The Jake Helman Files: DESPERATE SOULS

[Greg Lamberson]

Medallion Press has acquired my fourth novel, DESPERATE SOULS, the first sequel to PERSONAL DEMONS.  Both novels will appear under the series title "The Jake Helmnan Files."  PERSONAL DEMONS will be out as a mass market paperback this October and THE FRENZY WAY will be out next October.  I'm hoping DESPERATE SOULS will be published before October 2011, but I'll have to wait until I get my contract to know the answer.

The original title for DESPERATE SOULS was FALLEN AGELS, but when I learned that my fellow Medallion author, Gary Frank, was working on a novel with that same title I volunteered to come up with a new one. 

[Greg Lamberson]

It appears that DESPERATE SOULS, the first sequel to PERSONAL DEMONS, will be published next year - the same year that THE FRENZY WAY will be published and SLIME CITY MASSACRE will be making the rounds on the festival circuit.

[Greg Lamberson]

My novel PERSONAL DEMONS just won the UPPY Gold Medal for Horrror, part of the Independent Publish Book Awards, which is held in conjunction with Book Expo America, going on in NYC now.

THe book also just received a new rave on Paperback Horror::

http://paperbackhorror.blogspot.com/2010/05/personal-demons-jake-helman-files-by.html

[Greg Lamberson]

I gave author Bob Freeman a sneak peek at DESPERATE SOULS, the second book in my Jake Helman Files series, which will be published by Medallion Press on Oct. 1st, and he surprised me with this early review:

http://authorbobfreeman.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/desperate-souls/

"Make no mistake about it, Greg Lamberson’s second outing into the world of Jake Helman is breathtaking and relentless. This is the occult detective genre done right, with finesse, charm, and non stop action from an author at the top of his game. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Lamberson’s literary approach is cinematic, bold, and an all or nothing bombastic explosion of thrills, chills, and heart pumping storytelling."

Bob Freeman, The Occult Detective

[Greg Lamberson]

It won't even be published until October, but DESPERATE SOULS, the first sequel to PERSONAL DEMONS, has already scored another positive review, this one from Booklist, which is actually an important magazine in the industry:

Desperate Souls.

Lamberson, Gregory (Author)

Oct 2010. 270 p. Medallion, paperback, $14.95. (9781605421704).

Not quite a year after he defeated a serial killer, vanquished a demon, and lost the love of his life, ex-cop Jake Helman, introduced in 2009’s Personal Demons, has set himself up as a private investigator. When a woman comes to him with a seemingly impossible story—her dead grandson is dealing drugs on the street—Jake discovers that a drug kingpin is using zombies to take over New York City. Proving that the first Helman novel wasn’t a one-off fluke, Lamberson (who’s also written the werewolf novel The Frenzy Way, 2010) serves up another helping of action, horror, and supernatural mayhem. As in Personal Demons, it’s Jake’s own journey that provides the story’s dramatic anchor—with all this otherworldly stuff going on, Jake’s efforts to save the life of a friend provide a nice counterpoint. Another fine novel
from this increasingly interesting writer.

[WIL]

On October 1, 2010 Jake Helman battles zombies. I hope he gets addicted to heroin and Jim Beam at some point. Cocaine is boring!

[Greg Lamberson]

Oct. 15th.

He gets a new drug in book 4.

[Larry]

Hey...we missed you at Horrorfind!  We were bummed you couldn't make it out.  We made it to your scheduled reading time too, didn't think that was going to happen, it took forever getting into the damn hotel!   Kinda sucked they screening Slime City Massacre last on Sunday, we had to leave by 1:00 on Sunday so we didn't catch it. 

[WIL]

Why isn't Isle of the Damned showing at the film festival?

[Greg Lamberson]

This week (Oct. 15th) my new novel DESPERATE SOULS: THE JAKE HELMAN FILES comes out.  It's the best thing I've ever done.

Fucking buy it.

Or don't.

Larry: Yes, I canceled on Horrorfind.  The film festival notified me we were accepted one WEEK before the event.  How the hell is someone supposed to make plans on a weel's notice?  Lame.

WIL: Is that for me?  WHat's ISLE OF THE DAMNED?  My guess is it's not showing because it was never submitted to me!

[WIL]

It was for both of you. I never suggested it because I don't think it met the requirements, but looking at the lineup you need more features.

[Greg Lamberson]

Like a lot of festivals, I divided the program into "blocks" so that people can pay $5.00 to sit there for 2 hrs or 2 1/2 hours if they don't want to pay $14 to be there all day.  Most blocks consist of 1 short and 1 feature.  Some are 2 shorts and a feature.  One is 3 shorts, oanother is 2 features.  We're showing 33 films, and if you count feature length documentaries, 14 of them are features (12 if you discount the docs).  Also, a lot of the shorts are in the 30 - 50 minute range.  Some festivals lump all of their shorts into 2 hour blocks, but I wanted to break the schedule up.  I love programming,.  You ruined my morning.  What food do you want in the house?  Bring warm clothes.

[WIL]

I hate blocks of shorts. It is better  just play them before each movie, or not have them at all. Yeah I guess there are 14 features. When I first looked at the schedule it seemed like it was all shorts. Probably because that awful orange background blinds me and gives me a headache! I just want to see John Renna's masterpiece, and Emil's movie. I can't wait!

[Greg Lamberson]

We won't be going with orange on the website next year.  What can I say?  I'm not in charge of design.  I do like th e Buffalo head.  There are so many beautiful Buffalo designs on eveything around here that I love that we have this big ugly thing sort of giving everyone the finger.

We've got some really good films showing.  You should sit there and watch them all, but I'll give you the rundown on what not to miss.

[Greg Lamberson]

Here's a great article on Buffalo Screams which appeared in Artvoice, Buffalo's weekly alternative newspaper:

http://artvoice.com/issues/v9n41/buffalo_screams

Glad that WIL is making it.