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Today it's my turn to open up my blog to the horrific carollers from The Chainsaw Gang, a group of UK horror writers pursuing their dream of reaching Christmas Number 1 with a bloody tune named 'The Twelve Deaths of Christmas'. This group of authors have been revealing a new verse of their ghoulish carol every day and will keep going until Simon Cowell begs them to stopfor twelve days at several book blogs. So far they've visited:
On the First Day...My Favourite Books
On the Second Day...Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
On the Third Day...Narratively Speaking
On the Fourth Day...Wonderous Reads
On the Fifth Day...The Book Zone for Boys
Anyone who aims to keep the X Factor gang out of the top spot gets my support, so today they'll be falalalaing around here.
Throughout the tour they've also been answering some interesting, well thought out questions about horror, writing and inspiration. I am now in full Christmas shopping panic mode, so the only question I could get out was 'What do you want for Christmas?'. What? It's a good question. It's Santa's question.
First let's see what bloody gift this group would have your true love offer up in sixes. Get out the pipes Chainsaw Gang, time to hit the high notes.
The Twelve Deaths of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me.
A corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the six day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
My question to the Chainsaw Gang:
As Christmas is rushing towards us and this is a Christmas tour could you tell me which books you're looking forward to receiving as presents this year?
John Mayhew
The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland by Stephen Roud, The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys by Jennifer Westwood . Which all sounds a bit dull and not very scary but there are some great tales in there and I love having lots of reference stuff to dip into other than the net!
William Hussey
I’ve read every mythos story he wrote, but I really want that big leather-bound Lovecraft Necronomicon. I’ve also requested the recent Stephen King novella collection and I’ll be spending my tokens on Barry Hutchison’s latest Invisible Fiends book. I think John Connolly is the true heir to Stephen King, so I’ll be picking up his latest Charlie Parker novel, and I think that’ll do me nicely.
David Gatward
Er… I already got it! The complete works of HP Lovecraft; a leather covered beauty, heavy enough to beat a whale to death. It’s astonishing! You open the covers and it takes you to a strange library, an open fire, and a large wing-backed seat on which to read it. I think…
Stephen Deas
At heart I'm a fantasy author, and what I'm crossing my fingers for is an advance copy of the next Scott Lynch and the next Pat Rothfuss. We shall see...
Sam Enthoven
Not horror exactly – unless you count moral horror at the books' eponymous antihero's gleefully vile behaviour! – but I'm currently collecting lovely old hardbacks of the amazing Flashman novels by George Macdonald Fraser. I'm hoping to find one or two of those under my tree. Tentacles crossed!
Sarah Silverwood
Gosh, there are always so many books to choose from. I quite like to get surprises...However, having just finished Dan Simmons' The Terror, I'm hoping I get another one of his to read. Or maybe Under the Dome by Stephen King. I always think Christmas should be about big books - the kind you can curl up in front of the fire with for hours while munching on Quality Street.
Alexander Gordon Smith
To be honest, I’m happy with whatever books I get as pressies. I rarely ask for specific books as I think it’s really interesting to see what books people choose for you – it can tell you a lot about what they think of you! Also it’s great when you get a book you’ve never heard of, or would never normally consider reading, and it turns out to be absolutely brilliant. Having said that, on my wish-list this year is anything by Lovecraft (I leant out my collection years ago and never got it back) or some of Ramsey Campbell’s earlier novels, or Joe Kane’s new Night of the Living Dead book, or the Collected Short Stories of Saki, or… The list is endless!
On the First Day...My Favourite Books
On the Second Day...Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
On the Third Day...Narratively Speaking
On the Fourth Day...Wonderous Reads
On the Fifth Day...The Book Zone for Boys
Anyone who aims to keep the X Factor gang out of the top spot gets my support, so today they'll be falalalaing around here.
Throughout the tour they've also been answering some interesting, well thought out questions about horror, writing and inspiration. I am now in full Christmas shopping panic mode, so the only question I could get out was 'What do you want for Christmas?'. What? It's a good question. It's Santa's question.
First let's see what bloody gift this group would have your true love offer up in sixes. Get out the pipes Chainsaw Gang, time to hit the high notes.
The Twelve Deaths of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me.
A corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
On the six day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.
My question to the Chainsaw Gang:
As Christmas is rushing towards us and this is a Christmas tour could you tell me which books you're looking forward to receiving as presents this year?
John Mayhew
The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland by Stephen Roud, The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys by Jennifer Westwood . Which all sounds a bit dull and not very scary but there are some great tales in there and I love having lots of reference stuff to dip into other than the net!
William Hussey
I’ve read every mythos story he wrote, but I really want that big leather-bound Lovecraft Necronomicon. I’ve also requested the recent Stephen King novella collection and I’ll be spending my tokens on Barry Hutchison’s latest Invisible Fiends book. I think John Connolly is the true heir to Stephen King, so I’ll be picking up his latest Charlie Parker novel, and I think that’ll do me nicely.
David Gatward
Er… I already got it! The complete works of HP Lovecraft; a leather covered beauty, heavy enough to beat a whale to death. It’s astonishing! You open the covers and it takes you to a strange library, an open fire, and a large wing-backed seat on which to read it. I think…
Stephen Deas
At heart I'm a fantasy author, and what I'm crossing my fingers for is an advance copy of the next Scott Lynch and the next Pat Rothfuss. We shall see...
Sam Enthoven
Not horror exactly – unless you count moral horror at the books' eponymous antihero's gleefully vile behaviour! – but I'm currently collecting lovely old hardbacks of the amazing Flashman novels by George Macdonald Fraser. I'm hoping to find one or two of those under my tree. Tentacles crossed!
Sarah Silverwood
Gosh, there are always so many books to choose from. I quite like to get surprises...However, having just finished Dan Simmons' The Terror, I'm hoping I get another one of his to read. Or maybe Under the Dome by Stephen King. I always think Christmas should be about big books - the kind you can curl up in front of the fire with for hours while munching on Quality Street.
Alexander Gordon Smith
To be honest, I’m happy with whatever books I get as pressies. I rarely ask for specific books as I think it’s really interesting to see what books people choose for you – it can tell you a lot about what they think of you! Also it’s great when you get a book you’ve never heard of, or would never normally consider reading, and it turns out to be absolutely brilliant. Having said that, on my wish-list this year is anything by Lovecraft (I leant out my collection years ago and never got it back) or some of Ramsey Campbell’s earlier novels, or Joe Kane’s new Night of the Living Dead book, or the Collected Short Stories of Saki, or… The list is endless!
And, of course, I’d quite like anything by the Chainsaw Gang!
Pop back tomorrow to find out what other members of The Chainsaw Gang are looking forward to receiving. I'll also be revealing a (and easy to enter) competition, funded entirely by the very generous gang, as well as that seventh verse of the Twelve Deaths of Christmas. I think Cole and Cowell should be worried y'know.
Pop back tomorrow to find out what other members of The Chainsaw Gang are looking forward to receiving. I'll also be revealing a (and easy to enter) competition, funded entirely by the very generous gang, as well as that seventh verse of the Twelve Deaths of Christmas. I think Cole and Cowell should be worried y'know.
