Tag: D&T Publishing

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Jamie Carver (The New Girls’ Patient by Ruthann Jagge)

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Jamie is a small-town girl who’s trying to better herself in spite of her surroundings and circumstance. She’s on her own at a young age and needs to support herself despite having few advantages in life. Her life changes when a patient dies and leaves her a hand-written recipe book. It’s not what it appears to be on the surface, and others want it more.

Book Excerpt:
Jamie needs to support herself and applies for a housekeeping job at the hospital, hoping there will be time for daydreams later. She’s unsure of her future in Crees Crossing, and the options are limited. The pleasant, reserved young woman catches the eye of an older nurse, eager to retire, who notices she’s a hard worker, intelligent and reliable, and always kind to the state-funded patients living on borrowed time. The hospital is known locally as God’s Rural Waiting Room. The residents are admitted by an uncaring family or the court, with the ultimate intention of a more humane passing. The nurse suggests Jamie fill out the required paperwork and sign up online for an accredited nursing class, offering to add her personal and professional recommendations to the process.

The girl doesn’t own a computer, so she stays on after her shift, eating jelly sandwiches while studying alone in a small office with management approval. She completes the required clinical work, passes her exam, and starts earning a slightly better salary to the hospital soon after.

The first few months in her position at Mercy Care are tough. Jamie is the unofficial new girl. She’s assigned the dirty work others neglect but doesn’t miss a shift, does her job well, and gains respect as a valued employee. The run-down facility relies on her. Patient care is minimal but consistent, and Jamie’s confident she’s chosen a solid career path to build on, hoping for more education and experience. She makes a couple of friends at work, sharing stories and making weekend plans with them at lunch. They discuss their love lives over tuna salad, or rather the lack of, due to only a few young men worth dating in the entire country.

Meghan: Jamie, thank you for agreeing to sit down with me today. What is one word you would use to define yourself?

Jamie: Fearless

Meghan: What does the plot require you to be? How does this requirement limit you?

Jamie: To rely on what I know, not what I see. My trusting nature limits me.

Meghan: What is your quest?

Jamie: To live every day like it’s my last, because it may be.

Meghan: What do you like about the other main characters? What do you least like about the other main characters?

Jamie: It’s always nice to have friends, but when some reveal their true nature, it becomes hard to not be angry at yourself for being naive. I dislike selfish people.

Meghan: When was the last time you lied? What made you do it?

Jamie: Probably to myself, because I believed life would be easier if I did the right things.

Meghan: Who have you betrayed lately? What happened?

Jamie: My friend Lila. I should have been a better friend, and she was hurt because I wasn’t.

Meghan: Would you say that you are an optimist or a pessimist?

Jamie: Optimist

Meghan: What is your superpower?

Jamie: I’m a survivor, and I’m able to think through hard situations. I’m resourceful and decisive.

Meghan: What is your biggest secret?

Jamie: I’ve read “the book” and understand more about the contents than I let on.

Meghan: Do you live in the right world? How necessary are you to your world?

Jamie: No. I want to live elsewhere, but my roots are deep in Crees Crossing.

Meghan: What is your role in this setting? Are you okay with this role or would you like it to change?

Jamie: I’m okay with my role for now, but have every intention of changing it, as soon as possible.

Meghan: Did you turn out the way you expected?

Jamie: No. I never expected I’d be faced with a situation so terrible, that it would change everything I believe to be real.

Meghan: What, if anything, would you change about your life?

Jamie: I’d like to continue my education, find love, and learn what true peace is.

Meghan: How do you feel about your author?

Jamie: She is bold, and understands not only what makes me tick, but also how to tell my story with unflinching style.

Meghan: If the two of you got together for coffee, what would you want to say to them?

Jamie: Thanks for giving me, and all the girls out there working hard to better themselves, a voice.

Boo-graphy: Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York, where October is magical. She writes dark speculative and horror fiction. Her work is published in numerous successful anthologies. Solo and collaboration projects will feature in 2022 and 2023. Extensive travel, superstition, and backyard boogeymen influence her characters and settings. She lives on a cattle ranch in Texas with her husband and his animals. A large, blended family keeps her sane most of the time.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ruthann Jagge

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Meghan: Hey Ruthann. Welcome to Meghan’s Haunted House of Books, New Year’s Day Edition. Do you get scared easily?

Ruthann: No

Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?

Ruthann: The Exorcist. It defied my Catholic upbringings when I was younger, and showed how true evil can prevail, in spite of strong convictions.

Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?

Ruthann: Funny Games

Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?

Ruthann: No

Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?

Ruthann: Midsommar

Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?

Ruthann: The Witch

Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?

Ruthann: Lestat (the vampire Anne Rice designed)

Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?

Ruthann: Season of the Witch by Lana Del Rey

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?

Ruthann: Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell. I’ve yet to discover a more terrifying first chapter!

Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?

Ruthann: I live on a rural ranch, an old land, in Texas. One day, the kitchen door blew open, and I swear I saw a soldier in a Confederate uniform watching me as I was writing a grocery list, while sitting at the table. I wasn’t afraid of him, he was sad.

Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?

Ruthann: The case of the Black Dahlia

Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?

Ruthann: Not far from my ranch, there’s a stretch of road, where “they say” during construction, a man was crushed under the roller of a piece of equipment. He died, and they paved over him to avoid a lawsuit. This was many years ago. He has been “seen” dragging a leg, as he walks on the side of the road. The old ranchers swear it’s true!

Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?

Ruthann: Poison darts. Could stab the zombies with them, throw them, shoot them, etc. Easy to carry and make, once you work out the potion.

Meghan: Okay, so here’s the fun bit….

Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf? Vampire.

Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion? Zombie invasion, I’d like to think I’d be smarter, vs an alien invasion, because who knows!

Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard? Zombie juice. With a good shout of bourbon to kill off any cooties.

Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week? Amityville House. Haunted houses are cool!

Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese? Bitter melon with chilies.

Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs? Cotton candy from spider webs, the devil you know!

Boo-graphy: Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York, where October is magical. She writes dark speculative and horror fiction. Her work is published in numerous successful anthologies. Solo and collaboration projects will feature in 2022 and 2023. Extensive travel, superstition, and backyard boogeymen influence her characters and settings. She lives on a cattle ranch in Texas with her husband and his animals. A large, blended family keeps her sane most of the time.

CHRISTMAS TAKEOVER 2022: Micah Castle

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Meant to Be

Outside, the waves crash against the bank. The seagulls caw.

I take a deep breath, the smell of pine fills my nose, and sit up. I scratch the dry marks on my neck, and stare idly at the evergreen tree standing in the corner. The dark green bulbs distort the reflection of the living room. Strings of pine cones, holly, yew, and mistletoe are dimly illuminated by the yellow-white lights.

Underneath sits a present, wrapped in green, bound in red. A tag protrudes from the top. To My Love

I laugh and snatch the card from the table by my side. Read it again.

I can’t do this anymore, Rebecca…

The words blur. I wipe my eyes. Skip ahead.

I won’t be coming on break, or ever…

…My parents found out… 

…I’m sorry.

I fling the card away, sit back and run my hands over my face. The waves crashing on the bank are louder now. Calling. The seagulls, if they still remain, are quiet.

I stand and pick up the present, quickly undo its wrappings. The box is opened and inside, sitting on a green silk cushion, is a snorkel and a rolled wet-suit.

Removing the wet-suit, I drop the box to the floor. Running a thumb over the slick surface it feels almost life-like, but not quite. Would’ve been good enough for her. 

I move from the tree, through the living room, into the kitchen to the backdoor. A faint, frigid breeze leaks through the cracks. The scent of salt and brine replace pine. I shiver. Goosebumps stand on pale skin. Not from the cold. From anticipation, excitement.

The door is opened and I step down from the house onto the craggy rise. Take the icy, worn path down to the bank. Seagulls watch from white splattered, dark boulders. 

Gray-blue water laps over my bare feet, soaking the bottom of my jeans. The cold bites at first, but soon is welcome.

I let the wetsuit fall where it may, push the thought of her into the recesses of my mind. I tear off my clothes until I’m nude. I walk into the tide and my body sings. It yearns for more. The marks on my neck are now damp, slick, and open, shut, open. Winter air fills my lungs, and I dive into the Sea. Pale flesh tears like wrapping paper from oily cerulean muscle. Once brown eyes now onyx. Transparent membrane webs in-between fingers and toes. Chitin seals my sex and breasts, becoming nothing more than slick bare mounds. 

I am meant to be with the one I love during the holiday.

And now I am.

Boo-graphy: Micah Castle is a weird fiction and horror writer. His stories have appeared in various magazines, websites, and anthologies. Currently, he has a novelette out through D&T Publishing, and three collections.

While away from the keyboard, he enjoys spending time with his wife, spending hours in the woods, playing with his animals, and can typically be found reading a book somewhere in his Pennsylvania home.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Joe Scipione

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Meghan: Hi, Joe. Welcome to Meghan’s HAUNTED House of Horror. This is your first time here so thank you from all of us for taking time out of your schedule to join in our frivolities. What is your favorite part of Halloween?

Joe: Even though I’m a horror writer, Halloween has always been more about dressing up in a funny way as opposed to being scary. The last few years, my daughter has decided that my family should dress up in themed costumes for Halloween. A few years ago we were all characters from the show Phineas & Ferb, last year we were Winnie the Pooh characters (I was Winnie the Pooh of course—I do a pretty mean Winnie the Pooh impression) and this year we will be doing Curious George characters. My son, who is going to be 16 even plays along every year so recently that has been a lot of fun.

Meghan: Do you get scared easily?

Joe: Not really. Things that scare me the most are real life things as opposed to books and movies. If I was going to say one thing scares me the most it is something happening to my family. I do like when books, movies or TV shows make me feel uncomfortable and that’s the feeling I go for when I write something. If I make someone feel uncomfortable, or if they are cheering for the hero (Or hoping something terrible happens to the villain) in one of my stories then I think I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.

Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?

Joe: After saying movies don’t usually scare me, I will saw Jaws is probably the movie that sticks with me the most. I grew up in Massachusetts and spent many summers on Cape Cod. Jaws was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard which is just off Cape Cod and there is always that little thought in the back of your head when you’re in the ocean there when you think a shark could come up and rip you in half. That is certainly and uncomfortable feeling I was talking about earlier.

Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?

Joe: I could go with Jaws again, but another of my favorite horror movies is Hellraiser. The death of Frank at the end when he has the hooks attached to him and they are pulling him in all different directions and stretching his face out always stuck with me as particularly brutal.

Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?

Joe: No. I was actually never a big horror movie fan when I was younger (though I’ve always read a ton of horror) so I find that now that I’m older I’m trying to go back and see the horror movies of the 80’s and 90’s that I never saw.

Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?

Joe: I’d have to go with Beetlejuice here. If I was going to be stuck in a scary movie, at least this way I’d be entertained at the same time. Also, who wouldn’t want to be a ghost?

Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?

Joe: Defintely Danny Torrance from The Shining. Obviously there would be some trauma I’d have to work though, but at least I know I’d survive and then I’d have this incredible superpower for the rest of my life.

Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?

Joe: One of my favorite books of all time is It by Stephen King. I love the cast of characters and the fact that we get to see them as children and as adults. Pennywise has long been my favorite monster in movies or in books. What could be better than an evil clown with cosmic powers beyond anything most people would be able to comprehend?

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

Joe: As I mentioned before, it’s a newer tradition, but themed family costumes has become my favorite thing about Halloween.

Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?

Joe: Its not necessarily Halloween-themed, but there is a song by Aerosmith called Voodoo, Medicine Man and it always gave off some creepy vibes for me. I listen to that song a lot when I’m trying to get in the mood to write a certain type of scene. The song is dark and starts off slow but builds to a loud, fast-paced ending that I always loved. The intro to the song was creepy as hell too.

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?

Joe: I always have the same answer to this question and it’s a fairly newer book. The Cabin At the End of the World by Paul Tremblay is always going to be at the top of my list for questions like this. I can’t put my finger on one specific thing about the book that cause this to happen, but I read it in two days and the night after I started reading it, I couldn’t sleep. I kept falling asleep and waking up thinking about that book. The premise was great and the characters were so well written I think it just stuck with me like only a few other books have ever been able to do.

Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?

Joe: I wasn’t alone, but I was driving home from high school late one night for some reason. I was with a friend and we had to drive by a church in my hometown, which is directly across the street from the town common. It was probably around 7 or 8 at night, it was dark and cold out. Ass we drove by, I looked over into the common and there was a kid—maybe 6 years old—kneeling in the middle of the grass just staring up at the church. There was no one else around. I was so freaked out I made my friend turn around to see if the kid needed help. We hadn’t gone that far and when we got back the kid was gone. We would have been able to see him if he’d got up and left, he just disappeared. That creeped me out for a long time—still does.

Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?

Joe: I don’t know if this counts as an unsolved mystery or not, but the existence of life on other planets is fascinating to me and it always has been. The more we learn about just how large space is and how much stuff is out there, the more likely it becomes that there is other intelligent life somewhere on one of those planets. I hope in my life time we get some definitive proof of life outside of our little planet. Even if we do, it will continue to fascinate me. Of course, there might already be definitive proof that the public just doesn’t know about. 😊

Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?

Joe: I can’t think of a specific one, but any ghost story that is based in reality I find so interesting. Just like I want aliens to be a real thing, I would love if there was some way to prove that ghosts exist.

Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?

Joe: I don’t think I’d be able to kill all the zombies in a zombie apocalypse, so give me a good bomb shelter with plenty of food and water and plenty of books and I think I’ll be ok for a while.

Meghan: Okay, let’s have some fun… Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf?

Joe: Vampire, 100%. Who wouldn’t want to be a vampire?

Meghan: Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion?

Joe: Alien invasion. Put me right up front.

Meghan: Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard?

Joe: I hate putting gross things in my mouth, even the thought of it makes me gag a little. That said, I could drink zombie juice like a shot and I’d have to chew up the dead body before I ate it, so give me those zombie juice shots all day.

Meghan: Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week?

Joe: Poltergeist house.

Meghan: Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese?

Joe: I love spicy foods so I’ll take the melon with chilies.

Meghan: Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs?

Joe: That’s a though one, but I don’t know what that witch is going to try to do to me, might turn me into a rat or something, so I’ll take the spider web cotton candy.

Boo-graphy: Joe Scipione lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two kids. He is the author of Perhaps She Will Die, Zoo: Eight Tales of Animal Horror, and Decay. His novellas, The Life & Times of Edward Morgan and Justice, are due out in 2023 from D&T Publishing. He is also a Senior Contributor at HorrorBound.net. When he’s not reading or writing, you can usually find him cheering on one of the Boston sports teams or walking around the lakes near his home.

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