April 2017 Group Read with guest author Glenn Rolfe

[Kenneth]

This is the thread for the group read of Becoming with guest author, Glenn Rolfe. We'll be starting the read on April 10th and Glenn has been kind enough to drop the price on Amazon down to $2.99 for the month in honor of our group read! Many thanks to Glenn. That was very nice of him. Please help me give Glenn a warm welcome and don't forget to use spoiler tags and page/percentage markers in your posts. Welcome to Gore and More, Glenn!

[Glenn]

Thanks for having me, Ken. Can't wait to get started. Reviews have been great so far, and this is definitely one of my favorite pieces I've written.
Hope you all have fun.

[Troy]

Purchased and ready to go. This will be my first Glenn Rolfe book. Excited to check this out!

[Glenn]

Troy wrote: "Purchased and ready to go. This will be my first Glenn Rolfe book. Excited to check this out!"

That's great! Thanks, Troy. Hope you enjoy it.

[Vicki Willis]

I am looking forward to this one.
I am new to your books too, but am excited to be able to pick your brain a bit as we read. Thanks for doing this!

[Kenneth]

Hey Glenn. For those members that aren't familiar with you or your work, can you give them a little info about yourself?

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl)]

Mahalo Glenn for the discount! Iook forward to reading it.

[Glenn]

Vicki wrote: "I am looking forward to this one.
I am new to your books too, but am excited to be able to pick your brain a bit as we read. Thanks for doing this!"

Thanks, Vicki. I hope you have fun. I certainly did. Pick away!

[Glenn]

( Tiffany April) RM wrote: "Mahalo Glenn for the discount! Iook forward to reading it. "
You're very welcome, Tiffany. Thanks for grabbing a copy.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

It sounds very good. Just purchased e-book.

[Glenn]

Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "It sounds very good. Just purchased e-book."
Thanks, Erin! See you in the chat? ;)

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Glenn wrote: "Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "It sounds very good. Just purchased e-book."
Thanks, Erin! See you in the chat? ;)"

Definitely :)

[Jen from Quebec :0)]

Snagged my copy! Also- I love to use the word, 'snagged'! --Jen from Quebec :0)

[Glenn]

Jennifer Lynn wrote: "Snagged my copy! Also- I love to use the word, 'snagged'! --Jen from Quebec :0)"
Thanks for taking a chance on me, Jennifer. :)

[Glenn]

Just a note– I was alerted to a few punctuation errors that my both myself and my editor missed. I am getting those fixed as we speak. Sorry about that.

[Kellie]

I'm hoping to get to this one.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Glenn wrote: "Just a note– I was alerted to a few punctuation errors that my both myself and my editor missed. I am getting those fixed as we speak. Sorry about that."

That's okay, we shall survive! ;)

[Glenn]

Thanks, Erin. :) And please join us, Kellie. This might be my favorite story I've written.

[Kellie]

It sounds really good Glenn!

[Glenn]

Kellie wrote: "It sounds really good Glenn!"
Thanks. I hope you enjoy it. :)

[Jason]

Happy to join in!

[Glenn]

Jason wrote: "Happy to join in!"
Glad to have aboard, Mr. Parent. And I didn't see you in Salem the other night. What's up? JK, we'll meet up soon.

[Glenn]

Can't wait to get started! See you guys soon.

[Kenneth]

Starting this Bad Boy tonight. Glenn, the cover grabs you with it's uniqueness. What can you tell us about it?

[Glenn]

Ken wrote: "Starting this Bad Boy tonight. Glenn, the cover grabs you with it's uniqueness. What can you tell us about it?"

Thanks, Ken. I was in a band back in 2010. We had a short tour to New York and back scheduled that our bassist couldn't make since he was in Ireland. A friend, Jason Lynch, offered to go with us. He learned the tunes in a few days and took all the abuse we dished upon him for the four day stretch. Fast forward to 2013. Jason was an amazing artist before he filled in with us. I approached him about doing some cover art for a serial novel I was working on. He's gone on to be my #1 choice for covers ever since. The BECOMING cover came totally from Jason without any direction from me. I sent him a chapter to read, and this masterpiece is what he sent back to me. I love it, It's like nothing I've ever seen. Jason is amazing. He's currently at work on the full wrap around for the print edition, which we hope to have available in the next two weeks.

[Vicki Willis]

I started this one last night (I am at 20%) and I have to say it plays on a childhood fear of mine (view spoiler)[something getting me in a lake (hide spoiler)].
I thought it started off very fast. It grabbed me and then I realized (view spoiler)[the scary thing is more than just in the lake! (hide spoiler)]
Great beginning... I love (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

Vicki wrote: "I started this one last night (I am at 20%) and I have to say it plays on a childhood fear of mine [spoilers removed].
I thought it started off very fast. It grabbed me and then I realized [spoile..."
An old and lingering fear of mine, as well. Especially now that I have kids! :)

[Jessie]

I just bought the kindle edition. Starting it tonight. You can thank Vicki and her spoiler comment (I took a peek), because I have a thing about that too. Now I have to read it, plus I always love checking out a new author.

[Glenn]

Jessie wrote: "I just bought the kindle edition. Starting it tonight. You can thank Vicki and her spoiler comment (I took a peek), because I have a thing about that too. Now I have to read it, plus I always love ..."
Sweet! Thanks, Jessie. (and thanks, Vicki)

[Glenn]

New note. Anyone who is extremely sensitive to errors in books, if you purchased Becoming already, and want a clean version, let me know. I've gone through and corrected some things. If you are enjoying the story and feel fine, keep on reading. :) And fire away with them questions.
-Glenn

[Vicki Willis]

I am at 35% now and I like how it feels like (view spoiler)[old school past to me (what is that? the 80's lol), even though it takes place in the present.
I also like the references to current pop culture. That is always fun. (hide spoiler)]
I am wondering (view spoiler)[ Why/how this family is so connected in a bunch of ways with the kidnapped girl, the crazy aunt, the uncle in the bathroom... It is spreading!
My question is How old is Michele? I know the book said something about her learning to drive with her Dad so am assuming she is around 15, but she also seems younger because of the way her father treats her and how the parents were worried about leaving her and her cousin home alone. (hide spoiler)]

My question for Glenn:
When you are writing a book, do you write one at a time or do you have more than one project going at a time. Do you have a like a daily writing schedule or is it more flexible than that?

[Glenn]

Vicki wrote: "I am at 35% now and I like how it feels like old school past to me (what is that? the 80's lol), even though it takes place in the present.
I also like the references to current pop culture. That ..."
Hey, Vicki. I tend to be working on multiple projects at any given time. I have a couple of novels going right now, and also a new novella.
As for a writing schedule...not at the moment. I don't write everyday like some authors. but I do read everyday. I really wish I could, but my life doesn't work that way. I work full-time, I have three kiddos (the youngest is 4), and a wonderful wife that deserves as much of my time as I can squeeze in. Once my youngest is in school, I'll probably set up a daily routine, but for now, I just write in 2-3 hour patches here and there, whenever I have some quiet time.
-Glenn

[Troy]

I'm DIGGING this book so far. I finally got around to starting Becoming this morning and I can't put it down. The action picks up right away. I'm 35% into the book, and there have literally been no lulls.

There is a scene that takes place in a bathroom that is the creepiest thing I've read or scene in a long time (view spoiler)[(I'm referring to the bathroom scene in Ch. 12 involving Laura and Aunt Ginny with Uncle Mike in the tub. I was really hoping Laura would escape. I was rooting for her!) (hide spoiler)]

There is a reference to a 1970s movie about a motel with a guest-eating alligator in the back. Glenn, are you referring to Eaten Alive? That flick is a guilty pleasure of mine!

[Vicki Willis]

Chapter 29
Soooo good...

Very tense... (view spoiler)[when he went down to the basement looking for the journal. So descriptive I was holding my breath!

Also, it was a good thing Michele's Dad taught her to drive!

And I love Mae. She is bad assed!! (hide spoiler)]

@Troy - totally agreed!

[Glenn]

Troy wrote: "I'm DIGGING this book so far. I finally got around to starting Becoming this morning and I can't put it down. The action picks up right away. I'm 35% into the book, and there have literally been no..."
Glad you're into it, Troy. And yes, Eaten Alive is a favorite of mine. Had to get it in there somehow. :) I love how Tobe Hooper movies (especially his 70's and 80's stuff) worked on your nerves while watching them. I wanted to bring some of that to the written word. Some of that frenzied horror. The scene you mentioned has a bit of that going on.

[Glenn]

Vicki wrote: "Chapter 29
Soooo good...

Very tense... when he went down to the basement looking for the journal. So descriptive I was holding my breath!

Also, it was a good thing Michele's Dad taught her to dri..."
Vicki, that was one of my favorite scenes to write in the book. There's just so much you can do with a scene like that. Obviously, as a writer, you try and put yourself there and imagine the atmosphere. Hearing that you got it right and brought the reader with you, that's priceless.

[Vicki Willis]

I finished the novel. I loved it and my review will be coming after I finish the novella.
I didn't realize there was a bonus novella in my version! I will be reading that next.

I thought the book was great. It had an intensity to it the went all the way to the end. It never let up. The idea of novel was excellent and just reinforced my irrational fear about (view spoiler)[things in a lake. (hide spoiler)]

One thing I want to ask Glenn is
(view spoiler)[ why was Clint different from the rest? If he was the first, why didn't the lady use him? Why was Greg the "leader" of the townspeople? Did it have to do with him being sick or more so that he redeemed his crappy life in the end? I felt so bad for him as a person after gathering all his backstory. (hide spoiler)]

And another thing I wanted to ask is...
How do you decide on your settings? (Not like "lake", but where in the US, type of city/town etc.)

[Troy]

51% done. The pacing is perfect, making this book an effortless read. Chapter 26 had a tense, nail-biting scene involving (view spoiler)[the Sheriff's deputies trying to break into the Sheriff's house with Mae and Brenda inside. This scene had me on the edge of my seat! (hide spoiler)]

[Troy]

Vicki wrote: "Chapter 29
Soooo good...

Very tense... when he went down to the basement looking for the journal. So descriptive I was holding my breath!

Also, it was a good thing Michele's Dad taught her to dri..."

That basement scene. So good!

[Troy]

Glenn, I had a lot planned this weekend: (1) Vacuum the house; (2) Catch up on laundry; (3) Get a head start on next week's work... But nothing was accomplished. My plans did not anticipate BECOMING being so darn good. A literal page turner.

Here is my brief spoiler-free review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

BECOMING is expertly paced, terrifying and tense. I was amazed at how a story could have so many characters, so many simultaneous plot lines and perspective, yet be weaved seamlessly into a cohesive story and effortless read.

Questions for Glenn:

How did you come up with the idea for this story? What were your inspirations? You mentioned previously that you wanted to capture some of the frenzied horror of 70s and 80s horror movies in this novel, which I think you did well.

(view spoiler)[Do you have any backstory in mind for the 'lady in the lake'? In your mind, do you have an idea of where it comes from and/or how long it has been around? Is its sole purpose to feed?
Could other animals, e.g., a dog, be turned? (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

Vicki wrote: "I finished the novel. I loved it and my review will be coming after I finish the novella.
I didn't realize there was a bonus novella in my version! I will be reading that next.

I thought the book ..."
Vicki, I'm from Maine, so I tend to stick with what I know. I have traveled quite a bit, and lived briefly in Colorado and California, but Maine is my home turf, so I tend to keep my stories here.
(view spoiler)[I wanted to add in that Clint had cancer, but I didn't want it to take over the story. He'd been through so much shit, but sometimes, life seams to pick on certain people. He was tainted enough to alter the affects of the lady of the lake's powers (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

Troy wrote: "Glenn, I had a lot planned this weekend: (1) Vacuum the house; (2) Catch up on laundry; (3) Get a head start on next week's work... But nothing was accomplished. My plans did not anticipate BECOMIN..."

Troy, this story started out as something very different. Originally, there were slugs from below the earth that were changing people as they ingested them. That version never felt right to me. When I decided to take another stab at the story, I turned to the waters. I sort of developed a lot of the characters in the original version, altering them slightly for this one. Michele was originally a twenty something college student, so was Greg. Anyways, I liked the idea of people being changed. I'm a huge fan of the '70's version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I loved that all-consuming, mysterious force taking over and changing everyone. I loved the paranoia and the claustrophobic vibe of being the only one left normal. I figured if I took that and shrunk it to a small town that no one would realize things were taken place, like in King's Tommyknockers, I could have some real fun.

(view spoiler)[I figure the entity has always been there. Every hundred years, it feeds. Maybe it was cursed and trapped there, maybe not. Animals would have been an interesting way to go. Never thought of that, but I don't see why not. That would have been fun, too. (hide spoiler)]

[Glenn]

Just thinking about the scenes that Troy and Vicki mentioned above....
I think one of the things I try to get right in my stories that might set me apart from my colleagues is atmosphere. Obviously, you have to have a good story and believable characters, but I find that if you can create a very real, tangible atmosphere, you can really transport the readers into the tale. I often times turn to movies to see where this is done well and try to bring that into my writing. How to translate that unnerving vibe a great scene in a film like the one in Se7en where they discover the body in the bed, and get that same feel across in written word, it's something I enjoy trying to do. I think it adds another level to the storytelling. Glad to see that it worked for Troy and Vicki. :) No better compliment for a writer. Thanks.

[Troy]

Glenn wrote: "Troy wrote: "Glenn, I had a lot planned this weekend: (1) Vacuum the house; (2) Catch up on laundry; (3) Get a head start on next week's work... But nothing was accomplished. My plans did not antic..."

I too dig stories that instill a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. For this reason, I love John Carpenter's The Thing as well as the novella its based off of, Who Goes There? (view spoiler)[Those feelings--especially suspicion (i.e., trust no one)--were definitely coming across in earnest while reading BECOMING. I enjoyed moments when the characters might not spot any other cars on the road, whereas other times they might see a couple other cars driving around. These scenes kept me wondering whether they were the last ones left, and just how much of the town had succumbed to the creature's nefarious plans. (hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Now that I'm back from vacation, I'm finally able to concentrate on this read and I have to say that Greg's encounter in the beginning gave me the heebie jeebies as it delightfully reminded me of King's The Raft and Tommyknockers. Was this coincidence or did you have either in mind when you wrote this, Glenn?

[Glenn]

Ken wrote: "Now that I'm back from vacation, I'm finally able to concentrate on this read and I have to say that Greg's encounter in the beginning gave me the heebie jeebies as it delightfully reminded me of K..."
Thanks, Ken. Hope you had a great vacation. As for the influences... definitely kept my Tommyknockers experience with me while I was writing this one. The color choice, obviously, is my most evident ode to King's book, but there are certainly other little nuggets here and there.

[Jessie]

I really enjoyed the story. Read it in two sittings - which is good for me. I agree with your comment above Glenn about "atmosphere". I think it is, for me at least, one of the most important aspects about a novel. If I can see myself walking in the story as if I am ease dropping and such, then that makes it all the more perfect. In your novel, I had a sense of the place and around the lake. Thanks for an enjoyable read!

[Glenn]

Jessie wrote: "I really enjoyed the story. Read it in two sittings - which is good for me. I agree with your comment above Glenn about "atmosphere". I think it is, for me at least, one of the most important aspec..."
Thanks, Jessie. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Vicki Willis]

I finished the novella. I thought it was excellent too. Another scary mystery creature. Those kids were braver than I would have been!

Thank you Glenn for participating in this! It made it so much fun.

And thanks Ken for getting this one together. I don't know when (or if) I would have come across this book without the recommendation.

[Troy]

The novella sounds good, Vicki. I may have to check it out sooner rather than later!

Glenn, I have a question regarding the ending of BECOMING. (view spoiler)[How did you decide how to end the book? In the ending, we don't know what happens next in the sense that we don't know if the Sheriff informs neighboring counties and his superiors, and what their subsequent actions are (e.g., do they believe him, do they request the national guard, do they try to destroy the creature, etc.) What was your thought process in trying to write the ending for the book? Thanks! (hide spoiler)]