And, my, who is that incredibly handsome monster hunter in the third panel?
Bob's already posted the first chapter on his blog. Check it out! I'm looking forward to this comic!
Pages 1-3
Pages 4-6
Pages 7-8
Pages 9-11
Pages 12-13
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Here's a little teaser art for Bob Freeman and Chris Wilson's upcoming occult detective graphic novel: Oddfellows Serenade.
And, my, who is that incredibly handsome monster hunter in the third panel?
Bob's already posted the first chapter on his blog. Check it out! I'm looking forward to this comic!
Pages 1-3
Pages 4-6
Pages 7-8
Pages 9-11
Pages 12-13
And, my, who is that incredibly handsome monster hunter in the third panel?
Bob's already posted the first chapter on his blog. Check it out! I'm looking forward to this comic!
Pages 1-3
Pages 4-6
Pages 7-8
Pages 9-11
Pages 12-13
Monday, July 4, 2011
Mega-Monster Interview with D.M. Cornish!!
You are in for a treat today, readers:
D.M. Cornish is here!
First--a little background. I came in late to the Harry Potter craze. By time I had any desire to read the books, the third movie was already out. When I finally did read them, I realized that "intermediate readers" books had really really advanced since I was the intended age group. After Harry Potter, I decided to peruse Books-A-Million to find similarly crafted awesomeness, when one book caught my eye.
Monster-Blood Tattoo.
I glimpsed the cover. Saw "Monster" in the title, and just froze. Had I found my next great YA adventure? I read the inside cover, learning that I was in for a dark and mysterious journey through monster-infested--"threwdish" (as in "haunted") woods--and my inner twelve year old was dancing for joy. Then...oh, dear friends...then I flipped to the back of the book. The famed Explicarium. 121 pages of definitions, calendars, legends and lore, and schematics of the ships used in this sailing-inspired story. I was near tears, marveling at the amount of detail that the author--D.M. Cornish--put into this book. It was then that I realized this wasn't just a story, Mr. Cornish had crafted an entire world.
I bought the book and was instantly transported to the Half-Continent, a fantasy land that borrows absolutely nothing from Tolkien. You won't find any elves, dwarves, or dragons here. No swords or magic or corrupt kingdoms. You'll just find sailors, tri-corner hats, and flintlocks...and lots and lots of monsters, bogles, and nicks of every shape, size, and philosophy. But, most of all, you meet Rossamünd--the antithesis of nearly every hero in the YA fiction category. Rossamünd is kind, patient, friendly, longsuffering, and hasn't an ounce of ego. He is well-mannered, hard-working, and is so darn likable and unassuming that even those who might be his enemies are won over by his goodnaturedness.
Mr. Cornish has finally finished his epic trilogy, chronicling Rossamünd's journey (so far?) and the books--and Explicarium--have only grown. After being a fan for so long, I'm very excited to have the author stop by today to discuss the origins of his most unique creation and talk all kinds of deep, writery things. Enjoy!
Greg Mitchell: Okay, we’ll start small: Give the new folks a rundown—what’s The Foundling’s Tale about?
D.M. Cornish: Too hard to answer in a nutshell really – usually to sum up any story rarely does it justice and, moreover, I have no notion of how to do this with The Foundling’s Tale (aka Monster-Blood Tattoo). To say it is about Rossamünd, a boy with a girl’s name, who leaves his orphanage to enter his trade as a lamplighter and what happens to him on the way, during and after does little to expound the whole vibe of the story, the setting etc. However, I suppose it will have to do. I have answered elsewhere on the web, equally evasively...
GM: It is a hard question, I agree. Now, take me back a bit to the beginning. You were, first and foremost, an illustrator, correct? I’ve heard you tell your story and it sounds like you almost “stumbled into” writing your Half-continent creation as a novel. How did this all come about?
DMC: That it was really. I had been inventing the Half-Continent for years (since 1992 or so, though there was a lot of preliminary playing around and reading that lead even to beginning to make the H-c). All the time I was refining ideas, building them, expanding them with a thought that they would need to pass public scrutiny (i.e., that the ideas had to be as solid as I could make, not entirely self-indulgent but comprehensible too) thinking maybe one day someone somewhere might see what I was doing and say “Hey, that looks workable; do us something from that pretend world you’ve got there.”
2003 rolls on in and I find myself back in my home town of Adelaide after nigh on a decade absence, without work and naught but an illustration folio under my arm (I was at the time a freelance illustrator – making the Half-Continent was a hobby). Off I pop to my local children’s book publisher, Omnibus Books, to find some covers to illustrate and/or picture books to picture and hallelujah, the publisher there gives me first a cover, then one picture book then another – I had work, food on the table and a roof. Phew!
At the time I would often sit in my publisher’s office and talk with her about life-the-universe-and-everything (goodness knows what work she was not getting done!) One day near the very end of 2003, she found one of my notebooks full of all manner of H-c ideas and asked what it was. I told her. She right then and there asked me to write a story set in this notebooked world, which I did, a chapter at a time until she felt I had something to offer (and could actually write …), contracts were offered, contracts were signed, publishers in other lands were shown, they signed up and here we are.
GM: I’ve told you this before, but I am so impressed with your notebook collection! It’s actually inspired me to keep my own notebooks regarding The Coming Evil series. How many notebooks do you have, now, that chronicle your thoughts on the Half-continent? Similarly, how many notebooks had you completed before you started “officially” writing Foundling?
DMC: Well, cheers. I am currently in the midst of notebook 36; I began writing Foundling (officially and unofficially – no form of it existed until my publisher asked me to write a story for her) at notebook 23.
GM: That is insane! I am actually only to notebook 2 on my TCE notes :p Okay, let’s go all the way back now--tell me about the beginning of the H-c. It’s a fantasy world, sure, but it’s so far removed from what people might call “traditional fantasy”. No elves, no dwarves. Instead of a medieval Europe setting, you’ve got tri-corner hats and flintlocks. But this isn’t in our past, correct? This is a totally separate world with its own fully realized locations and languages and culture. How did you arrive to this? What was that initial spark? I mean, why boats and tri-corner hats?
DMC: "Why not?" is the best answer I can give.
GM: Fair enough!
DMC: In more recent times it has occurred to me that in a very real sense the Half-Continent and beyond is my way of addressing real history, that it is a pseudo-history rather than a fantasy, that in many ways it is just European history of the 17th & 18th centuries but with monsters added.
I can certainly say that the H-c is a way for me to take all sorts of real historical things I think are “cool” but that would not otherwise fit together, bring them together and make them seem as if they actually fit as a whole and have always done so.
It is the aesthetics of an item, a word, a custom, even an event that usually appeal to me first.
GM: Something I’ve written to you about before is that you write some dynamic action scenes. When the monsters start storming the gates and people are dying to fend them off—it’s explosive. But, what I find interesting (and sometimes frustrating :p) is that these are not “action” books. They’re almost designed as guided tours throughout the world, with your characters as our host. It’s very slice-of-life and so, so detailed—I don’t think I can stress that enough for people who haven’t read it. The books are, I’d say, written from an in-universe perspective, meaning I could imagine this very book being found within the world it describes, as even the “narrator” is from the H-c. I want to say the books are “mundane”, but I’ve got to stress that the writing is far from average. The prose is silk, here. But, the story is very much about an ordinary-ish boy sort of stumbling into experiences he’s perhaps ill-equipped to face. But he leads a somewhat simple life and we follow him through his walk as he matures and discovers the world—both in a literal sense, and metaphorically. Was this a result of wanting to explore your own creation or did you set out to write something that felt more “day-to-day living” from the start?
DMC: Both at once.
I am still not sure if it is the right thing to do or a good origin for any story, but a major motivation for writing is to take people through the Half-Continent and show them what it is like. The H-c is actually the main character of the story, which the human characters, the events, the “technologies”, monsters, geography and all the rest all work together to show as best as I can possibly make it, whilst still actually writing a properly engaging tale. This is the goal at least – still learning how it is done, and if it can be done.
As perhaps a lead up to the next question, the day-to-day element is very much about me being conscious of not needing to tread the already well and/or thoroughly told line of the Great Quest to thwart the Ultimate Threat.
My hope is that the pretend world will be interesting enough in its fundamentals that the life of some average soul from that world ought to be a tale in itself - at least to make a good short story.
Sometimes I think with TFT/MBT that I have not gone day-to-day enough…
[SIDE NOTE] Just to address the idea of the “narrator” in TFT/MBT: I wrote very conscious of the words I was using. All too often when reading other otherwise excellent tales I find myself frustrated to find their language and idioms are modern and from our world, thus constantly drawing me out of my suspension of disbelief. It seems imperative to me that the language used to tell a tale supports the mood as much as any other element, especially if you want to sell that it is otherworldly.
GM: In keeping with that thought, you recently posted on your blog how you previously shied away from the “global threat” that most fantasy books cover. That sort of Ultimate Evil that is jeopardizing the entire land--a Voldemort figure. I subconsciously picked up on that, but it wasn’t until I read your thoughts on it that I realized “Oh, yeah.” Why have you avoided the Ultimate Evil and do you think you will eventually bring the H-c to that sort of threat level? If you think you will, why the change? What are the pros and cons of having an Ultimate Evil?
DMC: There are two cons that animate me about Ultimate Evils:
1/ it’s done to death already, so easy to avoid – others have told this story to varying degrees of excellence, so why not try other avenues to create tension and threat in my pretend world.
2/ I wanted the Half-Continent to carry on in its emerging form rather than be altered forever by some cataclysm (ahh, the sadness as the elves leave Middle-earth for good...!). Perhaps this is some expression of my dismay at death and decay, at the constant passing of beauty.
This said, there have certainly been all-changing cataclysms in the “history” of the Half-Continent and beyond, so I see them as necessary, obviously, and suspect I have not been sooooo original with some of my ideas for these – there is much of the history that has yet to be truly fixed down, but certain cataclysms.
(Most importantly the destruction of the Phlegms who called up false-gods in lust to further their already vast knowledge, necessitating the intervention of the many urchin lords including the Dukes of Sparrows and the Duke of Crows to send the falsegods back to the crushing deeps, bringing destruction to Phlegm in the progress of so mighty a conflict.)
GM: I. Want. That. Story. NOW.
I came to this story when it was called Monster-Blood Tattoo. What a great name! Sadly, I’ve discovered that the publishers have re-branded the series to The Foundling’s Tale. Can you talk about the switch? The reasoning behind it? Your feelings?
DMC: This change was made only by the US publishers, in the great big world beyond North America’s shores it is still called Monster-Blood Tattoo – or whatever variations of language bring to this original title.
It was thought that the old title (Monster-Blood Tattoo) was putting off more readers than it was attracting, so something more benign was sought
GM: Confession time--I’m still reading Factotum, the third and final book in the Foundling’s Tale—so I don’t want to get too much into spoilers for my own sake :p But what’s next for the H-c? And beyond the H-c? Do you foresee yourself creating any more fantasy worlds? Can your house fit that many notebooks?
DMC: I reckon ONE magnum opus world is enough for any soul. I do not make worlds up for the sake of a story, I really prefer to write about a pretend place that to a necessary measure of invention already exists.
GM: Indeed!
DMC: However, I do have a couple half-baked other other worlds floating about my mind, but none anywhere near as realised as the Half-Continent. Some odd “super-hero” notion set in our world that morphed into a grimmer setting of secret societies and odd biological powers etc etc etc.
Right now I am working on what I hope will be the next book, set in the Half-Continent of course, but we will drop Rossamünd’s story for now and seek to see the lives and adventures of a whole new cast of characters (and no, Europe will NOT be in this new tale...)
GM: No Europe! Many fans will be disappointed! I’d like to talk a little about your faith, if that’s alright. It’s funny, your books make no mention of religion--in either a positive or negative slant. It’s just not there. I don’t think I’ve even read of any of your characters praying or any churches in the area or anything. There’s no Christian allegory that I can find, no “deeper spiritual themes” necessarily (though, of course, there are great morals about kindness, hard work, humility, and friendship), yet, when I found out that you were a Christian, I wasn’t at all surprised. In fact, I felt like I already “knew” somehow. How has your faith influenced your writing? Or, has it? Does God exist in the H-c?
DMC: Well, if we take faith to mean as most think it does, to be a set of ideas I hold in my head and chose to believe as being so, consequently couching them in stories so as to make people think the same thoughts as me, then no, not at all.
If by faith it is meant, instead, that I operate in the genuine hope that Jesus is who he said he is, that he was/is God as a man, that he did die and did rise again to life, that he does by his Spirit dwell within me (and others, of course) and is changing me by degrees (slow and clumsy as I am to learn) working in me to do better things, and that if this be so that he might naturally come out of the things that I do without me needing to be falsely pious or self-consciously forced, then yes, absolutely!
GM: A fine answer. Well put.
DMC: I am a hearty adherent to Tolkien’s notion of applicability. Allegory is perfectly worthy of course, but I find trying to find one-for-one substitutions for so big an idea as the Half-Continent not only impossible but also terribly limiting to my honest and truthful expression of what is actually bubbling away inside me. Beyond either of these, determined purposes to indoctrinate through story appear to me a misuse of the fiction form – surely it is through characters being genuinely human that it might be hoped to impart some encouragement or revelation.
GM: I agree about allegory. I think it can become a slippery slope as any story that is "one-by-one" in its imagery/meaning probably makes for a rather limited reading experience.
Moving from faith to monsters: Monsters are, obviously, a big component of the series. What were some of your favorite monster stories growing up? What about monster movies? What inspired you and what keeps you inspired today?
DMC: Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak always always springs to mind first. That and the many dinosaur text books my primary school library stocked; love those murky old school illustrations of weird, half-mythic beasts that actually once roamed this world!
I think the biggest continuing source and influence for monsters are H.P.Lovecraft and manga and all of God’s creatures that walk and crawl, swim and fly on this home of ours. Real things are (obviously, I suppose) the best wellspring to draw from for wacky beasts.
GM: I love that you just name-dropped, Lovecraft, manga, and God all in the same answer. That really makes me smile :) I’m very thankful to you for taking the time to hang out and talk books. I wish you the best with the trilogy and everything else you’ve got planned for the H-c. But . . . one last question:
Do you have a monster-blood tattoo? Come on. You got inked, right? You can’t write three books about it and not have one, right? Right?
DMC: Well actually no, I do not have a tattoo.
The spoors and cruorpunxis of those in the Half-Continent are in truth me harking to body marks being done for proper and meaningful purpose, to display something ‘real’ about their wearers – i.e. “I AM a monster-hunter of this kind and THESE are how many monsters I have killed”. By real I do not mean some affected pose of “I am cool” or “I am hard”, but that the mark represents more than just the whim of its wearer.
I bet you weren’t expecting such an intense response to this bit of playful banter... Sorry about that.
GM: :p
Thanks to everyone for reading. Head over to Mr. Cornish's site to keep updated on his writing and here's a helpful link to order your own copy of Foundling, Book One of Monster-Blood Tattoo!
D.M. Cornish is here!
First--a little background. I came in late to the Harry Potter craze. By time I had any desire to read the books, the third movie was already out. When I finally did read them, I realized that "intermediate readers" books had really really advanced since I was the intended age group. After Harry Potter, I decided to peruse Books-A-Million to find similarly crafted awesomeness, when one book caught my eye.
Monster-Blood Tattoo.
I glimpsed the cover. Saw "Monster" in the title, and just froze. Had I found my next great YA adventure? I read the inside cover, learning that I was in for a dark and mysterious journey through monster-infested--"threwdish" (as in "haunted") woods--and my inner twelve year old was dancing for joy. Then...oh, dear friends...then I flipped to the back of the book. The famed Explicarium. 121 pages of definitions, calendars, legends and lore, and schematics of the ships used in this sailing-inspired story. I was near tears, marveling at the amount of detail that the author--D.M. Cornish--put into this book. It was then that I realized this wasn't just a story, Mr. Cornish had crafted an entire world.
I bought the book and was instantly transported to the Half-Continent, a fantasy land that borrows absolutely nothing from Tolkien. You won't find any elves, dwarves, or dragons here. No swords or magic or corrupt kingdoms. You'll just find sailors, tri-corner hats, and flintlocks...and lots and lots of monsters, bogles, and nicks of every shape, size, and philosophy. But, most of all, you meet Rossamünd--the antithesis of nearly every hero in the YA fiction category. Rossamünd is kind, patient, friendly, longsuffering, and hasn't an ounce of ego. He is well-mannered, hard-working, and is so darn likable and unassuming that even those who might be his enemies are won over by his goodnaturedness.
Mr. Cornish has finally finished his epic trilogy, chronicling Rossamünd's journey (so far?) and the books--and Explicarium--have only grown. After being a fan for so long, I'm very excited to have the author stop by today to discuss the origins of his most unique creation and talk all kinds of deep, writery things. Enjoy!
Greg Mitchell: Okay, we’ll start small: Give the new folks a rundown—what’s The Foundling’s Tale about?
D.M. Cornish: Too hard to answer in a nutshell really – usually to sum up any story rarely does it justice and, moreover, I have no notion of how to do this with The Foundling’s Tale (aka Monster-Blood Tattoo). To say it is about Rossamünd, a boy with a girl’s name, who leaves his orphanage to enter his trade as a lamplighter and what happens to him on the way, during and after does little to expound the whole vibe of the story, the setting etc. However, I suppose it will have to do. I have answered elsewhere on the web, equally evasively...
GM: It is a hard question, I agree. Now, take me back a bit to the beginning. You were, first and foremost, an illustrator, correct? I’ve heard you tell your story and it sounds like you almost “stumbled into” writing your Half-continent creation as a novel. How did this all come about?
DMC: That it was really. I had been inventing the Half-Continent for years (since 1992 or so, though there was a lot of preliminary playing around and reading that lead even to beginning to make the H-c). All the time I was refining ideas, building them, expanding them with a thought that they would need to pass public scrutiny (i.e., that the ideas had to be as solid as I could make, not entirely self-indulgent but comprehensible too) thinking maybe one day someone somewhere might see what I was doing and say “Hey, that looks workable; do us something from that pretend world you’ve got there.”
2003 rolls on in and I find myself back in my home town of Adelaide after nigh on a decade absence, without work and naught but an illustration folio under my arm (I was at the time a freelance illustrator – making the Half-Continent was a hobby). Off I pop to my local children’s book publisher, Omnibus Books, to find some covers to illustrate and/or picture books to picture and hallelujah, the publisher there gives me first a cover, then one picture book then another – I had work, food on the table and a roof. Phew!
At the time I would often sit in my publisher’s office and talk with her about life-the-universe-and-everything (goodness knows what work she was not getting done!) One day near the very end of 2003, she found one of my notebooks full of all manner of H-c ideas and asked what it was. I told her. She right then and there asked me to write a story set in this notebooked world, which I did, a chapter at a time until she felt I had something to offer (and could actually write …), contracts were offered, contracts were signed, publishers in other lands were shown, they signed up and here we are.
GM: I’ve told you this before, but I am so impressed with your notebook collection! It’s actually inspired me to keep my own notebooks regarding The Coming Evil series. How many notebooks do you have, now, that chronicle your thoughts on the Half-continent? Similarly, how many notebooks had you completed before you started “officially” writing Foundling?
DMC: Well, cheers. I am currently in the midst of notebook 36; I began writing Foundling (officially and unofficially – no form of it existed until my publisher asked me to write a story for her) at notebook 23.
GM: That is insane! I am actually only to notebook 2 on my TCE notes :p Okay, let’s go all the way back now--tell me about the beginning of the H-c. It’s a fantasy world, sure, but it’s so far removed from what people might call “traditional fantasy”. No elves, no dwarves. Instead of a medieval Europe setting, you’ve got tri-corner hats and flintlocks. But this isn’t in our past, correct? This is a totally separate world with its own fully realized locations and languages and culture. How did you arrive to this? What was that initial spark? I mean, why boats and tri-corner hats?
DMC: "Why not?" is the best answer I can give.
GM: Fair enough!
DMC: In more recent times it has occurred to me that in a very real sense the Half-Continent and beyond is my way of addressing real history, that it is a pseudo-history rather than a fantasy, that in many ways it is just European history of the 17th & 18th centuries but with monsters added.
I can certainly say that the H-c is a way for me to take all sorts of real historical things I think are “cool” but that would not otherwise fit together, bring them together and make them seem as if they actually fit as a whole and have always done so.
It is the aesthetics of an item, a word, a custom, even an event that usually appeal to me first.
GM: Something I’ve written to you about before is that you write some dynamic action scenes. When the monsters start storming the gates and people are dying to fend them off—it’s explosive. But, what I find interesting (and sometimes frustrating :p) is that these are not “action” books. They’re almost designed as guided tours throughout the world, with your characters as our host. It’s very slice-of-life and so, so detailed—I don’t think I can stress that enough for people who haven’t read it. The books are, I’d say, written from an in-universe perspective, meaning I could imagine this very book being found within the world it describes, as even the “narrator” is from the H-c. I want to say the books are “mundane”, but I’ve got to stress that the writing is far from average. The prose is silk, here. But, the story is very much about an ordinary-ish boy sort of stumbling into experiences he’s perhaps ill-equipped to face. But he leads a somewhat simple life and we follow him through his walk as he matures and discovers the world—both in a literal sense, and metaphorically. Was this a result of wanting to explore your own creation or did you set out to write something that felt more “day-to-day living” from the start?
DMC: Both at once.
I am still not sure if it is the right thing to do or a good origin for any story, but a major motivation for writing is to take people through the Half-Continent and show them what it is like. The H-c is actually the main character of the story, which the human characters, the events, the “technologies”, monsters, geography and all the rest all work together to show as best as I can possibly make it, whilst still actually writing a properly engaging tale. This is the goal at least – still learning how it is done, and if it can be done.
As perhaps a lead up to the next question, the day-to-day element is very much about me being conscious of not needing to tread the already well and/or thoroughly told line of the Great Quest to thwart the Ultimate Threat.
My hope is that the pretend world will be interesting enough in its fundamentals that the life of some average soul from that world ought to be a tale in itself - at least to make a good short story.
Sometimes I think with TFT/MBT that I have not gone day-to-day enough…
[SIDE NOTE] Just to address the idea of the “narrator” in TFT/MBT: I wrote very conscious of the words I was using. All too often when reading other otherwise excellent tales I find myself frustrated to find their language and idioms are modern and from our world, thus constantly drawing me out of my suspension of disbelief. It seems imperative to me that the language used to tell a tale supports the mood as much as any other element, especially if you want to sell that it is otherworldly.
GM: In keeping with that thought, you recently posted on your blog how you previously shied away from the “global threat” that most fantasy books cover. That sort of Ultimate Evil that is jeopardizing the entire land--a Voldemort figure. I subconsciously picked up on that, but it wasn’t until I read your thoughts on it that I realized “Oh, yeah.” Why have you avoided the Ultimate Evil and do you think you will eventually bring the H-c to that sort of threat level? If you think you will, why the change? What are the pros and cons of having an Ultimate Evil?
DMC: There are two cons that animate me about Ultimate Evils:
1/ it’s done to death already, so easy to avoid – others have told this story to varying degrees of excellence, so why not try other avenues to create tension and threat in my pretend world.
2/ I wanted the Half-Continent to carry on in its emerging form rather than be altered forever by some cataclysm (ahh, the sadness as the elves leave Middle-earth for good...!). Perhaps this is some expression of my dismay at death and decay, at the constant passing of beauty.
This said, there have certainly been all-changing cataclysms in the “history” of the Half-Continent and beyond, so I see them as necessary, obviously, and suspect I have not been sooooo original with some of my ideas for these – there is much of the history that has yet to be truly fixed down, but certain cataclysms.
(Most importantly the destruction of the Phlegms who called up false-gods in lust to further their already vast knowledge, necessitating the intervention of the many urchin lords including the Dukes of Sparrows and the Duke of Crows to send the falsegods back to the crushing deeps, bringing destruction to Phlegm in the progress of so mighty a conflict.)
GM: I. Want. That. Story. NOW.
I came to this story when it was called Monster-Blood Tattoo. What a great name! Sadly, I’ve discovered that the publishers have re-branded the series to The Foundling’s Tale. Can you talk about the switch? The reasoning behind it? Your feelings?
DMC: This change was made only by the US publishers, in the great big world beyond North America’s shores it is still called Monster-Blood Tattoo – or whatever variations of language bring to this original title.
It was thought that the old title (Monster-Blood Tattoo) was putting off more readers than it was attracting, so something more benign was sought
GM: Confession time--I’m still reading Factotum, the third and final book in the Foundling’s Tale—so I don’t want to get too much into spoilers for my own sake :p But what’s next for the H-c? And beyond the H-c? Do you foresee yourself creating any more fantasy worlds? Can your house fit that many notebooks?
DMC: I reckon ONE magnum opus world is enough for any soul. I do not make worlds up for the sake of a story, I really prefer to write about a pretend place that to a necessary measure of invention already exists.
GM: Indeed!
DMC: However, I do have a couple half-baked other other worlds floating about my mind, but none anywhere near as realised as the Half-Continent. Some odd “super-hero” notion set in our world that morphed into a grimmer setting of secret societies and odd biological powers etc etc etc.
Right now I am working on what I hope will be the next book, set in the Half-Continent of course, but we will drop Rossamünd’s story for now and seek to see the lives and adventures of a whole new cast of characters (and no, Europe will NOT be in this new tale...)
GM: No Europe! Many fans will be disappointed! I’d like to talk a little about your faith, if that’s alright. It’s funny, your books make no mention of religion--in either a positive or negative slant. It’s just not there. I don’t think I’ve even read of any of your characters praying or any churches in the area or anything. There’s no Christian allegory that I can find, no “deeper spiritual themes” necessarily (though, of course, there are great morals about kindness, hard work, humility, and friendship), yet, when I found out that you were a Christian, I wasn’t at all surprised. In fact, I felt like I already “knew” somehow. How has your faith influenced your writing? Or, has it? Does God exist in the H-c?
DMC: Well, if we take faith to mean as most think it does, to be a set of ideas I hold in my head and chose to believe as being so, consequently couching them in stories so as to make people think the same thoughts as me, then no, not at all.
If by faith it is meant, instead, that I operate in the genuine hope that Jesus is who he said he is, that he was/is God as a man, that he did die and did rise again to life, that he does by his Spirit dwell within me (and others, of course) and is changing me by degrees (slow and clumsy as I am to learn) working in me to do better things, and that if this be so that he might naturally come out of the things that I do without me needing to be falsely pious or self-consciously forced, then yes, absolutely!
GM: A fine answer. Well put.
DMC: I am a hearty adherent to Tolkien’s notion of applicability. Allegory is perfectly worthy of course, but I find trying to find one-for-one substitutions for so big an idea as the Half-Continent not only impossible but also terribly limiting to my honest and truthful expression of what is actually bubbling away inside me. Beyond either of these, determined purposes to indoctrinate through story appear to me a misuse of the fiction form – surely it is through characters being genuinely human that it might be hoped to impart some encouragement or revelation.
GM: I agree about allegory. I think it can become a slippery slope as any story that is "one-by-one" in its imagery/meaning probably makes for a rather limited reading experience.
Moving from faith to monsters: Monsters are, obviously, a big component of the series. What were some of your favorite monster stories growing up? What about monster movies? What inspired you and what keeps you inspired today?
DMC: Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak always always springs to mind first. That and the many dinosaur text books my primary school library stocked; love those murky old school illustrations of weird, half-mythic beasts that actually once roamed this world!
I think the biggest continuing source and influence for monsters are H.P.Lovecraft and manga and all of God’s creatures that walk and crawl, swim and fly on this home of ours. Real things are (obviously, I suppose) the best wellspring to draw from for wacky beasts.
GM: I love that you just name-dropped, Lovecraft, manga, and God all in the same answer. That really makes me smile :) I’m very thankful to you for taking the time to hang out and talk books. I wish you the best with the trilogy and everything else you’ve got planned for the H-c. But . . . one last question:
Do you have a monster-blood tattoo? Come on. You got inked, right? You can’t write three books about it and not have one, right? Right?
DMC: Well actually no, I do not have a tattoo.
The spoors and cruorpunxis of those in the Half-Continent are in truth me harking to body marks being done for proper and meaningful purpose, to display something ‘real’ about their wearers – i.e. “I AM a monster-hunter of this kind and THESE are how many monsters I have killed”. By real I do not mean some affected pose of “I am cool” or “I am hard”, but that the mark represents more than just the whim of its wearer.
I bet you weren’t expecting such an intense response to this bit of playful banter... Sorry about that.
GM: :p
Thanks to everyone for reading. Head over to Mr. Cornish's site to keep updated on his writing and here's a helpful link to order your own copy of Foundling, Book One of Monster-Blood Tattoo!
Friday, May 27, 2011
New Podcast Interview---With Me!
Hey, everybody, my buddy Paeter Frandsen over at Spirit Blade has just posted his podcast interview he did with me a few months back. Come hear my melodious voice (with way more Southern drawl than I had realized) as we talk The Strange Man, Christian Horror, and monster stuff! Go now! Go listen!!
http://paeter.libsyn.com/horror-writer-greg-mitchell-interview
http://paeter.libsyn.com/horror-writer-greg-mitchell-interview
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Book Two Update!
Things are moving full-steam ahead on Book Two!
My editor and I have been hard at work the last couple weeks, hammering out the kinks, tightening the screws, and I'm confident this book is going to be bigger and better than Book One. I've learned a lot from those who have reviewed the book and found some room for improvement, and have incorporated their sound advice into this book.
Yesterday, we worked on the back copy (what it says on the back of the book). Recently, I took a new author photo for the back, and I hear the team is hard at work on the cover. As soon as I receive it and get word that it's okay to show, I'll debut it here on this site. I'm also planning on posting an excerpt from Book Two as a special Halloween treat, and I'm in the early stages of crafting a brand-new original tie-in short story that will plant some seeds for Book Two. Look for that around Christmas time, if all goes well.
It's been confirmed that Book Two will be entitled "Enemies of the Cross" and will be released February 2012. What can you expect to find in this next installment? Secrets will be revealed--changing everything you know--and everyone will be forced to choose a side in the upcoming war between the last remaining "saints" of Greensboro and the forces of hell. There will be new characters, returning favorites, and even more gruesome monsters. The stakes are raised as the mystery of the Strange Man's master plan unfolds.
If you haven't read Book One, The Strange Man, now is the perfect time to get caught up and prepare yourself for Book Two. The Strange Man is available wherever fine books are sold, and you can order it on Amazon in paperback, or on Kindle.
I'm very excited to finally see Enemies of the Cross come to life. And, again, I'll remind you that, even if you've only read the original self-published Xulon edition of The Strange Man (without the plethora of extra scenes as found in the current and "canon" Realms Edition), you can still pick up Enemies of the Cross and know what's going on.
Stay tuned as we head towards the finish line and prepare yourself for Enemies of the Cross!
My editor and I have been hard at work the last couple weeks, hammering out the kinks, tightening the screws, and I'm confident this book is going to be bigger and better than Book One. I've learned a lot from those who have reviewed the book and found some room for improvement, and have incorporated their sound advice into this book.
Yesterday, we worked on the back copy (what it says on the back of the book). Recently, I took a new author photo for the back, and I hear the team is hard at work on the cover. As soon as I receive it and get word that it's okay to show, I'll debut it here on this site. I'm also planning on posting an excerpt from Book Two as a special Halloween treat, and I'm in the early stages of crafting a brand-new original tie-in short story that will plant some seeds for Book Two. Look for that around Christmas time, if all goes well.
It's been confirmed that Book Two will be entitled "Enemies of the Cross" and will be released February 2012. What can you expect to find in this next installment? Secrets will be revealed--changing everything you know--and everyone will be forced to choose a side in the upcoming war between the last remaining "saints" of Greensboro and the forces of hell. There will be new characters, returning favorites, and even more gruesome monsters. The stakes are raised as the mystery of the Strange Man's master plan unfolds.
If you haven't read Book One, The Strange Man, now is the perfect time to get caught up and prepare yourself for Book Two. The Strange Man is available wherever fine books are sold, and you can order it on Amazon in paperback, or on Kindle.
I'm very excited to finally see Enemies of the Cross come to life. And, again, I'll remind you that, even if you've only read the original self-published Xulon edition of The Strange Man (without the plethora of extra scenes as found in the current and "canon" Realms Edition), you can still pick up Enemies of the Cross and know what's going on.
Stay tuned as we head towards the finish line and prepare yourself for Enemies of the Cross!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Interview with Pete Turner--Christian Horror Author!
Okay, where were all these books when I was growing up?
As I've said many times before, when I was a young teen, perusing my local Christian bookstores, I ached to see the spooky, the weird, the scary. I was looking for monsters! Frank Peretti delighted my adolescent imagination, but that was about it. Because of this need I set out to write my own "Christian Horror" novel. These days, though, I see Christian Horror authors everywhere I look! It's a very exciting time for people who like the macabre thrown in with their message, the fear with their faith.
Today we've got one such pioneer--Pete Turner!
Pete's latest book Whisper A Scream is nearing its official release (the un-official release happened Easter weekend), and we've got him, hot off the unveiling of his fantastic cover, to discuss the book, his inspirations and passions, and the role of Christian Horror in today's world. Enjoy!
Greg Mitchell: Tell us about Whisper A Scream.
Pete Turner: If I had to sum up only enough to place it in an urn on my mantle (sounded funnier than a nutshell): Whisper A Scream is a Supernatural Thriller (I call it Christian Horror) about demons, cults, time-traveling nightmares, and redemption in a small Kentucky town.
GM: This is actually the book’s second release, correct? I can certainly relate to that with my own foray into the genre--The Strange Man! Let’s talk about the initial release. What prompted you to re-release it?
PT: Yes, this is the 2nd version of Whisper. The first one released 8-13-2010 (Friday the 13th- lol), through a smaller publisher, with no budget, promotion, and little editing. It contained several flaws, and at times admittedly some weak writing style. In February, I signed with my new publisher, TreasureLine Books. Some of the folks there really fell in love with the story. They told me it was a really great story, and NEEDS to be a really great book. I started with a critiquing service, and used the results as a foundation with which to measure the manuscript word for word. Then essentially re-wrote it twice and strengthened the weak stuff, wiped the mud from the unclearness, and eventually added several new scenes (one of which ties the entire story together), and had a more full edit. It is essentially a brand new book with a most awesome cover!
GM: As I understand it, Whisper A Scream is the first book of the Noche Files. A trilogy, right? How far along are you on the remaining two chapters? Care to divulge some juicy tidbits on what fans might expect from this series?
PT: Yes, this is the first novel of the Noche Files Trilogy, also labeled the Whisper Trilogy, as each title will contain the name "Whisper", as well as, Solomon Noche as the protagonist throughout each one. Sol has a unique gift of interacting with spiritual beings. He learns to war against demons. The second novel is finished besides some tightening and editing of it. The third novel, I’m about a third of the way finished with its first draft. Coming soon Sol has to face a serial killer, and fight his way through reality and nightmares. By the third novel he gets a job with the FBI in a newly developed unit called TURK--a task unit on religious killings, and may have to face a series of demons instead of one primary, meaning it may contain several “cases” instead of only one.
GM: What was the inspiration for your character of Solomon Noche?
PT: Interesting question. Sol was inspired by several things and people. He is an adventurer with some skills, but is also a little neurotic. He is good with psychological and therapeutic concepts, but can trust his gut instincts as well. Sol shares several personality traits with me. It’s all about me! Just kidding. I feel like he has elements of a Biblical hero in a modern situation, perhaps a little neurotic Indiana Jones. His name alone has significant connotations—Solomon wisest man in the world; Noche means night. Wiseman through his dreams?
GM: Now, you’ve got a background in Christian heavy metal rock music, right? You know you’ve gotta talk about that.
PT: Wow! I do have some major roots in Christian Heavy Metal! I guess it all started when I was about 14 and was big into secular bands like Van Halen, AC/DC, Rush, and Def Leppard. I prayed that someone could play heavy music for the glory of God. It wasn’t long that someone introduced me to Petra, but still lacked the power and intensity I wanted. A few months later, someone let me borrow a bootleg tape of a band named Stryper. That was it! WOW! They were an answer to my prayers! It wasn’t long before I discovered Resurrection Band, Daniel Band, Barren Cross, Bloodgood (whose first CD was the first CD I ever bought), it was the eighties, still no better time in music to me. Around that time too, I played drums in church. So inevitably I started my own Christian rock bands, which culminated in a legitimate professional band and CD Screaming Archangel. That band lasted about four years, but just could not land a recording contract, and life separated us.
GM: So, Stryper. You a fan? (Because I sorta am :p)
PT: Oh yeah! I’ve been a fan of them since I was 15! Stryper changed my life, gave me direction, and I felt my calling was music ministry, at least for a while. But, yes, I was totally a Stryper fan, posters, shirts, buttons on my jacket, stickers, and the works. I still am a Stryper fan! I have some memorabilia from them as far back as 1986--a newspaper article, and like a fan club letter signed in pen. During their reunion tour in 2003, some of my band and I made it to the front at their show in Nashville. I held up a Screaming Archangel tee shirt. Robert Sweet yells pointing in my direction, “Is that your band?” I toss the shirt up on the stage- he picks it up, reads it, TIES IT ON HIS HEAD, and plays the next song with it tied to his head like a bandana! WOW! It was awesome, but no pictures! I’m, still a Stryper fan!
GM: Why in the world did you want to be a writer? People ask me that with increasing frequency and sometimes I think to myself “Why, indeed?” :p What prompted you to take the leap?
PT: I think it’s basically ‘cause—I’m crazy! J/K. I think writer’s blood has always pumped through my veins, and sometimes it dripped onto paper, but I ignored the pathogen, attributing it to something else. Nah, I suppose writing was my original passion as a pre-adolescent, I wrote a novella in 7th grade, and knew it was what I wanted to do. Yet, as I said earlier, I ‘discovered’ my calling as a Christian Rock songwriter, and so stories were substituted with lyrics. During that time, however, I wrote a few things here and there for local Christian publications—stories about mission trips I went on with my dad, etc… Then I wrote a monthly column for about a year—where I discussed the end time events and such. When I moved to Retselville (yes it’s a real town with a fictional name) some strange things happened combined with some local lore that I thought would make a good story, I sat down one night to write down some ideas and just never quit writing.
GM: Between Christian thrash metal and Christian Horror, I think it’s safe to say you’ve been involved in, what many “church people” would consider, “dark stuff”. What is it about these genres that attracts you as a fan and a creator?
PT: I live life for controversy! No, just kidding, again. Dude, you’re getting deep here! First I think my attraction (and I use that term loosely) to these “dark things” is multi-layered, so I’ll name them and then attempt to explain. One, because many Christians are afraid of the devil and their concept of what evil entails (out of a biblical ignorance). Two, the misconception the world at large has about Satan and God. Three due to the secular world, and perhaps many Christians’ faulty belief that some physical means or rituals can abate evil. Finally, most of the world (including many Christians) no longer believe in an actual being of Satan—maybe an “ambiance of evil” linked mostly to poor human choice, mental illness, or selfishness, but not a fallen angel name Satan. And if they do, he usually looks like a caricature with a tail and horns in a red spandex jumpsuit.
I’m so thankful for growing up in a charismatic church setting, my father was a pastor and evangelist which allowed me the opportunity to witness a lot of supernatural things, (some that would scare horror movie fans) that exist beyond what we may tangibly touch or physically see. Christians are afraid of the devil and I think part of my attraction to darker things was to expose the weakness of it. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 14:16, “Is this the man that caused the earth to tremble?” People will be shocked when they finally see how he really looks. I’m not saying demons have no power, but it’s nothing compared to the weakest Christian who knows the power of Scripture. Romans 5:20 explains it best, where sin (darkness, evil, horror) exists grace abounds more. But evil in every aspect is real. You can’t sit on your behind in a pew and believe the world is filled with fuzzy bunnies and roses. Hey, some of those bunnies have rabies and every rose has a thorn (sounds like a song- j/k).
I believe you can’t bring people into the light, unless you help them escape or show them there’s darkness. Satan’s best deception is convincing the world he isn’t real or his power can be thwarted with some humanistic approach. And the entertainment industry evidences this daily in television, movies, novels, and music. Finally, you can’t defeat the devil by simply “resisting him” as many Christians think. You first must submit yourself to God, and use His Word as your weapon (James 4:7). So I truly believe my calling is in exposing this, not only to Christians, but to everyone.
GM: In light of that, what are your thoughts on “Christian Horror”? I know a lot of people don’t like that term. Many mainstream Christian publishers (all of them?) wouldn’t want to put the word “horror” anywhere near a book they were trying to sell to Lifeway, and a lot of horror publishers wouldn’t look at anything called “Christian”. It’s a balancing act, to be sure, but do you see a market for this genre? Do you think it serves a purpose? Or is it just a black sheep that should be locked up in the basement of the publishing world?
PT: You are right a lot of people are nauseated by the term. I don’t really understand the big deal about it. I mean, it’s just a label to help others “find” this style of writing easier. Honestly, I love the label! My thought is this, type in “supernatural thriller” in any search engine, and Whisper would not come up, maybe ever. But try “Christian horror” I’ll definitely show up within the first couple of pages, add novel inside those quotes and typically Whisper’s fan fb page, my website, even my personal fb page will show up as first. That to me is quite unique. People that are looking for this type of novel will definitely be exposed to my works. What more publicity would you want? However, unlike rock and roll there is such a thing as “bad publicity” and the connotations that the term “horror” entails, is why so many Christian publishers shy away from it. However, I predict it will catch on soon, and all of us Christian horror authors will be praised. (I can dream, right?).
The bottom line for me is this; I think there is no better way to express the power of Jesus Christ and the Bible than through the medium of Christian Horror! Since the Bible is not really a cutesy romance book, no offense to romance writers (my publisher writes romance novels), and yes there is romance in the Bible, (technically speaking the Bible as a whole is a love letter to us humans). However, the Bible is filled with horror stories; from beginning to end. There is blood and gore, cults, demons, child sacrifice, sprinkling blood on the heads of priests, and thrones, and altars (and that’s God’s people), think of the severed heads (Goliath wasn’t killed with a rock, David took Goliath’s sword, sawed off his head and held it up- dripping, squirting, seeping blood everywhere)! There is destruction, decay, blood running to the horses’ bridal, angels with flaming swords, talking snakes and donkeys, God opening the ground and swallowing hundreds of people, a man slicing, cracking, brutalizing a thousand other heads with a jawbone. These aren’t the latest Christian horror novels; these are children’s stories from the Bible.
Again, what’s the big deal about Christian horror? Yet, in way, I understand the publishers view. If people aren’t gonna buy something, it doesn’t matter how unique it is. My goal with writing isn’t just to entertain, it’s to help others (overcome fear or demon oppression or whatever). So if there is a way I can reach more of those people then I have no problem with becoming all things to all people in order to reach some.
GM: A great testimony, Pete. Alright, I'll give you a break from the deep topics. Let’s move away from that and talk fun fanboy stuff. What’s your favorite scary movie? Why? What about authors? Comics? What excites you, man?
PT: How’d you know my nickname was Fun Fanboy? J/K! I like fun fanboy, I let him speak occasionally. I’m definitely a fanatic of things—but some only revealed by Mr. Noche, himself. Yet, picking favorites is always a tough thing for me, I love so much! Favorite scary movie—Wow, toughest of all! I’ll narrow it to three, The Number 23, Psycho (scary with a twist); and The Sixth Sense (if you’d label that a scary movie- but best twist ever!). My favorite movies (especially the scary ones) have a twist that gouges your eyes out at the end (not literally, just you never saw coming).
I have way too many “favorite” authors too, Ted Dekker, Melanie Wells, Charles Dickens, Ellen Maze, Poe, Peretti, James Patterson. I could name a ton of ‘em. But we’ll use God’s number: Seven. I used to be a huge Hulk comic book collector, but got more into music in adolescent and saved all my money for tapes and vinyl (eventually CDs).
Honestly, Bible Prophecy excites me! It always has, almost as soon as I could read I was fascinated by it. I’ve read commentaries, studied extensively, wrote a monthly column about it, and even taught seminars about it. We are living in the days all of the prophets of old wished they were.
I’m also excited by Cincinnati Bengals, and Kentucky Wildcats college basketball. March madness is one of my favorite times of the year.
GM: What are Pete Turner’s plans for the future? Any heavy metal concept albums inspired by Whisper A Scream on the horizon?
PT: The rest of this year, I’ve got lots of plans. I’ve got several radio interviews coming up around my area to promote the re-release. I’ll be a guest DJ on the Killer Neace Radio show May 21st. I’ve been working with a few other Christian fiction writers about organizing some kind of forum this summer to talk about Christian Horror and Supernatural Thrillers. I’ve also been invited to be a contributing author for The New Author’s Fellowship. I’ll be doing several book signings, speaking engagements, and appearances. And to finish the summer I’m going to be a Key Note speaker for a writers’ workshop for regional public school teachers in August. I’m working on a couple of short stories to be included in an upcoming anthology. This fall, Whisper From The Woods should be released. I would only do a Whisper A Scream record if Teric Darken handles the vocals!
GM: When’s the official release date for Whisper A Scream? When and where can people buy it?
PT: The official release date is May 19th; TreasureLine Books will have a cyber-release party! This is a cool, unique thing where the author is on-line most of the day talking with fans and interacting, free giveaways, trivia stuff. It’s one of the cool things I love about my TreasureLine family. And this is followed by a Radio Release Party on May 21st on Killer Radio as a guest DJ!
It is available for purchase on amazon.com both paperback and Kindle form, Smashwords.com, and available for the Nook. You can have the option of also buying an autographed version from my website: peteturner.webs.com. I would love to add everyone on facebook: facebook.com/peteturnerChristianHorrorAuthor and Whisper has a fan fb page at facebook.com/whisperascream.ChristianHorrorNovel. And available from treasurelinepublishing.com
GM: Thanks for taking the time to hang out with us, Pete! All the best to you in the future.
PT: THANKS to you, GREG! It’s been a SCREAM!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
CSFF Blog Tour--Highlights
I did it! I survived the CSFF blog tour.
For three days, readers commented, critiqued, and discussed The Strange Man, and I think I anxiously bit my nails the entire time. I'm grateful to everyone who participated. They were all very kind and I learned a lot from their reactions to the book. Here's a few highlights for me.
The book is scary. More than one reader commented on how scared/unnerved/creeped-out/disturbed they were by the book, so I'd say mission accomplished :p Rebecca LuElla Miller even went so far to say in the comments section of this review:
"...this is definitely the spookiest the CSFF Blog Tour has ever featured. It's not for everyone, that's certain, but people who like roller coaster adrenaline rushes will probably like this one."
Spookiest ever! Not sure if that was intended as a compliment, but I certainly take it as one :)
Even my publisher--Realms Fiction--shared in the praise:
Dona Watson said, "I applaud Realms for taking on this project. It is an exciting time to be in Christian speculative fiction."
I'm exceptionally happy when people have cause to celebrate my publisher because of the book. Publishers take a financial risk with every book they contract, and I always understood Realms perhaps took a great risk putting out an unapologetic "horror" book about monsters and ghastly things in the Christian market that is dominated by prairie romance (not that there's anything wrong with Bonnet love). In a business-sense, it seemed like an unwise move, but they took a chance on me, and I'm forever grateful to them for that. I'm glad others are noticing Realms' innovation with their "supernatural suspense" line, as well.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses on the tour. The actual writing took a couple hits--a big one being my POV-hopping, which I've already admitted to in the commentary for the book. So, I wasn't surprised, nor offended. There was some "logic concerns" about how fast a spinning tornado of flesh-eating gremlins are, but thankfully these things didn't distract too much from the story for the readers. I'll take these lessons with me as I head into edit mode on Book Two: Enemies of the Cross.
What was most exciting, however, were the discussions. Finally people were noticing the subtler points of my story and I saw discussions ranging from bogeymen, to the reality of devils and their power, to the legitimacy of Dras' childhood conversion. Great conversations.
Noah Arsenault also conducted a brand new interview with me, for those interested.
The blog tour was a very positive and encouraging experience. I've learned a lot about my craft, about the expectations of readers, and about how my words come across to someone not living in my head. I feel like I've returned from a trip and I've got that "pleasantly exhausted" feeling like the tail end of a vacation. Now it's back to work on my writing.
In the meantime, I leave you with this vintage trailer from John Carpenter's 1980 classic The Fog in honor of The Fog Day! On April 21st, a mysterious fog enters the coastal town of Antonio Bay...and brings something with it. Grab your popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy :)
For three days, readers commented, critiqued, and discussed The Strange Man, and I think I anxiously bit my nails the entire time. I'm grateful to everyone who participated. They were all very kind and I learned a lot from their reactions to the book. Here's a few highlights for me.
The book is scary. More than one reader commented on how scared/unnerved/creeped-out/disturbed they were by the book, so I'd say mission accomplished :p Rebecca LuElla Miller even went so far to say in the comments section of this review:
"...this is definitely the spookiest the CSFF Blog Tour has ever featured. It's not for everyone, that's certain, but people who like roller coaster adrenaline rushes will probably like this one."
Spookiest ever! Not sure if that was intended as a compliment, but I certainly take it as one :)
Even my publisher--Realms Fiction--shared in the praise:
Dona Watson said, "I applaud Realms for taking on this project. It is an exciting time to be in Christian speculative fiction."
I'm exceptionally happy when people have cause to celebrate my publisher because of the book. Publishers take a financial risk with every book they contract, and I always understood Realms perhaps took a great risk putting out an unapologetic "horror" book about monsters and ghastly things in the Christian market that is dominated by prairie romance (not that there's anything wrong with Bonnet love). In a business-sense, it seemed like an unwise move, but they took a chance on me, and I'm forever grateful to them for that. I'm glad others are noticing Realms' innovation with their "supernatural suspense" line, as well.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses on the tour. The actual writing took a couple hits--a big one being my POV-hopping, which I've already admitted to in the commentary for the book. So, I wasn't surprised, nor offended. There was some "logic concerns" about how fast a spinning tornado of flesh-eating gremlins are, but thankfully these things didn't distract too much from the story for the readers. I'll take these lessons with me as I head into edit mode on Book Two: Enemies of the Cross.
What was most exciting, however, were the discussions. Finally people were noticing the subtler points of my story and I saw discussions ranging from bogeymen, to the reality of devils and their power, to the legitimacy of Dras' childhood conversion. Great conversations.
Noah Arsenault also conducted a brand new interview with me, for those interested.
The blog tour was a very positive and encouraging experience. I've learned a lot about my craft, about the expectations of readers, and about how my words come across to someone not living in my head. I feel like I've returned from a trip and I've got that "pleasantly exhausted" feeling like the tail end of a vacation. Now it's back to work on my writing.
In the meantime, I leave you with this vintage trailer from John Carpenter's 1980 classic The Fog in honor of The Fog Day! On April 21st, a mysterious fog enters the coastal town of Antonio Bay...and brings something with it. Grab your popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Strange Man--Christian Sci-Fi/Fantasy Blog Tour!
Welcome to my 100th post! And what better way to celebrate four years of blogging about The Coming Evil Trilogy than to announce the book tour for The Strange Man over at Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour.
These guys don't fool around! For the next three days, my baby book will be put under the microscope. Who will love it? Who will hate it? Who will burn me in effigy? Find out by staying tuned to the blogs below. Join us for three days of review, analysis, discussion, and maybe an interview or two. You won't want to miss it!
And, in case I forget anyone in the coming days, special thanks to everyone at CSFF who signed up to read and review the book. Even if you don't like it, it still means something to me that you tried :p
Noah Arsenault
Red Bissell
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
CSFF Blog Tour
Amber French
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Inae Kyo
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Gavin Patchett
Andrea Schultz
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
These guys don't fool around! For the next three days, my baby book will be put under the microscope. Who will love it? Who will hate it? Who will burn me in effigy? Find out by staying tuned to the blogs below. Join us for three days of review, analysis, discussion, and maybe an interview or two. You won't want to miss it!
And, in case I forget anyone in the coming days, special thanks to everyone at CSFF who signed up to read and review the book. Even if you don't like it, it still means something to me that you tried :p
Noah Arsenault
Red Bissell
Kathy Brasby
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
CSFF Blog Tour
Amber French
Tori Greene
Katie Hart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Inae Kyo
Emily LaVigne
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Gavin Patchett
Andrea Schultz
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
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