The Beast of…Bladenboro?

Long before this author concocted the story of the Beast of Macon Hollow (heck, long before this author was even born!), there existed another legendary beast—the Beast of Bladenboro.

 

The Beast of Bladenboro slunk from the swamps shortly after the Christmas season in 1953 and stirred up the locals in this sleepy little mill town. It was said to have drained the blood from its victims, usually dogs and small farm animals. Some of the townspeople claimed to have actually seen it—a large, black cat with its eyes aglow. For the next few weeks, the beast terrorized the town; the women and children were afraid to walk the streets at night and the men formed posses to hunt it down. Then, it was never heard from again. The terror…the chaos…the danger…all faded away as fast as they appeared. The only things left behind were questions.

 

As many of you know, the original beast planted the seed for the creature that would eventually become the titular nemesis of my debut novel. Macon Hollow’s beast, however, bears only a passing resemblance to Bladenboro’s. Yes, Macon Hollow’s citizens usually see it as a great black cat, with glowing red eyes, and double rows of fangs and claws. But that’s where the kinship ends. The Beast of Macon Hollow is much more than just a flesh and blood animal. It’s a malevolent spirit bent on mankind’s destruction!

 

In the last few weeks before the release of The Beast of Macon Hollow, I invite you to visit the town of Bladenboro, North Carolina, and experience the beast for yourself. The Beast Fest is held every year on the last Saturday of October, this year landing on October 27.  For more information, check out this link: http://www.borobooster.org/BeastFest.html.