Ronald Kelly has been a professional in the horror field for a long time. From his humble beginning as a writer for a critically disdained publisher to his emergence as a reader's favorite writer of independent horror, Kelly has seen the highs and lows a midlist author goes through in the course of a decades-long career.
Southern Fried & Horrified is a combination of memoir and how-to guide to being a survivor in an arena that chews up writers and spits them out. Ron has hit great highs as an author with multi-book contracts, but he has also felt the insecurity of unstable markets and personal uncertainty.
Some of my favorite parts of Southern Fried & Horrified chronicle Ron's childhood and the catalysts that brought him to a lifetime of love for all things dark and fantastic. Particularly moving was his account of his last hurrah as a kid young enough to trick or treat on Halloween.
Many of the details of Ron's youth rang true with my own experiences. We are contemporaries who grew up in the monster-heavy 1960s and 1970s. We both come from working class backgrounds.
Ronald Kelly went on to be one of the most beloved writers in our peculiar little genre. He gives solid advice for those with ambitions to follow in his footsteps. Don't expect highfallutin' fancies here, folks. Ron is a meat-and-potatoes man who talks straight. Just as he writes.
There is a lot of joy in the pages of Southern Fried and Horrified. There is heartbreak and sorrow. Kelly is painfully honest at points. He almost gave it up, and he walked away from writing and horror for a number of years. That may have been to his benefit, because he came back stronger than ever.
Ron also talks about the balance he has found between faith and horror. It hasn't always been easy for him, but it's inspiring to read about how he found a happy place for his heart and soul.
I've always liked the work of Ronald Kelly, and Southern Fried & Horrified makes me like it, and the man behind it, even more. This book goes down easy, like a cold glass of sweet tea on a hot afternoon. It's like sitting around a fire with a friend. Maybe passing a spot of 'shine, or just talking. Sharing the stories from a life that is still going strong.
I think Ron is here to stay, and we are lucky for it. Sure, we can read literary writers like Straub and Campbell, and I adore those guys, but sometimes I like a good old story like I used to read in horror comics way back when I was a little boy. Ronald Kelly gives his readers a fun, unpretentious, good time with everything that carries his byline. Southern Fried & Horrified, his first nonfiction book, is no exception.
Written by Mark Sieber
Southern Fried & Horrified is a combination of memoir and how-to guide to being a survivor in an arena that chews up writers and spits them out. Ron has hit great highs as an author with multi-book contracts, but he has also felt the insecurity of unstable markets and personal uncertainty.
Some of my favorite parts of Southern Fried & Horrified chronicle Ron's childhood and the catalysts that brought him to a lifetime of love for all things dark and fantastic. Particularly moving was his account of his last hurrah as a kid young enough to trick or treat on Halloween.
Many of the details of Ron's youth rang true with my own experiences. We are contemporaries who grew up in the monster-heavy 1960s and 1970s. We both come from working class backgrounds.Ronald Kelly went on to be one of the most beloved writers in our peculiar little genre. He gives solid advice for those with ambitions to follow in his footsteps. Don't expect highfallutin' fancies here, folks. Ron is a meat-and-potatoes man who talks straight. Just as he writes.
There is a lot of joy in the pages of Southern Fried and Horrified. There is heartbreak and sorrow. Kelly is painfully honest at points. He almost gave it up, and he walked away from writing and horror for a number of years. That may have been to his benefit, because he came back stronger than ever.
Ron also talks about the balance he has found between faith and horror. It hasn't always been easy for him, but it's inspiring to read about how he found a happy place for his heart and soul.
I've always liked the work of Ronald Kelly, and Southern Fried & Horrified makes me like it, and the man behind it, even more. This book goes down easy, like a cold glass of sweet tea on a hot afternoon. It's like sitting around a fire with a friend. Maybe passing a spot of 'shine, or just talking. Sharing the stories from a life that is still going strong.
I think Ron is here to stay, and we are lucky for it. Sure, we can read literary writers like Straub and Campbell, and I adore those guys, but sometimes I like a good old story like I used to read in horror comics way back when I was a little boy. Ronald Kelly gives his readers a fun, unpretentious, good time with everything that carries his byline. Southern Fried & Horrified, his first nonfiction book, is no exception.
Written by Mark Sieber
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