The Hell Gate Saga Will Continue To Be Published

For those of you who are fans of the Hell Gate saga, please do not worry. I'm committed to the series and WILL finish the saga. The only changes will be the series will be self-published (I'm working with great editors from Burning Willow Press to make sure the quality of the series remains the same) and will be under my true name, Scott M. Baker. 

Look for the series to be re-released in its entirety in 2020. 

Until then, you can follow me and keep tabs on my upcoming projects, conventions, and shenanigans by joining my fan page, Scott Baker's Demon Hunters.

The Hell Gate Saga Is Now on Authorgraph

For those of you who have Kindle versions of Hell Gate, Wasteland in Red Square, and Rise of the Sataners, I have added these books to Authorgraph. Anyone who wants to add my autograph to their book can pick it up on my Authorgraph writer's page.

Reviews by Nyx Review of Wasteland in Red Square

Stephanie Herman of Review by Nyx recently gave Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga a five-star review.

"Do you have the courage to help save humanity?

"I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories and the Hell Gate Saga does not disappoint! Wasteland in Red Square takes us to Russia where Jason and his team go to close the second Hell Gate only to find out their job is far from over.

"Matthews gives us copious amounts of blood, gore, and Hell Spawn in this action packed second installment. He also gives us love and compassion for mankind. This group of survivors are putting their lives on the line for humanity, a world that honestly won't remember the sacrifices they make. But it's not about recognition, it's about doing the right thing. And I think that takes more courage than anything."

A Great Deal on the Hell Gate Saga

Right now on Amazon you can pre-order the kindle version of Rise of the Sataners: Book Three of the Hell Gate Saga and pick up the Kindle versions of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square all for $5.97. It's a Hell of a good deal, and you don't have to sell your soul to get it.

The Kindle Versions of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square Are on Sale!!!!

In preparation for the 4 August release of Rise of the Sataners: Book Three of the Hell Gate Saga, Burning Willow Press has lowered the price of the Kindle version of the first two books in the saga -- Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square -- to $.99.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to catch up on the series before the third book comes out. 

However, this offer is only good until Friday, so be sure to pick up your copies now or you'll regret your actions like those poor souls consigned to the Underworld.

Check Out My Interview With Darkness Dwells

Please check out Episode 105 of the Darkness Dwells podcast. Michael and Jason interviewed me about the Hell Gate saga and writing in general. Here's your chance to find out what inspired me to write Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square, how I pick the locations for the novels, and where I get the concept for my demons. And be sure to listen in to find out my secret identity.

Post-Apocaltptic Playground's Review of Wasteland in Red Square

Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga received a phenomenal review from Katrina of Post-Apocalyptic Playground. Katrina said: "It’s a strange phenomenon, but the continued character development for Book 2 was exemplary. Not to mention, there are twists and turns that take place in Book 2 that take a military style adventure novel and turn it into a fantastical quest." You can read the entire review here.

REMINDER: I'll Be Attending Authors Night By the Sea 15 April

This Sunday, 15 April, I'll be signing books at the Author's Night By the Sea event sponsored by the New England Authors Expo. The event is from 2PM to 6PM and will be held at the Red Hook Brewery at 1 Red Hook Way in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I'll have available for sale copies of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga. 

The event is free to the public, so come and meet with the more than thirty-five writers and publishers who will be at the event. And drop by my table to get your books signed or just to say hello.

Results of the Annual Preditors and Editors Readers' Poll

The official results for the Annual Preditors and Editors Readers' Poll are in. Wasteland in Red Square tied for 14th place with several other writers in the Horror category.

I want to thank all my fans who voted for me. Your support is much appreciated.

The results for all categories can be found here.

I Want To Be a Preditor or a Nutsy

If that Headline didn't get your attention, than nothing will.

For fans of Wasteland in Red Square and all the other fine Burning Willow Press books, you can drop by TBK Magazine until 11 February and vote for your favorite novel in the 2018 Nutsy Awards. Please cast your vote here because I would love to be able to say I won a Nutsy. 

While I'm begging for votes like a politician, only five days left to vote for Wasteland in Red Square in the Preditors and Editors Annual Readers' Poll. My fellow horror aficionados, if I win, I promise three more books in the Hell Gate saga and a demon in every pot. You'll read so much you'll be tired of reading.

Thanks.

Wasteland in Red Square Has Been Nominated for an Award

Wasteland in Red Square has been nominated for the best horror novel of 2017 in the Annual Preditors and Editors Readers' Poll. The voting runs from now until 14 January 2018, and you can vote once a day in each category. You can vote for Wasteland in Red Square here.

I would greatly appreciate your support. Many thanks.

Only a week left in the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Charity Event

Only a week left in the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Charity Event. Give a friend a treat for the ho-ho-horrordays by gifting them a copy of Hell Gate or Wasteland in Red Square. Or treat yourself because you deserve it. And help the Reach foundation at the same time. Many thanks, and Merry Christmas.

My Interview with authorsinterviews

This last weekend, Fiona Mcvie of authorsinterviews posted a Q&A she recently conducted with me. She asked some very insightful questions about myself as well as about Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square. You can read the entire interview here. 

Photos Related to Wasteland in Red Square -- Demon Concept Art

This week's photos are the most interesting of the series because it will be dealing with the concept art and ideas that went into developing the Hell Spawn. [WARNING: There are spoilers in this blog post, so if you have not read the book be forewarned.]

I was on two minds whether to add dragons among the hordes of demons pouring from the Hell gates because I didn't want the books to seem like fantasy novels. I decided to include them because I needed Hell Spawn capable of inflicting mass casualties. They will only appear in Wasteland in Red Square. This was the artwork on which I based my dragons.

For Wasteland in Red Square, I wanted to up the ante and introduce Hell Spawn much more terrifying and destructive than the soul vampires from Hell Gate. When I stumbled across this piece of artwork, as well as the next two in this posting, I developed the concept of the ravagers. I think they are one of the most evil demons I've come up with... so far.

When I was developing the demons that would guard the portals, I came up with the concept of using Golem, the animated anthropomorphic protectors of Jewish ghettos. However, I wanted mine to be much more intimidating and powerful than the man-sized guardians from Hebrew folklore. To give the Golem a more gruesome appearance, I changed them from being created from inanimate material, such as stone, to being a compilation of human body parts. I stumbled across the above artwork while researching other demons and decided to adopt the basic body design for my own Golem, although those that appear in Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square have significant differences. The process on how the Golem are created will feature prominently in the next book in the series -- The Rise of the Sataners.

Are the Nachzehrer zombies? Not in the traditional sense. I liked the concept of hordes of shambling dead roaming through the countryside and attacking the Hell Gaters en masse, but did not want to turn my book into a zombie apocalypse novel. So I created the Nachzehrer as the desiccated bodies of those condemned to Hell who come back to wander Earth because this is the realm they know. Yes, they eat human flesh, which is what makes them dangerous, but they do not have the other attributes of a zombie -- they are not rotting away, and being bitten by a Nachzehrer does not mean you will die and come back as one.

Day 10 of the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Event

Today is Day 10 of the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Event to benefit Reach. I'll be donating 20% of net royalties from all copies of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square sold between 1-31 December. This is a great chance to do some Christmas shopping and support a good charity (and help out a struggling writer in the process).

Photos Related to Wasteland in Red Square -- Steam Locomotive to Siberia

These photos are of the steam engine used to transport the Hell Gaters to Lake Baikal in Siberia.

This photograph of an old Russian truck converted to rail use inspired the idea of General Zhirinovsky converting buses into makeshift steam engines to travel to and from Moscow.

The 1950s Soviet-built LV locomotive that Major Svetlana Krayevsky used to transport the Hell Gaters to Lake Baikal.

The dining car that Svetlana converted into her command car.

 

Jason's quarters on the train.

While researching Wasteland in Red Square, I discovered this image of a German armored train from World War II. It gave me the idea to have an armored LV locomotive lead the rail convoy to Siberia.

The routes for the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

REMINDER: I'll Be Particpating in the Books 4 the Next Gen Christmas Event

Throughout December, I'll be participating in the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Event to benefit Reach, the United Kingdom-based charity helping children with upper limb differences live lives without limits. As part of the event, I will donate 20% of net royalties from all copies of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square, paperback and Kindle, sold between 1-31 December.

Photos Related to Wasteland in Red Square -- Moscow's Underground Complex

These photos are of the underground bunker complex that the Hell Gaters use to sneak into Red Square.

Stalin ordered a secret bunker complex built under Moscow to serve as the government's nuclear war command post, and which connected all parts of Moscow and select locations in the suburbs.

 

 

 

The hall beneath the Kremlin where those to be saved would be greeted and registered

The blast doors leading into the reception hall.

  

One of the underground tunnels.

A tunnel leading to the VIP quarters in the underground complex.

A photograph of Lenin's corpse being maintained before being placed back in its sarcophagus.

Photos Related to Wasteland in Red Square -- Red Square and Lenin's Tomb

After I published Hell Gate, I posted a series of blog entries providing photos and images that inspired the novel's locations and demons (Mont St. Michel, St. Mere Eglise and Falaise, Paris, and Hell Spawn Concept Art}. As with Hell Gate, I have been fortunate to have visited most of the major locations in Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga. To bring Wasteland in Red Square alive for my readers, every Wednesday for the next four weeks I'll be posting blog spots with photos related to the locations described in the novel and/or concept art about the demons. I hope you enjoy these.

These photos are of Red Square and Lenin's Tomb.

St. Basil's Cathedral (left) and Savior Tower (right), the major entrance to the Kremlin, on the southern border of Red Square.

The State Historical Museum on the northern border of Red Square. This is the building in front of which the Hell Gate opened.

GUM Department store.

Inside GUM Department store.

Lenin's Tomb.

Inside the main vault of Lenin's Tomb.

Close-up of the sarcophagus with Lenin inside.

 

The portable nuclear device used by General Budenny's forces in Red Square.

I'll Be Particpating in the Books 4 the Next Generation Charity Event

This December, I'll be participating in the Books 4 the Next Generation Christmas Event to benefit Reach, the United Kingdom-based helping children with upper limb differences live lives without limits. As part of the event, I will donate 20% of net royalties from all copies of Hell Gate and Wasteland in Red Square, paperback and Kindle, sold between 1-31 December.

There are numerous other writers participating in this charity event, all of whom will be donating portions of their royalties to Reach. This is a great opportunity to do your holiday shopping early, support us authors, and do something kind that will benefit a good charity. It's better than being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve.