Out with the Old and in with the New

Well 2011 was certainly an eventful year both professionally and personally.  I overcame some tough personal hurdles, as well as see my dreams realized. I have made new friends, lost some old friends and found a comfortable place where I am content in who I am.

Of course, in hindsight there are many things that would have been done differently, but alas, hindsight is only favourable when you have faced life changing circumstances.  Needless to say, I am stronger, wiser and extremely cautious about who I can trust and who has my best interests at heart.

However, I must stress that NOT everything was doom and gloom. My first novel - In the Shadows - had it's first successful release in March, and then through my current publisher, it was released as a second edition on July 21st. I got to visit one of my many dream locations in June - Eilean Donan Castle - which was a spectacular experience both my husband and I will not forget.  We traveled the length and breadth of the Scottish Highlands, and fell in love the atmospheric backdrops of the endless lochs and mountains.

Early August came and we were both shocked and thrilled at the news of impending parenthood -again!

Yes, we found out baby number 5 was due to make an appearance in Spring 2012 and this alone gave us proof that miracles do and will continue to happen.

My second novel - Walking with Shadows - released Monday 12th December and has been getting great reviews so far and I am excited about a forthcoming book tour in February.

Whilst some things may have stepped on my toes, I think it is fair to say that I overcame the hurdles quite well, and have a close network of people who made the whole journey possible.  From my husband and children, to my parents and sisters, right through to my closest and dearest friends, and of course a network of fellow authors who keep astounding me with their support and love. 

Then to top it all off, I made the list on Paranormal Reads top Indie Authors of 2011 - how amazing is that for a little Irish girl?  Pretty bloody stoked if you ask me.

Anyway, enough of my waffle. But just let me make an apology.  I was due to have two authors feature in my December Guest Author Spotlight, but due to my mother-in-law taking (very seriously) ill, I was unable to finish my commitments, but rest assured these authors will be here in the next few weeks.

So this is me, posting for the last time in 2011 and would just like to wish YOU ALL a fantastic and safe New Years Eve and may the blessings of a New Year bring you hope, health and prosperity. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Author Spotlight: MJ PRESTON

This week we are joined by the prestigious MJ Preston, author of The Equinox.  He is a horror writer who has created something unique, refreshing and utterly frightening.

Hi Mj, and welcome.  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thank you for the invitation Julieanne. I am an author and artist who hails from Canada. I am 46 years-old, but I think like a teenager and sometimes forget that I am not. I published my first horror novel, The Equinox, last July.

Can you tell us about your latest project/work in progress?

Well, I've actually got a couple projects on the go. First and foremost I am promoting: The Equinox pretty much seven days a week and that has taken the bulk of my time. I am also plugging away at a new novel and a script for Equinox. In the New Year, I am going to slow down on the promotion and get down to business on my other projects. I hope to have the film script finished in the first quarter of 2012 and hopefully by mid year the first draft of my new novel will be done.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

This is a question I have gotten a few times. I suppose it's one that is kept in every interviewers list. I first considered myself a writer in 2002 when I summed up my Mother's life at her graveside in a few short minutes. My Mother had a pretty tough life and part of her experiences have come to life in my writing, but I have yet to tackle them in a direct way.

What inspired you to pen your first novel?

This is a tough question to answer without sounding like a self absorbed idiot, but I was in the army for 12 years and have been called much worse, so here goes: When I was a kid I used to sit in class and stare out the window day dreaming, my teachers would be incensed by my inattentiveness. I was constantly in trouble for not finishing assignments in Science, I stunk in Math, but I really loved the art of storytelling from a very young age. My grammar was atrocious, but I had a vivid imagination.

My mother affectionately used to call me "Nowhere man" after the famous Beatles Song, because I was always making all my "nowhere plans for nobody," but really I was living in that other world we writers often go during the creation process.

As you well know, the story becomes very real to us, as do the characters.  Now, that I have completely diverted off your original question I will try to answer it in the most honest way I can. Nothing inspired me to write my first novel, it is just an extension of who I am. A piece of work generated by a nowhere man making all his nowhere plans for nobody. The one thing I have managed to hang onto in my 46 years is my ability to day dream. As a child I was an expert day dreamer and stories spilled out of my head by the thousands.  Being able to take that fleeting glimpse and turn it into something others would read and enjoy is probably the greatest gift one can ask for.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

The Equinox was the working title for the manuscript from its very beginning. I had considered calling it "Skin", but opted for the original title. The Equinox is when day and night are equal. This happens twice a year in the Spring and the Fall and it is also considered a time of balance. The Equinox is a major theme of the story so it seemed only sensible to use it as a title.

How much of your work is realistic?

All of it! At the risk of sounding political, I think horror writers generally use the real world as their watershed for ideas. There are so many horrible things that happen in the world today that translate easily into horror. Possession can be equated to mental illness. A curse can be likened to a life altering disease. The horrible things that the human race perpetrates on one another like rape, murder and child exploitation easily match up to the mindless flesh eating zombie or the voracious appetite of a skinwalker. Perhaps the creatures we conjure up are not realistic in the reality as we know it, but the darkness that lurks inside them is alive and well.

Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?

I don't know. I would love to just buy a place where I can get up in the morning and bang out a few thousand words then spend the rest of my day shooting photography and dreaming the rest of my life away, but it really is a question of where my writing will take me. I have a number of projects up there in the grey matter, one that is not a horror at all, but I don't know if life will afford me the time to finish them. For the time being I will follow that inner voice and see where it leads me.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Editing-groan-I hate editing. By the time the story gets to the editing process I am away from my comfort zone of creativity. I know it's necessary, but for me it is like sanding something to make it beautiful. It's hard work. I hate hard work.

How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

No! I don't use any formula. I write by the seat of my pants. I start my story, research along the way and go from there. Sometimes I know the outcome, sometimes I don't

Interesting! How long does it take you to write a book?

[Laughs] Well Equinox took 20 years, but I am hoping that the next one will only be about a year. I don't have children to raise and the military took a lot of my time. Life has a way of getting in the way of the things we love to do, but I am hoping that I have found a way to balance it out.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in any of your books?

No, I don't think so. One thing I regret is the artistic side of Equinox. When I was creating images for the book I wasn't thinking about any type of a graphic companion and a lot of the art is not high enough resolution to publish.

Live and learn.

How do you feel about the horror boom of the 80’s and early 90’s?

Well a lot of descent horror literature came out at that time. In the 80's I think Stephen King and Robert R McCammon produced some of their best work. As far as Hollywood goes, there were some cool flicks, but man they have a way of sucking the life out of a good idea.

In the 80's and early 90's it was all about guys with hatchets and machetes that never seemed to die no matter how much you dismembered them and burned them and fired them into space. "Yeah! Jason Voorhees I am talking about you!" It really became somewhat absurd, although there were some really imaginative creepy films like Seven and Jacob's Ladder.

Jacob's Ladder is one of the most underrated thrillers of all time.

What about the horror genre interests you?

It's funny you should ask this. I think we all have a fascination with the dark side of humanity. Horror used to be the only real outlet for examining it while keeping our moral compass pointed North.

In other genres we had the good guys and the bad guys. That seems to be changing now, with books and movies that begin telling us tales from the viewpoint of the bad guys. The only difference is that with are starting to sympathize with the bad guys.

Horror faces some very serious challenges in the future. I hope that the artists who wish to usher in a new generation of enthusiasts do not sell out completely to trends and work on new ways to keep the genre alive, because it is a wonderful medium in which to explore how all of us tick.

What scares you?

Something that terrifies me is being helpless. There are some things in this world that are completely beyond our control, I don't really need to point them out, but those things are what frightens me.

What was your first introduction to horror literature, the one that made you choose that genre to write?

I couldn't pin it down on a particular book. I was heavily influenced in the 70's and 80's by horror authors like Barker, King, and McCammon, but I also fell in love with the horror genre thanks to directors like Ridley Scott and John Carpenter.

I can tell you a rather lurid story about a friend of mine who had to unload all his dirty magazines because his girlfriend demanded it. I think he had about 15 or 20 different men's magazines and being a teenage boy with no internet I was more than happy to take them. Anyway, once we get past the spectre that I was once a deviate who couldn't control his hormones I will tell you that I read a few good horror stories in those magazines. Later, I would graduate to Rod Serling's Twilight Zone and the companion Night Cry to get my fill of horror fiction, but I still kept the girls around until I got a girlfriend who made me dump them.

Do you look to your own phobias to find subject matter? Are your stories the products of nightmares, childhood experiences, fantasies?

Yes, yes and yes. I used to have a recurring nightmare about being abducted by a stranger. Looking from the back of a big old car and watching my house disappear from the back window. Everything I write comes from inside me somewhere.

Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work? 

Certainly I've researched events and have used some real examples. In The Equinox there is a scene where the Psychologist Kolchak is walking the mass graves left by Stephen Hopper and as he says something to the officers. If my memory serves me correctly he says, "Corrl."

When  the officers ask what he is talking about he explains that Dean Corrl was a sexual sadist who killed a number of boys in Houston. He compares that case to the one they are investigating. Dean Corrl, along with his two accomplices really did exist.  

What draws people to horror novels? Why do we, as readers, like to be scared?

I think its natural for people to want to get out of that comfort zone. We do this all the time by jumping out of airplanes, getting on roller coasters and sitting down with a book we know bites back. I think we feel more alive when we test our nerve.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I think I draw the line when it gets out of my comfort zone. I have no issue with incorporating gore into a scene that requires it. If there is a scene where sex is a part of the story I have no issue with that either.

Now a combination of the two?

Well that's a whole other animal. For example if I was writing a story about a serial killer who was a rapist and a sadist I would be very leery about describing such a scene in an explicit manner. This seems to be something a lot of horror films are doing these days and I question the ability of the writers and look at it as a cop out.

In the film 8 MM, the main character decides to torture and kill the men who used a girl in a snuff film. You see him enter the room where they are, and then the door closes behind him. You know there is some horrible stuff going on behind that door, stuff you can only imagine, but that is enough. The writer doesn't have to show you the blow by blow, your imagination is already painting the picture.

Why should fans of horror movies read horror books?

Movies, although a lot of fun, are unable to offer up the same intimacy as a book. In books you get beneath the surface and inside the heads of the characters.

What in your opinion are crucial elements in creating a marketable horror novel?

You have to trust the reader and respect them. But even then, genre writing is an uphill battle littered with the graves of many casualties. I'm not going to tell you it's an easy gig, because it isn't. You have to love this and even then loving it isn't enough you gotta have talent. If you're in it for the money or some kind of fame give it up now, because you are writing for the wrong reasons.

The perception of the horror writer is that he/she is just a little bit weirder than most. Do you find yourself — and other horror writers — to be more idiosyncratic than the average person?

Speaking only for myself, I have to say I have a pretty dark sense of humour. When I was in the army I had a sergeant yell at me that if I didn't stop smiling that he was going to rip out my eye and skull fuck me. Instead of wiping the smirk off my face, I started laughing. This Sergeant was really in my face, screaming at me spit flying and all I could think was about a guy plucking out someone's eye and mounting him to fornicate. I still have both eyes, but man I did a lot of push-ups over that outburst.

Along with that I tend to look at mundane things and draw my own conclusions or imaginings. When I look at abandoned house I might wonder if there's a body decomposing inside. Sometimes I see bad things and I file them away for later use.

                                        _____________

Thanks Mj for a great insight into you and your work.

Below is an excerpt of the phenomenal The Equinox.

Excerpt from: The Equinox - Chapter 11 - The Big Blind

His car hit the rumble strips on the side of the road and he swerved the wheel. His anger was inhibiting his focus, and he thought it would be wise to pull over and take a deep breath before he smashed the car up.

Ten minutes later, he pulled the car onto the other side of a bridge that spanned the Red River. He got out. The fresh air awakened him and he decided to smoke one of the three joints he’d earmarked for the night at the casino.

He lit it up and looked out over river. He drew off the joint, and felt himself begin to relax. 

He’d sort this out.

He took another toke, held it, then exhaled.

“What a fucking bummer night,” he said.

“What a bummer indeed.”

Scott jerked around. At the end of the bridge stood the man who’d given him the money.

“Hello, Scott.”

“You,” he indicted. “How? You fucked me!”

The dark man stepped closer and deftly plucked the joint out of his hand. He took a deep draw off it, then blew the smoke back in Scott’s face. “Ah, devil weed.” 

“Who are you?”

“I am the one your mother warned you about.” He waved a hand toward the far side of the bridge and said, “Do you know what day it is, Scott?” 

A pack of coyotes lined up at the end of the bridge side by side, their eyes reflecting in the darkness.

“No.” Scott’s voice suddenly sounded hopeless.

“It is the tenth day by the old calendars. The tenth day is the day of the dog and it is but one day in many as the autumn equinox approaches.” He waved his hand again, and at the other end of the bridge another pack of coyotes set up and stood single file. “On this day I command the dog. Tomorrow I will command the monkey.”

The man climbed upon the edge of the bridge. He began to change. 

Perched on the railing, not with feet but great talons, he handed the joint back to Scott. “Take another draw on that thing, Scott; you’re going to need it.”

He looked left, then right. The coyotes growled hungrily. He looked back upon the creature towering above. He whimpered.

“Go ahead: have a last draw.”

Scott Masterson took the last toke of his life and as he exhaled the creature before him said, “This is going to hurt like hell.”

The talon tore upward and opened his belly, spilling his insides out. He wanted to scream at how it hurt – but the real pain was when the creature began to pull them out and feast on them. Scott fell weakly to his knees. The fire in his abdomen was all that kept him from collapsing.

The creature reached into his belly and pulled out a length of small intestine. As it gulped his insides down its eyes rolled, filming over, and Scott felt himself slipping away.

When it was done, it cracked his skull open on the railing and then said something in the ancient language to the waiting coyotes. They moved in to get their fill while it watched with satisfied interest. It was not the first time predatory animals shared in its kills, but it still studied their actions with amazement.

The coyotes growled and bickered over the fresh meat while it meditated.

                                                             ***

To find out more about Mj, and to connect with him follow the links below:

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Next week we have author J.B Sullivan, who will be surprising us with a short story written especially for us. 

See you all next week :)

Author Spotlight: CHRISTINE SUTTON

This week we are joined by horror writer CHRISTINE SUTTON.
She is the author of Jessica, as short story which sucks you into the world of a little girl, and Red, her latest work.


So without further adieu, I introduce you to Christine.

Hi Christine, can you tell us where you are from?

I am from Central California, USA. Born and raised here in the valley.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a 36 (soon to be 37) year old woman. I work as a custom cake artist. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 15 years. I do not have any children. I love cats. I spend way too much money on books, and way too much time on the internet. I love to gamble, and I take my Kindle or a book with me wherever I go.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Everything! I could never really make up my mind. I always wanted to be a lawyer or a forensic pathologist, or an actress.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I spend time with my husband; I like to fish and read. Whatever strikes me at the time.

What inspired you to pen your first novel?

I always loved to write, even as a kid. When I was ten, I had several poems published in a national anthology. My teacher at the time, who was a great inspiration to me, encouraged me to write. I took his advice and wrote my first novel at the age of fifteen.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?

Everything I see, hear, taste and learn influences my writing. Everyday people and their lives and interactions influence me.

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

I have always had a very free life. I was able to experience things that others my age were not exposed to. I think that really helped me to develop my personality as it is today. I am relatively adventurous, but not crazy. 

Do you have a specific writing style?

My writing, I believe is very character driven. I think that monsters and ghosts and the like are frightening, but what is more frightening to me is a human being that is driven to do horrible things. I also like to explore how people react to the supernatural, because sometimes it is not what you would think.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

I love horror, thrillers, mysteries, crime, and supernatural. My writing is on the border of being considered eclectic. If you look at the books and stories that I have available on Kindle, you will see two ghost stories (Jessica and All the Little Children), a supernatural/scary fairy tale (RED), a collection about serial killers (Killers), and a story about an ancient demon (The Walker). I write whatever strikes me as something important to tell.

Are your works based on someone you know or events in your life?

Some characters are based on people I know, although that is not always a compliment. I try not to take too much from the people in my own life. My characters and stories are mostly drawn from thin air, or inspired by an object.

What are your current projects?

I am working on a full length sequel to the short story, RED. I also get side tracked with other story ideas all the time, so you never know what else you might get.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I know it is an old standby, and maybe I should make a more "lofty" choice (according to some), but I am a huge Stephen King fan! I love his character development and the way he makes you laugh at awful things, sometimes.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

I received my first rejection letter at the age of sixteen. The funny thing was that I was told that the rejection was not because they did not like my work. As a matter of fact, they said that they loved it. I was rejected solely based on my age. I was told to resubmit my novel after I turned nineteen or twenty. The agent did not believe that a horror novel written by a teenager could be marketed to adults. So, I socked that book away and continued to write. I have gone back to it over these last twenty years and refined it. One day I will publish it, maybe.

Can you take us through the steps for one of your books getting published?

I self-publish my books through Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook, mostly because of the situation outlined above. I think a lot of good authors are overlooked because of details that have little or nothing to do with their writing ability.

I write my story or book, read it, then make my husband read it, then read it aloud, correcting any errors or typos along the way. Then I ask people I trust from various groups to read it over and give me honest feedback. Then I read it again. After I am satisfied, I place it for sale online. My titles range from free to $2.99, because I think books should be available to everyone, not just people who can afford $19.99 for every book.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I don't think I could choose. I try to take something from every writer I read or come in contact with, good 

or bad. I think sometimes the "don't do this" lessons are the best.

What new author has grasped your interest?

Wow! So many of them grasp my interest, it's hard to say. I am currently reading Shaun Jeffrey (The Kult) and Robert Decoteau (The New Days: The First Son). Both of them are making me want to read more of their books. That is one thing that makes a good author to me, when I want to read more of their work.

What about the horror genre interests you?

I think it is the broad brush it is painted with. Serial killers, monsters, demons, ghosts, vampires, zombies, and whatever else someone can think up. I do not think that I could confine myself to one sub-genre, like vampires or ghosts. I also love to be scared, and I think a lot of other people do, too!

What was a time in your life when you were really scared?

That is a hard one. I am scared to death of roller coasters and free falls. I forced myself to go on the Tower of Terror at Disneyland, a thirteen story free fall. I don't think that I have ever been so scared in my entire life.

What was your first introduction to horror literature, the one that made you choose that genre to write?

I read Carrie by Stephen King when I was in the third grade. That was my first horror novel. After that, I could not get enough. I read Dean Koontz's Watchers after that. There was no going back!

What is your favorite horror book?

I think that I would have to go with a tie. It and The Shining by Stephen King.

Do you ever come up with anything so wild that you scare yourself, that leaves you wondering where that came from?

I have written a few things that freaked me out. In my collection of short stories, Killers, there is a story titled 'Hindsight'. I really feel that story wrote itself. It scared me in the fact that people can be turned into killers by the horrible actions of others, and even though a person might have a good soul, they can still do horrible things.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite horror book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of the horror genre?

Again, a tie. It and The Shining by Stephen King. I love both of them because they are so character driven. I like the fact that even the villains are strong characters. You actually get to know Pennywise, and you get a real feel for the disposition of the Overlook Hotel. It is not just treated like, "These are the bad guys and you should hate them."

My favourite non horror book would have to be The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I just cannot say enough about it. That was the most touching, heart breaking, triumphant story I have ever read. I still cry when I read it.

Do you look to your own phobias to find subject matter? Are your stories the products of nightmares, childhood experiences, fantasies?

Not really. I actually do pull most of my work out of thin air. I see something or hear something and then while I am doing something menial, I brainstorm and let my mind wander.  The Walker was inspired by a cane that my husband purchased. RED was inspired by a big black truck that I saw on the road with a chrome skull trailer hitch. It can be the smallest thing that makes me think, what if?

What draws people to horror novels? Why do we, as readers, like to be scared?

I think physiologically it is a rush. If you have ever been really scared by something, you know that afterwards you feel great! I think that is the feeling that people are chasing, not necessarily the fear, just the feeling that comes after.

Mentally, I think people feel safer by being scared. If you read a scary book, or watch a scary movie, you know that it is not real. Therefore, after it is over, you feel like you have conquered something. You have defeated the scary monsters. I think it is a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I draw the line at unnecessary. I am no prude when it comes to either, but I do not feel that gore or sex should be used just for the sake of using it, or just for shock value. You can convey a lot with a little. I have eroticism and gore in some of my stories, but it is necessary for the character or the story. I don't judge readers or writers that like either or both, but it is not for me.

Why should fans of horror movies read horror books?

I feel that the experience is so much richer when you use your imagination. I am a horror movie junkie, but a book is a totally different experience. When the author does not spend six pages describing a monster, you can create that monster in your own mind, making it so much scarier than any movie director can, because it is tailored to you. You can pick what the characters look like and how they respond to situations. It is like watching a horror movie that was made just for you.

Can you tell us five random facts about yourself?

1. My favorite movie is Disney's Cinderella.

2. I hate seafood. (Except shrimp. Yummy)

3. I cry like a baby every single time I watch 'The Green Mile'.

4. I secretly want to be a Food Network chef.

5. My favorite band is The Eagles.

Excerpt

RED

By

Christine Sutton

A sign read, 'Please turn on your headlights'. She flipped hers on, realizing that she hadn't even seen a car on the highway since she left Barstow.

As if the universe had been eavesdropping on her inner conversation, she suddenly saw headlights in the distance behind her. Up and over hills and valleys, the vehicle was coming up on her bumper fast. Too fast as a matter of fact.  It cleared the distance between them in what seemed like seconds. As the midnight black Impala barreled up behind her, the chrome skull gleamed, and she said a little prayer that it would just pass on by.

"Please, please, please."

As if God was really listening, the car swerved around her and passed on the left side. As the Impala rumbled past the driver's side window, Kayla tried to take a peek in at the driver, without looking too conspicuous. What she saw took her by surprise. She saw, nothing. The windows were tinted a dark black, almost the same shade as the car itself. Even beyond the tinting, there was no shadow of a driver in front of the bright sunlight like there should have been.

Dismissing the lack of a driver as a trick of the tinting, she continued on her way, keeping the red Stingray right at sixty-five. After thoroughly rationalizing what she had seen, she turned the radio up and began singing along to The Eagles. After a few more miles, the soda she had with dinner started to catch up with her. She had such a weak bladder, it was almost ridiculous. There was a sign indicating a rest stop two miles ahead and she pushed the accelerator a little further to insure she made it there in time. As The Moody Blues sang about Knights in White Satin, the rest stop shimmered into view.

Pulling in to the circular drive, the vending machines that sat in front of the small block building glowed in the now dusky twilight.

"I could really use a Snickers." Kayla laughed. "Because Snickers satisfies!" She sang to the empty car.

Parking in the spot closest to the building, she hopped out of the red sports car and made a dash for the bathrooms. When she got inside, it was as she expected. The concrete floors were damp with who-knows-what, the single sink had rust and dried soap all around the rim, and the mirror had more names and hearts scratched into it than it did actual reflection. Gingerly padding over to the open stall that housed the toilet, she expected the worst, but was somewhat surprised. It was actually not that bad, she thought as she covered the seat with strips of toilet paper to guard against germs. She relieved herself with a contented sigh.

The deep rumble of an engine jolted her from her urinary euphoria. She quickly finished and washed her hands. As she walked to the door and stepped out, she couldn't believe her eyes. There sat the black Impala with the chrome skull staring back at her in the twilight. She ducked back into the bathroom and pressed her back against the cinderblock wall, hoping that the driver had not seen her. The door of the car creaked open and she heard what sounded like boots crunching the gravel beneath them.

Step, step, step.

Heels clicking on the sidewalk now, approaching the restrooms. As the unseen driver approached the building, he stopped in front of the ladies room. Kayla couldn't quite tell, but it sounded as though he was sniffing the air, like a wild dog in search of prey. The driver took one long, deep breath and sighed in what seemed like extreme pleasure, and then he made his way to the men's room.

Kayla didn't want to leave until after this creepster had vacated the rest stop. She pulled a cigarette from the worn pack in her pocket and lit up. She had been trying not to smoke on this trip, and had been mostly successful. Now, she thoroughly savored the sweet, harsh heat that coursed down her throat and filled her lungs.

The Driver apparently finished up his business and exited the lavatory. She held her breath as his boots clicked the sidewalk on his way back to the car. She didn't exhale until she heard the engine rumble again and the car drove away. Looking around, she stepped out of the bathroom and walked back to her car, tossing her cigarette on the ground, Snickers bar completely forgotten.

Flopping into the front seat, she noticed the little slip of paper under the windshield wiper. She opened the door and reached around to grab it.

As she unfolded the small yellow slip of paper, she felt the blood literally drain from her face. There were just a few words scrawled across the note, but they sent a chill up her spine. All the message read was:

Peek-a-Boo.

I See You!

She crumpled the note and threw it out onto the ground as she started her car and drove away, watching out for the freak in the Impala at every shadow and turn. Even with AC/DC on the radio, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than a prank. Continuing down the deserted highway, she said another prayer that this was her last encounter with the driver and his demon Impala.

WOW, what a read!!! I don't know about you, but I know this will be on my TBR list.

To find out more about Christine, follow the links below:

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Guest post and interview with: ALEXIA PURDY

Hey everyone, on the run up to the Christmas season, I've decided to post weekly interviews with authors and highlight some of the best talent around.  This week to kick things off we are joined by the beautiful and talented ALEXIA PURDY, who is a writer of dark faerie folklore.

Below is the interview and then a short story which Alexia penned for us.  Enjoy!

Hi Alexia, can you introduce yourself and tell us three random fact about yourself?

-I love anything chocolate; want to get on my good side– bribe me with chocolate.

-I don’t eat shrimp.  Can’t do it, maybe it stems from some childhood traumatic event, can’t say.

-At the age of eighteen, I said I’d never have kids.  Now I find myself surrounded by four of them.  Help!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like to write chapters out of order, as the story pops into my head.  It’s insane but works for me.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

My dreams, I have whacked-out dreams and use them for ideas.  I remember my dreams very well and write them down immediately.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I can’t self-edit as well as I thought I could.  Very eye opening and irritating for me.  So just break down and get an editor, it will save you a headache or two.

How many books have you written?  Which is your favorite?

Two:  Interim Blue and Ash and Embers of The Teleen Trilogy series- A dark Faerie adventure.  I liked writing Ash and Embers more, the story is fast paced and has a lot packed into it.

Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Write and read every day, all the time.  Don’t have the time?  Make the time!  Carry a pen and notebook and don’t be afraid to ask and receive criticism. 

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Yes, I get to hear from my readers a lot through Face book.  I love interacting with them, they are fiercely loyal once you get some and are the reason I continue to write.  Their praise, enthusiasm and love always make my day.

Do you like to create books for adults?

I am into writing for young adults right now but am planning projects in adult genres for sure.

What do you think makes a good story?

Originality, suspense and likeable characters.  I try to do stuff I would love to read and keep the twists in the stories exciting and worthy of a reader’s attention.  Unfortunately, I do have to be mean to my characters and put them through stuff that is life threatening, scary and most times down right hilarious but hey, that’s why people end up loving them.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I wanted to be a dancer, a writer and a nurse.   I danced mainly in high school and then I quit because I wasn’t the best (darn self critic!)  So I became an RN, still doing that in a Neonatal ICU.  Always been writing but I just published my first novel Interim Blue (The Teleen Trilogy #1) July 2011.  I guess I’m one of the few who can say I’ve done reached my dreams.

Tell us about your latest project.

I am publishing Ash and Embers (The Teleen Trilogy #2) This Saturday Nov. 26^th 2011.  It is the second book in The Teleen Trilogy about Faeries, magic and treachery.  I will be taking a short break on the series to write a post-apocalyptic series called Reign of Blood, hopefully done in March 2012.  I also write poetry and am putting together a yet unnamed collection of my poems to be published Feb/March of 2012.  Got a busy year ahead but I’m loving every minute of it!

Thanks Julieanne!

Now for the story...get ready to be entertained!

The Faery Hunt

By

 Alexia Purdy

“Grab your gear; we’re almost ready to go.”  Jay hollered out to me.  He was dressing in full hunting gear, cargo pants, black shirt with knives sheathed across his chest.  A quiver stuffed full of arrows crisscrossed the belt of knives, making him look like a black ops soldier. 

Groaning I pulled myself up into the back of the truck, grabbing my hunting gear that matched his and snugly strapped it on.  “Oh come on, I was heading towards the mall to hang out with my girls.  What’s going on that you guys had to screech on over here and interrupt my perfect evening?” 

Jay tossed a bow at me and snickered, “I think this is much more important than shopping for shoes. “ 

I glared at my brother, wishing I could give him a slap.  He never cared for anything else but the hunt.  Sighing, I was glad I remembered to wear decent shoes, I had learned long ago that a hunt can happen at any time and it was better being ready than sorry.

“Heads up!”  Craig yelled out from the cab of the truck.  A flashlight went sailing out the window and barely missed my head.  Catching it, I cursed him under my breath. 

“You could have killed me, moron!”  Stuffing the flashlight into my belt, I pulled the truck door open and plopped on the chair, glaring at my older brother Craig. 

“Sorry pudge, didn’t mean to almost take your head off.  Just helping you prime your lightning fast reflexes.  It’s gonna be a doozy tonight!”  He stuffed a flashlight of his own into his jacket and hopped out.  I did the same, slamming the truck door and scurrying towards the back to find him and Jay scoping out the woods.

“Hey, don’t I get a say in the game plan?  This isn’t a ‘boys only’ club.”  I sighed, turning to scan the darkening woods before us.  A trail on our left led deeper into the trees, disappearing from the road after the first turn.  It looked scary, and the pit of my stomach agreed.  Shaking off the dread, I followed my brothers into the forest, letting the truck disappear behind us in the thick of the woods.

“You sure there were sightings in these woods?  I don’t see any tracks yet.”  I knelt down to study the dirt, looking for any disturbances.  The twigs and dead leaves cluttered the forest floor and made it difficult to pin point any tracks.  I studied it intensively until a small splash of dirt across some sapling leaves betrayed our prey. 

“This way,” I said, confident that I had discovered a track.  No way were they getting away from us this time.

We tracked them for about an hour, as the dusk sucked the daylight away.  The trees rustled in the cool evening breeze and made it hard to hear any movement around us.  As the night approached, the lights became clearer, marking the faeries in the distance.

“Faery lights,” whispered Jay, motioning towards the darkness beyond.  In the distance, firefly-like glowing orbs reflected back towards us.  I sucked in my breath, steading my bow as I swept my flashlight back and forth, counting the lights.  Faery lights were the retinal reflections of the woodland faery tribes that haunted the woods around the city.  They had caused a number of disappearances lately, thus keeping us hunting them regularly.

My brothers were on full alert, guns and arrows pointed and readied towards the flashing targets.  They watched us approach, not wavering in their positions.  Their confidence made the hairs on my neck stand on end; these were not so easily spooked like the others we’ve encountered.

“Amy, take the left flank, I’ll take the ones on the right, Jay you’re center point man.  Don’t spread out too much, stay together.”   Craig said intently, stepping carefully towards his right as they expanded their perimeter. 

“Now!”  Jay gave the command as he had many times before.  Craig and I followed with a cascade of arrows flying into the darkness, hitting the glowing targets around us. 

The infernal screams that followed were deafening.  Even the roar of the wind through the tree canopy was swallowed by the carnal wailing all around us.  I wanted to fall to the ground and hold my hands over my ears to muffle the screeching.  This band was louder and madder than any we had extinguished before.

We continued to hit them with arrows and bullets as Craig shot some down with his handgun.  I reloaded as fast as I could but realized that the mass of dark faeries had taken a different stance and began to bum rush right at us. 

Crap!

I pulled out a hunting knife from my belt, just in time to slash one across the chest and butt another in the head with the bow.  Their bright green blood splashed across my face and arms as their veiny skins burst open under my blade. 

Their hair was made of twisted twigs and thistles while their skin was green like an emerald forest in spring with veins like leaves that spread across their bodies like emblazoned tattoos.  They wore moss and long grasses woven into capes and pants.  Their eyes glowed a yellow of cat’s eyes, reflecting the moonlight like feral orbs.   They fought us bravely, falling in piles as our weapons got the best of them.  Iron arrows and bullets decimated their numbers efficiently.

Their sheer numbers pushed me further from my brothers as they too spread apart to keep up with the rampage.  Sweat gathered on my brows as my heart jumped in my chest.  If we don’t end this soon, we would be no match against them.

 As if they heard my thoughts, the attack slowed, more warriors came to stand around me as my ammo ran out.  The ceasing of gunfire let me know that Craig too had run out.  Panic seared through me like lightning, threatening to burst my chest open.  I held my knife out, dropping the now useless bow to the ground. 

In a flash, one faery grabbed the hand holding the knife, squeezing hard enough for me to yelp out and drop it.  He moved in a blur as he twisted my arm painfully around my back and held it tight.  Unable to break free, he shoved me forward, deeper into the forest and away from the calls of my brothers.  The pain in my arm seared through me, making my eyes tear up as I stumbled under his impatient shoving.  When we approached a clearing, he shoved me down to the floor where I struggled to get back on my feet, rocks and mulch scraping my hands.  Looking up, my eyes rested on another faery that stood staring down at me intently.

“Let me go!”  I yelled. The still face remained unmoving, boring down into mine.  I tried my best to look away; knowing that to stare back into the bright yellow glow of faery eyes was to become a prisoner of Faerie itself.  I pulled my gaze away, tears spilling down my cheeks as I stared at the ground.

“Please, don’t hurt my brothers.  I’ll go with you, but please, don’t hurt them.  Let them go.”   My voice quivered as my body shook, exhaustion and terror crawled over me, threatening to collapse the last bit of strength left inside me.  Looking back up, I waited, studying his features, which were similar to the rest of their kind.  The only difference was a twisted crown of wood and vines sitting on his head.  His eyes glared at me, seemingly sucking my soul out into them as the world swam around me.  I could hear but a whisper in my head as he agreed with my terms.  Reaching out he touched my cheek.

A blazing burn ran from his touch down my neck and set my body writhing in pain.  It seared through my bones like a raging inferno until a moment later when it receded slowly.  Lying on the ground, I blinked back into consciousness.  Slowly getting up, I stood and stared at the woodland Faery king.  He nodded, turning back towards the forest and motioning me to follow.  Glancing down at my hands, I realized the same leafy green texture of their own now tattooed my skin. 

Reaching up, I touched the twisted twigs and vines that now was my hair and felt the mossy softness of the soft grassy dress that replaced my cargo pants and shirt.  Gulping I watched the faeries retreat behind their king.  Turning I saw my brother Jay, tied to a tree behind me, watching in terror. 

“Oh, Amy, no, don’t go with them, no, no, no.”  His head bled a deep scarlet where he had sustained a hit.  Craig lay on the ground near him, knocked out but breathing.  Relieved to see them alive, as the king had promised, I smiled to my brother, whispering  my love you guys into his head.   Turning away and ignoring his pleads, I walked with the procession of retreating faeries and knew I would never see my brothers again.

©2011 Alexia Purdy

Now wasn't that delicious?

You can connect with Alexia via the following links:

Alexia Purdy’s Blog (paperback also available here signed): http://alexiapurdy.blogspot.com

Amazon.com

Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Interim-Blue-Teleen-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005AQ4CJ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321033409&sr=1-1

Paperback edition:  http://www.amazon.com/Interim-Blue-Trilogy-Alexia-Purdy/dp/1463698100/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Barnes & Noble (bn.com )

Ebook edition:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/interim-blue-alexia-purdy/1104277732?ean=2940012836106&itm=1&usri=interim+blue

Facebook pages:

Alexia Purdy on FB:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/alexia.purdy

The Teleen Trilogy fan page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Interim-Blue-The-Teleen-Trilogy-by-Alexia-Purdy/136515463095840

Thank you Alexia for taking the time to write for us. 

Next week we are joined by horror writer CHRISTINE SUTTON.  Get ready for an interesting insight into her work and an excerpt.

Ciao