Since August, when I released The Wizard Takes a Holiday as my...

Since August, when I released The Wizard Takes a Holiday as my first experiment in self-publishing, I've met a lot of authors.  I knew a lot of traditionally published authors, already, but taking in the independents and the small-press darlings and the Amazon warriors has been a heck of trip.  I've met SO many different types.

Some authors you meet and you think "Eh, he/she seems okay."  Some, you meet and you think "Pass!  Pass!  Get thee away from me, Satan!"  And then there are those like Thea Isis Gregory, who you like so much, you want to bake her batch of chocolate chip cookies, and share her with the world.  Independent, smart, kind, and fearlessly honest, I think we could all use a dose of Thea's medicine.

Hey, guess what?  Thea's stopped by today to share her experiences with writing about her dreams.  This really tickles me, because This Brilliant Darkness and its sequel-in-progress, That Crackling Silence, were both dream-inspired, at least partially.  I've been thinking about one dream, in particular, that's so surreal, I'm not sure how to translate it to chapter one of TCS.  I've been considering that for seven years or so.  No big deal.

But enough of that.  Let's talk Zombie Bedtime Stories, shall we?

Heeeeeeeeere's Thea!

Horror and the Nightmare Realm

There's a lot of controversy over the true meaning of dreams. Some could say that they're a product of the workings of the subconscious mind. Others will maintain that they're prophetic, spiritual in nature or hold a deeper meaning. I have a special relationship with my dreams—especially my nightmares.

Nightmares are terrifying, frightening and full of disturbed visceral imagery. I live a horror movie in my mind as I sleep almost every night. There's only one way that I know how to banish them—writing.

Last May, I was going through a rough time. I was having nightmares almost every night, especially zombie nightmares. Stupid zombies, I got my revenge on you alright. But, then I had the original idea for the Zombie Bedtime Stories. The day I put pen to paper, the nightmares vanished. All kinds of horrible imagery and the essence of many fears and insecurities tumbled out of me. The end product, Locked In, was grotesque, not for the faint of heart, and it was glorious.

Since then, I notice that anytime that I stray too far from the path of dark fiction the nightmares come back. It's a bit of a tightrope I walk, for how long I can concentrate on edits before I am compelled to return to the drawing board. Two questions about my predicament have entered my mind:

Am I thrall to some twisted dark god who demands servitude in the form of horror and twisted fiction?

I don't think so. That would be kind of cool, if her interests extended to only creating an endless stream of horror, dark science fiction and fantasy.

Is my subconscious mind trying to make sense of my life and the circumstances that have got me this far?

Who knows, probably? I like my subconscious better when I'm awake because it leaves me alone.

In the end, it seems that in order to get a good night's sleep, I need to keep doing what I'm doing—writing. Once the Zombie Bedtime Stories are done, I certainly do have plenty more material in my Nightmare Files.

Geez, Louise, is that spooky, or what?  I'm tempted to say "Yes, Thea, you are thrall to a twisted dark god.  Get back to writing!"

But who am I to make such a demand?  Certainly not a twisted dark god.  (Hey, two out of three ain't bad.)

Instead, I'm going to urge you, dear reader, to check out Thea's work.  Her books are affordably priced and quick reads.  What have you got to lose?  Go and support this fresh young voice in fiction.  I dare you.

Thanks, Thea, for sharing this perspective with us.  I'm not sure I would want to be in your shoes, my friend, but you do wear them so snazzily.  Don't stop believin', beautiful dreamer!

Why not download all three of her works (they're each under a buck!): Thea Isis Gregory Amazon author page

And for Thea's take on the books she reads, as well as her cooking hijinks, I highly encourage you to check out her YouTube channel.  You'll enjoy it.