Trey Stone's Blog, page 15

Book Review: The Boy In The Cellar by Stephen Smith

The most terrifying book you’ll ever read – and it’s all true!

I love thrillers. Thrillers, horror, mysteries, crime and action, whatever it is, I love reading and watching things that can make my heart beat faster. So when I first discovered the true crime genre at some point in my early teens, I was immediately hooked.

There’s something particularly terrifying about it when you know it’s real. When you know that these things actually happened to someone. In this day and age, there’s tons of true crime everywhere, documentaries, shows, podcasts, you name it, but I realized hadn’t read many books in the genre. Naturally, when I came across this I was immediately fascinated.

The book is the story of Stephen Smith, a boy from England who was kept looked up and beaten by his father in the early 1960’s. We’re served a unique view of the world from Stephen’s perspective within his small, damp room, and it’s a fascinating tale of how a boy, a child, has to grow up and learn about, adapt to, and overcome so many things that he should never have gone through alone.

Unfortunately, the cellar isn’t the worst thing that happens to Stephen. There’s a whole system of people, adults and authority figures around him that fail him miserably. On and on it goes, until Stephen is a grown up himself, and even then he struggles. You see, Stephen is a clever boy. Very clever, according to some of the tests he’s taken. Yet, he never has a chance to apply himself, not properly, because of what he’s been through. That’s not to say he hasn’t done great things, but even his adult life is rife with tragedy.

This was an extremely fascinating book, albeit also a horrifying one. Some of this is painful to read, but a lot of it is unique and eye-opening.

Stephen’s journey has been a long one. He’s an old man now, and though is life has been terrible, it seems that he’s been able to find peace, and some success, since his early days as the boy in the cellar.

Do you like true crime, or is it too much to stomach? Do you have any books or shows to recommend? Let me know in the comments! Oh, and as always, check out my books! You can pre-order my upcoming thriller today!

I Need To Do Something Else

Do you ever sit down with the urge and motivation write and then… nothing happens?

I’m not talking about writer’s block—at least I don’t think I am. I feel like writer’s block is the inability to put words down on the page, when you can’t drive the story forward and don’t know how to continue. Yet sometimes, you know all of that stuff, you have all the inspiration and oomph you need—and you want to do it too—but you just… can’t.

What I’m talking about is more of a creative burnout. A feeling of wanting to be creative, but at the same time not having the energy to make it happen. It’s like wanting to go for a hike, but being too physically exhausted. It’s not that I don’t want to hike, it’s that I can’t.

So what do you do?

One solution is to do something completely different. To carry on with my train of thought: maybe a hike is what you really need when you can’t get in that creative mindset. Or maybe a show or a video games is what your brain really needs to make you relax.

At the same time, I often feel like I’m left with creative energy that I need to spend, I just have to spend it on something else. It’s like I’ve used up my writing budget, but I still have creative money to spend.

So what I do, is that I turn to music.

Music was my first passion. One of my oldest joys, and where I really started exploring my creative side, long before I wrote stories. I learned to play my favorite tunes and sang along with them as I practiced.

I still do. I play guitar—electric and acoustic—heavy metal, rock, fingerstyle and pop. In that order, mostly, and I love all of it. I love learning solos from my favorite metal bands, jamming away loud and carefree. And I love sitting down with my acoustic guitar and write cheeky ballads. I’ve written more than a few, and I’ve sung them for people a handful of times too. I’m hoping to do that more.

You see, music I never get tired of. I hardly ever find myself burning out in the same way as with my other pursuits. If I get tired of practicing, I’ll play something I already know, and when I get tired of that, I’ll put on a show and work on my muscle memory.

Music is my oldest passion, my creative anchor, and my outlet for all that energy I sometimes can’t spend anywhere else. And today, I felt a need to delve into that again, so I bought a new guitar.

I have a few already, more than a few actually, but not that many acoustics. Also, most of them are far away from me at the moment. So I picked up this beauty, second hand. It’s a Washburn, model D14 NM, from 1992. Rosewood sides and back, with a mahogany neck and a rosewood fretboard. It’s nothing too fancy, I got it for a couple hundred bucks, but it has a massive sound and it plays really well. It’s nicely weighted and balanced, and it feels great in my hands. It’s in great condition to be thirty years as well.

Now, I’m not very worried about not having the oomph to write. If anything, I’ll probably have to tear myself away from this new beauty of an instrument. Ah well.

How does your creative mind work? Do you have several arts and crafts you pursue? Different times and places you spend your creative energy? Do you play an instrument, write, make sculptures or paint? Let me know in the comments!

Oh – and my upcoming psychological thriller At The Gate is now available to pre-order. If you’re into reading, I’d love it if you checked it out.

At The Gate – Cover Reveal, Pre-orders and Giveaway!

It’s finally here! The awesome cover art for At The Gate is out and pre-orders are up!

At The Gate is my upcoming psychological thriller, a book that promises to terrify and captivate you:

Joseph can’t live with the fact that he’s responsible for his daughter’s death. He checks into The Gate as his final destination, but after the disappearance of a guest everything begins to unravel. Days go missing, people are acting strange, and nothing is what it should be. At every turn, he’s reminded of this most painful mistake.

Joseph disappears down a rabbit hole of mysterious events, all the while keeping up the battle against his own inner demons. Now he is trapped inside a haunted hotel trying to find a guest that may not even exist.

At The Gate is published with Inked in Gray, and features cover art by the talented Matt Barnes and illustrations by Axel Knight. It releases on September 6.

Pre-order your copy now, directly through Inked In Gray and you’re automatically entered into this exciting giveaway, where you can win a signed paperback, a mug, all 6 illustrations from the book, and a unique hotel key. Don’t miss out!

Book Review: Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

The very definition of a murder mystery!

I’m sure if you looked up mystery in the dictionary, you’d find Agatha Christie there, if not this exact novel as an example.

I grew up watching David Suchet’s version of Poirot and though I don’t even remember which ones I’ve seen, I remember loving them. It was probably my first time ever seeing a classic detective show like that, and I remember loving it every time it was on.

But this is the first time I’ve ever read Christie, and I’m happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I love her fast paced. We jump straight to the meat of it, right from the start, no dilly-dallying, no beating around the bush. It’s an excellent way to start any book (at least to me), and it pulls you in right away.

Every part of this gripped me. I loved Poirot and the rest of the characters–of which there are many–and I like the way Christie sets a scene. If I’d have to describe it in one word, I’d say: simply. She doesn’t waste words on exaggerated descriptions, but at the same time you’re never confused about what’s what. And of course I loved the meticulous investigation. Christie uses the other characters, who aren’t as brilliant as Poirot, to string you along, to have you think and guess, to have you question what Poirot really knows and how he knows it. It’s an excellent tool.

The writing didn’t always vibe. Some sentences read weird, and I felt like there were missing words here and there. But that could be due to the books age, or more likely the fact that I read a translated version not my choice, but I had this copy lying around so why not. I was given free range of a book shelf in a house I stayed in last fall – and since I’m always on a constant quest of trying to read more old classics, Agatha Christie jumped right out at me.

One thing that hasn’t aged well was the constant judging of characters based on nationality. A lot of the detective work is based on assumptions like: “No, she could never do that, because she’s French.” I guess it’s a product of it’s time, but if I’d read something similar in a modern book I’d laugh it off as a pretty weak plot device. Christie gets a free pass though, not just because of the age of the book, but because it actually works. Just you wait and see.

Oh, and I tried piecing it together, guessing before it was all revealed, but I couldn’t. I had a lot of theories and thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong. Christie is a mastermind. I need to read more Poirot now. And maybe also see if I can find that old David Suchet TV-show anywhere. That was brilliant.

Have you read Christie? This book, perhaps? Which one’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke

One of the fathers of modern science fiction – and a definite must-read!

When I started this I was worried I would find it much the same way I found Dune – boring and overlong – but this was the complete opposite. Every part of this novel made me want to keep on reading, keep on discovering, and see Alvin’s quest till the end.

The City and the Stars is Clarke’s first novel – but the version that ended up being published with that name as the title, in 1956, is actually the third rewrite. It is set in the city of Diaspar, currently the last city on planet Earth, a completely seal-off and self-sufficient environment. Everything is controlled by the Central Computer, even the people. Except for our protagonist, Alvin. He realizes that he’s different than everyone else, and finds himself with an urge to explore beyond Diaspar’s borders. So when he finds a way out of the city, he doesn’t hesitate to take it.

I didn’t know much about Clarke before I read this, only that he’s considered one of the greats in early science fiction. Turns out he also wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey and Childhood’s End, among a vast array of other things, and popularized the idea of geostationary satellites for telecommunication purposes. In other words, he accomplished a lot.

What I loved about this story was that it was an exploration. You weren’t inundated with characters, place names, facts, and historical events you needed to keep track of. There weren’t long-drawn conversations of political instability or cultural evolution that I had no way of keep straight in my head. We follow Alvin, and as he figures out what’s what in Diaspar, so do we.

I think it’s the gamer in me that loved this part the most – in many ways it reads like an old-school RPG. We start out in Diaspar, making ourselves familiar with our immediate surroundings, but then we’re off into the world to explore. Then, as Alvin moves through the world and everything he sees and does, we learn, and evolve. We understand more things about the world around us, and adapt to it. Just like an RPG.

And there’s something incredible about reading a book like this when you know how old it is. The initial draft for this was written in 1948, and to think Clarke had these ideas, could manifest such worlds and stories… There’s no wonder he was one of the Big Three, along Asimov and Heinlein.

If you’re looking to read some early science fiction and you’ve finished your H.G. Wells catalogue – and you’re looking for something exciting that has stood the test of time, I highly recommend Arthur C. Clarke’s work. The City and the Stars is great. I’m not always great with following up with more books when I find an author I like – because I have so many things I want to read that I often move on to the next author on my list – but I’m going to make a note that Arthur C. Clarke is excellent.

Have you read this? Or anything else by Clarke, for that matter? Let me know in the comments! Oh, and if you’re into reading, please do check out my books. Thank you!

What Now?

You know what’s worse than writer’s block? Writer’s indecisiveness.

I’ve just come down from an editing high – a couple of weeks of meticulously going through a thriller I’m working on, up and down, back and forth. It’s finally at a place where I can leave it in the hands of someone else. Now, while I was working on those edits, I was determined, inspired and motivated.

What’s weird is, that energy hasn’t gone away – but the focus has. What do I do now? Do I write a new novel, revise one I wrote last year, edit one that’s been through the ringer a few times already, or focus on writing and submitting short stories? I have the will to do it all – I just don’t know where to start.

Yeah, I hear what you’re saying: “But Trey, you just need to make an ordered list, and start at the top”-yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t want solutions, I want to blog about being indecisive. Just let me mad for a second.

In one sense I find this worse than writer’s block. Because not knowing what to write is easy to fix. You just sit down and do it, just type it out, overcome that rut you find yourself in, and you’ll soon be flying out on the other side. Not knowing where to put in the effort, as is my problem right now, feels much more overwhelming. I wish I could do it all at the same time, or that I simply could focus on one project from start to finish and then leave it behind me for good. Unfortunately, I’m a big believer in letting a first draft rest for a while before editing it. (And in world of beta readers and editors, I always find myself waiting on someone.)

But yes, dear reader, you’re right. I should just make a list. Start with whatever is oldest and focus on that. But what if one of my other projects is more fun? And then I’ll work my way through it all in chronological order. I guess.

How do you work? Do you have a list of projects you deal with in perfect order? Do you pick them out of a hat? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Avatar of Death by S.F. Claymore

Monstrous demons clash against dark and devastating magic in this fantasy novel full of adventure, thrills and betrayal.

This is the second book in the Champion of Psykoria series, and though it’s been a while since I read the first, the world came back to me pretty quickly. We follow Jrak Swadoh – King Breetor’s mystic messenger – on his quest to become the greatest mage in the realm. But an unlikely betrayal sends him fleeing away to distant lands, in hope of rebuilding and strengthening his resolve, all while a demonic invasion threatens the world.

Claymore has built and impressive and vivid world, and though Jrak’s quest is the focal point of the story, I find myself more intrigued by and drawn to the villains, the daemon who are trying to destroy the world. I love a novel that dares focus on the villain – something I feel I see far too little of – and in this case they are often much more interesting than the protagonist.

The writing is strong and engaging, and never dull, though I did find the book sometimes tried to do a bit too much all at the same time. I’d like to see a bit more detail dedicated to certain elements, instead of more elements. Big fantasy worlds like this get confusing when you have to digest too much all at once.

But the book is fun and the plot is captivating, and if you like action-filled magic battles, then this is the right type of fantasy for you. I recently got back into Warhammer (or, at least I tried too), and this book often reminded me of that world. There’s ton of different races and peoples, various named champions and warriors, and the all clash together in glorious battle full of giant weapons and evil spells. Oh, and it’s dark.

If any of that sounds like your cup of tea – look no further.

ARC Readers Wanted!

My psychological horror novel At The Gate is coming out this year – releasing this fall – and we’re close to sharing some very exciting news: the official cover reveal and the date for pre-orders!

But before that, I want to offer you one last chance to get an early copy! Interested in receiving an Advanced Review Copy? Follow the link below, and I promise you’ll have my next book before anyone else! (Sooner than you think!)

Stay tuned for the cover reveal.

Sign up for an ARC here!

I’m Taking A Break

Will I ever write again?

My wife and I are currently staying away at a cabin by the sea, somewhere on the Western coast of Norway. It’s a family cabin, a place we’ve spent a lot of time when we were younger, a place we used to call home, and we’re so lucky we got to borrow it for a week and a half.

There are two reasons for our stay here: first, it’s Easter, we’re off work and we wanted to get away; and second, in a week’s time I’m moving away for 4.5 months.

If you’ve followed me for a little while now you might know that my wife and I have done this before. Three years spent apart in seperate countries when we were studying years ago, and two years more recently, when I worked in the Arctic (in the middle of a pandemic, nonetheless). Now I have the opportunity to go back North for the summer, and I couldn’t say no.

Long distance isn’t new for us and 4.5 months feels like nothing more than an extended summer vacation. At the same time, the weeks leading up to that initial separation are tough. Which is why I decided, after spending a few nights at this wonderful cabin by the sea, that I’d leave all my writing till later.

It was difficult at first. Not only do I have tons of things I could revise and edit, but I’m also incredibly inspired to write new things while I’m out here. I get ideas faster than I can write them down.

But that’s the thing — I can just write them down. At the moment, writing isn’t worth it. It takes too much time, time that I could—and will—spend on hanging out with my wife.

So right now, I’m taking a break from all things writing. A much needed and valuable break.

(Not for long though. These stories need to come out and I’ll have 4.5 months up North that I need to fill with something!)

Book Review: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Never, ever, read this book.

Here’s a fun fact: we don’t have required reading in Norway (at least we didn’t in the 90’s where I grew up). That’s not to say I didn’t have to read things, I just didn’t have to read loads of old books from some arbitrary, outdated list. But I’m trying to make up for it now that I’m older, since I’ve basically never read any classics. So far, I’ve gotten through Animal Farm and 1984 which I loved, The Picture of Dorian Gray which was alright, Lord of the Flies, which I didn’t hate and a few others. I don’t know, are these classics? They feel like they’re classics.

And so, in my quest to read more old books, I picked up The Great Gatsby when I had the chance. I actually got it for free from a woman I rented an Airbnb from. She had a huge shelf in her hallway and basically told me I could take anything I wanted, and after reading this one, I get why she wanted to get rid of it.

The main problem with The Great Gatsby is that it’s so incredibly boring.

The characters are boring. The period is set in is boring – I mean, is there anything worse than the Jazz Age? Everyone’s listening to jazz and being rich and boring, and it’s just the worst. The writing itself is boring. Even the plot – the mystery about Gatsby and why he is so great, which was the only thing that made me see this thing through, is incredibly boring.

Also, the payoff isn’t worth it. Not even a little bit.

It’s so boring!

I actually had to Google the plot and figure out if there was something I’d missed, some great mystery, some cool twist that would make it all come together. I hadn’t. The ending (the really boring and tedious ending) was all there was to it.

I also learned through Google that one of the reasons this book rose in popularity was that it was handed out to American soldiers who served overseas during World War II. I mean, if it takes soldiers suffering through a war to make a book sell, that… That speaks for itself.

So yeah, don’t read this book, honestly, unless you have a hardcore fascination with the world’s most boring time period or you want to read the worlds most tedious book. The Great Gatsby isn’t great at all.

Have you read this? What did you think? Am I insane, or is this actually a really boring book? Let me know in the comments! Oh, and read my books instead!