Rereading Denis Johnson’s novels and stories in the years since his death it always surprises me how clear his voice comes through and how badly I needed it. It’s like shoving quarters into a payphone, or consulting a psychic. Many try to imitate him. But much like those who do pale impressions of J.D. Salinger’s […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/12/24/depth-chargers-denis-johnson/
For the December 22 issue of the Review, actor and frequent contributor Simon Callow reviewed Paul Newman’s memoir, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man. Less of an autobiography and more of a posthumous compilation of oral histories, the extravagantly modest title offers an insight into the inner turmoil of one of Hollywood’s most beloved […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/12/24/the-foolscap-pages-simon-callow/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.
Brrrrr. The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is thankfully delightful. We are having our family Christmas dinner today, as Santa is visiting the grandchildren in their own homes and time will be spent with their daddy’s side of the family. Which means a quiet day tomorrow with left overs and books. However you celebrate, know that I am wishing you the happiest of holidays. Stay Caffeinated.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/12/sunday-post-555-christmas-eve-edition.html
Into the Night and The Glass Demon are two different stories in an immersive paranormal collection. What were some sources that informed the development of these stories?
I’ve always been fascinated with vampires, and they remain a popular movie monster to this day, some of them are even portrayed as heroes. Samuel has the same lure to these beings without really understanding how much danger he’s in. I felt the stakes were not high enough to craft another vampire story, so I made it happen at the same time as a barbarian invasion. It’s not meant to be historically accurate, I thought of it as Underworld meets Braveheart.
The Glass Demon is fictional, but I wanted it to feel like it could be true. Even to this day I enjoy watching Ghost Adventures, Paranormal Caught on Tape, A Haunting, and movies like The Rite. I also read The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. My inspiration came from true experiences, but I wanted the human element to be stronger than the horror aspect. William is damaged, but I still wanted my readers to feel for him. This is more of his challenge than it is about a supernatural, paranormal Exorcist-type story.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this set?
The most important thing I strived for was preventing my characters from fading into the background. I wanted action, but I didn’t want it to become action-driven over character-driven. These are tales of some people in impossible situations, and they could’ve given up at any time—but they didn’t.
What draws you to the paranormal genre and makes it ripe for you to write in?
I subscribe to Discovery+ so I watch a lot of paranormal shows. I’ve had a few minor experiences myself while growing up, from hearing whispers to seeing forms that slowly fade away. None of that happens to me anymore, but it still left its mark on me. If we rely on only the things we physically see, then we see nothing at all. It doesn’t matter if you believe in the supernatural, but the concept should at least be considered.
Do you have more novellas planned for this world you’ve created?
I had thought of doing sequels at one time. I tried to make it feel like both stories could continue. Into The Night could continue to Ireland where Gavin and his family escaped, and something in The Glass Demon world could trigger William to reunite with Victor and Mikael. At the moment I’m not active in either, but the possibility is there.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
THE GLASS DEMON
There is much unrest here-
William Corgel is a clairvoyant medium who is hubris, doubts his faith and a heavy drinker who finds comfort in pills. Believing there is nothing he can’t handle he soon finds himself in a home with a demonic presence and the possession of a teenage girl. The demon continually taunts and attacks him while claiming to know William’s suppressed childhood memory centered on his mother.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/24/the-stakes-were-not-high-enough/
Cult Girls tells the story of Talia and her friends as they struggle with suspicions that their faith is a patriarchal religious cult. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I was raised a 3rd and 4th generation Jehovah’s Witness and I witnessed numerous friends as children sexually abused and their education and social education suppressed as a result of this high control organization that doesn’t evolve with modern social awareness. As a child I would hear public talks that were directed from the higher organization likening homosexuality to beastality (which animals are not consensual, so that is rape) and terrible labels pinned or certain sexual orientations. Also women have no representation in the church and are being judged and controlled by company appointed men to report personal details of interrogations the elders have in little embarrassing back rooms in front of their friends and family directly after worship. I have had minor friends accused of seducing men older than their father in child sex crimes and were publicly shamed and interrogated as minors, their parents did not report the abuse to authority because of their spiritual positions in the kingdom hall. Also because of the disfellowship arrangements that can be placed on youths, I knew two youths that committed suicide in my area after being announced to the congregation that they are now removed as a Jehovah’s Witness. I was announced as a Jehovah’s Witness as a teenage and it was one of the most horrific things I survived, even your own parents are to change their socialization and cannot be seen with you in public or even allowed to have dinner with you. Later I was married in it and husband’s are assigned as a wife’s boss and that means if he decides if you are allowed to work, go to the gym and what you can wear and you are required to obey him. As a Jehovah’s Witness you are constantly reminded in graphic films, photographs, their publications, high frequency of meetings that Armageddon is any day and that your life might not be spared and your job is to warn others, even in your primary school. College and very strong distrust in of medical doctors in is their published propaganda and culture. Elders have been removed from their appointments because of their daughters going to college, that is basically a bad example of a parent in the church of Jehovah’s Witness in their standard today. There is other odd criminal activities that are allowed in the organization from their leaders such as Voyerism and Child Pornography, neither are a crime to the Jehovah Judicial system and would not remove an elder, per sea, but in the world these outrageous crimes. Many of these issues are lightly addressed in my fun graphic Novel.
What do you feel is a common misconception people have about cults?
People think that a cult won’t affect someone in their house or that teachers and medical professionals need to mind their own business because of the rights of religious freedom. These cults are working hard to target youths. As a full time recruiter of Jehovah’s Witness, I went through a secret society called pioneering within the organization. I even got a secret book. I worked very hard to get my training and acceptance into pioneer ministry school that was only held once a year with higher traveling overseers in it and basically they train you to talk to householders, including children without their parents permission. Basically you can show pictures and scriptures to support that the last days are here and that apcolypse is around that corner and you can teach them to lie and hide what they are learning if their parents were not going to be supportive and that would be acceptable as a Jehovah’s Witness evangelist under their “theocratic warfare” ethic code. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a strong marketing presence now in ports, colleges, public squares, parks where children play and state fairs. As a child I use to bring brochures in my backpack to place with other students and tell them about the firey apocalypse that will happen any day.
Teachers and medical professionals see and know that their student or patient is a Jehovah’s Witness but most have no clue that they are being peddled to market this publishing and film company, being shown violent scenes, hearing that police and secular authorities are part of Satan’s wicked world. So how could these children feel safe to reach out to an authority when these ones are control by Satan and evil. A child is told that “these are God’s people” and children are encouraged to socialize with all ages and are told this is their new spiritual family and supersedes the physical blood line family. They are also told these appointed men that are elders and ministerial serrvants are “appointed by god” they are likened to apostles, some of them even sitting next to God in paradise in the heavenly realm. So children put a layer down of stranger danger and that makes them vulnerable to predators attracted to this organization. None of the leaders carry any professional training on how to handle child or domestic abuse or the prevention of suicide and they certainly are not required to have a criminal check.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
This book is support the idea that our dreams, ideals and intelligence growth should be supported as women as young as a child. Children and woman raised in this religious cult culture are not asked what they want to be and basically giving your life to the church, marriage, your travels and extra time are to be donated to the church. No one can truly be your true friend, because if you are Jehovah’s Witness you are suppose to turn your friends in for speaking against the elders, apostacy (reading other religious books or theories) or doing something as silly as smoking a cigarette or using invitro. Many of these subjects are addressed in the book. Also I had a powerful scene of a flashback of me as a little girl in a scenario of needing a blood transfusion and the father feeling relieaved that he didn’t have the burden of taken care of her daughter because of having to reject the blood transfusion procedure. Thousands and thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses (including children) have died for the rejection of blood transfusions, but yet they allow their members to eat meat on the bone dishes that have whole blood products in their food consumption.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
Many young ladies were raised in a similar environment than this whether it was Jehovah’s Witness or a different cult and they found the humor healing. Other readers have family members including their mother that was raised in this environment and disfellowshipped for having a baby out of wedlock and suffered religious orphanism as a result and pain. This help give their loved ones a glimpse of what that member endured and also to bring awareness to understanding the alternative motive a family member, co-worker or fellow student has in recruiting you to their organization and some of the policies and culture they won’t tell you about or that they will sugar coat. This book has become popular in libraries because cult parents heavily monitor their children’s reading material, even wives have had to read this in the library. I am hoping with content like this and more awareness, lawsuits, journalism, documentary and memoirs these cults will change their policies that treat women differently than men, or are interrogating, shunning, restricting education and not reporting crimes and abuse of their members. We as a society have more power than you think to tear down walls of racism, women inequality, unfair treatment of the gay and lesbian communities and put social pressure on organizations like these.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/24/these-outrageous-crimes/
Apocalypsia is a genre-crossing novel with elements of fantasy, Sci-Fi, and dystopian as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
Apocalypsia evolved on its own throughout the writing process. I didn’t always know or plan where the story was going to go, but once it went in that direction I was like, ok, let’s go there.
It was first intended to be a graphic novel but became a three-part screenplay instead. When I moved away from screenwriting, I published the story for the first time as a novelized script.
A decade passed before I finally rewrote it into a traditional novel. Being older myself made my characters grew up as well, and the entire world became darker.
What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?
I will have to go with Kito for this question. He was the one I most identified with. He’s not a hero, he doesn’t want to be one either. He’s the wounded soldier which was inspired from tragic heroes and antiheroes alike. He’s messed up and he knows it, but he doesn’t feel sorry for himself. In a way he believes others should hate him.
You kind of understand him a little more as the story progresses and why he feels the way he does. He is much more complex than his teammates and keeps his sensitivity hidden the best he can.
The part I feel exposes him for the first time is when he’s kidnapped by Alma. You get a rare glimpse into his inner thoughts, and I think this is where his arc begins to develop.
The line I like from him is: “the funny thing about hunting demons is after a while you begin to see yourself in them.” He’s truly at war with himself on many levels.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I’ve often heard fantasy and sci-fi being referred to as a “man” genre. I wanted something that would draw in both men and women. There is survival, love, and character-driven themes. Nonstop action, blood, gore, high-speed chases, and demon encounters are all entertaining, but without character progression and their emotions, you are left with a hack and slash adventure with some witty comebacks and horror sprinkled in. I wanted Apocalypsia to be a sandbox mashup. Zombies, demons, magic and why not, put a dragon and GTO in there too.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Along with Apocalypsia, I’m also publishing a two-volume set containing five novellas. These three books make up my complete collection of 6 stories, which will all be released at the same time.
However, with a passion for film, book, and fantasy art, I would love to publish an Apocalypsia artbook. I think illustrations of the monsters, characters and some of the scenes will be a nice way to bring this world to life. I would need a team for it, so it may not happen, but I’ll save my last ISBN for it.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/24/the-entire-world-became-darker/
Where’s El Morro?: Rani’s adventure at Old San Juan follows a little girl and her grandfather who tour Old San Juan and see the historical landmarks. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Old San Juan has always been my favorite place to visit because to me, it symbolizes home. I have tons of cherished memories of the place, so when we moved from Puerto Rico to the US it was important to keep my children connected to it. Even though it’s a fictional story, the character of Rani represents my kids and the grandfather is a conduit to teach them all about this beautiful historical place.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The main idea was to mix colorful visuals with the background information to keep it engaging for kids. When creating the illustrations, I wanted to showcase all the different elements you admire when visiting Old San Juan. It was essential to incorporate the array of colors of the Spanish-style buildings in contrast with the old stone look of the castle, church, etc.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun illustrating?
It’s difficult to pinpoint one in particular because drawing every single element felt like being back home, but if I had to choose one, I think it would have to be the Old San Juan street (which you see at the beginning of the story and cover). It combines everything I love about the place, the buildings full of color, the cobblestone street, the ocean in the background…I even added a Puerto Rican flag for good measure!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I want to continue Rani’s adventure at Old San Juan, this time teaching her about the governor’s mansion (which you read about on the last page of the first book) however, I am currently working on a coloring book showcasing PR’s 78 municipalities. The goal is to publish three more books in 2023, all of them dedicated to my dear island of Puerto Rico.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Facebook
Rani and her grandfather are walking down a cobblestone street in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, when they overhear a tourist ask, “Where’s El Morro?” Rani’s childish curiosity is set in motion as she asks her grandfather, “What is El Morro?” And the story’s quest begins.
Help Rani find El Morro while also learning about the historic Puerto Rican city.
This book will help kids from the island or from the diaspora learn more about Old San Juan and its treasures!
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/24/my-favorite-place-to-visit/