James Roy Daley

About me:

Well let me tell you...

After playing music forever I decided to go to film school and the strangest thing happened. I fell in love with writing. Now I'm cranking out the stories and what's even stranger is the fact that I'm getting published. You may be asking yourself, how the hell did that happen? People don't just 'get published' do they? In most cases, no, they don't. I got to be honest with you - I don't rightly know what happened aside from the fact that I focused on the craft and not on getting noticed. But at this point, my first novel is distributed through 1100 stores, I've signed several book deals and things are going in the right direction. And what's really cool is the fact that my writing style is improving, even if my spelling is sometimes in question.

What are the odds?

Well... apparently they're pretty good as long as you stay true to what you know. And what I know is horror.

I remember sitting in my brother's room when I was five. I had the lights turned off and a blanket pulled up to my eyeballs and guess what I was watching? 'Salem's Lot. It scared the balls off me and it made my hair stand on end but I loved it. I loved all the horror stuff from day one. My favorite cereal was Count Chocula, my favorite cartoon was Scooby-Doo and my favorite comic book was Creepy.

Now I'm here.

Seems like some things never change.

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Favorite Quotes - Here are a few of my favorite The Dead Parade quotes, by friends, family, fans, and the industry:

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I am absolutely in love with The Dead Parade. This book has so many twists and turns and so much conflict, you just can't believe your eyes. As far as I'm concerned, James Roy Daley is far better than Stephen King and I can not wait to read more. If you buy this book you won't regret it. It will scare the demons out of you.

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More than just savagery and gore and a rather impressive body count, The Dead Parade has a well-crafted story with parallel threads that knit together, a mood that will stay with you for days after you finish it, and fleshed-out characters--both appealing and repellent--who don't seem disposable. We get to know every person who crosses paths with James and the demon, and even get to like some of them, so it's even more disturbing when they are disposed of.

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And then there's what we all came for--the violence. The truly horrific violence. People die in creatively detailed, graphically described ways. Lots of them. Lots of people; lots of ways. There are some very funny moments, and those moments make the violence that follows so much more horrific. The violence, the amount of it, and the particularly inventive goriness of it feels like an avalanche--you can't stop it, you can just hope that you'll get out without too much damage. But you know you will be damaged.

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I started reading The Dead Parade one evening, and finished it the next morning at 5 a.m. because there was no place where it slowed down enough to stop reading. With engaging characters, an intriguing exploration of evil, and an insane pace, James Roy Daley ties you to the tracks and drives the train right over you, in the best way possible.

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James Roy Daley is a sick freak, a twisted talent who must not be stopped...can't wait for the next book!

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No prisoners! Not one character in this book comes through unscathed or unchanged in some way or another. Not a single one! From the nosy neighbors to the gung ho cops to the villains ... everyone in this book sees or experiences horror in some unimaginable form or another. I made the mistake of starting this book pretty close to the time I normally go to bed. I made it through most of the book before I slept because I couldn't put it down. It sucks you right in and it moves at a breakneck pace. James Roy Daley is relentless and, I believe, a sadist. I think that Satan himself whispered this book into James' ear and he typed it out to send us scurrying for the imagined safety of our beds!

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I could not put this one down. Daley has received a place on my bookshelf right up there with Clegg, Lee and Barker.

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"The Dead Parade" reminded me a little bit of "Falling Down", as the world threw every possible evil at the leading man until he became the bad guy, which he couldn't quite believe. It also reminded me of "Run Lola Run", as you can nearly hear the clock ticking, driving you forward - pacing, running, then rocketing you faster through the story until the book slams shut. But that was the change, and the chase. As for the actual horror itself... I can't even... good grief. The sudden graphic details and brutally descriptive scenes... the word "horror" just doesn't contain enough syllables or weight. I was scared. I was scarred. My brain felt bruised.

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I was afraid to put this book down because it might eat me in my sleep.

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This book gave me nightmares! I finished it the next morning over breakfast. Needless to say, I may not be revisiting that brand of cereal for a while. If you love fast paced stories, truly evil villains and flawed antiheroes this is the book for you. This one goes beyond terrifying. Way beyond.

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The Dead Parade actually grabbed me the way Laymon's books used to (before I read them all...) It is one of the few books recently that I actually couldn't put down. Probably one of the best first novels I have read, up there with Damnation Game (Barker) and Heart Shaped Box (Hill). Seriously.

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I just finished the book. I loved it! I really love the writing style, especially the use of foreshadowing and flashbacks. I also love the flow of language ...almost stream of conscious but not quite. I was thoroughly entertained...I was scared, disgusted, excited and generally couldn't wait to see what would happen next!

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I really enjoyed this book, from the first page to the last, 'cause it had me.... right from page one, it had me. The novel was fast, frantic and blood-crazed...just how I like 'em! The main character is a likeable guy who does do horrible things, but I still felt for the guy! The inner monologues were relevant and well set-out. I read until I couldn't keep my eyes open last night, then woke up this morning and finished it off straight away...I HAD to find out what was gonna happen. Well written, well researched and explained, I also feel this is one of the best first novels I have read in a loooong time (maybe ever), and hope that James is working on more. I want MORE Daley!!! I HIGHLY recommend this one to all you Mallites, and will be reviewing it on myspace for all to see. BUY THIS BOOK and READ IT! Do it NOW!!!!! (I know I have said this a few times, but the quality of writing I have found in my recent reads has just been awesome, and James Roy Daley is no slack hack...this guy can really turn up the horror!

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Holy **** what a ride!!!!! The book was kick ass!! It was sick and disturbing, yet I was laughing throughout the whole damn thing. My favorite line was by Moore....."I'll cut your throat and call it happiness" Brilliant!!

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From page one this book will grab you and not let go. Daley creates believable characters in a believable world. They do things that we only *wish* we could do. The action is non-stop and the gore is top notch. This is by far a stellar debut by a tremendous writer who you can only expect more good things from in the future.

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Pick up The Dead Parade today and clear your calendar because you'll be reading it in one sitting.

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Dead Parade is like the film ‘Run Lola Run’, but horror.

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James writes with the quickness and fast paced style of some of my personal favorite authors in this genre (Richard Laymon and Edward Lee). The intensity starts off on page one and James does not allow you to catch your breath until the final word. The Dead Parade is a fast paced interpretation of true Evils (yes, plural) and how they could show themselves in this World. James builds a main character who commits such inhumane acts, yet still evokes sympathy from the reader. Causing a conundrum over who the reader should be cheering for... with an ending that does not disappoint.

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I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of horror or someone who might want to dabble in it. The development of the supporting characters is clever with unpredictable twists that will keep you guessing what is next. The Dead Parade is one of my personal favorite debut novels in this genre that I have read. Start it on a day or night in which you have nothing planned.

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All I can say is WOW!!!!! The action (horror) starts on page 1 and just keeps climbing. This reads like a big-budget Hollywood movie (and a movie of this would just ROCK) and the pace is just FRANTIC! Damn glad I picked this up, and cannot recommend it highly enough, even though I am nowhere near finished yet. It has grabbed me by the cojones and won't let go! Buy this, read it, and then try to tell me it's not a fucking great book!

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Like the horror version of the movie CRANK.

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I was amazed at how fast paced it was while at the same time giving so much depth to the main character who I felt for even while he was doing some actions that weren't quite "nice" (I loved the inner monologues as well). I read this book in one day mainly because I could not put it down. There was just no spot where I felt like I could just take a break, because I always wanted to see what would happen next. Hats off to you. I feel this is one of the best first novels that I have read IMHO. I have recommended it to all of my friends around me, and I would also suggest it to those at the (horror) mall too. I will pick up anything else that James puts out in the future.

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It's hard for me to believe that this is Daley's first novel! He spins a wicked tale of a day gone seriously, SERIOUSLY wrong. It's very fast paced and sucks you in from the first page. The book is sick, twisted, and brilliantly clever! The dialogue that the main character has with himself in his mind throughout the book is insanely comical. James takes us on a ride with this book that can only be described as the snowball effect from hell!! Can't wait for more from Mr. Daley!

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James Roy Daley's debut novel is a whirlwind of blood, guts, violence. It takes the reader down an insane path, giving no sympathy, taking no prisoners, and basically obliterating anything that might translate into a hope any person found on these pages will ever find peace or redemption. From the most minor character to the main guy James we are provided ample reason to sympathize, empathize, and comprehend who these people are but then we get to see them all tossed into the blender that is the madness that tracks down everyone it touches. The violence is indiscriminant, completely unshackled, and entirely remorseless.

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For a first book this one is quite well done, with developed characters and good dialogue that entertained and kept me involved in this book the whole way through. The author rams this story down your throat, with no mercy and no apologies. It is a full out gore drenched ride from start to finish.

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This is a bloodier and sicker book than most big publishing houses would touch, but since I like that sort of thing, I'm not complaining. The book is well-paced, and the characterization is primarily realistic and believable. There is lots of action in this story about a regular guy who has an extraordinarily bad day. There are no great morals or messages in this tale. It is just a well-told story about a rather grizzly day for some very unlucky people. If you like tales of the bizarre, sick and twisted paranormal events, I can heartily endorse this fascinating saga! But read it alone. You can never tell what's going to happen to the person next to you!

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