07/03/2008
Apex to Publish PRIME
Nate Kenyon and Apex Books are pleased to announce that Kenyon’s science fiction novella PRIME will be published by Apex in 2009. PRIME is about a grizzled gun for hire brought in to solve a series of online murders, who discovers that the killer is more than just a bug in the system. More to come on this soon.
05/19/2008
Dread Central
The first thing that struck me about Bloodstone that sets it apart from most horror books I’ve been reading recently is that all of our main characters come to the story dealing with some pretty terrible things from their past…that’s a refreshing change from characters that start out normal and are thrust into a horrible situation. This allows Bloodstone to start out very ominous and never really let up on that atmosphere, which is important when you want to make sure your readers are always on edge. Kenyon manages to build this tension throughout the book in a very natural way and shows the storytelling skills of someone who’s been at it a lot longer than he actually has.

-DREAD CENTRAL (3.5 stars)

Read Full review
05/02/2008
Writing to Fight Cancer
As I sit here waiting for the biopsy results on a particularly scary mole removed from my arm, I write to ask for your help. Not for me, but for millions of people in the fight of their lives. It’s time to step up and make a difference.

A few of you may know about a double tragedy I suffered during my childhood, but most do not. When I was eight years old, my mother was diagnosed with an advanced stage of ovarian cancer. A short time later, my father was killed in a freak automobile accident, leaving my mother alone to care for two young children and battle a terrifying disease, with no hope for a cure.

My mother never let anything destroy her remarkable spirit. When I was only 4, she and my father left a comfortable existence in Seattle and drove to Maine with nothing but a Volkswagen full of their personal belongings. They were looking for something different in their lives. My father set up shop as a small-town lawyer while my mother, a former teacher, learned to build passive solar houses. Then she built our home, from the ground up, with her own two hands.

I tell you this to illustrate her incredible strength and determination. She lived another five years after my father’s death, four years longer than her doctors predicted, astonishing everyone. But even she could not beat this disease forever, and when I was thirteen, she passed away peacefully with her family at her side.

I cannot express how devastating this was to me. It has taken me many years to begin to face those days from an adult’s perspective. The simple fact is, an experience like this damages a child in ways that are permanent and life-changing.

My mother loved the arts, and always encouraged me to draw and write as much as possible. Her enthusiasm and support made me want to become a writer, which brings me to where I stand today. If you’re reading this you probably know that Bloodstone, my first published novel, was released this week in paperback by Leisure Books. It is (I hope) a fun, scary read full of ghosts and demons and possession and old, long-buried family secrets. But there are also many references to cancer in the novel. I didn’t do this intentionally, but it crept in from my subconscious all the same. I guess it was also an exorcism of sorts for me.

Millions of families have been devastated by cancer. Many children are left alone to cope with overwhelming feelings of anger, sadness and guilt when their parents pass away, as I was. Many children are, themselves, suffering from the disease.

I want to make a difference in these children’s lives. With this in mind, I have decided to donate the profits I earn from Bloodstone—every penny—to the American Cancer Society, in my mother Pamela Kenyon’s name.

But that’s nowhere near enough. Which brings me to you. I’m asking you to do something, right now, today, to join me in this fight. Go to the American Cancer Society online at www.cancer.org, or use this direct link:

www.cancer.org/docroot/DON/DON_1_Donate_Online_Now.asp?from=hpglobal

and make an online donation to ACS. Small or large, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t wait: go RIGHT NOW. It will only take a moment, but if we work together, a few minutes and a few dollars will make all the difference in the world to so many people.

Maybe one of your own loved ones. Maybe even you.

———-

Since I wrote the first part of this story, I received the results of my biopsy. They were negative. I was lucky, but I can’t help thinking of many others right now who are receiving far more frightening results. It’s easy to forget that none of us are alone in this world, and that we are all part of something much larger than ourselves. We need to work together to fight such a powerful enemy. Please share this with family and friends. Encourage them to give. By working together, we can finally wipe cancer off the map forever.

Use the comments field right here to leave your own story or thoughts about the fight against cancer. If you don’t see the comments box, click here.

Recent News:
04/30/2008: Dread Central’s Dreadtime Stories
04/29/2008: Leisure Posts Essay on Bloodstone
03/05/2008: Graeme’s Book Review
05/24/2007: Thriller Fest 2007: July 12-15
04/04/2007: Leisure to Publish Two Books!
03/03/2007: Bloodstone #1 Horror Novel in P&E Poll
02/18/2007: Bloodstone a Stoker Award Finalist
02/04/2007: New Five Star Author Page
02/01/2007: Preliminary Stoker Ballot Announced
01/02/2007: Gary Braunbeck’s Best of 2006
10/31/2006: HALLOWEEN PROMOTION
10/11/2006: Novel Journey Interview
10/11/2006: Cemetery Dance Interview Posted
09/13/2006: Rock and Shock
07/08/2006: Bookland Signing–Brunswick, ME
07/07/2006: Article and Interview: Lincoln County Weekly
06/02/2006: Article in Newton Tab
06/01/2006: New Interview at Dark Krypt
03/12/2006: Bloodstone Streaming Video: A Reading and Discussion
03/03/2006: First Printing Sold Out
03/02/2006: Horror World Interview
02/21/2006: Cesar Torres Interview: Part Two
02/16/2006: A Bookseller’s Opinion: Eric Markiewicz
02/15/2006: Winners of iPod Contest Announced
02/10/2006: Newsletter Contest Winners Announced
02/07/2006: Book of Dark Wisdom
02/02/2006: Cesar Torres Interview: Part One
02/01/2006: Fantasy Book Spot
01/30/2006: Boston College Heights Article
01/20/2006: Boston College Chronicle Runs Article
01/20/2006: Off the Shelf Features Bloodstone
01/11/2006: Bloodstone Release Date
12/14/2005: Final Cover Art Released
12/13/2005: Library Journal Reviews Bloodstone
12/04/2005: Horror World Reviews Bloodstone
11/20/2005: Horror Web Reviews Bloodstone
11/19/2005: Short Fiction: The Rocking Chair
11/17/2005: The Horror Channel Reviews Bloodstone
11/14/2005: Brian Keene praises Bloodstone
11/10/2005: Bloodstone “Reminiscent of ‘Salem’s Lot”
11/06/2005: Publishers Weekly Reviews Bloodstone
10/27/2005: Dearreader to Feature Bloodstone
10/13/2005: Bestselling Author Rick Hautala Praises Bloodstone
09/07/2005: Rock and Shock
09/01/2005: Douglas Clegg Offers Blurb
08/26/2005: Flash Trailer Launched
08/22/2005: ARCs Available
08/09/2005: Horrorfind Coming Up
07/20/2005: Coming Soon: Author Day
07/19/2005: Return of the Living NECon Dead