord, who is also the editor of Stephen Zimmer’s epic urban
fantasy Rising Dawn Saga, will be handling editing duties on Cinema of
Shadows.

“I was so excited to learn that Michael was going to be a part of the
Seventh Star family,” Amanda commented.  “It’s been about five years since
I read my first Michael West story, but I haven’t forgotten the name.
He’s a fellow Midwestern writer, and really captures the atmosphere of
where I grew up.  This book was creepy from the get-go, and I think
everyone is going to love it.”

The first edition of the book will feature cover art and additional
illustrations from acclaimed fantasy/horror artist Matthew Perry.

The projected release date window for  Cinema of Shadows is late summer of
2011, with versions released in hardcover, trade paperback, and several
eBook formats, covering owners of the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook, Sony
eReaders, and other compatible electronic reading devices.

The second novel, Spook House, is being planned for a summer release in
2012, with a third novel to be released in 2013.  Both titles will involve
the town of Harmony, Indiana, as the location grows to become synonymous
with terror in the literary world.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site
for Seventh Star Press, at http://www.seventhstarpress.com/, or at the author’s
site at www.bymichaelwest.com

The Sci-Fi Guys Book Review has posted its review of my debut novel, The Wide Game.  Here’s an excerpt:

“The Wide Game is… far better than anything I could have hoped for…enjoy being scared out of your skull, and falling in love with the characters…It’s an excellent debut novel, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes its way onto my Best of 2011 list.”

You can read the full review here.

Order your copy today from Graveside Books!

Prepare to spend unequaled quality time with perhaps the most powerful man in horror fiction, MICHAEL WEST. Critically acclaimed and a fan favorite, Michael has long been werepig friendly. And now he’s back not just because of his new release THE WIDE GAME but because he needs an excuse not to wear pants. You all have been warned.

The Wide Game by Michael West is available for Pre-Order Reg. $14.95 Sale $11.96

Almost every kid believes there are things lurking under their beds or waiting in the shadows for the opportunity to jump out and attack if they happen to play outside too far into the night.  But, as we grow up, we mature and realize there really aren’t things that go bump in the night.

 Or is there…

 In this eclectic collection of eleven short stories by some of today’s veterans and up-and-comers in the horror genre; you will uncover things that may revert your mind back to when you were a little kid.  You’ll discover: hairy beasts that dwell in caves and wander the wilderness in search of prey, things that slither and lurk in the water, creatures from Hell, people that think they are a monster or an animal, dwarf-beasts, vicious winged creatures and a macabre experiment on an unfortunate soul.

 But, you can handle all that, right?

 If you think so, forget about calling for mommy or daddy to come save you if something bad happens…

 …cause you’ve been warned.

Table of Contents:

 Spelunking by R. Scott McCoy

The Whispers in the Cage by Timothy Moore

Samuel by Jason Sizemore

Excitable Boy by Thomas A. Erb

On Fine Feathered Wings by Gord Rollo

In Darker Waters by Robert Ford

Night Shift at Hotel Mara by Dean Harrison

Sandwalkers by Michael West

Splinters by Adam P. Lewis

There Goes the Neighborhood (Holiday Version/Extended Cutting) by Brady Allen

 Yellow by John Everson

Click here to order your copy now!

As you know, my first novel, The Wide Game, will be released on Tuesday, February 15th, from Graveside Tales Books.   But faithful readers don’t have to wait any longer to reserve a copy of their very own.  Click here to pre-order The Wide Game now!