Steve Stred's Blog, page 29

3Q’s Special – Calvin Demmer and the inevitable!

I’m super excited for today’s 3Q’s Special Guest. Ever since I read his collection, ‘The Sea Was a Fair Master,’ I was blown away with Calvin Demmer’s deft prose and amazing way of crafting a story. Along the way I’ve read a bunch of his stories, multiple collections and even appeared alongside him in a few anthologies!

Please welcome Calvin!

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?

CD: I tend to go straight back into a first draft. I will already have ideas for changes or have identified parts that require fixes. I want to get started on that. I do take a break later in the process.

Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?

CD: I would have liked to have had my current schedule back then, but other than that nothing really comes to mind. It’s different for everyone but starting with short fiction was the right approach for me. I’m also glad that I explored and blended different genres early on.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

CD: Some stories come together easily, and some are a struggle; some go through numerous drafts, and some go through very few. So, I don’t have a personal favorite. If I am either challenging myself or trying something different—no matter how big or small the approach—I’m usually happy with how things end up.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?

CD: I don’t think I have a choice. I’ve written so many stories about the wicked ways of sea that I think it’s inevitable I will end up lost at sea. Maybe I should start writing stories about evil mountains to balance things out.

Steve: Ha! Fair enough! Thank you so much for doing this, Calvin!

To find more of his work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Calvin-Demmer/author/B00P96CDYQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalvinDemmer

Website: https://calvindemmer.com/

3Q’s – Wendy Dalrymple knows that animals want to eat her!

Today’s guest is another author who I connected with because of the fantastic LOHF Writers Grant! Wendy Dalrymple continues to decimate her readers with her distinctive brand of dark fiction! I was so happy she was able to answer my tough, hard-hitting questions and join me today as my 3Q’s guest!

Welcome Wendy!

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?

Wendy: I definitely have to take a break! It always feels like finishing a marathon when I finish a first draft. I usually step back for a few days to a week and then revisit my work with fresh eyes.

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?

Wendy: Always a difficult question! I suppose I have to say Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. These were two really important books in terms of me discovering what kind of voice I want to have as a writer.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

Wendy: So far, They Come From the Water is one of my favorite horror novellas. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a very personal story for me and touches on a number of my fears.

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?

Wendy: A sloth? Hahaha, no seriously, if any animal follows me I’m a dead person. Side note: one night while camping, I DID have a Florida Panther cross my path on the way to the bathroom. Thankfully it was not interested in me.

HAHAHA! That is a great choice! And phew! Lucky that the panther had no interest in you!

Thank you again, Wendy!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-Dalrymple/author/B089SPZJCW

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendy_dalrymple

Website: wendydalrymple.com

3Q’s – Kyle Winkler is fine with pure pop transformation!

I connected with today’s guest when their ultra-fun release ‘The Nothing That Is’ arrived to fill readers eyeballs with the fantastic story told within. Since then, it’s been great seeing their fanbase grow and how unique and rewarding each of their releases is. I’m super happy that Kyle was able to do a 3Q’s and is today’s guest!

Welcome Kyle!

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?

Kyle: Phew. In the past year, it’s dwindled quite a lot. But looking back to 2018 thru 2022, I’d been diligently producing writing, so I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad that I’ve taken my foot off the pedal a bit. Two kids will do that to you. Hmm, my writing time has to be in the morning. I’m a morning person. Like 5 or 6AM. And, yes, I will try to write the same time each day, when I can. Maybe maaaybe I can get some words in at night after the kids are in bed. But generally, it’s in the morning when everyone is asleep still. The world is crusted over. I can dig at stuff then. I should say there’s one exception to this, and that’s when I walk. Esp. in nicer weather, when I’m walking, I will have lots of writing in my head. So, I type it all into a Notes app on my phone and transfer it later. That happens a lot in the summer.

Word count wise, I will feel pretty good with 1K in a sitting. Since I’ve been off for a while, and getting back into the rhythm, I told myself 500/day is good.

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?

Kyle: Well, the dead one is Ursula K. Le Guin. That’s easy. And the living one is Stephen King. Le Guin is a monument in my mind. I’ve worked hard to emulate her prose and heart and storytelling since I’ve found it. And she was such a wise person. I would have loved to talk with her about topics not even related to writing. And King because there are few authors that I’ve heard talks from, online or otherwise, who are such good storytellers and friendly. Uncle Steve is open and approachable. So, yeah. Those are my two for today. Ask me tomorrow, I’d give you different answers probably.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release and why someone should read it!

Kyle: My most recent novel is Boris Says the Words. It’s a weird novel. It touches on sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. I worked on it longer than any other piece of fiction I’ve created. And I think it’s the most heartfelt thing I’ve published. Why should someone read it? Because it’ll hit all the buttons that spec readers have. It’s got magical words, body horror, dark comedy, patches of philosophy, poetic language, touches of a science-fictional future, alternative history, etc. The plot follows two main characters: a baker in Indiana who has multiple sclerosis and a call center worker in a desolate village in what’s left of Russia. Their storylines crossover and meet with a mysterious character named Boris. I gave myself absolute permission to put whatever I wanted into that book. I think it paid off.

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?

Kyle: An 80s British band called Talk Talk. They had a hit of the same name which was later covered by No Doubt many years later. They started off as pure pop and transformed into an arty experimental band. Both sides are amazing.

Great choice! They definitely had a number of amazing songs!

Thank you so much, Kyle!

To find more of his work, click the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kyle-Winkler/author/B08ZK9T21N

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bleakhousing

Website: https://kylewinkler.net/

3Q’s – Lee Franklin wants you to know it’s true!

Oh man! So, today’s guest is someone that has been requested probably more than any other of my 3Q’s guests! In fact, I get one or two people DMing me a week, asking if I have asked Lee Franklin to do a 3Q’s. Well, the answer is and always was – YES! BUT! Life has a way of running away from us and it wasn’t until recently that Lee got back to me with her replies! So, to all who’ve been asking – here you go! Today’s guest is the one and only, Lee Franklin!

Welcome, Lee!

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?

Lee: G’day, at the moment my writing time looks like… it’s absolutely rat shit since I’ve been trying to resettle back into Australia with my new job and now Carpal Tunnel in both hands. Before, back in the good ol’ days it was post school drop, post run and always with a coffee. I never really tried to aim for word counts. Rabbit hole research and rewriting, self-editing as I go kill any significant word count. Some days I could crank out about 2000 others 100. Yeah, I’m not great with wordcounts.

Steve: You’re riding an elevator and BAM! It gets stuck. What two authors (one living and one dead) would you happen to find yourself stuck with?

Lee: Wow this one is a doozy. There are so many authors within our community I want to meet, and I don’t know If I know that many dead authors. I didn’t grow up with Poe, Lovecraft or Shelley. Maybe Doyle, because I was a massive fan of the Conan the Barbarian movie as a kid. As for living authors I would probably say Lee Murray as she is the most beautiful and talented soul and I reckon we would kick ass together.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release and why someone should read it!

Lee: Well, I have the Nang Tani sequel Rak Ruex in the midst of the editing process. It will be released in the first half of this year.  Why should someone read it… What is not fun about bloodthirsty Old Gods wreaking havoc in the cesspools of contemporary society?

Steve: Bonus Question! If you were transported back in time, which Pop Band/Hit Band would you hope to find yourself a member of?

Lee: I truly wouldn’t curse any band with my abhorrent lack musicality. I used to do a lot of amateur theatre…. I was in a chorus of 20 people, and I was told to mouth the words… So, I guess I might’ve done alright with Milli Vanilli.

Haha! Excellent choice!

Thank you so much, Lee!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lee-Franklin/author/B07F2SPNBN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WordPilmgrim

Book Review: The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu

Title: The Wehrwolf

Author: Alma Katsu

Release date: September 29, 2022

Honestly, SHAME ON ME! That’s right. SHAME ON STEVE! Chant it – go ahead. I deserve it.

Why? Well, first – you should know my love of werewolf fiction by now. Second – Alma Katsu is not only a phenomenal writer, but also one of the kindest people in the dark fiction community. Not that she’s lost sleep over me not having already read this and reviewed it, but she deserves better from me and I’m happy to say I’ve rectified that by devouring this tasty piece of fur and fanged fiction.

So, as for the novella, back in 1944 the Nazi’s developed a program called Werwolf in which they were attempting to create a force of soldiers that would operate behind enemy lines. This idea was created in the hopes of infiltration and ambushing an unsuspecting group of soldiers.

Katsu takes that idea and marries it with the Brother’s Grimm lore to give us a rollicking fun story.

What I liked: The story follows feeble farmer Uwe, who lives in the deep forests of Germany, far away from the front lines. His wife and daughter are his everything, and up until now, the war has stayed away from them. The village does it’s best to remain away from the war itself and to not choose sides, knowing that whether the Nazi’s win or the Allied forces are victorious, they’ll need to adapt in order to survive post war.

Katsu ramps things up early on, when a body is found, ripped apart, not far from Uwe’s farmhouse. From there, he is pressured to join a militia group, led by bully Hans, to patrol their village at night and keep threats away. What Uwe doesn’t know, is that the group has the ability to transform into the fabled beasts and will do whatever it takes to keep their homes safe.

We get a really solid look at the inner workings of a conflicted man. One who has never been included, never been strong enough to stand up for himself and never developed friendships. Now, that he has joined Hans and his crew, he gets all of that and more, but at what cost? It’s a great metaphor for the real-life political turmoil we often see daily in the news in the US, but up here in Canada, it also rings home with what we saw with the Anti-Vax movement and the ridiculous Freedom Convey. It demonstrates just how quickly someone can change given a little bit of self esteem and comradery and shows the all-too-real threat of peer pressure.

The ending is a blistering climax of decisiveness and horror. We see Uwe seek revenge over a horrific turn of events and how he seeks out others to aide him with what needs to be done.

What I didn’t like: Straight up – if you hate overtly political based fiction, you may want to skip this one, especially if you are a raging fan of the former orange douchebag that somehow was elected. This one’s probably not for you. You can gloss over the political aspect and simply read it as a werewolf story, but that’ll be hard to do and you’ll not want to read the afterword.

I thought the political angle worked really well for this piece, but as always with my reviews, I try to state what someone diving into this may not enjoy.

Why you should buy this: Well, as I said in my hilariously ridiculous intro – if you like werewolf fiction, buy it. If you like Alma’s work, buy it. If you want a piece of dark fiction that’ll have you ripping through it in a single sitting, buy it. It was a blast and definitely one that’ll make you think and question what you would do in that situation.

4/5

3Q’s – Sirius knows the chances of cryptids are slim but never zero!

A great 3Q’s is on the table for today! I connected with today’s guest back around the time the LOHF Writers Grant was opening for applications. Since then, I’ve really enjoyed seeing their different make up/cosplay photos they’ve posted as well as watching their progress on their various pieces of fiction!

I’m super happy to have Sirius stop by for today’s 3Q’s!

Welcome, Star!

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?

Sirius: I am definitely the edit-as-I-go type, so I usually come out with a fairly clean first draft. That being said, I will take a day or two away from it before diving back in for edits. By the end of a first draft, the words all sound the same and my notes are a jumbled mess, so I need some time to clear the brain fog before returning with fresh eyes.

Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?

Sirius: I would definitely go back to my past self and tell them not to try and publish every single thing that came to their brain. I wish I had held off on a lot of things and saved myself a lot of embarrassing mistakes. I had a lot of bad covers, a lot of bad formatting, and a lot of really poor editing once upon a time. My writing voice had not even properly and fully developed. The mistakes I made shaped me into a better author, but I could do without the cringe compilation of all my failures that plays behind my eyelids at night. So, yes, Patience is the lesson I wish I could catapult into 20-year-old me’s brain.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

Sirius: Uncrowned, absolutely. I am so proud of it. I have loved this world, and these characters, for so long. To finally have a series that, in my mind, does them even an ounce of justice is my greatest accomplishment so far. Not only has it given new life to characters I have known for decades, but the storyline is still growing, the world is still expanding, and I meet new characters and find new connections for them every day. I am so utterly in love with Uncrowned.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question! Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?

Sirius: I would much rather be lost at sea! The mountains are cold, they have mountain lions, bears, and bobcats – and the chances of running into some malicious cryptid may be slim but are never zero. There’s a lot of hiking involved when being lost in the mountains. It’s just not for me.

Excellent thought process!

Thank you so much, Sirius!

To find all of their work, check their website!

Website: https://www.uncrownednovel.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/palestarsirius

3Q’s – Patrick Barb and why he’s not allowed around duct-tape anymore!

I love, love, love when I see an author deliver the goods with a release but also seemingly hit a home run multiple times with short story sales and just success all around. Today’s guest has been making me smile for a bit now with their consistent wins.

I’m super happy to have Patrick Barb join me today!

Welcome Patrick!

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?

Patrick: Assuming there’s no deadline involved, my preference is to take some time away from the piece. I like to return to it with fresh eyes for revising, so the old words aren’t quite so precious. Ideally, I’d have somewhere between two weeks to a month. But even one day is better than nothing.

And it isn’t like I’m doing no writing. Usually, I’m starting the next project during that post-first draft, pre-revising period for the current project.

Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?

Patrick: I don’t NOT believe they exist. I’m sure there’s some species out there that fit some, if not all, the characteristics of cryptids. For my money, I think one of the smaller critters has the best chance of existing.

So, if there’s one out there in the world, I’m gonna say it’s Chupacabra. Hide your goats, folks!

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

Patrick: I love all my children equally! But I love when my stories can connect with an audience and readers respond to the writing on social media. Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare, the sci-fi horror novelette I published with Spooky House Press, has really seemed to resonate with folks.

It’s a story about the dangers of technology and fears about raising kids in a world obsessed with tech. I wrote this raw wound of a tale and it seems to be the kind of thing readers are looking for. Seeing people review it, tweet about it, post about it…it’s hard not to be fond of a book that garners that kind of response!

Steve: Bonus Fun Question! What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?

Patrick: In college, some buddies in my dorm duct-taped every loose item in our friend’s room to his wall and ceiling before he got back from break.

Not the most impressive prank on the surface. But he was so pissed. Just spluttering, incomprehensibly angry…

Haha, that’s still hilarious! Thank you so much for doing this, Patrick!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patrick-Barb/author/B082FP8J5J

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pbarb

Website: http://www.patrickbarb.com/

Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Title: The Exorcist

Author: William Peter Blatty

Release date: May 1st, 1971

Way back, in the summer of 1990, a nine year old kid named Steve (hey, that’s me!) stayed up late to watch whatever movie was going to be playing on Super Channel. The goal was to either see bare breasts or have the crap scared out of me. So, it went, weekend after weekend, following this pattern. And on one particular late night viewing, a movie came on that did exactly what I wanted it to do – scare the Holy Hell out of me.

When I first saw ‘The Exorcist’ I was stunned. Maybe it was because it was far more brutal, graphic and intense than anything else my young brain had experienced on film? I’d read a number of King’s works by then and was used to dark horror, but this wasn’t on the written page. This was being broadcast into the living room where I sat in fright. I also remember thinking that I was close to the age of Regan. That could’ve been me that was possessed!

Now, where I grew up, I didn’t have a lot of access to horror novels. King was plentiful in our Community Hall Library – but I still wasn’t allowed to borrow any of his books, being too young. So, I’d either borrow the books from my neighbor, or I would ask her to take something out for me from the library. As she volunteered there, she had no problem doing that.

I read ‘The Exorcist’ for the first time, back in 1990, shortly after watching the movie, and was spellbound.

As so often happens, the years trickle by and you get to a point of wanting and needing to re-read something that decimated you years prior. I wasn’t sure what to expect re-visiting this one thirty years later, but I was excited to re-experience this one once again.

What I liked: The book follows Chris and Regan, mother and daughter, who’ve temporarily relocated to Washington, which Chris – a movie star – finishes filming scenes for the movie she’s in. Regan begins to act oddly and throughout the book this only increases.

Blatty also gives us solid secondary characters in Karl and Willie, Chris’ housekeepers and Sharon, her personal assistant. The main star though is Karras, a priest struggling with personal decisions and his own faith. It’s this aspect that continues to be highlighted and hammered home, as Regan grows more vile and self-destructive and Chris looks to Karras to help her drive the demon she believes to be possessing her daughter out. The only problem – Karras doesn’t fully believe Regan’s possessed. Blatty does a great job of having this religious character look at these events through a skeptical eye and a scientific eye, something that is often downplayed or outright ignored, especially in fiction. But there are a fair number of Theologians who research and learn with a critical eye.

Once Karras convinces himself that Regan is battling a demonic entity, Merrin is called in to perform an exorcist and we get a mild battle of wills between Regan’s possessor and the scholar, Merrin. The ending closes this off, but also leaves things open for a follow up, which we know arrived in the form of ‘Legion.’

What I didn’t like:  I think time and – let’s call it advancements in visceral story-telling – haven’t been kind to this book for me. Everything seemed subdued and underdeveloped. I know I’m in the minority with this book, people still list it as the most frightening book they’ve ever read or the best possession book out there, but the scenes with Regan are maybe 10% of the entire book and simply revolve around her yelling obscenities and thrashing on the bed.

The scenes with her felt very anti-climatic now and simply not frightening. Especially when you compare it to the darkness and brutality we are exposed to in real life every day, but also with what readers are reading. This definitely was a book that would shock and offend people back in the early 70’s. Now, not so much and it came off like that each time Regan lashed out.

Lastly, the role of the detective Kinderman was a horrible addition and honestly added nothing, except for allowing him to be there for the second novel. He may very well be the most annoying, bumbling, useless character ever written and every time he came around I audibly groaned over his appearance, knowing it would slow up whatever Karras would be working on, or taking away from Chris’ struggle with what was happening with her daughter. Every single time Kinderman showed up, he inevitably asked the person he was conversing with if they’d go to the movies with him and I still can’t figure out if that was because Blatty thought it would be a humorous aspect, or if the character was just that asinine that he needed to say that.

Why you should buy this: Look, I think it’s obvious from my review that I just didn’t have the same experience I did this time, as I did the first time, and hey, it happens. I know people are still discovering this novel and falling in love with what Blatty did and that’s fair. For me, it just didn’t do it and the only reason I didn’t DNF it earlier on, was because I wanted to re-visit it completely and see if anything else is revealed about Captain Howdy that I could no longer remember.

If you’re looking for a possession novel or have heard all about this one from friends for years, definitely dive in. You may find this one works for you and scares you to your core. Personally, it was a big miss for me, but one I’m glad to have re-visited once again, just to see how 42 year old Steve experienced this one, version how 9 year old Steve did, all those years ago.

2/5

3Q’s – Villimey Mist shocks her family!

I always love seeing the worldwide array of talented author’s that I get to interact with each and every day! Villimey Mist hails from Iceland, and as such, brings a unique crispness to her story telling. I was super excited when she agreed to do a 3Q’s!

Welcome Villimey!

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?

VM: My process is a little bit different because I write everything by hand. So, after I’ve finished writing the first draft in my notebooks (my novels usually fill up 3 notebooks), I type everything up into my laptop. It’s good because then I can catch anything that feels off or doesn’t fit and since I’m an underwriter I can add more things to the draft. Once that is done, I send it over to my alpha reader and my editor and leave it be until I get their feedback.

Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?

VW: Ohhhh, good question! I have an open mind to it. It is commonly known that Icelanders believe in elves or Huldufólk. I have never seen one, but I still make sure I don’t trample or disturb their homes which is in nature.  I know most will probably say Bigfoot or Mothman, but I’m going to my roots and say Nykur which is an Icelandic monster that looks like a horse. We have so many horses here so who’s to say one hasn’t dragged someone to a lake and drowned them?

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

VM: It’s the story “Nails” which can be found in my short story collection ‘As the Night Devours Us.’ I love it because it contains one of my fears (getting my nails ripped off) and it’s a twisted creation from the Tooth Fairy which I’ve always found creepy and odd.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question! What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?

VM: I’m not much of a practical joker (I was a prankster as a kid, though) but during our wedding, we didn’t tell anyone (except my parents because it was held at their home) that we were getting married. Everyone thought it was just a going away party because we were leaving for Japan that summer. I loved seeing the shocked look on my older brother’s face when he saw the priest waiting outside in the garden.

That’s great!

Thank you so much, Villimey!

To find more of her work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Villimey-Mist/author/B07L5367H2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VillimeyS

Website: https://www.villimeymistauthor.com/

3Q’s Special – Ramsey Campbell and why you don’t want to be late for a movie with him!

I’ve had a few living legends on the 3Q’s Interview Feature since it began, but I don’t think I’ve had anyone that comes close to the longevity and genre changing career as today’s guest. Ramsey Campbell has been releasing dark fiction since the 1960’s and continues to release novels and stories that excite and invigorate readers – both long time fans and new readers.

I’m super honored to have him join me today!

Welcome Ramsey!

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?

Ramsey: Give it time, certainly. These days I’ll leave a novel unexamined for months while I write a few short stories. When I reread the first draft, I’m usually disconcerted by how clumsy stuff I thought was good turns out to be. Once I would have been depressed by this, but now I feel seeing a problem is simply the first step to solving it. the first draft is always longhand, and I rewrite on the computer. Once I get there, I very much enjoy jettisoning everything I can and improving the rest as much as possible. It then gets printed out, and I give it a final reread, revising further (usually minor changes). I’ll generally make further small improvements while reading the copyedit and the proofs, and then the thing is loosed on the world.

Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?

Ramsey: I’ve really no idea on either issue, but we did do the circuit of Loch Ness many years ago in the hope of a glimpse. Perhaps the collective imagination will generate a sighting someday.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

Ramsey: I continue to be fond of the trilogy – The Searching Dead, Born to the Dark and The Way of the Worm. It started life as my bid to do more justice to some of the ideas I’d come up with in my first published book (The Inhabitant of the Lake, written in 1961-1962). I wanted to convey more of the cosmic if I could. My old friend Pete Crowther was initially responsible, by challenging me to write a supernatural horror trilogy. I felt and feel the only reason to write in that form is that the narrative demands to be told in three volumes, not just a long novel cut into three. Eventually I saw how it could cover nearly all the lifetime of the central characters and their antagonists, and also show how an obscure cult might eventually operate in plain sight, though still secretively enough to maintain its mystery. I do think the trilogy encapsulates much of what I try to so as a writer.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?

Ramsey: When I used to review films for Radio Merseyside another reviewer used to constantly show up at press shows after the film had begun and require to be told what had happened so far. Eventually wickedness possessed me, and I informed him that the central character had murdered someone in the first scene. Great was the bemusement he expressed at the end. I did alert him to the trick I’d played, but I don’t think he forgave me.

Steve: Oh, that’s great! And that would absolutely change every single thing that happened afterwards!

Thanks again for doing this Ramsey!

To find more of his amazing bibliography – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ramsey-Campbell/author/B000APEIRG

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ramseycampbell1

Website: https://knibbworld.com/campbell/