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The Maelstrom and Finding Poe

10/2/2013

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Since its publication in early 2012, Finding Poe has been the subject of much speculation.  It was a 2013 EPIC finalist in horror, won Indie Book of the Day, and placed 2nd in the 2012 Predators and Editors Readers’ Choice Polls.  While it has been well received, some readers have questioned the repetition of Karina’s nightmare of the maelstrom.  Since there have been more questions on this matter than actual debate, I thought I’d shed some light on the matter.
PicturePhoto courtesy of Wikipedia.
For those not familiar with Poe’s “A Descent into the Maelström,” it is a story within a story, told by one of the author’s tell-tale unreliable narrators, about a massive whirlpool that swallows his ship.  He claims to be the only survivor, and he also claims that the event was horrifying enough to turn his hair white overnight.  The story’s theme, as subtle as it may be, revolves around the appreciation for that which is greater than oneself.  The narrator helplessly watches his brothers die, the enormous waves taking one before the vortex takes another with the entire ship—but he finds himself in a moment of clarity, awed over such a powerful force of nature and humbled by his own tiny presence in comparison.

The maelstrom plays an important role in Finding Poe, serving multiple purposes:

The parallel between its narrator and Karina strengthens the notion that she is an unreliable narrator.  We don’t know who either really is.  Is Poe’s narrator actually a fisherman who lost two brothers during a fishing trip?  (Or is it more likely that either he’s covering up a murder—or just simply insane?)  Is Karina a “Lady of Norland” as she claims, or is she also something far more chilling?

The story within a story hints as something much deeper than merely an unreliable narrator.  Karina’s recurring nightmare—and sometimes seemingly hallucinogenic shift into an alternate reality—of the maelstrom, suggests that her perceptions might not be sound enough for the reader to trust.  Even when she believes she is being sincere, her own senses betray her.  She is not living in the world she thinks she’s living in.  One might even go so far as to question whether anything she experiences—or claims to experience—is real.

Karina’s recurring experience parallels the cyclical nature of the maelstrom.  Just as Poe’s narrator perceives an awesome greatness in the vortex, one that, in its cyclical nature, might represent the cyclical nature of life and death, Karina’s repeated experience—the cyclical nature of the story itself—offers a marriage of form and content that hints at information lying far below the text’s surface.  Is Karina even alive?  If not, what is her real story?  Is she reliving her own death—or does her personal descent into the maelstrom represent something even more profound?

I invite those of you who have read Finding Poe to offer your own insights on this—but just don’t spoil Karina’s true identity if you’ve already figured it out.  Piecing together the puzzle within the story is half the fun, you know.  Her place, what she really means to Poe and his work, is what the story is really all about….


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Excerpt—Karina’s descent into the maelstrom:

I turned back to the window, and it took a moment for me to process the strange sight.  An enormous black bird kicked and flapped its wings against the glass, somehow keeping in perfect time with the moving train.

“I think it’s trying to get in, but it can’t … can it?” the woman asked, shying back in her seat.

I watched, silent.  The bird’s wild, angry moves were hypnotic.  I thought about my nightmare, about the impending doom promised to me, and I wondered if perhaps Death himself had been commissioned to track me down.  No earthly bird would behave such a way, and I knew, given all I had recently seen, that was a personal omen if nothing else.

The woman frantically waved at the window, yelling for the bird to go away, but I watched silently, feeling quite assured that the bird was merely the harbinger of doom and not the actual purveyor of it.  The woman’s shrieks—not to mention the reactions of other nearby passengers—began to come across as comical overreactions to a threat that existed in their thoughts alone.  The bird continued to harass the window, but clearly it had no way in.  I sat back and watched the different reactions, wondering how many people the bird would alarm before it finally ducked away to carry its grim message to the next sorry soul on its list.

“Someone needs to scare it away,” the old woman beside me finally suggested.

“It’s attracted to something inside here,” said someone else nearby.

“Or someone,” said the old woman.

“What would a crow want with any of us?” I asked, my voice trembling despite me.

“That there is a raven,” said the old woman.

“Whatever it is, what would it want with any of us?” I asked.

“Or we would ask, more specifically, what would it want with you?” the old woman asked.  I realized that everyone in the car was staring at me.  The raven continued to bat wildly against the glass.  I tried to remain calm, but everyone began to move in toward me, giving me little room to shift.  I felt a burst of nervous energy as the other passengers crowded all around me and suddenly I had no room to move at all.

Desperate for fresh air, the hot crowd leaving everything around me warm and stale, I attempted to push my way through.  I could not see the door leading out, but I knew it was near.  Each person I passed seemed to do his or her best to slow me down, grabbing at my clothes and blocking me with their bodies.  After much grappling and groping, I finally made it to the door, only to find it locked.

The ride became unsteady, as if the train were suddenly traveling over heaps of rocks, then everyone screamed as we began to tilt to the left.  I grabbed the nearest seat, doing my best to brace for the worst, when water broke through one of the windows.  I watched a group of passengers fight the locked door while others attempted to flee through broken windows.

“Maelström!” one person cried.

Out here?  I tried to make sense of it, realizing that it made no sense at all.  I thought about a story I had read some time ago about a man who had thought he had awakened from a nightmare, only to realize that he was still dreaming.  There was no other explanation in my mind that fit what I now witnessed, and I closed my eyes and allowed the water to rise over me, knowing very well that the dream would not be able to last much longer.  I held my breath and shut my eyes as the current snatched my body and flung it into the sea.  I felt my body float deep into the abyss below, bubbles rushing past me as they escaped the folds of my dress, my long curls tangling across my face.

The pressure against my lungs became great and the urge to exhale overcame me, but I couldn’t even see the surface from where I was and I had nowhere to take a breath.  Unable to hold the air any longer, I expelled it, which provided a fleeting moment of relief.  Immediately following that, however, there came the sudden and overwhelming urge to take in another breath, one I could not ignore.  Left with no other choice, I took a thick, lung-flooding breath of water.  To my surprise, I felt no pain, nor the reflex to cough; I merely had the urge to exhale again.  A rush of water left my lungs, and then again, I took a breath. 

I felt a warm, peaceful feeling take over me, relaxing my limbs and easing my fearful thoughts.  My eyes closed and the sea went silent, and it occurred to me that I had drowned.

What a shame, I thought.  Had I only known life was so short….

Finding Poe is available in paperback and Kindle.


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2013 Wicked Women Writers' Challenge!

9/7/2013

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This year, the WWW Challenge theme is How Will You Survive? Each of our WWW was assigned an apocalyptic disaster, a location, a helpful object, and an untimely disability. Voting starts September 7th and ends October 7th. Stories will air on podcast #95 September 7th on the http://www.horroraddicts.net show. To vote, email horroraddicts@gmail.com. Put “vote” in the subject line.

***CAUTION*** We Strongly encourage you to listen to ALL the stories. Just when you think you have chosen your most wicked story, there’s another story ready to slap you into the face of fear once again. You can also read along with the stories and catch words you might have missed on horroraddicts.net. Be sure and listen to all 13 stories before casting your vote!

About my entry, "Enter the Corruption":

Disaster: Nano-invasion
Location: Bullet Train
Helpful Item: Hand Sanitizer
Untimely Disability: Extreme Itchiness

The Corruption begins when the nanotech implants go from just downright creepy to contagious.  Will the human spirit survive when the mind becomes nothing but another piece of computer hardware?  Read along with my story here.

Here's a list of links to the other contestants' stories:
2. Shauna Klein - 
3. DM Slate - 4. Chantal Boudreau - 5. Chantal Noordeloos - 6. Rebekah Webb -
7. Marie Robinson - 8. Rebecca Snow - 9. Julianne Snow - 10. RL Weston - 11. Maggie Fiske -
12. Sumiko Saulson - 13. Amy K Marshall 
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Happy 2013!

1/1/2013

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It's amazing to think 2012 is already behind us, and it's been both a crazy and fascinating year.  We survived multiple "apocalypses," those of us in the U.S. got through a heated election, and we've seen some of the most innovative and awe-inspiring technological breakthroughs of the decade.

For me, 2012 provided some massive ups and downs.  Finding Poe reached Amazon's paid bestseller list and remained there for two weeks, and it was also named an EPIC finalist in horror (the winning results of which will be revealed in March).  I experienced my first-ever white Christmas.  I made some great friends on Facebook, but also lost a few over ideological differences.  I wrote my twelfth novel.  I endured terrifying blind spots in my vision due to retinal swelling, which have persisted now for over four months and have had a serious impact on my ability to read and write in a timely manner.

With all that said, what 2012 brought to me, more important than anything else, is the realization that life is surprisingly short, youth can pass us by before we have the chance to appreciate it, and health can take any number of unexpected turns that can prove forever life-altering.  So, this year, I challenge myself to take a chance I might not have taken in 2012, to do something that allows me to live in the moment and might provide me with exciting memories when I look back on this coming year--even if it happens to be scary or somewhat out of my comfort zone.

I challenge you to do the same.  Make a bucket list, even if you're young and healthy.  Think of something you've always wanted to do, but felt too apprehensive about doing.  Push your boundaries.  Take life by the reigns and force it into a new direction.  Make 2013 a year to remember.

I thank those of you who have followed my blog and/or my books and anthology contributions.  You have empowered me in ways you'll never know, and I wish you happiness, good health, and success in this coming year.

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Interview: The New American Dream

11/29/2012

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It is with much pleasure I share with you all my most recent interview.  The BlogTalkRadio show, The New American Dream, was gracious enough to invite me to be a guest, and I'm very happy with how the interview went.  We discussed my novel World-Mart and the implications and warnings embedded within the text.

For those who missed it, you can catch the feed here.  My interview begins at precisely twenty-three minutes into the show.  I think we were able to cover some poignant points, and our discussion on World-Mart and the warnings it holds for the future were covered nicely.

My thanks to the hosts for having me.  It was a blast, and I hope your audience enjoyed listening as much as I enjoyed the chat.
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I Love Horror Novellas Blog Hop Finale

8/10/2012

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Welcome to the final installment of the “I Love Horror Novellas Blog Hop”!

Over the course of the week, I have offered a small amount of insight into the character behind The Hidden Valley: Carrie’s Story, sharing the grief over her middle-aged fading beauty, the horror she faces over being possessed by the town’s undefined entity, and the role her photography plays in both her back story and the development of her possible insanity.  This week, I also had the opportunity to share at a handful of other authors’ blogs, revealing the motivation behind the darkness of The Hidden Valley, what seems versus what is in horror fiction, and the role my love of Stephen King’s works played in my choice of style and literary elements.

I would like to expand a little on the latter, sharing a handful of King’s stories that helped to inspire the feel and flavor of The Hidden Valley.  While this blog hop focuses on paranormal and horror novellas, I would like to take a holistic approach to the novel today, delving beyond Carrie’s Story and looking at the collective work.

It:  While there are no evil clowns in The Hidden Valley, there is a dark, unnamed force claiming the town of South Bend and terrorizing all who fall into its trap.  It can take whatever form it chooses, possessing the living and owning the dead.  Its strength comes from those who fear it, and its demise will come at the hands of only those able to identify it for what it truly is.

‘Salem’s Lot:  No, there aren’t any vampires either, but I based the feel of the town—a cozy place riddled with dangers that slowly unfold and grow as the story progresses—on this story.  There is a sense of growing urgency to identify and escape the evil that resides, as well as the theme of youthful innocence taken far before its time.

Cat’s Eye:  I loved how this charming film made a cat the unexpected hero, and I set out to do just that in The Hidden Valley.  Readers will find that Maxwell’s chapters are some of the most articulate and thought provoking, offering insights shown nowhere else in the story.  Similarly….

Cujo:  King’s ability to get inside the head of an animal impressed me thoroughly, and I can only hope I did similar justice to Maxwell’s chapters.  While Cujo is a Saint Bernard and Maxwell is a black and white tuxedo cat (named after one of my sister’s childhood pets) I hope readers will see the inspiration the former had on the latter.

The Shining:  Probably my favorite King novel, The Shining portrays a large piece of property that is haunted by its dark past.  The evil created by its continuing need to terrorize and destroy those unfortunate enough to set foot within its reaches was a strong inspiration behind the evil lurking within South Bend.

Much like I worked to emulate Poe’s unique voice in my last novel, Finding Poe, I worked to emulate King’s rich descriptions and subtle nuances in The Hidden Valley.  The novel is my homage to the greatest horror storyteller of our time.  Here’s to you, Mr. King.  While I might only be at the beginning of my writing journey (at thirteen novels and counting), you have taught me much, and while I might never achieve your greatness, you have inspired me more than you’ll likely ever know.



Thanks for stopping by!

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I Love Horror Novellas Blog Hop Day 2

8/6/2012

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This week, I came across a trailer for an upcoming movie titled The Possession.  Here is the trailer:
Marketing itself as “based on a true story,” the movie appears to be a reimagining of the classic horror The Exorcist, only with the spiritual assistance of a Rabbi instead of a Priest.  The “true story” is based on the sale of a “haunted Jewish wine cabinet box” that contains a spirit called a dibbuk.  Of course, the entity possesses a little girl and the horror begins.  For more information on this upcoming movie, which does promise to be chilling (true story or not), check out the official website.

Possession is a common theme in horror, one I actually use as a B-plot in The Hidden Valley: Carrie’s Story.  In Carrie’s Story, the creature controlling South Bend—a town that is not at all what it seems—enters Carrie’s body and uses her as a puppet, terrorizing her for its own enjoyment.  Unlike other possession plots, however, no one else has any idea she’s been taken over, although her behavior is suspicious at times.  Her husband suspects she has fallen victim to early onset Alzheimer’s disease, which claimed her mother.  Even she suspects she has lost her mind.  Perhaps she has….

Stop by on Thursday for the continuation of The Cerebral Writer’s participation in the “I Love Horror Novellas Blog Hop”.  Tomorrow, I’m hosting a very special guest who is the mind behind a lovely cause.

Continue following the blog hop every day this week by visiting Precious Monsters and following the links.  Happy hopping!

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I Love Horror Novellas Blog Hop Day 1

8/6/2012

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Fading Beauty

Someone once shared a quote with me, and unfortunately I cannot find the direct source, but the simple yet astute passage went as follows: “Vanity is for the youth.”  Until one begins to notice the fine lines becoming not so fine, the figure transforming from its tight, muscular form into something not so tight and muscular, and the outcropping of wiry gray hair replacing the sleek, colorful locks, one cannot fully appreciate the sentiment.

I interviewed a fellow author who supplements her income by working at a cosmetics counter at her local Macy’s, asking her to tell me a little about her experience with customers desperate to erase the years from their aging faces.  This is what she had to say:


   The cosmetics industry exists solely to make women feel bad about who they are and what physical cards they were dealt, and then sell them the “cure.” These companies basically break your leg and then sell you a crutch. My line, which markets itself as an all natural skin care and makeup line, has tag lines such as, “Life puts wrinkles in. Nature takes them out.” 

      What I've learned is that there is a lot of money to be made in capitalizing on women's insecurities. It makes me feel bad, because there will be these older women who come to my counter expecting a miracle, and they'll walk away with two hundred dollars worth of beauty supplies and a head full of hope. These women have usually tried “everything else,” from Chanel and Dior to the drugstore brands, and are hoping that the “natural” brand will be the alternative they're looking for….  It's super sad. 

When I think about my own humbling vanity, I’m drawn to a particular horror film based on the old Snow White Grimm fairy tale titled Snow White: A Tale of Terror.  In the film, similar to other stories based on the story, the evil stepmother is haunted by her own fading beauty and feels the need to preserve her own standing as “fairest in the land” by doing away with the young and breathtakingly beautiful Snow White (named Lilly in this adaptation).  The consequences are terrifying, especially in this version.  For those who have not seen the film, here is the trailer:
This concept of fading beauty, and the irrational fears society has instilled in me personally as I find myself around the corner from forty, were the basis behind Carrie’s character in my novella, The Hidden Valley: Carrie’s Story.  Carrie is the forty-something mother of teenage twins, one of whom is a lovely young woman who is far too broken to appreciate her youthful body.  Carrie finds herself possessed by a creature that inhabits the town she and her family recently moved to, and—much like the Evil Stepmother in Snow White—interacts with the dark entity via a mirror.  While Carrie becomes a hapless bystander in her own life, it takes losing all control to the creature for her to be able to appreciate what she had … and that beauty truly is only skin-deep.

About The Hidden Valley:

Deep in a hidden valley, there is a ghost town that has experienced a miraculous rebound.  It is separated from the rest of the world by a mountain pass, but it's found a dark and deadly lifeline….  Carrie and her husband Grant are moving wayward teenage twins John and Jane across the country for a fresh start.  South Bend seems like the perfect place for it.  Maybe just a little too perfect.  When they become aware of the trap that has been set for them, will it already be too late for any of them to escape?

In addition to being a ghost story, The Hidden Valley is an experiment in structure.  The reader will find that nearly every chapter is, in itself, a work of flash fiction.  Each main character’s story may be read individually for a surprisingly different effect.  Read The Hidden Valley by character; read The Whole Story in Kindle or paperback (coming soon); or read the weekly flash fiction serial here at The Cerebral Writer.

This post is part of the week-long Horror Novella Blog-Hop, hosted by Precious Monsters.  Make sure to check out the other participating blogs:

Precious Monsters
Independent Paranormal
Vanessa Morgan (horror author/filmmaker)
Paul Stansfield
Bob @ Beauty in Ruins
E. A. Black
Vala Kayes "Other World"
Paul Stansfield
Lindsays Scribblings

Zach Sweet's Blog

Thanks for stopping by!  Check back in tomorrow for more on The Hidden Valley: Carrie's Story.

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On the Divided Readership for WORLD-MART

6/30/2012

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For as many people who have expressed that World-Mart has touched them in a positive way, just as many people have expressed anger—and even insinuated some kind of underlying political agenda—in response to the novel.  Take, for example, this review:

What a load of propaganda. This book is nothing more than the authors[sic] rant/social commentary on how she hates success[sic] for a business she disagrees with, loathing of America, and her undying love for the global warming theory. I believe that she had every right to express her views in her thinly disguised “novel”, I love the 1st Amendment. I hope she is not offended when I express my 1st Amendment rights as well when I say, "TOTAL CRAP!!!!!!!!!"

While my first response must be one of respect for varying opinions—and appreciation that this reader took the time to write what is very clearly an honest review—there really is no way to relay adequately my feelings about the above personal accusations.  Yes, World-Mart is a social commentary.  That is what dystopian literature is all about.  But I wrote this novel because I love my country and I write what I write because I feel a personal responsibility to do all I can to protect the liberty, freedom, and the enterprise I felt defined the United States throughout my childhood.  Not everyone will agree that we have a problem with corporate growth and the impact that has on our government and social hierarchy.  I can only hope my book will help people to raise some of those issues and get some progressive discussion going.

Another issue some readers have had has been in response to the book’s strict adherence to the classic dystopian model: government out of control + protagonists struggling against it = provocative but grim ending.  One reviewer writes about World-Mart:


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I can see the events of this book as really happening in our world. I truly hope they do not, but some of the events are taking place in our lives. It is, perhaps, the reality of the plot, the possibility that it is a tale of our future, that causes me to not like the story.

Well done.

Note: This is probably the most confused review I have ever tried to write! How can, "I didn't like it," and "well done" be in the same review?? That cannot make sense. But it does!

Do I recommend this book after writing the above? Yes.


This truly is the response what I was reaching for when I wrote World-Mart.  I’m grateful to the above reviewer for being so honest about how the book affected him/her.  On the opposite side of the coin, I can appreciate how some readers might become emotionally invested in the protagonists (despite my attempt to keep them as flat and complacent as any good Mart worker) and therefore might also find their fates disturbing.

To these people, I sincerely apologize.  I’m currently writing a book with a happy ending just for you.

I really do hope you enjoyed World-Mart, but I hope it also left a painfully sour taste in your mouth.  I hope it made you a little angry.  I hope some of the finer plot points it haunt you.  That is what a good dystopia is supposed to do.  If World-Mart struck an especially harsh chord with you—if the ending left you seething, for example—to you I say good.  Now what are you going to do about it to ensure it doesn’t actually come to pass?


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Finding Poe's Voice

6/9/2012

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Those who have read FINDING POE already know that the prose is far from contemporary.  The first-person narrator is a young noblewoman, and it was only right that the language reflect that as much as possible without becoming disruptive.  More importantly: The story uses language similar to that which one might find in a Poe story, and the language and Poe-like use of imagery help to add his unique flavor of darkness and terror.

I'd love to know what readers have been thinking about the prose.  I was delighted the other day to read in horror author Byran Hall's 5-star Amazon review: "The style is very similar to old literary horror writers like Poe himself or HP Lovecraft, and I'll admit that it may not be for everyone just for that fact - today's modern style of writing is a bit different and some may go into this expecting something else."

Writing in such a way was an interesting undertaking for me, and shifting into just the right gear took time (and maybe a little ritualistic undertaking of his muse).  Technically speaking, I compare shifting style very closely to singing the harmony to a song.  Once you find one or two of the right notes, finding and singing a harmony line (which can be vastly different than the melody) can be fun and easy.  In writing that uses an altogether different voice, the key is looking at today's language as a melody and an author's shift in voice as one of many harmonies.  Finding it might be hard, but once a writer does find it, sticking with it is as easy as singing the harmony for the chorus to your favorite song.

I can't say enough how great it feels when someone catches important details such as that one.  Just as great is when someone catches the novel's big hook, one I have found only about half of its readers really to have done (and this surprises me).  However, it's very exciting when readers get the full depth of a book, because I do work hard to make my writing say something beyond the face value of its words.  I love being able to connect with other people on that level.

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Marrying Form and Content: Can an Author go too Far?

6/3/2012

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When writing WORLD-MART, I strove for an overtly mundane and cold world with the hope of fully immersing readers into the world-gone-corporate. It was part of a literary technique that works to connect to readers not only through what they read, but how they're reading it. That meant, however, also writing characters who could fit that cold, corporate model. I chose the Irwin family to be the epitome of mediocrity, a reflection of the world around them, which called for some creative use of characterization.  

With Shelley's character, I used her poetry to offer the readers a gauge into her ever-crumbling psyche.  If one compares the different poems she "shares" throughout the novel, obvious differences in style, language, and content give clues about her standing with the world. With that said, I'm curious about readers' responses to the progression (or in Shelley's case, regression) that occurs in Shelley's poetry through the course of the story.

Thanks for reading! 

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