February 26, 2024 – M.C.V. EGAN ❧Defining Ways❧

The Midnight Zone Book 1

Edited by Douglas Gwilym & Ken MacGregor

Genre: Weird Creature Horror Anthology

These monsters are never-before-seen.

These monsters bite, and don’t let go.

These monsters aren’t your grandparents’ boogeymen,

but they are not tame,

and they want to climb right down into your nightmares

and make you their own.

Novus Monstrum

The Midnight Zone Book 1

Edited by Douglas Gwilym & Ken MacGregor

Genre: Weird Creature Horror Anthology

“Mysterious, merciless, mirthful. New favorites await you in this superb anthology.”

–Johnny Compton (author of Spite House, Esquire best horror book of 2023 and Stoker longlister)

This may look like just a book, but NOVUS MONSTRUM could infect your brain, shake your sense of what’s real, change you forever. This is twenty-two all-original new monster tales from the greats: Jonathan Maberry, Joe R. Lansdale, Gabino Iglesias, Gemma Files, Gaby Triana, Ramsey Campbell, Jeffrey Thomas, Gwendolyn Kiste, and Lucy A. Snyder, plus thirteen stories from new names (see below) destined to become some of your favorite authors.

These monsters are never-before-seen. These monsters bite, and don’t let go. These monsters aren’t your grandparents’ boogeymen, but they are not tame, and they want to climb right down into your nightmares and make you their own.

Welcome to the new anthology series The Midnight Zone.

Ken MacGregor, editor of the Shirley-Jackson-Award-nominated anthology Stitched Lips and the uproarious Burnt Fur, teamed up with Bram-Stoker-Award-nominated short story author Douglas Gwilym, editor of Appetites and Harmony & Dissonance, to take you to strange and dark new places. They’ll ask you to go deeper and weirder than The Twilight Zone, to a place (like the real-world midnight zone, a mile beneath the ocean’s surface) where no sunlight penetrates. Join us as we explore the inhospitable, surprising, uncomfortable, bizarre, and otherworldly.

Go on. Dive in. Lose yourself to The Midnight Zone.

Also Featuring:
Amanda M. Blake
Joshua Bartolome
Matt Brandenburg
R.A. Busby
Marco Cultrera
E.C. Dorgan
Douglas Ford
Sarah Hans
Jamie Lackey
Donna J.W. Munro
Frank Oreto
Tim Pieraccini
Pris Sears

Includes:

A Grace of Finer Form – Post-apocalyptic survival tale. The monsters are mutants: amalgams of living creatures, one so enormous it rivals the Titans of myth.

Brother Bone – A giant, living skeleton that feeds on the skeletons of its victims (by ripping away the flesh and meat) and using the bone fragments to expand itself, in return granting its family effective immortality.

First Day Jitters at Slappy’s – The monsters are living theme-park mascot characters. It’s far more disturbing than it sounds. This one is bonkers.

God Damn You to Hell, John Glenn – The monster is a massive, mutated, extremely hungry…sea monkey.

I Clean the Monster that Killed My Husband Every Morning – A vicious anti-pollution tale, the monsters are creatures that come up from below the earth and violently destroy any machine that creates pollutants, and whomever happens to be using them at the time.

Lizard War – Translucent giant lizards swarming across the alien landscape. The “astronauts” are all women, and the main character, Eliza, who was the cook before everything changed but is now in charge, loses her lover Joan in a climactic scene. She floats out into space, “her blood hanging in drops around her like falling rose petals, her hair fanned out like a peacock’s tail….”

Mother Ship – Machine/organic spaceship and her godspawn child.

The Path of Skulls – Sexless, cube-headed simulacra and deep arcane mystery.

Song of the Devil Trumpet – Quite lovely trees that trick you into eating their fruit so they can take over your body and repurpose you.

Wonce was a Woman – The monsters are human female/office machine hybrids. A woman goes looking for a mythical monster woman who is foretold as a sort of savior–and ultimately finds it is herself.

With an introduction by the amazing Jamie Flanagan, screenwriter for Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, Creepshow, and Fall of the House of Usher, and original cover art by the astonishing Trevor Henderson, internet cult phenomenon, creator of Siren Head, and weaver of monsters!

Amazon * The Dragon’s Roost Press * Bookbub * Goodreads

Douglas Gwilym has been known to compose a weird-fiction rock opera or two. His short story “Year Six” is on Ellen Datlow’s recommended reading list for Best Horror 14. He edited Triangulation for four years and now co-edits The Midnight Zone—forthcoming edition, Novus Monstrum, a collection of never-before-seen monsters, featuring original stories by greats, and new voices, in strange, dark fiction. He reads classics of the proto-Weird on YouTube and has been guest staff at Alpha Young Writers workshop. His short fiction appears in LampLight, Lucent Dreaming, Novel Noctule, Shelter of Daylight, Tales from the Moonlit Path, Penumbric Speculative Fiction Magazine, and Tales to Terrify.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Ken MacGregor has written three story collections, an award winning young adult novella (Devil’s Bane), and has co-authored a novel (Headcase). He is a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers and an active member of the Horror Writers Association. He’s also written TV and radio commercials, sketch comedy, a music video, a one-act play, a scattering of poems, and a zombie movie. Ken has curated three original anthologies, one of which (Stitched Lips) was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award. His third anthology, Novus Monstrum, was co-edited with Douglas Gwilym. It is the first installment in the Midnight Zone series for Dragon’s Roost Press.

Ken is also a part-time literary assassin: he will write you into an original short story and kill you for money. Ken drives the bookmobile and lives with his kids, a fierce-but-cuddly tiger cat, and the ashes of his wife.

He can be found at www.kenmacgregor.com.

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by Ivonne Kinser

The Manifesto for Creative and Critical Thinkers

Nonfiction / Self-Help

Date Published: December 21, 2023

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media

This book is an exploration of original, critical, and creative thinking through the lens of my creative philosophy. It delves into the very essence of what it means to be human and provides a rational, abstract, and methodical examination of reality.

Philosophy, the love of wisdom, is the guiding principle behind this journey of reflection, self-expression, and enlightenment.

THINK is a bold and inspiring call to free our minds and embrace original thinking.

The philosophical approach that guides this book is designed to ignite a spark within us, to inspire and empower us to break free from the shackles of preconceived notions and legacy thinking that may hold us back. It is a call to embrace critical, original, and creative thinking on our own terms, so we can forge new paths forward. This is not just a book:

It is a revolution for the mind.

Innovation, disruptive creativity, and a nontraditional approach to marketing are hallmarks of Ivonne Kinser’s work. As a result, she is widely recognized in the marketing industry as a thought leader on effective and disruptive marketing.

Each year, Ivonne delivers dozens of keynotes at marketing industry conferences where she addresses problem-solving, disruptive creativity, and innovation in the hope of inspiring creative change through the art of deep, strategic, and creative thinking.

As a seasoned marketing professional and accomplished author, Ivonne Kinser has dedicated over two decades to mastering the art of strategic, deep, critical, and creative thinking. Through her vast experience in both brand and agency settings, Ivonne has honed her skills to become a thought leader in innovative marketing.

Passionate about inspiring others, she shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise to encourage individuals to unlock their full potential and think in transformative ways. Her approach to problem-solving and disruptive creativity has captivated audiences at numerous marketing industry conferences and continues to spark change in the industry. By harnessing the power of strategic thinking, Ivonne empowers individuals and teams alike to reach new heights of success and innovation.

As a groundbreaking leader, Ivonne shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first Latina recipient of the DFW American Marketing Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

She has also earned a spot on the “100 Most Influential Latinas in the United States” list for two consecutive years and was honored with the coveted Changing the Game Award in the Brainwave category by the She Runs It organization in 2018.

Recognized as one of the “20 Women to Watch in Dallas Advertising,” Ivonne’s brilliance also shined when she was awarded the Shining Star Award by the American Advertising Federation.

As the innovation lead for the Avocados From Mexico’s brand, Ivonne led the innovation agenda that put Avocados From Mexico on Fast Company’s list of Most Innovative Companies in the world, and at the top one in the branding category.

Overall, her work has received more than 30 accolades and awards for creativity, innovation and high performance.

About the Author

Ivonne Kinser is a trailblazer in the marketing field, consistently challenging the status quo in her pursuit of creativity-driven exponential growth. Within the realm of marketing and innovation, Ivonne has carved out a distinguished reputation.

She boasts over 20 accolades for her creative, performance-driven, and innovative contributions, and notably, she became the first Latina to receive the Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award from The DFW American Marketing Association. She has also been included in the list of the 100 Most Influential Latinas in the US for two consecutive years.

Prior to that, she was honored with the Changing the Game Award in the Brainwave category when the She Runs It organization recognized her as one of the five women who fearlessly make bold moves and transform their brands and organizations.

Her impact transcends industries, leaving an enduring mark on the marketing landscape. Her unwavering passion for martech-led marketing innovation drives her to continuously seek groundbreaking strategies that propel brands to unprecedented heights. Her remarkable 20+ years in the field of marketing disruption have contributed to the redefinition of marketing in the industries she has left a mark on.

From pioneering the initial digital marketing initiatives for the world’s largest airline, American Airlines across 20 Latin American countries in 2002, to leading the innovation agenda that propelled Avocados From Mexico to the top of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list on a global scale in 2021, her career has made a lasting impact.

Ivonne is also an innovation advisor for the Food Institute and a frequent marketing lecturer at IPADE, Mexico’s leading business school. Her leadership extends to serving on the boards of both the DFW American Marketing Association and the University of North Texas’ College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism. Moreover, she contributes as an honorary member of the DFW Interactive Marketing Association’s board.

In June 2023, she founded Vantage Innovation Lab, a marketing firm dedicated to accelerating growth-driven innovation by integrating marketing technology in unique and disruptive ways.

Through her multiple ventures, from entrepreneur and founder to an author and speaker, her work is characterized by a nontraditional approach to marketing, guided by bold creativity and unconventional problem-solving.

Purchase Link

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