Lucy V. Hay's Blog, page 18

CRIMINALLY GOOD: interview with author Earl Javorsky

1) So, who are you & what have you written?

I’m Earl Javorsky, an L.A. transplant, now living in San Diego. I have written three novels. Down Solo and Down to No Good (releases in early November) are Charlie Miner books. Charlie is a PI that inexplicably revives after being killed and then goes on to solving murders, including his own. He is memory- and cognitively impaired, so he creates problems as fast as he solves them. Both books borrow from the supernatural genre only to the extent that, generally, people don’t reanimate their bodies and continue daily life. Otherwise, they’re more or less straightforward (well, slightly convoluted) Chandleresque mysteries.

Trust Me is a much more conventional novel, centering around a serial predator in the L.A. recovery community.

Follow me on Twitter @earljavorsky and LIKE my Facebook page.

2) Why do you write crime fiction?

My dad used to have a stack of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine issues on his toilet tank. I would steal and devour them. Then, from twenty to thirty-six, I was on a career track in the chemical entertainment industry, so I collected a lot of first-hand material about the world of crime.

3) What informs your crime writing?  

Trust Me is based on a real character, a psychiatrist in his sixties who “mentored” attractive young women he found at recovery meetings. In fact, his goal was to have sex with them. It was inappropriate and unattractive, but he wasn’t a killer until he got in my book.

In the Charlie Miner books, I explore what has always fascinated me: the mind-body connection (and disconnection) and the idea of consciousness—what is it and what happens when it’s compromised by drugs and alcohol, or trauma?

4) What’s your usual writing routine?

Best described as a lack of routine. I suffer from the usual distractions— social media, the internet in general, a basketball obsession (playing, not watching), reading, work (editing and proofreading)—and will, when inspired, collect thoughts about characters, what might happen if I put them in a particular situation, location, structure, and miscellaneous ideas. Eventually, I organise these and go to work, usually in unscheduled manic spurts.

5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?

So many candidates here, but one novel jumps out: Tropic of Night, by Michael Gruber. I think it is brilliantly structured, and it explores the subjects I mentioned above, the mind-body problem and the mystery of consciousness. Also, it treads a delicate line between straightforward, real-world mystery and an exploration of magic and the supernatural; you never quite know what’s real, but the possibilities are tantalising. And, besides a great plot, a terrific protagonist (Detective Jimmy Paz), and exotic locations (Florida, Africa, Siberia), it brings shamanism, exotic psychotropic drugs, and philosophical speculation into the mix, all the while maintaining a noirish tone and avoiding pretentiousness.

Come to think of it, I haven’t realised until right now how much that book informed my own writing!

LONDON NOIR by Ann Girdharry – read an exclusive excerpt!

I’m delighted to share an excerpt from Ann Girdharry’s LONDON NOIR today, courtesy of the Blog Blitz being organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.

This is the very first excerpt as part of a blog blitz, eek! As I like enigmatic males and perpetrators, this sounds right up my street too. Add it your Goodreads, wishlists and get clicking now!

Here is when we first meet the perpetrator…

I suppose the realisation I was different stole up on me slowly.

There were signs from early on, if I’m honest. Like my first year in primary school when Mirabella wet her knickers in front of the whole class – the girls were mortified and the boys laughed and I was excited.

So, yeah, I knew I was different. To survive, I learned to act like my friends and I’m so good, pretty much everyone in my life would say I’m normal and I like that because it means I’m clever.

One thing I’ve learned is that when you’ve wanted something for a long time, your mind makes tracks in the sand showing exactly how it’s going to turn out. You anticipate your own excitement and what the other person will say and do. Those tracks start out delicate and then solidify with each replaying of the fantasy, until they get to be as firm as a rail track. The fantasy can keep me occupied for months only, at some point, I have to have the real deal – the flash of horror in their eyes, the desperate urge to plea for mercy, bowels voiding and dribbling down a leg. It’s the helplessness that grabs me – when they realise there’s absolutely nothing they can do. It’s the best drug in the world.

And, with me, it’s the eyes that are captivating. The windows of the soul – unable to lie in the final moments.

About The Book:

Memory loss, nightmares, the urge to kill – Sophie has it all.  Is it really Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Or something more sinister? Kal is about to find out…

After a near-fatal road accident, Kal helps Sophie, a young girl in trouble.

The girl’s friends are being murdered one by one. Why? And who by?

Kal must kick start herself out of her downward spiral to save the young stranger.

But Kal is in the grip of the London Cartel, and is someone after the girl, or is the girl after someone?

Purchase London Noir on Kindle.

Purchase London Noir in Paperback.

About The Author:

Ann Girdharry is a British crime suspense thriller author.

A trained psychotherapist, she worked for many years as a manager in the not-for-profit sector, for agencies working with carers, vulnerable older people, survivors of abuse, and victims of racial attacks.

She currently lives in Montpellier, France with her husband and two children.

Her debut novel, GOOD GIRL BAD GIRL, is an ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD Finalist 2017.

Her second crime suspense thriller, LONDON NOIR, published October 2017.

She is also author of Chilling Tales of the Unexpected Short Reads.

LIKE Ann’s Facebook page, follow her on Goodreads and Twitter as @GirdharryAnn.

 

 

BEST OF 3: Halloween Horrors, picked by book blogger Ellen Devonport

1) The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp

WHY I LIKE IT:  As soon as I finished this book I wanted to read the whole thing again which no other book has never made me feel like!! It is genuinely creepy in places and had me running up the stairs when the lights were off. Told through Jack’s journal entries/letters etc we are led to believe one thing but will then read a message from the people he dealt with on his journey into the supernatural and everything changes.

Don’t read if you have an overactive imagination…..ghosts and demons aren’t real. Are they?!

2) A Head full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

WHY I LIKE IT: This is one of those books that will stay on your mind for a long time after finishing it. I listened on audible and was absolutely chilled to the core. Is it a story of demonic possession or of a troubled teenage girl desperate to help her family? Just as you are leaning towards one you are pushed into an alternative opinion. I loved how parts of the story were told via a blog; it gave a welcome relief from the creeping horror and appealed to my geek side!

3) The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

WHY I LIKE IT: This short story was written in 1892 and it terrified me. Of all the books I have ever read this gave me the worst nightmares EVER, it’s not gory but the way we witness the young woman in the story descend into madness and how she is ignored by loved ones really got under my skin. Is her husband her jailer or loving spouse trying to protect her?! The thought that this is how mental health was dealt with at one time totally unnerves me.

BIO: Ellen is an avid reader of all genres and guest reviewer over at Bibilophilebookclub.com. Follow her on Twitter as @Ellendevonport.

BEST OF 3 – Halloween Horrors, picked by author Fiona Glass

1) The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

I read this first, before Interview With a Vampire, and it’s alwaysbeen my favourite of the three original Vampire Chronicles books. I love the decadence; the vivid Gothic descriptions of Empire France and New Orleans; the sheer naughtiness of the story with so much sexual tension and so many shattered taboos; the melancholy tone; and the bright spark that lights it all up – Lestat himself with his vanity, his mischief and his devil-may-care attitude.

2) Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

A colossal and wildly original work of Gothic horror with footnotes, magic spells, plot strands that weave together in thoroughly unexpected ways, and the whole idea of the King’s Roads that transport you to another, darker world and will trap you for ever if you enter unawares. The BBC series was slightly more accessible but it’s worth reading the

book for the relentlessly dark atmosphere (blasted heaths worthy of Wuthering Heights!) and the tongue-in-cheek humour.

3) Sleeper in the Sands by Tom Holland

A strange book which is part historical, part Arabian Nights and part pure Gothic horror. It’s set in Egypt, at first during Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, and then, via a series of stories within stories, further and further back in time to the pharaohs themselves. It’s complex, complicated and confusing, but the tales and the mythology Holland creates through them are pure genius, and by the end there are shades of Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned (another favourite, but that’s another story!).

BIO: When she isn’t being a pane in the glass, Fiona writes darkly humorous contemporary and paranormal fiction, often involving gay characters and almost always with a twist in the tail. As well as a couple of novels, her short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, including Mslexia, Paragraph Planet and The Library of Rejected Beauty. Her paranormal romp Got Ghosts? is now available from Fox Spirit.

BEST OF 3: Halloween Horrors, picked by author Syd Moore

It’s Day 1 of our Halloween Horrors theme! Kicking off, I’m delighted to welcome back Syd Moore, who featured previously on Criminally Good with her novel Strange Magic. Syd is sharing her fave spooky stories for ‘Halloween Horrors’ and since I lovelovelove Don’t Look Now, I’ll be adding these other 2 to my TBR. Enjoy …

1) Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad by M.R.James

WHY I LIKE IT: This is a classic from the Golden Age of ghost stories penned by the one of the greatest storytellers of the genre. Though very much of its time, if you can get beyond the class snobbery and casual sexism, there is something inexplicably haunting in the lines of ‘Oh Whistle’ that attaches itself to you long after you have turned the final page.

Set in the quaint fictional English seaside town of Burnstow, the main character, Parkins, is a Cambridge professor, who is ‘young, neat and precise in his speech’ intent on unwinding on holiday and improving his game of golf. On one of his constitutional walks by the sea however, he stumbles upon a curious old artefact, that looks like a pipe or a whistle. It is carved with the Latin phrase ‘Quis est iste, qui venit?’ Parkins translates this rather ominously into ‘Who is this that is coming?’ On the flip side another inscription reads, ‘Fur, flabis, flebis.’

But the professor is unable to work this line out as it is grammatically incorrect. If only he had persisted for it means ‘thief, blow, weep’. When Parkins inevitably blows on the whistle he unleashes a supernatural force in his Burnstow hotel that terrorises both him and the staff.

The ordinary setting, the creeping sense of foreboding, the niggling images of pursuit and powerlessness, the unknowable quality of the spectres all put this story in a league of its own, and unsurprisingly earned M.R. James the title of ‘master of the ghost story’. To be read beside a roaring fire with a glass of good port.

2) My Death by Lisa Tuttle

WHY I LIKE IT: I stumbled across ‘My Death’ about ten years ago when I was on holiday in Crete and where, in temperatures of 30 plus degrees, it still managed to send shivers down my spine. The sheer wonder of the ending, the mind-boggling complexity of the narration, have stayed with me ever since. Definitely a story that deserves more wide-spread recognition.

Struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband, the narrator immerses herself in the writing of a book about Helen Ralston, a forgotten but still-living novelist, who was once the muse for the Scottish artist W.E. Logan. We also learn that she was the model for a powerful painting entitled Circe, which fascinates the narrator.  Circe was the goddess of magic, a sorcerer and witch, and in this clever device we have foreshadowing of some of the wild and wondrous events to come.

When the narrator and Helen Ralston meet very odd coincidences and parallels start to appear. Soon the narrator is gripped by the strange mystery in Helen’s life: what happened on a remote uninhabited island many years ago that left Logan blind and changed his muse forever?

It’s hard to pin this story down to one particular genre, but if you want to read something that’s beautifully written, eerie and full of mystery you could do no worse that this spooky little novella.

3) Don’t Look Now by Daphne du Maurier

WHY I LIKE IT: This is a short ghost story from the wonderful Daphne Du Maurier that many people will know from the film adaptation of the seventies starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. If you haven’t read this classic tale yet I would urge you to make some time this Halloween for it is even spookier than the film.

The setting is Venice, a romantic tourist destination that is sunny and chirpy by day but by night quickly becomes sinister, full of puzzling piazzas and alleys, confusing canals and shadowy churches. The main protagonists, John and Laura, have taken a holiday in the city to try to relax and recover from the death of their daughter. However, the intervention of creepy clairvoyant twin sisters sends them off in a very different direction.  Attempts to warn them of imminent danger fall on John’s deaf ears and soon the couple become snared in a spate of increasingly weird and nasty events.

Chilling, atmospheric and inventive with themes of precognition and destiny, Don’t Look Now is as much a tender study of grief as it is a masterclass in slow-burning tension.  An excellent story, to be read late at night.

BIO:  Syd Moore is the author of The Essex Witch Museum Mysteries and lives in Essex where the they are set. Previously to writing, she was a lecturer and a presenter on Pulp, the Channel 4 books programme. She is also the author of the mystery novels The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt.

Strange Sight, the second of the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries is out now from Point Blank, an imprint of Oneworld, paperback £8.99.

Top 10 MORE Deplorable Dystopian Worlds

This is a follow up article to Top 10 Deplorable Dystopian Worlds. Read it HERE. 

Dystopia will always be popular and with the success of The Handmaid’s Tale TV series, it’s clear this genre isn’t going away anytime soon.

So, to celebrate the release of my debut dystopian novel Skeletal (out TODAY!) let’s take another look into the dirty cracked mirror and see what’s reflected in it this time …

1) Defender by GX Todd

TYPE: Dystopian Post-apocalyptic

Defender is my favourite book of 2017! I won an advanced copy and after reading it, I bought the special edition hardback. I loved the book THAT MUCH. Defender is centred around a teenage girl (Lacey) and a vagabond (Pilgrim) who has a ‘voice’ inside his head called Voice, of which he has to hide. In this world, it’s not good to hear voices. Pilgrim has agreed to guide sixteen-year-old Lacey across the dangerous wasteland that was America and deliver her safely to her sister’s house.

Along the way they find Alex, who has been beaten and sexually abused. The trio navigate the desolate terrain and cross paths with the most insidious characters. The opening letter at the beginning of the book sets the tone: “I suspect this letter will find you in despair, or lonely, or lost. That is how we live now. We have all become strangers to each other and, worse still: enemies.” Check out this chat with author GX Todd.

 2)  The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood

TYPE: Dystopian Thriller

If you have not heard of The Handmaid’s Tale then where have you been? I read the book for the first time this year and then watched the recently adapted TV series – loved it.

The reason this is such a good dystopian story is because it’s plausible, and even though the book was written in 1985, the story feels modern. Being forced to be baby factories when birth rates are down, seems a likely thing to happen. I recommend both the book and the TV series but I’m annoyed with Atwood for ending things like that! WHY? Luckily, we can find out what happens next because series two is in the pipeline.

 3)  1984 by George Orwell

TYPE: Dystopian Futuristic

This is a classic. I read this book in my 30s and I’m glad it didn’t come to me until later because my younger self would not have been able to digest the horrors of this totalitarian future society. Propaganda, control and deceit are the central themes, along with the human condition and what it takes to destroy the mind. The protagonist’s job is to rewrite history as and when he is told to but Winston Smith is sick of the strict rules and routines and soon wants more from life. He tries to bring down the system but Big Brother is always watching.

4) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

TYPE: Dystopian Fantasy

The Bone Season is a seven-book series which follows Londoner Paige Mahoney who is a rare type of clairvoyant called a dreamwalker. Set in the future with an alternative history, voyants are considered unnatural and Paige commits treason simply by breathing. Many voyants make a living working for criminal gangs and Paige is no exception. ‘Unnaturals’ hide their voyant gifts, careful not to be caught by Scion – a governing system that controls cities around the world. Unfortunately, Paige does get caught and finds out the enemy is not what she thought. This series is a fantastic twist on dystopia.

5) Skyjack by L V Hay

TYPE: Dystopian Post-apocalyptic

This novella is part of ‘The Forgotten Women Series’ and is about a mysterious event called ‘The Fall’ which killed off 99% of the female population. Maddy is one of the survivors who managed to escape the government’s ‘haven’ in London where women are rounded up and tested on. Maddy and her father created a fort in the Westcountry, for women and their male allies in which to hide out. They are constantly under threat of attack and one such threat falls from the sky. For a novella this story really packs a punch. I flew through it. I would love to see a TV series spawned from Skyjack! BUY IT HERE.

6) The Anthropocene Chronicles Part I by Saranne Bensusan, Carmen Radtke & Emma Pullar

TYPE:  Dystopian Sci-fi

Yes, you read that right, my name is on this one. I wrote ‘Old Trees Don’t Bend’ but the reason I’ve included it is because I didn’t write the other three stories and they are fantastic!!

When asked to contribute to this project, I was a little reluctant because I wasn’t sure I could write in someone else’s world. I was given a character and a brief and once I’d read the other stories I knew this was going to be something special.

With each story comes a different protagonist and their view of the corrupt dystopian world. An event forced the population underground (dirt-dwellers) and their futuristic lives became tightly controlled. What they don’t know is there are people living above ground (air-siders) and that humans are no longer the ones in control. Each story is wonderfully rich and my favourite character has to be the she-bitch Maud. She’s so obnoxious and self-important. *Shudders*. BUY IT HERE.

 7)  Animal Farm by George Orwell

TYPE: Dystopian Political

Another great story from Orwell. Animal Farm is a small book but it left a huge impact on me. What George has done is take every loathsome aspect of human society and apply it to animals and wow does it hit home. The animals on the farm are sick of the way the farmer treats them so they stage a revolution but their new-found freedom is not all it seems and things go from bad to worse to chaos! Another classic tale of terrible ideas and attitudes in society. An important book.

8) The Maze Runner by James Dashner

TYPE: Dystopian Post-apocalyptic

Thomas arrives in a glade where other boys are camped outside a towering maze. The only way out is to navigate the maze, which is full of dangerous creatures and boobytraps. Soon Thomas and the other boys figure out how to get through the giant puzzle. The government is behind this awful post-apocalyptic experiment and this is only the beginning. The Maze Runner is part of a thrilling dystopian trilogy. Read the BOOK VS. FILM case study on The Maze Runner, here.

9) The Anthropocene Chronicles Part II by Rachael Howard, Nick Jackson & Fiona Leitch

TYPE: Dystopian Sci-fi

This is part two of the chronicles and again there are four amazing stories set in a future dystopian world. A new protagonist with each story. In part one we met an office worker following a strict schedule she can no longer cope with, an old-timer who refuses forced retirement, a young man trying to get to the top of society and an overprivileged madam who wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. In part two, we meet a rather cheeky elderly lady, a neurotic writer, a poor factory worker and a hunky doctor. I was drawn into every single story and though short, I invested in the characters. The is a multi-media project and the film makers behind it are planning to bring it to our screens. An actress has been hired to play the first protagonist and we should see some fun snippets from her character very soon!

10) Skeletal by Emma Pullar

TYPE: Dystopian Thriller

Shameless plug! As a huge fan of dystopian fiction I endeavoured to write my own. I hope readers enjoy it and much as I have enjoyed other authors’ dystopian stories.

Gale City is the last city in the world and under the strict control of the illusive Centrals. When females reach adulthood, they’re given the chance to compete at Showcase for the honour of becoming surrogates for the Morbihan – a highly intelligent, obese race of people, unable to procreate naturally. All the other girls are excited to become hosts, all except Megan Skyla. Convinced there’s more to life, Skyla teams up with an unlikely friend and they go in search of a cure for the Morbihan condition. Things don’t go to plan and their journey becomes a harrowing quest fraught with danger and deceit.

Enjoy! 

BIO: Emma Pullar is a writer of dark fiction and children’s books. Her picture book, Curly from Shirley, was a national bestseller and named best opening lines by NZ Post. You can read her SJV Award shortlisted horror story, London’s Crawling, in the Dark Minds charity collection and her dystopian sci-fi story, Old Trees Don’t Bend, in The Anthropocene Chronicles. Emma has also written three shortlisted stories for Create50. Her debut novel SKELETAL published by Bloodhound Books is out NOW. Follow Emma on twitter HERE or visit her website www.emmapullar.com.

Sensational Stationery That Helps Me Write

So, we LOVE stationery on this site and today we have top indie author Jane Owen sharing the products that help her write (and in one case, one that DOESN’T!). I LOVE the idea of the ‘Blue Peter box’, I might just get me one of these myself!

If you want to share your favourite reading and writing products, then do get in touch. Over to you, Jane!

Old Skool

Oh this one of my favourite topics!  Stationery, I love it, me.  I am unashamedly old school.  I like sparkly pencils, brand new notebooks, algebra kits.  Yes, you’re right, there’s not lot of call for an algebra kit when you’re writing a novel on a laptop but hey, it came in its own little case and you never know..

Scrapbook Central

My absolute favourite though, is the Concord Compartment File Indexing Elasticated 450gsm 9-Part Foolscap Manilla Folder.  These little beauties become my scrapbooks, each section carefully labelled using a pencil because that way when I’ve finished, I can erase it and start again.  I might have two going on any one book:  one for plot, characters, locations, chapters, random ideas and one where each section is an individual character.  I cut out pictures of their houses, clothes, cars, pets and build a little visual portfolio for everyone.

Pandora’s Box

And then there’s always my ‘Blue Peter box’.  For those of you who didn’t grow up in Britain, Blue Peter is a kid’s tv show that has been around for years and once a week, they show you how to make something and this usually involves things like sticky backed plastic, PVA glue, round ended scissors, empty washing up liquid bottles, poster paints and the occasional egg box.

I don’t actually keep empty washing up liquid bottles anymore, but I do find making something extremely useful.  For The Bitches of Suburbia I made a huge (two sheets of A3 paper taped together) map of Horseshoe Lane.  I made little models of the houses, drew in cars, trees, the letter box.  I wrote down, next to the house they lived in, the names, ages and a brief description of every resident always referring back, of course, to the visual portfolio.

Once finished, it was a very useful tool, especially when it came to continuity and remembering who lived where and with whom.  Not only that, but the whole process of making it allowed my creative juices to flow, my imagination to run wild.  I got to know all my characters, and how they lived, really well so much so that when I went back to the laptop it was like writing about people I actually knew.

Note To Self

My other favourite things (I’ve got a lot when it comes to stationery) are Post It Notes.   What’s not to love?  They come in lots of lovely bright colours, in all sorts of useful shapes and sizes and they stick to the wall for god’s sake!   By the time I finish a book, the wall behind my desk is usually covered in these.  They make quite a pleasing noise if I open a window and a gentle breeze makes them all flutter gently.

Kindle RIP

As for reading, well, I did own a Kindle.  It was a birthday present from my husband.  Fortunately for him he was away at the time but my excitement knew no bounds when it came through the post.  I tore open the packaging and my face fell.  I am personally of the opinion that electronic goods do not a present make.  No, birthday presents should be luxury items like jewellery, perfume, designer shoes!

I charged it up anyway and then spent ten minutes swiping the screen with my finger and getting more and more annoyed when nothing happened.  Turns out it wasn’t touch screen.  I was as ungrateful as a six year old girl who’s just received a pencil case when she wanted a unicorn. I never really used it.  I’m old school, you see, I like books.  I like to go on holiday with books and then leave them on a sunbed, in a hotel room, for someone else to read and books don’t mind so much when I drop them in the pool which, ultimately, is what happened to the Kindle.  Ooops.  Silly me!

Thanks Jane!

BIO: Jane’s first novel, Camden Girls, was published by Penguin twenty years ago and quickly became an international cult bestseller published in many languages including Japanese, Spanish,German, Hebrew, Italian and Dutch.  She’d already spent many years working in the film business working alongside stars such as Christophe Lambert, Andi McDowell, Daryl Hannah and James Remar before switching to the music business and working for bands such as The Who, Robert Plant, ZZTop and many more.  Eventually, even that got boring and that’s when she wrote Camden Girls.

After publication, life became interrupted by an unfortunate traffic accident and Jane moved out of London to Sussex and slowly returned to writing.  Her novels don’t fit into any specific category and, frustrated by endless rejections along the lines of ‘You write beautifully but we don’t know how to sell this book’ she started self-publishing.  Rave reviews gave her the confidence to keep going and believe in what she was writing.

She’s still in Sussex, sharing her life with her musician partner, three horses and a dog and divides her day between writing and riding.  Find her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and of course, instagram.

 

 

 

CRIMINALLY GOOD: interview with author Andy Rausch

1) So, who are you & what have you written?

My name is Andy Rausch and I write nonfiction books on popular culture, as well as fiction. My books include Mad World, Elvis Presley: CIA Assassin, and my newest book Riding Shotgun and Other American Cruelties. I have also edited several books and published a collection of short horror stories entitled Death Rattles. In addition to these things, I am also the screenwriter of the horror-comedy Dahmer vs. Gacy.

2) Why do you write crime fiction?

I am a disciple of Elmore Leonard, Quentin Tarantino, and Richard Stark. I am a big fan of crime stories, particularly mob-related crime stories. I suppose like everyone who does what I do, I have some secret desire to be a criminal. But you know what? I’m too lazy for all that nonsense and I have no desire to go to prison, so instead I just write stories.

3) What informs your crime writing?

I am a huge fan of dialogue-driven works by the likes of Leonard and George V. Higgins. My writing style comes from studying those writers, as well as guys like David Mamet and Quentin Tarantino. I have always loved crime movies, and my favorites are the stories that actually focus on the criminals themselves, such as Goodfellas, The Godfather Part II, and Pulp Fiction.

4) What’s your usual writing routine?

I try to write everyday, but it doesn’t always work that way. I’m pretty lazy. I might miss a day or two and then write for twelve hours on the third day. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?

Get Shorty is one that I definitely wish I’d written. I love that book. I’ve read it several times and it never gets old. Leonard was a master at his craft, and for my money there’s no one out there who can touch him.

BIO: Andy Rausch is an American film journalist, author, screenwriter, film producer, and actor. He is the author of several novels and novellas including Elvis Presley, CIA Assassin. He also wrote the screenplay for DAHMER VERSUS GACY and is the author of some twenty non-fiction books on popular culture.

BOOK VERSUS FILM: Stephen King’s IT

The Book

I think it’s fair to say Stephen King’s IT is a modern classic. So many people cite it as a major influence on their own creative endeavours, plus its impact on popular culture has been epic. Whilst Coulrophobia (that’s fear of clowns to the uninitiated) has always been ‘a thing’, King basically brought it to the mainstream via Pennywise and RUINED circuses for my generation and beyond. Thanks Steve!

At 1138 pages, IT is an epic tome. On the plus side, the characters really make it shine. Beverley is obviously my favourite: she’s sharp as a tack, insightful and a crack shot with a rifle. King avoids the ‘girl character’ tag with her really well and makes a good case for her being the only female in the group. Bill’s grief and guilt for his lost brother is a powerful motivator for him, which works really well. His bike Silver also brings forth memories of riding my own bike downhill, feeling the air through my hair and feeling free.

Eddie too, is a favourite of mine: the notion of holding your kids prisoner via things like Munchausen By Proxy was a relatively new idea back in the eighties, so on that King was way ahead of his time. Henry Bowers’ and Patrick’s suppressed homosexuality is also a keen commentary on toxic masculinity – a phrase that was not used back then, but still potent today.

King really shines a light on both small town life and what it’s like growing up in a place where everyone knows everyone. I first read IT when I was roughly thirteen (yes, yes I was far too young) and it was this element that really stuck out for me. There’s also some really decent gore, as you’d expect with King. (My personal favourite is when Patrick gets killed by all the flying slugs. What??).

Now, the negatives. In my (humble) opinion, it’s far, far too long and there are huge rambling chunks that make no sense at all. The whole turtle thing was just WTAF for me, no matter how many times I read it. The smokehouse scene feels indulgent at best and Richie’s quips are often tip over into full-blown racism. Finally, THAT gang bang between the eleven year olds feels woefully misjudged. Every time I think, “Oh it can’t be that bad, I must be going OTT in my mind” … So I go back and re-read that passage …

… YES IT REALLY IS THAT BAD. WTAF STEPHEN KING, JEEEEZ.

But overall, I love IT. I find it quite funny that King would have been eviscerated by the likes of Twitter and Goodreads if he wrote it today: no doubt he would have  been accused of ‘harming’ my entire generation for a plethora of reasons. That said, we all seem to have fared pretty well AND feel pretty fond of the book.

The TV Mini Series

I actually watched this on video back in the 90s and streamed it again recently. I must say I remembered it as a very long movie, rather than 2 separate episodes and had actually forgotten it was a mini series! By 90s standards, the production values are quite high but inevitably it looks very dated now. Coming out in 1990, it just misses the major advent of CGI, but still manages to pull off some great moments. My favourite is still Pennywise, appearing in the school shower block floor:

Tim Curry is a god and the obvious choice for Pennywise. I’d remembered him as looking much scarier, but in real terms he looks quite pleasant until he does his trademark roar with sharp teeth. This made me think about how audience tolerance for horror changes: back then, the idea of something looking innocent and fun and then changing was a big part of horror. But now that no longer cuts it.

I was surprised to find Pennywise does not have that much screen-time. I didn’t count the scenes he was in, but they were far less than I’d remembered. It just goes to show how striking imagery can take over your mind. Something many writers and filmmakers can learn from, I’d wager.

In terms of characterisation, I much preferred the child versions of The Loser Club. I felt none of the adults compared. Richard Thomas – that’s John Boy from The Waltons, no less – was a massive miscast for me. The tragic Jonathan Brandis played Bill, whom I remembered from childhood movies like The Never-ending Story 2 and TV shows like SeaQuest DSV; his subsequent suicide in 2003 really affected me. Interestingly, I’d forgotten that Seth Green – most famous to my generation as part of the Frat Pack, not to mention Buffy The Vampire Slayer – had played Richie as a child.

Story-wise, this IT adaptation was fairly true to the book, removing all the problematic and plain weird elements I described in the previous section. In both episodes, the resolution was very weak, especially the adult version. In fact, even Tim Curry has gone on record criticising it, saying ‘I was very disappointed by the ending‘. Me too!!

It Remake (2017)

First off, I should mention that *this* version is just ‘chapter one’ – in other words, it only takes in the events of The Loser Club versus Pennywise when they are children (with chapter two coming later when they’re adults).

Personally, I think this was an excellent choice; so much happens in this section of the book, plus I would wager that this is many people’s favourite bit, like mine. It also means more people are likely to go watch the sequel, since they’ll no doubt want to see how they adapt it. So on both an artistic and commercial level, this was savvy.

The time periods shift significantly. Unlike the TV mini series, which keeps it as the 50s and 80s (as in the book), the filmmakers of this one change it to the 80s in Chapter One. This then means Chapter Two will take place in 2017ish, which by then will be ‘present day’ (and another twenty seven years later). I think this was a great idea as it makes it more relevant and the main audience – ie. my generation – were children in the 80s also. (We probably shouldn’t have been reading IT in the 90s, but we all did!!).

The new version replaces a lot of the kids’ fears from the book, too. The Losers were scared of things like werewolves for example – and in 2017 that just wouldn’t be scary in this post-Twilight world! In fact, only Eddie’s Leper makes it through unscathed if I remember correctly. Again, I think this was a savvy decision. I did miss the flying slugs though!

Pennywise is the next obvious biiiiiig difference in terms of his costume. What people find scary has changed in the last twenty seven years. Whilst killer clowns have always turned up in the genre, since the IT TV mini series, there’s been a deluge of them, a veritable A-Z … From alien clowns to zombie clowns, we’ve had them all now! As a result, Pennywise had to have a serious revamp, since a clown with sharp teeth just isn’t enough like it was back in 1992.

In addition to the very different, much more sinister costume, Bill Skarsgard is much younger than Tim Curry was when he played Pennywise … and he brings a much more physical, vibrant ‘Jack in the box’ quality to the role. He has his own version of the trademark grin, too. I loved everything about his performance, my personal favourite being when he ‘unfolds’ himself, contortionist-style from the fridge in the abandoned house. Eeeek!

As I’ve written on my other site B2W, the screenwriting is mostly strong, especially when it comes to the subtext. It’s very clear The Loser Club can’t go to the adults and that they live in a threatening, desperate situation. Character-wise, Bill is very well-drawn and true to the source material, as is Ben. Richie is MUCH better than the original text in my opinion. As far as the rest of the Losers are concerned, there are some problems, especially Beverley who starts off brilliantly but is frustratingly relegated to the role of a damsel by the end. Plot-wise there are some significant issues for in terms of WHY Pennywise can’t just kill them all off the bat like he does Georgie, which I detail HERE.

Overall though, I loved this version of IT and felt it was a rip-roaring ride that was both scary and exciting, with some decent filmmaking/writing. I’m not surprised Stephen King liked it too.

Concluding

I obviously love the book, but I prefer brevity when it comes to novels – the script editor in me is always offended by overwriting and downright author indulgence … King’s novel is certainly both! I don’t think it’s any accident that my favourite works of his – Carrie and The Shining – clock in at 199 and 447 pages each! They’re much more lean, focused and hard-hitting in my opinion.

I also love Tim Curry as Pennywise, but to be honest his was the only really memorable performance. The Loser Club kids did their best, but the direction was a little pedestrian and the tone/feel of the piece not as terrifying as it could have been. Even if it was, by now it’s dated, so simply can’t work as well.

So, it seems a bit naughty to come to a verdict when I’ve only seen Chapter One of the new version of IT, but since it was my favourite bit of the book … I’m gonna call it: the reboot is my favourite version!

What about you?

CRIMINALLY GOOD: interview with author Gwyn GB

1) So, who are you & what have you written?

My name is Gwyn GB, the GB stands for my extremely long surname – Garfield-Bennett which I inherited from my husband. I am the author of Lonely Hearts, a crime thriller, as well as a literary/women’s fiction book, Islands.

I’ve always been a writer. From year dot I was writing books and I became a TV journalist to continue my writing passion. I also wanted to write TV drama scripts but, after struggling for years to get a script accepted, I decided to take my writing career into my own hands and indie published my books. I am one of the new author-preneurs who not only write but also handle the business side of their writing.

Neither of my two titles were ever sent to an agent or publisher, but they have been produced with editing and book cover professionals. No book can be a lone project and you have to use professionals to ensure you get a product that is as good as it can be. You can find out more about me on my website, HERE. I’m also on Facebook as GwynGBwriter and Twitter @GwynGB.

2) Why do you write crime fiction?

Crime gives you so many dramatic storylines. What can be more suspenseful than the battle between life and death?

 3)  What informs your crime writing?

Real life definitely. I will read a story in a newspaper and it will plant a grain of an idea in my head that then develops. I also think whatever you are doing at the time informs your writing, but I have gone out with the police to get a feel for their jobs and I watch documentaries about people who I wouldn’t usually come across to get an insight into other peoples’ lives.

 4) What’s your usual writing routine?

A writing routine is tough for me as like many writers I work full time and have kids, a husband and two geriatric pets – a 17 ½ year old dog and 13 year old goldfish – all of whom want my time (yes the goldfish nags too). When I’m writing or editing I basically work every evening and as much of the weekend as I can. I will also get up early in the morning, often helped by my dog!

Unfortunately sleep becomes the victim and so I get used to having bags under my eyes. Before writing though, when I am planning the book, I find I need to go away from everybody and everything. For Lonely Hearts I booked myself into an AirBnB for two nights and just locked myself away with my pyjamas, wine and my fave food. Bliss.

5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?

I just love Sherlock Holmes because of the strength of the characters and his quirkiness. They are just so atmospheric too. I like books where the setting is as strong as the characters within it.