Horror Aficionados discussion
This topic is about
Devil's Creek
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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July 2020 Group Read with Guest Author, Todd Keisling
Welcome, Todd! I can't wait to read this book!
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Excited! Recently purchased a signed copy from the author.
Hi, folks! I'm excited to be here. Can't wait to hear what you all think of DEVIL'S CREEK!
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Hi, Todd! Glad to have you here!
Hi, Todd. I've been waiting a year for this book. Def. NOT waiting until July. Will probably finish it tonight ☺
Hi, Todd! I just started reading Devil's Creek and can't wait to discuss it.
Hi, Todd. Just started reading. Looking forward to it.
Hi Todd and thank you for taking the time to do this. Devil’s Creek was truly an amazing read. I look forward to discussing the book with everyone as well as re-reading for the group.
Very excited to read and discuss this book. This is my favorite horror genre. I have already started and I can tell I'm going to need to pace myself before I devour it too quickly.I just finished Part 1 and I already have so many things I'd like to discuss. I have some family and roots in the part of Kentucky where the story starts. I think I've been to the places you're describing, which just makes it even more thrilling for me. Mr. Keisling, I would love to hear more about the inspiration for the location of the story, and it sounds like you may be from the same area?
Another thing I picked up on, was the name of the county where Stauford KY is.... was that a deliberate choice of name or a little bit of foreshadowing?
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Hi Todd! *waving*LOVED the book and had a great time reading it.
It made me wonder if you had any personal experience with cults or even semi-legitimate religions or preachers? Your descriptions of what went on and how people were manipulated sounded so real.
Nickronomicon wrote: "Very excited to read and discuss this book. This is my favorite horror genre. I have already started and I can tell I'm going to need to pace myself before I devour it too quickly.I just finished..."
I love your nickname!
Stauford, KY is pretty much a fictional version of Corbin, KY. I grew up there, and lived there until I graduated college in '05. My original plan was to use the town's real name, but as the story grew, I realized I needed to change some things regarding geography. Thus the town of "Stauford" was born, which led to more slight changes to names.
For example, Corbin sits on the meeting point of three county lines: Laurel, Knox, and Whitley. I changed Whitley to Whately, a definite reference to Wilbur Whateley from Lovecraft's Dunwich Horror. Sounds like you caught that one! ;-)
I also changed some street names and even whole town names. London, KY became Landon, Barbourville became Breyersburg, and so on.
Other geographic changes include the area where Imogene's house is located. Although my great-grandmother's (on whom Imogene is based) house was very close to the same area, it doesn't sit on a hill as depicted in the book. In fact, there is no hill there at all. Same goes for the area where the radio station is located. Gordon Hill is very real, but the area I placed the radio station is mostly just suburban neighborhoods.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Thanks for the question, and happy reading! :-)
P.S. If you pull up a Google map of Corbin, you can mostly use that to follow along with the characters and their locations, if you'd like an immersive experience.
Char wrote: "Hi Todd! *saving*LOVED the book and had a great time reading it.
It made me wonder if you had any personal experience with cults or even semi-legitimate religions or preachers? Your description..."
Char! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I'm so happy you enjoyed the story!
Honestly, I could write a book about my experiences with religion and sects. I was raised Southern Baptist, but I never really felt comfortable with it, and over the years slowly turned away from it. I tried other sects, other faiths, but nothing really stuck. After a lot of soul-searching, I made peace with the fact that none of it suits me. I've been devoutly agnostic ever since.
Re: your question about experience with cults - No, I've not had any direct experience with what most would consider a cult, although a friend of mine did join one when I was in college. That's a long story and will probably end up being a book some day, so I'd rather not go into it here.
When I was writing Devil's Creek, aside from watching a documentary about Jonestown and Waco, I drew on my memories of all the various preachers I'd witnessed over the years. Their mannerisms, their language, the way they speak, sometimes soft spoken and sometimes commanding and almost threatening--all of that went into making Jacob Masters who he is on the page.
Because, in my experience, even established religions manipulate believers. There's a power structure that may or may not be inadvertently established when a group of people come together under a shared faith and appoint one person to direct and translate the edicts of an ancient text. They're willingly giving up their ability to read and interpret on their own in favor of someone doing it for them--and with that sort of submission, there is greater risk for corruption or misguidance. I look at evangelists as a perfect example of this.
All this is to say that over the last fifteen-plus years, I've come to view the concept of religion as inherently evil, because it's always used to divide and control others. Doesn't matter what the faith is. Give someone that kind of power over others and they're going to abuse it sooner or later. Personal faith and spirituality is a powerful thing, an immensely beautiful and vulnerable thing. When you introduce that sort of faith into a "religion," the "personal" aspect is diluted, and over time, dispersed entirely.
Devil's Creek was, on some level, my examination of that structure and its outcome, but on an extreme level. It's a story of how religion and fanaticism destroys a town in a span of days, set in a traditional horror framework.
Welcome to my TED Talk. :-)
(Or TODD Talk, I guess...)
Todd wrote: "Char wrote: "Hi Todd! *saving*LOVED the book and had a great time reading it.
It made me wonder if you had any personal experience with cults or even semi-legitimate religions or preachers? You..."
I get where you are coming from Todd, as I was raised a Catholic.
I am now agnostic as well, for all of the reasons you've listed.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
As I was reading, I couldn't help but think of Salem's Lot-another small town where evil resided. Are you a fan of the book? Also, what books, if any, do you think influenced your writing in DEVIL'S CREEK, or influenced your writing overall?
I'm in. Just received my copy in the mail today. I'll start reading soon.
Char wrote: "Todd wrote: "Char wrote: "Hi Todd! *saving*LOVED the book and had a great time reading it.
It made me wonder if you had any personal experience with cults or even semi-legitimate religions or p..."
Oh yes. I love Salem's Lot. It was a huge inspiration for how the book is structured. I revisited it in the early days of writing DC, primarily to study how King built up the town over the course of the book. The chapters about "The Lot," in which he gives the reader a tour of the town and its people were extremely informative and shaped how I approached Stauford.
James Newman's The Wicked and also King's It were equal influences to the story. The work of Lovecraft and Laird Barron and John Langan heavily influenced the cosmic horror aspect. Overall, Clive Barker's writing was a big influence, especially when it came to writing the more gruesome scenes.
Michael wrote: "I'm in. Just received my copy in the mail today. I'll start reading soon."Happy reading!
I have already ordered my copy. Will dig into it as soon as I receive it. Thanks
Started yesterday, now about 5 chapters into the book.I hesitated because religious/cult horror ist not my favorite subgenre, but the description and several reviews implied a much wider range offered in this book, so I'll give it a try. What I've read so far is very promising!
@Todd: How did you choose the title for the book? While it definitely catches the eye, there already exist a couple books and movies with that title. That's not meant as criticism, I just wonder if some or other triggered the decision...
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LOVED the book and had a great time reading it.
It made me wonder if you had any personal experience with cults or even semi-legitimate religions or preachers? You..."
yes! i'm enjoying this TODD Talk!
Todd wrote: "Stauford, KY is pretty much a fictional version of Corbin, KY. I grew up there, and lived there until I graduated college in '05...."Oh yes, I am very familiar with London, KY... a little too familiar.... I have quite a bit of family there. Thanks for the insight, I'm about 20% in and I'm loving it.
Elke wrote: "Started yesterday, now about 5 chapters into the book.I hesitated because religious/cult horror ist not my favorite subgenre, but the description and several reviews implied a much wider range of..."
I understand religious and cult horror isn't for everyone, so I really appreciate you giving my book a shot. I hope you enjoy it!
Re: the title - I chose the name Devil's Creek because it's based on a real place. The road sign we used in the book's marketing is the actual sign, and the urban legend of a desecrated church is something I grew up hearing about in my hometown--which is also the basis for Stauford.
Nickronomicon wrote: "Todd wrote: "Stauford, KY is pretty much a fictional version of Corbin, KY. I grew up there, and lived there until I graduated college in '05...."Oh yes, I am very familiar with London, KY... a l..."
Hah, small world! My mom is from London.
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Chapter 2, about to meet Mr. Jacob Masters.
Somewhere around 60%...I loved how easily I became a guest resident of Stauford - becoming familiar both with the place and the characters. And despite the number of characters involved, I never felt confused about who is who again, because the characters are fleshed out so distinctly and precise.I also appreciate the concrete quality of the religious horror and the lack of endless preaching sermons, which is much more tangible than I expected.
I definitely recognize strucural similarities to 'Salem's Lot' you mentioned above. However, I'm glad this book was not advertised in comparison to that specific title, which is a marketing strategy I don't like much (mentioning some authors is different, as it just points in a general direction I think), as each book should stand for its own. Which 'Devil's Creek' definitely manages to do, and easily.
(view spoiler)
Elke wrote: "Somewhere around 60%...I loved how easily I became a guest resident of Stauford - becoming familiar both with the place and the characters. And despite the number of characters involved, I never fe..."(view spoiler)
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That is amazing!!!!
Todd wrote: "Elke wrote: "Somewhere around 60%...I loved how easily I became a guest resident of Stauford - becoming familiar both with the place and the characters. And despite the number of characters involve..."Wow they really look awesome, I love the blue glow! Great idea!
As a matter of practice and preparation for my own writing, I always study opening lines of stories. This one has a real hook: The sun hung low along the western horizon, painting the forest with fractured orange flames, and Imogene Tremly knew in her heart the minister would be dead before it rose again.The short Part One: That Old-Time Religion was so powerful in its telling of the apparent end days of the sordid Lord's Church Of Holy Voices that I had to read it twice. This lays out the background perfectly in concise but cringe-inducing prose. I learned just enough about pastor Jacob Masters to despise his character. I'm ready for Part Two to learn what happened to the Stauford Six.
Michael wrote: "As a matter of practice and preparation for my own writing, I always study opening lines of stories. This one has a real hook: The sun hung low along the western horizon, painting the forest with f..."Thanks, man. I'm really proud of that opener. It's one of the very few lines that did not change across all the different drafts. I rarely get it right the first time.
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This was one of the few times where I read the opening three times and re-read the 1st page again before continuing, it painted a real picture in my head.
Im 30%+ in and the pacing is incredible, the characters and the dread build up is simply superb. I've kinda had a crappy week but today my brain is ready to read unclouded :)
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Kasia wrote: "Finally got to read a nice big chunk today, I was actually just reading pages 290-300 while listening to Abel Korzeniowski's soundtrack to W.E and had tears in my eyes while reading. Hit me hard.. ..."I had to check the book to recall which part occurs during those pages. The flashback sequences with Imogene and Tyler were really heavy for me to write. As I've mentioned before, Imogene is based on my granny who raised me for part of my life.
Tyler's based on a longtime acquaintance of hers whom she befriended after her second husband passed away. They weren't exactly a couple, more like really close friends, but I always wished they would've ended up together in the end. He was a good man.
Anyway, I'm sorry/not sorry it hit you in all the feels!
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^ reading your words while reading this book is beyond a treat, actually feels like my heart on the plate seasoned up by your story and fed to me again. This is what I love about books that get you, thank you for sharing your granny's story with us. I actually have to take little breaks so I'm here as I'm going to finish tonight and need to catch a breath haha. Intense.
Been really busy lately not much time to read, but just got past part 1, must say a really good start.
I just finished reading Part Two: Rites of Passage. Wow. There's so much background, general info, and introductions to the other members of the Six that I'm probably going to have to return to this section to remember all the players. Hats off to you, Todd for putting the puzzle together. Things spin back and forth between various characters, but that does not interrupt the flow or bog down like an info dump. That's not easy to do. Without dropping an unintentional spoiler, I suspect two members of the Six are going to be part of the problem, one being female and the other male. I have the impression that Imogene was a sentinel of sorts, keeping the dark forces at bay. And now that she's gone - watch out!
The individual weird and alarming scenes add up to create a real sense of dread. On to Part Three.
Todd;I've had this burning question in the back of my mind since reading the early pages where Jack Tremly is introduced. Is his name a tribute of sorts to writer Paul Tremblay?
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Michael wrote: "Todd;I've had this burning question in the back of my mind since reading the early pages where Jack Tremly is introduced. Is his name a tribute of sorts to writer Paul Tremblay?"
Paul's a great guy and worthy of being a character's namesake, but that isn't the case here. Like a lot of folks, I first heard Paul's name in 2015 when A Head Full of Ghosts made waves. However, I came up with the Tremly name about a year before that during a failed attempt at starting the book. If I recall correctly, it was a play on "trembling."
I just finished over the weekend, loved the book!I enjoyed the references to the Yellow Kings. Could you comment on that connection? Maybe a shared universe or more books/connections to come?
I'd also like to know more about the cult and what all went on during that time. Any plans for a future book or stories exploring that back story more or perhaps from the Master's family view?
Found a memorable sentence at the beginning of Part 3/Chapter 10 after Jack falls asleep after reading his grandmother's notebook - and just before the reoccurring nightmare begins:Sleep always found him, and so did the things waiting in the dark.
Nickronomicon wrote: "I just finished over the weekend, loved the book!I enjoyed the references to the Yellow Kings. Could you comment on that connection? Maybe a shared universe or more books/connections to come?
I'..."
Absolutely! I referenced the Yellow Kings being from the south in The Final Reconciliation, so when I began writing Devil's Creek, it seemed fitting that they originated in Stauford.
There's already a shared universe of sorts, spread across a few separate stories. My story "Holes in the Fabric," which was published in Midnight in the Graveyard, bridges Final Rec with Devil's Creek. It tells the story of Johnny's mom, Norma, and how she lost her mind while helping to clean up the bodies at the cult's church. My novella, Scanlines, also takes place in Stauford and the surrounding area, but is set in the late 1990s. And my story "The Gods of Our Fathers," forthcoming in Midnight in the Pentagram, also takes place in the same universe.
No plans for a direct backstory, although references to the cult and its actions may pop up in other stories here and there. Once I finish the last book of the Monochrome Trilogy, I'll be done writing direct sequels for a long while.
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https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Creek-T...