Blackmoore
The Blackmoore Legacy
Volume 1
Marcus James
Genre: Gothic horror/paranormal romance/
M/M romance/supernatural
Publisher: Candiano Books
Date of Publication: 06/08/2017
ISBN: 1547266651
ASIN: B071KH64VZ
Number of pages: 416
Word Count: 127,046
Cover Artist: Ransom Graphics
Tagline: The Devil shall come for his witches...
Book Description:
Welcome to South Hill, a neighborhood of wealth, secrets, gracious Victorians, and austere manor homes overlooking the port of Fairhaven and the dark waters of Bellingham Bay. Seventeen year old Trevor Blackmoore has lived here is entire life, shunned and feared, along with the rest of his clan, by the elitist and superstitious families that surround them and who regard the Blackmoores as the devil's concubines.
As a young clairvoyant dealing not only with the dark secrets of his family but also with his homosexuality-two things which have made him an outsider-he struggles to find normalcy. Trevor's life is made extremely difficult by his tormentors and former childhood friends Cheri Hannifin, Greg Sheer, and Christian Vasquez; the school gods of the prestigious Mariner High School. His only saving grace is Braxton Volaverunt, a captivating young man with secrets of his own.
A diabolical plan sets in motion a chain of events that will fulfill the doomed prophecy of the Blackmoore family. A centuries old curse comes to an end, releasing an ancient and bloodthirsty evil, set on wiping out the family, and Trevor learns that he is at the center of it. Realizing that he is all that stands between this darkness and his family's survival.
"2017 E-Festival of Words award winner for Best Literary Fiction"
The
Best Halloween Songs You Need To Be Listening To This Holiday Season
Halloween, in my opinion, is one
of the most magical times of the year. From the autumnal leaves in all of their
wonderful colors just before they completely brown and dry, to the perfume of
rotting apples, sickly sweet, and to the darkening sky so early in the day.
There are pumpkins carved with
ghoulish grins on porches and in windows, and there is the feeling that at any
turn, you may walk right into a ghost.
Parties are planned, decorations
are bought and spider webs strung like the anti-garland of Christmas (which has
it’s own horror roots), and the food is made.
There’s only one more thing
needed, that one thing to set the mood, and it can often be the hardest to put
together; the playlist. There are plenty of Halloween records out there, a
Halloween station on Pandora, and they all contain familiars like ‘Monster
Mash' and ‘Thriller', but there are so many other gems out there. So many
unknown and not used. Treasures that have existed for as long as the
record.
Below is a list of these relative
unknowns and the one’s not thought about but are known by everyone. There are a
couple of recognizable sonic faces on this list, but for the most part, these
songs will be new friends and give you a unique touch to your Halloween romp.
I didn’t include all of my
favorites, that would be too long, but I included those that I go back to again
and again.
1. Robert Johnson-Cross Road Blues: This 1936 Delta
Blues track is haunting. In it, Robert sings of going to the crossroads and
selling his soul to the devil for the gift of guitar playing. It is more
likely, that as with all early blues, there was a great Hoodoo influence and
who he refers to as the devil, is actually Papa Legba; the deity ruler of the
gates to the other realms.
2. Claudine Clark-Walkin' Through a
Cemetery:
This 1962 track is great with its early funk sound and her throaty voice.
3. Jack Rivers-Haunted House Boogie: Another fun
Halloween hit with Blue Grass elements is a great 1951 hit.
4. Jack Teagarden-Putting Salt on the
Devil's Tail:
This 1941 big band has lingering elements of hoodoo found in early blues
tracks.
5. Cris Kevin-Haunted House: 1959 Halloween
Rockabilly that is just plain fun.
6. Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang-Mr.
Ghost Goes to Town:
this 1936 Jazz hit tells a tale of a ghost looking for a good time. Considering
Prima was from New Orleans, of course a ghost was walking around looking for a
good time.
7. Bauhaus-Bela Lugosi's Dead: This iconic
1982 hit from Bauhaus is a must have for Halloween, and the opening sequence of
the seminal Vampire film, The Hunger, is downright decadent in its darkness.
8. Judy Garland and the Scarecrow, Tinman,
and the Cowardly Lion-The Jitter Bug: this song was cut from the 1939 film.
In lost archival footage, they sing this song while in the haunted forest. It
is a fun swing track that perhaps was cut because of how different from the
rest of the songs are. Fits right in there with Jeepers Creepers.
9. Screaming Lord Sutch-Jack The Ripper-this 1963 rock
song is a blast. Opening with a woman running and then screaming in terror.
10. Marilyn Manson-Sweet Dreams: this 1995
cover is dripping with nightmare. I find it to be a constant source of inspiration
when I am writing a terribly dark scene.
11. Michael Jackson-Thriller: one of the most
iconic Halloween songs of all time. This 1982, Release will get you moving in
all the right ways. A love letter to horror films, my favorite lyric-the one I think
is the most powerful and yet so often over looked is “I’ll save you from the
terror on the Screen-I’ll make you see that this is Thriller-Thriller night.”
It harkens to “keep telling yourself, it is only a movie.” Like most children,
the John Landis directed music video film scared me to death.
12. Datura-Tori Amos: this almost
psychedelic 1999 track celebrates the herb that was essential to a witch's
ointment. This dangerous and psychotropic herb got into the pours and is
believed may have been the reason witches felt as if they were flying.
13. Robert Johnson-Hellhound On My Trail- Johnson is back
with another 1937 Delta Blues track with heavy Hoodoo influence.
14. Donovan-Season of the Witch: this 1966 track
was a celebration of all of the mystical psychedelic occult revival of the
hippie movement. It got a resurgence when it was featured in an episode of
American Horror Story: Coven. Give this song a listen and let loose your inner
Fiona Goode.
15. Henry Hall-Here Comes the Bogeyman: this 1932 classic
taught young kids how to ward themselves from the bogeyman. It plays like a
creepy lullaby and has seen a new life in video games and horror films such as
Jeepers Creepers and Sinister 2. It’s
haunting melody reaches out through time and has the ability to give anyone the
wiggins.
16. The Four Modernaires-Jeepers Creepers: One of my
childhood favorites. Like Here Comes the Bogeyman, this 1938 hit has found
infamy in no small part to the film of the same name.
17. Ted Cassidy-The Lurch: this song (and
the video, which I encourage you readers to watch) premiered October 30th, 1965
on the ABC music program Shindig! It is a great, poptastic number with an
accompanying dance, and Ted Cassidy-the actor who portrayed Lurch in the Addams
Family television show-appeared in costume on set and is featured in the song
saying his signature “You rang?” and groaning and moaning in all his creepy and
kooky glory.
There you have it! Grab these
songs, add them to your party playlist, and have a scream!
About the Author:
“Some writers have great ideas, but fail with the delivery. That is not the case for our author. He has clearly developed his craft and whittled it to perfection”-Wesley Thomas, bestselling author of Nightmare Fuel
Marcus James is the author of five novels, including The Blackmoore Legacy series. He has contributed to a dozen anthologies from Alyson Books, has been a featured writer for the Seattle Gay News, is the host of Brews and Books at Ravenna Brewing Co. and is host of Queerly Spoken. When not writing he’s cooking, drinking champagne like water, and watching horror films with his husband and their Staffordshire terrier, Nikita. He is 32 years old and lives in Seattle.
Website: https://marcusjamesbooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjamesbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjayftw/
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