Spinning Tales: Upcoming Writing Projects

Last year had its ups and downs, but 2013 seems to be progressing smoothly, particularly from a creative aspect. Here are some upcoming writing projects that I hope to complete by the time the Christmas tree comes down and the party hats and hooters (those little noise-makers you blow, not the other ones!) herald the beginning of 2014.


RESTLESS SHADOWS: I just finished the final edit of RESTLESS SHADOWS, the long-awaited sequel to my first novel, HINDSIGHT. RS was one of two novels that Zebra Books had scheduled for publication before they decided to pull the plug on their horror line in 1996 (the other one being HELL HOLLOW). This previously unpublished novel will soon be released as an economically-priced hardcover edition from Thunderstorm Books, hopefully sometime this autumn. RESTLESS SHADOWS continues the story of HINDSIGHT seventy-seven years after the Great Depression. Cindy Ann is an elderly woman now and comes out of retirement every now and then to lend her psychic abilities to the local police, solving murder cases. When a triple murder almost identical to the one she revealed back in 1936 takes place in her hometown of Coleman, Cindy must return to the old tobacco barn with her granddaughter, Beth, who also possesses the gift of second sight. Together, they attempt to determine exactly who committed the murders. Is it a copy cat reliving history... or is it the evil spirit of Bully Hanson in action once again?


CEMETERY DANCE PROJECTS: During the next few weeks, I'll be finishing up some projects for Cemetery Dance Publications. One will be a short story for an upcoming Halloween anthology. The other will be a Signature Series book with the tentative title of WHITE LIGHTNING, BLACK MASS! It will be a rip-roaring tale of moonshiners and devil worshippers with the feel of an old grindhouse movie. Some of you have asked about the status of A DARK & BLOODY GROUND, an upcoming novel from CD. Alas, the manuscript -- nearly three-quarters done -- is still floating around in crashed hard-drive limbo. As soon as I find someone with the expertise to liberate AD&BG from its imprisonment, I'll finish that sucker up and send it out to Rich, Brian, and the rest of the folks at CD.


ESSENTIAL RONALD KELLY COLLECTION, VOLUMES #5 & 6: In September and October, I'll be doing final revisions and edits on the next two Essentials: PITFALL and TWELVE GAUGE (formerly FATHER'S LITTLE HELPER). I'll also be writing the two companion novellas for the books. PITFALL's will be titled "The Last of the Chupacabra", while the one in TWELVE GAUGE will be titled "Killing Time". I hope to have the finished manuscripts to Thunderstorm Books in time for a late December or early 2014 release.


UNDERTAKER'S MOON & FEAR: I've turned in the manuscripts to Roy Robbins at Bad Moon Books for the softcover trade editions of UNDERTAKER'S MOON & FEAR. These books, with new covers by Keith Minnion, will be similar to what the Essentials have to offer, except without the "Writing of" feature. We're hoping to have both of these out before the end of 2013.


As I gain momentum with the completion of these projects, I'm hoping for a productive 2014. Among other things, I'll be working on sequels to FEAR and AFTER THE BURN (this time a full-length novel!), short stories for upcoming anthologies, and I'll be finishing  up the Essential collection with Volumes #7 & 8: BLOOD KIN and BURNT MAGNOLIA. On the heels of those projects, I'll be writing a five-volume horror-western serial titled DEAD-EYE, followed by DEAD OLD MEN, the first book of the Grandpa Kelly mystery series that I have in the work.


Be sure to check in regularly here at Southern-Fried & Horrified and RonaldKelly.com for updates and news on these and other forthcoming projects!