A Debt to the Dead - Free!

Well, the ride is over.  A Debt to the Dead did not make it into the finals for Screencraft's Cinematic Short Story Awards.  That's okay though.  I am grateful and amazed that it got as far as it did.  

I'd like to say thanks to all of you out there who cheered it on as the contest progressed.  I truly appreciate the words of encouragement.  You folks are the best!

To say thanks, I'd like to offer all of you who have not read the story a chance to do so. Below is a link to download A Debt to the Dead.  I hope you enjoy it and if you do, please pass along the link to others who you think may like it.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A DEBT TO THE DEAD

There are more stories coming.  Finding time to write for fun has been hard lately as I've done a lot of traveling and my day job has taken a lot of my time, but trust me when I say that I'm plugging away.  I'm looking forward to dropping more content on you very soon.

Until then, I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did writing it.  

See you soon!

Help Decide the Fate of My "Redneck Da Vinci Code"

It's been a hell of a year and I'll be honest, I'm way behind on getting the next book out.  The truth is, it's been stalled due to an idea I had to make it better.  The effort to incorporate that idea is almost like rewriting the damn book but I do believe it's worthwhile.  

I've been hammering away at it, but as any author can tell you, sometimes you start to get sick of your own story.  That's exactly what was happening so I put it down for a bit.  I really like this one and the characters in it and I want to keep it that way.

So while it's sitting and gelling, I've revisited an older one that's vexed me for years.  That's the one I need your feedback on.  

Years ago, I came up with the idea for a story that just lit me up from head to toe with excitement.  I've referred to it as my "Redneck Da Vinci Code" and I've worked on it in fits and starts for the better part of a decade.  The reasons I've had so much trouble finishing it have more to do with my buckling down on it and less to do with roadblocks, etc.  However, one of the main reasons is that I've often thought it was just too "eccentric". 

Something keeps drawing me back though.  So recently, I reworked the first two chapters and read them to the Orange County Fictionaires group that I attend.  I got great feedback on what worked and what didn't, but one thing about reading to other writers is that sometimes it doesn't answer the question, "Would a non-writer read this?"

So for those of you interested, I've posted the first two chapters below.  Let me know either in the comments here or on Facebook if you'd be interested in finding out more about what happened to Lee and Jacob, or if it just doesn't grab you.

Thanks for your time.

 Chapter 1:  LSD and Willow Trees

We are sitting behind a dumpster looking at the branch of a willow tree.  You.  Me.  We’re just staring.  The dumpster stands to the left of the willow and in the small space between them, we can see down an alley that seems to stretch forever. I am here for a story.  Presumably you’re here for the same, however forget about when and where you were a moment ago.  The story doesn’t exist there.  To hear it, you have to be here with me.  It is 1991.  We’re sitting in a Buick LeSabre behind a row of condominiums along Sunset Blvd.

The willow tree is magic.  We’ll get to that.

Looking out through the windshield of my rented car, my brain is struggling very hard to make sense of a world that seems to have gone completely insane.  Lights blur, buildings melt, their bricks dripping in big glops onto the asphalt of the alley and the very air feels electric.  This is due to an unreasonably high volume of LSD (in the form of three small pieces of paper each adorned with a green peace symbol) that I placed on my tongue about an hour ago.    

Tomorrow evening, I’ll be catching a plane on my way to a new life, but that is far from the forefront of my mind as I watch the magic willow tree do its dance.  Did I mention it was dancing?  Between the breeze and the drug it seems to be doing a tango of some sort and that’s fine with me.  Like I said, I’m just here to be entertained, but I’m yearning for something big, bright and fun to kick this experience up a notch.

  

So, it’s remarkable that you’ve picked this instant to join me, because it’s precisely the moment when the willow tree lets me in on its secret.  You see, up until this point, everyone who has ever wandered past it, just considered the tree a decorative member of the plant kingdom, provided to help add some color to an otherwise washed out urban area.  Little did they realize that years of evolution combined with genetic modification of plant seeds had created a willow tree that not only grew a beautiful green year round, but also granted its friends and admirers the ability to travel back and forth through time. 

  

That’s pretty amazing when you think about it but probably even more amazing is that all a person has to do in order to be granted this fantastic power by the willow tree is to simply ask for it.  

It also helps to have a metric ton of LSD lighting up your brain prior to asking. 

So it is by pure luck that I happen to be tripping my eyelids off when I audibly ask,"Damn, couldn't this get even a little better?" 

The willow tree  practically jumps out of the asphalt with excitement.

  

I’d almost given up! it declares. I've been waiting for someone to ask for years!

My smile extends from ear to ear. 

“Okay.  What have you got for me?” I ask.

A true story, it says.  It’s got intrigue, suspense and even alligators.

Instantly the windshield in front of me swirls and I find myself gazing into a giant rabbit hole.  At the other end is a past I could not possibly have known existed.  I see glimpses of wooded night, bustling sidewalks and a very large man cursing at something. 

It’s a mystery, the tree says. I’ll help you connect all the strings.  You’re going to love it.  

“Who are you?” I ask.

Salix Sepulcralix is my Latin name, but I go by Manny.

And with that, his branches pluck off wisps of sparkle and tie them in a neat little bow.  It resembles a filmstrip and it loops gracefully across the brilliantly glittering sky.  I smell buttered popcorn and warm caramel. 

All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show… and pass along what you saw to someone else.

“Pass along?” 

The story.  You need to tell others the story.  What good is a story if it’s never told?

So that’s why we’re here.  In 1991, I sat behind a dumpster as a magic willow tree told me a story.    Some of it sounds true.  I’m not really sure what is or isn’t, but here we are staring at that tree, just waiting for the opening credits to roll.

The branch nearest us bends straight up.  The willow stands majestic and then leans down.  It grins at us in a way that only a willow tree can.

How would you like to see a little something with Burt Reynolds?

Chapter 2: Death on the River

We're pulled through the windshield and there is a moment of falling but only a moment.  As if the floor dropped a foot or two.  The words, October 14, 1968 – Marion County, Florida appear in the air in front of us.  Things seem strange.  The world seems small.   

Mere moments ago, we were sitting behind the wheel of a Buick LeSabre but now, we’re most definitely lying on the bottom of an aluminum boat on a river in a forest and I’m pretty damn uncomfortable.

I complain about this to Manny but he doesn’t respond.  Instead he kind of gestures with a branch as he fades out of sight and I notice that I’m not alone.  In the boat, there are two men and both are frightened and frantic.  Hearts are beating in their chests at rapid fire paces.  

Instinctively, I know that the two men in the boat are named Lee and Jacob.  To them, everything they’ve known and all the plans they’ve made in their lives have come down to this one instant and it’s going horribly wrong.  They are hunkered down in the 20-foot craft, each clutching a rifle, but the boat has stopped dead in the water.  The engine is running and the propeller is spinning but the boat isn’t moving at all.  

At least not forward.  Instead, it's shifting.  We can feel it.  It’s no longer pointed up river.  It’s slowly beginning to turn toward the shore; its nose pivoting on something.  Lee is looking at the side of the boat.  There are dots of moonlight scattered across it.  Jacob is breathing heavy and whispering something about God, damnation and the sons of dogs. 

The beautiful, glittering, fascinating world we’d been looking at has been reduced to the inside of a boat, sitting on a river in the middle of Florida and what strikes me first is that it’s amazingly quiet.  There’s nothing moving but the water.  No crickets chirruping.  No frogs.  There’s just the sound of water moving past the boat, Jacob whispering and a feeling like the night is a heavy curtain that has come down prematurely. 

Lee grips the end of his shotgun tighter.  He pulls his knees up and shifts his weight over, cursing at how the aluminum ribs hurt his knees.  He raises the rifle and blindly squeezes off a shot into the woods.  The sound reverberates through the forest like a thunderclap.  Underneath it there is a low ‘whump’ and Lee’s left forearm explodes as he falls back into the boat.  Bones are shattered.  The wound is tattered and messy, and now there is another sound.  The sound of his heart in his ears.  The sound of adrenaline and his own cries of pain.  

We can hear all of this.  I can feel him trying in vain to hold back a yell but he fails miserably.  He half roars, half cries.  It’s the sound of a wounded predator. 

And all the while, Jacob is still lying motionless in the boat.  He’s trying not to say anything.  I can see in his eyes that he wants to reach over to help Lee but he doesn’t dare.  Lee lies on his back,  holding what’s left of that arm with his other hand; pleading out to someone he can’t see.

“You can have it!  You can have it!  Just let us go,” he cries.

Jacob stays quiet.  He grips the shotgun, rolls from his side onto his back and wraps his finger around the trigger.  

Someone yells for him to stand up and put his hands in plain sight.  Lee whimpers and pulls himself up slowly.  There is that dull thump again and he falls back into the boat.  Something wet and sticky splatters across Jacob’s face.  He’s afraid to think about what it is.

Honestly, so am I.  

The boat is still shifting, slowly. 

  

Someone yells out, “When it gets sideways haul it into shore!”

“Okay,” comes another voice.

The boat continues to turn and Jacob stays still.  He’s got his breathing under control but I can still hear his heart pounding.    

I try very hard but I don’t hear Lee breathing at all.

The first voice yells back, “There were two people in that boat! Watch out!”

Jacob remains motionless, cradling the shotgun.  He raises his head slightly and looks down by his feet at the metal army trunk against the back of the boat.  It’s the first time I notice it and I immediately wonder what’s inside.  Whatever Jacob is searching for, he seems to find it.  He puts his head back down. 

And then we hear something clatter into the boat.  It’s a grappling hook and as it pulls taut, we are moving again.  There’s a shudder, a rat-tat-tat-tat and I realize the bow was held by a net, the knots making tooth-rattling vibrations through the metal hull as the current and the motor keep us jammed against it. 

“They’re pulling us to shore,” I say, but Jacob doesn’t seem to hear me.  

He is looking straight up into the clear, moonlit night, trying to see more area than he has ever tried to see in his life, looking for any movement at all at which to aim.  Looking for one good reason to swing the shotgun up.   

The sour smell of swamp and decay are getting stronger as we leave the current. The buzz of mosquitoes gets louder.

There comes a tree branch, low, maybe six feet above us. 

Jacob stays silent and still, shotgun at the ready.

If this were a theater I would be on the edge of my seat but instead, I’m lying across from Jacob feeling alone, scared and sad.  

Just like that, he sits up, brings the barrel around and fires.  There’s a scream as the explosion rolls through the trees.  He pumps the expended cartridge out of the chamber and swings around in the direction of the voice.

  

Fire spits from the barrel again and I hear something big hit the forest floor.

“Son of a bitch!” someone yells. 

The line has gone slack now and the boat feels like it's moving backward.  He pumps the shotgun again and moves to leap over the side.  There’s the low ‘whump’ sound and Jacob flies back into the boat.  He goes to his knees, hands to his throat.  The shotgun clatters to the floor and goes off. 

   

The flash happens right in front of me.  I should be dead, but instead there’s just a hole next to where I’m lying and the smell of spent powder all around me.  

Jacob’s hands are wet and black in the moonlight.  I see him struggling to get a breath as he falls next to me.

He’s staring up again and I follow his gaze.  Overhead is a tree limb, Spanish moss dangling down from it and small jewels of moonlight peaking through.

  

“It’s an oak,” I think for no reason at all and I get a brief glimmer of a memory.  It’s Jacob under a different oak in a different time. Then it’s gone.

I turn my head to look at the army trunk and I swear it glows as the world around me shimmers and shifts like asphalt on a hot day.  

Then it all disappears.  

The river is gone, I’m back in the Buick and the dumpster is in front of me again.  Manny’s branches are waving wildly, leaving tiny traces of starlight behind them.

He’s jovial.

I just watched two men die.  

This is not what I meant by "entertainment".

Horror Histories Vol. 10 - The Hills Have Eyes (The REAL Story)!

Okay, here’s a great one for you.  We’ve talked about Wes Craven before in this column but that was about the inspiration behind A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Years before that seminal movie premiered, Craven had already hit horror-gold with a movie called The Hills Have Eyes (1977).  

Spoiler Alert:  Don’t read further unless you don’t care about major plot points being spoiled for you.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977) is the story of a family on a trip to California who venture into an off-limits, wooded area.  When their car breaks down (as always seems to happen to people in these types of movies), they are hunted and killed by a vicious family of cannibals who live there.   It’s a very fun film if you like horror.

This is a case though of the inspiration being even more horrible than the film it inspired.  Believe it or not, The Hills Have Eyes is based on a real family who lived in Scotland in the 1500’s.  Wait till you read this!

Alexander “Sawney” Bean was born in East Lothian and was raised by parents who were both honest, hard-working people.  Once he was old enough to start seeking his own path in life, Sawney did not feel the same way.  He hated honest work and soon found a woman who shared his dislike of it.  They sought out a place to live and soon found a cave by the ocean near Bennane Head.  The cave ran very deep (200 yards) and at high tide, the ocean prevented people from going inside.  It was located between two towns (Ballantrae and Girvan) which meant there were often travelers passing nearby.

Alexander and his (presumably) lovely bride began attacking people who traveled the road at night.  They would rob them of supplies, murder them and eat them.  They actually pickled the leftovers. 

Wait, it gets better.  

What do you do with yourself when you're living in a cave and making other humans a staple in your diet?  Well you start a family of course!  The two produced eight sons, six daughters, eighteen grandsons and fourteen granddaughters.  Obviously there was a fair amount of incest involved here so you can imagine what the offspring were beginning to look like.  I told you, this story is even more frightening than the film it inspired.

As you may have surmised, for them to create a family that large, they had to have gone undetected for some time.  You’re right!  In fact, they successfully lived, undiscovered for over 25 years.  They only attacked at night and while local townsfolk arranged searches and hunting parties to try to find who or what was killing travelers, they were never found.  

While the hunting parties had seen the cave, they'd determined that because of the location and the water level, it must be uninhabitable.

The Bean clan’s luck finally ran out when they attacked the wrong guy.  He and his wife were riding back from a local fair and when the Beans attacked, they found that their prey was actually combat trained.  The husband fought them off with his sword long enough for another group of travelers to come along.  The Beans scrambled into hiding but while they’d managed to kill the man’s wife, he was still alive.  He told the authorities what had happened and soon, King James VI of Scotland organized a 400 man team along with bloodhounds to bring them to justice. 

What did justice look like in the 1500's?  Basically, it involved rounding all of the Beans up and killing them.  They were first brought to prison in Edinburgh and then the men were bled to death. I won’t tell you what was cut off but I will tell you it was painful and you can just use your imagination from there.    The women and children (again, all cannibals) were burned alive.

Someone should make a movie about something this wild, right?  That’s exactly what Wes Craven said to himself when he heard the legend and once again, a horror classic sprung from his head.  I know I say this every week, but I highly recommend this film.  It doesn’t have the greatest production values, but it is effective and if you just can’t bring yourself to watch a low-budget horror film from the ‘70’s, then check out the remake from 2006.  I like the original better but this one is no slouch.

Now, my book The Wash, does have a bit of cannibalism in it.  Seriously.  If you want to find out for yourself how that plays out, then head over to Amazon and check out my author’s page.  There you can pick up a copy and read it for yourself.

See you next week and until then, stay on the major roads. 

Horror Histories Vol. 9 - What if the Xenomorph from Alien (1979) was real? (Pssst... it kind of is!)

Alien (1979) is widely regarded as one of the scariest movies ever made.  While multiple sequels have watered down the overall series, the original still holds up and the Xenomorph (as the alien is referred to) is one of the most original monster creations ever.  The screenplay was written by Dan O’Bannon from a story he co-authored with Ronald Shusett and while the inspiration for the story itself comes from various sci-fi and horror works, it’s the actual creature life-cycle and design that really captured people’s imaginations.

So for this post, I want to introduce you to the horrific animal that inspired the Xenomorph.   For those that haven’t seen the film, I’m about to drop a major spoiler so just stop reading here. 

Want to continue?  Here we go!

The most infamous scene of Alien is the chest burster scene.  The Xenomorph life-cycle starts in an egg.  What emerges from the egg attaches to the face of a host.  It then plants an embryo in the stomach of the host and detaches.  The host walks around a while feeling okay until the embryo begins eating its way out to horrifically gory (and fun if you’re in the audience) results.

To see the animal that inspired that lifecycle, we need to travel down to Australia where as far as I can tell, everything is poisonous and wants to kill you.  Allow me to introduce you to the Spider Wasp.  

In particular, say hello to the Huntsman-killing Spider Wasp of Australia.  To put things in perspective, you need to know what a Huntsman spider is.  Here’s a picture.

Now, to put that in perspective, those legs are anywhere from 6 – 9 inches from tip to tip.  This is not a small spider we’re talking about here.  Which brings us to the Spider Wasp.  It’s not a small bug either and while its name would suggest that it eats Huntsman spiders, that’s not entirely accurate.  An adult female wasp will swoop down and sting the spider, paralyzing it.  The wasp then lays eggs in the Huntsman’s abdomen, however it makes sure not to damage any of the spider’s internal organs.  Once that happens, the eggs hatch and the baby wasps feed on the still living spider from the inside out. 

Here’s a fun picture of an adult female wasp dragging a paralyzed Huntsman off to be turned into a living incubator. 

See what I mean about these not being little animals? 

So yeah, have fun with that nightmare and while you’re at it, check out Alien if you haven’t seen it in a while.  It’s one of the best sci-fi movies in the history of film and still packs a horrific punch almost 40 years after its original release.

And if you’re looking for something else scary, check out my Amazon Authors page.  It’s scary that there’s not more new stuff up there, right?  I’ll be remedying that soon enough, but in the meantime pick up a copy of The Wash if you haven’t already. 

See you next time!

Monsters! - An Interview with Lisanne Harrington

Those of you who have followed the blog know that I have a huge love of horror, but while that may be the case, slasher films don't really float my boat.  I'm a monster guy.  Give me something supernatural, otherworldly or just oversized from nuclear testing and you've got me hooked into seeing your movie or reading your book.  

One of my favorite people to talk about monsters with just happens to be a damn fine author as well.  Her name is Lisanne Harrington and if you haven't already, check out her excellent books MOONSPELL and MOON WATCH.  They stood out to me right away because they're about werewolves!  The world needs more werewolf stories and especially some that don't involve vampire love triangles. 

Lisanne loves monsters as much if not more than I do.  She loves them so much that her blog features an in-depth look at a different monster each week.  You can find it at this link and I encourage you to go back and check out some of her older posts.  My favorites so far have been about Momo (a meat eating Bigfoot cousin from Missouri) and The Wendigo (a mysterious cannibalistic creature from Native American lore).  

Last week, Lisanne and I sat down to talk about monsters and writing.  The conversation took some fun turns, so without further ado, here's it is.  Enjoy!

Cary

First, have you always loved monsters or was this something that came to you later?

Lisanne

I think I was just born this way. Can't remember a time when I didn't love monsters. Never was a Princess or Fairy Queen for Halloween. Always had some sort of monster get-up. Kids' costumes used to have these plastic masks that were held on your face with rubberized string, and even though you could barely see out of the eye-holes (especially when you wear glasses!) and it was hard to breathe, I always wanted to be Frankenstein or Dracula. At least until I was old enough to put together a costume myself.  Drove my mother nuts. She always wanted me to be something "cute."

Cary

I remember those costumes! I had them as a kid also. 

Lisanne

One year at work, I dressed up as a huge cobweb with tons of plastic spiders everywhere. My boss wouldn't look at me all day, except to tell me I looked horrible. I was 34...

Cary

That's a great idea for a costume!  

Do you have brothers or sisters that influenced you also? I was the oldest so I didn't, but I had a great aunt who liked to stay up for Creature Feature and I spent the night with her on most weekends. My introduction to the classic movies was when I was probably seven or eight and it was all thanks to my Aunt Maude.

Lisanne

I had an older brother, but he was 5 years older than me and pretty much ignored me most of the time. I also watched the Creature Features. For a time, I wanted to be Elvira. I still love her!

Cary

I grew up in Florida so we had Dr. Paul Bearer as our movie host. He was great! His signature thing was singing the song "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park".

Lisanne

Paul Bearer! That's hilarious!

Cary
Looking back on it, I've tried to figure out why I gravitated to horror and monsters because my parents are not big horror fans.  Like you, I figure I was just born this way.  What is it about monsters that appeals to you?

Lisanne
Freud talked about catharsis as a way for people to relieve pent-up emotions; in the case of horror, negative emotions. Jung taught us about how the human race has a collective unconscious that contains certain archetypes buried deep within it, and a love of horror is the manifestation of our dark side.

I didn’t have the easiest childhood and had a lot of anger, so maybe monsters was my way of coping, my catharsis. A way to let out my dark side without hurting anyone.

But  it’s also a sort of a chemical hardwiring. Fight or flight comes to us courtesy of several neurotransmitter chemicals like epinephrine and dopamine, which is actually the brain’s happy juice. Some people produce more than others, and it hangs around longer.

I get a bit of a rush when I watch horror, something I rarely feel in day-to-day life. Some people get it when exercising, or bungee-jumping, or diving with sharks. That happy juice floods our brains and we get a kind of high from it.

My love of horror—and likely yours—isn’t simply a personal preference. We’re just built this way. 

So what is it I love about monsters? Good question. I don’t really have an answer, other than everything. Except zombies and vampires. They’ve been done to death, so I’m pretty much over them. But I love all the rest of them!

After all, some of us are just born this way!

Cary
For me there is also the outcast thing. I lived up in my head for a lot of my childhood and I was never really interested in playing sports or that sort of thing until I was older. That made me feel a little like an oddball or outcast and that’s what the Universal Monsters were to me.  They’re all outcasts that live on the fringes of society so I identified with them and still do on some levels.  They’re my peeps!

So, when did you start writing fiction?

Lisanne

I used to journal a lot as a kid. Always loved reading, so it was a pretty natural slide into writing. I co-wrote my first novel when I was 11. It was a Brady Bunch type of story. I have a love of research, so I always wrote more than I really needed to whenever I had a term paper or report due. I find that love translates into my fiction as well.

Cary

I know you worked as a paralegal. Did you write short stories and stuff during that time?

Lisanne

I did. I'd eat lunch at my desk and spend my lunch hour writing. Then I'd edit at night and send out my stories on the weekends.  Back then (the 90s) there were a lot more places that published short stories than there are now. Did a lot of writing at Carl's Jr. They had the best soda...

Cary

So, are the Wolf Creek Mysteries your first novels or did you write others before those?

Lisanne

The first novel I wrote, after that disastrous one in sixth grade, was called Killer Secret. I took an online Advanced Novel Writing course. We had to write 10,000 words every three weeks, then critique all the other students' works. It was grueling, but it taught me so much about the craft of writing. I was already familiar with meeting deadlines (tons of them in the legal world), but the course taught me how to stay focused. By the way, that novel was just awful!

Cary

Okay, before we go further I need to get on my werewolf soapbox here.  I love werewolves. I mean, when I was a kid, I wanted to actually BE a werewolf. The idea of running around wreaking havoc at night was so awesome. With the explosion of the Twilight books, Underworld movies, etc. I was really hoping for some solid werewolf fiction that didn’t involve a love triangle. I was waiting for the second coming of The Howling and An American Werewolf in London.  Instead, the world just got more werewolf/vampire love triangles.  I feel completely ripped off, so I’m really eager to read your books. The world needs some good werewolf fiction.  What made you choose werewolves?

Lisanne

Before I answer that, let me just say, I agree wholeheartedly with you. Twilight really killed vampires for me (what self-respecting vampire would sparkle, for God’s sake?). I really liked The Howling and ADORE An American Werewolf in London! Such great stories.

But I digress.

Werewolves really chose me. I live with my characters for as long as it takes before I actually begin writing. By that I mean they chat with me, sometimes for a few days, sometimes for months at a time. They tell me bits and pieces of their story. Once they begin to trust me, then and only then, I get the whole thing.

Once I have that, I can begin to write. Of course, there are still surprises for me along the way. Like the twist at the end of MOONSPELL. It wasn't until that final scene was written that James (my character) told me the whole truth.

It's pretty standard among writers, don't you think? In my house, they call it Mommieland, as in, "Mom's gone to Mommieland again..."  My family can always tell when a new story has gripped me.

Cary

I know people who will read that and think it's creepy, but I fully understand it.  That's what happens to me also. Back in the Victorian era when there was a fascination with spiritualists and psychics there was a phenomenon called "automatic writing" where the spirits would guide your pencil.  I feel that way when I get in my writing ‘zone’.  The words are just coming out and it doesn’t feel like they’re even coming from my own brain.  I’ve had many times where all of a sudden, my plot or characters will just go in another direction that I never expected.  I love when that happens. It's my favorite thing about writing.

Lisanne

Yep, me too.  If I can surprise myself, it's a pretty good bet the reader will be surprised, too.  At least, I hope so!

Cary
Where do you tend to get most of your inspiration from? 

Lisanne

Inspiration usually comes to me when doing mundane chores like laundry or the dishes. Like I said earlier, my characters will just start talking to me one day. I find that the more I try to think about a story, the harder it is to write. As long as I relax and just let the muse come to me rather than insisting he pay me a visit, it’s almost like I’m simply transcribing the story as it's being told to me. When I was first contracted for the Wolf Creek Mystery series, MOONSPELL had been written, but the other two hadn’t. Nor did I have a clue what the stories even were. Because I tried to force it, after 30,000 words, I ended up scrapping the manuscript for the second book. It just wasn’t working, and everything in it was crap.

But once I relaxed and stopped thinking about it, both stories came to me almost simultaneously.

Every so often, I get inspired by a book or movie, but that’s rare. I am working on a short story right now inspired by one of the monsters I’ve written about on my blog, but I can’t tell you any more than that until it’s done. Because if I did… well, you know.
By the way, here’s a picture of my muse.

Cary

Nice!  So let’s talk about your blog.  You've been doing a post a week extensively exploring different monsters. How long is your list?

Lisanne

Well, let's see. I've researched and written enough to last me through to next January. Then I'll have to find some more. There are all different places that have monsters: different states, countries, societies and religions. There are an infinite number, the more obscure and unknown, the better. If I get stuck, I can always turn to those old black-and-white monster movies for inspiration!

Cary

Have you ever done any monster "tourism" so to speak? Visited places where there are lots of bigfoot reports or UFO sightings? That sort of thing?

Lisanne

No, unfortunately I've never had the opportunity. I wanted to do the Stanley Writer's Retreat a few years ago in Colorado, where the movie The Shining was filmed at the Overlook Hotel, but didn't get the chance.  What about you? You ever seen a monster?

Cary

No, I've never seen a monster, per se, but I've actually been in a cage with a great white shark swimming around me so that's pretty close.

Lisanne

Yikes! 

Cary
As for supernatural monsters, there are a number of places in L.A/San Diego that are supposedly haunted or have dark pasts.  Have you ever been to any of those and if so, have you ever seen/experienced anything weird?

Lisanne
I went to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose when I was a kid, but to me it was more like it had been built by a demented madman than anything supernatural.

But I have had a few weird things happen. Growing up, we had this painting of a Spanish bullfighter in the living room. The figure in the painting would periodically change position, as if he were really fighting a bull. I never actually SAW him move, but there were several times he was in a different pose. Then when I would tell my mom, he would be back to the original position.

Can you say Night Gallery?

When my kids were little, we had a little mutt named Muggsy. After she died, I used to feel her cuddle up to me once in a while, usually at the small of my back when I was lying on the floor watching TV. It stopped when we got another dog several years later.
I’ve also seen a few ghosts in my house over the years, but nothing recently. However, the dog I have now, Fiona, frequently sits in the middle of the room and growls at nothing, and I wonder if she sees a spirit.

Cary
That’s something I’ve never experienced and to be honest, I’d love to.  I think some people are just more attuned to it than others and I got the short end of that particular stick.  I’ve had two times in my life where I had a premonition.  Both times were contests that I’d entered and both times I actually won.  Unfortunately, none were mega-millions lottery related.  One time I won a cookbook and the other time I won a live album by the Drive-By Truckers.

Have you ever had any ESP or psychic experiences?

Lisanne
My grandmother and I had a kind of ESP between us, but it only manifested itself once in a while. Usually when she would call. It would freak my mom out because the phone would ring and I would say, “That’s Gigi.” Mom would pick up the phone and Gigi would be on the line. I’ll never forget the look on Mom’s face the first time I did that. I think I was about eight.

I do periodically have dream premonitions. Whenever I dream about snakes, within three weeks, something bad happens. I have about a 75% accuracy rate.

The very first one was about my grandparent’s house. They had this tiny little clapboard house that was a converted print shop. There were several oak trees in the front yard. In the dream, it was autumn, and the yard was filled with fallen leaves. As I walked up to the chain link fence, thousands and thousands of snakes were making their way across the yard, trying to get into the house.

A week or so later, my grandfather had three massive strokes. I was 11, and I still remember that dream vividly. I’ve had many others over the years, all forgotten. But I don’t think I’ll ever forget that first one.

All in all, I think I’d rather have that painting.

Cary

I’d like to go back to the "Mommieland" thing a second. You said that you’ll have characters talk to you for days or months at a time. Do you have multiple characters from multiple stories doing that or do you tend to focus on one story at a time?

Lisanne

Usually one story at a time. Even my Wolf Creek Mystery series, which has the same characters throughout, came to me one story at a time.

Cary

So is your family into horror also?

Lisanne

My husband doesn’t get my fascination with it. But I actually raised my girls on horror movies. When Jennifer, my oldest, was a baby, there was a show on Saturday afternoons and into the night called USA Saturday Nightmares. It was always on in the background as she toddled around.  My girls and I can quote lines from just about any monster movie. They love them almost as much as I do.

Jenn and I are also into Serial Killers. When my murder mystery (MURDER IN THE FAMILY) comes out next year, I'll start blogging about some really fascinating murders.

Cary

That's fantastic! My daughter loves the old ones (like I do) but she's not as keen on the gorier, new ones. She does love Trick r' Treat though. She thinks Sam is cute so that helps.

Lisanne

That's a fun movie.

Cary

So I'm guessing it's going to be pretty hard to narrow down what your favorite horror books or movies are, but what are some monster movies that you wholeheartedly recommend?

Lisanne

Don’t really have a favorite, but the ones I find myself watching over and over are Fido, It, 1408, the series Dead Like Me, Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Needful Things, The Fog (1980 version), Halloween, Omega Man. Basically, I love ‘em all!

Oh, and the original Fright Night! How could I forget that one??

Let me ask you a question: Twilight Zone or Night Gallery?

Cary

Ooooh. Tough one.  I've seen way more of Twilight Zone than Night Gallery but I'm going to go against the grain and say, Night Gallery. I really like them both but the latter cast Elsa Lanchester (the actual Bride of Frankenstein) in one of my favorite episodes.

Lisanne

Night Gallery is my favorite, too. There was an episode with Pamelyn Ferdin where she was a lonely child who lived on an island. One day, she found a hole. A voice came to her from that hole, and it convinced her to do strange things until it basically got her to join it forever.  Talk about creepy.  I like Twilight Zone, but it always had a message, whereas Night Gallery was just plain fun.

Cary

Okay, last question. What are some of your favorite horror books?

Lisanne

So hard to pick, but would have to at least list these: The Mailman by Bentley Little, Needful Things, The Talisman, Salem’s Lot and Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King, Snowblind by Christopher Golden, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, NOS4A2 and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (who will undoubtedly become an even better writer than his father!)

The Mailman and NOS4A2 really creeped me out.

Cary

I totally agree on Heart Shaped Box. That book was terrifying and I couldn't put it down! I haven't read NOS4A2 yet but it's on my Nook. I just have a couple before it.

Lisanne

I have an entire bookcase (6 shelves) dedicated to Stephen King and Joe Hill, and am also collecting Bentley Little.  If you like vampires, JR Ward's Brotherhood of the Black Dagger series is amazing.

Cary

You have the two Wolf Creek books out. There's another on the way, right? When can people look forward to that?

Lisanne

MOON SHADOWS is due out in January 2018.  It piggybacks off book #2, MOON WATCH. Takes up minutes after #2 ends.

Cary

And Murder in the Family is due out sometime after that?

Lisanne

It doesn't have a pub date yet, but it'll be late summer or early fall, 2018.

Cary

Fantastic!  Thanks for doing this. I had a great time!

Lisanne

This has really been a lot of fun, Cary. Thanks for the opportunity to chat with you. 

If you're interested in picking up Lisanne's books MOONSPELL and MOON WATCH, you can find them on her Amazon Authors page here.  You can also find links to her monster blog posts there.  I highly recommend them if you're a monster fan.  

And if you haven't checked out my horror novel The Wash, you can find it at my Amazon Author page also.