Horror Aficionados discussion

This month's book is THE WICKED, an homage to '80s horror that blows the doors off the best of that decade.....and this one.
I am also thrilled to announce that James Newman, a truly nice guy, will be joining us to answer our questions.
Let's welcome James and get reading!

Last time I looked, this one wasn't available on Kindle. Well, it is now! $2.99!

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-James-Ne...

It's a great read!

It IS a great read! I'll be popping in on this one. :)

Hi, everybody! Hope you dig it! I'll be around if there's anything you want to ask me, tell me the book sucked, whatever -- I've got a thick skin! (you gotta have one, in this business)

Rock on. And watch out for MOLOCH.


J.N.

And head over to Ravenous Reads to check out my interview with James, and be sure to enter for a chance to win your choice of a signed trade paperback or Kindle copy of his new book, !

http://ravenousreads.blogspot.com/sea...

James, I loved the aged cover on this book and I've seen Ken Wood from Shock Totem talking about how that came about. What can you tell us about it?

I love talking about this! :)

When I first started talking with the guys at Shock Totem about publishing a paperback edition of THE WICKED -- this would have been at Horrorfind 2011, I believe? -- I told them that I had a vision for the "total package". Gaudy 80s-style cover art, ads in the back, etc. As the story itself is my nod to those "evil in a small town" novels of the era, I thought it would be cool if we went all the way with that. I can't be sure that it was me who came up with the "distressed" look, so I won't take credit for that part of it, but one of us mentioned at some point that it sure would be neat if the book even had the look of a well-read paperback. We just kept brainstorming, snowballing off of each other's ideas, and at some point someone even came up with the idea of an old faded price-sticker (funny story about that: I had at least one reader tell me that she was pissed off for a few seconds when she first got her copy from Amazon, as she had ordered a brand new one but thought they'd sent her a USED copy because of the "sticker" on the back).

Fun stuff. I still pull the book off of my shelf every now and then and just grin from ear to ear. Considering most publishers will ask the writer for cover ideas, etc. but ultimately the publisher has final say on such matters, I'm still blown away by how Shock Totem nailed my vision. They brought everything I saw in my head to life, and just knocked it out of the park.


Jeez . . . I can get long-winded, can't I?


J.N.

That is awesome!

Great story, James! I am looking forward to checking out The Wicked! (and Ugly as Sin too!) I appreciate you doing this for us.

Damn, I recently bought the hardcover and now I really want the paperback because it looks so cool!

Ok...I bought it...and the e-book too. I guess, it better be good :) LOL!

Bill wrote: "Damn, I recently bought the hardcover and now I really want the paperback because it looks so cool!

Ok...I bought it...and the e-book too. I guess, it better be good :) LOL!"

But you at least got the ebook free through the Kindle Matchbook deal, right?

I bought the e-book first, so I think I blew it.

Bill wrote: "I bought the e-book first, so I think I blew it."

Balls!

I wish more publishers signed up for the Matchbook deal. I'd grab so many of the books I have in hardcopy versions in Kindle format at a reduced rate. Off topic. Moving on.

Bill......adopt me?

Done.

Now get over here and mow the lawn :)

Bill: My pleasure, man. This is gonna be a lot of fun. Thanks for picking up all those different editions, BTW. Even if you hate the story inside, I promise the paperback will be one of the coolest-looking books you've ever seen!

Gregor: As of last night, I have it on good authority that my new one, UGLY AS SIN, is gonna be one of those Matchbook deals. I mean, ya know, if you'd considered picking that one up. :)


Thanks again, guys,


J.N.

Thanks, James! I have no doubt that I will be glad I have a stack of The Wickeds!! I am planning on winning a copy of UAS, but will get it even if I don't.

Sorry about getting off topic a bit :)

I like your optimism! :)


J.N.

Thought you guys might like to see this . . . it's a cool little "sideshow" that will give you an idea about how the cover art and layout for the e-book/paperback evolved from our early discussions to the final product you now hold in your hands:

http://www.shocktotem.com/04/10/2012/...


J.N.

That is very cool!
I have to tell you, when Shock Totem revealed that cover, I was over at Amazon every day waiting for it's release....when I wasn't staring at that cover!
Because any book someone cared enough about to put a cover like that on it, it has to be awesome!

Very cool indeed!!

I have a question for James. I really don't want to spoil anything, though. My question won't spoil anything, but James' answer might.

What was the evolution of the bonus short story that follows the novel? When did it start to take place in your mind and why was it made a short story instead of part of the novel? Because the realtionship it has to the novel is one of the trademarks of 80s horror (to me anyway).

If I'm perfectly honest, Squire, the answer to that question is pretty boring . . . but here it is: "The Boaracle" was an unfinished idea I had lying around, sort of the skeleton of a story that I had started years ago but I never put any flesh on it. I liked it, but just kinda abandoned the idea 'cause I never really knew where to go with it. When ST asked for some bonus material they could add to this edition of THE WICKED, I knew the time was right to revisit that story. While it wasn't a Moloch story, per se, it felt as if it fit perfectly into that universe (people influenced by demonic forces, etc. etc.) and -- like you said -- it jived with the whole 80s feel.

When all was said and done, I thought that was pretty creepy, to leave the reader with the idea that old Moloch wasn't the only evil that resided in Hamilton, NC.


Thanks, man!


J.N.

I found it a perfect ending to the read. So thanks for that.

James wrote: "I love talking about this! :)

When I first started talking with the guys at Shock Totem about publishing a paperback edition of THE WICKED -- this would have been at Horrorfind 2011, I believe? -..."

Thanks for sharing all that, James. I think it's pretty cool. :)

Oh, cool! The slideshow about the cover was awesome. Is it rare for a publisher to take that kind of time, not to mention the author's input, on a cover? I have to say (again), that the cover is supercool and really gives the impression that you are reading a horror novel from the glory days of the 80's.

Yeah, I thought you guys might find that interesting, to see how it evolved (notice how, in the early sketches, the demon was looming *over* the town? That was my idea . . . but other creative minds snowballed off of that and came up with the *better* idea of Moloch lurking underneath, as if a part of the town's very "roots" . . . and I thought that was brilliant). Usually publishers will ask for an author's input, but ultimately if the money-men don't like your ideas there's not a lot you can do about it. They know what sells, so the final decision is up to the publisher. I've been very lucky to have worked nearly every time with a publisher who wants me to be happy. With THE WICKED, we just kept brainstorming off each other's ideas, getting more and more excited about what we could do, so it was very much a group effort all the way, from those very first discussions at Horrorfind. Extremely cool, but, yeah, I would say it's pretty rare for it to happen to this extent.

I've been working with the same publisher for UGLY AS SIN, and this time they were on their own. I didn't have any idea what the cover should look like for this one -- LOL. I love what they came up with, though.


J.N.

Just got my paperback and it is f’n awesome!! I dig the old school 80’s look of the cover even better now that I can check it out up close! Most excellent!

I am also right at Part 2 and it is great so far and looks like it is about to take off! (view spoiler)[ Chapter 29 - The car crash, blow job, severed penis scene is classic… (hide spoiler)]

Right on, Bill! (BTW: you're sick, man . . . oh, wait, I'm the one who made that up -- LOL)


J.N.

Hope this is cool . . . it's sorta off-subject, but I figured while I had a captive audience (so to speak) I would mention it:

I'm pleased to announce that the paperback and Kindle editions of my new novel, UGLY AS SIN, are now available for order. Check it out, y'all, and thanks!


http://www.amazon.com/Ugly-As-Sin-Jam...


J.N.

When are you coming out to San Francisco, so I can have you sign a copy for me? I might even buy you a beer! :)

btw, I am really loving this story and am about 75% into it and it just keeps getting better! It has excellent pacing and the atmosphere is getting dark indeed.

I could not help from singing to myself a little when David and Kate were on the way to the hospital (view spoiler)[ *sung to the tune of Chili's Restaurant Baby Back Ribs* ... "Why is my babyblack, babyblack, babyblack" (hide spoiler)]

I'd love that, Bill! Maybe one day. I've only been to the West Coast once, and that was Seattle, for a World Horror Convention. I would love to see CA one day.

As for your spoiler: You're terrible. LOL



J.N.

I hope my spoiler was not too inappropriate - Sometimes, I just think funny things. At least, I think they are funny, which doesn't translate to the real world sometimes. My brain would kill me if it didn't need my body for transportation :)

My brother from another mother.;)

I'm psyched to have just picked up Ugly as Sin and I did repost Jon's interview with you over at Ravenous Reads on my blog with a pretty picture of your new book. Best of luck with it, James! :)

Awesome!

Thanks, Charlene!

No worries, Bill -- I'm just messin' with ya, bro. It made me laugh. :)

Thanks so much, Charlene.

Jon: You rock.



J.N.

Right back atcha, James.

"Where do you get your ideas?"

It's a question many horror authors are asked, and most of the time my response is, "Hell if I know. Maybe I'm just sick in the head."

But sometimes . . . I actually do have a serious answer . . . .

I thought you guys who are reading THE WICKED might enjoy this short piece I wrote for my blog a while back, about a real-life incident (sorta!) that influenced a scary scene in THE WICKED.

Note: You don't want to read this yet unless you've read the scene with little Billy Dawson wandering through the ruins of Heller Home. If you've made it that far into the book, at least, there won't be spoilers here. Otherwise, you've been warned! Enjoy, folks.


http://southernslick.blogspot.com/201...

Cool, James! Creepy how the subconscious can retain and process past information that can seep into the present.

Question(s): How much "outlining" do you do for a particular story (if any)? How long does is take from inception to getting it down on the page?

While I don't really do a strict "outline", per se, I usually do have a handy list of scenes that I know I plan to write. I guess in its own way this is an "outline", but with me it's very loose and with very few details -- I make those up as I go. And I often write out of order, when I get stuck on certain scenes.

That's what took me so long with my most recent novel. I decided to fly by the seat of my pants without that "safety net" I'm used to . . . whew, don't know if I'll do that again.

Here's another recent interview you guys might enjoy - I only mention it because it's a weird coincidence that Bill asked about this, and I just talked about it recently with someone else: http://writelikeawizard.blogspot.com/...


J.N.

Thanks, James! Great interview with some really interesting questions and answers.

Just getting started. See where it takes me!

James - What authors would you say have been the most influential in your writing career? Do you stylize you writing after any particular one?

There was a time when I wanted to be the next Stephen King. Then there was a time when I wanted to be the next Joe R. Lansdale.

But a lot of young writers make that mistake, starting out. These days, I strive to have my own unique voice (I'd like to think I've found it, but I'll let you guys be the judge) . . . and just be me. :)

As far as my biggest influences, though? Aside from the aforementioned greats: Richard Matheson, Ray Garton, Bentley Little, Robert R. McCammon, F. Paul Wilson, Thomas F. Monteleone, Dean Koontz's early work, and the short fiction of Nancy Collins.


J.N.

I would say that you have definitely found your own voice!

I'll second that!