Sinister Grin Press titles are on sale for the rest of the month. You can pick up BRAIN DEAD BLUES for 0.99c ($1.33) HERE, and I'll have physical copies at Horror Expo Ireland on the 29th. I'll also be doing a reading from the collection at some point in the evening, and hope to see some of you there. 
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Happy to announce I'll be at Horror Expo Ireland 2017 alongside Ramsey Campbell, David J Skal, Jake West and many more. Early bird tickets are already SOLD OUT, but standard tickets can be purchased here. I'll have copies of both BRAIN DEAD BLUES and WHAT DO MONSTERS FEAR? for sale at the event. See you there.

Some reviews and blurbs (so far) for BRAIN DEAD BLUES. Out now on Sinister Grin Press

"In BRAIN DEAD BLUES, Matt Hayward shows that he is one of horror's most distinctive new voices. This collection is full of evocative storytelling, vivid characterizations, and fresh takes on old tropes. Do yourself a favor and read it." - Bryan Smith

"Matt Hayward is a fresh, new voice in horror. With BRAIN DEAD BLUES, he’s put together a delightful assortment of chills, in some ways a sampler of his larger works in future publications." 5/5 - Alan M Clark

"Many writers can bring horror, but only the outstanding bring horror so subtle that the monster is hugging your shoulders or sitting on your chest before you've realized your spine is chilled or your hair stands on end. Mr. Hayward's horror is terrifying, implacable--and possibly the subtlest I've ever read." 5/5 - The Haunted Reading Room

"We need more voices like Matt Hayward's in the horror genre. I can't wait to read more of his work." 5/5 - Tim Meyer

"Grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the end. Can't wait to read more from Mr. Hayward." 5/5 - Steve Wynne

"As an accomplished musician, there is a palpable rhythm and pacing to Brain Dead Blues. It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it…until one of Hayward’s strange creations pops up and scares the shit out of you." 5/5 - Rob Errera

"... how many writers can say they have it? Well, I think Matt Hayward does." 5/5 - Unnerving Magazine
"It is clear that Matt will be one to watch in the horror genre, and I for one am looking forward to his future books." 5/5 - David Murphy

"This short story collection is amazing!" 5/5 - CedarhollowHorrorReviews

"Not content to conquer the rock music world via Lace Weeper and his own phenomenal solo work, Matt Hayward has now turned his attention to dark fiction, and how much richer we all are as a result. Brain Dead Blues is everything you’d expect from a rock star turned horror writer, documenting not only facets of the music world but also the darkness that can result from obsessions both creative and violent. I have long been a fan of both the music and the man behind it. Now I’m a fan of his writing too.” - Kealan Patrick Burke

"a terrific collection that all horror fans should take a stab at. Grab a copy, and get ready for a great ride." 4/5 - Glenn Rolfe

"I've read it, and recommend it very, very highly." - Brian Keene

"A tremendously entertaining collection." 5/5 - Russell Coy

PRACTITIONERS - a new novel by myself and Patrick Lacey, coming summer 2018 on Blood Shot Books
When Henry Stapleton's wife Julia is murdered, suspect Richard Prescott is arrested and tried for the killing. Except the answer isn't so simple. It seems Prescott was working for a man named Paul White, a real estate mogul who's recently opened up a Reiki Healing Center in Bellview, Henry's hometown. Experiencing hallucinations that are far more than simple grief, Henry, along with his partner George Patrick, embark on an investigation after more murders begin to occur around town. Despite his dislike of pseudoscience, desperate for answers, Henry takes lucid dreaming lessons through the healing center. The deeper he travels into his nightmares, the more he learns his reality may not be as concrete as he'd thought. He sees images of his late wife. Julia resembles her old self, before her murder, and she's hell bent on leading him in the direction of Paul White, who, it turns out, may not exist after all. Though his name appears on his properties, there is no evidence of his birth, no social security number, no means of tracing anything. White is a Practitioner, and Henry may be on his way to becoming one as well, but not without cost.

(Photo credit to backpackerverse -- not official artwork)

Reviews are coming in strong, and I couldn't be happier. This month has been awful, I lost one of my best friends (you can hear a tribute on the latest episode of The Horror Show With Brian Keene), and one of the only things getting me through this is the response of very kind readers. Thanks to everyone for supporting this novel.

"Hayward keeps it lean and tight, delivering the gore in spectacular fashion. If you yearn for the days of Tales From The Crypt, and love movies like Demons, Fright Night, then What Do Monsters Fear? should be right at the top of your reading list. Huge fun and exactly what I wanted to read." 5/5 - TheGrimReader

"I'm going to go ahead and say this is a must read, with strong potential for it to be on my favorite books to come out this year list." 5/5 - UndivineInterventions

"I highly recommend this book to fans of horror, The Thing, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest!" 5/5 - CedarwoodHorrorReviews

"Definitely a must-read for genre junkies who crave throwback horror with a strong taste of originality." 5/5 - Tim Meyer

"... one thing I really appreciate about authors like Stephen King and Philip K. Dick is they make mundane characters and situations interesting. Matt Hayward does this pretty well and I look forward to seeing him develop this talent in the future." 5/5 - Nate Bjork

"It has everything a supernatural read should have, monsters, mania and more." 4/5 - LydiaLovesBooks

"Matt Hayward is one to watch in the horror genre and this book just further cements that idea. Overall an excellent book, one of my, if not my overall, favorite books this year." 5/5 - David Murphy

"... a brilliant situational environment in which to unleash the supernatural!" - Edward Lee

What Do Monsters Fear? released this past weekend, and my deepest thanks to everyone who came by the Post-Mortem Press table at Scares That Care and picked up a copy. You guys made that weekend what it was, and I honestly can't thank you all enough. If you weren't at Scares to grab a copy, you can get one on Amazon, the Google Store, iTunes, anywhere that books are sold. Paperback and eBook are available, and I've included a link HERE. Again, thank you all.

Pre-orders went live for What Do Monsters Fear? this week, available here. Next month I'll be at Scares That Care in Virginia for the release, signing at the Post-Mortem Press table alongside Mary SanGiovanni, and I'll also be on a couple of panels. See you all there. What Do Monsters Fear? releases July 23rd.

Unbelievably humbled to be a part of Clickers Forever: A Tribute to JF Gonzalez. I originally wrote a non-fiction piece titled 'Finding Jesus' that I ultimately scrapped. It cut too close to the bone and I wasn't willing to submit it. Instead, I wrote a story involving the infamous Clickers here in Ireland. And let me tell you, writing for the franchise that got me started writing myself was just surreal. Clickers is the reason myself and Melissa started Fright Club, wanting to share new horror fiction with an irish readership. It's why I decided to write in the first place, like discovering Nirvana as a teenager and picking up the guitar... anyway, here's what to expect:
Introduction – Brian Keene
Captivity – J.F. Gonzalez
That Goddamn Grin – Robert Bob Ford
Vanilla Sunshine – Jonathan Janz
My Own Personal Jesus – Wayne Allen Sallee
Clickers vs. Mandibles: The Tale of an Unwritten Saga – Jeff Strand
Bangers and Mash – Matt Hayward
On the Contributions of J.F. Gonzalez to Horror Literature – Mary SanGiovanni
A Birthday Party for Jenny Too Good – Gord Rollo
Books With Bite – Jonathan Maberry
Moist Air – Adam Cesare
Algorithms of the Heart – Mike Oliveri
WWJD: Collaborating with J.F. Gonzalez – Wrath James White
At the Corner of Flanders and Phillipsport – Michael T Huyck Jr.
Only One Way to Write the End of the Individual: J. F. Gonzalez’s The Corporation – Nick Mamatas
Surfing Is My Life: Fear and Loathing on the Northern California Coast – Gene O'Neill
Belief – Lesley Conner
Dark One Into that Darkness Peering – Stephen Kozeniewski
Grab – Jay Wilburn
A Bad Influence – Robert Swartwood
The Survival of Horror: A Tribute to J.F. Gonzalez’s Survivor – Matt Serafini
For You, Anything – Wesley Southard
Night Run – Kristopher Rufty
Back from the Dead – Mike Lombardo
My Own Private L.A. Gangsta – Weston Ochse
Bleeding Through – Charles R Rutledge
Gracias, hermano: a letter to a man I never met – Gabino Iglesias
TBA – Monica J. O'Rourke
Ten Secrets to Survival Clickers Don’t Want You to Know (They Really Hate Number Six) – Jeff Burk
Throwing Books – Dave Thomas
Ku Klux Clickers – Wile E. Young Connor Rice
Garage Clicker – John Urbancik
Jesus and the Splatterpunks: An Oral History – David J. Schow, John Skipp, and Brian Keene
Clickbusters – Amber Fallon
To the Bitter End – Kyle Lybeck
Complications Of – Kelli Owen
El Paso – J.F. Gonzalez

1st May 2017, and my first ever book has been released. I can't thank everyone enough for their help and support. Last week I received a nomination from Penguin Books for Short Story of the year, and while I didn't win, I did get to go to a fancy hotel and eat fancy food. However, the release of this collection and the fact that Sinister Grin Press took a chance on me, means more. I hope you'll enjoy it.

“Not content to conquer the rock music world via Lace Weeper and his own phenomenal solo work, Matt Hayward has now turned his attention to dark fiction, and how much richer we all are as a result. Brain Dead Blues is everything you’d expect from a rock star turned horror writer, documenting not only facets of the music world but also the darkness that can result from obsessions both creative and violent. I have long been a fan of both the music and the man behind it. Now I’m a fan of his writing too.”
- Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TURTLE BOY, KIN, and SOUR CANDY

"In BRAIN DEAD BLUES, Matt Hayward shows that he is one of horror's most distinctive new voices. This collection is full of evocative storytelling, vivid characterizations, and fresh takes on old tropes. Do yourself a favor and read it."
- Bryan Smith, author of DEPRAVED, 68 KILL and SLOWLY WE ROT

Buy it now here

My debut collection Brain Dead Blues will be out 1st May via Sinister Grin Press and I caught up with them here to talk about the cover. To pre-order now, click here