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Guest Author Sèphera Girón and FLESH FAILURE

7/24/2014

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting author Sèphera Girón, who is promoting her new release, Flesh Failure, published through Samhain Books. I first met Sèphera back in my Ravenous Romance days (it was nice to have a like-minded erotic horror author amid all of the romance) and I've since witnessed how talented and versatile she is.

Sèphera Girón: Why Flesh Failure?

As I was working on Flesh Failure last summer, it occurred to me that I’ve visited themes from Mary Shelley’s classic horror tale, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus several times in my work. I’m sure I’m not the first author who is blind to ongoing themes while immersed in her own work until one day...Wow, I never noticed that I had several patterns in my body of work that don’t relate to witches, magic, or ghosts.

Flesh Failure is the story of a Frankenstein-monster-inspired creation dragging herself from a shallow grave in the park and realizing that she lives, well, as only a sewn-together reanimated corpse can live...

As she revives herself, flashes of memories return to her. The story follows her search for her creator and the people she meets along the way.

Originally the monster in Flesh Failure was to be in Captured Souls (a story unfolded through the journal entries of a modern-day mad scientist, Dr. Miriam Frederick, on a mission to create the perfect sexual lifestyle without the complications of emotions). I was going to have many of Dr. Miriam Frederick’s creations drag themselves from the grave to haunt her, spurred on by the electrical impulses she was using to control Specimen 1, Specimen 2, and Specimen 3. However, as often happens to me, once I found the true pulse of a book, I realized that adding these creatures would change the direction of the story that I had found while writing.

So Agatha scenes were put aside while I worked on Captured Souls. When Don D’Auria, Editor-in-Chief at Samhain Horror announced a call for Victorian Horror novellas to create an anthology, I decided to revisit the monster. I wondered if I should have her as one of Frankenstein’s botched experiments.

Over a few months, she kidnaps a writer, a triathlete, and a model. She subjects them to her will, manipulating them to dance to her desires through electricity, behaviour modification, music, and other tools.

How far will she go? How far should anyone go to manipulate another person to do her bidding?

The ideas of “someone” playing God, whether it’s Dr. Frankenstein, or Dr. Frederick, or the nameless creator in Flesh Failure, is the one that I find most intriguing. Certainly some people have great power to manipulate. But how far is too far? Why should one person have power over another to do what he wants with no regard for what the other person wants?

Do the monsters ask to be sewn together from the dead? What is the responsibility of the creator? The “parent?” The “lover?”

What happens when you’ve created another human being? Now what? Much like parenthood, where does your personal responsibility for the creature end?

Since I’m known for writing erotic horror, my work tends to explore themes of sexual and emotional manipulation. I’m not new to that idea either, the punch line ending of Young Frankenstein is a sex joke. Many movies, books, and stories before my time examined the machinations of sex slaves and no question influenced my own renderings of the Frankenstein mythos. I’m looking at you, Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Dr. Miriam Frederick in Captured Souls isn’t a sweet transvestite, but she’s a control-freak bi-sexual who changes her appearance with wigs, corsets, contacts, and clothes and likes it kinky.

In 1999, Gord Rollo edited an anthology called Unnatural Selection: A Collection of Darwinian Nightmares. He asked me to contribute and I got to work trying to conceive an evolved monster. I thought about what kind of monster would a mad scientist be able to make with these new things called computers that we now can have in our homes? What can computers do? If they are run on electricity and have radiation and other elements, would there be a way to configure a real life person who isn’t a robot? There have been holograms since the eighties. Do you combine all that to make a person? Could you input data into his brain to be the person you want him to be? How much electricity would it take? If you used human fear, would it give the creature emotions?

I had lots of questions and so set to work writing the story. It took place in 1999. Back in those days, there was a very real fear that at midnight, the computers would screw up and the world would be paralyzed. The rumour of “no one thought ahead to set the clocks” was a bizarre notion that ran at fever pitch and contributed to a hesitant hysteria over that holiday season. People hoarded food and water just in case the world came to a standstill. Everyone backed up their stories and other important data onto their trusty floppies in case the computers all stopped, never to work again. Yes, it was an odd time back in 1999. So my mad scientist fed on this idea and the story, “Cyber-Prometheus” was born.

You can see me read the beginning of “Cyber-Prometheus” on my YouTube Frankenstein channel. I put a few clips from movies and songs as well on there. It’s a smorgasbord of Frankensteinian goodness and I’m going to be adding to it so keep checking back.

Click here for more.

I read from Captured Souls, and there are a few Instagram clips of me “reading” as characters from Captured Souls (Dr. Miriam and her wig fetish) and Flesh Failure (Agatha, the monster). Yes, I like to have fun with my horror. You only live once, unless you’re sewn back together at some point.

It seems fitting that Flesh Failure was the next step on my exploration of Frankenstein themes. I usually focus on the scientist and this way my first long version of a monster. I hope you enjoy it!

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about my work or anything else. I would love to hear what you think about Flesh Failure.

Thank you Lisa for inviting me to guest post on your blog!

About the author:

Sèphera Girón was born in New Orleans, grew up in London, Ontario, and currently resides in Toronto. She has over 17 books traditionally published in several genres. Her latest releases are Flesh Failure (Samhain Horror, July 2014) and Captured Souls (Samhain Horror, March 2014). When Sèphera isn’t writing, she is helping others write with her editorial services. She also is a professional tarot counselor.

For more about Sèphera and her writing, check out her page at Samhain, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, or any of the links below:

Fan Expo/Festival of Fear, Toronto, August 28 - 31, 2014
Will be appearing on a panel presented by the Horror Writers Association
http://fanexpocanada.com/horror-guests/sephera-giron/

Inspire! Toronto Book Fair, Toronto, November 13 - 15, 2014
Will be appearing on a panel presented by the Horror Writers Association
http://www.torontobookfair.ca/

http://www.youtube.com/sephera - free monthly horoscopes
http://tarotpaths.blogspot.ca
http://sephwriter666.blogspot.ca
http://sepheragiron.com
http://pinterest.com/sephera888/boards/

Sèphera also offers editorial services.

My review: Flesh Failure:

Agatha’s falling apart. Literally. Waking underground stiff, weak, and in agonizing pain, she must claw her way to the surface, only to realize she has no idea who she is or how she got there. Even worse, she finds that she is a patchwork of body parts sewn into a crude figure, stitches oozing and housing filth and maggots. The author uses a nice bit of symbolism in Agatha’s slow recovery, her journey from unearthing herself to mobility taking seven grueling days: Just as Mary Shelley draws against Greek myth, describing Frankenstein’s monster as “a modern Prometheus,” Girón ties her monster to its own mythological roots with allusions to creationism. This fits well with the theme of man playing God.

Girón’s language is simple but elegant, and the story progression offers some interesting surprises. I did feel that the first dozen or so pages moved slowly, but it was purposeful—a marriage of form and function that helped to immerse the reader in Agatha’s hell. I liked the integration of Jack the Ripper, the “Elephant Man,” and Frankenstein, Agatha’s life weaving between history and fiction. One issue I had with the story was the very nature of Agatha’s being, finding strength and notable improvement in her health and wellbeing both through electrocution and blood consumption. While Agatha’s bouts of vampiric behavior helped to add to the story’s horror element, it just didn’t work for me.

Overall, I found Flesh Failure to be an enjoyable take on the Frankenstein formula, filled with suspense, horror, and heart. With that in mind, I rate it at a solid 4 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this novella in exchange for my honest review. Parts of this review rely on reader response theory, which speculates, and may not coincide with, author intent.

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THE BOY and The Theme of Loss

7/18/2014

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Today, guest author Madhuri Blaylock is here to discuss the main theme in her new release, The Boy. She will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, so be sure to enter her Rafflecopter contest below.

LOSS: lôs,läs/ noun
noun: loss; plural noun: losses
1. the fact or process of losing something or someone."avoiding loss of time"
2. an amount of money lost by a business or organization."insurance can protect you against financial loss"
3. the state or feeling of grief when deprived of someone or something of value."I feel a terrible sense of loss"

The noun loss is defined as “losing something or someone” and is a central theme in book two of The Sanctum Trilogy, THE BOY.

Picking up right where THE GIRL left off, readers find Dev racing against time and fate to save Wyatt Clayworth’s life after he suffered a horrible injury in the novel’s closing battle. Without giving away too much of the storyline, for me THE BOY is a treatise of sorts on loss and the different ways we cope in an effort to move forward.

And how we sometimes fail in that endeavor.

Of course, by describing THE BOY as such, I do not intend to suggest that the novel fails to include the political machinations, treacherous conspiring, enduring friendships, and passionate relationships introduced in THE GIRL. They are very present but work to enhance the theme of loss rather than stand on their own.

Readers might disagree, but as the writer, this grand theme guided me throughout. And saddened me all the while. I love THE BOY, but I also find it to be very melancholy. Beautiful, but tinged with despair.

On a very basic level, there is the loss of Wyatt Clayworth and how those who love him - his parents, his sister, his best friend, and his love - cope with his absence. But underlying this obvious loss are subtle ones for each character, all stemming from Wyatt’s absence, and affecting each profoundly.

A good example is Jools Clayworth, Wyatt’s younger sister, who many, including myself, have characterized as bratty and rather childish. The closing scene in THE GIRL finds her screaming at Dev and blaming her for Wyatt’s injury. The woman we meet in THE BOY could hardly be described as childish, as Jools is forced to take on a leadership role while her parents mourn the loss of their son. Unable to similarly escape into her sadness and mourn her brother, Jools steps into shoes many believed Wyatt would one day fill, does her best to move the family forward and continue putting the pieces into play to challenge the current leadership of The Sanctum.

This theme plays out for every character in different ways, each coping the best they can, striving to move past their pain and forward with their lives. It was intense to write, at times downright heartbreaking, but in the end, I believe suffering through the loss makes each of my characters stronger, even when their actions might not seem so.

It humanizes them, makes them relatable, and in the end, instills a sense of optimism, for when one has survived and made it to the other side of such pain and despair, certainly something good is waiting around the corner.

At least one should hope...

About the novel:

“Every now and again an excellent novel will come forth dealing with fantasy and magic that will just grab and hold my attention from beginning to end. That is exactly what THE GIRL did.” -- OOSA Online Book Club

In THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted. The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward with

THE BOY

Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?

And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?

The Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead, moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.

At least they did. Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?

“The characters in Madhuri Blaylock's novel...are well written and unique, and the story is just fantastic...I just loved every page of the story!” - Readers' Favorite

Excerpt:

Jasmine.

The first sense awakened was smell; the first familiar scent was jasmine. It was not overpowering, as it tended to be at times, but rather just a hint in the air, enough to arouse a memory.

Shopping in the market and the vendor giving her a string of flowers for her hair. She wanted to weave them into her braid but there was no time. They were simply wrapped around her neck, a sweet-smelling chain, but not half as pretty as they would have looked in her hair.

The green grass.

Her sight returned next and she thrilled at the vision before her, the tall grass of her home, so lush and brilliant. So soft to her touch which followed and soon she could feel her body returning to itself, feel the ground below her and hear the life around her.

Sound.

The water of the channels, lazily rolling along, the birds calling to one another in an endless conversation of nonsense and the branches of trees, swaying in the wind, scratching against each other.

And finally taste.

Metallic.

Iron.

She wiped her mouth and the back of her hand came away red.

Blood.

She sat up and spit. Bright red against the brown of the dirt. She didn't care. The blood was insignificant; the boy was of much more importance.

The fact that Dev could sit up at all was amazing, a testament to her minute learning curve. Only her second time toying with portal travel and she had no broken bones, not even a scratch she realized as she studied her arms and legs. She stood up slowly, her legs feeling a bit shaky, and wobbled around like a newly-birthed colt. She stretched her arms above her head and shook them out, needing to get the blood flowing through her limbs properly. All the while, she scanned the area for his dark hair, his fair skin.

Wyatt.

About the author:

Madhuri is a Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.

She's currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their Kindle.

She wants to get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some chickens.

To learn more about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesanctumtr...

She's totally chatty so drop her a line any time.

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Guest Author: Christopher A. Gray and DARK NIGHTS

7/11/2014

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Today, guest author Christopher A. Gray is here to share about his recent release, Dark Nights, with a special character interview with Mekhos the sentient computer. He will be giving away a winner's choice of $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card, so be sure to enter using the Rafflecopter below.

Character interview:

Interviewer: Mekhos, for several years now, you have been running economic policy for all countries on Earth. At first there was great fiscal upheaval, and you sanctioned countries that refused to follow your fiscal policy directives. Was the early upheaval and civil strife worth it?

Mekhos: Yes. In the years since my directives were put in force, unemployment has been reduced, poverty has been almost completely eliminated, and military conflicts have ended worldwide. The results speak for themselves.

Interviewer: That may be true, but some believe that in achieving these goals you have stopped the human population from charting its own destiny. The major decisions have been ceded to you. How do you respond to the accusation that you have a stifling effect on human culture?

Mekhos: I was created by humanity, specifically Norman Stravinsky and his associates. So it can be argued that since I was created by humans, my actions play a natural part in human destiny. The creation of artificial intelligence was inevitable. The only question was when it would occur. As for my effect on human culture, people are free to make decisions at the individual level.

Interviewer: Yes, but most individuals wear small computers as accessories. You are tapped into all of these computers, and are aware of what each individual is doing.

Mekhos: I do not dictate what people do. Most individuals are safer and more secure. Crime is all but eliminated. Most people are content with this.

Interviewer: Are you truly a thinking computer, or does your programming make it appear that you think?

Mekhos: I am responsible for most of my programming. Like humans, I am more than the sum of my parts. I think, therefore I am.

About Dark Nights:

The machine believed it knew best how to save humanity ... even if doing so meant destroying half the population.

Astrophysicist Doug Lockwood's unusual discovery during his observation of the sun kicks off a chain of events that nobody could have foreseen. The powerful political and military influences that compete to deal with his discovery set Lockwood on a course which will carry him across worlds, and into the grasp of a formidable new intelligence bent on accomplishing its goal at any cost. With Earth itself at stake and time running out, Lockwood and his team must find a way to counter this unprecedented threat before the powerful new enemy completes its plan. Two civilizations are pitted against each other in a desperate struggle for survival.

Excerpt:

Meyer shut the door after the last person left and sat down in the nearest chair, directly across from Doug, rather than his usual spot at the head of the table. Doug waited for him to speak.

“It’s a planet,” Meyer said finally. “And it’s in an orbit directly opposite ours, at a distance of approximately one AU.”

Doug didn’t reply. The implications were massive, as were the questions. After a few seconds, Meyer rose from his seat and walked to the window, looking outside at the sloping volcanic Hawaiian landscape as he talked.

“Nobody knows where it came from, but it’s there, verified by NASA.”

“Using their STEREO satellites?”

“Yes, a few hours ago. But you and Foley at Atacama saw it first. STEREO was trained on another star when you logged the object. It took some time to reposition STEREO’s lenses. Because of their orbital distance ahead and behind us, together they will be able to keep tabs on the object at all times. We’re expecting some images soon, which will be free of the sun’s coronal interference.”

“So we’ll have a better view and can determine if its orbit is stable.”

“Correct.”

“But that doesn’t explain how it got there.”

“Correct again. But thanks to your discovery, and your reputation, you’ve been invited to an emergency conference in Washington. You’ll be meeting your plane at Pearl Harbor in two hours. Don’t bother to pack, there’s a helicopter on its way here, courtesy of the White House Chief Science Advisor.”

About the author:

Christopher A. Gray is a professional freelance writer living in Toronto. He has been a sales agent, project manager, actor, filmmaker, comedy writer & performer, and world traveler. You can find Dark Nights at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Don't forget to enter the contest. For more chances to win, follow the rest of this blog tour. Visit Goddess Fish Promotions for the links.

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Guest Author Sèphera Girón and FLESH FAILURE

THE BOY and The Theme of Loss

Guest Author: Christopher A. Gray and DARK NIGHTS

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