Twenty-two years before Technology of the Gods… Seventeen years before Fingerprints of the Gods… Fifteen years before Forbidden Archaeology… …there was Worlds Before Our Own, Brad Steiger’s groundbreaking argument for the existence of a global prehistoric civilization. The evidence Steiger had amassed for such a claim was based primarily upon finds of “erratics” — mysterious “man-made” artifacts found in the deepest, most primordial geological strata. In the past couple of decades the concepts first presented in Worlds Before Our Own have garnered tremendous critical and popular support. This is the book that started it all. Twenty-two years before Technology of the Gods… Seventeen years before Fingerprints of the Gods… Fifteen years before Forbidden Archaeology… …there was Worlds Before Our Own, Brad Steiger’s groundbreaking argument for the existence of a global prehistoric civilization. The evidence Steiger had amassed for such a claim was based primarily upon finds of “erratics” — mysterious “man-made” artifacts found in the deepest, most primordial geological strata. In the past couple of decades the concepts first presented in Worlds Before Our Own have garnered tremendous critical and popular support. This is the book that started it all.
What if the world is far different than our understanding of it? Understanding formulated and cultivated by an established intellectual community that made up its mind long ago about the way things were supposed to be, despite evidence to the contrary. Naturally, presenting such proof in the form of the book ‘Worlds Before Our Own’ would gather scathing reviews. I’m a fan of this Brad Steiger book because it opened my mind to many possibilities.
Whether we realize it or not, our ideas have been shaped by what we’ve been exposed to, which often corresponds to prevailing thought. Think about it. At one time, the cosmos revolved around Earth. You were considered to be a heretic if you said otherwise. The gorilla was thought to be the imaginations of crazy people until famous experts saw them. The Pyramids, then Stonehenge, then other early sites were considered to be the precursors of civilization. Then, Gobekti Tepe was recently discovered in Turkey. Over 12,000 years old, it was built in the neolithic before the invention of pottery, writing, or the wheel apparently. Planets didn’t exist – of course not – until they were discovered by new technology. UFOs were seen by many people, all considered to be crackpots. Now they’re on military and personal cell phone videos and are being actively discussed by ‘rational’ people.
This 1978 book obviously has no recent documentation, which begs for an update because the presentation opens your mind to the possibilities of, as the book says, worlds before our own, mysteries hidden by time, doubting opinions, and hidden agendas. I’ve read and reread this book with a healthy amount of skepticism. Many of these accounts originate from people and to state the obvious, not everyone is truthful. But even if only 1% of it is true, it’s simply mind-boggling.
Here’s some of what the book talks about…
At Glen Rose, Texas, hominid footprints, 16” long, are located alongside dinosaur tracks. The 6’ long hominid stride increased to 9’ when running. Either gigantic humanoids existed in the Cretaceous Period or dinosaurs existed in the Pleistocene Era, alongside giants. Or, of course, it’s all a mistake, but footprints and artifact mysteries are not isolated incidents.
Many other tales, written accounts, many scientific, indicate the existence of giants. Not just footprints, but skeletons too, some as tall as 36’ discovered in diverse places. Many cultures and religions mention giants as casually as they mention known historical locations and occurrences.
The old news accounts are fascinating, not just from small press, but from science journals and respectable newspapers as well.
In addition to the accounts of witnesses, there are physical artifacts that also confound the accepted notion of what we know. A gold necklace found embedded in coal or a metal bell shaped vessel, inlaid with a silver floral design, encased in solid rock. Both removed from far underground, imprints intact within the surrounding matrix. Many examples of these erratics have been found, things which disturb the preconceived notions of history and archaeology. Some examples range closer to an easier acceptance of credibility, such as unparalleled examples of stonework, metallurgy, glassmaking, and electroplating which can’t be reproduced using today’s technology, yet they were available to ancient civilizations. Even more incredible ancient technologies pertain to tales of godlike crystals, manna generators, and flying machines, taken from religious texts and ancient historians.
Did you know that the Great Flood was described by many religions, cultures, and histories? According to some cultures, many related cycles of destruction have occurred after which we continually rebuild. Maybe these events passed on to the realms of legend over the course of forgotten millennia, and while little to no scientific proof exists, that doesn’t mean that something didn’t happen.
Sometimes, legend only has to go back a century or two. Early American explorers and Indian accounts tell of gigantic flying monsters vaguely similar to the pterodactyl. The creatures could walk, run, fly, and swim, developing a craving for human flesh that nearly destroyed a tribal community. The details of these accounts are astounding.
We all only know what we do until we discover something different. And then, it’s up to us to choose how we handle it. New discoveries are happening all the time. It’s good to have an open mind. This book will introduce you to an ancient world of mystery.
And… after reading this book, you should also try his 2010 book ‘Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters, and Beasts from the Darkside’, regarding folklore and how unnervingly real it can be.
Meghan: Hey, Michaelbrent. Welcome to this year’s Halloween Extravaganza… extended edition. It’s always a pleasure to have you here. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Michaelbrent: I’m a dad, so my favorite part is definitely stealing candy from my kids after we trick-r-treat, then scratching my head and positing on the possibility of candy-stealing gremlins when my kids notice all their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have disappeared.
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Michaelbrent: Absolutely. I’ll scream (loudly) during horror movies, because I love to let myself go and just enjoy the terror. And my kids love watching me when I play a scary video game. It’s like watching someone tapdancing during a seizure. And I’m okay with that: at least my cowardice is entertaining.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Michaelbrent: Hmmm…scariest movie would be a toss-up. There are just so many good ones out there! But if you define “scariest” as “biggest effect on ME,” it would probably be either The Shining or Watcher in the Woods, both of which I saw when I was around eight years old, and both of which sent me (literally) screaming down the hall when it was time for bed. I’ve rewatched both since then, and no longer scream about it (at least, not as much), so I feel very brave as a human. Conquering fears for the win!
As an adult, I do scream and shriek with the best of ‘em in the theaters, but I rarely STAY scared long after credits. Though there was a film called Aterrados (in English, Terrified) that just hit me in the right spot: I not only screamed during the movie, and that night I woke up FREAKED because someone was looming over my bed. Turned out it was just a hat on the bedpost, but sleep had pretty much gone bye-bye at that point.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Michaelbrent: Probably the one with the four colorful children with bizarrely stretched bodies and faces. Teletubbies is a nightmare in the waking world.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Michaelbrent: Nah. Though there are definitely plenty that I’ve said, “Looks like that’s not for me.” I love horror, but there are still images and ideas that I think are not great for me, so I avoid those things. Not a judgment on others who might think differently, just there are definitely “no-go” areas in media that I choose to avoid for personal reasons.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Michaelbrent: Probably Prom Night or one of those ilk: something where pretty much everyone who gets killed is a super-good-looking teen. I’d be safe on every level.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Michaelbrent: Final Girls. I wouldn’t make it through to the end, but at least I’d have fun deconstructing the movie before I died!
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Michaelbrent: Hmmm… I don’t think I have one. There are SO MANY GOOD ONES!
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Michaelbrent: Definitely that “stealing candy from my children” thing.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Michaelbrent: I love the Halloween main title song. Awesome, and so iconic!
MeghanL Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Michaelbrent: Probably The Shining by Stephen King. Not so much for the story, but because I remember reading it as a kid in the one room in my house where I wasn’t going to be disturbed by parents or siblings: the bathroom. So there I am, sitting on “my thinking spot,” and I turned the page to the part where the topiary animals come alive…and right then an earthquake hit. The unsettling part was trying to decide if I should play it safe and run for cover (but sacrifice my dignity as my pants were still around my ankles), or just sit tight, as it were, and hope for the best.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Michaelbrent: I’m no longer allowed to discuss this due to the terms of the settlement. But it does have to do with six rubber bands, a rabid penguin, and a single phone call made to the Bolivian Embassy in Uruguay.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Michaelbrent: Probably the Jack the Ripper one. Not about who he is (I know that, but am prohibited from revealing it due to the terms of the above-named settlement), but how he got so many of the bloodstains out of his clothes!
Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?
Michaelbrent: The Haunting of Hill House, hands down. Shirley Jackson’s book is one of the greatest pieces of horror literature ever written, and still sends shivers down my spine every time I read it.
Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?
Michaelbrent: I’d like to say “crowbar” or “M16” or “grenades,” but honesty compels me to ask if “whimpering” can be considered a weapon. Because that’s probably what my go-to would be.
Meghan: Okay, Michaelbrent… let’s have some fun —
Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf? Werewolf. I’d have hair again!
Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion? Z-poc, definitely. Stay out of crowds, aim for the head. Seems simpler.
Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard? Probably zombie juice. Which I’m assuming is some kind of smoothie made of old fruit.
Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week? Amityville.
Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese? I have no answer for this one.
Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs? Definitely the cotton candy. Cauldrons are SO last-year.
Boo-graphy: Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker. Best known for horror (and voted one of the top 20 All-Time Greatest Horror Writers in a Ranker vote of nearly 20,000 readers), Collings has written bestselling thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy titles, and even humor and non-fiction.
In addition to popular success, Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR. An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six Figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others; and is a mental health advocate and TEDx speaker.
I Am Legion 1: Strangers — You wake up in the morning to discover that you have been sealed into your home. The doors are locked, the windows are barred. THERE’S NO WAY OUT.
A madman is playing a deadly game with you and your family. A game with no rules, only consequences. So what do you do? Do you run? Do you hide?
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer. A madman. Born in the blood of a dying mother, raised in the underground lair of an insane father, he travels the world looking for those who keep secrets and sins. He finds those who have fallen short, and teaches them the lessons they need to leave their mistakes behind. Even if he has to kill them to do it. Because sometimes murder is the only way to teach a proper lesson.
So when he sees a man kidnap two people on the side of the road, Legion knows it is time to teach again. Soon he finds himself caught in the crossfire of a coup in a Russian crime syndicate. He is captured, beaten, bleeding, in chains; cut off and alone.
It’s just the way he likes it. Legion has found his students. And for them, life is about to become frightening and so much… stranger.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he searches for those who keep secrets and sins. Then he teaches them how to leave those mistakes behind. Even if it means killing them to do it.
Because sometimes murder is the cost of a proper education.
That’s why, when he comes to a neighborhood in the grips of a vicious gang war, he knows the time has come to teach.
Soon Legion – and his imaginary brothers, Water and Fire – are caught in the middle of a vicious fight for control of the Downs, the worst part of a city on the verge of anarchy.
Legion is facing enemies on all sides. Hundreds of men will stop at nothing to capture or kill him.
Legion will teach the lessons. And the students will never forget, no matter how long – or short – their lives may be.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he now travels the world searching for those who torment the weak, who harm the innocent. He uncovers the secrets and sins of evildoers, and teaches them how to leave those mistakes behind.
Even if it means killing them to do it.
But this time, the tables have turned. The ghosts of Legion’s past have come for him; the victims of his madness have returned to torment and destroy him. Wounded, weak, near death: for the first time, Legion is not predator, but prey.
Now, aided by a woman and her daughter—who have themselves been surviving in secret terror for a decade—he must survive long enough to battle his past, to destroy the ghosts that have come for his sanity and soul…and to kill all who would harm his new friends.
Tracked by a crime family more twisted than anything he has ever seen, threatened by a madman whose strength is greater than anything he has ever experienced, Legion has never been closer to danger. They want his pain. They want his death. And they will stop at nothing to achieve their aims.
But Legion is a good teacher. So he will run. He will hide.
And then, when the students are ready…he will teach.
Meghan: Hi Wesley! Welcome BACK to Meghan’s Haunted House of Books. It’s always a pleasure having you on. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Wesley: I think I like the fact that, for at least one month out of the year, most people get into the “horror spirit” to watch cool movies and decorate and celebrate with little kids. As someone who kind of lives Halloween most of the year, it’s fun to see others join in.
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Wesley: Unfortunately. My wife can sneak up on me pretty easily and get me fairly often. Can’t say I’m a fan of it.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Wesley: The Descent. Claustrophobia is a real bitch for me and that film hits all those nasty little buttons.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Wesley: Uncle Frank from Hellraiser. When he’s torn apart by all the hooks and chains at the end, it’s pretty unsettling, even though it cuts away pretty quickly.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Wesley: Not that I can think of. I remember trailers for The Evil Dead remake were pretty wild and freaky. It’s a shame the film didn’t live up to the hype.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Wesley: I guess any Romero zombie film. At least I’d have a fighting chance of getting away pretty easily.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Wesley: Maybe Ethan Hawke in Daybreakers. I think being a vampire and then reverting back to human would be a very interesting experience.
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Wesley: I’ve always been a big fan of vampires.
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Wesley: I don’t really have one, but now that I’m a father, I’m hoping I can create some with my son.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Wesley: There’s a song in a Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure Netflix film called “Those Dry Bones” that I find to be particularly catchy.
Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Wesley: Wrath James White‘s The Resurrectionist. I find the idea of someone being able to kill you and then bring you back to life with zero memory of that happening to you incredibly gnarly.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Wesley: Agreed with the voices. If they were real or in my head, that’s up to you.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Cruel Summer — Melissa Braun is a broken woman. Only wanting what’s best for her family, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to mend her fractured relationship with her abusive boyfriend. In a last ditch effort, she hopes the sun and sand of a much-needed Florida vacation will bring them closer together. Patrick Braun is a demoralized kid. Quiet and sullen, he only wants his mother to see her boyfriend’s crippling torment. After years of silence, he refuses to stand by and let the abuse continue to tear them apart.
Hoyt Rainey is a vile man. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he finally takes his anger one step too far. Only this time, he finds himself on the receiving end of his own punishment. Down and down he goes, plunging deeper into the dark blue abyss of the sea.
Melissa and Patrick finally believe they are safe, the trouble now behind them for good. They are wrong.
Gods never really stay dead-they only lie in wait. And when a beast as old as time discovers Hoyt…he, too, won’t stay gone for long.
The nights grow darker, the water flows colder, and the cruelty of summer lives on.
They Come Mostly at Night — A high class restaurant where the food brings out the worst in its patrons…
A man whose mind won’t stay inside his own body…
A mother and daughter’s trip to a zoo full of dead animals…
An Italian immigrant’s idea of the American Dream ripped from his grasp…
A mysterious woman’s unquenchable hunger for negative energy…
Darkness looms ahead in these eleven short stories from the Splatterpunk Award and Imadjinn Award-Winning author Wesley Southard.
Keep the lights on. It’s a long time before sunrise.
Maybe it’s the death of a loved one…or the petrifying fear of hands around your throat…the dread of rejection…or maybe it’s the black, soulless eyes of a child that shatters your sanity…
Within these pages, delirium reigns supreme. You’ll discover how far a prisoner will go to be with his dying wife, and what lurks between the walls of that Louisiana jailhouse to keep him there. You’ll find out how deep a man can cut himself to dig out the past. You’ll meet a college professor whose fear of flying might be the least of his worries. And you’ll learn how a sister’s love for sweet treats can reunite a broken family…whether they want it or not.
Aliens and lot lizards…disembodied lips…the voice of God Himself…
Thirteen stories and a brand new novella from horror author Wesley Southard.
I was in the reception room of a bar in my local regional airport. The man I was there to interview requested this venue specifically, and my career would implode if I did anything to jeopardize this opportunity. Grungy and old, the room just barely met the classification of “clean” and I opted not to order anything to eat. Ice water was fine.
My interview walked in. I’d seen photographs of him and knew the basics of his appearance, but I found myself surprised by how ordinary he looked. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about his face or his height. It could all accurately be called “average” and nobody would argue that. But that’s what made it weird. This man was nothing even close to average or normal and the only thing I observed about him coming towards me was the way he walked. There was a regal quality to it, a gliding gait that conjured images of the Caesars or Habsburgs.
He held out a hand with a smile and I noted the immaculate manicure and state of his hands. His grasp was warm and firm, but not overly so. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat in the grimy chair with no notice of how it would look pressed against his pristine and obviously expensive attire.
“I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to talk to you,” I began.
“Of course,” he smiled back. “I’ve read some of your work and I admire your lean style.”
This man was a fugitive and I wondered for the millionth time since that first correspondence whether I would survive this encounter. He’d contacted me, with a fake name at first, but after several emails back and forth, his real identity came out. Up until the moment he walked into that reception room, I harbored thoughts, and a slight hope, that I was being pranked.
“I’d like to ask you, when I write my piece, do you mind my naming you? Do you mind if I name this location as well? I’m sure it would compromise you, but I can omit certain details.”
“There is no fear in the truth,” he replied lightly. “My name and this location will not compromise me, I promise you. I chose you for this interview, but there is much going on that you know nothing about, and I’ll be keeping it that way. You have access to publications that can tell my story in a way that isn’t a sad, sensational squawking that I so dislike. And you needn’t worry about my focus on you making a turn for the worse. You’re a tool and if you maintain the manners I’ve seen in you thus far, there’s no reason to believe you won’t be getting the story that the rest of your career as a journalist will strive to meet in terms of renown and respect.”
“O-okay,” I stammered. “Well I’d like to start with this meeting place. From what I understand of your usual haunts, particularly those in Baltimore, it’s a few big steps below where you usually like to eat. How did you happen upon this?”
“Make no mistake, I would not eat the food offered in this place, it was simply convenience that brought us here today. As for this general area, well we’re only a two hour drive away from Baltimore and when I liberated myself from my federally imposed confines, I had to make my way back to Baltimore, my home, for a few provisions before I went into total hiding. Being several states away, or even several countries away, is obvious on a level that I find vulgar. I was as safe as a baby in this area, an overlooked town in Eastern Pennsylvania. And this unkempt bar in this small regional airport happens to not have any security cameras aimed towards it.”
“And you’ll be gone from this place before I’m back home, I assume?”
“I’d avoid certain specificities if I were you,” he warned me, his polite tone never wavering.
“Of course, I’m sorry.” He nodded magnanimously.
“Well I have you here, a man of no small amount of celebrity…” I began.
“I detest that word and that categorization,” he interrupted. “I was a man of respect, a man of influence and great education. I’ve been reduced to tabloid fodder and the subject of papers written by little men who consider themselves intellectual titans of the psychiatric field.”
“This fame bothers you?” I asked.
“In the filthy form that it has taken, yes. I prefer to be known for my accomplishments.”
“Forgive me, but I believe that you are known for your accomplishments.” I said.
“I’m known for certain acts that I committed. My time as a consultant with the criminal profilers at the FBI, or my time as one of Baltimore’s most respected psychiatrists, or my extensive experience in the medical field, they’re all lying forgotten in the shadow of the more sensationally-friendly acts that caused the criminal justice system to see fit to lock me away in a dark room for the rest of my natural life being studied by halfwits and made to tolerate the rough rudeness of the staff.”
“Surely you can understand why those acts would supersede your previous accomplishments,” I prodded.
“Of course,” he said, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. The way that he was looking at me made me feel studied…scrutinized…and I was uneasy. “The public at large prefers broad strokes of simplified information, wrung dry of nuance and detail. I am what I did, not what I accomplished.”
“If I may,” I began, “I’d argue that your impressive level of accomplishments and education and sophistication is what made you so ripe for sensationalizing. If an average joe had committed the crimes that you had committed,” I noticed here that his right eye twitched ever so slightly. I redirected. “The things you were accused of,” I corrected. “There would still have been extensive media coverage because of the horrific nature of those actions, but they wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting. There is a long history of people who, erm, commit such acts, and they tend to fit certain molds as you know. They mostly walk around unnoticed. They’re actually extremely normal. But you, you’re an extraordinary character. There’s nothing about you that flies under any sort of radar.”
“Therein lies the fallacy of the techniques of the criminal profilers,” he responded. “Too many factors are too easily dismissed. My extraordinariness, as you call it, was what protected me for so long.”
“May I ask why you did those horrible things?” I knew I was taking a chance. His gaze on me was steady and unwavering and I tried not to fidget or look away from him.
“My house in Baltimore was built in the nineteen twenties. It had beautiful tiling and woodwork, but the plumbing was a disaster. The first plumber that I called in to fix a drainage issue in my basement was two hours late to his appointment and he spit tobacco on my front steps. He claimed that he needed specialized equipment to take care of my problem and that my bill would be double what was promised to me over the phone. I’m happy to pay for services, but I do no appreciate being taken advantage of as a fool. I asked him for his personal card so that I might keep him as a reference for additional services. Two weeks later I served a lovely Loin en Croute with a side of red wine demi-glace to a medical colleague. It was tender and delicious. Of course, I was in need of a new plumber after that, but the next one was clean and efficient and I recommended his work to several people. His name is Davit Sargsyan, and I’m certain he’s still thriving.”
I noticed my mouth was hanging open and I closed it with a snap. He had a Rolodex full of personal cards in his house when it was raided. Many were found to be the cards of missing persons who were never found. These were thought to be among this man’s staggeringly long list of victims.
“’Eat the rude’ was a slogan that became popular with the morbid underbelly of society after your capture,” I said. “Do you think you were providing a service to society? Cleaning up the muck?”
“I wouldn’t put it like that at all,” he said. “Compulsion is a word used frequently when discussing my own brand of mania. I can assure you, the benefit of society was not a main driving force.”
“You’ve been labelled as ‘insane’ and ‘psychotic’ since your capture. How do you feel about that?”
“I’m erudite and have been blessed with a perfect palate, able to distinguish all five tastes with exact accuracy. I’d rather be known for that.”
“Do you want to be divorced entirely from your reputation as a serial killer and cannibal?”
He was very quiet and very still. I thought for a moment that he had even stopped breathing. I started to feel that his good graces were starting to sour and perhaps I wasn’t so safe anymore.
“There are many out there who find my credentials intimidating and the fact that I’ve been labelled a serial killer and cannibal gives them the space to assume superiority over me. That they find my actions deviant and my psyche to be malformed gives them a sick sense of glee. That they see me as merely insane dims the shine of my accomplishments prior to my incarceration. I do not believe that, if I were writing my own life, I would keep those offensive labels from that reputation.”
His voice remained smooth, but I noticed a perturbed note. Yes, I was on thin ice. But if he didn’t want to answer the obvious questions, why sit down for an interview? I asked him and he smiled. There was no warmth to the way the corners of his eyes crinkled and I shivered.
“Your line of questioning is focused on the past. I thought perhaps you’d be interested in the future. All this talk of the past has been hashed and rehashed countless times and is, frankly, boring. Change your focus,” he replied.
“Okay,” I said, taking his bait. “What are your plans for the future? You’re a fugitive right now. The federal government is hunting you, every police force is aware of your escape, and there are even some in law enforcement who feel they have a score to settle with you over the various deaths of police officers over the course of your escape. Do you plan to continue to lay low or do you want to take your…umm…unique way of life somewhere else and live as you did before?”
This time there was amusement in his smile. I’d performed my trick as I was told and my trainer was pleased with me.
“Life is short and although I suspect that I’ve still a great number of years left on this earth, I have no intention to allow my existence to stagnate if I can help it. I cannot get into details with you about my future plans, but I can tell you that I intend to live in a way that pleases me and fulfills my desires. I…”
“Excuse me! Look, I can’t let you monopolize this room if you’re not gonna order any food,” an employee of the bar exploded into the room. He was a tall, balding man who had a red face that wore a scowl of contempt. He looked through me and glared at my interview.
“Listen, pal,” the employee said, pointing to his “MANAGER” badge. “I’ve got a group of Dungeons and Dragons players who want the room and they’re all gonna eat and drink and actually make this fine establishment some money. You gotta go. So get your stuff and get outta here.”
“I’m so sorry,” I began.
“We apologize,” my interview cut me off. “We were nearing the end of our interview anyway. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Yeah, yeah, I said get the hell outta here, ya fruitcake. I’ve got hungry people to feed out there!”
I’d gathered my stuff and was preparing to race to my car and hopefully lose the subject of my interview. The thought of being followed by that doctor terrified me and I questioned why I had agreed to come alone. As I was heading to the door I heard the doctor speaking to the manager.
“It is a unique place you run here and although my time in this place is limited, I may want to return. Do you, by any chance, have a personal card?”
My blood turned cold and I stopped and looked at the two men. The manager rolled his eyes but produced a card case from his shirt pocket and thrust it at the doctor. The doctor received the card, took a long look at the manager, and started walking towards the door.
“Thank you for your time,” he said as he walked past me. I was too stunned to move and instead of trying to beat him to my car, I opted to let him leave first.
I didn’t have much for a story, but I had enough. I had his current location and a vague hint of his future plans. And the name of a possible future victim in the form of a very rude bar manager. It would sell all right, but at what personal cost? He knew where to find me, how to find me and if my story didn’t achieve what he was wanting, perhaps my personal safety was at risk.
I didn’t fancy having to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life, not even for a story. I did my good citizen-duty and informed the authorities before penning my tale, but who knows if it will do any good to save that poor man who was only doing his job. Who knows if any of it will save any countless number of possible victims. He was loose on the world again and from the sound of it, he intended to treat the world as his personal buffet, with us as the entrees.
Boo-graphy: Somer Canon is the Splatterpunk Award nominated author of works such as Killer Chronicles and The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek. When she’s not wreaking havoc in her minivan, she’s avoiding her neighbors and consuming all things horror. She has two sons and more cats than her husband agreed to have.
You’re Mine — Insecure misfit Ioni Davis never thinks she’ll find love in her sleepy West Virginia hometown. Then the tall, fascinating stranger Raber Belliveau transfers to her school.
Their attraction is instant and red-hot. And a shared fascination with witchcraft bonds the young lovers even closer.
But while Ioni is responsibly studying her newfound religion of Wicca, Raber has chosen an altogether…different path.
Soon, Raber’s behavior becomes manipulative. Even abusive. And their love story for the ages is turning into a macabre farce. All Ioni wants to do is get out.
But Raber has discovered a dreadful way to control their relationship. A ritual which hasn’t been attempted in over a century. A spell to unleash a bloodthirsty terror which can never be satisfied.
Ioni finds herself trapped in a struggle for her life and even her free will against a once-trusted lover who has assured her…
YOU’RE MINE
The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek — A NEW HOME: Dawna Temple let herself be moved from the familiarity of Pittsburgh to the wilds of West Virginia, all so her mentally exhausted husband, John, could heal from a breakdown. Struggling with the abrupt change of location, Dawna finds a friend in her neighbor, Suzanne Miller, known to the locals as The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek.
A NEW FRIEND: Dismissing it as hillbilly superstition, Dawna can’t believe the things she hears about her funny and empathetic friend. Suzanne has secrets—dark secrets—and eventually she reveals the truth behind the rumors that earned her the wicked nickname decades earlier.
OLD WOUNDS: Now in possession of the truth, Dawna has conflicting emotions about Suzanne’s past deeds, but when her husband’s well-being takes a downturn, she finds there is no one else to turn to. Will she shun her friend as others have done before? …or can she accept that an act of evil is sometimes necessary for the greater good?
Slaves to Gravity — with Wesley Southard — After waking up in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down, Charlie Snyder had no idea where life would take her. Dejected, broken, and permanently bound to a wheelchair, she believed her life was truly over. That is… until gravity no longer applied.
It started out slow. Floating from room to room. Menial tasks without assistance. When she decided to venture outside and take some real risks with her newfound ability, she rose above her own constraints to reveal a whole new world, and found other damaged individuals just like her to confide in.
But there are other things out there, waiting in the dark. Repulsive, secretive creatures that don’t want Charlie to touch the sky. And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her on the ground.
Meghan: Welcome back, Somer. It’s always a pleasure to have you here during our extended Halloween shenanigans. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Somer: There’s something about the coziness of the season juxtaposed next to the spooky decorations and scary movies that I just really love. I grew up with a mother and grandmother who LOVED Halloween and I inherited some of that. You snuggle up with those you love, have fun getting scared, eat junk, and hand out candy to kids. What’s not to love?
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Somer: I startle easily, but I don’t scare easily.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Somer: The obvious answer here is a horror movie, but I’ve been watching horror movies my whole life. Like, waaaaaay before I should have been. I’ve seen movies that have gotten to me, disturbed me, and even thrilled me, but honestly, the scariest movie I’ve ever seen was the documentary Food, Inc. THAT’S scary.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Somer: The Korean movie, I Saw the Devil has a death early on that really disturbed me. Not so much the murder itself, although it was awful, but the aftermath of it. It’s a very severe and unrelenting film, but that first murder we see that gets that ball rolling on the rest of the plot is disturbing.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Somer: Nope.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Somer: The Mist. Look, you’re not safe in that grocery store, but you can stress eat before the monsters get you.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Somer: Werewolves!
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Somer: Making a big pot of chili on Trick or Treat night and watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show after the kids go to bed.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Somer: When I was in high school the gift store that I worked at opened a Halloween pop-up. It was so much fun and we played a CD in the store that took famous music that could maybe, possibly be linked to Halloween and my favorite was I’m Your Boogie Man by KC and the Sunshine Band.
Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Somer: We used to be neighbors with a family that…had problems, I’ll say that. The youngest child, a boy, one night came to my house and said that there was a man in his house who kept trying to get in bed with him and would I please come over and look for the man. I was thirteen at the time and weighed all of ninety pounds but I went over there and looked for a man in this boy’s bed and found nothing. The next day the boy’s mom told me that he was sleepwalking and she thanked me for being so nice and not calling the cops. I was polite and didn’t tell her that I got NO sleep that night because I was terrified that that boy was going to get murdered or kidnapped after I left.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Somer: When is Bigfoot going to make her star-making debut?
Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?
Somer: The folk horror tale of Tailypo. I grew up in West Virginia and Tailypo was a story I grew up hearing and it creeps me out to this day. You can find the story on Google. It’s pretty famous in Appalachia.
Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?
Somer: Oh that’s optimistic, but I assure you that I’m not surviving the initial wave. By the time we’re at the “survivor” stage of that apocalypse, I’ll be a zombie myself…eating my neighbors.
Meghan: Okay, Summer, let’s have some fun — Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf?
Somer: Werewolf! As a woman I’m already on a 28-day cycle.
Meghan: Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion?
Somer: Aliens!
Meghan: Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard?
Somer: Dead bodies, for sure.
Meghan: Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week?
Somer: The Poltergeist House had hot spots, so I think I could find a cozy corner there.
Meghan: Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese?
Somer: I’m actually curious about Casu martzu, which is a maggot cheese. I mean, I’ll eat both. I’m not picky.
Meghan: Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs?
Somer: I’ll take my chances with the witch’s cauldron! It might be punch!
Boo-graphy: Somer Canon is the Splatterpunk Award nominated author of works such as Killer Chronicles and The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek. When she’s not wreaking havoc in her minivan, she’s avoiding her neighbors and consuming all things horror. She has two sons and more cats than her husband agreed to have.
You’re Mine — Insecure misfit Ioni Davis never thinks she’ll find love in her sleepy West Virginia hometown. Then the tall, fascinating stranger Raber Belliveau transfers to her school.
Their attraction is instant and red-hot. And a shared fascination with witchcraft bonds the young lovers even closer.
But while Ioni is responsibly studying her newfound religion of Wicca, Raber has chosen an altogether…different path.
Soon, Raber’s behavior becomes manipulative. Even abusive. And their love story for the ages is turning into a macabre farce. All Ioni wants to do is get out.
But Raber has discovered a dreadful way to control their relationship. A ritual which hasn’t been attempted in over a century. A spell to unleash a bloodthirsty terror which can never be satisfied.
Ioni finds herself trapped in a struggle for her life and even her free will against a once-trusted lover who has assured her…
YOU’RE MINE
The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek — A NEW HOME: Dawna Temple let herself be moved from the familiarity of Pittsburgh to the wilds of West Virginia, all so her mentally exhausted husband, John, could heal from a breakdown. Struggling with the abrupt change of location, Dawna finds a friend in her neighbor, Suzanne Miller, known to the locals as The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek.
A NEW FRIEND: Dismissing it as hillbilly superstition, Dawna can’t believe the things she hears about her funny and empathetic friend. Suzanne has secrets—dark secrets—and eventually she reveals the truth behind the rumors that earned her the wicked nickname decades earlier.
OLD WOUNDS: Now in possession of the truth, Dawna has conflicting emotions about Suzanne’s past deeds, but when her husband’s well-being takes a downturn, she finds there is no one else to turn to. Will she shun her friend as others have done before? …or can she accept that an act of evil is sometimes necessary for the greater good?
Slaves to Gravity — with Wesley Southard — After waking up in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down, Charlie Snyder had no idea where life would take her. Dejected, broken, and permanently bound to a wheelchair, she believed her life was truly over. That is… until gravity no longer applied.
It started out slow. Floating from room to room. Menial tasks without assistance. When she decided to venture outside and take some real risks with her newfound ability, she rose above her own constraints to reveal a whole new world, and found other damaged individuals just like her to confide in.
But there are other things out there, waiting in the dark. Repulsive, secretive creatures that don’t want Charlie to touch the sky. And they’ll stop at nothing to keep her on the ground.
Meghan's House of Books 