Stuart R. West's Blog, page 49

M.J. LaBeff: the girl next door with a dark side

SRW: Today I’m yakking to new author, M.J. LaBeff, whose recently released romantic suspenser, Mind Games, is a fascinating page turner.

Without further ado, here’s M.J! How ‘bout you start with a brief synopsis of Mind Games?
MJ: Hi Stuart! Thanks for hosting me on your awesome blog I’m happy I kept you up all night and turning pages! That’s payback. Your novel Godland grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let me go. My eyes were on fire but I couldn’t stop reading. Oops, I’m going to give a synopsis of your book. I’ve nearly forgotten mine.
Mind Games: After a series of mysterious deaths Sparrow Von Langley is haunted by frightening visions that leads her down a murderous evidence trail and reveal her father’s unorthodox practices as a behavioral therapist, the truth about a friend's disappearance and exposes who the killer is.

I think that about sums it up without giving too much away.
SRW: You describe yourself as the “girl-next-door with a dark side.” Of course with a description like that, I knew I had to meet you. Where’d this dark side come from? Pulling the wings off flies as a child? And how has this dark approach formed your writing?

MJ: Thanks, Stuart, I’m happy to hear my dark side met your expectations! We both write rather twisty tales.
Uh, oh, I have to admit- flies have been harmed. Yep, I’m actually the girl who will squash a fly (I detest those germ flying, noise making creatures). It is the one bug who can find its way into my house and make me mad. I actually broke a blind I was so determined to smack a fly dead with my flip flop. It’s nasty business squashing a fly. Fortunately, we don’t have many flies in southern Arizona. And I don’t pull off their wings; that’s just not right. I will rescue a cricket, spider, Beatle bug and call the fire department to remove a rattlesnake. We do have rattlers in the desert. You’re really gonna give me a hard time over these dead flies. Come on now, I have three dogs and let me just say they’re spoiled! I adore animals including some pesky bugs. Geesh.
Now, I should explain that my family and friends find me and my writing in complete juxtaposition. I think if you ask people who know me, they’d say I’m kind, thoughtful, honest and generous and in the same breath would say, they read my book and I scared them. Sorry, not sorry. 
The dark side of my writing comes from years of reading mystery/suspense/thriller novels, a fascination with the paranormal, and my own scary dreams. I have a recurring dream where I’m always being chased and running breathlessly from a maniac but then there’s always some new element of terror. Dreams are great seeds for me to start a story. A scene in Mind Games was from a dream. That dream was the beginning of a full length novel.   I still remember standing in Barnes and Noble and telling my friend about the dream. A woman in the aisle near us overheard the conversation. How was I to know she was eavesdropping? I’ll never forget the look on her face and wide eyes as she slowly moved away. My friend was certain the woman was going to call the police, considering my dramatic retelling of the dream. I couldn’t blame her. That’s when I knew I was really onto something.
SRW: Um, about those flies...(I, too, am a world-class, furniture devastating fly hunter). Do you ever see yourself not writing in the dark arena?
MJ: No. Gotta say sorry to my mom, she would luuuuv for me to write a contemporary sweet romance. Poor woman, the suspense/thriller series I have coming out has her a bit concerned.  Oh, well, at least I’ve made my dad proud. Ha! If anything I see myself gravitating more strongly to suspense, thrillers and possibly even horror. The most difficult scenes for me to write in Mind Games were the romance ones. My hat’s off to romance writers everywhere- it’s difficult to craft.  They say “write what you know”- I suspect the “they” are other writers and I have to agree. I love reading a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat, breathless and turning pages. Your novel Godland was exceptional. As much as I tried to savor the story I wanted to devour it. Page turners are the best. Godland is a page turner. Always my goal, always something I’m working on especially with my suspense/thriller series the Last Cold Case.
SRW: Okay, in Mind Games, I have to be honest with you, M.J., I was a little concerned for the first part of the book as we have all sorts of disparate things happening: out-of-body experiences, ghostly visitations, death (or is it Murrrrrderrrrr?) by suicide, a new romance, teen runaways, a missing sibling, a potentially dangerous relative and other things. I wondered if you were going to be able to pull them together. But you did! Do you enjoy leading the reader down a seriously W.T.H. road?
MJ: Thank you so much! I like to keep the plot turning but want to keep it simple enough so that a reader can remember all of the details. 
W.T.H. road is my favorite one to drive- dangerous curves, dips, hazard signs proclaiming eminent danger if you don’t slow down. Buckle up I’m taking you on a thrill ride. I mean read. 
Oh, yeah, I hope to keep a reader guessing and reading. I’m happy you enjoyed the various storylines and collision course to the end. I enjoy writing secondary characters with shady pasts and shrouded in suspicion that’s where the multiple story threads emerge. Sometimes I’ll think a certain character is the villain and then as the story continues to emerge I learn I had the wrong guy or gal. I think that lends to leading a reader in different directions. Somehow, it works and I don’t have to do much if any rewriting. The writing process is strange and different for all of us. SRW: Sparrow’s an alternately frustrating and admirable heroine. Being a guy, I suppose, is why I get frustrated with her in her on-again/off-again dealings with Derrick. (I also realize it’s a staple any time romance is part of the genre; happy relationships no one wants to read about). But then Sparrow is also capable of great courage. Still, at times, I wanted to shake her. Defend Sparrow, Counselor LaBeff!
MJ: All right then, ladies and gentleman of the jury…I had intentionally named the main character Sparrow hoping readers would equate the name with a fledgling bird just pushed out of the nest. Initially she’s frightened by the visions, then delves deeper into their meaning. Eventually, she faces challenges head on, pushes forward and finally resigns herself to the harsh truth. 
Again, the romance angle was difficult for me. I tried to imagine what she was going through- the bad relationship she’d come out of and how she would long for Derrick but have to get over her fear of trusting him. Plus, she’s dealing with potential evidence involving her father. I kept thinking her gut reaction would be to defend him, to attack Derrick, and then slowly come around to reality. Yes, she pulls Derrick close then pushes him away. It’s her initially knowing this man is going after her father intent on sealing his fate. It’s not until cold hard facts hit her upside the head does she snap out of the denial and fully commit to Derrick and expose the truth about the deaths.
SRW: So…yoga. There’s a great deal of talk about yoga in the tale. My wife takes yoga classes (she even made me go to a meditation class with her; alas, I’ve forgotten everything). I assume you do as well. Did your research start and stop with your own experiences? Or did you go beyond the call of duty and research, research, research (and by that, I mean calling upon the Great God Google)?
MJ: Let’s Ooooommmmm, and that’s about all I've got.The research started with me and ended with a book on both subjects. I had taken Pilates twice a week years ago and it was a great compliment to weight training and cardio. Then my favorite Pilates teacher left the gym and despite every effort to replace her, the class ceased. That’s when I thought I’d give yoga a try. It’s an amazing form of exercise that takes skill, technique and patience. I gave those basic yoga classes my best shot. It was difficult. The breathing exercises weren’t easy for me. I felt quite dizzy! However, I was determined and purchased a book with basic and intermediate poses and meditation exercises and practiced in the privacy of my own home. It really helped me to better understand how to position Sparrow’s body and how meditation could transcend her mind. I think we all have the ability to unlock our subconscious or recall information from our past. Sadly, I never stuck with the yoga or meditation.  SRW: The book raises some ethical issues regarding how far a professional physician should take matters. Do the ends justify the means? Was this at the forefront of your mind while writing?
MJ: I’m sure it was in my subconscious. We have such a huge prescription pain pill addiction in this country. It’s not necessarily the doctors over prescribing. I think the dangers of pain pills weren’t really known and now we’re all becoming better educated as patients and doctors.  With this thought in mind I’m sure it helped spin the story, but it wasn’t the driving force behind the book. Truth- Dr. Phil inspired me with an idea.  The character, Dr. Theodore Von Langley came from playing the “What if…” game. You know the one. It’s a common technique all authors employ. What if a doctor with national recognition and a platform went too far? The person I had been thinking of was Dr. Phil. I’m sorry to drag Dr. Phil into the discussion but I catch his TV show occasionally, and I couldn’t help but think… “What if…” 
A reader who had written a review really captured this idea. She wrote, “What happens when those trusted with the well-being of others are a danger to themselves?”You’ve posed a difficult question. Do the ends justify the means? I think doctors have difficult decisions to make when it comes to saving lives. I’d like to believe all doctors run ethical practices and have a strong moral compass guiding them to make choices that are responsible and in our best interests.  
Again, “What if…” a medical professional believed so much in the research being conducted and potential outcome that things went too far and once that line is crossed… 
SRW: I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating P.O.V. between Sparrow and Derrick. As you know, it’s how I like to write, too. I always think more than one character’s P.O.V. is more interesting. Simple mathematics! Had you decided at the onset to write it this way? Or did it come naturally once you started? Planner or pantser?
MJ: I always write in third person with alternating points of view. That’s probably from reading a lot books written that way versus first person P.O.V. which I think is very hard to write. I agree that allowing the reader insight into each character makes a more riveting read. I have much admiration for writers who can write deep P.O.V. Let’s not get into all of that or this point of view stuff. It’s tricky business. Let me move onto plotting and flying by the seat of my pants. This is the fun stuff.  I’m part planner and pantser. I always say I know the beginning, middle and end. I plot some, take notes along the way, jot down scenes, but mostly the story is in my head or stuck deep inside it and once I start typing information seems to emerge. I write in what I call a linear manner. I can’t skip ahead or write future scenes whereas I’ve heard other authors can write chapters out of order from following a plot outline. That’s just way too much planning for me. The story would never come out the right way. 
SRW: Although I’m not a romance fan (yucky stuff! Ew! Kissing!), I have to say your two chapter “sex scene” was well written and tastefully done. But for me, it did somewhat slow down the pacing of the tale. I wanted them to wrap it up already and get back to the mystery at hand! But I know readers enjoy these private peeks. Am I alone here? (I guess one of these days I’ll have to take the time-out to write a sex scene; um, one not ambushed by a demon or something along these lines).
MJ: Yikes, I’m glad you survived Sparrow and Derrick’s first kiss and that punch of romance near the end. Oh, come on now, you don’t like a happily ever after?  Just kidding, I really get where you’re coming from here.  Often when I’m reading romantic suspense I’ll rush through the love scenes because I want to get back to the suspense. I had a difficult time deciding on whether or not to keep those scenes. They weren’t easy to write. You know how it is when you go through the editing process to cut or not to cut, to rewrite or not to rewrite. I consider it all part of my author growth. Some of my friends read the book and had the same reaction as you, and I’m actually happy to have learned I craft a much better thriller than love story! 
Stuart, if you give the romance genre a try let me know. I’ll beta-read, I might be able to help cut the demon from the scene, but that’s a big might. I get caught up in the suspense, too.  Honestly, my crit partner writes sweet contemporary romance for Harlequin, and it’s funny to me that I’m useful to her. I’m here for ya if you need me to read.
SRW: You’d told me you have a planned trilogy. Does this mean more Sparrow (and Derrick) mysteries? Will her (slightly) supernatural powers play a part in them?
MJ: Sparrow’s and Derrick’s story has been told. It is a single title stand alone, and I have no intention of writing any future books with these two characters. I had always viewed Sparrow’s supernatural gift as part of her uncovering her past but that once she’d resolved things the visions would end. The Last Cold Case series is a four book suspense/thriller series so far and will be released with Muse It Up Publishing. The first book, Last Summer’s Evil comes out this fall/winter. The second book, Last Fall’s Huntedreleases spring 2017 and the third book, Last Winter’s Taken releases fall 2017. The fourth book, Last Spring’s Stranger comes out spring 2018.I can’t wait for readers to meet homicide detective Rachel Hood and FBI agent Nick Draven and the diabolic serial killer, the Summertime Slayer in Last Summer’s Evil.
I’ll have updates on my website mjlabeff.com and in monthly newsletter. There’s a nifty signup form for the newsletter on the website.   
SRW: Besides the series, what else are you planning?
MJ: I have an idea for a fifth book in the Last Cold Case series, but I’m not sure if I’ll move forward with these stories or not. I hope readers fall in love with homicide detective Rachel Hood and FBI agent Nick Draven and want to read more books featuring them tracking a new nemesis. I’m a big fan of suspense/thriller novels and will continue writing in those genres. 
I also have another single title stand alone novel written that I haven’t submitted to my publisher yet. Currently, it falls in the paranormal genre… perhaps with some rewriting I’ll turn it into my first horror!
You’re welcome. This has been fun!  
SRW: Thanks for being a good sport, M.J! Folks, go pick her book up. It can be found here:www.mjlabeff.com        amazon.com                      barnes&noble.com

When Ribs Go Bad...

So my wife was in the kitchen, ponderously staring at the third slab of ribs we hadn't devoured. She said, "they smell funny."

I thought "funny" how? I took a whiff. Big, beefy, bouncy & meaty. A little strong, sure, but hey, my olfactory senses aren't the best. Smelled like a dead cow. (Um, probably a little too much).

She says, "I'm not going to eat this." I say, "that's ridiculous, we're not gonna waste the meat." To back up my statement, I corralled a jury composed of my daughter, her boyfriend, my niece and nephew. All took turns sniffing it, one after the other. Consensus was it smelled fine. My daughter's boyfriend laconically shrugged his shoulders, said, "I'd eat it." Of course that doesn't mean a lot as he can eat an entire cow by himself.

So a couple nights ago, I tried some "risky ribs." Blasted 'em in the microwave to bone-dropping perfection. The next morning, I woke up, extremely self-satisfied, told my wife, "See? Nothing to worry about. I survived the potential rip melt-down." She replies, "No way am I eating those." Cockily, the hen in the house, I said, "your loss."

Was I ever wrong.

I visited the bathroom many times later. Extremely unpleasant.

I  need to trust my wife's olfactory senses. Tell her she was right. As much as it pains me.

I am...the Great Indoorsman

Let's get something straight. I don't camp. The closest to camp I come is watching the old Batman TV series.
I'm a civilized chap, rather fond of climate control and beds. Beds were created for a reason. I believe it blasphemous not to use them. And cable TV, a must for survival.

Several years back, my wife talked me into a camping trip. We're talking really roughing it. Staying in a cabin in the wild woods of Oklahoma. The sheer Jeremiah Johnson-ish of it all! Sure, the cabin had a hot tub and a VCR player, but, man, I felt so...primitive. I mean, honestly! A VCR player, for cryin' out loud!

It was at this savage cabin I saw my first "walkingstick." Totally freaked me out. Screamed like one of Jason's victims. Sticks aren't supposed to walk. And people can't understand why I don't camp. Duh.

I suppose my Great Indoorsmanship began at an early age. Against my better judgment (and because kids are never given a choice), I was set to go on a cub scout weekend camping trip. Thankfully I came down with a stomach virus and missed the "adventure." On that ill-fated trip, my fellow scouts blundered into a wasp's nest and rolled through a thatch of poison ivy. If I even look at poison ivy, huge blisters develop on my eyelids.

Invariably when people try to convince me how wonderful camping is they fall short of selling it. Usually, their tales are rife with horror (Mosquitos! Flooding! All sorts of Biblical plagues!), hardly a convincing argument.

When you wake up freezing or sweating (both equally awful sensations), I hardly see that as a bonus. Campers are just opening themselves up to the Zika virus or a Bigfoot ravaging. Not to mention the various demented serial killers who lurk in the woods. I know, I've done my research. I've watched lots of horror movies.
I gained my Indoorsman legs the hard, practiced way...on the sofa. Many hours spent on many a different sofa have toughened me into the sofa-sitting man I am today.

The Absolutely Craptacular Never Before Unveiled Original Deleted Ending to Godland!

A first, ladies and gents! I'm exposing myself (don't call the cops) by putting up my really bone-headed original ending to Godland , my adult suspense thriller! Seedy journalism gone wild! Hyperbole in the worst possible way!

Okay, I've settled down...

Just be thankful I didn't actually end a book this way. But do feel free to send sympathy cards. 

There's no real set-up needed, other than my surviving characters have just lived through a hellish night. 

Alright. Enough build-up. Ready? Get some Pepto-Bismol ready, 'cause you're gonna need it.

Just...just this: (Sorry, sorry, sorry...)

The bad timing of Jason entering the room couldn’t have been worse. But there he stood, face pale as chalk, eyes filled with worry. Babbling non-stop.
“There you are!” Jason yelled. 
He rushed over to Matt's bedside. “I’ve been all over this Podunk town looking for the hospital!” 
Shannon blinked at the unexpected visitor, gave him a double-take. 
Finally Jason noticed Shannon. “Oh, hi, honey. You must be Shannon… You okay?”“Wait…what?” said Shannon.Matt grimaced, awaiting the sure-to-be negative outcome.“Um…Hi…” said Shannon. “Damn...”“Shannon,” said Matt, "I need to explain something to  you."“Are you gay?” his daughter asked.Matt sighed. “Yes.” He held her tight, wouldn't let go.To Matt’s surprise, Shannon laughed. “So…now I have two dads?”Matt smiled back. “I suppose you do.”THE END
And that might've been The End of my writing career had I kept this original ending. Wow, huh? Stinky. All that's missing is a laugh-track, '80's crap-com clothing and hairstyles, and a freeze-frame ala "Chips" style. 
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I humbly apologize, I'm sorry, sorry, crap, I'm sorry....
GODLAND! Get it here! Decent ending version! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
(I'm still sorry.)

A maudlin Hallmark ode to my wife

I cherish my wife. Probably more than she knows.

She's my rock, been there for me through the death of a parent, the loss of a couple dogs, physical trauma, scares and family dysfunction. And she still keeps putting up with me.

I'm the first to admit I'm not easy to get along with. Hey, neither is she when you get right down to it. She's a college professor with a rep of being tough. Believe me, fellow students, I understand. I feel your pain. I get lectures constantly. How to clean the toilets, where not to put things, don't belch, etc. I don't have to take notes, of course. She just expects me to learn.

But she understands me, more than anyone ever has.

We're talking the big picture, the full kahuna, the vast love. But it's the little things that count, piling up in my registry of adoration. Itty-bitty snap-shots of love, imprints stamped within my heart and tattooed upon my brain.

The other night she tried on some new Capri pants. Said she liked 'em. I asked, "But, where will you wear them?"

She gave me one of those put-upon looks--the kind that says I'm being an idiot--and replied, "Um, on the lower half of my body." She shook her head, belatedly said, "Duh."

Keeps our relationship fresh and awesomely prickly.

I can't believe it took so many years for me to find her. And I wouldn't take a single second back.

My wife makes life refreshing, exciting, always unpredictable.

I love her.

Okay, done now. Carry on, sorry for the sentiment.

Frazer Lee: Horror Novelist and Scriptwriter (Without a Tweed Jacket)

Frazer Lee is a potent double threat. A successful scriptwriter with a terrific film thriller out (Panic Button) and numerous published books and short stories in the horror genre. It’s great to peek into his mind this week at Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley.


SRW: Frazer, let’s start with your latest novel, The Skintaker. Tell the Tornado Alley readers what they can expect.
FL: Thanks for having me! In 'The Skintaker' you can expect murder, mystery and flagellation in the steamy Amazon rainforest. And don’t think for a minute that the heroine’s smartphone is going to save her, 'cos the period setting for the novel is the 1920s!
SRW: The book quite surprised me in many ways. The first three-quarters or so reads like a rollicking adventure tale with some quite exciting action set-pieces. Yet then you pull out the stops and let your horror flag fly high. How do you perceive this book? What genre would you place it in?
FL: It's a horror adventure for sure. As a youngster I loved 'She' by Haggard and I suspect that was a big influence. Horrific things do happen early on, but perhaps not in the way we might expect as voracious horror readers - Rosie's home burns down and she loses her family, Nimbo stumbles upon a killer's lair and his younger brother is taken. It was my intention to give a creeping sense that something is lurking on the edges of the pages and getting closer with each turn.
SRW: Clearly your villain, Richter, represents evil colonialists, hell-bent on raping and pillaging the poor Myahueneca tribe’s land and natural resources. Rosie’s vile aunt and uncle represent the flip side of the coin, desiring to rob the Amazon rain forest natives of their rich culture and long-standing spiritual beliefs. Poor Rosie seems stuck, uncomfortable in both worlds, feeling more of a connection to the tribesmen. Where does Frazer stand in the big picture?
FL: I'm with Rosie, stuck between the worlds of commerce and spirituality, wondering how on earth we honor the ancestors whilst pioneering the future. And like Rosie, I don't have any of the answers - only lots of questions about how this crazy world works!
SRW: Let me put on my pretentious beanie for a moment…Rosie, a very empathetic and well-developed protagonist, suffers from a strange skin blemish “condition.” What does this represent? Her inner rage? Her blossoming womanhood? Something I’m not quite able to grasp?
FL: (Tugs on his pretentious stovepipe hat) She's tainted by her past, marked out to be different. As with Harry Potter and his scar, and Darth Vader and his burns some transformative change must happen to move Rosie on to the next stage of her being. Will that skin-shedding moment be literal, or figurative? I hope you'll read the book to find out!
SRW: The book gets heady, in a metaphysical (“spiritual,” maybe?) way. Level with me, Frazer…how far did your research take you? Ever been to the rain forest? Been trippin’ on peyote over the last decade or so?
FL: Negatory to both of those my friend. I read widely, studied maps and documentaries, immersed myself in jungle soundscapes. Oh and drank coffee - lots of coffee.
SRW: Back to Rosie…why do you hate her so? You certainly put her through the ringer, having her burn up not once, but twice. And still live to tell her sad tale. (Gads! Belated spoiler alert!).
FL: Ha ha! I love dragging my characters through hell so they can learn something about themselves. I'd like to say that it makes me more well rounded as a human being. I'd *like* to say that...
SRW: As empathetic as Rosie is, I loved to hate your villains. One of the signs of good story-telling, I think. Richter is interesting. But he actually saves Rosie from a situation early in the tale, a seemingly brave effort. Yet his portrayal throughout the rest of the book is of a heinous, mustache-twirling bad guy. Bait and switch?
FL: Thanks so much for that. I think one-dimensional evil is too limited and boring. Bad guys think they're right, and in their eyes they are heroes too. Richter is a seeker as well as a destroyer. He sometimes likes to shake the dice just as much as he likes winning.
SRW: And as much as I despised Rosie’s guardians, the book seemed a lot lonelier once they exited the tale. But I’m wired somewhat sociopathically, I suppose.
FL: We all need those sources of conflict in our books to give us something to seethe at - but in life, we can sometimes have the pleasure of disappearing into our writer bunkers without having to deal with them. Job satisfaction.
SRW: The Skintaker’s (um, a most unlikely hero, Fraser!) brief POV chapters are titled with Latin terms. Thanks to my research assistant (Google), I discovered they’re the five layers of the epidermis. Briefly, what’s the significance of this?
FL: Good old Google, eh? Basically, with the Skintaker, the deeper he cuts into the flesh of life, the deeper you go into the mysteries of death. Maybe there'll be a secret sixth layer in the third book...
SRW: Hey, look at you, an anthropologist, too! So you created the mythical tribe, the Myahueneca. Again, I’m curious as to how far your research extended.
FL: Researching the tribe and its world was such a pleasurable part of writing the book. I assimilated into my fevered brainpan all of Bruce Parry's amazing documentary films, lots of National Geographic articles, maps, art, museum exhibitions and cd recordings of tribes and animal calls. Keeps me off the streets I guess.
SRW: It wasn’t until the end of the book, I found out this was a prequel to your first novel, The Lamplighters. I cry “foul,” sir! (Kidding. The book stands fine on its own). While I’ve got your attention, tell everyone about The Lamplighters.
FL: Thanks muchly, sir! The Lamplighters takes the action to Meditrine Island, a luxurious billionaires' Mediterranean paradise. Caretakers, or Lamplighters, are employed there to look after the mansions, pools and grounds. But new recruit Marla Neuborn discovers the billionaire lifestyle has a truly dark side when she encounters The Skin Mechanic.
SRW: Some of your prose is exquisite, very beautiful to read. I see you teach writing and screenwriting at several London universities. Lucky students! Please make this Midwestern yokel a happy man and tell me you wear a tweed jacket and smoke a pipe! (Send photos, too).
FL: Ha ha, thanks for that. I’m not entirely sure my students would agree! And no pipe I'm afraid - and definitely no tweed! (Yet...)
SRW: Let’s move on to your other career: screenwriting. Actually, I stumbled upon your scripted film, Panic Button, before I knew you were one of my stable-mates at the late Samhain Publishing. Tell everyone a little about the flick, Frazer.
FL: Panic Button shows what can go horribly wrong when you share too much information online. Four strangers win an all expenses trip to NY on a private jet. Once airborne, they participate in a new social media networking game. But when the questions start getting just that bit too personal, they realize their host is not all he seems - and they'll be forced to face their ‘sins’ in order to survive.
SRW: How did this all come about?
FL: I've worked in the film industry for many years, everything from runner, through lighting teamster to writer, director and producer. I made a couple of short horror films that won awards on the film festival circuit, and I was developing some feature length projects. One of those scripts landed on the desk of Movie Mogul, an indie outfit based in Cardiff, Wales. They invited me in for a chat and told me about an idea they had for a contained horror/thriller movie. I looked at their outline and was completely hooked by it. So they hired me to write a few drafts of the screenplay, and after that the movie novelization.
SRW: Okay, I enjoyed the film quite a bit. It certainly fits the tried and true tropes of the Saw genre, what with a mysterious killer doling out vengeance to those he deems deserving. Yet unlike the Saw films, you wisely stay away from the over-the-top gore and rely on suspense and character development. But are you wary of being lumped into the reviled “torture porn” genre with Panic Button?
FL: I honestly don’t mind how people label it, so long as they are watching it. A lot of audience reaction has been that they were expecting a full-on Saw-esque gorefest but were surprised by the amount of suspense in the film. But there is some amputation, spontaneous human combustion and the occasional headshot to keep the bloodthirsty viewer happy too. Win-win.
SRW: Frazer, I gotta ask…why an alligator?
FL: Ah, that came about when the producers settled on the name ‘All2gethr’ for the movie’s fake social network. The name kind of looked like ‘Alligator’ and the logo of a reptilian creature having a stranglehold on the globe seemed to fit well with the theme of the film.
SRW: One of the things I like to do is find thematic unity in writers’ work. But try as I might, I can’t find a single similar thing in common between The Skintaker and Panic Button. Is there a common theme I’m missing, Frazer?
FL: I try to do something a little different each time. Keeps me on my tippy-toes. But maybe if The Skintaker is where we start out as modern human beings, then Panic Button is where we end up as a species.
SRW: Panic Button is the ultimate in voyeurism. Right down to the confessional scenes shot in an airplane bathroom. Everyone’s worst nightmare (except for maybe, um, Chuck Berry, of course. Just sayin’). Does the invasion of privacy frighten you, Frazer?
FL: Ha ha! Yes, it does. It repulses and fascinates in equal measure. Who hasn’t had a good look at those bizarre and revealing moments captured by Google Earth’s street cameras for example? What I find most fascinating of all is that we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of where we are going with our technology. Generations to come might have an entirely different definition of what ‘freedom’ means.
SRW: I haven’t checked out the credits on Panic Button’s cast yet, but I’m guessing they’re close to noobies. Yet they’re a very strong ensemble cast. We have the requisite jack-ass, the potential hero with a secret, the strong “final girl.” Were you involved in casting? Does a writer pretty much have no say once the script leaves their printer? I know in England, writers are more revered (particularly in TV), than they are here in the States.
FL: I’m not sure writers are revered anywhere, especially in film and TV, ha ha! If the show is a success, the director will get the kudos. And if it’s a failure, then the writer will get the blame. I had no input into casting, beyond describing the characters in the screenplay. As the writer, I respectfully let the director get on with what he or she wants to do. From what I understand of the industry, a lot of casting is based on geography – where the money is coming from dictates the casting to a certain degree. When I direct films though, I usually make the final decisions on casting.
SRW: I hate to keep hearkening back to the Saw films, but unlike those messes, Panic Button ties everything up nice and tidy with a satisfying explanation and conclusion. Still…has there been talk about a sequel?
FL: Oh, yes. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the film biz, it’s ‘never say never’.
SRW:  Is this film a veiled Big, Important Issue flick about the dangers of social media? Frazer…social media: friend or foe?
FL: I hate the lure of the ‘like’ and dislike the shallowness of the ‘share’, but as writers and filmmakers we are all kind of expected to do it. So you’ll find me on Farcebook and Tw*tter just like every other Z-list hopeful trying to peddle his wares!
SRW: What’s up next for Frazer Lee?
FL: I’m hard at work on The Skindred, a YA sci-fi/fantasy series with tinges of Lovecraftian, otherworldly horror. I’m writing the trilogy of novels and am also on the writing team for the movie scripts. It’s a big project with huge set pieces and amazing characters that you can really root for, or boo and hiss at! The next novella in my occult series The Daniel Gates Adventures will be sent out to publishers soon. My first novel The Lamplighters was a Finalist in the Book Pipeline contest, so I am also working with their team in Hollywood to adapt the book for the big screen.
SRW: Thanks for visiting, Frazer.
FL: Thanks again for hosting!Check out his flick, read his books:
Official website: www.frazerlee.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/frazer_lee

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorFrazerLee

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4451295.Frazer_Lee

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Frazer-Lee/e/B002L2PVAE

IMDb: 

Interview with a Girl Bewitched (by Suzanne de Montigny and Kira)

Today, I'm turning the blog over to Kira, protagonist of my friend Suzanne de Montigny's new biography, A Town Bewitched! It's a stellar YA supernatural mystery/coming of age tale and the strangest thing? It's all true! It has to be, right? I mean since the protagonist is writing directly on my blog! Take it away, Kira!
Hi, my name’s Kira. I’m fourteen and Dad just died. There’s this weird woman who showed up at his funeral that none of us know, and in a small town like Hope, everyone is acquainted with everyone. Anyway, she’s got the strangest eyes, a pale blue like a wild animal’s and she plays this hypnotic Celtic music that has the whole town bewitched. I mean, I’ve never seen Hope act like this before. This is a rock town, yet here they are taking step lessons, fiddling lessons, and filling the one tavern Uncle Jack owns every night. Even the In-Girls and their bully friend Travis are in! I can’t believe it.
Anyway, my BFF, Charlotte, who’s the only Asian in the whole town and who has just as much trouble fitting in thanks to Travis, are trying to figure out who this Kate McDonough is. I’ve looked her up on the internet and she doesn’t seem to have a past. Personally, I think she’s responsible for the weird things happening around town – the vandalizing of buildings and the dead and gutted birds someone leaves behind as a calling card. The authorities even found human teeth marks in a bit of organ they left behind. I know it’s here, but no one will believe me and I’m scared something bad’s going to happen. Check out the very cool trailer: https://youtu.be/LjLZShR94W0
A Town Bewitched can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Town-Bewitched-Suzanne-Montigny-ebook/dp/B01GYC9VGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466534377&sr=8-1&keywords=A+TOWN+BEWITCHED
Suzanne de Montigny links: www.suzannedemontigny.com  https://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52?ref=hl https://twitter.com/sfierymountain

Brian Moreland: Spooky Horror Deep within the Heart of Texas!

Horror author Brian Moreland has written many short stories and novels, and his excellent novella collection, Blood Sacrifices, has just been released. I’ll certainly be checking out more of Brian’s books. But, for now…let’s check out Brian himself.


SRW: Brian, I see you hail from Dallas, Texas. One of my favorite places to visit (or at least it used to be in my younger barn-storming days). The people there were friendly, the women all smiles and flirtatious. So, I gotta’ ask…what happened to you?
BM: Hey Stuart, thanks for having me as a guest. Funny, I haven’t barn-stormed in years. But I do own a cowboy hat and one pair of boots. I’m not really a cowboy, since I grew up in the suburbs, but I’ve been to a few of the Country Western dance clubs around town and have ridden a mechanical bull. The women in Dallas are beautiful. It’s a great city to live in. You’ll have to come back.
SRW: Okay, you'll put me up, right? I’m gonna blow by The Girl from the Blood Coven as it actually feels to me like a prologue to The Witching House more than anything. But The Witching House? Wow. Hands down the scariest thing I’ve been witness to since the U.S. Republican debates. Was the titular house based on anything real hailing from Texas?
BM: Thanks, Stuart. The Blevins House where the story takes place is pure fiction. I made up the house and the legend of the massacre. I based the 1972 hippy colony on the Charlie Manson Family, only I made the Blevins Family a cult of witches who practice black magic. The location of the haunted house, the East Texas pine country, is where I skip off to for a few days to write in an isolated cabin. While I was on one of my writing sabbaticals, I was driving along a backwoods road and saw all these fenced-off private dirt driveways that disappear into the woods. As I began to imagine what could possibly be concealed at the end of one of those dirt roads, I envisioned a three-story rock house with boarded-up windows. The Blevins House was born.
SRW: Have you ever been urban exploring like your protagonists? You certainly seem to know your way around spelunking through creepy abandoned houses.
BM: I have explored abandoned buildings and house. Not to the degree that the Ghost Squad does, with their headlamps and climbing ropes. I’ve just walked around a few creepy places. The best houses are the ones that still have people’s stuff in them and the owners are sleeping in their beds. Just kidding. I’ve only entered old houses and buildings that were abandoned and left to rot. It’s fun to explore them and sometimes spooky. Great inspiration for a haunted house story. 
SRW: Hmm, maybe I don't wanna crash at your pad, after all.
So, let’s move onto Darkness Rising, probably the most interesting tale in the book. Tell the folks out there in Tornado Alley what it’s about. (What you can, of course…much of the novella relies on plot twists and the unexpected).
BM: Yes, Darkness Rising is my most off-the-wall book. I can share that it’s an ultra-violent revenge tale about a poet named Marty Weaver who’s been bullied his whole life. He’s in love with a college girl, Jennifer, who’s out of his league. Even though they’re friends, he writes poetry about her and doesn’t tell her. Marty also has a dark past, and when he gets confronted by three sadistic killers at a lake, Marty’s dark side gets unleashed. 
SRW: The book is nearly slap-happily delirious in its nightmarish plot. It almost seems like a “greatest hits” package of horror. You have savage psychopaths, ghosts, Lovecraftian critters, serial killers and snuff films all woven into the fast-moving plot. It almost read as a stream of consciousness experiment. Did you set out to incorporate all of these elements? Or did you wing it?
BM: Darkness Rising is over the top, for sure. It was inspired by my love of Grindhouse revenge movies of the 1970s, like I Spit On Your Grave, Ms. 45 and Fade to Black. In each case an innocent victim gets brutally tormented by a gang, beaten, and left for dead, then the seemingly weak protagonist transforms into something dark and goes on a killing rampage to avenge the brutality. My love for multi-genre novels by Dean Koontz is also a strong influence. He often had a monster threat, as well as some psychopath roaming the story with a twisted agenda. It certainly makes for a high-octane story when multiple elements are happening simultaneously. 
So there’s a mishmash of genres going on in much of my fiction. That’s how my brain works. My novels Dead of Winter and The Devil’s Woods also have ghosts, serial killers, and physical monsters. They always tie together in some way. I wrote Darkness Rising very organically, meaning I just let my imagination roll and let the characters take over the story. It was a fun ride writing Marty and all the grindhouse horrors.
SRW: Psst, I love the grindhouse films, too.
Furthermore, some of the imagery seems nightmarish-worthy. I have a bet with myself (I’m like Sybil; multiple personalities), that some of the tale was inspired by your nightmares. Who’s gonna win the bet? Me or me?
BM: While I don’t have a specific nightmare that I put into the book, I do draw inspiration from dark dreams that ramp up my fear. I can tap into that heightened state of fear when I write. So you half win. As a prize, I’ll give you a half-off coupon for some Tex-Mex nachos next time you come to Dallas.
SRW: My favorite scene in the book is in the basement of Marty’s childhood home. The anchor piece of scary. Nothing scarier than old lady ghosts for me! In your writing, do you try to exorcise some of your fears by confronting them, either adult or childhood fears?
BM: I’m never trying to exorcise fears when I'm writing, although I do face them head on. I grew up being a kid who thought being scared was super fun. I loved haunted houses, telling campfire stories with my friends, and watching creature features that gave me goose bumps. As a kid, I was terrified of being alone in the dark. So what did I do? When I was alone at home one night, I went into my closet and shut the door so that it was pitch black. I sat there terrified that hands were going to grab me or a door in the wall was going to open up and some force was going suck me through it. Or maybe there was a prowler in the house and he was going to find me. To my over-imaginative brain, those terrors felt real. The more I sat there in the dark, shaking and waiting for the ultimate horror--death--the more I realized the dark itself is safe and I conquered my fear of it. When I began writing, the adrenaline rush I felt writing scary things is to me what makes a fun story. Since horror books and movies have been around for several decades, I like to think it’s natural for us to enjoy being scared, at least a little.
SRW: Okay, I want to chat about "Cerulean." The word itself means “the color of the sea.” Yet in your novella, Cerulean is the name of a demon inhabiting poor Marty. Is there a correlation? Other than Marty’s (and his father’s) obsession with the very important lake in the book?
BM: What inspired the name was more about the sound of the word rather than the color. I knew that I wanted the demon to have an unusual name. I wrote a list of several strange names: some were real demon names, others were uncommon words that had other meanings. “Cerulean” stood out on the page and the sound of it resonated with the poetry of my story and the watery world of the lake. 
SRW: Somehow you’ve managed to tell a good portion of the story while keeping the reader in the dark regarding the “reality” of Cerulean. Even given the supernatural shenanigans going on (or is it all in Marty’s head?). Real demon or poor Marty’s twisted psyche? Did you intend this? Or is this just my lackluster interpretation?
BM: You’re spot on. I really wanted this story to unfold in layers with the mystery behind Marty’s dark side being one of the final layers.
SRW: I sense a bit of a Clive Barker influence going on in Darkness Rising. Particularly in Marty’s gruesome “work of art.” (Nice imagery, by the way). True? Or am I shooting fish with a gun?
BM: Yes, true. Barker is probably the horror author who has influenced my writing most. I’ve read his complete Books of Bloodcollection twice and studied his writing and plotting like they were textbooks. I love how he shows the shocking horror and describes it with beautiful prose. He can take a simple setting, like a subway or a suburban house, and turn it into a place connected to other worlds and frightening monsters. I’ve aimed to do the same in many of my stories. You asked earlier about how I came up with the name “Cerulean.” One thing that I love about Clive Barker’s stories is he creates characters with all these cool-sounding, strange names that add to the dream-like quality of his writing. Names like Mamoulian, Quaid, Peloquin, Mahogany, Cenobites. It was his stories populated with these unusual characters that inspired me to create my Cerulean character in Darkness Rising and Mordecai in The Vagrants. 
SRW: Now, I don’t know squat about poetry. Your protagonist, Marty, is a poet. And there are many of his poems throughout the tale. I can vouch for your writing. Can’t so much for your poetry. So…tough love time, Brian…is your poetry any good?
BM: I do not claim to be a great poet. Many of those poems I wrote just after college when I was experimenting with writing poetry, both love poems and dark poetry. They were more outpourings of the heart or angst, as opposed to measuring iambic pentameter or dissecting William Blake. When I decided to use my poems for the book, I could have consulted a professional poet and had them show me a thing or two about structuring a poem. I decided I wanted the raw words, the emotions that inspired them. I thought they worked for Marty. He’s never shared his poems with anyone. He just keeps all these outpourings of his intense emotions in a private journal. They range from poetry he wrote as a child living in foster homes to a young adult living in isolation. That the poems are raw and unrefined fits with his deeply flawed character. 
SRW: Even with all of the hyper-violent and grotesque events transpiring in the book, I was very impressed with the lovely melancholy of the opening chapter and, to a lesser degree, the epilogue. A nice way to ease the reader into terror and then give them the calm after the storm. I, for one, thought they were very well done and badly needed. Otherwise, it’d be relentless. As a fellow writer, I gotta ask…Brian, did you tack these on after the fact? Or were they always planned?
BM: Thanks. As an organic writer, I never plan my stories, so those scenes were a part of the evolutionary creative process. I will say this. Darkness Rising originally started out as an experimental short story titled “The Night Shadow Collection” that I wrote twenty years ago. It was told partly through short fictional scenes and partly through poems. I had forgotten all about it. When I rediscovered that revenge story two years ago hidden away on my computer, I decided to flesh it out into a longer fictional narrative. I wasn’t even aiming it to be a novella in the beginning, just a short story for an upcoming collection I’ve been working on. Well, as I tinkered with this story, and explored who this Marty character is and what he’s up against, I wrote many of the brutal lake scenes first. Then, as I got to know who my killers were and what motivated them, I came up with the prologue to kick off the story with something horrific. I kept adding more and more to the story, until it eventually morphed into a novella. My ending came toward the end of the process and was inspired by Marty’s emotional journey and how he transformed by the end of the story. 
SRW: The final tale, The Vagrants, has a very strong beginning, much mounting dread and mystery. It’s a story about the homeless and well…I won’t spoil it. Now you and I both know horror is very subjective. Readers bring to it what they will. For me, The Vagrants was the one weak link. It almost seemed padded out with the Irish mafia until we get to the money shots (but man, the ending is powerful and creepy). Was this the case?
BM: Well, I’ll agree that horror is subjective, as The Vagrants is one of my favorites that I’ve written and I had a lot of fun writing it. It’s not a perfect story structure. Before getting to the showdown with Mordecai, I wanted to spend some time setting up the mystery around the Seekers, develop the characters of Daniel Finley, his father, and their struggles with the Irish Mafia. I did fall in love with the O’Malleys, especially the mob boss Drake, and wanted them to be a big part of the story, especially when all the scary stuff happens in the final third of the story.
SRW: What did your research entail? Any underground visits? Chats with the homeless? Did you go all out like your protagonist and live amongst them (that’s dedication!)?
BM: I’ve seen a lot of homeless people in Dallas. Where I live, I get approached by them often. I’ve given a few money, food. I even hired a down-on-their-luck married couple to do some work around the house and they inspired my married couple character in the story. Years ago, Dallas had a tent city under some bridges and when I drove by it I saw this whole underground community of people who had nothing but a few possessions, some shanty tent homes, and time on their hands to talk and drink and sleep. Witnessing that inspired the tent city in which Daniel stays at when he lives among the homeless. My story is set in Boston, where there are some real abandoned subway tunnels. I researched those watching videos of urban explorers who went down there.
SRW: Brian, what’s currently darkening your mind and keyboard?
BM: I’ve been writing over a year now on my next historical horror novel called Tomb of Gods. It’s set in Egypt in 1937. A team of archaeologists and soldiers enter a mountain tomb that seems to go on forever, and they aren’t alone inside these caves. It’s based on real Egyptian myths. I’m currently at 250 pages. My aim is to finish the manuscript this summer and release it within the next year or so. 
SRW: Alright, I’ve wasted enough of Brian’s time. Folks, if you like horror, go give Darkness Rising a shot!
Author Bio: Brian Moreland writes novels and short stories of horror and supernatural suspense. His books include Dead of Winter , Shadows in the Mist , The Girl from the Blood Coven, The Witching House, The Devil’s Woods , The Vagrants , Darkness Rising ., and Blood Sacrifices: Four Tales of Terror . Brian lives in Dallas, Texas where he is diligently writing his next horror book.   Brian’s blog: http://www.brianmoreland.blogspot.com Follow on Twitter: @BrianMorelandLike Brian’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/HorrorAuthorBrianMorelandAudio Books: http://www.audiorealms.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=%22Brian%20Moreland%22Website: http://www.brianmoreland.com/

Hate disguised as religion

Apologies, folks. But I'm jumping up on my soap-box for a rare departure.

The Orlando shooting was a tragedy. Very sad, very frightening.

Then this ass-hat, "pastor" Roger Jiminez from Sacramento, proclaims that he thought the tragedy was great. "Orlando's a little safer tonight."

Safe from what? He's apparently so fearful of homosexuality, he protests too much. Repressed much? Love should not be a crime, no matter the gender, certainly not a governmental concern.

I'm not a religious guy much, but I do know the teachings of Jesus certainly wouldn't sway toward the outright hatred, the vile evil this douche is spilling. Advocating killing?

Jiminez goes on further, saying the government should round up all gay people and blow their brains out. He proclaims the dead "pedophiles."

I can't believe Jiminez has a following flock of believers.

Jesus was open to everyone. Hung out with an unsavory crew. Nice guy by all accounts.

Jiminez, you suck. One of the most evil people since Hitler.

Colonoscopies are fun!

I've been in hospitals a lot. Never as a patient, though, not until recently.

My doctor decided I needed a colonoscopy. Quite a lovely hospital visit actually. I was treated as a King. As I sprawled out in comfort and all my glory on the hospital bed, a nurse asked if I wanted a toasty blanky. A toasty blanky! Then she inquired if I'd like nice socks for my feet. Man, you can't pay for such pampering. Wonderful. For sure, I thought a manicure was up next.

The feeling of being wheeled into the Special Room on a gurney was peculiarly freeing. Doing absolutely nothing, yet still mobile. Goosebumps. A nurse swayed me in with a Brylcream smile and a game-show hostess hand gesture. Very welcoming.

The procedure itself was a blast. None of that nonsense about counting down to ten while you go under. The anesthesiologist told me to breathe deeply. Boom. And out!

Then my wondrous day of being pampered took a dark turn.

Next thing I know Nurse Ratched is standing over me, screaming that it's time to wake up and get the hell out her hospital. My reign as King of the day didn't last for long. But it was good to be King. At least for a little while.

Still, all in all, for such an intrusively invasive procedure (considering there was a snaky camera up my wazoo), it was nothing.

It's the prep work that'll kill ya. Seriously.

Good Lord, I didn't know I had that much to give. And give and give. I know giving is kind, but come on, even Jesus had his limits. Endless bathroom agony.

I'm still trying to adjust. Things like this usually only happen to people who are abducted by aliens (why aliens have a strange attraction to anal probes is beyond me.). My butt doctor said she'll see me in ten years. I dread it already.

And I promise this is the last time I'll blog about my bum. I swear! (Maybe).