C.A. Verstraete's Blog, page 22

Today's Creepy #Halloween Read #vampires

What I'm Reading:

 I admit I didn't finish reading the first book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter though I absolutely LOVE the movie! It's one of those movies I like to watch again. 

I'll have to go back to the book again even though I'm reading the sequel. I didn't know there was one. While it's a few years old, it's fantastic reading!

The Last American Vampire,  Seth Grahame-Smith - (See this link for free preview, 1st 3 chapters) Sequel to  Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter .  The book   follows the story of vampire Henry Sturges through the centuries. It starts with Henry mourning the loss of his friend, Abe Lincoln and then... well, I won't give it away. There are some big surprises later, too.

What I like about the book is how it twists historic events. Real life events and persons are included, the Ripper murders, Rasputin, Tesla, Edison, different presidents... What's interesting is the twist on reality - a different reason why Rasputin was as strange (and evil) as he was in real life... Tesla's experiments, how the tide of World War II turned...  

If you like history, it's fascinating reading. 

What are you reading??

Creepy #Halloween Gifts!

For fun, I decided to look around and see what kinds of odd, Halloween-related gift items I could find. The better, scarier things are not cheap, but you can have some creepy fun if you want to spend the $!

How about some writing gloves? Get Dracula and other classic and horror story excerpts on these gloves at Storiarts. $26.









* Has the zombie and skeleton animal craze gone too far? 

You can get a full-size 72" tall zombie horse  (painted 'decaying' flesh, 'undead' horse neighs and red eyes, $224) and a 74" skeleton horse  for your lawn at Home Depot. 

Yes, there's even a saddle, cloak and more! There are all kinds of other animals, too.


Ha! I could see doing this! Oriental Trading has a "John Doe" body on a table that sits up! Sound activated with 2 AA batteries. $79. Check out the video at the link above, too.

Or if you're cheap like me, make your own stuff.  This is a must! Scare family and friends with this easy Head in a Jar in the fridge! 

Of course, I could fill a whole post with creepy, icky food ideas! I'll let you Google yourself... In this case, it depends on how disgusting you want to be. Some are pretty gross!  This page starts out average enough but the further you go.... Icky bloody arm, and well, there's the really gross baby doll poop... 

And... of course, books!!! There are a bunch of new creepy anthologies coming out.  But... that's in an upcoming post, so be sure to come back!

Monsters oh my! New Pet Sematary coming!

Usually remakes aren't as good as the original. But I liked the movie remake of IT and it seems they're going to be remaking most of Stephen King's movies. 

Stephen King's Pet Sematary is one of my favorite books. I still remember reading it, totally engrossed, home alone, and then the dog moved and scratched the floor. I must've jumped 20 feet. haa! 

I liked the movie, too, but this remake is looking pretty good! Check out the trailer.

October Frights Day 6: #Zombies & Lizzie Borden #Halloween

Today's the wrap-up for this year's OCTOBER FRIGHTS. I enjoyed compiling it. I sure hope you enjoyed the journey, discovered some new authors,  and found some new books to read! I know I did!!

Since I've been talking so much about monsters this week, I thought I'd get back to the topic that inspired me to start writing horror - zombies and Lizzie Borden. 

Odd combination, right? Well, for me it seemed to fit, especially once I read the actual autopsy reports online and looked at the crime scene photos. (Do a Google search or I have some information on my website.)  After all, what better reason could there be for a spinster, Sunday School teacher to viciously hack her father and stepmother to death, but that they'd become... zombies? 

Don't be mistaken - these were horrific murders. But as it's been 126 years since the murders occurred in 1892, they've become a part of history. 

Various spins and re-tellings of the story have been done as stated in this review on Vulture of the new Lizzie movie. I'm glad to say they mention my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter,  as one of the more original examples. (See the paragraph on the movie review page after the second blue mark.)

Obviously, more versions of the Borden story will continue to appear. It's a topic that never fails to fascinate true crime buffs. You can't help but wonder -- did she or didn't she? What do you think? You can read my book, which includes real life news and document quotes,  for my take on the murders. Learn more at my website. -- Chris Verstraete

(NOTE: Halloween is not over yet here on the blog. I'll have more stories and spooky finds up to Oct. 31 so be sure to keep stopping by!)



* Here's something really cool I found - check out these amazing


 * Today's Spooky Read: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. (Get it free at Project Gutenberg)

* See first day post and giveaway.  (Links to all the posts are on the October Frights Page tab on top of the blog.)


* Visit the October Frights FB group.





* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!--------

October Frights Day 5: Favorite #Monsters #Halloween

Thanks for stopping by for another day of OCTOBER FRIGHTS!
Today, I thought I'd ask some other authors about their favorite monsters. (Bonus: check out their books!) This was fun to compile. Here's what they had to say:


   

 Donald J. Bingle, author of  Net Impact, (Dick Thornby Thriller Book 1),  has a good point about calling the Doppelganger/Shapeshifter the scariest of all. "Because once those are in play, you just can't trust anybody, so there is never any rest or respite from the fear of betrayal and death."

Kody Boye, author of  The Scarlet Jane Files,  likes what has become a classic monster in our time  - the monster from Stephen King's It: "Pennywise is mine -- since it, can transform into any and everything it wants to terrorize you." (What's a list without King, right?)

Naching T. Kassa, author and contributor to the Crescendo of Darkness anthology, likes the true classic monsters:  (Who can't feel for Larry Talbot in Universal's Werewolf movie?)  "Werewolves are the best monsters. They're a tortured soul inside a monster's body." 





 Selene MacLeod, author and contributor to Fresh Blood (Vampire Writers Support Group Book 1), says her favorites are "skinwalkers. I've been listening to a lot of "true skinwalker stories" over on YouTube, and they never cease to be freaky all!"
(Got me curious - see video at end for a set I found... Beware...)

Carol J. Marshall, author of The Demon Dealer: A Horror Novel, offers this creepy monster: "Eyeball guy Pans Labyrinth. He’s silent and almost elegant in movement. Disgusting to look at and gives the viewer an incredible creepy crawl across the back of the neck!" (Agreed!!)

Chantal Noordeloos, author and contributor to  A Plague of Shadows: A Written Remains Anthology,  prefers her monsters to have an innocent demeanor: "I have to go with the trope: scary little girl. There’s nothing that terrifies me more than seeing that which you expect to be innocent, be utterly evil."

  
Loren Rhoads, author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die,   offers another classic monster - the vampire. Quoting Lestat in Anne Rice's  Interview with the Vampire,  "Evil is a point of view. We are immortal. God kills, and so shall we; no creatures under God are as we are..." 
For David Schmidt, author of  Three Nights in the Clown Motel , his favorite, not surprisingly, is "the killer clown. Indecipherable, inscrutable, terrifying. Not to mention, recent history has given us far too many real-life examples." And he admits, "it won't stop being my favorite monster, book or no book!"






C.A. Verstraete, author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, admits zombies give her a scare, but it's the unknown, the thing hiding in the closet, that really freaks her out. "Who doesn't remember looking at the closet, wondering if the door is shut, wondering if there is something hiding in there waiting to come out? It's the psychological horror that really makes your heart pound harder."

Jay Wilburn, author and contributor to  Zombie Epidemic , slyly gives another author's monster a plug. (And it's a good one): "Ob in Brian Keene’s Rising universe. ( The Rising: Author's Preferred Eidtion .) He’s a demon who possesses the dead and creates a powerful, relentless zombie."






* Today's Classic Spooky Read:  Something Wicked This Way Comes  by Ray Bradbury


* Visit the October Frights FB group. * See Day 1 post and giveaway.  *  
* See Day 6 post.
* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!--------

October Frights 4: #Frankenstein 200th Anniversary #monsters

NOTE: Today I also am talking about writing - and dogs! - at Pens Paws and Claws - Writers & The Animals They Love blog!


This year marks the 200th anniversary of the classic horror tale, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Follow along with a variety of events during Halloween week, Oct. 22-31 on the Frankenreads.com website, organized by the Keats-Shelley Assn. of America. There are some cool resources, printies and posters on the website.   

Ever since Mary Shelley wrote her horrific story, the monster has been a big part of our culture. I did some checking around and found there's quite a bit of Frankenstein-related things online. 

* Wikipedia has a list of all the ways Frankenstein has influenced culture in TV, movies, music, books and more.



 * Music: Who can forget the Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Some things to do: 
* Make a simple spinner game for kids. 

* Here's a video-science game with Dr. Tori Frankenstein that you can play online, Frankenstein 200. See Frankenstein.Life to take a personality test first, (not sure if it goes further).

* Pretty cool: Chicago theaters will have four new stage plays about Frankenstein as part of Frankenfest. 

* How much do you know?  Take a Frankenstein quiz. Here's another multiple-choice quiz.

* Watch the official 1931 Universal movie trailer for Frankenstein, played by Boris Karloff:




* Find various versions of the Frankenstein novel - download a free version on the website.


* Visit the October Frights FB group. -- * See Day 1 post for my giveaway. * See Day 5 post.
* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!--------

October Frights Reading List 3 #monsters #halloween #zombies

OCTOBER FRIGHTS BLOG HOP - OCT. READING LIST!!

*  See Day 1 post & giveaway. 
This month's reading list was so much FUN to compile & WOW! Great stuff to read as I kept coming across something different to add! 
Be sure to check out the cool monster-themed  stuff  and giveaway  at the end, too! 
Don't forget to follow along with the rest of the blogs this week, as well. 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Anthologies
 
13 Deja Vu: Anthology of Horror and Dark Fiction (Thirteen Series Book 2) -  Samie Sands, Thomas S. Flowers and others - Thirteen chilling stories are about to test the limits of your fear, ready to show you the daunting truth of what lies beneath… The family with buried secrets. An old factory hiding shadows within its walls. A serial killer honing his deadly skills. It’s all here, about to prove that nothing is ever as it seems. Think twice before you switch off the lights, before you close your eyes and say goodnight.

Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal - Anita Stewart - Thirteen stories focusing on the betrayal, urges, and the choices we make that can forever change lives. 

The 13: Tales of Macabre, Stephanie Ayers - Killer watermelons, murderous jewelry boxes, centenarian sea creatures, myths and more... you'll reconsider everything you thought you knew... 


       
Descent into Darkness - Tony Urban, E.E. Isherwood, C. A. Verstraete and others - Dive into the darkness with 20 stories exploring ghosts and monsters, demons, and forces of evil. 

Splatterpunk Fighting Back - Splatter Zine Anthology, W.D. Gagliani, and others -  Eleven stories of horror benefiting a cancer charity.

Tricks Treats & Zombies: Halloween Tales of the Living Dead, ATZ Anthology - Hordes of monsters, gnashing teeth and mouths - and this time "you" are the treat in stories from 19 authors, with a foreword by Joe McKinney. 

V-Wars, Vol. 3 Night Terrors,   Jonathan Maberry - Maberry, Tim Waggoner, John Everson and others share stories from reporters embedded with the Beats, humans, and of the reporters, the Bloods, the humans and the Bloods, the vampires, in tales of heroism, horror, despair and courage as the war blazes. (The V-Wars series will be airing on Netflix in 2019 starring Ian Somerhalder.)


Creepy Coloring Books
I bet you didn't think this was a category, did you? Well... it seems there are some creepy good choices out there...  You never know what I'll find. I'll be doing another post soon and include a bunch more choices. 


 
Everyday Horror: Horror Adult Coloring Book, Jade Summer - Fifteen unique images, single-sided for framing. 65 pages. Looks like some really nice, detailed line art. Apparently this artist has a following... 

Vampires: Adult Coloring Book, Jade Summer - She also has a cool book just on various types of vampires. 85 pages.


Dark Fantasy, Fantasy/Ghost & Sci Fi

 
Blackened Magic (Mistakes Were Made Book 1), Emily Cyr & Jojo Barlett - Sawyer's in big trouble. Lord knows, she's never been a great student, but she never expected to be an inch away from flunking her economics class this close to graduation. Failing is definitely not an option and she's running out of hope. That’s when her roommate suggests contacting a warlock who will sell her an oh-so-illegal spell to help her pass the final. 
    Kane is almost a free man...er warlock. He has one last job to do for the magical cartel, and then he's out of here. But before he delivers the cartel's spell to them, he takes a call for a side job-- to deliver an outlawed spell to a desperate college student. Only, he screws up. Big time. Both Kane and Sawyer must dodge the magical police, the cartel, and enemies neither of them knew they had. If they don’t fix Kane’s mistake, it will cost them more than Sawyer’s life; it will cost them everything.

Curiously Dark Tales, Debbie Christiana - Grim, dark tales where the supernatural comes to life. 

Hackers, (Novellette , Hackers Collection), M.A. Smith - 'It went wrong. We all knew the theory of veins and wire and the connective tissues that linked tech to flesh; but when it came right down to it, none of us knew anything about real-world torn, soft pulsing muscle or the grey slide of that stuff just under the top layer of skin. We got the arm attached, but Margey died that night.'



His Angelic Keeper, Melinda Kucsera - First book in a humorous, action-packed sword-and-sorcery series starring Sovvan from the Curse Breaker series. With no allies to help her, this plucky ghost must brazen her way through the formless, memory-leeching gray of limbo to the purple spires of heaven itself. And that might not even be enough to stop what's coming.

Souls of the Dark Sea, (Saga of the Outer Islands Book 2),  A.F. Stewart -  (See all sellers) The armies of the dead are rising - and their master is not far behind. Captain Rafe Morrow, God of Souls, will face a creature from the depths for control of the dead and the survival of the living.

Horror
   

Blood Claim, Claire C. Riley - Terror lurks in the hearts of men who quickly learn that the stuff of nightmares is all too real and what starts as a new beginning, rapidly becomes a frightening ordeal of horror and bloodshed.

Goatbusters, Chicaghosts Series, Old Fart Squad Book 3,  
Robert W. Walker - If you like old Chicago history, horror and humor, you'll enjoy the only horror/humor novella series by this prolific author of 80 novels. Who you gonna call when a monster lurking in the Chicago River is luring people and feeding them to its young?  Why, the Old Fart Squad of retired detectives, of course. 
   The series starts with Gone Gorilla, focusing on a haunted museum and Chicago's famous and now stuffed gorilla, Bushman; and follows with The Monster Pit,  "pitting" the retired detectives to face the Lovecraftian creatures crawling out and snatching people into the giant Spire hole in downtown Chicago. Finish it off with book 4, The Heads Have Eyes,  a garish novella of parasitic spiders. I'll let you read the rest of the description, heh-heh.

Lost Girl of the Lake, Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty - Skinny-dipping in the lake with a mysterious local girl takes Mark Gaitlin into the fire and brimstone religion of snake handlers, abandoned villages and his own family's dark secrets.

Starblood: The Graphic Novel (Starblood Trilogy Graphic Novels Book 1), Carmilla Voiez - Satori is desperate to win back his ex girlfriend, Star. He tries to summon a demon to command its help, but manages to bring Lilith, queen of the demons, into his bedroom, unleashing her on Earth. Lilith seduces Star and takes her on a wild murder spree that culminates in Scotland. Can Satori save Star and himself or will Lilith destroy them both? (For mature audiences; contains some nudity.)  * Continue the story, Psychonaut, The Graphic Novel (Starblood Trilogy Graphic Novels Book 2.)  * See the novel, The Starblood Trilogy. 

The Assassin's Coin, John Linwood Grant - There is Jack the Ripper, and then there is another... Mr. Edwin Dry, the Deptford Assassin. The truth is not what you believe.  It's what he makes it.

Vampires

Night to Dawn 34: Barbara Custer, Editor - Just saw this! Skeletons, vamps and all kinds of monsters! Love coming across new publications! Lots of great stories in 100 pages. (See other purchase options @ Blood Red Shadow.com.)
Preach on Havoc, Dreams About Vampires, Book 1 , (Pre-Order, releases Oct. 20)  Alice de Sampaio Kalkuhl - Local priest Llywelyn Driscoll is trying to lead a quiet life, until he is forced to deceive an obnoxious detective and try to stay true to his principles as he is confronted with the source of the vampires' curse.
Sunwalker (Sunwalker Trilogy), S.t. Sanchez - Lily is a sunwalker, a vampire with human parents, able to walk in sunlight. then she meets one of her own kind. As the vampire, Tread, begins to open Lilly's eyes to a world she has never known, Lilly must decide where she belongs. When she's forced to submerge herself entirely in the vampire world, she'll discover that Tread has a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.
 The Last American Vampire, Seth Grahame-Smith - (See this link for free preview, 1st 3 chapters) Sequel to Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter . Love this movie and just found this book - it's fantastic! Various historic elements like the Ripper murders and characters - Arthur Conan Doyle,  Henry Irving, Edison and others - people this sweeping saga that spans the decades as vampire Henry Sturges tries to find purpose after the death of his friend, Abe. (And the beginning - whoa!)
Zombies

 Legion of the Undead,  Michael Whitehead - The greatest fighting forces, the Roman Legion, meet their match in hordes of undead.  

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete -  On sale! Everyone's heard the old rhyme, Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks... But what if the murders happened for another reason? What if Lizzie did kill her father and stepmother because they'd become... zombies?

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall, C.A. Verstraete -  On Sale 10/25!   The trial over, Lizzie and the citizenry of Fall River now must battle a new surge of flesh-eaters, this time with a heartbreaking twist: the infected creatures are friends and family, hidden away by their grief-stricken caregivers. When her sister Emma becomes a pawn in the growing war against the undead, Lizzie has no choice but to pick up her axe again. But can she overcome her personal demons and the rampaging monsters, no matter the cost? NOTE: There are spoilers if you haven't read the first book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter.

   

Only the Dead Don't Die, A.D. Popovich -  Teacher Scarlett Lewis soon finds there are worse things than a break-up like the super summer flu - and those who survive it. Hope may be her last defense.
Undead Worlds 2: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Anthology , from the Reanimated Writers group, (Pre-order, Releases Oct. 16) - Enjoy 15 new zombie stories from 15 authors. Includes: 
La Petite Mort by Ryan Colley - The Last Day by Justin Robinson
Cookie Jars and Bluebirds by Valerie Lioudis - Inception by Jessica Gomez
First Occurrence by Joshua C. Chadd - Dominion by R.L. Blalock
Forget the Mall by RJ Spears - The Zee Brothers: First Job by Grivante
Valley of the Shadow by LC Champlin - Airborne by Arthur Mongelli
Breakfast in Hell by Dia Cole - Sara Beth's Story
Gods and Monsters by Richard Restucci - Zombie Beginnings: The Oracle by Javan Bonds Picking it up in the Middle by EE Isherwood
When Blood Reigns, Barbara Custer - Marked for death, Alexis accompanies her lover, Yeron, and four survivors of a zombie invasion on a search for the renegades who created a chemical that induces a zombie-like state. Then her team is attacked and a survivor turns on her. When she's captured and becomes ill, can DNA splicing save her or will Yeron's attempts at rescue jeopardize all their lives?
Zombie in Chief: Eater of the Free World , Scott Kenemore - Fantastic idea and take on the 2016 elections. Follows real-life with some horrific twists!
* Get free Halloween animations and more.



* Something fun: Check out this 2019 Calendar - with monsters like Godzilla, aliens and more! - from Alternate Histories. 

* Visit and join the October Frights FB group.  


* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!-----------------------------------------

October Frights Day 2 - Classic #Halloween Monsters

The Original Stuff of Nightmares - Old Hollywood Monsters
By C.A. Verstraete


Today there are plenty of horror movies and books to whet your appetite for something horrific for Halloween, but for me, the Universal classic monsters still can't be beat. Be sure to check out the movie trailer links for some nostalgic, spooky fun.

My favorites:

My favorite book to re-read has always been Dracula by Bram Stoker, and to me, no one brought the him to life more than Bela Lugosi in the original  Dracula (1931) movie (1931). Nothing is creepier, I think, than the haunting stare of Lugosi's eyes. * Watch the movie trailer.


Then there is Frankenstein (1931). Who can forget the cry of Dr. Frankenstein, "It's alive, it's alive!" as his monster stirs, amazingly played by Boris Karloff, who literally brought the dead to life. (heh-heh). I still remember my mom saying that this was the scariest thing she'd ever seen as a child when it first came out. * Watch the movie trailer. 


Another favorite I still love to watch is The Mummy (1932). I love the old version with Boris Karloff as Imhotep, but I admit to also enjoying  The Mummy remake (1999) as well with Brendan Fraser.  * Watch the original Mummy movie trailer.


There's something about watching the look of fear and horror on Larry Talbot's (Lon Chaney Jr.) face when he turns into  The Wolfman.  (1941) And who can resist that tippy-toed gait? My favorite part of the film, though, has to be the eerieness of the old gypsy woman as she recites that famous poem, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."   * Here's the rest and other movie quotes at IMDB. Watch  the movie trailer. 

Did you know?

* The spiderwebs in Dracula's castle were actually... rubber cement? See more Dracula trivia. 

* Frankenstein wasn't "technically" a horror film, since the term for the genre wasn't used until 1934. See more Frankenstein trivia. 

* It look eight hours each day to put on Boris Karloff's movie makeup in The Mummy. See more Mummy trivia.

* Never knew this: The "wolf" in the movie was Lon Chaney Jr's German Shepherd. See more Wolfman trivia.

** COMMENT: Which is your favorite monster and why? Plus, see my giveaway on the Day 1 post. * See day 3 Reading List post. 


* Today's Book: Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) - Read it free at Project Gutenberg

* Visit the October Frights FB group. 

* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!
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October Frights Blog Hop Oct 10-15

Welcome to the annual October Frights Blog Hop! A bunch of us horror and spooky authors invite you to follow along on our blogs, join in on the Halloween fun and maybe pick up a prize or two. We'll have freebies, spooky stories, lots of good horrific fun and more! 

I'll be focusing on a variety of topics here on the blog, including a monstrous reading list for October! Be sure to check out the blog list at the end of each post, plus the freebie links and a little monstrous gift for you! Happy Haunting!

When Fantasy Meets the Dark Side By Christine (C.A.) Verstraete
The word fantasy often conjures up images of fairies, swords, wizards, and tales in different dimensions. But like any genre, there also is a dark side.   Mention dark fantasy and the images change to blood, vampires, surreal creatures, and the dark of night. Monsters. Oh, and of course, zombies. They’re the creatures that not only lurk in the night ready to suck out your soul, but they stalk you by day in search of your flesh, too. And as gruesome as they can be, zombies make the perfect villains—they’re the things we fear; the monsters that come at you without end. They’re the stuff of nightmares.   Monsters can also be the perfect solution to an unsolved crime as I offer in my novel, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. As horrific as the real-life crime is, it’s still hard to imagine a woman so heartless and selfish that she could hack her own father and stepmother to death with a hatchet as she was accused of doing on August 4, 1892.   While the jury, for various reasons, declared her not guilty of the crime in June 1893, once I studied the autopsy reports and photos, I knew I’d found the perfect fictional reason as to why the spinster/Sunday School teacher could have committed such a terrible crime. It made perfect sense… if her father and stepmother had turned into zombies.   Time, of course, determines how you approach a crime. As this year marks the 126th anniversary of the murders, the crime is distant enough to be part of history. Fantasy also allows you to insert monsters into a story. Monsters actually make sense since nothing can be a horrible as real life. They can be vanquished, but the human soul has a darkness that often can’t be cleansed.   And since monsters aren’t real, it’s up to the author to provide a reason as to why they would be there, as in Lizzie Borden’s story. In Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, Lizzie becomes a kind of dark heroine who kills, but for a reason—to save her sister, and her city, from the evil her father might have had a role in.   Admittedly, writing about a killer, any killer, is not for the squeamish, though having grown up reading about Chicago’s gangsters and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre must’ve softened me to it early on.   But I know I’m not alone. Crime fascinates, judging from the various crime shows, movies, documentaries, and the endless true crime novels. The unknown, the wondering how someone could ever do such a thing, draws us in. It’s the struggle to understand how and why that seemingly nice man—or woman—next door could do the most horrible of things--kill.    That’s the clue to writing dark fantasy, I think. It’s taking someone we thoughtwe knew… and giving them a reason for their evil by inserting another evil into their story, like monsters or zombies. In Lizzie’s case, it’s enough of a reason to make her almost sympathetic, even if in real life, she would be the most pathetic of people if she was indeed guilty—someone who killed for the oldest of reasons: greed and money. The jury is still out on that. 

* Today's gift for you: *Get free books, novellas, previews & more here!  


** Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter  Kindle SALE! Grab it quick at 99 cents.  And it'll be $1.99 next week thru Halloween! 

* Visit and join the October Frights FB  group.


 
** MY GIVEAWAY - win a print copy of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter or Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall, and a copy of The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, plus this cool skull bracelet! (US shipping only, sorry! International readers - pick 2 of the Kindle books.) One winner only - must sign-up for newsletter at top-center column of my website to enter. Add email in entry to be verified and to contact you. (Ends 10/20/18)
a Rafflecopter giveaway




* Visit the other October Frights Blogs - prizes & more!!
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Other Side of Writers: Chris Harold Stevenson #dystopian #fantasy #romance #scifi

Welcome to the third post in my ongoing series! 



(**See previous posts on mystery author Mary Cunningham and her genealogy; horror author Rob Walker and his dog). (Other photos/images: Pixabay.com)

Today I'm talking with multi-dimensional author Chris Harold Stevenson. He's published everything from nonfiction on not getting ripped off, to YA sci-fi, romances with a twist and more. But let him tell you...


So who are you: writer, reader, collector, zombie enthusiast?
   I’m a novelist primarily, but I’ve also written non-fiction books, short stories, poetry and nearly 2000 science articles.
What is your talent?
   My talent seems to be writing, all in all. I’ve been told that my YA books excel. Which was a surprise to me.
Tell us about your  latest work.
   My latest in-print work is The Girl They Sold to the Moon , a light science fiction tale of a girl who gets pawned to an unscrupulous company, thanks to her father.  Girl They Sold has a sweet romance, so it’s a little bit safer.


About The Girl They Sold to the Moon: 
Eighteen-year-old Tilly Breedlove’s father has sold her into a form of modern day slavery on Luna—the Tranquility Harbor Mining Company, 240,000 miles from home. He’s pawned her for a huge cash advance to keep himself out of the penitentiary. Family Trade and Loan, an unscrupulous company, is more than willing to take her on and exploit her talent.

Forced to be an exotic dancer, she performs risque shows for the filthy, but filthy rich ore miners--a far cry from her classical and modern dance training. If she isn't resisting obscene advances from bearded “Prairie Dogs”, she's fending off jealous head-liner acts who view her as a threat to their status—and when those jealous showgirls say “break a leg”, they aim to cause it. The only reprieve she finds in this shop of horrors is a few close ward friends, a sympathetic dance coach/choreographer, and Buddy Gunner Bell, who just might become the love of her life. It's just enough to stem her psychological meltdown.
A tragedy on the Moon base, coupled with the suicide of her best friend, lands Tilly back on Earth, shackled to the Las Vegas-Henderson Gambling Complex. She discovers that one of her closest ward friends is actually her birth mother, who gave her up for adoption at the age of two and is serving an extended term at FTAL. Tilly's father defaults on the loan and goes into hiding, making Tilly temporary property of FTAL. That's the last straw. She plots a daring escape plan with her birth mother—they'll break out and make a run for it. Buddy Bell is enlisted to help from the outside. Their plan requires split-second timing and a daring dash. If she can just get past the corporation's airtight security, and hunt down the father who abandoned her.
Tilly and her birth mother make a narrow escape, ditching pursuers on the streets of Las Vegas. On the way to the airport, Tilly discovers the location of her father and promptly calls authorities—a revengeful tit for tat. Tilly, her birth mother and Buddy Bell, board a flight to Hawaii and land safely. With new identities and disguises, she and her friends plan on carving out a new life for themselves. But thoughts of FTAL finally catching up to her is an ever-present threat and reality. (Series potential).

What inspired the story?

   I imagined a fully distressed dystopian future, where the need to survive has been taken to the limit. Dependent family members are ripe for being sold if the head of the household or breadwinner determines it is an option to avoid poverty. It is a theme that echoes the workhouse of England, kind of a debtors prison.  

Read the first paragraph: 
            “I’m Reginald Breedlove.  I’m here to pawn my daughter.”            I’m here to pawn my daughter.  Tilly Breedlove knew they had another word for it—they called them “kickouts”, people who were sold to the establishment to cover debts. She and her girlfriends used to laugh at the K-Span commercial on late night Holoview.  She wasn’t laughing now.  She’d never seen so many kids gathered in one spot, except at a school assembly. 
What do you like to do when you're not writing?

  I like to take walks in the country, shoot pistols and watch any video featuring UFOs or Bigfoot. I teach on writing technique and how-tos on my blog , Guerilla Warfare for Writers. 
Do you collect anything? 
   I used to build and collect dollhouses and miniature replicas. I made 80 such houses, including customized structures for clients.     (Sigh, he doesn't have any photos. I'd love to see some of his work!)
What's up next for you?

 My newest release will be an erotic romance called Blackmailed Bride . It’s coming out in the next couple months. It was co-written with the help of a female writer friend on the Internet.  Here's a preview of the cover. (Enlarge to read the back blurb.) Find Chris on Facebook or his FB Author page.

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* Chris, thanks for sharing with us. I enjoyed your visit!
** Stay tuned...  who's next????