EDITOR'S NOTE: I first met noted short story writer and small press publisher John Maclay when we shared a reading slot at Horrorfind in Baltimore several years ago. The next time I saw him was on the set of my upcoming film SLIME CITY MASSACRE, which John executive produced. In between those two face-to-face encounters, he was one of the first people I contacted to write for Fear Zone. I hope you've enjoyed John Maclay's Humor Zone as much as I have.

Shameless Self-promotion Department II


As you may know, since 1984 I've sold more than 100 horror and fantasy stories, many of them to mass-market anthologies. And my most recent story collections have been A Little Red Book of Vampire Stories (Borderlands, 2003), Dreadful Delineations (Delirium, 2004 and 2007), and Divagations (Delirium, 2008).

But sometimes I come up with things that don't exactly fit anywhere (read, I haven't been able to sell them to a publisher, and especially now in this tough market). When that happens, though, no fear, I put them out myself (luckily, I have a high-speed laser printer) - since given my track record, they must be pretty good.

And a couple of these are the following.

The Templar Queen. I published this in 2005, in sort of a page proof format - typeset, 88 pages, printed two sides of the paper, in a binder, signed. This is a 37,000-word novella about a present-day, woman Knight Templar who inaugurates a new world order. Horror Drive-In has called it "As unique a piece of fiction I've read in some time. Maclay's language is as beautiful as ever and the story is rich and profoundly moving."

Demons Descend. This is brand new, in the same format (also signed), but 94 pages and 37,500 words. Another novella, but this time about a government agent and a tough-talking Goth nun who, along with other main characters (including some Knights Templar again), save the world from a sudden plague of demons from Hell. It's religious horror, and pretty Catholic, though I'm not a Catholic myself.

"The long, slow wind-up, and now the pitch":

If you'll send just 10 bucks ("cheap, cheap") to me at P.O. Box 16253, Baltimore, MD 21210, I'll send you both of these novellas, postpaid.

But whatever, all best to everyone who reads this or any of my columns.