Steve Stred's Blog, page 28
February 17, 2023
3Q’s – Tommy B. Smith doesn’t want to be bored while lost!
Today’s guest was an author whom I connected with after reading his phenomenal novella ‘The Mourner’s Cradle: A Widow’s Journey’ a few years back. It rocked my world and is a story I still think of often. From there, we’ve been huge supporters of each other’s work, so I was so excited when he agreed to stop by and do one of my 3Q’s!
Welcome Tommy!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Tommy: A short time after the first draft is complete, I begin the revisions, essentially the first round of edits, and the most extensive. It’s after this point that I take some time away from it. A short period to reflect on the piece often proves beneficial, after which time, I revisit the manuscript from a slightly different angle for the next pass.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
Tommy: I’ve gleaned so much along the way. Perhaps I should have worked with some experienced editors in the earlier stages, a step which might have assisted me in honing my craft earlier on, rather than to have developed my skills along the bumpy road I traveled instead. At the same time, I don’t regret that journey one single bit. I’m the writer I am now because of it.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Tommy: Anybody Want to Play WAR? It’s an oddball entry in my catalog of work, since it doesn’t fall into the horror genre. Instead, it’s a coming-of-age novel that peels deep into the layers of the St. Charles setting, which I’ve also explored in books such as Poisonous and The Mourner’s Cradle. It’s the most nuanced tale of anything I’ve done so far, and the characters resonated with me in a strong way.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
Tommy: In the mountains. I actually enjoy exploring the mountain regions, whereas being lost on a seemingly endless expanse of water sounds rather dull.
Steve: Excellent decision! Thank you so much for doing this, Tommy!
To find more of his work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tommy-B.-Smith/author/B008WTNZHG
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PenOfChaos
Website: https://www.tommybsmith.net/
February 16, 2023
3Q’s – Michelle River is gonna take her f&cking time with it!
Something I get a lot from people, in comments or DM’s/emails, is the ‘how do you find the time?’ Whether it’s about reading, writing, or posting stuff, it comes up often. When it gets asked, I usually think of folks like today’s guest. Michelle River is the driving force behind Eerie River publishing. Not only that, but she’s also an accomplished author, creator of Book Box Canada AND a wife and mother. So, I don’t think I have as much going on as others, especially Michelle. I don’t have to edit works, design covers, contact places to sell books, organize book events, package, and ship sub boxes etc etc. I got it easy!
So, it is with great pleasure that I welcome today’s guest! One of the hardest working women in dark fiction!
Welcome Michelle!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Michelle: My writing is as hit and miss as it can get. Between Eerie River Publishing commitments, developing edits, setting up book fairs and markets and now the Book Box Canada, my writing time is shoved violently in the minutes between dusk and dawn.
Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?
Michelle: Jesus Steve, what a question! This is going to be a two-part answer. First, I would lovingly take that bad boy to bed and read through it over and over again until I had memorized every word and the pages had taken on my scent. Then, and only then, would I call the heirs to the estate and let them know what I “just discovered in that antique chest of drawers I purchased six years ago”, and see what they would like to do. It isn’t my call. But I would take my fucking time with it first.
Steve: Tell me about your newest release and why someone should read it!
Michelle: I have nothing new, but I DO have something coming out in 2023. It is called “Rotten House” and it will be published in 2023. It is a psychological/paranormal horror of a woman’s descent into madness after she inherits her mother’s hoarder house and begins to declutter it.
You should read it because it is going to be fantastic. This one is really personal to me in a few different ways. Although not by any means based on real life, is inspired by family and friends. It tackles grief, mental illness, and abandonment, in a way that only horror can. With brutality.
Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?
Michelle: Cries silently into her cold cup of black coffee in shame. I have to admit something. I do not read comics. Yes, I have seen Marvel and DC movies, and yes, I have even tried to read comics growing up, but they weren’t and aren’t for me. I wouldn’t even know where to start!
However, a superpower? I can give you this one. I would want the ability to heal any injury or disease to myself and others. Not necessarily an “immortality” power, but one that would potentially make a longer life?
Thanks for having me. I apologize for the swear words.
Steve: Thank you so much, Michelle!
To find more of her work and Eerie River Publishing’s work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michelle-River/author/B07WKKB3Z5
Eerie River Website: https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/
Book Box Canada Website: https://www.bookboxcanada.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EerieRiver
February 15, 2023
Book Review: Lure by Tim McGregor
Title: Lure
Author: Tim McGregor
Release date: July 18, 2022
Ok, I’m going to get a huge ‘negative’ right out of the way to focus on everything positive. I – Steve – am not a fan of mermaids. At all. I get a lot of folks are intrigued by mermaids and how these sirens sign so sweetly causing men to be transfixed before being lured to their deaths. Just not for me.
BUT. And that’s a capitalized BUT (you make the big butt joke here! not me!) I also know that I – Steve – am a HUGE fan of horror masquerading as magical, fantastical fable. And having seen a few reviews of this one and re-reading the synopsis (and knowing it was on Tenebrous Press) I knew I had to give it a try. Tim’s a fantastic author/writer and I was looking for a change of scenery considering a huge schwack of my recent reads have been haunted house or set in the woods.
What I liked: Set on a coastal village where fishing is main source of food, we follow a young boy, the father of the town’s preacher, as he navigates life. The family is struggling. His mother has disappeared, his father turned angry and his brother has suffered a head injury of some sort, leaving him with challenges. His older sister is growing bitter and food has grown scarce. His true love has been chosen to marry another and he wonders just how he’ll regain her hand.
This is all thrown for a loop when, one day, a mermaid appears. At first it is seen as a positive sign, a turning for the village, but after they catch her, things turn sour very quickly. It’s here that McGregor takes us on a dark and wondrous journey. We see our main character struggle with doing what is right versus what the village wants, and we see how this decision impacts every single inhabitant. The story telling is told with a deft and seasoned hand. It reminded me of how much I loved the Henson The Storyteller series from years ago. I could almost imagine John Hurt narrating this within my mind.
The final third of this novella is ruthless and brutal. Things go from bad to worse as the mermaid unleashes her unholy terror on the village and her powers are revealed fully. Throughout we see a battle of wills, of our boy struggling still to comprehend what is happening and what role he plays.
I found the ending to be fitting, expected and horrendously sad. It’d be great to see a follow up some time in the future, to learn what has become of the village and what is discovered should others arrive. McGregor made sure to drive home the underlying story of family lost but returned and how each villager had a singular role for the over-reaching story.
What I didn’t like: It’s actually SUPER minor in the grand scheme of things, but our main character is bitten at one point and his hand begins to change. I personally wanted to know more about it. About the inner workings, the why of what was happening and what would occur if left to continue. It seems odd, but that aspect had me riveted and ultimately just didn’t feel resolved.
Why you should buy this: So, what did this non-mermaid fan think? This was friggin’ fantastic. Like seriously amazing from start to finish. This bridged the divide between fantasy and horror and was infused with a sense of Nordic folklore that made each moment feel cold and as though the sun would never shine again. McGregor owned every single word on each and every page and absolutely delivered an outstanding novella. One I should’ve read by now.
Phenomenal.
5/5
Book Review: Bowery by Matthew Vaughn
Title: Bowery
Author: Matthew Vaughn
Release date: February 14, 2023
If you’ve followed my reviews, you’ll have seen me use this phrase to describe my reading style – “extreme-lite.” I love when things go insane and we get gore and carnage and horribleness, but I need more to it than just that. I need a solid story arc, a beginning, middle and ending and I need to have a character I can root for.
In the Extreme Horror world/Splatterpunk world, one such author that I love to read is my pal, Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn does all of the above in spades and always keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Just how will our character get out of whatever horrible situation they’ve found themselves in?
Over the weekend, Matthew emailed me a digital copy and said – Hey, here’s my new book, if you’re able, read it when you can! DEAL! DEAL, GOOD SIR! Now, normally I would’ve just read all of this in a single sitting and had a review up and good to go for release date, but alas my lingering head cold and migraine issues prevented that from happening. But I did devour this in two quick sittings and here’s my thoughts! Apologies, Vaughn on this being a day after release!
Just a note – this one has a TON of Trigger Warnings so be aware going in that it might not be your cup of tea.
What I liked: This one wastes no time getting right into the extreme and repulsive. We find Sandra, eight-months pregnant, captured and trussed up naked on a milking table, while some redneck farmers have their way with her. She’s trapped and as they insist she is now a cow to be bred and keep the milk flowing for the Mother Cow, you know you’re in for an insane ride.
If you read that paragraph and were intrigued, I suggest you head over to Godless and pay the $1 because this one is filled to the brim with just utterly extreme moments. Sandra wants to fight for her survival and the survival of her unborn, but she’s continually battered and broken, abused to the utmost that a human can stand.
The ending comes along like a sledge hammer. We get a brief moment of hope that things have taken a solid turn, before Vaughn slams the door shut and we let out an agonized groan of despair.
What I didn’t like: As I mentioned at the start, I like my stories to have a solid and complete story line and I found this one lacked that. We didn’t get any ‘why,’ any reasoning behind why this bowery exists, why they worship the Mother Cow and why it needs to happen and for who. Because of that we’re left with a lot of unanswered questions that were really frustrating.
Why you should buy this: If you frequent Godless and love the extreme of the extreme this is a no brainer for you. Same goes if you love reading Matthew Vaughn’s distinct brand of horror. If you’re neither of the above and want to dive into something this ruthless for the first time, just know you’re in steady hands with one of Extreme Horror’s masters. A veteran storyteller that does it like so very few others do.
3.5/5
3Q’s Special – Stephanie Parent is getting the hell out of here!
We got a Special 3Q’s today with the amazing Stephanie Parent! Stephanie and I connected (I think?) last year during the LOHF Writers Grant season, and it’s been fantastic seeing what she’s got on the go and what she’s working on!
Now, with the release of her upcoming novel, ‘The Briars’ through Cemetery Gates Media just announced, it was the perfect time to have her drop by!
Welcome Stephanie!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Stephanie: I edit a lot as I write, so by the time I finish a novel or story, I already consider myself to be on draft 1.5. If I’m writing a short story, I’m often aiming for a specific submission call with a deadline, so I have no choice but to dive right back in! If I don’t have a deadline, I would still likely edit it right away, but then put it away for as long as I can bear to wait before looking at it again. After that distance, I will invariably see more things I want to change.
I’ve only completed one novel so far, and for that one I did go back and begin editing right away. It had been so long since I’d looked at the first half of the book that I felt like I’d let it sit long enough! That said, after I’d finished all my own edits, I had to wait while some other readers looked at the manuscript, so then I had time away from it before implementing their suggestions.
Steve: You win a very prestigious award and are invited to receive it. The award is a bronze plated copy of the book that means the most to you in your life. What book is it and why?
Stephanie: Oof, this is a hard one. There are a few answers I could give here that would be equally true, but I’m going to go with Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. This is technically five short novels/novellas, but they have all been collected into one book-length volume. I discovered these magical realist, fairy tale-inspired novels in my early teens, and they not only ignited my love for fiction that combines the real world with the fantastical, but also inspired me to move to Los Angeles. Francesca Lia Block writes about the City of Angels like no one else, revealing both the magic and the ugliness, the glitter and the grit of the place. After reading her books I knew I had to live in LA, and moving there changed the course of my life. I would not be the person I am or have written most of my work if I had not had the Los Angeles experiences I did.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Stephanie: I’m going to cheat a bit and name my upcoming gothic horror novel The Briars, which is releasing in May 2023. I think it’s by far the best, most personal and emotional work I’ve written. Inspired by my experience working at a commercial dungeon for six years in Los Angeles, it’s my love letter to both BDSM and sex work, while also acknowledging the problematic aspects of both. I’ve written a lot of nonfiction about BDSM and sex work, but ironically, writing fiction with supernatural elements allowed me to go deeper into my own raw emotions about the subjects. I also wrote much of this novel while feeling isolated and lonely during the pandemic—I kind of think of it as my Wuthering Heights experience, as if I was alone on the moors with only my wild imaginings to keep me company. I think I came up with something quite unique and true to myself as a result.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – You’re on a camping trip when suddenly a wild animal confronts you. You take off running and it follows. What animal are you confident in thinking you could outrun?
Stephanie: Oh man. I am not fast, but I also have been known to accomplish amazing things with a kick of adrenaline to motivate me. I’m going to say a snake, because if I see a snake I am getting the hell out of there as fast as (in)humanly possible!
Steve: That’s great! And – hopefully it is a slower snake! Some of them can motor! Thank you so much for doing this, Stephanie!
To find more of her work, check the links!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SC_Parent
Website: http://www.stephanieparent.net/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephanie-Parent/author/B0B6Q89QDX
3Q’s – John Mantooth prefers to come home to the lights on!
Today’s guest is an author whose work has captivated readers and has recently released a stunning novel that is getting tons of rave reviews. John Mantooth came onto my radar (as a lot of authors do) because of a recommendation from fellow reviewer, Tony Jones.
I knew I had to invite John to come do a 3Q’s, so I’m super excited to have him as today’s 3Q’s guest!
Welcome John!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
John: My process is so messy that it is sometimes difficult to determine what my first draft really is. I rewrite a lot as I go. But, when I have what I’d call a readable draft, yeah, I like to take some time off. Usually this is when I send the manuscript to my agent for feedback. He’s good about responding quickly, but I often continue to wait before diving back in, even after I’ve seen his comments. The more time I can stay away, the more likely I’ll be able to read it with fresh eyes when I return to it. I want it to be a little foreign to me when I go back, otherwise, I can’t get a good feel for what is working and what isn’t working.
Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?
John: Twenty, even ten years ago, I would have said, “No, cryptozoological creatures do not exist.” Now? I’m not so sure. As I’ve gotten older, I find certainty is an increasingly difficult wall to scale. The nature of this world is a mystery to me, and the possibility of such creatures only serves to deepen that mystery. So, I guess my answer is “maybe?” Sorry if that’s a bit of a cop-out. Like I said, certainty and I aren’t really on speaking terms these days.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
John: I think the purest story I ever wrote was “The Water Tower.” It’s in my collection Shoebox Train Wreck and was selected by Paula Guran for one of her Best Dark Fantasy and Horror books in 2010. Most of the stories I’ve ever written have been a struggle, usually involving multiple drafts and extreme agitation. But not that one. The idea occurred to me on a drive in rural South Alabama. By the time I got to a computer, I had the whole thing in my head. I sat down and wrote it fast, and it was pretty much done with that draft. It’s also, in many ways, the story that best represents me as a writer, and what I am trying to do (if that doesn’t sound too presumptuous). Which is to make the world, the real world, strange, to make the reader—and myself—see it as the alien and beautiful thing it really is. That story comes closest to accomplishing that, I think. Of course, I might be wrong. They say authors are always the worst judges of their own work.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?
John: Oh, I’ve been involved in a few. But the one I’ll share was a joke played on me. When I was in college, I lived with three other guys in an apartment. One night when I came in after a late shift at work, I noticed all the lights were off in the apartment. That was unusual. We typically stayed up until all hours of the night. This made me uneasy. When I went to the door, I saw it had been left open and some of the furniture had been turned over, as if there had been a struggle. Cautiously (stupidly), I went inside. There on the wall, was a message written in what appeared to be blood. I killed them all. At this point, I backed out. It’s easy to remember this now and think, “yeah it’s obvious they were pranking me,” but in the moment, late at night, when the apartment is silent and dark, it’s pretty damn scary. I went down to a friend’s apartment and called my apartment. Luckily, one of my roommates had been expecting a call, and answered. That was when I knew. I wasn’t to upset at them. They all owed me for the pranks I’d pulled on them over the years.
Steve: Oh, that’s great! Good thing you called the apartment and not the police!
Thank you so much for doing this, John!
To find more of his work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-Mantooth/author/B006Z1LDA4
Twitter: https://twitter.com/busfulloflosers
February 14, 2023
Book Review: The Residence by Andrew Pyper
Title: The Residence
Author: Andrew Pyper
Release date: September 1st, 2020
“..all that could have been avoided by staying the boy who loved to walk in the woods, rather than the portrait who was chosen to hand in the long hallway of white.”
Back in February of 2020, the e-ARC of Andrew Pyper’s (at that time) novel, The Residence, was made available on Edelweiss. Michael Patrick Hicks alerted me, and I requested it. I didn’t believe I was going to be approved for it, as at that time, I had fifty or so rejections on Edelweiss and essentially stopped using it completely. Netgalley was the site for me! Well, imagine my surprise when I was approved! I dove in, read it in a fever, excited to be devouring my first Andrew Pyper ARC (I could’ve requested one for ‘The Homecoming’ but was a weirdo and decided to await release date like a schmuck!) and devour it I did. I raced through it, loved it and tossed together my thoughts. A few months later – to my utter surprise – Andrew kindly mailed me a physical ARC! When it arrived, I reread the e-ARC, loving it once again.
Since then, The Residence has held an odd spot in my mind. It’s weird because I know everyone out there knows my love of his work, but I think the real world chaos that is the United States political landscape now, essentially dampened my overall love of this book. ‘A book about The White House?! Pfffttt.’ Or something like that.
So it was, that after there was a group read-along of Andrew’s stellar ‘The Guardians,’ I knew that I needed to revisit ‘The Residence.’ Having now completed the second group read-along of Andrew’s work (this is just me trying to figure out new and exciting ways to promote Andrew’s books!) I was stunned at how different I had this book in my head versus what it was I actually read.
What I liked: A Historical Horror novel, ‘The Residence’ follows Franklin and Jane Pierce as they prepare to arrive at The White House, Franklin the new President of the US. Tragedy strikes them on their way, a train derailment with only one casualty – their last living son, Bennie. With that, they go to The White House, both in a fog of grief. Franklin wants to lead the country and the people. Jane simply wants her son back.
It’s from here that Andrew masterfully weaves real-life people and events within the fictional happenings of Bennie ‘returning’ in a deliciously dark form known as Sir. This novel is BLEAK. It feels like once you open the pages the power has gone out and you’re forced to read it by candle light. Time and time again, this mansion that is supposed be the most lavish and cherished house in America feels like it is abandoned and broken down.
Andrew does a great job of filtering in the slave aspect – both with the decision before Franklin of making them free or allowing slavery to continue, but also with how the house itself was built on the backs of slaves and those souls still haunt it. It created an atmosphere where, as the reader, I didn’t want Franklin or Jane to remain in their rooms as the demonic presence stomps and clomps about, but I also didn’t want them to venture to the lower levels, knowing those that haunt the boiler room are awaiting to exact some sort of vengeance.
The ending is fantastic. We get a battle of good versus evil while also seeing how this presence remains behind after they’ve left The White House and could very well be what is known as ‘The Thing’ for years after. Andrew doesn’t hold back, showcasing just how this occurrence has driven a wedge between Franklin and Jane and how they need to work to get back to being with each other and their for each other.
What I didn’t like: Franklin is a hard character to like and to root for. It’s purposeful, especially when you consider his place in history, but it still makes for tough going as a reader when you want to see success and achievement against supernatural odds, but you kind of wouldn’t mind seeing him fail and get decapitated. Of course, in this case, you know that won’t happen – history and all – but it will challenge some readers to push through, especially when Franklin puts his Presidency over his wife at times.
Why you should buy this: I don’t see this novel enough ANYWHERE. This is a phenomenally written haunted house story where we get solid (real) characters, a presence that will chill you to your core and a pacing that will have you wanting to skip work and stay up late to finish. We started out as reading a single chapter a day, which only lasted for a short time before we bumped it to three chapters a day, and even then we still all wanted to race through it.
It showcases the Pierce’s as they try and overcome an obstacle they didn’t expect while dealing with the harshest and most horrible moment in their lives. Grief is a weight that can drown even the strongest of swimmers and in ‘The Residence,’ Andrew shows just why he is one of the only authors out there that can navigate these choppy waters and get our characters back to shore.
I’m so happy I re-read this one again. Just a stellar experience.
5/5
3Q’s – Sarah L. Platt could’ve been an airport dentist!
Many of you know this, but I’m originally from British Columbia, Canada. I now live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and have now been living here for six years. In between moving from BC to Edmonton, I had a brief stint in Calgary. It wasn’t until I moved to Edmonton that I was really focusing on actually writing and getting published blah blah blah. When I got to Edmonton, one of the first Alberta writers I connected with was Mike Thorn, who at the time was living in Calgary and we both had a moment of hilarious annoyance that we didn’t connect while living in the same city. Through talking with Mike, he suggested one publisher to keep an eye on for open calls and putting out amazing work was The Seventh Terrace based out of Calgary. He was right. The quality of work they release is staggering, and as with many small Canadian presses, it is led by only a few individuals doing all of the heavy lifting. Last week, I had one of those doing the lifting as a 3Q’s guest (Rob Bose) and today, I have another!
Sarah L. Platt is a fantastic author, editor and I’m so very happy to have here join me today!
Welcome Sarah!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Sarah: …Yes?
First of all, it takes everything I have to finish a rough draft. Then I spend anywhere from 1 month to 8 years in a state of existential despair, during which I may complete other works I was despairing over while writing the aforementioned rough draft. I wish I had better news. I wish someone had told me this is 99% of being an artist, so I could have done the smart thing and become a dentist. No one creative ever wanted to be a dentist. And it’s no coincidence that they’re all rich and happier than your average writer.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
Sarah: Aside from the dentist thing? I dunno…maybe cash in and write airport kiosk thrillers?
But my serious answer, and something I tell all new writers, is to focus on the gratification of writing and learning the craft. Publication feels great, critical acclaim feels great, but it will never feel as good as creating. That’s the juice, my friends. I promise you.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Sarah: A short story called Suicide Stitch, which you can read in my collection Suicide Stitch: Eleven Tales. It’s about a woman cleaning out her suddenly deceased sister’s house, unsure of whether her death was truly an accident or something intentional. It’s my favourite because I tapped into some awful kind of darkness with that story. I doubt I’ll ever write anything more chilling.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
Sarah: Have you seen the ocean? It’s fucking terrifying. At least the mountains are familiar. I get lost in those all the time.
Steve: Good point! Thank you so much for doing this, Sarah!
To find more of her work – check the links!
Website: https://the-seventh-terrace.com/
February 13, 2023
3Q’s – Ray Cluley is here to make you cry!
I know many people HATE social media, but I’m one of those odd ducks who love it. I love seeing what people are up to, what they’re creating, where they’re travelling and how big the kids are getting (or how cute their pets are!). One thing, I think at least, we can all agree on, is how many doors social media has opened and how it’s allowed so many of us to connect and discover new and exciting authors. Today’s author came onto my radar via one of my personal fav authors, Ian Rogers. Ian has been raving about Ray Cluley’s work and even pitched it being made into a movie in his own awesome 3Q’s. Naturally, I had to reach out and try and get even more eyes on Ray’s work, as that’s the whole point of these 3Q’s!
I’m super excited to welcome Ray as today’s 3Q’s guest!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Ray: I consider my first draft to be draft 0 and I do immediately dive back in, making obvious fixes such as amending spelling or cutting accidental repetitions, removing specific words I favour too much, things like that. Once it’s accurate and trimmed a bit, it’s a first draft, which I leave for a while so I can return to it with fresh eyes. I’ve usually still been thinking about it in that time, though, so I can often hit the ground running and make some adjustments right away, mostly concerning characters or particular scenes. The fresh read through helps with pacing and structure and consistency, and with strengthening rhythms, emphasising themes, building on symbolism, all that juicy stuff. I have as much fun with that kind of redrafting as I do with the ‘making it all up’ stage. When that’s done, I’ll read it through again and, if there’s time, leave it to settle before repeating the steps above if necessary. And then it’s good to go. If I’m going to send it to a trusted beta reader, this is when that happens, but I don’t tend to do that much.
Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?
Ray: I want to believe. And I kind of do, really, to a certain extent, because I think all those things are at least based on something real. The most likely of them to ever be proven or found is probably a sea creature of some kind, I expect, as our oceans are so rich in biodiversity and still relatively unexplored. Something like the kraken, for example, I can easily imagine being ‘discovered’ some day, as we’re already finding evidence of giant squids on the bodies of other ocean animals, like whales, without having ever seen one. Speaking of which, the blue whale is the largest creature (we know of) on our planet, and we still don’t know much about their migration patterns, so it’s not a great leap to think there might be more out there in our oceans than we’ve seen so far. Whether we’ll ever find them amongst all that fucking plastic, though…
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Ray: Well, I’ll always be fond of ‘Shark! Shark!’ because with the British Fantasy Award it opened a few doors and led to Probably Monsters getting picked up for publication, but honestly, I really like them all or I wouldn’t write them in the first place. Wherever I send them, they’re always written for me first. With that in mind, my favourite is usually whichever one I wrote most recently. Currently, it’s a toss-up between ‘The Wrong Shark’ (you see a favourite theme here?) or ‘The Final Girl’s Daughter’. Both of those appear for the first time in my new collection, All That’s Lost.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?
Ray: I don’t really like practical jokes; I think because so many of them seem to come from somewhere a little bit mean? That said, I did once frighten my partner to tears when we were watching the wonderful Marianne, a French horror series I thoroughly recommend. It seemed like a funny thing to do at the time, but once the tears came all I felt was regret. Before that, I once dressed a fake skeleton we have before positioning it elsewhere in the house, and that had a similar result, so I should have known better. See? A little bit mean. (Sorry Jess.)
Steve: Thank you so much for doing this, Ray – and for not making me cry from one of your practical jokes!
To find more of Ray’s work – check the links!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RayCluley
Website: https://www.raycluley.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ray-Cluley/author/B092DYXJT9
February 10, 2023
3Q’s – Tommy Clark and the bigfoot conundrum!
99% sure today’s 3Q’s is the first one I’ve done with a zombie. I say 99% because there’s still the lingering mystery surrounding Carl John Lee and based on his age and biography – he could also be a zombie.
Today’s author is a friend to many, an author who delivers his Splatterpunk with enthusiasm while also supporting the community like very few do!
Please welcome Tommy!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Tommy: Once I’m on a project, I tend to stick with it until it’s finished. My first drafts are a bit more extensive than some writers, because I edit as I write. This slows my writing process, as I end up re-reading and polishing my previous day’s work when I sit down. My first drafts still end up being a bit “bad-wordy.” I have to go through and remove my “bad words” and that often lengthens the piece. Bad words I don’t like using out of dialogue include just, so, like, that, even, very, was, had, were, alright, alot… and LY adverbs. After I go through the draft, I’ll send it off to beta readers and wait for their bad news.
Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?
Tommy: Okay, Steve. This is a tricky one to answer. If you asked this question to a little boy named Tommy Clark in 1976, he would tell you Bigfoot. He would tell you he saw a Bigfoot. He’d tell you all about Bionic Bigfoot, The Patterson Film, how much he idolized John Greene. This incident made so much of an impact on my life, that it’s become the backdrop for a future project I have in the pipeline (Falls Brook is the working title, and it features a unique Sasquatch as one of the characters).
Adult Tom Clark is a bit more skeptic. He knows that there is more to Bigfoot’s footprint than the tracks found in the woods. There’s the cryptoid’s ecological footprint out there, and we haven’t been able to find one.
So, to answer your question… Bigfoot? Sasquatch? But the cryptoids I think that has the best chance of being proven to exist? They’re not fantastic creatures by any stretch of the imagination. They’re allegedly extinct species, much like the coelacanth. One is the North Eastern Cougar and the other is the Tasmanian Tiger. And even though I know I really didn’t see Bigfoot 45 some-odd years ago (it was likely a deer)… I’m still terrified of the growling I heard in Minerva, NY during my wife and I’s first wedding anniversary in 2004. I’ll go to my grave swearing it was a cougar. “Nature has a way,” isn’t that what Ian Malcom says?
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Tommy: It’s a toss up between Good Boy (my first stand alone piece of long form fiction – it was written in memorial of my father) or my latest, SummerHome (as it’s my first full length novel).
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?
Tommy: At first I was going to tell you how I switched Diet Pepsi for a concoction made of soy sauce and seltzer water in my friend’s 2-Liter bottle (he liked drink straight from the 2-Liter)… then I thought about the time we made some kid drink the algae-ridden bong water out of a 3-liter gravity bong… but I’ll settle on a call back to one of your earlier questions.
After I “saw” Bigfoot way back when, of course I told all my pals in the neighborhood. They didn’t believe me, but their older brothers and sisters thought it was hilarious, and those kids? Well, they hatched a plan.
The house I lived in rested upon a small creek. Our back yard was fenced in, and my little brother and I went outside one afternoon to play (he was three then). Across the creek we heard a noise and went to the back to investigate. We stood in horror, unable to move. I shit you not, across the creek, standing in the woods… was a motherfucking Bigfoot.
We screamed bloody murder, and our mother came running out of the house and saw the monster. She freaked out, herded us under her arms and ran us back into the house. She called the cops, grabbed a kitchen knife, locked the doors, and waited for the Sheriff’s Deputies to arrive.
In the interim, Bigfoot disappeared like Bigfoot fucking does.
The Deputies showed up, searched through the woods and then started interviewing our neighbors. An hour later the teenagers confessed to their prank, leaving an explanation to why Bigfoot disappeared. He went back to his house, of course. On this day, I discovered a furry rug and a King Kong mask do resemble Bigfoot from a distance.
I still resent those teenagers and their prank. Shockingly, it would be another two years before I learned the truth about Santa Claus by stumbling into my parent’s cache of gifts in their closet. But I will never forgive those kids for ruining Bigfoot for me.
Steve: Oh man, that’s great! Haha!
Thank you so much for doing this, Tommy!
To find more of his works, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Thomas-R-Clark/author/B07JL6V3W6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TokenTom
Website: https://thomasrclark.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/token_tom
