J. P. Moore

An Abandoned Schoolhouse Workers found this tintype in the...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:41:19 -0500

An Abandoned Schoolhouse

Workers found this tintype in the basement archives of the Eliza Stephens College in Jamesport, Rhode Island after a fire in the mansion housing the college destroyed much of the special collections. The subject and date of the image are both unknown, but many suspect this to depict a schoolhouse that once served communities of impoverished immigrants living on the edges of the salt marshes spreading north of the city.

The “Marsh School” ceased to operate after a flash flood claimed the lives of a teacher and nearly one dozen children in 1876. Swamp dwellers thought the ruins, which remained standing into the 20th century, to be haunted by the ghosts of those victims.

A Mysterious Shipwreck M’Lass was an early steel-hulled...

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:46:00 -0500

A Mysterious Shipwreck

M’Lass was an early steel-hulled fishing barque constructed in the late 1880’s. Her captain, Hubert Juniper, was uncharacteristically well-educated and well-spoken among the ranks of New England fishing captains. His popularity with the young ladies of Boston certainly contributed to the public attention surrounding the barque’s launch from Providence, Rhode Island in 1889. A young, handsome captain of a technologically-advanced ship in a profitable industry—it was a perfectly American story.

That optimism turned, however, when the barque failed to put into port after several months at sea. A search ensued, but came up without any leads. The dark New England sea had blunted hubris by claiming yet another ship.

All had forgotten about Juniper and M’Lass until October 25, 1890, when the residents of Jamesport, Rhode Island woke to find the barque beached just north of the wharf. All hands were gone, but the ship showed curious signs of habitation—plates set with now-spoiled food in the galley, clothes spilling from chests, and ropes dropped to the deck as if in mid-pull.

A scrap of newspaper from The Jamesport Jubilee,...

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:53:00 -0500

A scrap of newspaper from The Jamesport Jubilee, 12/26/1957.

Demolition crews discovered the clipping in a trunk in the basement of 12 Admiral Way, Jamesport RI—a property leased to Ms. Allison Popper in October 1957. Popper, who was known to have occult affiliations, is thought to have penned the sigil that appears below the tower. Ms. Popper committed suicide early the following year by jumping from Executioner’s Rock into the Jamesport Bay.

The meaning of the sigil, and the reasons for her suicide, remain a mystery.

But what is one more mystery?

Catch my appearance on the H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast!

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:14:00 -0500

Missing my voice? Hear me read selections from H. P. Lovecraft’s “Winged Death” with Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer on the H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast!

Scott Purdy brings us another character from The Old God, my...

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:42:00 -0500

Scott Purdy brings us another character from The Old God, my work in progress. Meet Sam, an old wizard who channels death warrants to Jacob, servant to the mysterious dark force that rules the salt marshes.

Sam was there, sitting on his crate beside a struggling fire in the entrance of his cave. One black tooth, scars across a broken nose, the beard of a crazed prophet—still, Sam’s eyes were keen. He already had the smooth plank over his lap, waiting for Jacob. The old wizard smiled and laughed. His fetid breath through the rot of his gums made Jacob’s stomach turn. It was a horrible smell, as if everything below the old man’s gullet had dissolved into decay.

Two short women stood behind him. They had rough faces and dark hair. They were thick, mountain women from some deep Eastern European fog. They must have fed on gruel and pork fat, and a healthy dose of folklore. Their eyes sat slightly too far apart. Blotches blossomed on their cheeks in some strange pattern. They moved in jerky fits, as if they were uncomfortable with their own joints. They answered to Sam’s barks, which were not English but shot in a language that banged rough on the back of his tongue. One of these women brought the beaten leather bag.

Just inside the cave, two men cut fish and chopped wood. Jacob could only see them in shadows. Hoarse cries of invisible children bounced from deep within the cavern.

Sam reached into the bag and lifted the cards. He placed these on the board and presented his palms.

“You know what to do,” he said. His accent was thick. Russian, or something like it.

Jacob reached for the deck. It was warm, soft with wear. He cut the deck into two piles. Sam lifted the first card of the lower pile. He held it in front of him, looking at it, before lowering it. A man sat upon a throne between two pillars. The man was kingly, wearing blue robes with red trim.

“Interesting,” Sam said.

He paused for a moment. Jacob raised an eyebrow. It was always interesting, but Sam would eventually tell him the name. That would be the end of that man sitting between the pillars.

“This card,” Sam said. “He is a guide, a leader, a teacher. He is a most important man, but he, like the others, has tread where he should not. So, you must do what you do. You must bring me proof of your deed.”

Jacob nodded. The whole transaction wanted to be a ritualistic, responsorial thing. Jacob had no patience this morning. He did not feel jaded. He knew that he had important work to do, and that he would receive a handsome reward. But, the pomp, the script—why these cards and this old man? Why Papaya’s bird bones? Could there be no better way for the Old God to communicate with Jacob?

Sam cleared his throat and continued.

“This card typically refers to someone who gives advice. Someone who answers questions. This is a scholar and a professor at the college for women.”

“Right here in Jamesport,” Jacob said. This was a pleasant turn. “Who is it?”

“A man who can answer questions that most have not yet considered. He is a man who has seen things in Africa and South America. I am beginning to see his name.”

“Tell me.”

Sam shot him a harsh look. Jacob stumbled back a step and straightened his coat. He took a deep breath.

“Patience,” Sam said. “It is coming.”

The old man closed his eyes and hummed.

“Thomas,” he said. His eyes snapped open. “Dr. Thomas … Rutledge. He is noteworthy in his field. He must be stopped. It should be easy to find him. Bring me his black notebook.”

Jacob nodded.

“Thomas Rutledge.”

“Yes,” Sam said. “This one is most important. Make haste.”

Jacob turned and walked from the old man, back toward M’Lass and the wharf. He wondered, if he were to turn again, if Sam would still be there. Would the women be there? The cave? No matter. Sam had named the victim. That name filled Jacob with a purpose, at least for this day.

“His Last Monster,” the latest short fiction from J....

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:52:00 -0400

“His Last Monster,” the latest short fiction from J. P. Moore, appears in When the Hero Comes Home. Grab your copy now!

Heroes come in a thousand guises, and so do stories about them. The only survivor of a war struggles to return to a home that doesn’t exist anymore. A rebel leader loses everything she fought for and must start from scratch. A hero who has fought for her village her whole life must retire into obscurity without ever being known for her deeds. A starship returns to an Earth that is much changed, yet too much the same. A soldier is haunted by the very thing that saved his life. And King Arthur returns in Albion’s hour of need.

Dark fantasy. Urban fantasy. Political intrigue. Science fiction. From the horrific to the heartwarming. Introducing 19 pulse-pounding tales, by luminaries and great new voices.

Scott Purdy is at it it again! Meet The Historian, a character...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:49:00 -0400

Scott Purdy is at it it again! Meet The Historian, a character from my work in progress, The Old God.

Here’s more about The Old God:

Jamesport, Rhode Island, 1895: listen in the alleys and you will hear whispers of the city’s mysteries. Strange beings slumber in the salt marshes. Viking runes, sigils of some forgotten magic, appear at low tide near the wharf. A ruined stone tower of unknown age and purpose stands in the city square. Do not speak too loudly of these mysteries, lest the Old God send his servants to silence you. Fear Jacob, the most loyal and gifted of these assassins. Peer into his eyes, however, and you may see a hint of doubt. You may sense in those eyes what you have known all along—that the world is about to turn itself upside down.

The Historian squats in the abandoned marketplace, across from Jamesport’s wharf. His insanity keeps him occupied. He speaks as three people, each with a different voice. But he knows everything. His voices tell stories from before the millionaires came, before even the Portuguese and, it seems, the original settlers ejected from Massachusetts Bay in the 17th century. The Historian has encyclopedic knowledge of the region’s oddities—the strange Viking writings near the wharf, the mysterious ruined tower in the center of Jamesport, the skeleton in medieval armor that emerged from the muck of the salt marshes, and much more.

The Historian sat atop a mound of fish skeletons, each perfectly cleaned of meat by vermin. He hissed and leaned into a shaft of light. Jacob rarely saw that face, and shuddered whenever he did. The Historian had been burned, once. His skin was stretched and splotched, as if it had melted. He had no eyes, no nose, no hair. He was a mouth and empty sockets wearing burlap sacks. His arms and legs twisted in strange directions, like one of Ida’s tortured dolls. The limbs had all fallen off and young Ida had sewn them back on herself, though in the completely wrong positions.

TOOTHLESS takes the gold!

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:07:00 -0400

ForeWord Reviews has bestowed a gold medal upon Toothless, declaring it 2010’s best horror novel from an independent publisher!

Congratulations to Gary Lee Vincent and K. Patrick Malone, and all of the other winners!

Official results are here.

Many thanks to Gwen Gades, Gabrielle Harbowy and the rest of the crew at Dragon Moon Press. Toothless wouldn’t have gone this far without you!

And Scott Purdy. Toothless grew, in large part, from the inspiration I found in his art.

When the Hero Comes Home is now available! Featuring “His...

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

When the Hero Comes Home is now available! Featuring “His Last Monster,” a new short story by J. P. Moore. Grab the print or ebook edition on Amazon now!

Announcing ...

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Announcing The Old God, the next genre-bending and innovative novel by J. P. Moore!

Jamesport, Rhode Island, 1895: listen in the alleys and you will hear whispers of the city’s mysteries. Strange beings slumber in the salt marshes. Viking runes, sigils of some forgotten magic, appear at low tide near the wharf. A ruined stone tower of unknown age and purpose stands in the city square. Do not speak too loudly of these mysteries, lest the Old God send his servants to silence you. Fear Jacob, the most loyal and gifted of these assassins. Peer into his eyes, however, and you may see a hint of doubt. You may sense in those eyes what you have known all along—that the world is about to turn itself upside down.

Enjoy a special preview of this work-in-progress in the Toothless feed (Episode #26), or download the file direct to your computer or device here. Thanks to Chad Fifer of the H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast for lending music to this special episode!

Stay tuned here for news and updates about Toothless, The Old God, and other work by Yours Truly!

Toothless, the zombie apocalypse novel by J. P. Moore, is now...

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Toothless, the zombie apocalypse novel by J. P. Moore, is now the ForeWord Reviews 2010 Book of the Year in Horror. Publishers Weekly calls Toothless ”moving, intriguing, and highly entertaining.” Learn more about Toothless.

Dark: A Horror Anthology, featuring two chilling stories by J....

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dark: A Horror Anthology, featuring two chilling stories by J. P. Moore—grab your copy now!

A Toothless bonus!

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Bonus interview! Gabrielle Harbowy, Associate Editor of Dragon Moon Press, sits down with J. P. Moore to discuss reading, writing, and bringing Toothless to print! The 2009 podcast sensation is now available as a trade paperback and ebook from Dragon Moon Press!

If you’re already subscribed to the Toothless podcast, you’ll get this interview as episode #25. If not, you can download it here. Or, subscribe now!

And, while you’re still in the mood, listen to Moore’s interview with Rhonda Carpenter and Brian Rathbone over at PodioRacket’s Blog Talk Radio show!

Enjoy!