Harboring a Cryptid
By Hunter Shea
When I was asked to write about which elusive cryptid I’d like to discover, my knee jerk reaction was to say Bigfoot. I could live a Harry and the Henderson’s life of hilarity and misadventures. Maybe John Lithgow would come to visit every now and then and I could ask him about what it was like on the set of Garp (one strange but wonderful movie).
But that would be too easy. So I flipped through the cryptid card catalog in my brain. They look kind of like those safari cards we used to ask our parents for as kids back in the 70s and 80s, except they’re not real and Time-Life can’t make a dime off them.
And then I remembered the Pukwudgie. First, I just love the name! Say it 5 times fast.
Pukwudgie.
Pukwudgie.
Pukwudgie.
Pukwudgie.
Pukwudgie.
It’s like Beetlejuice, only without the ensuing haunting. What is a Pukwudgie, you might ask? Well, according to Wampanoag Indian legend, a Pukwudgie is a wee, humanishcreature that stands just under 3 feet tall with elongated noses and ears. They’re very much like a Native American troll. They’ve been known to be quite the bastards, using magic to disappear and confuse people, even luring them to their deaths by leading them off cliffs.
Pukwudgies inhabited the forests of Massachusetts, near the infamous Bridgewater Triangle. Starting out as benign beings, jealousy over favorable treatment of Indian tribes set them on a path of destruction. Stories abound about their harassing the Wampanoag, burning their villages, kidnapping and murdering children and scaring the bejeesus out of them.
All that aside, there’s something about them that tickles me and makes me want to keep one in my house. How cool would it be to introduce visitors to your pal, the Pukwudgie? Then you just have to hope he doesn’t shoot an arrow through their chests.
You don’t hear much about them, which is why I hold them so close to my heart. I always root for the underdog, even the mean, ugly ones. They’re a whole lot of bad-ass-ness in a tiny package. That gives them my seal of approval.
To the Bridgewater Triangle I go!
Synopsis for I Kill In Peace
Killing gets easier…with practice.
Peter Blades is, in every sense of the word, an ordinary man. Hard worker, father, husband, a man content with small-town life. Except for one small fact—he’s slowly being turned into a ruthless killer.
Compelled by mysterious texts to murder, he’s provided a fiery red Mustang and an ancient sword to carry out an ever-growing hit list. His jerkoff boss is victim number one. You always remember your first.
By the time his sword sings through the air to dispatch a would-be school shooter, taking lives is as easy as breathing. And if the world is going to hell around him, all the better. No one wants to burn alone.
Biography
Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weaned on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself.
Publishers Weekly named The Montauk Monster one of the best reads of the summer in 2014, and his follow up novel,Hell Hole, was named best horror novel of the year on several prestigious horror sites. Cemetery Dance had this to say about his apocalyptic thriller, Tortures of the Damned – “A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book!”
Hunter is an amateur cryptozoologist, having written wild, fictional tales about Bigfoot, The Montauk Monster, The Dover Demon and many new creatures to come. Copies of his books, The Montauk Monster and The Dover Demon, are currently on display in the InternationalCryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME.
He wrote his first novel with the express desire to work only with editor Don D’Auria at Dorchester (Leisure Horror). He submitted his novel to Don and only Don, unagented, placed on the slush pile. He is proof that dedicated writers can be rescued from no man’s land. He now works with Don, along with several other agents and publishers, having published over ten books in just four years.
Hunter is proud to be be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with his partner in crime, Jack Campisi. It is one of the most watched horror video podcasts in the world. Monster Men is a light-hearted approach to dark subjects. Hunter and Jack explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun. They often interview authors,crytid and ghost hunters, directors and anyone else living in the horror lane.
Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to get Gray’s Papaya hot dogs when the craving hits. His daughters have also gotten the horror bug, assisting him with research, story ideas and illustrations that can be seen in magazines such as Dark Dossier.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com, sign-up for his newsletter, or follow him on and Twitter.
Praise for Hunter Shea
“This wholly enthralling hulk of a summer beach read is redolent of sunscreen and nostalgia, recalling mass market horror tales of yore by John Saul, Dean Koontz, and Peter Benchley.” — Publishers Weekly — Voted one of the best reads of summer, on The Montauk Monster
“Bloody good read! This guy knows his monsters!”- Eric S Brown, author of Bigfoot War and Boggy Creek: The Legend is True, on Swamp Monster Massacre
“Hunter Shea is a great writer, highly entertaining, and definitely in the upper echelon in the current horror scene. Many other writers mention either loving his work and/or having the man influence their own, and for just cause. His writing suits anyone with a taste for the dark and terrifying!” –Zakk at The Eyes of Madness/The Mouth of Madness Podcast
Purchase Links
Want to Feature Hunter Shea?
If you would like a copy of the book for review or to conduct an interview with Hunter Shea, please contact Erin Al-Mehairi, Publicist, at Hook of a Book Media: hookofabook@hotmail.com
Review: I KILL IN PEACE by Hunter Shea A new direction for Mr. Shea, and a welcome one, I KILL IN PEACE is the story of one ordinary man, Peter Blades, a husband and father, marketing director of a multinational corporation--a man who desires to do his job, and love his family. So simple--instead, Peter Blades finds his life turned inside out and upside down, as he becomes larger-than-life when he is overtaken by Something Other. A stunning and unexpected denouement and conclusion ensure this story will linger in the mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment