Joe Mikolay's Blog, page 10
February 26, 2015
Influences For The Pack- The Monsters
Let's talk about monsters, specifically in this case, werewolves.There are a lot of different variations on the werewolf mythos dating back through recorded history.
There's the sometimes-noble-savage take on Native American skinwalkers. There's also the less noble Wendigo version of that legend. On the same end of that spectrum are the similarly afflicted people who slowly transform into giant wolves either via the lunar cycle or possibly through witchcraft or even genetics.
But the version that I like the most is then wolf-man type. In my opinion, a werewolf should be a creature torn between two worlds- the human and the bestial. So a full change from human to wolf doesn't do it for me. I like to see the conflict represented in the werewolf's transfigured state.
As such, my werewolves have three different phases. The half-transformed state (think Jack Nicholson in Wolf), the wolf-person state (think the wolf-man designs in the 2010 remake of The Wolfman- not a great movie, but great Rick Baker creatures) and the Alpha Wolf (similar to the werewolves in The Howling- but a little more nimble).
The course of events has some roots in Stephen King's novel 'Salem's Lot, and the 1980's film Fright Night. Tales of monsters invading a quaint suburb always strike my fancy. Watching as the epitome of normalcy is demolished by terrifying outside forces always ramps up the drama!
The connotations of the way lycanthropy works in The Pack ties into overall theme I was aiming for. The main protagonists are teenagers, as that's really the point in one's life where people start becoming who they are going to be for the rest of their lives.
Therefore, in my interpretation of the werewolf legend, the curse/gift strips away all the civilized trappings of a person, leaving them only in their purest essence- for better and worse. In some ways, I suppose this was also influenced in part by the Whedonverse's definition of vampires.
So, that's a bit about how I assembled my first Frankenstein Monster. I'll probably be posting a little something in the future about where I dug up the pieces of my Bride of Frankenstein- The Alpha. Thanks for reading!
There's the sometimes-noble-savage take on Native American skinwalkers. There's also the less noble Wendigo version of that legend. On the same end of that spectrum are the similarly afflicted people who slowly transform into giant wolves either via the lunar cycle or possibly through witchcraft or even genetics.
But the version that I like the most is then wolf-man type. In my opinion, a werewolf should be a creature torn between two worlds- the human and the bestial. So a full change from human to wolf doesn't do it for me. I like to see the conflict represented in the werewolf's transfigured state.
As such, my werewolves have three different phases. The half-transformed state (think Jack Nicholson in Wolf), the wolf-person state (think the wolf-man designs in the 2010 remake of The Wolfman- not a great movie, but great Rick Baker creatures) and the Alpha Wolf (similar to the werewolves in The Howling- but a little more nimble).
The course of events has some roots in Stephen King's novel 'Salem's Lot, and the 1980's film Fright Night. Tales of monsters invading a quaint suburb always strike my fancy. Watching as the epitome of normalcy is demolished by terrifying outside forces always ramps up the drama!
The connotations of the way lycanthropy works in The Pack ties into overall theme I was aiming for. The main protagonists are teenagers, as that's really the point in one's life where people start becoming who they are going to be for the rest of their lives.
Therefore, in my interpretation of the werewolf legend, the curse/gift strips away all the civilized trappings of a person, leaving them only in their purest essence- for better and worse. In some ways, I suppose this was also influenced in part by the Whedonverse's definition of vampires.
So, that's a bit about how I assembled my first Frankenstein Monster. I'll probably be posting a little something in the future about where I dug up the pieces of my Bride of Frankenstein- The Alpha. Thanks for reading!
February 25, 2015
Influences For The Pack- The Older Generation
I really dig stories where one generation tries to do their best, only to fail spectacularly. It then falls to their children (or grandchildren, or great grandchildren, etc) to finish what they began.
That was partly where I was coming from with that group of characters in The Pack. At least, that was the case when it came to Jack Halliday.
The other main inspirations for Jack- or any experienced Venatores- were the wise old warrior/clinical expert sort of characters in the vein of Abraham Van Helsing from Dracula, or Dr. Sam Loomis from Halloween. I was always drawn to those types of characters, as they were unafraid of the evils they faced, since they were familiar with them.
This, of course, is the opposite of characters in The Pack such as Officer Hernandez or Dr. Kahler who are trying their best to save lives but are simply not prepared for the monsters they are confronted with. Think the merc/cleanup group in Predator, or the colonial marines in Aliens.
Which brings up to Caleb Slade, and the titular pack of werewolves. Slade is a very charismatic character, in many ways he's like a cult leader. The manner in which he- and by extension his packmates- makes the outcasts and the damaged feel special and accepted is very seductive.
In some way, Slade presents himself as more of an anti-hero than a straight up villain. His origin chapter, and his magnetic presence, make him a character that many reader would gravitate towards. Which makes it all the more startling (and, frankly, fun) when I pull out the rug, and finally display his truly brutal cruelty.
That was partly where I was coming from with that group of characters in The Pack. At least, that was the case when it came to Jack Halliday.
The other main inspirations for Jack- or any experienced Venatores- were the wise old warrior/clinical expert sort of characters in the vein of Abraham Van Helsing from Dracula, or Dr. Sam Loomis from Halloween. I was always drawn to those types of characters, as they were unafraid of the evils they faced, since they were familiar with them.
This, of course, is the opposite of characters in The Pack such as Officer Hernandez or Dr. Kahler who are trying their best to save lives but are simply not prepared for the monsters they are confronted with. Think the merc/cleanup group in Predator, or the colonial marines in Aliens.
Which brings up to Caleb Slade, and the titular pack of werewolves. Slade is a very charismatic character, in many ways he's like a cult leader. The manner in which he- and by extension his packmates- makes the outcasts and the damaged feel special and accepted is very seductive.
In some way, Slade presents himself as more of an anti-hero than a straight up villain. His origin chapter, and his magnetic presence, make him a character that many reader would gravitate towards. Which makes it all the more startling (and, frankly, fun) when I pull out the rug, and finally display his truly brutal cruelty.
Influences For The Pack- The Teens
Maybe I'm the only person who had this particular daydream when I was younger, but I somehow doubt it:
A great terror besieges your hometown, and all around you people are losing their shit and unable to do anything to stop it. You, however, are ready.
The moment is not too big for you, and you realize that means you're the only one who can stop the evil that's been unleashed.
Okay, maybe I was the only kid who had that daydream in middle school and high school. But that was the original seed that ended up growing into The Pack.
Of course, a majority of the influences were external ones drawn from the things that I watched or read in my formative years. You might be surprised to know that one of the primary influences wasn't horror at all.
"Some Kind Of Wonderful" is a highly underrated movie from the 1980's written by John Hughes. The key relationship in it is between the characters Keith and Watts.
If you haven't seen this movie, then you really ought to. But the part that left the biggest impression on my was that Keith and Watts are childhood friends who- as fate would have it- are meant to be together in the end, even though they didn't see it themselves. Therein is the inspiration for Michael and Ellis' relationship in The Pack.
Of course, that also ties into the old high school fantasy that your best friend also happens to be a beautiful and funny girl who you fall in love with. Or, I suppose, you realize that you were in love all along.
Hemming even closer to heart of The Pack was the original "Teen Wolf." The relationship between Scott Howard and Boof plays out much the same way as in "SKOW" only one of them happens to be a werewolf. It's no coincidence that I namedrop this movie specifically in the book.
Natalie's story was something more akin to Stephen King's more disturbing subplots. She was a victim who was taken to the breaking point, and then pushed well past that point into an entirely new sort of traumatic existence. In her transformation from prey to predator, she ultimately ended up as prey again to her own uncontrollable urges.
I rounded out this group of characters with Kristen and Jeff, who were a sort of yin and yang pair of twins. Of course, their inherent differences lead to the Greek tragedy that befalls them.
A great terror besieges your hometown, and all around you people are losing their shit and unable to do anything to stop it. You, however, are ready.
The moment is not too big for you, and you realize that means you're the only one who can stop the evil that's been unleashed.
Okay, maybe I was the only kid who had that daydream in middle school and high school. But that was the original seed that ended up growing into The Pack.
Of course, a majority of the influences were external ones drawn from the things that I watched or read in my formative years. You might be surprised to know that one of the primary influences wasn't horror at all.
"Some Kind Of Wonderful" is a highly underrated movie from the 1980's written by John Hughes. The key relationship in it is between the characters Keith and Watts.
If you haven't seen this movie, then you really ought to. But the part that left the biggest impression on my was that Keith and Watts are childhood friends who- as fate would have it- are meant to be together in the end, even though they didn't see it themselves. Therein is the inspiration for Michael and Ellis' relationship in The Pack.
Of course, that also ties into the old high school fantasy that your best friend also happens to be a beautiful and funny girl who you fall in love with. Or, I suppose, you realize that you were in love all along.
Hemming even closer to heart of The Pack was the original "Teen Wolf." The relationship between Scott Howard and Boof plays out much the same way as in "SKOW" only one of them happens to be a werewolf. It's no coincidence that I namedrop this movie specifically in the book.
Natalie's story was something more akin to Stephen King's more disturbing subplots. She was a victim who was taken to the breaking point, and then pushed well past that point into an entirely new sort of traumatic existence. In her transformation from prey to predator, she ultimately ended up as prey again to her own uncontrollable urges.
I rounded out this group of characters with Kristen and Jeff, who were a sort of yin and yang pair of twins. Of course, their inherent differences lead to the Greek tragedy that befalls them.
December 1, 2014
Deck The Halls (With Strewn About Entrails)
Time does fly sometimes.
Last time I put up a blog post I was still in the middle of Alpha Month.
Since you asked, Alpha Month went pretty awesomely, as we managed to get The Alpha and The Pack into the hands of almost 1200 new readers!
Hopefully, they'll all enjoy and help spread the buzz about The Venator Series.
I also missed November, during which I took at shot at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Didn't quite finish the manuscript, but I did get about 3/4 of the way through. In the next two or three weeks I ought to have a nice first draft finished!
Mathematically-speaking, that means that I plan on publishing two more novels in 2015 (one way or another) with a couple more on deck right after.
And, hey, if you're looking for pretty cool holiday gifts then you might want to check out this link:
http://smile.amazon.com/Joe-Mikolay/e...
Keep reading (and I'll keep writing)!
Last time I put up a blog post I was still in the middle of Alpha Month.
Since you asked, Alpha Month went pretty awesomely, as we managed to get The Alpha and The Pack into the hands of almost 1200 new readers!
Hopefully, they'll all enjoy and help spread the buzz about The Venator Series.
I also missed November, during which I took at shot at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Didn't quite finish the manuscript, but I did get about 3/4 of the way through. In the next two or three weeks I ought to have a nice first draft finished!
Mathematically-speaking, that means that I plan on publishing two more novels in 2015 (one way or another) with a couple more on deck right after.
And, hey, if you're looking for pretty cool holiday gifts then you might want to check out this link:
http://smile.amazon.com/Joe-Mikolay/e...
Keep reading (and I'll keep writing)!
October 17, 2014
Alpha Month Continues!
I'm happy to say that the Kindle Free Book Promo was a massive success. We moved over 1,000 copies of The Alpha in less than a week!
But, I'm perhaps even prouder to say, that both books of The Venator Series- The Pack & The Alpha- are still moving at a very nice clip every day!
They can both be found through my amazon.com author's page:
smile.amazon.com/author/joemikolay
Even better, if you purchase it through the smile.amazon link above, a portion will be donated to the Long Island Rabbit Rescue group.
And don't forget to test your luck by trying to win one of 20 autographed paperback copies of The Alpha through my Goodreads Giveaway.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
You've only got a week left to enter- so don't miss your chance!
But, I'm perhaps even prouder to say, that both books of The Venator Series- The Pack & The Alpha- are still moving at a very nice clip every day!
They can both be found through my amazon.com author's page:
smile.amazon.com/author/joemikolay
Even better, if you purchase it through the smile.amazon link above, a portion will be donated to the Long Island Rabbit Rescue group.
And don't forget to test your luck by trying to win one of 20 autographed paperback copies of The Alpha through my Goodreads Giveaway.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
You've only got a week left to enter- so don't miss your chance!
October 10, 2014
A Monstrous Start
So, in less than two weeks of release, we've already moved over 1,000 copies of The Alpha. That's a fraction of the time it took for The Pack to hit four digits!
It's definitely a proud moment for me, and I'd like to offer a very sincere thank you to everyone who's decided to give my work a shot.
I can only hope that you all enjoy it as much as you did The Pack. And, with any luck, we'll see some good reviews up on Amazon to help us spread the word even further.
Thanks again, and keep reading!
It's definitely a proud moment for me, and I'd like to offer a very sincere thank you to everyone who's decided to give my work a shot.
I can only hope that you all enjoy it as much as you did The Pack. And, with any luck, we'll see some good reviews up on Amazon to help us spread the word even further.
Thanks again, and keep reading!
October 5, 2014
Alpha Month Begins (For FREE)
The Alpha is Free AND Today's Hot Deal at The Kindle Book Review!
https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/
It won't be free for long, so get 'em while they're hot!
http://amzn.com/B00NMO1Y10
https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/
It won't be free for long, so get 'em while they're hot!
http://amzn.com/B00NMO1Y10
September 22, 2014
1,000+
As of today we've sold OVER. 1,000. COPIES. OF. THE PACK!!!
I'm incredibly proud of this, and incredible thankful for every single person who took time to pick up and read my book.
This is all pretty awesome, and I hope you all enjoyed the heck out of The Pack.
But October is Alpha Month and, if you like The Pack, you'll really dig The Alpha.
If you haven't read either yet, pick 'em both up and give 'em a try!
http://www.amazon.com/Pack-Venator-Bo...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Alpha-Venat...
Thanks again, and keep reading!
I'm incredibly proud of this, and incredible thankful for every single person who took time to pick up and read my book.
This is all pretty awesome, and I hope you all enjoyed the heck out of The Pack.
But October is Alpha Month and, if you like The Pack, you'll really dig The Alpha.
If you haven't read either yet, pick 'em both up and give 'em a try!
http://www.amazon.com/Pack-Venator-Bo...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Alpha-Venat...
Thanks again, and keep reading!
September 11, 2014
September 3, 2014
More Love!
Well, The Pack may not have become a Kindle Book Awards finalist, but it's still getting love from the Amazon.com reviewers!
It's also still moving copies, and seems to be quite the popular read in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library!
All promising signs, especially when there's a sequel that will be on the shelves plenty of time before the Halloween season....oops, I may have let the cat out of the bag a bit there......
amazon.com/author/joemikolay
....keep your eyes on Goodreads for another giveaway in the very near-future....
It's also still moving copies, and seems to be quite the popular read in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library!
All promising signs, especially when there's a sequel that will be on the shelves plenty of time before the Halloween season....oops, I may have let the cat out of the bag a bit there......
amazon.com/author/joemikolay
....keep your eyes on Goodreads for another giveaway in the very near-future....
