Ilona's World

Issue 3 of the English version of Greek magazine Universe Pathways includes one of my short stories . Universe Pathways is a Greek magazine dedicated to science fiction, fantasy and horror literature, cinema and art . The magazine also has an English-language version . Here's the purchase link for this one: http://www.lulu.com/content/507517

Wicked Karneval Issue 7 includes a poem of mine . ( She's a Star. ) It's a monster story. Creepy, scary, funny and absolutely wicked. Visit the WK website: http://www.wickedkarnival.com/ The last issue of Wicked Karnival (130 pages) featuring... Edward Lee - Wrath James White - John Everson- Graham Masterton - Ramsey Campbell - Greg Lamberson and many more ... A magazine full of ' tales that will truly disturb and haunt your soul, forever! '

(Press Release) From renowned special effects artist Kevin VanHook (I, Robot, Daredevil) comes a new excursion into the beating heart of evil with the October 3 rd DVD release of Voodoo Moon from IDT Entertainment's Anchor Bay Entertainment . Starring Charisma Carpenter (TV's “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) and Eric Mabius (Resident Evil ), Voodoo Moon promises viewers a horrifying journey into the netherworld of satanic rituals and voodoo rites ! SRP is $19.98 and pre-book is August 23rd. Distribution pre-book is September 5th. Twenty years ago, a demonic massacre in a sleepy Southern town left two young siblings as the lone survivors . But for adult Cole (Eric Mabius) and his younger sister Heather (Charisma Carpenter) , an obsession with their parents' satanic slaughter has lasted a lifetime. Now through Cole's psychic connection with a group that includes an outlaw biker ( John Amos , “The West Wing”, DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER), a traumatized cop ( Jef...

The latest issue of Calenture, A Journal of Studies in Speculative Verse with its review of my book, Unearthly Companion is now online. Read it here .

I've just read that the world's first ever blood wrestling event will be held at Genghis Con II (in Pittsburgh). Beautiful women (actresses) will be wrestling in stage blood . How funny is that? I hope the girls will get lots and lots of publicity. They surely deserve it. Bloodwrestling in bikinis? That must be great fun, both to watch and to do. This is a great idea for a horror con. More info: www.genghisconpa.com

This is a new site with lots of radio shows , and all come as free downloads . There's one for sci-fi fans, Sherlyn Meinz reads from " All My Aliens ", her Sci-Fi Soap Opera Series. There are also many other shows on m usic, history, politics, astrology, news, humor and many more . Check it out at http://www.spoxtalk.com

Here's my review of Eugie Foster 's Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart (Scrybe Press 2005). It contains two excellent vampire stories .

Read the interview at Xpatloop. This time it's not even about writing. I was asked about things like jobs, likes, dislikes, travels, Hungary, Budapest, food , etc. and you can also find out about my personal motto , if you read it.

My review of Mike Philbin's Jane's Game is up at Novelspot . Read it here This is of interest to horror fans only. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

I've found this interesting interview at BellaOnline

Issue 2 of the English version of Greek magazine Universe Pathways includes one of my poems (A Dying One) . (It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion ). You can get a copy of the mag here .

Here's the text: Novelspot talks to Ilona Hegedus http://novelspot.net/node/1970

I've just read Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart by Eugie Foster . This is a chapbook with two vampire stories, good ones, and I'll review this one, too.

From now on anyone can leave a comment , there's no need to have a Blogger account. However, there's still word verification, (as this is the way I try to reduce comment spam).

It's very hot here in Budapest, and I haven't done much lately. I've read a few books including Mike Philbin 's Jane's Game . I loved that one. (I'll post the link here when my review appears at Novelspot.) I've been reading some blog posts by friends, too, and I received A LOT of emails. I also wrote a few more poems , and I updated the European Reader website. (There are quite a lot of links to sites with poetry now.) I'm trying to lose weight again. Basically, that's all for now. Music: Godsmack, Korn .

This is just great. Try it, if you have the time. Here's the URL: http://www.mp360.com/index_eng.php

Writers and magazines . See my Links page .

Last weekend I met Ian Watson at Gateway Con and he's quite nice. You probably know that he's a science fiction writer. I read three of his poems , the ones that are included at his website , and they are just great. I know many of you are interested in poetry, so here's the link. You can read the poems here . Btw, I am just about to read his novel God's World .

I've been listening to a lot of Danzig lately. I got the last three albums (Satan's Child, I Luciferi and Circle of Snakes ) and I just love them . You can believe me when I say that they are good, as I've been a Danzig fan for more than ten years. Album 6 and 7 are great and as sexy as ever (esp. No.6.), whereas I was a bit disappointed with album 8, Circle of Snakes , when I first listened to it. This is the one which is supposed to be the big return to the roots, though at times I feel that the music and the lyrics are just a bit too simple after such poetic ones as those on 4. However, I realized that my main problem with the album was just that there's a bit less erotica included , at least in the first half of it, than what we are used to from Glenn , our Evil Elvis, who continuously plays the role of the ultimate bad guy , the sort of demonic lover that women like to phantasize about so much . (Yes, they do. Just show me a woman who does not think that Angel or...

I've just realized, that I've been so busy that I haven't posted anything personal for a while. So I'll try to make up for it. As for my writing, there was an unfortunate break, but I've just started to write again. As for getting published, I'll soon have a poem in Issue 7 of Wicked Karnival horror magazine . Info on the mag at: http://www.wickedkarnival.com/

On July 11 th IDT Entertainment's Anchor Bay Entertainment , the acknowledged industry leader in horror DVD programming, presents the DVD premiere of The Garden , the latest exercise in terror from the fertile mind of acclaimed writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell (“The A Team”, “Hunter”, “Profit”, “21 Jump Street”). Starring Lance Henrikse n ( Aliens, Near Dark ), Claudia Christian (“ Babylon 5,” The Hidden ) and Sean Young ( Blade Runner, Stripes ), The Garden digs deep into the greatest fears of civilization itself and will take viewers on a mind-bending journey, possibly to the end of times! Seeded with a bushel of value-added bonus features including audio commentary from the director and exclusive behind the scenes footage, The Garden promises a harvest of thrills for the casual and ardent “horror”-ticulturalist! SRP is $19.98 and pre-book date is May 31st. Sam (Adam Taylor Gordon) is a boy with big problems: he is besieged by nightmare s (sometimes religious in natur...

This time, at Novelspot . Nancy Louise wrote some really fabulous things about me and my book . Things like 'Nothing is safe from her probing pen. This is one wonderful work that has been printed and has thankfully not been left in the dark drawer.' and also 'Get Unearthly Companion and enjoy the stories. For even better enjoyment, read them out loud.' Read the review here . You can buy the book here . (Paperback)

I moved the English-language site to a new location , (next to the Hungarian one, though probably just temporarily). The URL that takes you there is the same: http://www.ilonahegedus.com

Its traffic has exceeded the limit and it has been shut down. (Temporarily.) Both good and bad. :-)

Some of you probably noticed that the previous post was a press release. You might find this strange, if you visit this site regularly, as I usually do not include ads or media releases. I included this only because bloggers are contacted as a part of Anchor Bay's grassroots campaign, and I was also contacted . I was asked to pass this on and the movie seemed interesting enough, so I did it.

Here's Anchor Bay Entertainment's press release on the horror movie Cemetary Man and its DVD release . (I was asked to pass it on.) It sounds really intriguing. Great horror films are like zombies – the best ones always come back! On Tuesday, June 13th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, an IDT Entertainment company, will release the eagerly-awaited U.S. DVD premiere of Cemetery Man , one of the most requested horror titles of the last decade . Revered by consumers and industry critics alike for releasing classic and cult horror films, Anchor Bay continues that tradition for Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore ) with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, and resurrected with a SRP of $19.98. Directed by Michele Soavi , Cemetery Man stars Rupert Everett ( My Best Friend's Wedding and the voice of Prince Charming in Shrek 2 ) as Francesco Dellamore, a cemetery caretaker who finds that his seemingly dead-end job has recently become a little harder. Along with his sidekick Gnag...

The 2006 Nebula Awards winners include Joe Haldeman, Kelly Link, Carol Emshwiller , and Joss Whedon . Holly Black won the Andre Norton Award which was created for young adult SF/F novels. More info .

Nominations for this year's Rhysling Awards for SF, fantasy, and horror poetry have been announced. The list of nominees is a very long one. SFPA publishes a yearly anthology with the nominated poems. Congratulations to all the poets nominated.

I know many of you like poetry, so here's another link for you. Visit Violette L. Reid 's website . New poetry and short stories are included each month. I've just read that her poetry book, VIOLETTE ARDOR will soon come out.

This is a fantasy story by Bill Snodgrass . It's very different from what I usually read and recommend to you, but check it out and see if you like it.

Read my review of Frank Zafiro 's crime novel, Under A Raging Moon at Novelspot . The book will be released in June, but it is well worth waiting for.

It's my name and it's a .com domain name for my website : http://www.ilonahegedus.com . (The site remains at the same place, but you can also get to it using this URL.)

I included two photos and a cover image .

Happy Easter to Everyone!

Two contests have been running simultaneously. One for subscribers of my newsletter and another one for visitors of the TCM Reviews website. Copies of my book, Unearthly Companion were sent to the winners ( Bbbcwebb, Chris and Belinda ).

Those of you who read these posts a lot and those who have read some of the things I wrote, must know by know that I really like genre-crossing . For those of you who also like it, I recommend Scott Sigler's work . He has a free podcast of several of his novels . I listened to the first one, Earthcore and I really enjoyed it. It starts as a sort of horror story, then turns into a sort of action/crime , and ends up as science fiction story, and it's really good writing. I still haven't got the paperback version, but I think the podcast was a really good introduction to his writing, as he's a very good performer. His site is at: http://www.scottsigler.net/ .

You still have a few more days to vote at Locus Online, where there's also a poetry poll this year. The voting goes on until April 15. You can find the poetry poll here . As for the best poem of 2005 cathegory, please nominate a poem of mine , if you think I might deserve it. Here's the list of my published ones . (Remember, you have to chose from the 2005 column). Thanks a lot for taking the time to vote, Ilona

Visitors of the TCM Reviews website can win a pdf copy of my book,Unearthly Companion. Details here .

A gothic poem of mine, A Dying One has appeared in Greece. It was published in the Greek version of Universe Pathways magazine, though it has not been translated into Greek. This poem will also appear inthe English-language version of the magazine. (It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion).

The ebook version of my book can no longer be purchased at the eBookAd website. (Several authors have experienced difficulties in getting their royalties from that company and I decided not to sell the book there ...)

My review of Steve Lazarowitz 's science fiction novel Confronting The Void is now up at the Novelspot website. Read it here . (Keywords: sci-fi, adventure, psychic bond, fears, human psyche .)

I've just created a new website . It's still at the old storage space, but it looks much better. URL: http://ilonahegedus.topcities.com Feel free to send me your comments , ( see my email addy below , on the right side.) I'll soon create a Hungarian version, too.

My book has just received two more reviews and both are good ones. Muse Book Reviewer Lea Schizas wrote nice things like 'A great read all around' . Glenda Woodrum wrote: 'This collection of poems was a true pleasure to read and I recommend it heartily to lovers of genre poetry.'

Ameasha Brown has reviewed my book, Unearthly Companion for Girlposse.com : 'If the reader enjoys the macabre and dark fantasy then I would definitely recommend her book " Unearthly Companion ". '

A vampire poem of mine, Mistress Awaited has just appeared in the in the 2006 Spring issue of Night To Dawn vampire magazine.

I've just read and reviewed Confronting The Void by Steve Lazarowitz for Novelspot . I'll post the link here soon.

Visit Mike Resnick's blog for an interesting article on the subject.

Adam La Rusic has won the Baker in the Best Poem for 2005 cathegory ("Jim And The Reaper Grim"). Congratulations, Adam! See the list of winners in the March Expressions .

I've just seen the results for The Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2005 , and I'm included in the top 10. Twice. ( I'm No 7 in the poet cathegory and No 9 with a poem 'Trial' ). European Reader is No 13 in the ezine cathegory, and I am No 22 as ezine editor . Thanks for all of you who voted for me.

The first chapter of Frank Zafiro's forthcoming book , " Under A Raging Moon ," is now available as a FREE download from his website . (There is also an Audio Book version , narrated by Dan Nachtrab . You can also download the first chapter in mp3 format.) Knowing his earlier works, I'm sure this novel is worth waiting for.

I'm so glad. My poem, Clarissa has been nominated for the James B. Baker Award in the Best Poem for 2005 cathegory . This poem first appeared in the in June 2005 issue of Between Kisses , then later in my book Unearthly Companion (October 2005).

My gothic poem , a " A Dying One " will be published in Universe Pathways, (in the 3rd issue of the Greek version and in the 2nd issue of the English version of the magazine). It's a poem from my book, Unearthly Companion .

I haven't had a lot of time to post lately, but I think it's time to revive the It's Monday Again column . (On Monday, each week, I used to give an account here of the work done on the previous week. So this is what I'll do.) I have several new projects , but I'd like to tell you about only one of them, which is really completely new. Several reviewers and readers pointed out, including some writers, that the stories told in my poetry book Unearthly Companion would also make good stories if they were told in prose . I've been thinking about this for a while, and gave it a try yesterday, and I wrote a short story based one of those in the book. And it felt good. I'm not sure I will create a prose version for all the stories, but I really enjoyed writing this one, and I'd like to do some more. This one is a horror story and a really creepy one . I hope you'll have the possibility to read it someday.

There's a voting going on at Locus Online , and there's also a poetry poll . https://secure.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/2006PoetryPoll.html You can vote for the best poem of 2005 , and there's also a best speculative poem of all tim e cathegory. (Some recommended titles are also included.) This is a new thing and people in SFPA (Science Fiction Poetry Association) are really enthusiastic about it. I also think that it is important to keep this cathegory alive, so please go there and vote , if you have the time. As for 2005, please vote for a poem of mine, (if you think I might deserve it). See the list of my published ones here. Some of them are online and you can read them here . Thanks a lot, Ilona

I have asked you to add a rating to my poems, but people keep telling me the form is not working. I was told that this is probably a browser-related problem. (It certainly applies to Firefox and certain versions of IE.)

Two short poems from my book Unearthly Companion have just appeared in the Winter issue of Muses Review . You can read them here . (Please rate them, if you like them.) Muses Review also wrote some nice things about the book . They call it ' A unique collection of poems for your library. '

I've just seen the movie version of Aeon Flux . It seemed a bit weak at the beginning (simplistic and overly-didactic), but later on I just came to like the characters . There's some good acting there and there are developments on the part of the characters. People and their situations also turn out to be very different from what it seems at the beginning. There's a lot of action, and there are definitely some scenes that were made to impress, but many things in them go unexplained. (But I haven't seen the series...) For some of them, you get an explanation later on, though. There are some action scenes that looked a bit stupid for me , but, on the whole, it was an entertaining movie that was worth watching .

The book is entitled The Blackburn & Scarletti Mysteries, Volume I and it's a good one. Read my review of it at the Novelspot website. Here .

The voting for the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll award has just started. You can vote for me in the poets cathegory and you can also vote for a poem of mine at the poems page. 'Trial ' has already been nominated but you can suggest another one if you like. (You can also vote for the European Reader website in the following cathegories: nonfiction zine , ezine editor .) A big big Thank You for your support .