A Few Words From Sal Conte

Well, well, well….

How is everybody?  I’m new to blogging, so bear with me.  I am about to tell you a horrible truth about a man some of you have come to love, the owner of this blog—E. Van Lowe.  As some of you may know, my career started long before E’s did.  I published the horror novel Child’s Play back in 1984.  I followed it with The Power a few years later.  My books were selling well.  E seemed really happy for me.

Then one day he comes into our apartment and tells me he just landed the dream job, the start of a dream career.  He landed a writing gig at Universal television.  He was going to be writing TV shows.  I knew E had been trying to get into TV for some time.  I was happy for him.  I was so happy that I said “Let’s go out and celebrate.”

It was late afternoon when we took that long drive out the Pacific Coast Highway.  The setting sun glistening off the ocean was so beautiful.  E pulled the car alongside a deserted stretch of road and said “Let’s take a walk on the beach.”  I should have known there was something amiss.  E is not is not a big fan of the ocean.  But I figured it was a celebration.  He just wanted to stand on the beach, enjoy the sunset and bask in his glory.  Didn’t realize he meant it to be my sunset.

We took our shoes off and walked out to the water’s edge.  The surf nibbled at my toes.  It was a moment of triumph.  I was a successful author of gruesome horror, and my pal had finally gotten his break in TV.  That’s when E said: “It ends here, Sal.”

“You mean the days of eating top ramen for dinner every night?” I asked smiling.

“Yes. But more than just that.  It all ends here.  YOU end here.”

I was flabbergasted, at a loss for words.  I was E’s alter ego, the one with the cajones to get him this far.  He could not have hung in there long enough to land that TV gig without me at his side.

“I’m leaving you here, Sal,” he said.  “We had a good run together, but I’m starting a new life, and there’s no room for horror in that life. I’m a comedy writer now.  See ya.”

I watched as E turned around and headed back to the car, leaving me standing there, my toes in the soup.  That was 25 years ago.  E went on to have a very exciting career writing TV and film.  Then six months ago a knock came at his door.  “Hi, E, how’ve you been?”  This time it was him who was flabbergasted.  "That was a long damn walk," I said entering his palatial estate.

I will spare you the gory details of the big fight.  All you need to know is, I won. Despite what E has been telling everyone, Sal Conte is not dead--far from it.  In fact (thanks to some arm-twisting), I’m back with my very own page on E’s website, and some brand new horror to shock your heart and scare the bejesus out of you. 

First off, I am rereleasing (in ebook form only) my 1980s horror classic Child’s Play.  Not the lame-ass Chucky movie, but the original Child’s Play.  I am also releasing (ebook only again—sorry) a brand new short story, The Toothache Man, both in time for Halloween.  Check out the playful yet gruesome cover I chose for the short.

Neato, right? The price is right, too.  So if you like good horror you need to check me out.  E is hoping that you won’t, that you’ll leave me to die the slow death he had planned for me.  But I know that everyone has a dark side, and what better way to serve that dark side than by reading a gruesome horror story.  Right?   Prove E wrong.  Don’t leave me here to die… again.

E: I guess here is where I am supposed to thank my guest... which is hard to do since he pretty much told you I left him for dead.  Anyways, that's my horror writing alter ego, Sal Conte.  You'll be hearing more from him as we get closer to Halloween. In the mean time, if you'd like to find out more about Sal and his upcoming releases go here: SAL CONTE'S PAGE. You can also follow him on Twitter @SalConte1

Peace.