Tag: Sword of the Butterfly

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Scott Carruba

megHan

Meghan: Hey, Scott. Welcome back. It’s always wonderful to have you on the blog, especially at Halloween time. What is your favorite part of Halloween?

Scott: The scary aesthetic. I love the colors and decorations and just the whole feel, with everything being dark and spooky.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

Scott: Though I don’t do it anymore, I’ve always enjoyed the concept of trick or treating. It’s fun to get candy and to give it and see all the costumes.

Meghan: If Halloween is your favorite holiday (or even second favorite holiday), why?

Scott: It is my favorite. I am into dark, scary aesthetics and all of the gothic feel of Halloween. I enjoy dressing up in a costume and going to parties. It’s very fun for me, and it feels extra special because of the theme and the sense of freedom of being dressed up. It’s almost as if you have one night to be more than yourself.

Meghan: What are you superstitious about?

Scott: Nothing. It’s bad luck to be superstitious

Meghan: What/who is your favorite horror monster or villain?

Scott: Hannibal Lecter. Despite my imagination, I’ve always found human/realistic villains to be scarier than fantasy ones, and of all the fictional predators out there, I find Hannibal to be the most alluring and frightening.

Meghan: Which unsolved murder fascinates you the most?

Scott: The Zodiac killings. I know that’s more than one, but can we lump them all together. I have read books, watched documentaries, films, all sorts of examinations of it. We’ll probably never know the answer now, either.

Meghan: Which urban legend scares you the most?

Scott: None really. When I was younger, I was very scared of the “Bloody Mary” thing you could do in the dark, chanting to a mirror, but now, none of them scare me.

Meghan: Who is your favorite serial killer and why?

Scott: That’s a tough one. I am very interested in serial killers. I considered, for a time, going into a career to try to understand them better and/or capture them, but I figured I wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure and risk. As to my favorite, I’d probably say Jack the Ripper. Probably because we don’t know who he is, and he has been so thoroughly romanticized at this point. The time period, the place, the savagery of what he did, it’s all very tragic and alluring. Then the killings stopped, which makes the mystery all the juicier. Did he die? Did he stop? Was he caught, but the public was not informed? So many interesting mental and imaginative avenues to explore regarding him.

Meghan: How old were you when you saw your first horror movie? How old were you when you read your first horror book?

Scott: I was quite sheltered from horror when growing up. My mother was an adamant gatekeeper about things she felt were “inappropriate” to us, and that definitely included horror. I also was a child before the advent of cable television, so my options were limited.

The first horror movie I can recall was the television edit The Island of Dr. Moreau, which I saw when I was probably around nine. I was totally enthralled by it. They even showed some blood, which really got me. It was as if I knew I loved horror, and seeing this film simply helped the seed to bloom.

As to book, I don’t remember the exact title, but in middle school (so around eleven or twelve), I checked out a book of ghost stories from the school library. They were not very scary, but it was my first exposure to stories specifically written to be scary. I loved them, and of course, it was the first steps down the deep rabbit hole.

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?

Scott: It by Stephen King. I have talked about this before, even in posts on my own blog. I’ve read a lot of horror. I couldn’t even tell you how much now, and though I enjoy it, none of it really “scares” me. It managed to scare me on more than one occasion, and it definitely had unsettling parts, several.

Meghan: Which horror movie scarred you for life?

Scott: Dead & Buried. It’s a very graphic horror movie with a pretty cool reveal ending. I saw it on VHS when I was fourteen, and I had not seen many real scary movies, definitely nothing that violent. Wow, it got me.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

Scott: Dressing as a Cardinal – the member of the Catholic clergy, not the bird. I bought the costume many years ago, and I wear it nearly every year. Dressing as a “priest” definitely gets a lot of fun attention at parties.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween-themed song?

Scott: “Everyday is Halloween” by Ministry, but you may have seen that coming.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween candy or treat? What is your most disappointing?

Scott: I don’t know that I have a particular favorite. As much as I have a sweet tooth, I still don’t go crazy at Halloween. Partaking somewhat in the indulgence is the fun. There are plenty of disappointing ones, amongst those being licorice, circus peanuts, candy corn.

Meghan: Thanks again for joining us today, Scott. Before you go, what are your top two Halloween movies?

Scott: I just considered Halloween-themed movies, not scary or horror movies, so this will be a short list.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – yes, not a scary movie but a Halloween one, and it’s great. I used to watch it every Halloween. It encapsulates the Halloween spirit on a different level than the obvious scares, and I feel it is just as important.

The Nightmare Before Christmas – yes, it has Christmas right there in the title, but it’s a Halloween film, and what a great one. The special effects, the singing, the story, the aesthetics, it’s an all around great film. I had the pleasure of seeing it in the theater when it was first released, and I still find it enjoyable.

Boo-graphy:
Born in Houston, Texas into the temporary care of a bevy of nuns before being delivered to his adopted parents, Scott discovered creative writing at a very young age when asked to write a newspaper from another planet. This exercise awakened a seemingly endless drive, and now, many short stories, poems, plays, and novels (both finished and unfinished) later, his dark urban fantasy trilogy has been published.

Having lived his whole life in the same state, Scott attended the University of Texas at Austin, achieving a degree in philosophy before returning to the Houston area to be closer to family and friends. During this time, he wrote more and even branched out into directing and performance art, though creative writing remains his love.

Butterfly 1: Dance of the Butterfly —
A modern dark urban fantasy, telling of two powerful families who uphold a secret duty to protect humanity from a threat it doesn’t know exists. Though sharing a common enemy, the two families form a long-standing rivalry due to their methods and ultimate goals. Forces are coalescing in a prominent Central European city- criminal sex-trafficking, a serial murderer with a savage bent, and other, less tangible influences. Within a prestigious, private university, Lilja, a young librarian charged with protecting a very special book, finds herself suddenly ensconced in this dark, strange world. Originally from Finland, she has her own reason for why she left her home, but she finds the city to be anything but a haven from dangers and secrets. Book One in a planned series.

Butterfly 2: Sword of the Butterfly —
The tale continues in Sword of the Butterfly, book two of the series, as Lilja and Skothiam continue to fight demons within and without. The infernal forces make a grand play, hoping to stab the world in its very heart. Casualties mount as further tensions rise in the City, threatening the vigilante with a loss of freedom and life. Children become victims of a madman’s design while the hunt is on for a powerful creature wreaking havoc across parts of the U.S. Lilja begins to question herself and her place in Skothiam’s life even as the very treasure they must protect comes under danger.

Butterfly 3: Soul of the Butterfly —
The third Book awaits. The last of them. All holding promises of untold power. Skothiam and Lilja continue their journey as they follow the trail to places unimagined. Strange forces lurk, biding for the moment to strike and exact price. Unexpected allies arise even as others seek to disentangle from the web. Who will gain and who will lose? What shadow waits, eager to consume them all? Find out in the conclusion of the Butterfly trilogy.

Halloween Extravaganza: Scott Carruba: Halloween

megHan

Join Scott Carruba as he reminisces about Halloween as a kid…

I love Halloween. It has always been my favorite holiday. Sure, as a kid, Christmas was great. I recall many a sleepless Christmas Eve as I waited for dawn and the chance to get all those goodies, but Halloween still got the number one spot. There was something darkly appealing about it and how it stoked my imagination. Not to mention the dressing up and adventuring through the neighborhood for candy. The best spots were houses that really got into it. I still recall some to this day.

I spent my earliest years in a typical suburban neighborhood, so Halloween always proved a joy as me and my friends paraded up and down the streets for our annual treats. But when I was nine, my parents moved us all out into the country. We went from being one of many tightly packed-in houses to a lone home on a thirteen acre lot. As you might imagine, this dramatically changed Halloween. At the time, there was only one neighbor within reasonable walking distance. What were we going to do?

The first year my parents drove us back to the old neighborhood, and we trick-or-treated with our friends. That wasn’t going to last, though I didn’t realize it as a child. My parents weren’t big on Halloween, anyway, and I suppose it didn’t quite resonate with them how much I was going to miss it. I don’t even think my two sisters were that into it.

It turned out that a few miles up the road stood a couple of buildings on a small lot dedicated to community use. I’d go there sometimes for cub scouts. The city would throw a Halloween celebration here, so we ended up going. It was a typical small town festivity with games, treats and the two main events: a haunted house and a costume contest.

I love haunted houses. I was so into them and Halloween that I recall talking my parents into letting me throw a Halloween party when I was still young (middle school age, if I recall), and I turned our garage into a haunted house. It was fairly good, if I do say so myself, and we had more than a few of the visiting kiddies running out there filled with good-natured thrills.

I was quite eager to experience the haunted house at this community event.

I went in there with a typical snotty young boy attitude. I was excited, but I wasn’t going to be scared. No way. We went into a sort of abattoir room, and the mad scientist presented a “fresh brain” amidst his gory collection. “Nice cauliflower,” I proudly proclaimed. Yes, I was one of those.

There were typical jump scares and people with garden tools repurposed as weapons. They proved good for a quick yelp and run. We eventually ended up facing a tall guy dressed like the Grim Reaper. He made no sound, just loomed. As we were moving on, he grabbed me, and that did it. I felt real fright. I didn’t want them to keep me from my mom. I jerked free (or more likely, he got his desired result and let me go), and I clung closer to my mother as we finished up the tour. By the time I left, my heart was pounding. They had done their job and scared the snotty kid. Good for them.

Next was the costume contest. I don’t recall if it was the same year as my frightening, but I entered one time in a typical hobo clown costume. I had ragged clothes, worn shoes, a crappy, plastic bowler hat. I had my face painted up in down-on-your-luck fashion. As I sized up my competition, I felt I stood a good chance of winning. And then everything changed.

The people conducting the contest had put the haunted house on pause, and all the players from it came traipsing in to join the contest. I looked upon all those older kids and young adults in their seriously spooky get-ups, and I knew I was doomed. I recall hearing some murmurs of that being unfair. I didn’t think much on that. I just knew I was wasting my time.

The judges looked us over. We turned this way and that, did whatever. We were all there simultaneously as they perused us. I remember looking out and seeing my mom making some sort of gesture with her fingers toward her mouth. It then dawned on me. I had forgotten about the plastic cigar prop I had tucked away in a pocket. I pulled it out and got more into character as I puffed on the thing and acted, well, silly.

I can’t say if that made the difference, but I won the costume contest.

Looking back, I wonder if putting the players from the haunted house in was just meant to pad it and make everything more exciting. I would have done the same thing were I in charge. Still, it ended up a great Halloween memory for me – the time when a hobo clown slew a room full of frightening monsters.

Born in Houston, Texas into the temporary care of a bevy of nuns before being delivered to his adopted parents, Scott discovered creative writing at a very young age when asked to write a newspaper from another planet. This exercise awakened a seemingly endless drive, and now, many short stories, poems, plays, and novels (both finished and unfinished) later, his dark urban fantasy Butterfly series has been published.

The seeds for this tale began with dreams, as many often do, before being fine-tuned with a whimsical notion and the very serious input of a dear friend. Before long, the story took on a life of its own and has now become the first book in the series.

Having lived his whole life in the same state, Scott attended the University of Texas at Austin, achieving a degree in philosophy before returning to the Houston area to be closer to his family and friends. During this time, he wrote more and even branched out into directing and performance art, though creative writing remains his love.

Butterfly 1: Dance of the Butterfly

A modern dark urban fantasy, telling of two powerful families who uphold a secret duty to protect humanity from a threat it doesn’t know exists. Though sharing a common enemy, the two families form a long-standing rivalry due to their methods and ultimate goals. Forces are coalescing in a prominent Central European city- criminal sex-trafficking, a serial murderer with a savage bent, and other, less tangible influences. Within a prestigious, private university, Lilja, a young librarian charged with protecting a very special book, finds herself suddenly ensconced in this dark, strange world. Originally from Finland, she has her own reason for why she left her home, but she finds the city to be anything but a haven from dangers and secrets. 

Butterfly 2: Sword of the Butterfly

The tale continues in Sword of the Butterfly, book two of the series, as Lilja and Skothiam continue to fight demons within and without. The infernal forces make a grand play, hoping to stab the world in its very heart. Casualties mount as further tensions rise in the City, threatening the vigilante with a loss of freedom and life. Children become victims of a madman’s design while the hunt is on for a powerful creature wreaking havoc across parts of the U.S. Lilja begins to question herself and her place in Skothiam’s life even as the very treasure they must protect comes under danger.

Butterfly 3: Soul of the Butterfly

The third Book awaits. The last of them. All holding promises of untold power. Skothiam and Lilja continue their journey as they follow the trail to places unimagined. Strange forces lurk, biding for the moment to strike and exact price. Unexpected allies arise even as others seek to disentangle from the web. Who will gain and who will lose? What shadow waits, eager to consume them all? Find out in the conclusion of the Butterfly trilogy.

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Scott Carruba

megHan

I met Scott Carruba at a con, and was so floored by the amazingness that is Scott (and by how good looking he was) that I said about a billion times how beautiful his covers were. Yeah… it was awkward. Thankfully he was too “guy” to let on that he noticed… or maybe he just didn’t notice at all. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to read one of his books – TWICE – and have several interesting conversations with the man. Definitely a talented guy, so make sure you reach out to him and tell him hi. Oh, and buy his books.

Meghan: It’s been awhile since we sat down together, Scott. What’s been going on since we last spoke?

Scott Carruba: More writing, but unfortunately, no con appearances. I have done some traveling, but it wasn’t related to writing. The third and final book of my urban fantasy series was just published, so now I can put that behind me and work on something completely different.

Meghan: Who are you outside of writing?

Scott Carruba: I am still me. I look at my writing as part of my creative expression, and that very rarely stops completely. I may not always be sitting in front of the computer, writing, but there is nearly always some sort of creating going on in my head. Other than that, I’d say family is the most important thing to me. I am fortunate to have a great, close family, and we all get along very well.

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

Scott Carruba: They have, and I wish more of them would. I know that some close family members (mainly my mother) would be shocked at some parts, but I still would like them to read my work.

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

Scott Carruba: It’s a gift. I presume some would call it a curse, because it can be difficult, and you sometimes feel like a slave being tossed about on fickle tides. I feel like it enriches my life, and I frankly think things would be very boring without it.

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

Scott Carruba: There is no escaping it. The life we live shapes who and how we are as writers. My parents were certainly not an impediment to my writing. They even encouraged it to some extent. They never thought I could become rich & famous off it, because to them, the arts were something you did as a hobby, not a ‘real’ job. So far, they were right about that, but I feel there was an odd mix of encouragement and marginalizing, which did result in some stumbles and false starts.

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

Scott Carruba: How windows open in Europe. Oh, I suppose my research into alleged actual schools run by the Devil was fairly strange.

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

Scott Carruba: Definitely the middle. I love the beginning. I have so many unfinished works, because I revel in the blank page and getting started. I also generally have the end already figured. It’s connecting those dots that provides the biggest challenge to me.

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

Scott Carruba: I do all of those. I prefer to have an outline, sometimes even a treatment. I generally jot down a ‘cast of characters’, and sometimes I begin the outline after the work. It helps me stay focused.

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

Scott Carruba: That doesn’t happen to me very often. I’ve read a lot of other writers talking about how the characters have minds of their own, but it doesn’t seem to happen to much to me. If it does, I make modifications as necessary, but it’s never been a huge deal for me.

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

Scott Carruba: That can be tough. I try to stick with a routine, because that works for me. There are times that are for writing. After a while, it becomes habit, and I just do it. When I really need motivation, I can listen to certain kinds of music, or even watch certain sorts of shows to receive motivation. I also sometimes just go back and read over what I’ve written, then carry on.

Meghan: Are you an avid reader?

Scott Carruba: Yes. I was an avid reader before I became a writer. I will always be in love with reading and writing.

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

Scott Carruba: Good ones. Seriously, though, I enjoy complex books that allow a story to be told in the time it needs. I like depth and density.

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

Scott Carruba: I take them one at a time. I don’t feel any particular negativity toward them in general. I also don’t necessarily judge them poorly if they deviate ‘too much’ from the source material. I generally view them both in the context of their original source and how they stand as their own vehicle.

Meghan: Have you ever killed a main character?

Scott Carruba: Not yet.

Meghan: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?

Scott Carruba: I do not enjoy that. I have had characters go through rough times, and it is somewhat difficult and painful for me to write. I am an empathic person, so I tend to want to avoid extremely troubling events. I force myself to push them through terrible experiences, but I don’t enjoy it.

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

Scott Carruba: My characters are not too weird, or I don’t think they are. At least not in concept. No talking shoes or roaches. I can’t write like Burroughs.

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

Scott Carruba: I’ve received a lot of good feedback. It’s hard to tell which was ‘best’. My publisher has helped me to refine my writing in ways I never would have alone. As far as ‘worst’, my Rhetoric and Composition professor told me I was “too” creative.

Meghan: What do your fans mean to you?

Scott Carruba: My fans mean a sort of completion of the circle that gives a satisfaction like no other. I would write even if I never got published. It is a drive in me I feel I cannot deny. Having someone partake of and enjoy my work to that extent fills me. It’s amazing. I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart.

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

Scott Carruba: Probably Hannibal Lecter. Such a fascinating character, and I find it immensely interesting how a cultured monster can capture such popularity and become a dark protagonist.

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

Scott Carruba: This is a tough one for me, and a great question! I think I’d choose Silent Hill. I’ve never even read any of the books, but I find the world so enthralling and deeply creepy. I love psychological horror, and I’d love the avenues of exploration afforded to me if I were to pen a book in that series.

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

Scott Carruba: Probably some sort of dark, gothic, twisted, occult something with Carmilla Voiez. And it’d need to have vampires in it. And demons. Maybe demon-vampires?

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

Scott Carruba: I am currently working on a book about an extraterrestrial invasion that deals with how we perceive reality, memories, ourselves, and what the future may hold for us. I’ve also got two novels about vampires in the works. So, yeah, vampires again.

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Scott Carruba:

Website ** Amazon ** Goodreads ** BookBub
Facebook ** Twitter ** Mewe

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?

Scott Carruba: This has been a very thorough and fun interview. I hope others enjoy reading it. Thanks!

Meghan: Oh no no no. Thank YOU, Scott, for stopping by today. And if you thought this one was good, wait until you get to round three.

Born in Houston, Texas into the temporary care of a bevy of nuns before being delivered to his adopted parents, Scott discovered creative writing at a very young age when asked to write a newspaper from another planet. This exercise awakened a seemingly endless drive, and now, many short stories, poems, plays, and novels (both finished and unfinished) later, his dark urban fantasy Butterfly series has been published.

The seeds for this tale began with dreams, as many often do, before being fine-tuned with a whimsical notion and the very serious input of a dear friend. Before long, the story took on a life of its own and has now become the first book in the series.

Having lived his whole life in the same state, Scott attended the University of Texas at Austin, achieving a degree in philosophy before returning to the Houston area to be closer to his family and friends. During this time, he wrote more and even branched out into directing and performance art, though creative writing remains his love.

Butterfly 1: Dance of the Butterfly

A modern dark urban fantasy, telling of two powerful families who uphold a secret duty to protect humanity from a threat it doesn’t know exists. Though sharing a common enemy, the two families form a long-standing rivalry due to their methods and ultimate goals. Forces are coalescing in a prominent Central European city- criminal sex-trafficking, a serial murderer with a savage bent, and other, less tangible influences. Within a prestigious, private university, Lilja, a young librarian charged with protecting a very special book, finds herself suddenly ensconced in this dark, strange world. Originally from Finland, she has her own reason for why she left her home, but she finds the city to be anything but a haven from dangers and secrets. 

Butterfly 2: Sword of the Butterfly

The tale continues in Sword of the Butterfly, book two of the series, as Lilja and Skothiam continue to fight demons within and without. The infernal forces make a grand play, hoping to stab the world in its very heart. Casualties mount as further tensions rise in the City, threatening the vigilante with a loss of freedom and life. Children become victims of a madman’s design while the hunt is on for a powerful creature wreaking havoc across parts of the U.S. Lilja begins to question herself and her place in Skothiam’s life even as the very treasure they must protect comes under danger.

Butterfly 3: Soul of the Butterfly

The third Book awaits. The last of them. All holding promises of untold power. Skothiam and Lilja continue their journey as they follow the trail to places unimagined. Strange forces lurk, biding for the moment to strike and exact price. Unexpected allies arise even as others seek to disentangle from the web. Who will gain and who will lose? What shadow waits, eager to consume them all? Find out in the conclusion of the Butterfly trilogy.