September 2017 Group Read with Guest Author, Brian Moreland

[Kenneth]

I just finished Chapter 6. That was as intense as it gets!

[Catherine]

Wow, Brian. Finished it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly loved the blend of Native American folklore with classic horror. So many twists and turns, great characters and a plot that kept me hooked right to the end. And what an ending. suffice it to say, I am not planning on visiting Hagen's Cove anytime soon. Of to post reviews on GR and elsewhere now.

[Brian]

Ken wrote: "I just finished Chapter 6. That was as intense as it gets!"

Thanks, Ken, I remember being breathless as I wrote that chapter.

[Brian]

Catherine wrote: "Wow, Brian. Finished it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly loved the blend of Native American folklore with classic horror. So many twists and turns, great characters and a plot th..."

Wonderful, Catherine. You got through it okay. Thank you for reading it and posting reviews.

[Catherine]

Brian wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Wow, Brian. Finished it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly loved the blend of Native American folklore with classic horror. So many twists and turns, great charac..."
My pleasure, Brian. Keep on writing! (I know you will :) )

[Kenneth]

Thanks to Brian and his book, I got very little done yesterday. I spent most of Sunday with my posterior parked in the La-Z-Boy simply devouring The Devil's Woods. What a page turner! Great characters, a unique and vivid setting, and a compelling plot. Its not only a 5 star read, but also the best thing I've read in all of 2017.

This is your second book that delves into Native American folklore. What is it about their folklore that attracts you to write stories about it and can we expect more coming down the pike that use it as a central character?

[Brian]

Wow, Ken, thank you for that review.

Years ago, I took some shamanic workshops where I learned about some Native American customs and rituals. I attended several pipe ceremonies and sat in numerous sweat lodges. I found their interaction with nature and the spirit world fascinating. After that, I took an interest in native folklore and discovered the ancient tribes of Canada had several stories they past down through generations about demons and otherworldly creatures that lived in the woods. These myths became inspiration for both The Devil's Woods and Dead of Winter. I really enjoyed creative Native Canadian characters who practiced some of the shamanic rituals that I had witnessed. While writing those scenes, I felt like I was connecting to a more primordial part of myself, one that existed prior to all the technology we have today. When I wrote The Devil's Woods and created that fictional Cree Reservation and Hagen's Cove, it gave my imagination a place to explore these shamanic themes. I may one day explore these themes again in follow books. We'll see. For now, I've been challenging myself to venture into other types of worlds. For instance, I just completed a novel set in Egypt in 1937, an archaeology that delves into the mysteries of Ancient Egypt.

[Latasha]

Oh! That sounds fascinating!

[Mixofsunandcloud]

I finally started it today. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but I'm enjoying it so far.

[Anne (w/ an E)]

I am try going to try to follow you on Amazon. That novel set in Egypt sounds like something I would be very interested in!. This book you all are reading sounds great too. I just added it to my to-read list. Sorry I can't join you but I really do plan to get to it sooner or later :)

[Catherine]

I love ancient Egypt. So many legends and an amazing cultural history. I spent a fascinating, never-to-be-forgotten holiday visiting the temples along the Nile. Each one had its own unique story and it wasn't hard to imagine stepping back in time. I shall look forward to reading your new book, Brian :)

[Latasha]

I bet that was so amazing Catherine.

[Catherine]

Latasha wrote: "I bet that was so amazing Catherine."
It was, Latasha. I'm not one for cruises, but the only way to see the temples is to travel down the Nile and that was an experience in itself. Like a living, ever changing movie.

[Kimberly]

I loved this one! Any ideas of when the Egypt book will be published?

[Brian]

Catherine wrote: "I love ancient Egypt. So many legends and an amazing cultural history. I spent a fascinating, never-to-be-forgotten holiday visiting the temples along the Nile. Each one had its own unique story an..."

I'm envious, Catherine. I would have loved to have visited the temples of Egypt for my research. I had to visit them my imagination and combine that with lots of research.

[Brian]

Kimberly wrote: "I loved this one! Any ideas of when the Egypt book will be published?"

Hey Kimberly, after doing another revision and adding several new scenes, I just sent the latest manuscript to my edit. Fingers crossed that she finds the right publishing house. I won't have a release date until we have a signed contract and the book goes on the publisher's calendar. Fingers crossed that the release happens within the next year.

[Brian]

Anne (w/ an E) wrote: "I am try going to try to follow you on Amazon. That novel set in Egypt sounds like something I would be very interested in!. This book you all are reading sounds great too. I just added it to my to..."

Anne, thanks for following me on Amazon. The Egypt title to be on the look out for in the next year or so is TOMB OF GODS, assuming the publisher keeps that title. Here's the synopsis:

Deep inside the tomb exists a world of mystery and terror . . .

In 1935, a team of British archaeologists entered an Egyptian cave tomb and vanished. A year later, only one man returned covered in mysterious scars.

Egyptologist Imogen Riley desperately wants to know what happened to the ill-fated expedition team, and why her grandfather left her a diary with strange codes. On a quest for answers, she joins a second team of archeologists in the Egyptian desert. Inside a mountain tomb, they’ve found a technologically advanced relic and a cave with endless tunnels. Dr. Nathan Trummel believes this tomb leads to the most guarded secrets of the pharaohs. When the explorers venture deep into the caves, they discover a realm inhabited by their darkest fears.

[Latasha]

sounds good to me!

[Kenneth]

I was thinking the same thing!

[Anne (w/ an E)]

Tomb of Gods, by Brian Moreland, 2018

[Kenneth]

Question for you Brian - (view spoiler)[ The whole Kyle falling love with his brother's girlfriend, this could've very easily come off as one big cheesy cliche. How were you able to avoid that trap that so many authors fail to navigate around? Did you have reservations about attempting to add that to the story knowing how easy it was to fall into that pitfall? (hide spoiler)]

[Kimberly]

Ken wrote: "Question for you Brian - [spoilers removed]"

Great question!!

[Brian]

Ken wrote: "Question for you Brian - [spoilers removed]"

Ken, that is a great question. I'll do my best to answer it:

(view spoiler)[

First, I began writing this book back in December of 1987, when I was a freshman in college. I was 19 and wasn't aware of any cliche love triangles. I didn't know much about structuring a romance between characters. I just wrote from the heart. I aimed for infusing Kyle with authentic emotion for Jessica. While I was writing the first few drafts, I had a huge crush on a girl who had a serious boyfriend. Jessica's character is based on that girl, who at the time was my dream girl. So when I wrote Kyle feeling strong feelings for Jessica, it was transference of the feelings I had felt for a girl whom I had instant attraction to and couldn't be with her because she was with somebody else. Now, in my story, I complicated things by making Kyle's brother, Eric, being the obstacle. I also attempted to make all three of them conflicted in their own way. When writing romance within a horror story, my best method is to write what characters are feeling from my own feelings of love and pain, and hope that readers can feel it too.

(hide spoiler)]

[Kenneth]

Brian wrote: "Ken wrote: "Question for you Brian - [spoilers removed]"

Ken, that is a great question. I'll do my best to answer it:



First, I began writing this book back in December of 1987, when I was a fre..."

That is a great "behind the scenes" story! You can tell that this tale came from a special place. So, would you call this one of your Trunk books?

[Kimberly]

Brian, besides TOMB OF GODS, do you have anything else coming out soon?

[Brian]

Ken wrote: "Brian wrote: "Ken wrote: "Question for you Brian - [spoilers removed]"

Ken, that is a great question. I'll do my best to answer it:



First, I began writing this book back in December of 1987, wh..."

Yes, you could call it that. I definitely pulled some things from my personal life. Since I wrote the book over 25 years, it embodies what I was going through from college to my late thirties.

[Brian]

Kimberly wrote: "Brian, besides TOMB OF GODS, do you have anything else coming out soon?"

In October, I'm aiming to release a collection of 5 horror short stories on Amazon Kindle called DARK KILLERS. Each story has some sort of serial killer in it.

Also that month, my short story "Rusalka" will release in an anthology called FEARFUL FATHOMS II: Collected Tales of Aquatic Terror.

https://www.amazon.com/FEARFUL-FATHOM...

[Kimberly]

Brian wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Brian, besides TOMB OF GODS, do you have anything else coming out soon?"

In October, I'm aiming to release a collection of 5 horror short stories on Amazon Kindle called DARK KILL..."

Is DARK KILLERS in the same line as DARK NEEDS?

[Brian]

The 2 short story collections are formatted the same, with 5 stories released only as eBooks. The themes are different. In DARK NEEDS, the main character of each story is obsessed by something, like an addiction, that causes him or her to cross over dark borders and confront their demons. DARK KILLERS is about innocent people being terrorized by some very twisted killers. The "Dark" collections are a way to showcase some of the short stories that I've written over the past couple decades. Some have been previously published, while others, like my favorite serial killer story "I'm Still Here", are brand new. This fall they will be available for Amazon Kindle only. Next year, I plan to release both collections and more stories in a paperback.

[Kimberly]

Brian wrote: "The 2 short story collections are formatted the same, with 5 stories released only as eBooks. The themes are different. In DARK NEEDS, the main character of each story is obsessed by something, lik..."

Glad to hear about the paperback version. :)

[Kenneth]

Review is up. Great job, Brian!

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com/201...

[Kimberly]

Slight changes to original review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also up at Amazon, & Amazon UK.

[Brian]

Ken wrote: "Review is up. Great job, Brian!

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com/201..."

I read the review, Ken. Thank you.

[Brian]

Kimberly wrote: "Slight changes to original review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also up at Amazon, & Amazon UK."

Kimberly, thank you for taking the time to give The Devil's Woods a second read and for updating the review.

[Mixofsunandcloud]

I'm just over a third of the way through. It's a bit hard to concentrate on through the stomach flu. I'm enjoying it though.

[Brian]

What an amazing month! I would like to thank Horror Aficionados, Ken, and everyone who participated in reading and discussing The Devil's Woods in September. It was an honor to be a guest author. I had a lot of fun sharing about my book and my journey as a writer. I wish you all the best. Brian Moreland

[Kenneth]

Thanks, Brian. We loved having you and The Devil's Woods was a great read. From the responses that I've received, you've converted many readers to be Brian Moreland fans. We look forward to being scared silly by your next release.

[Mixofsunandcloud]

I did not finish it on time. I'm usually better at getting them done on time. I'm not giving it up though, I've enjoyed what I've read so far.

[Kimberly]

Thank you, Brian--I've discovered many of your books over the past year, and love the atmosphere and "life" you give your characters. Looking forward to more.

[Catherine]

Thank you, Brian. :)

[Latasha]

Thanks for doing this Brian!

[Marie]

Thanks Brian! :)