Select AIP Titles on Sale!

by Jennifer 15. January 2019 08:25

Apocalypse Ink Productions will be changing focus in 2019. We will no longer be publishing books by other authors, instead we will focus on books written by Jennifer Brozek and her collaborations. Our current ebook publications will be available until April of 2019, so you still have time to pick up copies of your favorite series. But after April, all titles will be released back to the authors.

 

As we wind down our production line, select titles will be on sale.

 

Starting now:

THE KAREN WILSON CHRONICLES: $4.99 for Compilation book,

$1.49 for each individual book (CALLER UNKNOWN, CHILDREN OF ANU, KEYSTONES, CHIMERA INCARNATE) if bought singly.

 

THE SHEYNAN TRILOGY: $4.99 for Compilation,

$1.99 for each individual book (THE SHADOW CHASER, BRINGER OF WAR, THE TORN SOUL)

 

THE FLOTSAM TRILOGY: $3.49 for compilation,

$1.49 for each individual book (EXILE, FROST, CRUSADE)

 

THE CROSS CUTTING TRILOGY: $3.49 for compilation,

$1.49 for each individual book (THE THIN, THE HOLLOW, THE MARROW)

 

FAMISHED: THE GENTLEMAN GHOULS OMNIBUS: $4.99 for compilation,

$1.99 for each individual book (FAMISHED: THE FARM, FAMISHED: THE COMMONS, FAMISHED: THE RANCH)

 

Want even more deals?

On the last 5 days of January, all of the Book 1 books will be free for each series

On the last 5 days of February, all of the Book 2 books will be free for each series

On the last 5 days of March, all of the Book 3 books will be free for each series.

On the last 5 days of April, Book 4 of Karen Wilson Chronicles will be free.

 

Sheynan, Flotsam, Cross Cutting, and Famished all return to their authors by the end of June, 2018. The e-books will go off sale at the end of April.

Tags: , , , , ,

Anniversary Book Sale

by Jennifer 11. April 2018 08:33

It’s our 6th year anniversary! We're having a book sale!

Apocalypse Ink Productions is celebrating our 6 year anniversary and YOU get all of the gifts.

We know that you’ve been wanting to sample all of the series that Apocalypse Ink Productions carries, and here’s your chance.

Starting Wednesday, April 11th, you can get the following books for 99¢ for a limited time.



Follow a Warden named Trinidad O’Laughlin in Indianapolis, as she fights an encroaching invasion from another world in The Thin, by Wendy Hammer.



In The Shadow Chaser, by Dylan Birtolo, a normal man named, Darien Yost, becomes the centerpoint in a war between two warring shifter factions.



Keith Murphy hunts and kills the bad things that go bump in the night, but when things go wrong, he’s got to work outside his normal routine, in Exile, by Peter M Ball.



When Karen Wilson, the main character in Caller Unknown, by Jennifer Brozek, receives a mysterious phone call, she has a choice that will change how she sees her hometown forever.



Gordon Velender never wanted to eat human flesh, gain immense strength and speed, or host a creature from another dimension under his skin, but in order to defeat the Gentleman Ghouls, he must do just that. To find out more read: Famished: The Farm, by Ivan Ewert.

 

These books will go on sale on April 11th at 99¢.

On April 14th, The Shadow Chaser will go up to $2.99. After April 18th, all books will go back to their regular prices.

($2.99 for Famished: The Farm, Caller Unknown, Exile, and The Thin. The Shadow Chaser will go up to $4.99)

Apocalypse Ink Productions is a publisher of dark speculative fiction that includes fantasy, science fiction and horror.

Please see our store for other books in the series you enjoy!  

 

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Interview with Ivan Ewert

by Jennifer 9. August 2017 09:18

Interview with Ivan Ewert, author of Famished: The Gentlemen Ghouls Omnibus. Pre-order here.

Ivan Ewert was born in Chicago, Illinois, and has never wandered far afield. He has deep roots in the American Midwest, finding a sense of both belonging and terror within the endless surburban labyrinths, deep north woods, tangled city streets and boundless prairie skies. The land and the cycles of the year both speak to him and inform his writing; which revolves around the strange, the beautiful, the delicious and the unseen.

How did it feel to finish up the series finally?
To be honest, it was an unbelievable relief. Finishing every book gave me a little shot of joy, but the series as a whole was like removing a ton of bricks from my shoulders. As you mention below, some of the story elements weren’t very pleasant to dwell on – and I carried them around in my head for over ten years. My procrastination and masochism seemed to enjoy joining forces for this process.

Of course, relief’s not the only feeling, and the project was worth its weight to me. I was very proud of finishing three novels and several short stories. While there are more writers today than ever before in our history, many of whom are far more prolific than I, it still felt like a great accomplishment. My father had encouraged me to get something printed on the way to his deathbed, so there’s a great deal of emotion tied up with that as well.

The one thing I’ll certainly miss is an excuse to work directly with Apocalypse Ink Productions. Nothing I’ve done would have seen the light of day without their encouragement, professionalism, and understanding.

 

Where did Gordon and the Ghouls come from? (Inspiration)
Gordon’s got a lot of me in him. Probably more than was wise, but I started this series when I was young and (more) foolish. I wanted my protagonist to suffer from self-doubt, especially after he unknowingly takes part in such a terrible act, rather than the kind of cocky swagger so many of my protagonists have manifested. Making him Catholic let me reflect that great snowballing guilt – from one sin to another, and with little means of confessing to anyone who would listen after all he has done.

The origin of the Ghouls themselves is in the little towns that dot the Illinois prairie. Towns like Mahomet, Lick Creek, Kinmundy... all these tiny places that seem wrapped up in something older and more terrible than a rail stop, a bar and a lone crossroads. I pass through them driving south to Georgia, or west to the Quad Cities, and I can’t help but cast them with terrible secrets.

On top of that, there’s my sense that America has been devouring itself for centuries. The constant, rapacious hunger of the American character turns itself inward and perverts its original drive. Making the Ghouls some of the first inhabitants let me play with that idea.

 

How did you choose your settings?
Google Maps. I mean, I started in Madison, Wisconsin because I’m very familiar with it and its surroundings; but after than I had to locate places that were far enough off the grid that a group like the Ghouls could actually function without too many questions being asked by neighbors.

You would not believe the trouble I went to in The Commons to find Carol’s house. I’ve still got it pinned to my personal maps, with notes on where the cul-de-sacs end, which forests are where, the location of fast food establishments. It’s a really remarkable tool, though it’s no substitute for actually being there.

In terms of broad geographical settings, I only intended to tell the story of The Farm at first, in the region I’ve lived all my life, the one I know best. When I was asked to expand New England, the South and the West were the most obvious divisions across America, the different tribes at war. Moreso now than before, but regardless.

 

What's your writing process?
It’s what you’d call scattershot. I don’t (yet) have a standard time of day to sit down to write or revise – so I write when I have some time to myself, and plenty of time in the day. Solitude is important, I’m not a coffeehouse writer, partly because I know too many people in town. Every time I’ve tried it, I run into a friend, and writing time turns into catching up. Which is lovely, in its way, but not conducive to finished product. By the same token, when my family’s in the house, I feel like I should be present for them rather than sequestering myself in a writing den. So it’s mostly early mornings or evenings after dinner when everyone has a movie to watch.

I typically turn on music and attack the next chapter in order of appearance. I can’t write jumping from chapter to chapter or scene to scene, things get too chaotic and the connecting scenes take much more work to re-write if I don’t get them down organically. Sometimes something in the future will come to me, and in that case I try to write it down and stick it in a different file, then paste it in for edits later. For the most part, though, it’s always 1-2-3-4-etc.

I’ve become a planner rather than a pantser. I want to know what needs to happen in every chapter before I sit down to write them, to construct at least a skeleton. In short fiction that’s less true – I’m happy to be surprised in those cases – but for long form novels I need to know.

 

How did you handle revisions?
I print out the entire work and read it through, line by line, usually tracing it with a red pen. I’ll mark the document up that way, then fix the work in the computer. That’s mostly just for typos and minor edits.

After that I print up a second copy which I read, aloud, on my own. That lets me catch any awkward dialogue, runs of my beloved alliteration or too much poetry in the prose for this work’s taste. While I’m doing that I will mark up areas that need to be stronger, sharper, or entirely rewritten. Then it’s back to the computer to do that work.

After that it goes to beta readers. I immediately fix any additional typos or grammatical issues, and file away any comments on things they don’t understand or disagree with. Once everyone’s comments are in, I look for common threads and attack those first, then go through individual commentary to see if I understand or agree with their issues.

After all of that is set, it’s off to Apocalypse Ink’s editor for the final go-round. I’ve been fortunate in that most revisions at that stage have been relatively minor, and relatively agreeable to me.

 

You didn't flinch at some of the story elements, how did that make you feel?
The technical term is “squicky.” The final scenes of the trilogy were very, very difficult to write and keep my head on straight – not to mention keeping my appetite. Gordon’s experience in the Pen, his solitary anguish in the north woods, the perimeter around Carol’s house, probably more. All of these were difficult to push through, and required me to recognize the darkness I carry around. I work hard to repress that darkness in my everyday life, so in some ways, fiction is a nice release valve. On the other hand, I’ve kept myself up nights after writing some scenes.

It’s a curious thing, writing horror, when you identify more with the innocent victims than the “interesting” killers. I’ve always felt more pity for those in trouble than excitement around their plight. I never had the fascination some do with serial killers or mass murder. I’ve never watched Dexter, Hannibal... I’ve never even watched Silence of the Lambs, which seems strange when I say it aloud, but it’s the truth. I’m not a fan of watching horror. I enjoy reading it, but seeing it visually creates more of an issue for me; and when I write I have to see the images in my mind. So it causes a certain amount of queasiness.

 

Do you think there are more Gordon stories out there?
I know there’s at least one: The Chainfields lay in the Southeast, the final bastion of the Gentleman Ghouls.

However, I’ve grown a great deal since initially coming up with that concept and that name, and I’m now keenly aware that I am not the person to tell that story. Even if I were, it’s a story that hardly needs to be retold and recast, particularly at this stage of history.

While my wife and her family are from the region, I’ve got no ties to it aside from them. My family has always been north of the Mason-Dixon line, and as such we only have the ties to slavery that all Americans everywhere must carry. It’s not something I can expunge with a horror novel, and I’m not about to try anytime soon.

 

What's next?
I’m working on a young adult urban fantasy which should be lighter in tone than Famished: The Gentleman Ghouls. One of the neighborhood kids has been asking why he can’t read my stuff, so I promised him something he’d be able to read. It would be nice to have something my wife and mother could read as well!

Aside from that, I’m also working on monologues to be delivered live. I’ve performed in a number of one-man shows and truly enjoyed them, and would really love to be able to present my own work onstage one day. So I’m studying people like Spaulding Grey and Mike Daisey, working to see how they transformed their own experiences into spoken word. Of course, they’ve had more interesting lives. No matter. Just means I have to work at spicing things up a bit.

 

 

Tags: , ,

Famished: The Gentlemen Ghouls Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Link

by Jennifer 12. July 2017 09:38

Famished: The Gentlemen Ghouls by Ivan Ewert will be released on 15 August 2017.

Pre-order on Amazon.


Hunger.
It’s the driving force behind survival.


The Velander bloodline carries an ancient secret: power and immortality. But that power requires a key to unlock: human flesh. Gordon Velander finds himself an unwilling participant in a play for survival - but he won’t be powerless for long.


It’s the driving force behind passion.


The Gentleman Ghouls have survived for centuries due to cunning and careful planning but their world in unraveling. Gordon has vowed to take the Ghouls down no matter what, but he’s fighting a war—both within and without. The Ghouls, on the other hand, are not waiting patiently for the end to come.


It’s the driving force behind revenge.


With the Farm and the Commons destroyed, the Ranch is the last outpost of the Ghouls. With the bitter end in sight, Gordon must face his greatest challenge yet—claiming his own fate as other forces make their moves.


Revenge is sweet.
Passion is fulfilling.
But survival trump all.


This rural horror omnibus of cannibals, dark pacts, and ancient power by Ivan Ewert contains three novels: Famished: The Farm, Famished: The Commons, and Famished: The Ranch, and features two new short stories.

 

 

Tags: , ,

Praise for the Gentlemen Ghouls series by Ivan Ewert

by Jennifer 16. August 2016 08:28

Gentleman Ghouls
"Ivan Ewert inks in the people and the isolation in this rural horror so darkly and so well that you'll never complain about traffic or strip malls ever again." - Kenneth Hite, TOUR DE LOVECRAFT

Famished: The Farm
"It's a horror book that is well written, has a story line, and characters that are much more than "Next Victim" or "Guy with Spooky Mask." A shocker with all of the "Saw"-like movies, stories, and books out there. The cheap shock, the cheap scare ... that's what's big. But if you like horror that is actually well written and a good read? Here's your book." - Daniel Glovier

"Ivan Ewert's FAMISHED: THE FARM is some fun, old-school horror.  Ancient gods, cannibalism, and more than a little madness.  Ivan Ewert is a seriously twisted writer." - Stephen Blackmoore, DEAD THINGS

Famished: The Commons
"This story is phenomenal. I could not put it down. This book is horror mixed with adventure, with a great cast of characters along for the ride. Linh is my favorite - smart and tough with a functioning brain in her head. She reminds me of Rose Daniels from Rose Madder, one of my favorite novels. You won't stop cheering for her and Gordon. If you love creepy, smart horror that just begs you to sleep with the lights on and trust no one, read Famished: The Commons. You won't be disappointed!" - Blanche Devereaux

 

Tags: , , ,

FAMISHED: THE RANCH Has been released!

by Jennifer 15. August 2016 08:44

Apocalypse Ink Productions | Amazon
DriveThruFiction | Barnes&Noble


Destiny, manifested.

Having defeated the Gentleman Ghouls of the Farm and the Commons, Gordon Velander—and his attendant spirits, Orobias and Sylvie—head west. They seek to destroy the most remote branch of the cannibal cult that founded America and gnaws at the roots of the free world.

However, Gordon now fights a battle both within and without. His contentious allies first struggle, then revolt, following their own agendas. At the same time, Rancher Dylan Wildye has chosen a new tactic to preserve the family bloodline.

Warring for mastery of his own body, mind, and soul, Gordon must choose not only sides, but also his fate.

Famished: The Ranch is the third and final book in the Gentleman Ghouls series from Ivan Ewert and Apocalypse Ink Productions.

 

Tags: , , , ,

FAMISHED: THE RANCH Cover Reveal

by Jennifer 12. August 2016 11:10

FAMISHED: THE RANCH, book 3 of the Gentlemen Ghouls trilogy by Ivan Ewert, will be released on 15 August 2016.

Destiny, manifested.

Having defeated the Gentleman Ghouls of the Farm and the Commons, Gordon Velander—and his attendant spirits, Orobias and Sylvie—head west. They seek to destroy the most remote branch of the cannibal cult that founded America and gnaws at the roots of the free world.


However, Gordon now fights a battle both within and without. His contentious allies first struggle, then revolt, following their own agendas. At the same time, Rancher Dylan Wildye has chosen a new tactic to preserve the family bloodline.

Warring for mastery of his own body, mind, and soul, Gordon must choose not only sides, but also his fate.

Famished: The Ranch is the third and final book in the Gentleman Ghouls series from Ivan Ewert and Apocalypse Ink Productions.

FAMISHED: THE COMMONS is now $2.99!

(Photo by Amber Clark, Stopped Motion Photograpy.)

 

Tags: , ,

2015 Yearly Roundup

by Jennifer 16. December 2015 08:56

It’s that time of year. The holidays are upon us and it’s the final rush of family get togethers, office holiday parties, and gatherings of friends. We wish you the very happiest of holidays.

 

With the year about to end, it’s also time to look back and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished this year.

 

We think 2015 has been a pretty good one. Apocalypse Ink Productions released several titles, many concluding series that were started over the past few years.

 

The Torn Soul - Sheynan Trilogy #3 by Dylan Birtolo

Chimera Incarnate - the 4th book in the Karen Wilson Chronicles by Jennifer Brozek

Crusade - the final book in the Flotsam trilogy by Peter M Ball

A new series, Cross Cutting by Wendy Hammer, began this year with The Thin.

 

We also put together two omnibus together for the Sheynan and Flotsam series. These contain not only the novels but all of the short stories related to these trilogies. They are only available on the AIP website or at conventions.

 

If you’ve not checked out any of these titles we encourage you to visit our store. There’s more dark fantasy worlds that contain shapeshifters, gargoyles and dark magic on the coast of Australia for you to explore.

 

And next year we have more. We are excited to announce more releases including:

The Karen Wilson Chronicles Omnibus

The Hollowbook #2 of The Cross Cutting series

Famished: The RanchBook 3 of the Gentleman Ghouls series by Ivan Evert

The MarrowBook #3 of the Cross Cutting Series

FamishedThe Gentleman Ghouls omnibus series

We look forward to bringing you more dark fiction titles in the future. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to hear announcements, news and keep up with our authors.

Thank you for all of your support and happy holidays!
The AIP Team

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

AIP Holiday Gift Exchange

by Jennifer 12. January 2015 11:27

Apocalypse Ink Productions decided to do something just a bit different this year for the holidays.  Instead of exchanging gifts among our authors, we decided to have the main characters of our series exchange gifts. Now I know it’s a bit after the holidays, but you do have to remember some of these characters are on the run or are difficult to contact so their responses are a bit delayed. (Plus the Shadow Minion was sick.)

 

Trinidad received a gift from Karen Wilson.

It was just a brown cardboard box—perfectly ordinary except for one key detail. It was addressed to her. Trinidad had never received an unexpected package before. Pre-arranged drops and trails of dead letters were more her style, in truth. Karen had gone above and beyond.

 

“Brilliant, gyal.”

 

Trinidad grinned, pulled out her knife, and sliced through the tape. The box sprang open. The first item was a jar of lotion—something she could always use. Winter was particularly hard on her skin. Freezing wind and dry heat seemed to conspire against her. She tried a dab of the cream. “Lovely.”

 

The rest of the box was filled with arm warmers. Trinidad chose a pair with black and turquoise stripes and slipped them on. They’d keep her toasty and her fingers would still be free. Pretty and practical was a winning combination.

 

Trinidad grabbed her coat and the remaining knit sleeves. She only needed one pair, after all. The city would help her find others out in the cold. It would be a fine thing to pass along the joy of a surprise gift and she figured Karen would approve.

 

Her steps were light as she headed out for what would surely be one of the best walks of the season.

 

Darien received a gift from Trinadad.

Darien went to the door shortly after the knock, opening it just in time to see the UPS man leaving. He offered out a shout of “Thanks!”, to which the driver waved over his head without turning around to look back. Darien wasn’t surprised – he couldn’t imagine just how many deliveries the man had to take care of today. He wondered, did UPS hire extra drivers for this time of year, or did they just make their current drivers work longer hours and hopefully get paid overtime? He shrugged and picked up the box, carrying it back into the kitchen.

 

Putting the box down on the table, he looked at the return address on it, curious who knew that Susan and he were staying here. They had tried to keep their location a secret, only telling a few choice people they could trust. The name on the return label read Trinidad O’Laughlin, and he snapped his fingers in recognition. Susan had reached out to Trinidad after meeting up with her online discussing supernatural forces. She was insistent that Trinidad was someone they could trust, and Darien trusted her instincts. Although, why was Trinidad sending him a package?

Darien grabbed a knife from the butcher’s block and sliced through the tape. It was a few days after Christmas anyways, so there was nothing to wait for. Inside was a note that simply read “I had a feeling you would need these.”

 

The first item that he pulled out was a five pound bag of trail mix. It was labeled as high octane energy mix, and that title made him smile. If there was any way to describe his life after realizing what he was, it was definitely high octane and energetic. Hell, he barely was able to manage keeping track of his life himself, and he was the one living it. This would be immensely helpful if they needed to go on the run again. For weeks, this type of food was all that he, Susan, and Richard had survived on. Considering that he was getting that itch again that it might be time to run, this was quite serendipitous. Did Trinidad know more than she let on?

 

The second item in the box looked like a key. It confused him at first until he turned the package over to read the back of it. According to the description, it was a multi tool disguised as a key that could be used as a screwdriver or a knife. Given that it would fit easily onto his key ring and not be as obvious as a Swiss Army knife, this could come in handy. Even if it was small, you could never underestimate the value of having a knife on you at all times.

 

He’d need to send a thank you to Trinidad for her gifts, or ask Susan to send her a quick message. But he still couldn’t help but get the feeling that these gifts were not just for the season. Something in the back of his mind told him that they were an indicator of things to come. Perhaps he should get back to work on that escape plan, just in case it was necessary.

 

Gordon received a gift from Darien.

This is fantastic, Darien - it's got a wonderful heft to it. Edge is nice and sharp. I wish I could say it wouldn't come in handy, but I have a feeling you got me just what I'm going to need on the trek West.

 

As to friends, well ... I'm full of them. ::smiles:: But he'll make a great addition. Happy holidays and best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful New Year!

 

Karen received a gift from Gordon.

The package arrived at the Kendrick’s Historical Library instead of to Karen’s home. That, in and of itself, was unusual. Then, it was from Gordon. She shook her head. With all that was going on with him, it was amazing that he feel the need to send out gifts this year. Then again, little things. And with her casual acceptance of his personal brand of weirdness, she supposed he’d appreciate that.

 

She read the note attached before she opened the package.

 

Hello Karen - Happy New Year!

 

I apologize for the lateness of this package. We were hitching through Kansas around the holiday proper, and you wouldn't believe how long it can take to get to a FedEx.

 

I know you're a wired person, but with your new work in the library and the number of people you seem to keep track of, I thought this might be a helpful accessory. Consider it a low-tech backup for a busy lifestyle ... Kate Spade's still a thing, I hope?

With that, she ripped into the brown paper and saw Gordon’s thoughtful gift. Karen grinned at the notebook. “Well, I did just say that I needed to chronicle my adventures for the library. This is a perfect way to start.”

 

Tags: , , ,

2014 was a good year

by Jennifer 1. January 2015 08:55

2014 was a good year. We published 4 novels and 2 novellas.


Also, we acquired the Cross Cutting trilogy by Wendy Hammer.

In 2015, we plan to publish:

  • The Torn Soul, Sheynan #3.
  • Chimera Incarnate, Karen Wilson Chronicles #4.
  • Crusade, Flotsam #3.
  • Famished: The Ranch, Gentlemen Ghouls #3
  • The Thin, Cross Cutting #1.

Not a bad plan, eh?

Tags: , , , , , ,

Apocalypse Ink Productions

A small press publication house specializing in dark speculative fiction.

Latest Releases

http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/pix/5MinFrontCover200.jpg
Five Minute Stories Podcast
Buy Now. More Information.

http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/pix/Aisforapexcover200x200.jpg
A is for Apex
ABC book
Buy Now. More Information.

http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/pix/PrinceOfArtemisV200.jpg
The Prince of Artemis V
comic book
Buy Now. More Information.


Karen Wilson Chronicles
Omnibus

Buy now.
More Information

http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/pix/IndustryTalks200.jpg
Industry Talk

More InformationBuy Now.