Horror Aficionados discussion
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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September 2017 Group Read with Guest Author, Brian Moreland
Very cool! I have had this book on my tbr for awhile. Looking forward to reading it. Welcome Brian!
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Awesome!! I can't wait to get it and read it! Welcome to Brian 😊
Sounds like a great read:-). Mysterious forest?? I'm in!
Price drop also, eh? Loving these opportunities.
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Brian Moreland writes great horror:)
Wow, thanks, everyone! I'm excited to be a part of this month's group read. I hope you enjoy The Devil's Woods. I spent several years writing it. I look forward to answering any questions about the book or writing.
I have had a few of your books on my Amazon Wishlist! Welcome, and I'm excited to read along.
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Ken wrote: "Brian, can you tell us a little about yourself and give us a background of how you came to be an author? What drew you to horror and who were your influences?"Sure Ken, I grew up in Dallas, Texas in a very normal family, in a very normal suburban town. I've always been an introvert with an active imagination. I was drawn to horror at an early age, mainly through watching classic horror movies. For some strange reason, I fell in love with monsters and thought being scared out of my wits was fun. When a group of my friends went to a Halloween haunted house, I always volunteered to be in the lead. I was a kid in the 1970s, greatly affected by the movies Alien and Star Wars, and a teen in 1980s, influenced by John Carpenter movies, like Halloween and The Thing. In high school I discovered reading horror fiction--mainly Stephen King and Clive Barker short stories. Graveyard Shift was one of the first adult fiction books I read. I devoured the first 3 volumes of Barker's Books of Blood. It was in my late teens that my love of horror movies and reading came together. I tried my hand at writing some short fiction and discovered I loved making up my own stories. I decided then and there I wanted to be a horror author. During my freshman year in college, I wrote my first novel, which was a very early version of The Devil's Woods. I reworked that book over the course of 25 years, putting it aside to write other novels, and eventually published it as my third novel. My influences have changed over the years. I've gone through stages where I studied and learned from reading Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, John Saul, James Herbert, Richard Laymon, and many current authors. While I spent most of life living in Texas, I recently moved to Central Florida to be closer to the beach and enjoy the year-round sunny weather. I'm finding that a change of scenery is really helping with my current writing.
I have another book to finish first. Hopefully won't be long.
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Nope! I'm superstitious. No way I'd go. That's how you die in movies & books! :p
I am only 4% in and already feeling apprehensive!
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That is beautiful writing!
Wow! This book took off quick. I am almost 1/2 way in. Stayed up till the early hours of the morning as I couldn't put it down. If you are not this far into the book, don't read the spoiler.(view spoiler)
I finished the other thing I was reading on my kindle, so I'll load this one up once the batteries are charged.
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Latasha wrote: "The dark complexion of the moon dimly lit the sky as bloated clouds drifted across it, dropping shadowed veils upon the forest.That is beautiful writing!"
Thank you, Latasha.
Marie wrote: "Wow! This book took off quick. I am almost 1/2 way in. Stayed up till the early hours of the morning as I couldn't put it down. If you are not this far into the book, don't read the spoiler.[spoi..."
Awesome, Marie, glad you're deep into the book. I won't say what's in the woods until after you've read it.
Brian wrote: "Marie wrote: "Wow! This book took off quick. I am almost 1/2 way in. Stayed up till the early hours of the morning as I couldn't put it down. If you are not this far into the book, don't read the s..."I finished it, Brian! I know what is in the woods and I left a review already. :) I loved the book and have put it on my favorites shelf!
Ken wrote: "Brian, can you tell us about the cover? Who designed it? How it was conceived? How much input did you have on this one and your covers, in general?"Sure Ken, I designed the cover myself. By profession I'm a book designer and art director. As soon as I finish writing a book, I usually design the cover art just for fun. In many cases, those designs have gone on to become the final cover. For The Devil's Woods, I came up with the concept based on a scene from the story. Then I searched for the right stock images and built the cover in Photoshop. As far as input, it depends on the publisher. When I was with Samhain, I pretty much gave 90% input. I've also had earlier publications that gave me zero input, while other publishers have used my designs.
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I do NOT need to be reading this before bed. I haven't got to the scene featured on the cover but can't wait. I'm enjoying this book very much. It's good, scary and suspenseful.
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Same here, Marie--I shouldn't be surprised with all the books we have in common!! I plan on re-reading it this month, though.
Kimberly wrote: "Marie wrote: "Brian wrote: "Marie wrote: "Wow! This book took off quick. I am almost 1/2 way in. Stayed up till the early hours of the morning as I couldn't put it down. If you are not this far int..."Don't re-read it before going to bed - I kind of had some weird dreams from it, but that is a good thing for me as it shows the book got into my head. :) lol
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Whatttt.....?! See! I NEED to move to Canada! Lol <3 <3
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I've asked you this before and I wouldn't be surprised if the answer was the same for The Devil's Woods. Have you ever been to Canada? What research did you do for this story?
Latasha wrote: "They passed the ancient white church which stood prominently at the center of town. That was where Kyle and Eric got caught spying through the windows. Kyle, sitting on Eric’s shoulders, had witnes..."(view spoiler)
Ken wrote: "I'm a couple of chapters in and I can already see Brian's writing style shining through. He has such a smooth, easy-to-read, and highly visual style. I've said this before, Brian, and I'll keep say..."Ken, thank you. I'm beaming at the compliment. Yes, I was reading lots of Robert McCammon when I first started writing this book in college. I took great pleasure in how vivid his visuals were and how he showed all the details of the horror as it was happening. Yes, I've visited British Columbia--Vancouver and Whistler. I did a ton of research for the book. I studied First Nation Cree history and their culture. I also studied the Danish culture so that my town of Danish immigrants would feel authentic. I used the Internet a lot to do research. Since Kyle is a pilot and lands a plane on the lake, I did lots of research on pontoon planes. I read about it, watched YouTube videos. I even interviewed a pilot who flies the de Havilland Turbo Otter seaplane that Kyle flies, so I could properly describe how to take off and land the plane on water. Since a lot of what I write is supernatural, I like to build fictional worlds the ring true as much as possible.
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Not at all. Brian will be here all month and most of us are still in the first few chapters.
Just started this morning- while waiting for my dental appointment. few things can take my mind off that. But this did! The settings and characters are vivid and I'm hungry to find out more...
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Bravo! I haven't read a book this good in a while. After finishing it, I've decided NOT to go to a small town like Hagen's Cove but I'd still love to run away to Canada lol. I liked everything about this story. it keeps you hooked and scared, the characters were great. (view spoiler) I will definitely read more from you Brian! and thank you for such a scary and entertaining trip to Canada. I left a review here on GR and amazon. 4 stars!
Latasha wrote: "Bravo! I haven't read a book this good in a while. After finishing it, I've decided NOT to go to a small town like Hagen's Cove but I'd still love to run away to Canada lol. I liked everyth..."
Thank you Latasha, I appreciate the 4-star review. I hope you get a chance to make it to Canada. It really is a beautiful country.
And be sure to check weather forecasts before dancing naked around statues.
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LMAO!!!
Mixofsunandcloud wrote: "And be sure to check weather forecasts before dancing naked around statues."Believe me, I've been checking weather forecasts. I'm in Orlando, right in the path of Hurricane Irma. Preparing to hunker down, or evacuate, if necessary.
Without further ado, please help me welcome, Brian Moreland!