The Wovel and Kealan Patrick Burke

Last Thursday saw the launch of a new small press publisher entering the field of horror. Underland Press books' website went live on May 29th.

Underland Press itself has several authors already under contract with the first book expected in the winter of 2009. However, you don't want to wait until then before you visit their website because, if you hurry, you just might catch the first chapter of their wovel.

Yes, I said wovel.

"What is a wovel?"

"Well it's . . . different. Yeah, it is different. It's a web-novel."

Ohio author Kealan Patrick Burke is the author of a very different kind of undead story titled The Living. Each week he delivers an installment of the novel and at the end of the installment, we get to vote on what happens next.

It's like the old choose your own adventure stories. Whatever we vote for, we're stuck with and so is Kealan. He has to take the result and write the next leg of the story. For more information on this exciting project, check out their information page.

I read the first installment of The Living and cast my vote.

The first vote looks like a simple decision but it makes a profound impact on the wovel and on the main character. I can't say more without spoiling the story but trust me when I say it took me fifteen minutes to make my decision.

Once I cast my vote I got to see which choice was winning and by how much. Wanna know who's winning? You'll have to read the installment and vote if you want to find out -- I'm not giving anything away here. Underland Press is extending the vote, until July 16th, to give people a chance to discover the wovel.

Go. Read The Living. Vote. You'll be glad you did.

Afterwards check out the The Underland Press mission statement and then take a look at the first books they've got lined up for publication. And visit Kealan Patrick Burke at his website: Kealan Patrick Burke.com.

(Based on a post in . . . With Intent to Commit Horror)