Tag: Halloween Extravaganza

Halloween Extravaganza: Chris Miller: Halloween in the Bible Belt

megHan

Halloween in the Bible Belt, circa late 1980s through the 90s (and beyond):

I have a single memory of going trick-r-treating as a child. I know, that’s odd, even for folks who grew up in rural East Texas like I did. Every year I would see hundreds of kids out in their costumes of ghouls and devils and vampires and other various monstrosities, all carrying a bag or a bucket or a tub of some kind to store their candied spoils. And even with my single memory of trick-r-treating, I was never with any of those other kids. Not the ones going door to door, holding their containers out and open with a cheery, “Trick-r-Treat!” coming from them in a totally jarring contrast to the looks of their costumes. Not me. Not in my family, or in the families of any of the other people I knew growing up.

None of them?

That’s right. None. You see, when I was old enough to start school, I wasn’t put into public school. Public schools produced nothing but drug addicts and sex fiends, or so I had been informed in my upbringing. Teachers were active agents of the “enemy” (I always deduced this enemy must be the devil, though he was never specifically named), trying to dissuade children from any thoughts of higher powers or deity of any kind. So, when I started school, I was put into a private Christian school. Now, you might be thinking that even in a private school, there’s lots of kids and lots of different points of view, lots of diversity. But that wasn’t the case at Victory Baptist Academy. I think there were a total of around 15 students there, and that included Kindergarten through 12th grade. 15 kids. And about six of those were the children of the principal (a Baptist pastor), and one of the supervisors (we didn’t really have teachers, just workbooks we studied from and took tests from, and when we had questions, the supervisors would help us out).

I attended this school from Kindergarten through second grade. It was then that the school shut down due to lack of funds (the church that ran it couldn’t afford to keep it going any longer), and then I homeschooled my third-grade year. VBA reopened and I went to 4th grade and the start of 5th there once more, but they again ran into financial difficulty and had to shut down again. I finished out 5th grade homeschooling and spent 6th going to the home of a parent who wanted to homeschool, and we had a total of four students. So it wasn’t until 7th grade that my parents finally succumbed (claiming I was a monster of a student at home…utter nonsense to anyone who knows me 😉 ) and sent me to public school where I actually started meeting kids and people who were living their lives very differently from my family and who had some radically different points of view.

So, what does any of this have to do with Halloween?

I’m glad you asked.

As I was growing up, anytime “the devil’s birthday” came around (I have no idea how anyone ever came to this idiotic conclusion, but it was a standard mantra in our circles), we would typically attend what was called a “Harvest Festival” either at the church we attended or at the private Christian school I was in at the time. They had booths where you could bob for apples or toss ping pong balls into cups to win a goldfish or some candy, other various fair-style games. Candy and prizes. And we all dressed up as various Bible characters. NO ONE was to dress up as an evil monster. That would offend the Holy Spirit…or something.

It was like that every year. I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to get into one of the cool Jason or Michael Myers costumes I’d see in Wal-Mart (I’d never been allowed to watch any of those movies or horror movies of any kind, so I had no idea what they were about other than the looked really cool), but if I even asked I was met with the “I’m so disappointed you would want to do that” treatment from my parents. Like I had asked to smear turds on Billy Graham’s face or something. It was absurd.

BUT… it was my childhood. Yet, I DO have one memory of going trick-r-treating, and I didn’t achieve it by sneaking away with friends or anything. My dad took me. Me and my sister. I’m not even sure how it happened, but I was young enough I wasn’t in school yet, so perhaps they hadn’t gone fully into the “Halloween is bad, m’kay?” mentality at that time. But in any case, I did go the once.

I was Superman. I still couldn’t be a ghoul or a goblin, but Superman was cool enough. My dad made up this little trailer that could attach to the back of our four-wheeler, and me in my Superman getup and my sister in pillow case with eye-holes meant to make her look like Casper the friendly ghost loaded up in the trailer and my dad fired up the quad.

I need to pause here just a moment and explain the topography of where I grew up. We lived LITERALLY 15 miles from ANYTHING. There were four towns near us, and we managed to land right smack in the middle of all of them. Last house at the dead end of a black top county road, at least after my grandfather passed and my grandmother moved away. Our house was over a mile back into the woods from the highway, and there were maybe a dozen homes or so back in there.

So, we got rolling, my sister and I bouncing around in the trailer behind the four-wheeler, and we started making stops. Now, I’d seen other kids doing this around town when we’d be in town for church or events or visiting friends. I was anticipating getting all kinds of candy and was even practicing my “trick-r-treat!” for when we got to the doors and held out our bags like tiny little addicts.

The first three houses we stopped at were vacant. Nobody home, no answers to the door. Bummer. So, on we went down this old blacktop road, the rumble of the quad’s engine dancing and echoing through the pines and oaks all around us. We found a house with some lights on and pulled in. An old lady answered and was shocked to find there were kids out trick-r-treating way back on this country road. She looked a little embarrassed when she said, “I-I don’t have any candy set out… let me see if I can scrounge something up.”

She went to work hunting for something to give us, finally returning with a fistful of Werther’s Originals butterscotch candies for us. Woohoo. On to the next place.

Several other houses were likewise unoccupied that night, and in total, we scored candy from three houses. And only ONE of those actually had some candy out and ready for kids such as us. And this was the last one we stopped at.

We rode back a little lackluster as my sister and I looked over our meager spoils. It wasn’t much. Hardly enough to cover the bottom of the bag. But it was something. I had gotten to go trick-r-treating with my dad, and I had something to show for it, even if it was only a little. I remember looking forward to the next year where I was going to figure out a way to get my parents to take us to one of the towns we lived near and go trick-r-treating with some large groups of kids and REALLY make out like bandits. I would work on my parents through the next 365 days and I’d get to dress up like one of those really cool horror movie baddies I saw at the store and I’d get so much candy I’d make myself sick eating it.

I remember all of this, can remember the smile that was on my face as we pulled into the dirt track driveway of our home at the end of the county road, the one I was still sporting when we came inside and showed my mom what we’d gotten while we were out.

There was always next year.

Only, there wasn’t. Not for me. The next year and all the ones that followed were “Harvest Festivals” where we got plenty of candy but could only dress as Bible characters or—maybe—a decent superhero like Superman (since he’s a lot like Jesus…or something). I can remember too being able to look out the windows of the churches where these “festivals” took place and seeing all the kids going door to door with their cool costumes and getting candy and not having to settle down but getting to run and jump and skip and have such a great time…

It’s sad. There’s no big reveal here at the end, nothing we’ve been building towards where you see I finally got to take part in an ages-old tradition with all my peers. Nothing. Even when I was older and in public school, I still wasn’t allowed to partake in any of the school’s Halloween festivities. When I was told to write a paper about my favorite memories of Halloween, I had to sum it up with a single sentence: my family doesn’t celebrate Halloween. When my teacher saw this, her face scrunched, and I thought for a moment she might cry as she looked at me with sympathy oozing out of her by the gallon.

She gave my single sentence essay a 100. God bless her.

But that’s why we have kids, right? So we can do better than the generation before us did, to put the world into the hands of people who are better equipped than we are and who will make the world a better place than it was when we handed it over to them. And that’s what I’m doing. Halloween is a BIG event for us every year in our household and we trick-r-treat and we decorate and have a huge cauldron of candy we set out for other trick-r-treaters (our street alone gets between 700 and 1000 visitors every Halloween). My wife makes kick-ass margaritas and we watch Halloween (1978) and its sequels and anything else filled with flesh and blood until we can’t stay awake anymore. And my kids get to dress up as they like. Funnily enough, they’ve never chosen a ghoul or a goblin or a monster. Not yet. We’ve been princesses and superheroes and animals, but no monsters. But I’m working towards that. Maybe I’m trying to relive my childhood through my kids vicariously. I can own that. And, is it really so wrong if we do? When we miss something in our own lives, we really build it up in our heads as to what it was supposed to have been, and because of this we’re more equipped to orchestrate it for others later on. To really go all out.

I’m sad I didn’t get to experience these things when I was growing up, but the way my children get to experience them with my wife and I, that’s priceless. Their faces, their excitement, their copious amounts of candy, all of it. Knowing they are getting more than I did lets me know I’m doing something right.

And because of that, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Chris Miller is a native Texan who has been writing from an early age, but only started publishing in 2017. Since the release of his first novel, A Murder of Saints, he has released a novella – Trespass – another novel – The Hard Goodbye – a single short story – Flushed – and has been inducted into multiple anthologies, including the acclaimed And Hell Followed from Death’s Head Press, where his story “Behind Blue Eyes” appears alongside stories from Wrath James White, Jeff Strand, and The Sisters of Slaughter, just to name a few. He has another new novel coming soon, the first part of a trilogy of horror, and will be featured in more anthologies throughout the year. He is happily married to the love of his life, Aliana, and they have three beautiful children.

A Murder of Saints

Sophie Fields is a little girl tortured by her memories of Damien Smith, a much-loved and respected church elder with a secret lust for the unmentionable. After his misdeeds are covered up by church leaders, she climbs to the roof of her house and jumps to her death, right in front of her shocked brother, Charlie.

Twenty years later, detective Harry Fletcher is still haunted by the personal demons associated with the church cover-up. After losing his faith, his wife, and now his partner, Fletcher learns that Charlie Fields has come back to town with one mission: to kill everyone responsible for his sister’s death. It is Fletcher’s job to track and stop the crazed killer. But as it becomes clear who the main targets are, Fletcher finds himself in the midst of a moral quagmire. Although he sees justice in Charlie’s crusade, the killer seems to be taking out others not responsible for his family’s destruction. As Fletcher and his new partner battle each other in a test of ideology and limits of the law, the real demons show up and change everything.

The Hard Goodbye

As the old axiom goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

John Savage realized that too late. 

Following the biggest job of their lives, John and his small crew think they’ve got it made. But a lawyer, a junkie, a crooked cop, Savage and his girlfriend have unknowingly opened Pandora’s Box. And they won’t know it until it’s too late. As the brutally tortured bodies of their partners come to light, tensions rise all the way to the screaming, chaotic conclusion of this bloody crime thriller. 

High risk brings high reward, but the safe bet is usually the smartest. Stick to the plan, or get ready for the hard goodbye.

Trespass

An adrenaline pumping, nerve wracking, intense thiller that will leave you breathless. Frank took his son hunting and what was supposed to be a pleasant time of bonding turned into an absolute nightmare. Out in the middle of nowhere, on their own property, They stumble upon a group of trespassers trying to get rid of a secret so damning they’re willing to kill anyone that sees it. Get ready for a relentless page turner as Frank dares to fend off the assailants, while racing to get his son help before he bleeds to death.Chris Miller tells a story that any father could relate to. Trespass has what it takes to be a thriller best seller.

Flushed

You’ve had a bad day before. We all have.
But Marty is in a whole other level of shit.
Literally.

Following a drunken night of sex with the office secretary, Marty’s guts are rebelling after his personal hangover remedy, nachos with jalapenos and hot sauce.

Marty has to go. And he’s got to get across the office to do so. Standing in his way are Nikki, the secretary from the night prior, Brad, the vape enthusiast douche, and possibly even his boss. The office door is always open, after all.

Join Marty on his trek, like a vulgar Lord of the Rings. The distance may be shorter, but the stakes are just as high.

The Damned Place

A small town with dark secrets. A house hidden in the woods that holds horrors unimaginable. Four friends on summer break fighting off a group of bullies dead set on ruining their summer of fun. The little town of Winnsboro has buried its secrets beneath years of history and faded memories. But, it’s about to be unearthed releasing ancient creatures as a budding psychopath blooms Will they survive what comes for them and possibly the world or will The Damned Place end it all?

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Chris Miller

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Chris. Welcome to my Halloween Extravaganza. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Chris Miller: Well, I’m 36 years old, so in the final year of my mid-thirties (it’s all downhill from here, I’m told). I work for a water well company my father started the year I was born as my day job, but by night—and Saturday mornings—I write books! I’m married with three beautiful kids and we live East Texas.

Meghan: What are five things most people don’t know about you?

Chris Miller: I’m a major softy is one thing. I think a good gin is the height of perfection for liquor. I really despise all political parties and the candidates they put forth. I’m deeply religious (Catholic). And I cannot stand to see—much less even touch—wet paper, specifically paper napkins, straw covers, tissues that have gotten moist somehow… I can’t deal.

Meghan: What is the first book you remember reading?

Chris Miller: I read a lot of Hardy Boys mysteries as a kid, and eventually got into R.L. Stine’s Fear Street and Goosebumps books, but the first adult novel I read was The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. Man, I loved that book!

Meghan: What are you reading now?

Chris Miller: Stinger by Robert R. McCammon. Very good so far, as is all of McCammon’s work. Phenomenal writer.

Meghan: What’s a book you really enjoyed that others wouldn’t expect you to have liked?

Chris Miller: A little gem called Letters Written in White by my friend Kathryn Perez. She’s local too, lives in my hometown. Terrific little book. Tore my heart from behind my meat shirt and made me weep. Not suspense, not horror, not thriller. Just a well written drama with some strong elements of romance. And I loved it.

Meghan: What made you decide you want to write? When did you begin writing?

Chris Miller: I’ve always liked telling stories, and I get really animated when I do. Like idiotically so. And I would tend to embellish a lot, and it just made more sense to start telling fictional stories. First thing I wrote was an unofficial sequel to the Narnia series which would ignore everything after the first one. But it sucked hard and fast and I didn’t make it ten pages. But I was only about ten at the time. At 18 I wrote a short story. That was my first real and complete story I’d written. I’ve been on and off since then, and really got serious about it about 5 years ago, and I write as much as I can every week.

Meghan: Do you have a special place you like to write?

Chris Miller: I don’t know if it’s special, but it’s where I normally write, which is my front living room where my iMac is. I’ve done it at work as well when things are slow enough, but that’s rare and there’s always distractions and interruptions. It’s nice and quiet at my desk at home.

Meghan: Do you have any quirks or processes that you go through when you write?

Chris Miller: I prefer to write with a glass of gin and soda with lime in front of me. I just sip it when I slow down for a bit or rest my fingers. But when it isn’t there, I feel naked, and only my wife and satanic perverts want to see me naked. Actually, not even sure my wife does. Coffee is a good substitute for this.

Meghan: Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?

Chris Miller: I wrote a story called “In The House”, which is in the anthology Killers Inside. I was writing about a home invasion, which is the scariest thing in the world to me. But as I was writing, I realized that one of the villains was going to rape and brutalize the mother of the home. I don’t write extreme horror, so I wanted to insinuate as much as possible without flat out saying what was happening, you know, let the reader fill in the gaps. But in parts it just wasn’t possible. After the scene was done, I felt almost sick. I can’t think of a more humiliating and horrible thing a person could do to another person. But the story is king, and drives all the action and terror that follows. But I had to stop writing on that story for the rest of the day and go shower.

Meghan: What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve written so far?

Chris Miller: The Damned Place, which was published earlier this year. I’m REALLY proud of that book. And it’s my longest one at this time.

Meghan: What books have most inspired you? Who are some authors that have inspired your writing style?

Chris Miller: IT has been a great inspiration for me, especially in character development. The Hunt for Red October and plenty of other suspense books have inspired me to achieve a fever pitch of suspense on the page. There’s nothing better. Stephen King, Dean Koontz (his pacing in the old days, Holy Mother, was that incredible!), Robert McCammon, Jonathan Janz, Brian Keene, Ray Garton (who gave a blurb for the cover of my second novel, The Hard Goodbye), Josh Malerman, Caroline Kepnes, and a thousand others have all been big influences on my personal style.

Meghan: What do you think makes a good story?

Chris Miller: Good characters. They’re more important than the plot. You can take a ho-hum idea, but if you have great characters, you could very well have a great book. Of course, ideally, you’ll have great characters and a great story as well.

Meghan: What does it take for you to love a character? How do you utilize that when creating your characters?

Chris Miller: Realism. Flaws. Insight into why they are the way they are. You can even love the vilest of villains if they’re properly drawn and developed. That’s a total must.

Meghan: Which, of all your characters, do you think is the most like you?

Chris Miller: Harry Fletcher and Jim Dalton are both pretty good candidates, but if I had to pick just one, probably Harry.

Meghan: Are you turned off by a bad cover? To what degree were you involved in creating your book covers?

Chris Miller: A bad cover sucks. I don’t let it be my deciding factor, but it’s sure nice to not cringe when you look at a book. So far, I’ve been very involved in all my covers, going back and forth with the designer and what I wanted until we finally saw it materialize. Who knows if that will continue, but so far that’s been the case.

Meghan: What have you learned creating your books?

Chris Miller: A LOT. I’ve learned about shaping worlds and characters and learned how to listen to them and let THEM tell the story. Follow their lead. I’ve also learned a lot on the technical side of things as well as marketing and networking.

Meghan: What has been the hardest scene for you to write so far?

Chris Miller: The rape scene from “In the House”. It just hurt.

Meghan: What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?

Chris Miller: The level of suspense and intensity to the stories. I’ve figured out how to really ratchet up the tension and take things to a really explosive, satisfying climax. Even some of the best out there seem to miss this mark sometimes. It was another of the myriad reasons I started writing myself, because this is what I wanted to read, and no one out there was doing it quite the way I wanted it done. So I’m filling that void.

Meghan: How important is the book title, how hard is it to choose the best one, and how did you choose yours (of course, with no spoilers)?

Chris Miller: It’s important. Quite important. Sometimes the title comes more easily than others. Sometimes you write a line in the story and realize you just found your title. Other times it comes to you with the idea for the book. Yet other times, you have several ideas you have to bounce off people. It should convey something about the story, but not give anything away. And when the reader finishes they should ‘get’ why the title is what it is.

Meghan: What makes you feel more fulfilled: Writing a novel or writing a short story?

Chris Miller: A novel. Reason being it just feels good to finish a large scale story, especially when it really comes together and works. I can pump a short story out in an afternoon, and some that I have are in anthologies. I love doing that as well, and I’m proud of my shorts, but I’m even more proud of my longer work.

Meghan: Tell us a little bit about your books, your target audience, and what you would like readers to take away from your stories.

Chris Miller: I tend to call myself a suspense writer. Most of my short fiction falls into the horror category, and my longer fiction are thrillers, supernatural thriller, hard-boiled crime, and now with The Damned Place a full-blooded horror story. But even with my thrillers, they are written in a horroresque manner of prose. They always brush elbows with horror, even if they’re technically more properly labeled as thrillers. Anyone who loves suspense and can handle some gore should love my work. As for what I want them to take away, more than anything, entertainment. I have some morals weaved into the work and some things to think about for sure, but if I don’t entertain you, I’ve failed. Books should be fun before they’re anything else. And that’s my goal.

Meghan: Can you tell us about some of the deleted scenes/stuff that got left out of your work?

Chris Miller: The original version of A Murder of Saints was actually written to be “Christian Fiction” because it’s inspired around some things that actually happened in a youth group at a church I was going to as a teenager, and dealt with some heavy things. So I didn’t have any coarse language and it had this happy sunny ending. Then I looked at it and said, “That’s shit.” So I fixed it. Chopped out four entire chapters, put a LOT more story into what was left, let the dirty words fly, and made an ending that stays with you long after you finish. It’s the only novel I’ve written that I did such an overhaul on, and I don’t plan to do that again. Don’t need to, either, since I won’t be writing for the CF market directly again. That story may have been set around a church scandal and had some heavy Christian influences and debates in it—I am a Christian, after all—but it really wasn’t that sort of story you’d file in Christian Fiction.

Meghan: What is in your “trunk”?

Chris Miller: I have a fantasy novel finished in first draft, a suspense horror novella finished in first draft, and another suspense novella that is unfinished. I’ll get around to them eventually, I’ve just been so busy with everything else that I haven’t really given them the attention they need. One day they’ll see the light of day.

Meghan: What can we expect from you in the future?

Chris Miller: A lot more horror. I’ve created a universe with all my books where all the characters exist together and sometimes cross over into other stories or are mentioned here and there. I’ve also developed a multi-verse that I plan to explore as these other novels come out and set the stage for what’s to come. And I do plan to write a lengthier comedy. I’ve done two short stories which were comedy, and they were hilarious. I’d like to see if I could manage that with something longer. Maybe a novella.

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Chris Miller: You can find me on Facebook or search and add me. If you’re not a creep, I’ll add you. Twitter. Instagram. I have a patreon page as well if anyone would like to support me there. And of course my Amazon page with links to everything I have available.

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview?

Chris Miller: I just appreciate everyone who reads and gives me a shoutout, letting me know they liked the book. Or that they didn’t. Either way, those reviewers help put the book on the map and help me grow and learn as I navigate my way through this business. God bless all of you!

Chris Miller is a native Texan who has been writing from an early age, but only started publishing in 2017. Since the release of his first novel, A Murder of Saints, he has released a novella – Trespass – another novel – The Hard Goodbye – a single short story – Flushed – and has been inducted into multiple anthologies, including the acclaimed And Hell Followed from Death’s Head Press, where his story “Behind Blue Eyes” appears alongside stories from Wrath James White, Jeff Strand, and The Sisters of Slaughter, just to name a few. He has another new novel coming soon, the first part of a trilogy of horror, and will be featured in more anthologies throughout the year. He is happily married to the love of his life, Aliana, and they have three beautiful children.

A Murder of Saints

Sophie Fields is a little girl tortured by her memories of Damien Smith, a much-loved and respected church elder with a secret lust for the unmentionable. After his misdeeds are covered up by church leaders, she climbs to the roof of her house and jumps to her death, right in front of her shocked brother, Charlie.

Twenty years later, detective Harry Fletcher is still haunted by the personal demons associated with the church cover-up. After losing his faith, his wife, and now his partner, Fletcher learns that Charlie Fields has come back to town with one mission: to kill everyone responsible for his sister’s death. It is Fletcher’s job to track and stop the crazed killer. But as it becomes clear who the main targets are, Fletcher finds himself in the midst of a moral quagmire. Although he sees justice in Charlie’s crusade, the killer seems to be taking out others not responsible for his family’s destruction. As Fletcher and his new partner battle each other in a test of ideology and limits of the law, the real demons show up and change everything.

The Hard Goodbye

As the old axiom goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

John Savage realized that too late. 

Following the biggest job of their lives, John and his small crew think they’ve got it made. But a lawyer, a junkie, a crooked cop, Savage and his girlfriend have unknowingly opened Pandora’s Box. And they won’t know it until it’s too late. As the brutally tortured bodies of their partners come to light, tensions rise all the way to the screaming, chaotic conclusion of this bloody crime thriller. 

High risk brings high reward, but the safe bet is usually the smartest. Stick to the plan, or get ready for the hard goodbye.

Trespass

An adrenaline pumping, nerve wracking, intense thiller that will leave you breathless. Frank took his son hunting and what was supposed to be a pleasant time of bonding turned into an absolute nightmare. Out in the middle of nowhere, on their own property, They stumble upon a group of trespassers trying to get rid of a secret so damning they’re willing to kill anyone that sees it. Get ready for a relentless page turner as Frank dares to fend off the assailants, while racing to get his son help before he bleeds to death.Chris Miller tells a story that any father could relate to. Trespass has what it takes to be a thriller best seller.

Flushed

You’ve had a bad day before. We all have.
But Marty is in a whole other level of shit.
Literally.

Following a drunken night of sex with the office secretary, Marty’s guts are rebelling after his personal hangover remedy, nachos with jalapenos and hot sauce.

Marty has to go. And he’s got to get across the office to do so. Standing in his way are Nikki, the secretary from the night prior, Brad, the vape enthusiast douche, and possibly even his boss. The office door is always open, after all.

Join Marty on his trek, like a vulgar Lord of the Rings. The distance may be shorter, but the stakes are just as high.

The Damned Place

A small town with dark secrets. A house hidden in the woods that holds horrors unimaginable. Four friends on summer break fighting off a group of bullies dead set on ruining their summer of fun. The little town of Winnsboro has buried its secrets beneath years of history and faded memories. But, it’s about to be unearthed releasing ancient creatures as a budding psychopath blooms Will they survive what comes for them and possibly the world or will The Damned Place end it all?

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Danger Slater

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Danger! Welcome back… er… um… back, but to my new home. It’s been awhile since we sat down together. What’s been going on since we last spoke?

Danger Slater: I’ve just been kicking ass and taking names. Okay, that’s not true. I haven’t kicked a single ass or taken a single name since we last talked. I’ve mostly just been hanging out and playing video games.

Meghan: Who are you outside of writing?

Danger Slater: A dude with a small bladder. I pee a lot. It’s kinda annoying. Don’t take me on a car ride.

Meghan: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?

Danger Slater: Eh, if they are into it, then sure. But I’m not reading their stuff.

Meghan: Is being a writer a gift or a curse?

Danger Slater: Neither. It’s not a gift because you have to work at it. It’s not a curse because nobody is making you do it. It’s more like… a job.

Meghan: How has your environment and upbringing colored your writing?

Danger Slater: I mean, probably a lot. But I don’t know how exactly because I have no other frame of reference.

Meghan: What’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research for your books?

Danger Slater: Research is for scientists and nerds. I’m writing fiction so I can just make stuff up if I don’t know the answer. Who was the 12th President of the USA? I have no idea. But if I was writing a book, I’d say it was Taylor Johnston. Is that factually accurate? No idea.

I do look up how to spell words though. Want my spelling correct.

Meghan: Which do you find the hardest to write: the beginning, the middle, or the end?

Danger Slater: The beginning. It sets the tone for the whole book. I rewrite my beginnings over and over again, those first few pages or chapters. Sometimes 20 times. Whatever it takes for me to really figure out the characters and the tone of the book. Once I have that down, it’s just setting up the pieces for the rest of the novel.

Meghan: Do you outline? Do you start with characters or plot? Do you just sit down and start writing? What works best for you?

Danger Slater: I don’t outline, generally speaking, but I will go in a with a few ideas. The story takes shape as I go over it again and again. I write towards certain scenes or character beats, but I also keep it pretty loose and don’t hold myself to that too much. Sometimes I’ll outline the third act, if I have a lot of loose plot points I need to resolve before the book wraps up.

Meghan: What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline/plan?

Danger Slater: Nothing. Keep writing.

Meghan: What do you do to motivate yourself to sit down and write?

Danger Slater: I’ve done it on a regular basis for long enough that I don’t have to motivate myself. I just sit down at my “writing time,” which I try to keep around the same each day, when I first wake up, and I go to work.

Meghan: Are you an avid reader?

Danger Slater: Of course.

Meghan: What kind of books do you absolutely love to read?

Danger Slater: I like bizarro and horror. Weird stuff that goes in unexpected directions. Characters that I can relate to stuck in impossible and unreal situations. Reading gives me the opportunity to let someone else help guide my imagination, so I try to be selective. I will put a book down after 3 pages if I’m not feeling it. Likewise, I can be 300 pages into a 400 page book, and if I stop feeling it, I’ll just put it down. No sense in punishing myself. It’s supposed to be fun.

Meghan: How do you feel about movies based on books?

Danger Slater: No opinion. The types of books they make movies from are typically not the kinds of books I have read.

Meghan: Have you ever killed a main character?

Danger Slater: No. Well, like, kinda but not really. Often times characters will transform after some kind of personal apocalypse, so maybe that is a type of death. I don’t know.

Meghan: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?

Danger Slater: No, because I suffer with them.

Meghan: What’s the weirdest character concept that you’ve ever come up with?

Danger Slater: The main character of my last book Impossible James impregnates himself with his clones over and over again, which has some… unintended consequences on his body. I guess that’s pretty weird.

Meghan: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received? What’s the worst?

Danger Slater: I honestly don’t recall either. I have a terrible memory. Best advice is probably something like: keep writing! Worst advice is probably something more like: quit writing! Haha.

Meghan: What do your fans mean to you?

Danger Slater: They’re great. It’s exciting for me that people read my stuff, and I like when people write reviews or message me about it. It’s a satisfying feeling to know that people are connecting with my stories.

Meghan: If you could steal one character from another author and make them yours, who would it be and why?

Danger Slater: I’d take Don Quixote because all my characters are basically him anyway.

Meghan: If you could write the next book in a series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?

Danger Slater: I wouldn’t want to do that, but if someone made me, I’d do the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy because 1.) it’s great, and 2.) it’s the only book series I can ever remember reading.

Meghan: If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?

Danger Slater: I would collaborate with Michael Allen Rose and we’d write a book about toast. MAGICAL TOAST!

Meghan: What can we expect from you in the future?

Danger Slater: I’ve already finished my next two books, editing a third, and working on a fourth, so a whole bunch more fiction coming your way!

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Danger Slater: Twitter is best. Or just google me. I’m not invisible.

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview or the last?

Danger Slater: Meghan, I think you’ve asked literally every question in the whole entire world, so there is nothing unsaid and nothing left to cover. Also, if you’re out there and reading this right now: buy some books, preferably mine. Thanks!

Meghan: Just wait until round three…

Wonderland Award winning author Danger Slater is the world’s most flammable writer! He likes to use a lot of exclamation points!

Impossible James

My father was dying. There was no hope. Then he took a screwdriver to the brain. Got pregnant. And found the cure for death.

Impossible? That’s my dad.

IMPOSSIBLE JAMES

He Digs a Hole

Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Cut off your hands and replace them with gardening tools. Dig a hole. Can you hear the worms calling? Keep digging.

I Will Rot Without You

Meet Ernie. His life is a mess. Gretchen’s gone, and the apartment they once shared is this grey, grim city is now overrun with intelligent mold and sinister bugs.

Then his neighbor Dee shows up, so smart and lovely. If he can just get past the fact that her jealous boyfriend could reach out of her blouse and punch him in the face at any moment, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Unfortunately for all involved, a Great Storm is coming and it will wash away everything we’ve ever known about the human heart.

Halloween Extravaganza: Iona Caldwell: Samhain and Halloween: How a Druid Does Both

megHan

When Iona Caldwell asked if she could discuss Halloween from the point of view of a Druid, I jumped at the chance to have this kind of information given to my readers, a topic that I hadn’t had touched on in the history of my Halloween Extravaganza. What she had to say was very interesting, and I hope that y’all learn as much as I did.

Being a mom is hard enough. Being a mom and a Druid – now that might seem impossible!

Going to bed late, rough nights of sleep due to a restless mind of things being left undone, parent/teacher conferences, fundraisers – the list goes on. And these are daily activities.

Then there’s squeezing in the needs of a practicing Druid including (but certainly not limited to) spending time with nature, natural cleansing of the altar, morning and evening rituals, writing a Book of Shadows (not all druids do this, it’s my personal preference), meditating… you get the idea. Then there are times when two holidays (days of power for me) roll around.

Once the holidays get here, things take a drastic change.

Halloween is coming up and we all know what that means: candy, costumes, spooky decor, and delicious treats. That’s for my kids.

Since we don’t get a ton of Trick or Treating around our small town, we typically rely on Trunk or Treating, mall trick or treating and sometimes none at all if the weather is too cold, we have a sick munchkin or it’s raining.

If you are like me, you let your little monsters stay awake late and indulge in some pre-dentist visit inducing carbs waiting for the precious “sugar crash” that seems like it can take hours. It can leave the mind tired and really not wanting to do much other than falling into bed. That’s when Charlie Brown goes on the television and we enjoy some hot cocoa or cider while wrapped in our blankets in front of the fireplace.

For me, it’s the glorious night of Samhain.

This is the time when many things happen for a practicing Druid. The Wild Hunt rides, unsettled spirits walk the Earth, the Veil is thin and sometimes the third eye can get a bit overwhelmed. For those who practice invocation, evocation, moon work, spell work, etc, this can pretty taxing.

Most of my practice happens at night after the kids are asleep and the family tradition of watching Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing (don’t judge me) is over.

However, like parenting, spiritual practice takes work. Sometimes you have to be willing to take some hits to certain parts of your life (like Netflix binging, gaming, etc) to become more in tune with the Divine. Samhain is the perfect time to commune with crone goddesses and your ancestors. It’s a wonderful time to do divination or rituals of evocation. Maybe you’re Wiccan and have separate ways of practicing altogether and have your own rituals and spell work.

Whatever way you practice, it takes serious devotion.

What I do for any Eightfold Wheel day is always start with a meal of some kind. Being a Druid means communing with family and others, it means networking and learning to balance the different aspects of our lives.

Just like Nature is the perfect balancer, I take my time with my husband and enjoy a meal while watching a movie. We may indulge in some “Witch’s Brew,” baked treats like freshly baked pumpkin bread or apple pies. Whatever we do, we take time to do it together.

After taking some time with the family and the wee hours when they’re all asleep, I typically spend some time letting the day “melt” from my body. It allows my mind to be open to the Divine and clears the space if you will.

This year, I plan to do a ritual of evocation to the Crone Aspect of the Triple Goddess. It can be terrifying to work with her but in the end you can receive amazing insight. I won’t go into exact detail as I wanted to give you a glimpse into how hectic Halloween (Samhain) can be when doing both.

It can be taxing but more importantly, it’s fun!

About the author:

My name is Iona Caldwell. I’m the author of the British Occult Fiction Beneath London’s Fog, which was published by FyreSyde Publishing this month. When I’m not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I’m spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things, but mostly everything bookish.

All of my novels are stand-alone novellas, each with a cast of people I hope my readers will come to love as much as I have.

Beneath London’s Fog

Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.

Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.

When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.

The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape. 

One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Iona Caldwell

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Iona. Thanks for agreeing to take part in this interview today, and welcome to Meghan’s House of Books. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Iona Caldwell: My name is Iona Caldwell. I am an outspoken druid and devoted author of the classics. Iona is indeed a pen name with a preference to keep my real name hidden. However, I am a very friendly person who is active on my social media and who loves to meet new people. I wrote Beneath London’s Fog to begin a journey I long wanted to begin. When FyreSyde picked it up, it elated me to find someone enjoyed it. To this day, I am blown away at how well it has been received. When I am not writing, I love to blog about books and movies on my review blog. My personal blog is devoted to my love of Druidry, gardening, sustainability and awareness. I feel we need to devote more time to conserving Mother Earth rather than taking advantage of her. The Oaken King, my personal blog, is in the middle of a shark related series in light of the recent shark week.

Meghan: What are five things most people don’t know about you?

Iona Caldwell: I do not know why but many have fallen under the impression that I live in the UK. Though I would love to live there, I do in fact live in the US. I am also a practicing herbalist, an avid gamer, and a blossoming geomancer. One might also find me in a tea shop in light of my love for tea or perusing the True Crime section as my love of studying serial killers has become almost legendary in my household. I rarely read modern writing, preferring the company of masterminds like Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Mary Shelley, Poe, and other masters of the writing craft. I love to bake, doing so mostly in the Autumn and Winter time. That is probably more than five but eh.

Meghan: What is the first book you remember reading?

Iona Caldwell: I fell in love with R.L Stein’s Goosebumps as a kid. I devoured them before moving on to Annette Curtis-Klause’s paranormal romance books Blood & Chocolate and The Silver Kiss.

Meghan: What are you reading now?

Iona Caldwell: Right now I am enthralled in a non-fiction titled The Ardlamont Mystery: The True Case that Inspired Sherlock Holmes. As an author of detective and occult fiction, I keep myself “in the loop” on the methodology of the Victorian serial killer. For fiction, I’m enjoying Dean Koontz’s Prodigal Son. It is a modern day Frankenstein set 200 years after the monster escaped and Frankenstein died.

Meghan: What’s a book you really enjoyed that others wouldn’t expect you to have liked?

Iona Caldwell: I do not believe many would believe I am an avid fan of cozy mysteries considering how my books are written. The cozies offer me a chance to break from the dark occult/gothic worlds I create with lighter humor and the occasional romance. The Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanne Fluke and Aurora Teagarden are some of my favorites.

Meghan: What made you decide you want to write? When did you begin writing?

Iona Caldwell: I had been wanting to write professionally for a while but never could gather up the courage to actually pitch a story to a publisher. I have been a blogger longer than an author but recently started running two blogs. One is The Oaken King. This blog contains my love of all things nature, sustainability and conservation, plus more. The other is The Antlered Crown. This is my review blog where I review books and movies, mainly in the horror genre. I began writing seriously in college where I studied history. I let my writing go for a while to pursue other things I thought were passions but found they actually were not. Hence, the writing of Beneath London’s Fog.

Meghan: Do you have a special place you like to write?

Iona Caldwell: I have a few places I prefer to write. It usually depends on how I am feeling. When I find creativity stunted, I tend to go out to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, or even a favourite restaurant to write. When I am at home, either my office or the couch work just fine.

Meghan: Do you have any quirks or processes that you go through when you write?

Iona Caldwell: Before I write, I perform a ritual including lying on the couch to let the stresses of the day to drain off of me. Once I feel relaxed, I meditate for about 20 minutes to focus and relax my mind further. As far as quirks, I am a punster so there are those rare times where I suffer from a temporary lapse in where to go. However, this is incredibly rare and I am usually able to finish a novella in a month or two. I also do not write every day. If I feel like I don’t want to and would rather do something else, I do. My other hobbies help me refill what I call the “creative well.”

Meghan: Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?

Iona Caldwell: Honestly, no. Writing is as natural to me as breathing. I do not focus on what others may think of me and write what I want. The challenging thing is to decide which of the many ideas I would like to work on next. This is alleviated via the use of a notebook and the feeling of a sparking passion that occurs in an “aha” moment. If I do not feel that moment, I throw the idea aside even if I have started writing it.

Meghan: What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve written so far?

Iona Caldwell: There are too many to name a single satisfying thing. I tend to find satisfaction in completing a manuscript itself.

Meghan: What books have most inspired you? Who are some authors that have inspired your writing style?

Iona Caldwell: I am an avid reader of the classics. Very rarely do I indulge in reading modern authors unless they are Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Ruth Ware, Darcy Coates, Nick Cutter, Charlaine Harris, Joanne Fluke, or Clive Barker. Among my favorites are Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and HP Lovecraft.

Meghan: What do you think makes a good story?

Iona Caldwell: To answer this, I will say what makes a good story is one that feels it does not, in fact, have to explain every facet of itself. Masters of horror have often criticized modern authors for their over-use of details and their feeling they have to explain everything. Deep characters with real flaws, world-building and the ability to show and not tell everything are bonuses. The latter is not really necessary since one merely has to read a Sherlock Holmes novel to find Conan Doyle is indeed a teller. A strong, unique story, well-formed dialogue and a fair amount of decent twists also gives a story a firm foundation. An author also does not have to manufacture an entirely new trope but to take what exists and make it into something unique. An example of this is perfectly exhibited in del Toro’s The Strain. Two tropes well known (a plague and vampires) to literature are taken and reformed into something new and unheard of. A well-designed inciting incident and a plot that pushes the story forward are also what makes a good story.

Meghan: What does it take for you to love a character? How do you utilize that when creating your characters?

Iona Caldwell: I need to feel the character’s emotions. If I do not feel connected – like I am hearing, smelling, seeing, touching and tasting – to the character, then they are lost. I love characters that are flawed, Characters that are not perfect like an alpha male or overly strong female. The way I am able to do this is I only write in 1st person. This allows me to put on VR glasses and see what they are seeing. I must walk in their shoes and experience all they experience. 1st person, I think, is under-valued but again, Conan Doyle utilizes first person in his novels. Many classics did so and they are timeless. 3rd person limited and omniscient make it easy to write a character. 1st person makes it easy to experience them.

Meghan: Which, of all your characters, do you think is the most like you?

Iona Caldwell: I do not have a single character most like me. As I mentioned, I wear the skin of all of them. Each carries a piece of me within them and I in them. This might not be the answer requested but it is the best I have.

Meghan: Are you turned off by a bad cover? To what degree were you involved in creating your book covers?

Iona Caldwell: I am usually willing to give a book a chance as long as it has a promising story. Do I look at covers? Absolutely. However, I do not let them be the deciding factor on whether or not I will try the story. I have the privilege of working with a publisher who lets their authors be involved in every step of the publishing process. This being the case, I have a say in which cover I would like and if I do not like it or want something changed, FyreSyde happily helps.

Meghan: What have you learned creating your books?

Iona Caldwell: The most important thing is to not worry about “pleasing every reader.” We, as authors, simply cannot and will not be able to earn approval from every reader. Bias plays a vital part in reviews and we need to remember that. I was terrified when I got feedback from one of the beta readers of Beneath London’s Fog but then I realized they had a different preference. Authors need to remember, we will get bad reviews. To think we will not is arrogant. Learn from them and let them help you appreciate the reviewers who are your fans.

Meghan: What has been the hardest scene for you to write so far?

Iona Caldwell: The last scene in every novella is the hardest. It means I am nearing a relationship I worked hard to nurture. We grow attached to our characters and ending a manuscript can be just as sad as starting a new one can be exciting.

Meghan: What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?

Iona Caldwell: My genre is rarely written. I do not classify it as romance, horror, etc. My genre is Occult or Gothic fiction. My books are different because they exist in a genre not well-known to modern authors. When asked why I write Occult Fiction, I always answer with the diversity. It is such a magnificent genre because there are no bounds to what one can do with it. It is also one of the oldest genres. We have all experienced it in one way or another, we just might not know or realize we have.

Meghan: How important is the book title, how hard is it to choose the best one, and how did you choose yours (of course, with no spoilers)?

Iona Caldwell: I do not have any trouble crafting titles. They are often the first things I have right after the very basic of plots. A title is like the pitch before a reader glimpses the synopsis. They, in my opinion, are more important than the synopsis. Often it is the title that catches the potential reader along with the cover. Once these two have done their job, the reader picks up the book and turns it over. I chose mine because it is the story. A dark story hidden beneath a very real and mysterious aspect of London. Fog is mischievous. It deceives, conceals, yet is beautiful to see. It is associated with the occult as a veil for spirits or for evil. That is what led to my choice of Beneath London’s Fog.

Meghan: What makes you feel more fulfilled: Writing a novel or writing a short story?

Iona Caldwell: A blog post makes me feel fulfilled. Why? Because it is a passion. Any form of writing fulfills me because I have woven another world with words even if I decide to keep it for myself. In the case of a blog post, I love to read and review books and I love to write about my other passions. Also, something to look at is with each time you write, you get a little better, which is fulfilling in and of itself.

Meghan: Tell us a little bit about your books, your target audience, and what you would like readers to take away from your stories.

Iona Caldwell: I have to chuckle with this one because I know some of my readers are going to be left with questions. I will never write a series because I do not always explain every little detail. As a matter of fact, there are many mysteries that will remain so. I do this on purpose. I want my readers to theorize and to ask questions. My target audience is mainly adult since there are some graphic scenes but with movies as they are, who knows? My books are full of flawed characters and characters who often walk the fine line of what is morally right and wrong. For example, Jonathan from Beneath London’s Fog, sees himself as a villain because of his monstrous nature. Yet, he is also a gentle and loving father. Markus from Hell’s Warden (my next title) can be classified as an anti-hero because of his choices (not saying). I want my readers to see these flaws but look beneath them to find a deeper story. I also want my readers to enjoy the story for its value which is why I never write series or show my face. Looking at the examples of the literary masters again, how often did they write “series?” True Agatha Christie wrote Poirot and Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock but those were not considered “series.” They were more installments in a saga of characters. Why? Because each was a stand-alone story in and of itself rather than a consecutive string of events.

Meghan: Can you tell us about some of the deleted scenes/stuff that got left out of your work?

Iona Caldwell: There really are not any. Since my novellas are short, I tend to include the most prudent scenes and make sure they are crafted carefully to be needed. In my first book, there were no scenes cut, not one. Instead, a few were moved around where my editor thought they may help with the pacing.

Meghan: What is in your “trunk”?

Iona Caldwell: I am a jack of trades. Outside of writing, I focus on raising organic seeds, baking, practicing my druidic rituals, cooking, gardening, gaming and reading. This is another reason why I do not really consider writing a career. I do not wish it to be. I just enjoy it. My other passions take up large amounts of my time and I plan on adding more as the years progress. I must admit, I have never heard it referred to as a “trunk” before. We learn something new every day.

Meghan: What can we expect from you in the future?

More novellas, intriguing characters and a growing number of gothic mysteries. Otherwise, I am very active on social media and share things on my Instagram and Twitter almost daily (yes, I am one of those oddballs who does not let social media rule me). Otherwise, I am very fast at writing and getting titles out. Thankfully my publisher knows this and is willing to work with me.

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Iona Caldwell:

Twitter ** Instagram ** Betwitching Book Club ** Antlered Crown Reviews
Goodreads ** The Antlered Crown ** The Oaken King

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview?

Iona Caldwell: Surprisingly no. You were quite thorough. I suppose all I can really add is to invite anyone who wants to connect with me to do so. I am taking reviews (paperback only) and enjoy meeting new and aspiring authors, bloggers, gardeners, etc. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on any of my social media.

About the author:

My name is Iona Caldwell. I’m the author of the British Occult Fiction Beneath London’s Fog, which was published by FyreSyde Publishing this month. When I’m not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I’m spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things, but mostly everything bookish.

All of my novels are stand-alone novellas, each with a cast of people I hope my readers will come to love as much as I have.

Beneath London’s Fog

Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.

Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.

When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.

The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape. 

One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.