Cynthia Pelayo sings a song for the least of us, the victim we want to forget as soon as possible, the one who disappeared before ever really appearing. With a fairy tale gaze and a heart bigger than the world, her siren song insinuates itself past our defenses, past the hardened calluses and apathy we’ve erected to protect ourselves from the everyday horror of another missing girl.
Pelayo relates the familiar story, poem by poem; a body is found, a brutal crime investigated, clues take us in circles, and lead us nowhere. We are on an epic journey, the hero’s journey, and it must play out to the end in all its painful, ticking moments. Pelayo imbues her hero, Agent K, with the entirety of our dedication and that crumb of hope we’ve been hiding, saving for later. We will need to save for years, for decades, if we want to come out the other side. The job takes its toll, the answers are never complete and whys fracture, crack and spread. Still there is no turning away. We must bear witness, though it changes and contorts us.
Fans of true crime will love this, although these poems are very heartbreaking and brutal.
LOVE FOR SLAUGHTER by SARA TANTLINGER
This debut collection of poetry from Sara Tantlinger takes a dark look at all the horrors of love, the pleasures of flesh, and the lust for blood. For discerning fans of the macabre, look no further than Love For Slaughter.
A must for readers who love their love poems with a dash of violence.
I AM NOT YOUR FINAL GIRL by CLAIRE C. HOLLAND
From Claire C. Holland, a timely collection of poetry that follows the final girl of slasher cinema – the girl who survives until the end – on a journey of retribution and reclamation. From the white picket fences of 1970s Haddonfield to the apocalyptic end of the world, Holland confronts the role of women in relation to subjects including feminism, sexuality, violence, and healing in the world of Trump and the MeToo movement. Each poem centers on a fictional character from horror cinema, and explores the many ways in which women find empowerment through their own perceived monstrousness.
Fans of slasher movies will love this collection of poetry about some of the most famous female horror icons.
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
“She is such a writer that she puts words in my mouth while I’m standing right here, rewriting life in real time, and no, she can’t do this to me, to us.”
PLOT SUMMARY:
Joe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he’s writing them. And he’s off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe’s genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree . . . where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth.
Thankfully, Wonder Parish enters the picture. They have so much in common. No college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school. Just a love for literature. If only Wonder could commit herself to the writing life, they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey to their demons. Wonder has a tendency to love, to covet, but Joe is a believer in the rule of fiction: If you want to write a book, you have to kill your darlings.
With her trademark satirical, biting wit, Caroline Kepnes explores why vulnerable people bring out the worst in others as Joe sets out to make this small, exclusive world a fairer place. And if a little crimson runs in the streets of Cambridge . . . who can blame him? Love doesn’t conquer all. Often, it needs a little push.
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:
I’ve been a fan of Joe Goldberg since book one, and although he’s a crazy stalker serial killer, he’s also somewhat charming and hella funny. Not to mention that he seems to put himself in the craziest situations that offer a lot of dark humor. Now, Joe finds himself being the recipient of a writing fellowship at Harvard and instantly falls in love (as usual) with a fellow autodidact and fellowship classmate Wonder. Maybe I’m a little biased when it comes to this book being a writer myself, but I found so many things relatable to both the writing process and being in critique groups with other writers. I know non-writers may find some of the scenes boring, but I enjoyed the classroom scenes a lot. I’ll say that I was a little bummed at first thinking that Joe had turned over a new leaf and was giving up his murderous ways, however, he didn’t! Although, he didn’t kill as many people as he has in the past. I don’t know if I really liked his love interest Wonder that much, she was very family orientated, obsessed with her job at Dunkin’ Donuts, and didn’t seem to really care about her writing as much initially. And honestly, she never seemed that interested in Joe either. Then again, other than Love Quinn, I never felt like Joe’s love interests have really been that crazy about him. Having said that, I know the ending hinted at a certain type of ending, but I really hope that Joe decided to take a different approach and if there’s ever a sequel, I do hope to see a certain thriller writer in it! Sarah Beth was by far, the most interesting character in the whole bunch. My only gripe about the novel is that the True Crime podcast was only mentioned a few times and quickly forgotten so that plot wasn’t explored as much as I had hoped. This book didn’t have as many crazy plot twists as book three had, and at some point, the book did feel like it was dragging along for too long for no apparent reason. But I enjoy Joe, so I didn’t mind being in his head again for this adventure.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
Adrenaline surged through every nerve ending, her fingers digging into the tree branch jutting from the cliffside.
This was a nightmare. It couldn’t be real.
But it is real.
Anna had been atop the cliff, taking in the breathtaking panoramic view of the river, forests and mountains. Then in a heartbeat she was falling, falling some twenty feet, crashing into the big twisting branch sticking from the cliff face, catching herself, seizing it, struggling to hang on as it bent, now threatening to give way.
Gasping, she looked in horror a hundred feet straight down to the rocks at the banks of the rushing river below.
Wind gusted up, nudging her dangling legs. As she hung on for life, the branch cracked, her body jolted.
“Oh God!”
Anna glanced up at nine-year-old Katie Harmon looking down at her from the clifftop.
“Katie! Get help!”
Transfixed, Katie stared in wide-eyed silence.
Anna strained to move along the weakening branch closer to the cliff face to find a hold on the craggy rocks.
But pulling herself caused the branch to bob and shake, crackling more under her weight. Her hands landed on short branch spikes, like protruding nails piercing her palms with electrifying pain.
Suddenly the branch split and Anna jounced a few feet lower, clawing, clinging on to the fibrous remains.
“Katie!” she shrieked. “Oh God!”
Anna looked up.
Katie was gone.
The branch cracked again.
Run!
Every part of Katie’s brain screamed at her to run.
She flew along the trail, twisting, turning through the dense woods, hoping to catch up to the others who had continued moving ahead.
Anna’s fall had happened in a terrible instant.
So real and so frightening.
And no one else knows! No one was with us to see!
Katie willed herself to run fast, faster than she’d ever run in her life.
She felt like she was moving in slow motion but she blazed along the trail, coming to the clearing where her group from the Sunny Days Youth Center was setting up.
Katie glimpsed the joyful calm, nearly thirty kids and a sprinkling of adults supervising the day trip from the city, oblivious to the horror now on the cliff they’d all just passed. The boys were moving picnic tables together, others tossed a Frisbee. The girls were opening backpacks,
tearing into snacks and drinks while others took pictures.
It all stopped when Katie screeched: “Help!”
Heads turned, smiles melted, the Frisbee crashed.
“What’s up, Katie?” said Jackson, one of the supervisors.
“Anna fell!” Katie’s chest heaved; she was gasping for air. “Taking a selfie. Fell off the cliff! Hanging on to a tree!”
It took a moment for Jackson and the others to absorb the alarm and snap to attention.
“We’ll need ropes,” he said, glancing at the other supervisors, Adam and Connie, who’d grabbed a canvas bag, unzipped it and yanked out tent ropes. They turned to Katie, who’d already fled back on the trail, her sobbing echoing in her wake.
“Everyone stay here!” Connie said, starting to run with the two men as she called to another adult with the group: “Dakota, keep everyone here!”
The supervisors struggled to keep up with Katie, all of them racing back on the trail to the area of the cliff. Two backpacks on the ground marked the point where it happened. Katie stood there horrified when she looked down.
Only spear-like remnants of the branch reached from the cliffside.
Katie stepped back while Jackson, Adam and Connie, breathing hard, looked down, their eyes ballooning in disbelief.
“Oh God!” said Connie, her voice breaking.
“No! No! No!” Adam yelled.
Anna’s body was splayed on the rocks of the riverbank.
Ribbons of blood were webbing to the water.
******
IN THE TIME that followed, events unfolded like a tragic opera.
Connie’s 911 call went to the King County Communications Center. Panting with panic, she struggled to report the emergency.
“A girl fell off a cliff! We need—please, we need—”
“Take a breath,” said the operator, calm, professional, taking control. “Tell me exactly where you are and what happened.”
Connie collected herself, answering questions and following instructions, enabling the operator to dispatch paramedics and deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office North Precinct. The deputies then made a callout for Search and Rescue, setting the response in motion.
“I can’t look anymore.” Katie covered her face with her hands. Sobbing and trembling, she lowered her hands and asked: “Is Anna dead?”
“We don’t know.” Connie put her arm around her. “Help is coming.”
For their part, Jackson and Adam had found a safe route to hurry down from the cliff. Moving as fast as they could along the rugged riverbank, they came to Anna’s motionless body.
Her arms and legs were bent and twisted like a rag doll. She was lying faceup with her eyes open, staring skyward, blood dripping from the back of her neck. Jackson and Adam knelt next to her.
“Anna!” Adam said, knowing the worst but saying her name again.
Her stillness terrified them. They heard nothing but the river’s rush while Jackson felt her neck, warm but no pulse.
He began CPR.
Adam saw her palms, bleeding from branch fragments projecting like quills in testament to her fight to hang on. Gently holding her hand, Adam surveyed Anna, almost glowing on the rocks in her bright yellow T-shirt. He didn’t know that her mother had had it custom-made for her last birthday with the embroidered motto crowned over her heart: All We Have Is Today.
A small tattoo on her inner right wrist said Fearless, and on her inner left wrist was a small heart. Her jeans were faded, stylishly torn at the knees. One of her pink sneakers had been ripped away by the impact.
Anna’s head nodded in time with Jackson’s rhythmic pumping. But both men knew that the effort to save her was in vain.
Still Jackson refused to quit.
Adam’s phone rang—it was the emergency operator. She’d gotten his number from Connie.
“Yes… A lot of blood… No pulse… We both have CPR and First Aid… He’s doing CPR… Unconscious… Not responding… Tell them to hurry.”
Staying on the line to provide directions to the scene, Adam held Anna’s still-warm hand while watching Jackson’s unrelenting CPR. Blinking back tears. His gaze went from Anna to the rock face, his stomach lifting at the magnitude of the drop, his focus traveling up beyond the broken branch to the cliff, seeing Connie looking down at him.
Adam shook his head slowly.
Connie’s hand flew to her mouth. She turned, nearly doubling over before somehow getting enough control to pull Katie closer, comforting her. Slowly they started back to be with the others at their day camp.
Connie’s mind swirled as they returned to the clearing; twenty-four kids, aged nine to fourteen, were in the Sunny Days excursion, along with four adult supervisors and three older teen assistants—now, only two.
Moments ago they were all starting a blissful outing, only to see it turn into a day of horrible heartbreak, a day they would remember for the rest of their lives, Connie thought. Everything at their day camp came to a halt when Connie and Katie emerged.
“Is Anna okay?” asked Dakota, one of the supervisors.
Connie searched the group, meeting anxious, expectant faces, feeling Katie’s sobs against her. Holding her tight, Connie brushed at her own tears.
“I want to see!” said Dylan Frick, a boy who was also in Katie’s class at school.
“No!” Connie said loudly, then softened her voice. “We don’t know anything yet. We just have to wait.”
Some of the kids got on their phones, texting and calling their families, while a few of the girls rushed to Katie and Connie, encircling them in a group hug, their sobbing soon mingling with the tragic operatic chorus of distant sirens echoing over the treetops.
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
A lifetime of hard work has put Lydia Chass on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating.
Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs one more credit to graduate. An unexpected partnership forms as the two remake Lydia’s town history podcast to investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days—a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash flood, as well as its first, only, and unsolved murder.
As their investigation unearths buried secrets, some don’t want them to see the light. When the threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:
Mindy McGinnis has been an auto-buy for me ever since I read The Female of the Species and fell in love with her raw, unrelentless prose. I’ve followed her across genres and never have been let down. This was my first time receiving an ARC for a McGinnis novel and so I was very excited. Now, McGinnis is known for edgy novels where batshit crazy things happen and I dig that. Perhaps because her latest novel last year was The Last Laugh (which was incredibly crazy and awesome), this novel was more of a slowburn thriller mystery. However, it did have the usual McGinnis quirky characters (we all stan Bristal and the cat Uneven Steven) so it was still a fun ride.
Every small town has its secrets, and Henley does too. Aspiring journalist Lydia and Bristal partner together when they both find out they’re missing a credit in order to graduate. They decide to do a podcast together that will have them investigate what exactly happened during the “stretch of bad days” when a tornado hit the town and a girl went missing. But trying to find out what happened during that time might end up being more dangerous than both teens had bargained for. The mystery was compelling and the characters were worth rooting for. If you love mysteries, small-town thrillers, and true crime podcasts, then this novel is for you.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
In this powerful memoir, the bestselling author of Big Fish tries to come to terms with the life and death of his multi-talented longtime friend and brother-in-law, who had been his biggest hero and inspiration, in a poignant, lyrical, and moving memoir.
If we’re lucky, we all encounter at least one person whose life elevates and inspires our own. For acclaimed novelist Daniel Wallace, he had one hero and inspiration for so much of what followed: his longtime friend and brother-in-law William Nealy. Seemingly perfect, impossibly cool, William was James Dean, Clint Eastwood, and MacGyver all rolled into one, an acclaimed outdoorsman, a famous cartoonist, an accomplished author, a master of all he undertook, William was the ideal that Daniel sought to emulate.
But when William took his own life at age 48, Daniel was left first grieving, and then furious with the man who broke his and his sister’s hearts. That anger led him to commit a grievous act of his own, a betrayal that took him down a dark path into the tortured recesses of William’s past. Eventually, a new picture of William emerged, of a man with too many secrets and too much shame to bear.
This Isn’t Going to End Well is Daniel Wallace’s first foray into nonfiction. Part love story, part true crime, part a desperate search for the self and how little we really can know another, This Isn’t Going to End Well tells an intimate and moving story of what happens when we realize our heroes are human.
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
For the month of March, in order to celebrate Women in Horror, I’ll be highlighting interviews with some of the authors that appear in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King Women in Horror Anthology.
Marnie Azzarelli author of “Carrie’s First Day”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
Salem’s Lot! I’m just kidding, it’s a retelling of Carrie.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
I think they’re both extremely underrated, but I love reading anything Marisha Pesl or Helen Oyeyemi have to offer.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
“you should see me in a crown” Billie Eilish.
What are some of your current writing projects?
While I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus the last couple of years, I’m planning on publishing more original writing on both my website’s blog at marnieazzarelli.net, and on a new, yet to be named Tumblr blog (more info will be available on my socials). Plus I have plans in the works of releasing my own short story collection sometime in 2023!
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
While I’ll always have a soft spot for Laurie Strode, I have to say that Nancy Thompson is really one of the ultimate final girls. She’s smart, resourceful, and kind of kicks Freddie’s ass no matter what movie she encounters him in. I would not want to take Nancy in a fight because while she doesn’t have brute strength, she could definitely figure out a way to get rid of me with a quippy one-liner.
Lauri Christopher author of “Fair Erasures”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
In Stephen King’s short story FAIR EXTENSIONS a dying man makes a deal with a roadside devil to extend his life. All he has to do in exchange is curse his best friend to a life of misery. In my story FAIR ERASURES, Lacey Milton struggles with an unwanted pregnancy and her best friend’s betrayal, but Mr. LeVid offers her a way to erase the situation. And it won’t be messy at all.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
Seanan McGuire, writing as Mira Grant, changed the zombie landscape in her FEED trilogy. She unapologetically writes gritty, strong female characters.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
Lacey might have been listening to Ani DiFranco’s Amendment after she settled up with Mr. LeVid and drove off into the rest of her life. Much like this anthology, Ani takes the “point of view of women” in her lyrics.
What are some of your current writing projects?
I am working on a middle grade novel about a boy who has to spend the summer with his fraud of a ghost-hunting Dad. But when he discovers he can see ghosts, he’s the only one who can help a young friend escape a dangerous haunting.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
Since the appropriate-for-the-80s age of 8 ½, Laurie Strode has been my girl. I watched through the space between my fingers as she unfolded a wire hanger and owned her power to survive. Plus, when you share a name with someone battling a masked killer, the story takes on an added edge of life or death.
Read Marnie Azzarelli & Lauri Christopher’s stories in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster along with other amazing authors!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
For the month of March, in order to celebrate Women in Horror, I’ll be highlighting interviews with some of the authors that appear in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King Women in Horror Anthology.
Christabel Simpson author of “The Kiss in the Outhouse”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
The Kiss in the Outhouse was inspired by a Stephen King short story called Weeds, which I decided to read after seeing an adaptation in the movie Creepshow. King’s story was first published way back in 1976 in a magazine called Cavalier, and is a tongue in cheek horror about a farmer who starts to change into a plant when he touches a meteorite that has landed in one of his fields. My own plot is totally different, but as with Weeds, it involves a man who is part plant, as I found this idea intriguing. Like King’s character, my plant person is marginalized by his condition, but rather than being driven to kill himself as happens in Weeds, he has learnt to live with what he is. Other ideas I borrowed from King were the use of a close-knit community and characters with secretive layers. The story Weeds is thought to be a homage to H.P.Lovecraft’s The Color Out of Space, so in a way, writing a Weeds homage felt like the passing of a baton.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
There some truly excellent female writers out there right now, but for me, the one who really stands out is Tamsyn Muir. I read the first two books in her Locked Tomb trilogy a couple of years ago and they blew me away. There’s just so much to like about them – they’re a mix of science fiction and horror, which are two of my favorite genres, the queer representation is great and they’re full of laugh out loud moments. It’s more than that, though. Muir has a writing style which is totally unique. It can be disorientating at times, but you can’t stop reading. Her world-building is excellent and she offers an intriguing perspective on things. I’ve been putting off reading the last book in the trilogy, because I don’t want the saga to end, but I’m sure I’m going to love it. Other writers I’m really into are Arkady Martine (I’m reading one of her books at the moment and enjoying it immensely), Nicky Drayden and Natalie Zina Walschots.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
I have three contenders for this and haven’t been able to choose between them, so I’ll mention them all. The first is Birds of Paradise by Chromatics. I got into Chromatics when I heard their song Whispers in the Hall in the movie Birds of Paradise (a fave of mine) and think their music really fits the tone of my story. I focused on Birds of Paradise (which isn’t used in the aforementioned movie, by the way, despite having the same name) because it seems to share some of the same themes and has a fragile feeling to it which foreshadows what happens between the lovers in my story. Also, I think the haunting, repetitive melody would complement my words rather than overpowering them. Song number two is IloMilo by Billie Eilish. If stories had end credits, then I could definitely imagine this song playing over mine, as the theme of being separated from a lover ties in well with my ending. It has a super catchy melody, which is obviously important for a soundtrack song, but there’s something ominous about the bass line which fits the mood of my story perfectly. The final song is White Noise by PVRIS. This one’s louder and more intense than my other choices, but still feels like a good fit. My lead character ends up like a ghost of her former self, which ties in very well with the theme of the song, and the shifts in tempo kind of mirror her emotional journey. It’s a great song, full of raw emotion and sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. I also considered Kate Bush, Joan Jett, Florence and the Machine, In This Moment, Bjork and a bunch of others for this question, but as I’m supposed to be picking one song, not planning an entire album, I’ll leave it at that.
What are some of your current writing projects?
Right now, I’m working on a horror story about a woman who has a ghostly encounter when she and her girlfriend go to view an apartment in a building that used to be an asylum. I think I’ve got some nice moments in it and I’m hoping it will resonate with people as I’ve incorporated some experiences from my own life. I’m aiming for short and punchy, so should be done with it pretty soon. After that, I’m thinking of writing a story to submit to the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast about two Vestal Virgins who have an illicit relationship in ancient Rome. I’ve tried to get my work into the podcast before without success, but it’s something I’d really like to do, so I’m not giving up. I have quite a few ideas for poems as well, so I’ll definitely be getting to those.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
After giving it some thought, I’m going to go with Ripley from the Alien movies, who you wouldn’t necessarily think of as a final girl, but who totally meets to criteria. I think it’s great that she’s surrounded by the toughest of the tough soldier types and she’s the one who survives. What makes it even better is it’s totally believable. A lot of modern writers seem to go over the top with their strong females, like they’re overcompensating for the millions of times we’ve been cast in the shitty role of damsel in distress, but you never feel like that with Ripley. She doesn’t beat her enemies because she has superhuman strength or agility; she’s just clever, resourceful and absolutely won’t give up, which is way more inspiring. If you believe in a character, then you can believe that if you’d had the same training and life experiences and you were in the same position, maybe you could come out on top as well.
Kay Hanifen author of “The Hunting Lodge”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
The strongest influence on the short story was my favorite of King’s: The Shining. I loved the mood he created with the isolation and the feeling of a never-ending snowstorm. To a lesser extent, I also took some inspiration from Dolores Claiborne because I have a fondness for stories about women murdering their abusive husbands.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
That’s a tough one because there are so many great female authors out there! I really enjoy the work of Hailey Piper and Kiersten White. If you want to stretch the definition of modern a bit, then Shirley Jackson is one of my all-time favorites. The Haunting of Hill House is absolutely brilliant and a huge inspiration for my writing.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
I didn’t listen to this song when writing my story, but “I Walk Alone” by Tarja Turunen fits the mood pretty well.
What are some of your current writing projects?
I’ve been working on sending out a lot of short stories and have a novel or two in the very early stages, so I don’t want to jinx it. I hope to publish a novel sometime in the next five years.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
That’s like making me choose my favorite child. It’s so difficult. But if you put a machete to my throat, I have to go with Deena from the Fear Street Trilogy. She’s smart, tough, funny, and will stop at nothing to protect her brother and save the girl she loves. The trilogy is full of fun characters and clever plot twists, and it was directed by a woman, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it!
Read Christabel Simpson & Kay Hanifen’s stories in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster along with other amazing authors!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
For the month of March, in order to celebrate Women in Horror, I’ll be highlighting interviews with some of the authors that appear in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King Women in Horror Anthology.
Trisha Ridinger McKee author of “Finding Toni”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
Pet Sematary
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
There are so many, and it depends on what I’m in the mood to read. I love Eden Royce, Elin Hilderbrand, Kristin Hannah, and so many more. I love giving new authors a chance as well.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
I Would Die 4 U by Prince
What are some of your current writing projects?
I will have three novellas coming out in time for Valentine’s. I’m hoping to get my thriller book out sometime this year.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
Nancy from Nightmare on Elm Street. That was the horror series I grew up with, and I love her strength and persistence.
Amy Grech author of “Dead Eye”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
“Apt Pupil” inspired my story, “Dead Eye”, in which a young boy discovers the perils of hunting fair game firsthand.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
Samantha Kolesnik — she’s award-winning author of genre fiction, including True Crime and Waif.True Crime examines nature vs. nurture in the origin of a serial killer.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
“Billy’s Got a Gun” by Def Leppard.
What are some of your current writing projects?
I’m seeking a publisher for my NYC Crime novellas, Alphabet City/Vicious Pink.
Alisha Galvan author of “As for the Fallen Seed”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
The Stephen King novel that inspired my story was Misery, how Annie started as a young child and grew into the crazed woman she became. I always love a good creepy kid story, but I wanted to take it a bit further; Annie wasn’t just some obsessed fan of Paul Sheldon, her morbid fascination runs in her bloodline.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
Picking just one female author is impossible, but a few of my favorites are Gillian Flynn, Alice Feeney, and Karin Slaughter. I love twisty dark thrillers as much as horror.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
The song that I listened to often while writing this story was Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men.
What are some of your current writing projects?
Currently, I am in the final stages of publishing a short horror story collection entitled A Path Through the Forest, my goal is to have it available to readers by January 2023. I am also querying agents with an emotional thriller novel titled Autumn. My current work in progress, Bitter Crown of Thistle, is a dark thriller.
Read Trisha Ridinger McKee, Amy Grech & Alisha Galvan’s stories in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster along with other amazing authors!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
Just because I brought great gifts to humanity does not mean my presence is benign.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A fabled lost movie. An increasing body count. How much do you risk for art?
Paloma has been watching the Grand Vespertilio Show her entire life. Grand, America’s most beloved horror host showcases classic, low-budget and cult horror movies with a flourish, wearing his black tuxedo and hat, but Paloma has noticed something strange about Grand, stranger than his dark make-up and Gothic television set.
After Paloma’s husband, a homicide detective, discovers an obscure movie poster pinned on a mutilated corpse on stage at the Chicago Theater, she knows that the only person that can help solve this mystery is Grand. When another body appears at an abandoned historic movie palace the deaths prove to be connected to a silent film, lost to the ages, but somehow at the center of countless tragedies in Chicago.
The closer Paloma gets to Grand she discovers that his reach is far greater than her first love, horror movies, and even this film. And she soon becomes trapped between protecting a silent movie that’s contributed to so much death in her city and the life of her young son.
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:
I pre-ordered the novel months ago and perhaps out of the sheer will of manifestation (or is it magick) it somehow appeared in my Kindle library two weeks before the actual release date. Obviously, I was overjoyed.
Where do I even begin? I read Pelayo’s first book Children of Chicago and absolutely loved it (and will forever feel lucky that she sent me a promo book box for it and you should absolutely read the interview she did for the blog here). This book, like the previous one, is standalone, however, it does reference some characters from the previous book (and I’m a sucker for writers keeping their stories in the same “world” so to speak). I’m a lover of fairytales, fables, horror show hosts (Elvira was the reason why I got into horror movies at the tender age of two), cursed films, occult, Greek myths, and murders. This is to say, that this book had SO MUCH that I love – and I was so happy that it delivered tenfold.
First of all, I loved the protagonist Paloma – a woman who not only overcame a terribly abusive childhood but that was a loving mother to her son Bela (hands down the coolest kid in a horror book, ever) and a badass horror influencer. I’m a huge fan of old horror movies and silent movies in general, so obviously I was geeking out at all the movies mentioned that I’ve seen a million times. I loved how she and Bela would chill out at Logan’s Theatre and watch horror movies as though it were a second home cause it reminds me of my own local theatre that a friend of mine owns, where going there 2-3 times a week is like visiting family – cause for those of yes who love movies, you’ll understand the potency and magick of the moving picture.
Pelayo is a very talented writer, however, I do want to acknowledge that this second novel showed so much growth as a storyteller – with the richness of the details, research, and basically soul of the book. Yes, the book is about trying to track down a serial killer, but it’s also so much more. It’s about the importance of art, love, and magick, and how all those things are intermingled.
I don’t want to share too much about the plot because I think you need to slowly discover this tale, that’s filled with mystery, darkness, history, and monsters. It’s incredibly gripping, each page dripping with the emotion of someone who has not only suffered but that also loves in tremendous amounts. In fact, if there’s a lesson to take from this extended fable is that anything you do out of love will always be worth it.
If you’re a fan of horror, cinema, Chicago history, and detective stories, then this is for you.
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
For the month of March, in order to celebrate Women in Horror, I’ll be highlighting interviews with some of the authors that appear in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King Women in Horror Anthology.
Cheryl Zaidan author of “The Girl with the Peculiar Smile”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
My story wasn’t based on a specific work by Stephen King but rather I played with some of the concepts he uses – including supernatural elements and traumatic family dynamics. King also writes great child protagonists, so I wanted to make my main character a smart, wise-beyond-her-years girl who is also still very much a child – much like Trisha McFarland in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
Gwendolyn Kiste has been a favorite for a while now. And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe is an amazing collection of her short stories. Beautifully written and quite creepy.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
I was thinking I didn’t have one and oddly enough Strange Little Girl by The Stranglers popped up on my shuffle. It fits (and it’s also a great song.)
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
It sounds like a cliché but I adore Nancy from the original Nightmare on Elm Street. She comes across as a nice, sweet girl but when things get tough, she’s ready to fight. When Nancy says, “I’m into survival”, you know she means it.
Sealey Andrews author of “Emily Mine”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
My story was inspired by Stephen King’sCujo.The influencing elements were a slow-burning domestic tension and an exploration of the dichotomy between feelings of resentment toward motherhood versus the inherent need to protect one’s child from danger. And, of course, there is a crazed animal with an agenda of his own.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
One of my favorite modern female authors is Louise Erdrich. Her novel Future Home of the Living Godis particularly outstanding.
Kristi Petersen Schoonover author of “Let The Rain Settle It”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
My favorite short story of King’s is “Rainy Season,” which has always been an unpopular choice—it’s been accused of being too similar to Jackson’s “The Lottery” and in general, its reviews aren’t positive. But it’s been said the experience of a story is different for each reader, because it depends on what that person brings to the table. I didn’t read it until it was reprinted in his 1993 Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection. As a starry-eyed twenty-two year old who was, at the time, blissfully unaware she was engaged in a toxic relationship, I connected most with the subtle clues King presents about the broken young couple heading toward not just physical demise, but an eventual emotional disaster if they did survive. While John and Elise aren’t the focus of King’s narrative—the spotlight, as always, shines on unsettling Mainers—they’re clearly in a place where the ordinary drudge of life and its reactionary transgressions have squelched the blush of love and romance. The blinders are off, they see each other for who they really are, and it’s not pretty. This is something we face in our every day lives, and so, if we look deeper, it’s an important commentary on the real world. “Rainy Season” isn’t just another folk horror tale or creature feature. It’s a warning that the killer toads of life are always at your romantic door, and sometimes, it’s just better to let them in.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
The contemporary female writer I love the most as far as the short form goes is Gina Ochsner. Her collections The People I Wanted to Be and The Necessary Grace to Fall are fantastic in both emotional timbre and light infusion of the supernatural, and I read them over and over. Her work is definitely worth examining.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
“Barren Ground” by Bruce Hornsby & the Range.
What are some of your current writing projects?
I have a LOT of irons in the fire. My new collection, Songs for a Dying World, is slated for 2024, and a new novel, Tidings—provided I get it finished—is slated for 2025. But I write a lot of stuff in between for specific calls, or stories that just show up. My non-writing time is all spent on 34 Orchard. I’m also currently editing Wicked Sick for the New England Horror Writers.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
I’m not exactly sure that she’d be considered a “final girl,” but my favorite female in a horror film has always been Rachel Keller from The Ring. She’s got pluck, confidence, drive and ambition; she’s passionate and crackerjack in her career; she’s a single mom to a precocious child. But she’s also vulnerable in many ways: she’s an emotionally damaged person, although we don’t know quite why; her life is disorganized and chaotic—probably fallout from trauma; she has all the hallmarks of a trauma survivor—and she does her best even though she often fails. She’s also, clearly, still hurt by and in love with her son’s father—who has moved on—but is headstrong enough to go to him for help. It’s her vulnerability that makes her stronger—because she knows how to put that vulnerability aside and do what she has to do when it matters. It fuels her ultimate success, and that’s the true definition of a strong female heroine.
Read Cheryl Zaidan, Sealey Andrews & Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s stories in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster along with other amazing authors!
DID YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU JUST READ? IF YES, THEN SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG, GIVE THE POST A LIKE, OR LEAVE A COMMENT! NEW POSTS ARE UP EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY!
The Inkblotters 