The Stakes Were Not High Enough
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.
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They will never stop hunting you.
In the autumn of 1325 an army of barbarians invade the south-western region of England. A drifter named, Samuel and a strong-willed woman named, Valencia journey north to Ashborough to seek the aid of the steward’s army.
While on their mission they realize the barbarians aren’t their only threat. Two vampire matriarchs, and their vampire horde, stalk them relentlessly. They find themselves in the midst of two wars as they fight northward on, what seems to be, a Sisyphean task.
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/
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