Hey guys! Julie Lynn Hayes stopped by to talk about her upcoming release and her love of horror films. *grin* While Julie and I have much in common, we don't share that love, lol. I'm the type who watches stuff like that, then gets freaks out at every sound in the house, lol. And it doesn't take much to freak me out!So, in horror of her release--opps, in honor, lol--she's doing a giveaway! From now until Monday afternoon you have a chance to drip blood... ah sorry, I mean leave a comment for a chance to win. Make sure to leave an email addy so she can... find you.*evil laugh* If you dare. Bruahahahaha!
Answer this question:
What horror movie freaked you out the most?
Best of luck, and remember, we're watching you... right, I mean waiting to see what you guys answer. ;)
~M
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
release date April 5th
Blurb: On a dark and rainy night, a group of travelers takes
refuge at the Black Raven inn, seeking shelter from the storm: Two knights who
are brothers, and who believe in diametrically opposed doctrines. A brother who
questions the path his sister has chosen to take. A mysterious doctor whose
presence gives the innkeeper’s daughter chills. A handsome dwarf, half owner of
a traveling troupe of actors. Will they find more than they bargained for?
What is the mystery
of the locked door?
Synopsis: Sir Kaorin has taken his own brother, Sir Jintaro, into
custody for crimes against the queen. But inclement weather forces them to take
shelter at the Black Raven inn, owned by Helveticus, and run with the aid of
his daughter, Florenza. Nerene travels with her brother Winter, who questions
the path she has chosen. Dr. Ulysses keeps to himself, but watches everything,
while Florenza tries to give him a wide berth. Damon Wylde is short in stature,
but he and his partner have a traveling troupe of actors, although he is the only
one that has arrived. Having promised to entertain Helveticus’ guests, he
entertains them with his tale of the locked door. Sir Jintaro begs his brother
for a last boon – to be allowed to converse with the pretty girl at the next
table. Kaorin reluctantly agrees, and as the players take their places, the
tale begins.
~Horror Comes in Many Flavors~
I unabashedly admit to being a horror story aficionado,
whether in print or on the small or large screen. I love to be scared, although I have to say I
seldom am. Maybe because I don’t find it so realistic that I fear someday I’ll
be up against a chainsaw-wielding maniac or a random slasher or a madman intent
on creating hybrid creatures for strange intent. I found Blair Witch more
realistic than most, because I can totally see myself getting lost in the woods
like the hapless victims of that film.
Alfred Hitchcock was the king of horror films, and he did it
in a way that was graphic for its time, but would not be considered so now. And
yet, who doesn’t remember the shower scene from Psycho? After seeing that, it
was years before I’d take a shower while alone in the house. And there are
parts of the film that make me jump, not from fear but from being startled,
which is not the same thing. Hitchcock could elicit horror from supposedly
everyday normal things. Remember North by Northwest? Cary Grant standing on the
highway in the literal middle of nowhere, waiting for a bus, when a crop plane
innocently appears and quickly changes into a menacing presence that causes him
to flee for his life!
Nowadays, the sky is the limit on what you might find in a
horror film. I’ve seen all seven Saw films, and I would hate to find myself
caught up in any of John Kramer’s horrific scenarios, but hopefully I’ve never
done anything bad enough to qualify as one of his victims. Prepare to see the grossest
of the gross, ditto with the Hostel series, of which I’ve seen all three. For
something slightly different, there’s the Human Centipede. I haven’t seen the
second one yet, but I hear it’s better than the first. In the first film, a
doctor performs a strange experiment on three unwilling subjects, surgically
connecting them to form his “human centipede”, mouth to ass, and connecting
their digestive systems as well. What a macabre experiment, but the film was
not badly made at all, surprisingly, subject matter aside.
The latest trend in horror films seems to be zombies.
They’re popping up everywhere, and even beginning to show up in young romance
films, like Warm Bodies. Whodathunkit?
When it comes to horror stories, the undisputed master is
Stephen King, who’s been entertaining us with his gruesomely delicious tales
for years. I have a number of his hardbacks on my shelves, although I’ve fallen
behind in recent years, not having the time to read, or money to purchase. One of my favorites is It, which has a very
creepy feel to it. Someone who can make you feel horror from the printed word
is a master indeed.
What about the horror villain? Or should I say the hero? For
often times in a horror story, the villain is
actually the hero. Well, the main protagonist, anyway. And often times, the
most interesting character. Can you blame Clarice Starling for being fascinated
by Dr. Lecter? And Dexter Morgan—who doesn’t love Dexter? Sweeney Todd, too.
Gretchen Lowell. If you haven’t guessed, I have a thing for serial killers.
Michael Myers. Leatherface. Jason Voorhees. Fascinating character studies, even
if their manners leave a little to be desired.
While I’ve primarily written books and stories in the m/m
romance field, I don’t consider myself limited to that genre by any means. And
so I decided to branch out when I learned that one of my publishers, MuseitUp,
was going to run a locked door series of horror stories. I thought I’d try my
hand, although I wasn’t sure how good I’d be at it, or if I could even do it. I
surprised myself by not only finishing a story and subbing it, but having it
accepted. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night releases April 5th,
and is my first foray into horror, but hopefully not my last. While it is not
necessarily horror in the splatterpunk, gory tradition of some modern writers
and filmmakers, I think you might say that it is more psychological.
It follows the not uncommon trope of strangers drawn
together by the hands of Fate. In this case, travelers who have taken refuge at
an inn because of inclement weather. And what happens to them there as their
stories converge.
I believe that it would be really hard to write for a genre
that you do not enjoy, although some people might argue with that. Sure, you
can get things technically correct, but there is a certain feel that I believe
only someone who reads it can impart. I’ll let the readers be the judge of
whether I have succeeded or not, for I am a true horror fan. In fact, I love serial killers so much that
I’m developing one of my own, and look forward to presenting him in time.
Thanks for having me today, M.A.! A pleasure, as always!
