As of today, you can get Tamara Thorne’s cheerleader-centric horror/comedy, The Sorority in audiobook at Audible.com. The Sorority is read by the inimitable Caroline Kiley – who also narrated Tamara’s classic, Haunted. I asked Tamara to tell you guys a little more about The Sorority and here’s what she had to say about it:
“My mother planted the seeds of The Sorority with her tales of a drowned town. She’d lived in a mountain village as a girl and the residents moved north so that the original town could be flooded as part of a new reservoir. She watched the town drown with fascination.
Then, years later, on their honeymoon, my parents visited the lake and went swimming. My mom got spooked when she saw the tall pines beneath her and got out, but my father went deep and swam around the old church steeple.
I dragged this tale out of my mother over and over again through the years. And it gave birth to The Sorority’s Applehead Lake.
The Sorority is an odd book. It’s often silly, as any book featuring cheerleaders ought to be, but it also deals with nature elementals and ghosts, and harbors loads of thinly disguised Arthurian lore. The primary ghost is named Holly Gayle. There’s something about a stone in the hilt of a sword … There are football players named Arthur and Lance Lake. We learn about Sir Gwaine’s Green Knight (and greenjacks) via Professor Dan S. McCobb’s folklore class.
Eve, Merilynn, and Samantha, our three heroines, are joining the cheerleader-heavy Gamma Eta Pi Sorority. They should know better … but they have their reasons and because of that, they will experience frights and horrors, along with feminine hygiene spells and cult rituals that will make your short and curlies clutch their pearls and run screaming.
The sorority president, Malory Thomas, was once the bane of King Arthur’s existence, and she’s here to cause … (drumroll)… More Dread among the good guys. Featured on the cover, is her Veep and familiar, Brittany. (She’s not Sarah Michelle Gellar, even though she looks like her, and she has a thing for peanuts you wouldn’t believe.)
Reading the Audible version is the fabulous Caroline Kiley, who also voiced Haunted. When you hear her read flashbacks to our heroines’ childhood days at Applehead Cheerleading Camp, she’ll make you laugh. When you hear her voice Malory, you’ll get the creeping willies, and when when you hear her do her rendition of peanut-munching Brittany, you’ll crack up.
That’s all, except for Alistair’s favorite quote from The Sorority:”
The Thorne and Cross thriller, The Witches of Ravencrest, is the latest to come to audiobook and to celebrate, we’re sharing our recipe for Gothic horror. But first … a little about the book …
Narrated by film and voice actor, Nathan Foss,The Witches of Ravencrest is book 2 of The Ravencrest Saga, preceded by The Ghosts of Ravencrest(also now available at Audible.com) and followed by book 3, Exorcism – which is on its way to audiobook as I write this.
But wait … there’s more …
As of today, Shadowland, book 4 in The Ravencrest Saga, is complete – as in, we literally finished it today! – and it, too, will be available in all formats, including audiobook, very soon.
On a more personal note, The Ravencrest Saga is the first thing Tamara and I began writing together. It was this series that proved to us that not only were we compatible collaborators, but that we complimented each other as writers. We love this series and foresee no end to it – probably because it has everything in it that we love … which leads us to our Gothic Recipe for Horror …
Thorne & Cross’ Gothic Recipe for Horror
3 cups mystery 2 cups ghosts 1 cup romance ½ cup miscellaneous monstrosities All the witches you want A whiff of zombies 3 bleeding nuns A half a cup of looming shadows 2 candelabra, with candles A pinch of hysteria A dollop of sex A few drops of blood
Sprinkle with a few demented harlequins, stir in an abundance of twisted family history, then mix all of it together in an old spooky mansion on a hill. Add an unsuspecting governess and a mysterious, handsome millionaire, and you’re on your way to creating a good solid gothic. That’s how we did it, anyway.
Gothic novels are all about atmosphere, and to achieve a perfect dish, you can’t just mix these things willy-nilly and expect them to come out gourmet-quality. A good chef – or writer – must use a deft hand to achieve the perfect flavor. First, you need strong characters, proper pacing, and a damned good story – then you stir in the eerie gothic atmosphere.
If you don’t mix your ingredients properly – or if you get creative and don’t carefully consider your extra additions, your cake – or book – may fall flat. Too much – or too little – of anything can ruin what you’re trying to create.
For example, if you add shadows to a sunny day, you must place them in the proper spot to achieve the eerie flavor you desire. Shadows under a tree in summer probably won’t work – unless the tree is situated correctly – perhaps in a lonely cemetery. What accents should you add? A freshly dug grave nearby? A mysterious mist hovering just inside the glass door of a nearby family mausoleum? Wilted flowers on a grave? Or are they fresh but sprinkled with blood? Or, did the flowers mysteriously appear when you turned your back? All these variations provide mystery. Who – or what – brought the flowers? Why is there mist hovering in a mausoleum on a warm sunny day? Is someone lurking? A human? A ghost? And what are their intentions? Your answers will affect just how atmospheric your story is.
Consider the definition of Gothic from dictionary.com: 7. noting or pertaining to a style of literature characterized by a gloomy setting, grotesque, mysterious, or violent events, and an atmosphere of degeneration and decay.
This very definition screams for an old and spooky residence. For us, it’s a sprawling manor house built centuries ago in England. Already steeped in dark history, Ravencrest Manor was imported stone by stone to the California coast in the early 1800s. It arrived with its sordid past intact, and since then, it has accrued many more mysteries, ghosts, and family secrets.
While Ravencrest Manor is beautifully kept up, it’s still full of long halls and longer shadows – and if you dare enter the door that locks away the forbidden east wing, things intensify. Why the wing was locked up in the first place is a major mystery. Within, flickering lights, dizzying corridors, and some nasty – and nice – spirits all add to the gothic ambience. We’ve already seen a trio of horrible, bloody nuns, the ghost of a little girl, and a headless woman lurking there, just to name a few. The honeycombed rooms contain more horrors than even we know about yet; we feel the presence of spirits and more frightening things as we write and this adds a sense of foreboding for us. And because we feel it, we think our readers will as well.
And those are the most important ingredients in our recipe for ambience and atmosphere in The Ravencrest Saga. Our goal from the beginning was to pay homage to the gothics we teethed on – gothics like Dark Shadows and Rebecca – and in our series’ second full-length novel, The Witches of Ravencrest, we had a particularly good time with atmosphere because not only did we explore more of the mansion itself, but we took some of the story into the town of Devilswood, an old coastal village that serves as the backdrop to the saga.
But whether writing in the gothic genre or not, we’re firm believers that atmosphere is one of the most critical elements to a story. Atmosphere is a reflection of the characters, the locale, and a major influence on the plot itself, so – we believe – there should be no shortage of it.
More about The Witches of Ravencrest
Dark and Unnatural Powers
In a remote part of California just above the coastal town of Devilswood, Ravencrest Manor, imported stone-by-stone from England more than two centuries ago, looms tall and terrifying, gathering its dark and unnatural powers, and drawing those it wants as its own.
Murder Lurks in the Shadows
Governess Belinda Moorland has settled into life at Ravencrest, and, as summer gives way to autumn, romance is in the air. She and multi-millionaire Eric Manning are falling in love…but powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart. And as the annual Harvest Ball is set to begin, evil abounds at Ravencrest. Murder lurks in the shadows, evil spirits freely roam the halls, a phantom baby cries, signaling a death in the mansion, and in the notoriously haunted east wing, three blood-soaked nuns, Sisters Faith, Hope, and Charity, tend to the demented needs of a maid gone mad.
Vengeful Spirits
Ravencrest has come to life. In the gardens below, granite statues dance by moonlight, and a scarecrow goes on a killing rampage, collecting a gruesome assortment of body parts from unwilling donors…. But Belinda’s greatest danger is the vengeful spirit of Rebecca Dane. Once the mistress of Ravencrest, Rebecca Dane has a centuries-old ax to grind with the powerful witch, Cordelia Heller – and Belinda becomes her weapon of choice.
Many of you die-hard horror fans out there will be familiar with Moonfall, Tamara Thorne’s Halloween-themed classic about witches, gargoyles, magick, and evil nuns – and now, for the first time ever, it’s available in audiobook at Audible.com, narrated by the inimitable Jamison Walker.
Moonfall is the first Tamara Thorne novel I ever read. This was back in the 90s when I was a teen who dreamed of one day being a writer myself – and Moonfall was one of the books that prompted me to put pen to paper. I was utterly taken by the atmosphere and so thoroughly immersed in the world she’d created that I wanted to one day have that same power. Tamara Thorne – anger book Moonfall in particular – is one of the main reasons I’m an author today. I never would have dreamed that so many years later, I’d be writing books with her.
Life … she’s a strange beast indeed. And speaking of strange beasts, here’s a little about Moonfall:
Moonfall, the picturesque town nestled in the mountains of southern California, is a quaint hamlet of antique stores, cider mills, and pie shops, and Apple Heaven, run by the dedicated nuns of St. Gertrude’s Home for Girls, is the most popular destination of all. As autumn fills the air, the townspeople prepare for the Halloween Haunt, Moonfall’s most popular tourist attraction. Even a series of unsolved deaths over the years hasn’t dimmed Moonfall’s enthusiasm for the holiday.
Now, orphan Sara Hawthorne returns to teach in the hallowed halls of St. Gertrude’s where, twelve years before, her best friend died a horrible death. In Sara’s old room, distant voices echo in the dark and the tormented cries of children shatter the moon-kissed night.
But that’s just the beginning. For Sara Hawthorne is about to uncover St. Gertrude’s hellish secret…a secret she may well carry with her to the grave.
“Tamara Thorne has become one of those must-read horror writers.” –Horror World
Currently, she and I are writing a collaboration that takes place in Eternity, which is a sequel to CANDLE BAY and features Michael, Winter, Chynna, and Arnie from my novel,THE CRIMSON CORSET. It will be out later this year. Until then, catch up with the folks in Eternity for .99
ETERNITY by Tamara
When Zach Tully leaves Los Angeles to take over as sheriff of Eternity, a tiny mountain town in northern California, he’s expecting to find peace and quiet in his own private Mayberry. But he’s in for a surprise. Curmudgeonly Mayor Abbott is a ringer for long-missing writer Ambrose Bierce. There are two Elvises in town, a shirtless Jim Morrison, and a woman who has more than a passing resemblance to Amelia Earhart. And that’s only the beginning.
Eternity is the sort of charming spot tourists flock to every summer and leave every fall when the heavy snows render it an isolated ghost town. Tourists and New Agers all talk about the strange energy coming from Eternity’s greatest attraction: a mountain called Icehouse, replete with legends of Bigfoot, UFOs, Ascended Masters, and more. But the locals talk about something else.
The seemingly quiet town is plagued by strange deaths, grisly murders, and unspeakable mutilations, all the work of a serial killer the locals insist is Jack the Ripper. And they want Zach Tully to stop him.
Now, as the tourists leave and the first snow starts to fall, terror grips Eternity as an undying evil begins its hunt once again…
Check out our interview with the author behind the V.C. Andrews book series, which has sold over more than 100 MILLION copies worldwide, and spawned such classic moves as FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC. Just Click our pic to listen!
One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of her spellbinding classic Flowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began her first family saga, which includes Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than fifty novels in V.C. Andrews’ bestselling series. V.C. Andrews’ novels have sold more than one hundred million copies and have been translated into sixteen foreign languages.
Sage’s Eyes has just been released and is available everywhere.
Following the death of Virginia Andrews in 1986, the Andrews family worked with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Virginia Andrews’s stories and to create additional novels.
The identity of this writer was kept a secret from the general public for years, but the ghostwriter has since been identified as horror novelist Andrew Neiderman, beginning with the completion of Garden of Shadows and the later novels of the Casteel series.
Neiderman has carried the VC Andrews torch, satisfying her devoted readers for many years, as well as writing dozens of other novels, which include DEFICIENCY, Unholy Birth, Life Sentence, Deadly Verdict, Garden of the Dead and THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, which was made into a major film starring Keanu Reeves, Charlise Theron, and Al Pacino. He also wrote the screenplays for Rain, based on the VC Andrews novels, and Duplicates.
Andrew Neiderman’s latest novel, Lost in His Eyes, is also available now.
About the Thorne & Cross
Tamara Thorne’s first novel was published in 1991, and since then she has written many more, including international bestsellers Haunted, Bad Things, Moonfall,Eternity and The Sorority. A lifelong lover of ghost stories, she is currently working on several collaborations with Alistair Cross as well as an upcoming solo novel. Learn more about her at:http://tamarathorne.com
(Click Moonfall for books by Tamara Thorne)
Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. First published in 2012, he has since co-authored The Ghosts of Ravencrestwith Tamara Thorne and is working on several other projects. His novel, The Crimson Corset, debuted to great acclaim and was an immediate bestseller. Find out more about him at: http://alistaircross.com
(Click The Crimson Corset for books by Alistair)
In collaboration, Thorne and Cross are currently writing several novels, including the serial,The Ghosts of Ravencrest. Their first horror novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, is available now at Amazon. Their next project, Motherwill appear in this spring, and several more projects are on their way. They’ve already begun the next tale of terror…
(Mother, coming soon from Thorne & Cross)
Also, if you enjoy things that go bump in the night, be sure to check out our radio show, Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!, a weekly one-hour horror and thriller-themed show that has featured such guests as Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Christopher Rice, Cheslea Quinn Yarbro, V.C. Andrews, Christopher Moore, Douglas Clegg, Jay Bonansinga, and many more. Visit the Guest Page to catch one of your favorite authors.
Sage’s Eyes, V. C. Andrews’ newest thriller, has just arrived in bookstores and we’ll be celebrating the release on Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! today, January 29, at 5 pm Pacific, 6 Mountain, 7 Central, and 8 Eastern.
Yes, the author will be joining us. Andrews designated author Andrew Neiderman as her successor decades ago (during The Casteel Series) and most of her books have been written by him, making him a very special kind of ghost writer. (See this page, if you’d like to know who wrote what.)
From Flowers in the Attic to Sage’s Eyes, V.C. Andrews books have thrilled millions of readers. Come listen and see what it’s all about. The link will be available on Facebook at showtime.
Thursday at Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!, we’re talking to Peter Atkins, author of MORNINGSTAR, MOONTOWN and the screenplays HELLRAISER II, HELLRAISER III, HELLRAISER IV, and WISHMASTER. Pinhead doesn’t want you to miss this show. Just look at him. He’s very excited that you’re coming. Such a sweet little guy.
As THE CRIMSON CORSET nears availability as a paperback, I’d like to share the foreword, written by my friend, my collaborator, my favorite author, Tamara Thorne, whose books I’ve adored since my teen years when I never could have imagined I would ever meet her, let alone one day write books with her.
I can think of no better way to be introduced into the world of writing than by horror-lit royalty like Tamara Thorne. She has published so many books that I love, and have loved, for so many years, and to hear her praise my work is, in itself, a dream come true.
THE CRIMSON CORSET
FOREWORD
by Tamara Thorne
“Alistair Cross is a hell of a good writer, and I’m not just saying that because he’s the collaborator of my dreams. It’s because I’ve read the novel you now hold in your hands half a dozen times – from first draft through final edit – and with each read, it just kept getting better, addicting me more and more to its gripping – and at times, eye-popping – plot.
The characters are lucid and sublimely alive as they take Alistair’s story and run with it, delivering strong doses of excitement, terror, humor, and sexuality. His dialogue shines; I can hear his characters so clearly it’s as if I’m eavesdropping … and it’s a juicy conversation.
The Colter Brothers, Cade and Brooks, are hunky, hilarious, and a pleasure to get to know. They could be your next door neighbors (if you’re lucky!) but as they face their demons, they teach us so much about growth, about confronting adversity, and about the nature of the human spirit that it would be impossible to write them off as mere entertainers. Watching these brothers develop, watching how they argue, joke, and then work together is not only delightful, it’s inspiring. Theirs is a bromance worthy of Sam and Dean Winchester’s and this adds a fascinating layer to an already riveting piece of fiction.
And then there’s the sheriff, Ethan Hunter. While so many of his kind are stereotypical, Ethan has strengths, weaknesses, amusing quirks – and some very interesting hobbies – that deliver him from the trenches of mediocrity and place him under a spotlight of his own. Ethan is more than a means of moving the plot forward and relaying information – he’s a man with a story. And it’s the kind of story that will keep you up at night.
At Eudemonia, a pricey and beautiful health spa, lives the messianic Michael, leader of the peaceful faction of vampires. Michael is in equal parts magnetic and mysterious – a thoroughly fascinating figure even without Reaper, the movie-quoting raven on his shoulder. Through Michael’s eyes, we see a world that is never sullied, never without hope – a world in which we’d all love to spend some time. Perhaps less blinded by idealism is Winter, his second-in-command, and slightly medieval buddy. This guy is the kind of fearless grinning sidekick any leader would be glad to have, and together, Michael and Winter are a compelling force capable of making any villain flinch.
Which brings us to the bad guys – the vampires of the Crimson Corset, a notorious nightclub at the other end of town. Its inhabitants are complete well-rounded characters with intrigues of their own. There’s my personal favorite, the psychotic and beautiful little leader, Gretchen VanTreese, who’s never met a man she didn’t want to dominate. We are also treated to her lieutenant, Jazminka of the thigh-high boots, questionable sexuality, and thick Slavic accent she hasn’t lost in 200 years. Then there’s Aidan and Ambrose, the beautiful twin boys that Gretchen keeps as pets – but these guys have nothing on her favorite plaything of all, her bodyguard Scythe, whose anatomy is so impressive she calls it Vlad the Impaler.
As an added treat, there are several cameos by vampires from my own novel, Candle Bay. When Alistair asked if they could stop by The Crimson Corset, I was surprised and pleased. And he wrote them like a boss. He understood my guys completely and put exactly the right words in their mouths. I was so impressed I asked him to collaborate on my sequel to Candle Bay. He agreed, and we intend to release it sometime in 2016, so you’ll get another dose of the Crimson Cove vamps as they join the fanged ones of Candle Bay on a very special road trip.
As for Mr. Cross, the writer: He always delivers. Failure is not an option. Writing with him – or watching him write a solo in our virtual office – is a study in inspiration. He meets every deadline and makes sure we reach our individual and collaborative goals. He takes his job seriously, makes no excuses, and has the grit and determination to make things happen. And his prose is absolutely beautiful. What a combination!
This is a man who is going places, I guarantee it. He’ll write many more solos and I’ll read and love them all. I also look forward to our future collaborations. I don’t take Alistair for granted, and I never will. Neither should you. It’s my pleasure to introduce this outstanding new author and his remarkable debut novel – so unsheathe your claws, sharpen your fangs and step on in to The Crimson Corset. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy your stay – and look forward to his future works – every bit as much as I do.”
Sheltered by ancient redwoods overlooking the California coast, the cozy village of Crimson Cove has it all: sophisticated retreats, fine dining, and a notorious nightclub, The Crimson Corset. It seems like a perfect place to relax and get close to nature. But not everything in Crimson Cove is natural.
When Cade Colter moves to town, he expects it to be peaceful to the point of boredom. But he quickly learns that after the sun sets and the fog rolls in, the little tourist town takes on a whole new kind of life – and death.
Darkness at the Edge of Town
Renowned for its wild parties and history of debauchery, The Crimson Corset looms on the edge of town, inviting patrons to sate their most depraved desires and slake their darkest thirsts. Proprietor Gretchen VanTreese has waited centuries to annihilate the Old World vampires on the other side of town and create a new race – a race that she alone will rule. When she realizes Cade Colter has the key that will unlock her plan, she begins laying an elaborate trap that will put everyone around him in mortal danger.
Blood Wars
The streets are running red with blood, and as violence and murder ravage the night, Cade must face the darkest forces inside himself, and perhaps even abandon his own humanity, in order to protect what he loves.
“Put Bram Stoker in a giant cocktail shaker, add a pinch of Laurell K. Hamilton, a shot of John Carpenter, and a healthy jigger of absinthe, and you’ll end up with Alistair Cross’s modern Gothic chiller, “The Crimson Corset” – a deliciously terrifying tale that will sink its teeth into you from page one.”
– Jay Bonansinga, New York Times Bestselling author of THE WALKING DEAD: INVASION and LUCID
“This drop-deadly tale of seduction and terror will leave you begging to be fanged … ”
– Tamara Thorne, international bestselling author of HAUNTED and MOONFALL
“I couldn’t put this book down. It’s got more hooks than a day boat out of San Pedro Harbor!”
– QL Pearce, bestselling author of SCARY STORIES FOR SLEEP-OVERS
As the release of The Crimson Corsetdraws close, I find myself humbled by the amount of interest that readers have taken in this book. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about its release date, what formats it will be available in, and whether or not it is part of a series. I’m flattered by this interest, and will answer these questions the best that I can.
As for its release and format, I’ve already begun receiving feedback from the editors and am pleased to say that, so far, it’s been positive. Monday, I will start on the first round of edits and within the next couple of weeks, the other rounds will have returned and been completed. The book will be available in eBook format in July or August, and shortly after that, it will go to paper as well. I don’t have any exact dates for either yet, but when I do, I will post the information.
Regarding sequels, I hadn’t initially intended to write a series, but before The Crimson Corset was completed, it became clear to me that continuing this tale was, for a couple of reasons, probably the best route. First, there’s enough opportunity for continuation that it would be a shame to stop. This is a character-dense novel with each player possessing a fully-developed story of his or her own, and once I started exploring their pasts, I quickly realized there was no way I’d be satisfied not exploring their futures as well. The real story of The Crimson Corset begins as far back as the late 1600s – so there’s a lot of room for continuation and exploration here, and I’m excited by all the possibilities.
Also, although The Crimson Corset is a complete story within itself, I left it open because, to be honest, I think I knew I wasn’t quite done with it just yet; on some level, I knew I’d be returning to the spooky little tourist town of Crimson Cove, California, where The Crimson Corset takes place, and already, the next plot is germinating in my imagination.
But it isn’t something I’ll begin right away. Having put so much on hold to complete this book, I have fallen behind on other projects. Tamara Thorne and I have begun our next collaborative novel – which I’m super-duper-stoked about – and once that’s complete, I will likely begin another solo (not Crimson Cove-related)that’s been gnawing at me for a couple of years now. And then there’s Grandma’s Rack which continually surprises us with its new developments, and The Ghosts of Ravencrest,which is ongoing as far as either of us can see. But after this, I will return to Crimson Cove.
If you’re interested in learning more about our work, Maureen’s Booksdid a great interview of us recently where we talked about The Cliffhouse Haunting,The Ghosts of Ravencrest, our process, and our plans.
In closing, if you’re a fan of vampires, be sure to check out Haunted Nights LIVE!this week where we’ll be talking to New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, Laurell K. Hamiltonabout her latest release, Dead Ice. The show goes live at 6 pm Pacific, 7 Mountain, 8 Central, and 9 Eastern. Just go to Authors on the Air to listen in. You can also join the Facebook event.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton is best known for her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. The Anita Blake series centers on Anita Blake, a professional zombie raiser, vampire executioner and U.S. Marshal. Six million copies of Anita Blake novels are in print. The Merry Gentry series centers on Meredith Gentry, Princess of the Unseelie court of Faerie, a private detective facing repeated assassination attempts. Both fantasy series follow their protagonists as they gain in power and deal with the dangerous “realities” of worlds in which creatures of legend live.
Anita Blake has the highest kill count of any vampire executioner in the country. She’s a U.S. Marshal who can raise zombies with the best of them. But ever since she and master vampire Jean-Claude went public with their engagement, all she is to anyone and everyone is Jean-Claude’s fiancée.
It’s wreaking havoc with her reputation as a hard ass—to some extent. Luckily, in professional circles, she’s still the go-to expert for zombie issues. And right now, the FBI is having one hell of a zombie issue.
Someone is producing zombie porn. Anita has seen her share of freaky undead fetishes, so this shouldn’t bother her. But the women being victimized aren’t just mindless, rotting corpses. Their souls are trapped behind their eyes, signaling voodoo of the blackest kind.
It’s the sort of case that can leave a mark on a person. And Anita’s own soul may not survive unscathed…
To listen to interviews with other authors or see who we have coming up, visit the full guest list at alistaircross.com
After two weeks of reading, rewriting, and reading again, I’ve completed the first major edit of The Crimson Corset.The manuscript still has to go through the official editors, but after that (and a final read-through) The Crimson Corset will be a real book, ready for consumption. The expected eBook release is mid to late July and shortly thereafter, it will go to paper. It’s been a long ride and I have a few folks to whom I owe great thanks.
First on that list is my collaborator, Tamara Thorne, who put our joint efforts on hold to read this entire novel aloud so I could hear how it sounded. Then there are the editors, who have already begun reading it and sending great feedback. Finally, there’s our wonderful publicist, who is already setting me up with interviews and reviews for the Crimson Corset’s release. Thank you all.
Tomorrow, I’ll be returning to collaborating full-time. First on the agenda is finishing the 8th (and final) installment of The Ghosts of Ravencrest, the Gothic serialized novel that Tamara Thorne and I began almost one year ago. Though the next installment will wrap up the current story arc, Ravencrest (in true soap opera fashion) is ongoing, so there’s plenty more ghosts, governesses, handsome millionaires, and diabolically delicious housekeepers to come. We’re not sure when Belinda’s misadventures at the mansion will come to end – but it won’t be any time soon. Especially if Mrs. Heller has anything to say about it. She has plans, you see …
With the completion of Ravencrest’s 8th installment, Tamara and I will return to our next collaborative novel. When considering which project should come next, there are several possibilities. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s fantastic. It feels great to have so many ideas in the wings – to know that as one novel wraps up, several others are just waiting to begin. After discussing it this afternoon, I believe we’ve decided our next move, but I won’t say anything more about that for now, except that I’m stoked. This is one of those stories that’s been hovering in our minds for a long time – tapping our shoulders and whispering in our ears as we work on other things. I think it’s ready now. I’m eager to see what happens …
As I write this, I’m proud to say that the goals I set for 2015 are running right on time. The Cliffhouse Hauntingwas released in April. The Ghosts of Ravencrest’s first ‘volume’ is wrapping up, and my debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, is going into production. On top of this, Tamara and I have not only maintained our hour-long, horror-themed, weekly internet/radio show Haunted Nights LIVE!, but we’ve procured interviews with such literary legends as Jay Bonansinga of The Walking Dead novels, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro of the Saint Germaine vampire series, New York Times bestellers, Christopher Rice and Christopher Moore, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, and Charlaine Harris of the Sookie Stackhouse books and HBO’s True Blood. And there are plenty more. You can see the full guest list at my website.
The point is that I’m proud of us. Tamara and I have worked diligently, every day. We’ve put in the extra hours, the extra work, and a whole lot of extra effort. We’ve sat in front of our computers, our backs sore, our faces growing pale from lack of sunlight, pounding out page after page as, in many ways, the real world has passed us by. Not that we mind. But we’ve done it. Day after day. Rain or shine. With or without the cooperation of our moods. With or without the luxury of feeling inspired. With or without the “time” to do it. We’ve come a long way, but the road ahead is even longer … and that’s why, tomorrow morning, I know that we’ll start cracking away at the next project. And the next … I’ve never been so tired. Or fulfilled.
The Crimson Corset is a vampire novel, but to me, it is more than that. It is a representation of human descent, the power of influence, the corruption of greed, the savagery of addiction, the lust for domination … it is a representation of the human will, and a testament to the strength of family ties.
It is, after all this time, the story I wanted to tell – the story I meant to tell the first time.
Edits will begin this Monday, and as I start cutting the fat, sharpening the plot, and strengthening the characters, I can’t help but think back to this novel’s humble beginnings.
Although The Crimson Corset is a “new” book, it isn’t actually new at all. My history with this story is a long one, going clear back to 2005, when the idea of writing seriously was just a budding concept. I’d always written, and I had the boxes and bags full of poems, vignettes, and uncompleted novels to prove it, but by 2005, these side-projects left me cold. I was no longer satisfied with hobby-writing. I wanted to do something more – something that I felt had some substance. This was when the concept for The Crimson Corset was born. I began writing it immediately … and I quickly learned that novel-writing is not as effortless as it appears to be.
Although I completed this novel (which was then titled The White Room) in 2010, I had a very long road ahead. Long enough that, had I known it then, I might not have dared to take. But, rather blindly, I kept walking that road, and during the next ten years I found my voice, refined my style, honed my craft, and was lucky enough to collaborate on some incredible projects with international bestseller, Tamara Thorne. I love collaborating with her and I intend to do it until the very end, but collaborating was never my goal. I would never be satisfied if I didn’t also have a body of solo work.
I began thinking about The Crimson Corset again in January of this year because Tamara and I had finished our collaborative novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, and we had several months of less creative, editorial work ahead of us. I had the completed version of The White Room and I thought I could certainly make a strong novel out of the existing material. However, the more you write, the better you become, and as I looked at the manuscript I realized there wasn’t much that could be salvaged. So I started it from scratch – one more time – vowing that I would make it the best story it could possibly be. I changed the narrative from first to third person, re-developed the characters, created a new setting, and weeded out all but two or three minor scenes from the original version. This is not the same book I wrote six years ago.
Many of the characters that populate this novel have been with me for a very long time now. Gretchen, Cade, Brooks, Winter, and Michael all go back as far as ten years in my imagination. Also, having improved my skills, I was able to cohesively give stage time to some of the others who got lost in the previous versions. Scythe, Aidan, Ambrose, Chynna and her two white tigers, Absinthe and Hyacinthe, were all conceived and developed between 2005 and 2008, but were never able to make it to the page before now. And there are new players, as well. There are the “mermaids” Violet and Scarlett, the cryptic and terrifying Emeric, Winter’s little buddy Arnie, the Crimson Cove sheriff, Ethan Hunter, and the local “missing girl,” Samantha Corbett, to name a few.
Old or new, each of these characters has his or her own story, his or her own soul, and learning about them was truly joyous for me. They all signify a part of myself – good, wicked, and otherwise. Some express for me that which cannot, for various (and in some cases, legal!) reasons, be expressed in the material world, while others are just innocent flirtations with my dark side. But all of them are real; all of them are part of my truth.
Regarding publication, The Crimson Corset will be available this summer. I wish I knew an exact date, but it’s too early to say. As soon as I have one, I will post it. Next Friday, I have a meeting with the cover art designer who will finalize the cover’s details, and after that, I’ll be allowed to post the art. I have seen it, and it is beautiful. In closing, I have to give great thanks to two very wonderful people who have helped me with this book: My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, who guided me, read for me, and continues to help me be a better writer. As a side note, for those who are fans of Tamara Thorne’s vampire novel, Candle Bay, you’ll be tickled to see a few familiar faces in The Crimson Corset, as well. Finally, thank you to Berlin Malcom, who gets us all the good interviews, and works as hard as we do to make this happen.
CONFIRMED. Thursday, June 25th, our guest at Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! will be Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake Vampire series and the Merry Gentry series. We are very excited. Tune in at 9pm EST on Thursdays for more guests. See the full guest list at: http://alistaircross.com/Guests
Keep an eye out for Dead Ice, Laurell’s next installment in the Anita Blake Vampire series.
Before his thrillers landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list, Kevin O’Brien was a railroad inspector. The author of 16 internationally-published thrillers, he won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Pacific Northwest Mystery, and is a core member of Seattle 7 Writers. In a review of Kevin’s last thriller, TELL ME YOU’RE SORRY, Press & Guide said: “If Alfred Hitchcock were alive today and writing novels, his name would be Kevin O’Brien.” Kevin’s latest nail-biter, NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW, will be released this summer
NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW (to be released July, 2015):
In July, 1970, actress Elaina Styles was slain in a rented Seattle mansion along with her husband and their son’s nanny. When the baby’s charred remains were found in a shallow grave close to a hippie commune, the police moved in—only to find all its members already dead in a grisly mass suicide.
Now, decades later, a film about the murders is shooting at the infamous mansion. On-set caterer Laurie Trotter ignores gossip that the production is cursed. But then people start dying…
As Laurie digs deep into what happened all those years ago, the truth emerges—more twisted than any whispered rumor—and a legacy of brutal violence reaches its terrifying climax.
TELL ME YOU’RE SORRY
A family is wiped out after a burglary gone wrong. An executive accused of embezzling kills himself and his loved ones. A house fire claims the lives of all its inhabitants. Separate incidents with two common threads—a first wife who took her own life and a secret the victims took to their graves…
Stephanie Coburn had barely recovered from her sister’s mysterious suicide when her brother-in-law and his new wife are murdered, her face disfigured beyond recognition. Stephanie never met the bride, has never even seen a clear photograph. But she knew her sister, and she knows something is desperately wrong.
The police won’t listen. Her only ally is another victim’s son. Step by step, they uncover a trail of unrelenting vengeance and a killer whose forgiveness can only be earned in death.
FINAL BREATH (on sale, April, 2015; a re-release from 2010)
A first, the deaths seemed random. A young Portland couple brutally murdered in a game gone awry…a Chicago woman who plummeted to her death from an office building…an aspiring screenwriter asphyxiated in his New York apartment. But the macabre souvenirs television reporter Sydney Jordan receives hint at a connection that is both personal and terrifying.
When her husband, a Chicago policeman, gets in too deep with some corrupt cops, Sydney fled to Seattle with her teenage son. But instead of getting a fresh start, Sydney is plagued by strange occurrences. Someone is watching, someone who knows her intimately—someone who’s just waiting to play the next move in a twisted game.
She is his chosen one. Every murder is a sign, and soon, Sydney will understand why each victim had to suffer—and why she’s the next in line.
This week on Haunted Nights LIVE!, we proudly present, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro!
A professional writer for more than forty years, Yarbro has sold over eighty books, more than seventy works of short fiction, and more than three dozen essays, introductions, and reviews. She also composes serious music. Her first professional writing – in 1961-1962 – was as a playwright for a now long-defunct children’s theater company. By the mid-60s she had switched to writing stories and hasn’t stopped yet.
After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.
She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law. She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.
In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award. In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009. In 2014 she won a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.
A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.
She has two domestic accomplishments: she is a good cook and an experienced seamstress. The rest is catch-as-catch-can.
Divorced, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area – with two cats: the irrepressible Butterscotch and Crumpet, the Gang of Two. When not busy writing, she enjoys the symphony or opera.
Listen in at 6pm Pacific, 7 Mountain, 8 Central, 9 Eastern. Just click here to listen.
We have a confirmed date. Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire series and basis of the HBO show, TRUE BLOOD, will be on Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! on August 6th, 2015.
Jay Bonansinga is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two books, including the Bram Stoker finalist THE BLACK MARIAH (1994), the International Thriller Writers Award finalist SHATTERED (2007), and the wildly popular WALKING DEAD novels. Jay’s work has been translated into sixteen languages, and he has been called “one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers” by the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. In the world of film, Jay has worked with George Romero (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), Dennis Haysbert (24), and Will Smith’s Overbrook Productions. In 2009, Jay’s directorial debut, STASH, starring Tim Kazurinsky and Marilyn Chambers, won top honors at three separate independent film festivals, as well as premiering in 50 million households on ON-DEMAND. Jay lives in the Chicago area with his wife, the photographer Jill Norton, and his two teenage boys, and is currently hard at work on the next Walking Dead book in the Woodbury quartet.
Elizabeth Massieis the author of 11 horror novels, 5 collections, and more than 100 short stories. She has won the Bram Stoker Award twice and the Scribe Award for her novelization of the third season of Showtime’s original television show, The Tudors.
He’s been on Oprah, The View, Larry King Live, Criss Angel: Mindfreak, Late Night with David Letterman, and A&E – just to name a few – and NOW, he’s on THORNE & CROSS: HAUNTED NIGHTS LIVE! We’re talking to Professor Paranormal himself, and you can listen to it right now! Click the link below to hear what the one and only Loyd Auerbach has to say about ghosts, magic, the hottest haunted places, and life after death.
Although I have yet to achieve my goal of meeting Stevie Nicks, I will be interviewing New York Times bestseller Christopher Rice, who’s mother, the legendary Anne Rice, is mentioned in the Stevie Nicks song, New Orleans. Baby steps…
It’s a stretch, I admit, but hey… no matter how you look at it, it’s pretty cool.
But really, I have read many of Christopher Rice’s novels and have been captivated by them all. Recently, he did a book signing with my collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and the two of them hit it off, and voila! Yesterday he confirmed that he would, in fact, love to be our guest on Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!We don’t have a definite date yet, and are booked well into the spring, but as soon as soon as I do… I will post it everywhere that’s legal, and perhaps even a few places that aren’t (watch out, Wal-Mart bathroom stalls; I’m talkin’ to you.)
Until then, our podcasts with some of the biggest names in the business are available – and we have many upcoming shows with writers and paranormal experts of the same clout. You can listen to these podcasts on iTunes or by going to the Haunted Nights LIVE! page of my website where you can also see the full guest list.
So, give us a listen at Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!where we discuss everything horror; from fact, to fiction, to that indiscernible area in between.
Kealan Patrick Burke is coming to Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!Burke is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Currency of Souls, Stage Whispers, and Master of the Moors, just to name a few.
He is also a fantastic book designer who has designed cover art for such authors as Richard Laymon, Bentley Little, Brian Keene, and Scott Nicholson.
His story Peekers is in development as a feature film from Lionsgate Entertainment, and we are STOKED to have him.
‘Tis the season for gratitude, and although I have never enjoyed any of the traditional Thanksgivings customs, I do like to take a little time out around this time of year to reflect on the things I’m grateful for, and there are a lot of them. A lot. I am thankful to my family for their ongoing support, my friends for their love and loyalty, my kitty, Pawpurrazzi, for amusing me, my dog, Sven, for refusing to die after all these years, and my friend, my mate, my manager, Berlin, who has earned every title given here and without whom I would not be where I am… in many, many ways. Also, I am grateful to the models who allow me to photograph them in strange ways for our book covers and e-posters. Like these guys…
Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention my collaborator, Tamara Thorne. I began reading Tamara’s horror novels in the ’90s and was a huge fan. Then, through a series of events (which basically means I stalked her), we met and became fast friends. In 2012, she asked me to collaborate with her on a novel and I said yes. And my whole life changed. That collaboration worked so well, we haven’t stopped. In 2014 so far, we’ve written two full-length novels and a considerable amount on a serial novel called The Ghosts of Ravencrest.
Because Tamara has been so good to me these past years, I have a lot of gratitude for her; too much to just say, “Thanks for everything…” and I’m not sure I have ever really properly thanked her. So here is a list of reasons I’m thankful for her. These are the reasons I adore this woman.
1. She trusts my writing. For someone who precedes me by almost 20 years in the publishing business, she might easily insist on doing things her own way, but she doesn’t.
2. She shares the same vision as me. We’re almost always going the same direction and I love that.
She loves my kitty almost as much as I do!
She’s loyal. After all this time, she hasn’t once tossed me aside, thrown me over for someone more interesting, or made me feel irrelevant. Even in the presence of some truly amazing people, she’s never treated me like a second-class citizen.
There is no drama. Ever. Period.
She loves my characters. She invests in my fictional creations and flatters me endlessly by delighting in them as much as I do.
She respects my time and space. She doesn’t interfere or impose.
She wants me to succeed. That is more rare than many of you might realize.
She is a hobbit. I think she’s only like 4 foot 9 or something, and that is funny. (Okay, she’s 5’2” but, whatever. I like to tell her she’s 4’9”.)
She doesn’t have to be the teacher. She respects me as a writer in my own right and gives me credit for having practical sensibilities. She trusts my senses of ethics, business, and creative direction. And she’s secure enough in her own intellect to be teachable.
She knows the most amazing people… and she introduces me to them. Seriously. I have met some truly incredible folks. Writers, agents, editors, entertainers, film directors… she knows some really awesome people.
She’s a great writer. She writes by instinct, not formula. She’s a natural-born and that keeps her writing fresh, unpredictable, and engaging.
She’s an excellent researcher. Before she starts a story, she digs in, gets her hands dirty, and makes sure she knows what she’s writing about. I admire this in a writer.
She’s hilarious. Her sense of humor – and lack of gloom and self-pity – is constant and uplifting. On and off the page, she knows how to make me laugh.
There is no competition between us. There are no games, no popularity contests, no bullshit; just a consistent genuine resolve that we succeed, both as individuals and as a unit.
She’s a great radio show co-host. I wouldn’t do Haunted Nights LIVE!without her.
Haunted Nights LIVE! debuted last week with our first guest, Q.L. Pearce, the bestselling author of more than 150 books including film tie-ins for the Fox animated film Titan AE and the Universal animated series Land Before Time. Click here to go to the show.
Later this month, our guest will be New York Times bestseller, Doug Clegg and, in just a few days, Michael Aronovitz, author of Alice Walks and The Voices in Our Heads, will be joining us. For the full guest list (so far) visit my website at the Haunted Nights LIVE! page.
Stay tuned to Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! where we’ll be talking about all things horror with the biggest names in the business. From fiction writers and paranormal investigators to haunted spots and true ghost stories supplied by our listeners, Haunted Nights LIVE! features fact, fiction, and that indiscernible gray area in between. This show is part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network with more than 2 million listeners in 44 countries, and we’re excited to be part of it! Give us a like on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Write what you love. That is the cardinal rule Tamara Thorne and I live by. That being said, we are pleased to announce some exciting changes coming to our serialized novel, The Erotic Adventures of Belinda.
Although we began this serial as a strictly erotic tale with just a hint of ghostly goings-on, we’ve found we enjoy our specters and scandals far too much to stick to erotica alone. Therefore, we have decided to make ourselves happy by including more of what we love most – ghosts, mysteries, and chills. But no worries if you’re reading Belinda purely for the erotica – there will still be oodles of sexy thrills, we promise. However, with the release of our third installment, Darker Shadows, due out in the coming weeks, Darkness and Erotica will become equal partners in a sexy, spooky Danse Macabre.
First, we’ve changed the series title to something that speaks of the shadowed corridors, disembodied voices, and mysterious footsteps that haunt the halls of Ravencrest Manor: The Ghosts of Ravencrest.
We will also be adding some previously deleted scenes that concentrated more on the spectral than the sexual. The changes are minor, but because of these additions, we’ll be combining all three installments – The New Governess, Awakening, and the new release, Darker Shadows – into an omnibus edition for the single-installment price of 2.99. That way you’ll be getting all three for the price of one. Think of it as the unexpurgated version of Belinda’s tale.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it!
It came to me a year ago, and looking back on it now, I suppose it showed up at the appropriate time. It was just a few weeks before Halloween – and a few weeks after Tamara Thorne and I began digging into the witchcraft elements of our novel Grandma’s Rack – that the creature of darkness – like a punishment from the terrible gods we were researching – made itself known to me.
At first, the beast merely called to me from some bushes outside. I’d hear it from my window, crying, bemoaning the increasing cold – no doubt attempting to guilt me into the shamefaced and spineless quivering mass of man-pudding that I am now. Valiantly – and mistakenly – I thought if I ignored it, perhaps the thing would tire of me and go away. But this was not to be.
For soon, it then began following me. The creature moved silently and – appearing as if from nowhere – it was quick on my heels, stalking me each day as I power-walked from the car to the front door, my eyes fixed forward – for I knew that once eye contact was established, I would surely be unable to resist the powers of its dark and inescapable charms. And for several days, this method worked. I was winning! But then one night, I let down my guard.
As I said, it was October – that month which bounces back and forth like an indecisive lover between nights that are too warm and nights that are too cold. On this night, October had chosen the warmth for its companion, and I – with a foolish and displaced sense of security – cracked a screen-less window to let some cool air in. The cool air, however, was not the only thing that crept inside that fateful night.
Within moments, the creature was in my window, pinning me in place with its wide, golden gaze. Our eyes locked. For several seconds, we were statue-still, then, very slowly, and with great trepidation, I approached.
With no warning, the creature lunged from the window sill, and then suddenly, somehow, it was in my arms, meowing at me as if to say, “You stupid, stupid man! Don’t you know you are my human?” and rubbing its silky black head into the crook of my neck. When she raised a paw to touch my cheek, the night-cooled padding of her little cat-hands warmed my heart forever, and I knew then that I had fallen prey to an all-too-common problem.
Whereas many men in my position might choose to simply say they “got a new cat,” and quickly change subjects in hopes of avoiding the disapproving glances and/or emasculating commentary of their fellows, I’ve decided to break the long-suffering silence and call this situation by its more honest – and less cutesy – name: I am the victim of Unexpected Feline Fatherhood.
What is Unexpected Feline Fatherhood, you ask? Unexpected Feline Fatherhood, or UFF, is defined as the infliction of affection and/or forcible joint inhabitation of any feline personage upon any adult male member of human origin. UFF is real, and there is no shame in it. In fact, statistics show that every 2.7 seconds in America alone, a man in falls victim to UFF. And if it happened to me, it can happen to anyone.
Anyway, I was suddenly an Unexpected Feline Father – whether I liked it or not. I accepted the fate that had befallen me with relative ease, naming my new pet Pawpurrazzi for her incessant, stalker-like ways, and though she rarely comes when called, I assume she doesn’t mind the name.
She was no more than four months old when she violated me and my personal space, and though I was originally reluctant, it is the nature of UFF that I slowly began feeling affection for my feline captor. In fact, we have since bonded over much; a spaying, two very stressful episodes in which she ran away, the swallowing – and passing – of some near-fatal Christmas tree decoration, a few worming debacles, several trips to the vet for shots, and the writing and editing of one and a half novels, as well as the ongoing writing, editing, and publication of several installments of a serialized novel. Perched on my shoulder for several hours each day, she is as much my writing companion as Tamara Thorne is, and to any oblivious onlooker, we would appear at ease with each other, companionable, even. But make no mistake: I am a victim. A victim of Unexpected Feline Fatherhood.
In the year since being victimized, I’ve learned a few things about the nature of Unexpected Feline Fatherhood which I will now list in hopes that it might be of some assistance to unsuspecting future UFF victims everywhere.
Don’t Let Unexpected Feline Fatherhood Sneak Up On You….
By Alistair Cross
Stay Alert. Whenever you’re walking to the car, getting the mail, or moving the garbage cans, keep your wits about you and observe your surroundings. Take a moment to glance around you. Do you see any evidence of feline intrusion such as flickering tails from concealed areas or little kitty prints on your windshield? Is there any meowing coming from a nearby bush? Your first defense against Unexpected Feline Fatherhood is awareness of it.
Determine Whether or Not You Are Actually Being Stalked. If you do see a kitty, try crossing to the other side of the street or sidewalk. Does the kitty cross, too? Speed up or slow down. Does the kitty do the same? Never assume that just because a kitty seems unaware of you that he or she isn’t following you. Always trust your feelings.
Use Positive Self-Talk. If you suspect you are being selected as an Unexpected Feline Father, the last thing you need to do is lose your cool. Tell yourself: It’s okay. I do not need a cat. I do not need a cat. Or: He must belong to someone. It is not my problem. Or: I’m sure he can take care of himself – cats are very resourceful. Things like this often help.
Never Look a Potential Feline Captor in the Eye. Direct eye contact communicates interest and acknowledgment yes, but more importantly, it makes you, the human, vulnerable to the cuteness of the feline face, a condition that will cloud your judgment.
Finally, If You Do Fall Prey to UFF, Wear Your Title With Pride. Worst case scenario, you can’t resist the kitty and you end up taking the poor thing in. So what! Not just anyone is Unexpected Feline Father material, and you should be proud. If your friends are giving you a hard time, it’s only because they’re jealous. Be a proud Feline Father, Unexpected or Otherwise! After all, it’s not as if you have any say in the matter anyway, now is it…
My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, has just blogged about the release of her novel, Thunder Road, which hits bookstores all over the country today. She also discusses the interview she has coming up in a few hours on Cyrus Webb Presents at Conversations Live.
Tamara Thorne on Thunder Road:
“Thunder Road, my novel of a small apocalypse, is releasing today in paperback online and in terrestrial bookstores everywhere. I will be talking about it today, September 2, live on Cyrus Webb Presents at 3 p.m. Pacific (6 p.m. Eastern). You can get a reminder from the show at the link.
Thunder Road began with a modern cowboy named Tom Abernathy. He emerged, fully formed, one day and ambled around in my head for quite some time before another character came to life in one of the most horrifying yet fascinating nightmares I’ve ever had. And then, I read about UFO reports in the California High Desert, out by my favorite historical amusement park, Calico Ghost Town. (Even if you’ve never visited Calico, you may have seen bits of it in movies like Tremors 4.)
I had cowboys, amusement parks, serial killers, and UFOs – but I needed just one more thing. I remembered that, years and years ago, there had been a cult of sorts surrounding a high desert structure called the Integratron, where people went to try to communicate with aliens. While I kept some UFO cultists hanging around Old Madelyn Amusement park – Madland, my version of Calico, I decided my main cult would be a religious one. That was because too many missionaries – you know who I mean – had been knocking on my door lately and I needed some sweet revenge.
Also, I really wanted to try my hand at an apocalypse novel and where there are cowboys, there are horses, so I suddenly had visions of the Four Horsemen prancing through my skull. I was now officially in love with the the book.
The mountains around Calico are famous. As the sun sets, they glow with eerie colors cast by all the minerals that were mined there besides silver. One of the most famous was borax, as in Boraxo Hand Soap. The chemical was hauled by a twenty-mule team on a hard road between mining towns and then into the city. I had walked the road behind Calico and recalled seeing it on TV as a little kid. What better name than Thunder Road, especially since I knew drag racing was going to be a problem in Madland. So I named my new novel for Bruce Springsteen’s song. He, in turn, said he was inspired by the poster of the 1958 Robert Mitchum movie of the same name. It was about running moonshine. It all fit.
So, there, you have it. Cowboys, sheriffs, tattooed ladies, a sexy shepherdess, horses, rodeos, crazy prophets and crazier followers babbling about the coming apocalypse, aliens, one ghost story (how could I skip ghosts?), a beautiful UFO researcher, lots of quotes by Jacques Vallee, and not one, but two – count ‘em, two – serial killers!
In addition to being a very fun write, Thunder Road gave me some great returns. One was a friendship with Jacques Vallee (the French scientist in Close Encounters of the Third Kind is based on him); and another was a treasure trove of ghost stories.
While I believe the UFO sightings up in that area of the desert are atmosphere or military related, I came to find out – and witness – that the real Calico Ghost Town is absolutely overrun with ghostly anomalies that’ll knock your socks off (though you’ll get nothing but denials if you ask those currently running the park). But that’s a story for another novel…
An excerpt from Thunder Road:
‘Justin had never been in here before, and he looked around, impressed with the rich, dark colors, the candlesticks and stacks of cards, the Tiffany lamp in the corner. He sat at the table and reached for the crystal ball.
“Don’t touch that.”
Justin hesitated, then withdrew his hand.
Carlo folded his arms and leaned against a rolltop desk. “What do you need to talk about?”
“Tonight. What we’re, I mean you’re, going to do to Alexandra Manderley.”
“Peel her,” the man said slowly. “What else is there to discuss?”
“You’re going to do it?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re going to teach me?” he added hopefully.
“You may watch. Whether you can learn or not is a question that remains unanswered.”
The doorbell rang, and Carlo stood. “Come back tonight at midnight. You may go now.”
Justin rose, in awe. The man was a king, a leader among men, with a voice so commanding that Alexandra Manderley would probably peel her own skin from her bones if he asked. “Midnight,” he repeated, following Carlo to the back door.’
If you had told me ten years ago, when I really got serious about this writing thing, that I would one day write a novel with Tamara Thorne – one of my longtime horror heroes – I would have scoffed, chortled, guffawed and otherwise vehemently disbelieved you. But as I’ve always said, life has a curious way of providing you with what you actively seek, and today, that is exactly what happened. Tamara Thorne and I have just finished our novel. We have written the final words. The first draft is complete. Weighing in at a staggering 171,486 words, the story wrapped itself up at 7:15 pm today.
We started this book about four months ago while finishing up the first draft of another horror novel called Grandma’s Rack. We took this sudden sharp turn for a few reasons. First, Grandma’s Rackneeded to sit a while so we could return to it with fresh eyes before finalizing it. We’d hit it hard and fast and both felt it needed some air. Then, another writing prospect emerged, one with a deadline, and one that would – as the fates would have it – fulfill the initial story line Tamara and I discussed when we first decided to write together.
Although, for professional reasons, I can’t say much about this book’s plot, I can say that it was inspired by our experiences during the five nights we spent at an allegedly haunted cabin in California’s gold country a while back (you can read a night-by-night account of that here). I can also say that this novel includes a character of mine who was developed in 2011, during the writing of Beautiful Monster, that I haven’t, until now, been able to find a home for. He fits nicely into this book.
As for the process, these have been the most demanding circumstances I’ve written under. For four months, we’ve worked eight to twelve hour days, six – and more recently – seven days a week, and the rigid time crunch hasn’t been the only factor contributing to the intensity. This plot is complex – more intricate than anything I’ve written. It’s character-dense with upward of a dozen major players, each with his or her own story, and each requiring enough stage time to tell it.
I’ve had to learn how to weave multiple threads, fuse varying subplots, and play puppet master to a slew of characters with intertwining story lines. I’ve loved every minute of it, even though the whole thing has been painstakingly meticulous. Even the setting is complex – a small California resort town that we built one character, one tiny life-like detail, at a time. Admittedly, it’s the kind of place I’d love to live in – minus all the violence and depravity, of course – but this kind of world-building is mentally taxing and surprisingly exhausting. However, I am by no means complaining. This is the kind of novel I’ve always wanted to write.
This book has taught me more about writing than anything else ever has. Ever. And I’m learning from the best. Tamara, who is a veteran to this lifestyle, has surfed the waves smoothly and without visible distress. I, on the other hand, am cranky, fatigued, and at this point, brain dead. But we did it, and ridiculously, as we neared the end, I think we both felt a little twinge of sadness. Even though we intend to write together more in the future, this is the last time it will ever be the first time we wrote a book together. I will treasure this for the rest of my life.
Now that the book is written, we begin the process of cutting and revising. Given its tremendous length, this will be an interesting task, but we will nip, tuck, and tighten by any means necessary in order to sculpt this story into the finest, most powerful version of itself possible, and I know we will be fine.
Due to the particular publishing process of this book, I have no idea when it will be released, but as soon as finishing touches are complete, we will be sending it to the editor, and then we will be returning to, and finishing off Grandma’s Rack, which will be available by the end of this year. In the interim, we’re working on the third installment of Belinda, which will be undergoing some favorable changes that will be apparent with the new release.
In closing, I want to thank everyone around me for supporting this project and respecting my inability these past weeks to do anything but sit in front of my computer and write, write, write. I still have a lot to do, and it will be a while before I have a lot of free time, but I will have a little more of it after a few more weeks. I think, anyway…
Today, we passed the 150,000 word mark on our current work-in-progress, a horror novel which was actually the first concept Tamara Thorne and I ever discussed writing together. It’s taken a few detours, but at its core, it’s the same story we created over a year ago now. We still have a few thousand words to write before the story is fully told, but it will be completed by this month’s end, and it will be a normal novel – in terms of length – by the time edits are completed.
As we get ready to wrap it up, I’m both saddened by its nearing end, and excited for the upcoming works its completion will allow us to pursue. The fact that we can write so extensively together gives me great hope for one future concept in particular – one very long and very exciting future concept.
But before we even start thinking about that, we have Grandma’s Rackto complete,Belinda to continue with, and a solo effort each to produce. Oh, and one other collaboration we’re both pretty stoked about, which will begin just as fast as we can get to it. But first things first.
It’s been a good year of writing, and on that note – after much discussion and deliberation – Belinda will be undergoing some favorable changes, which will be evident as early as the next installment, due out in September. Since beginning this serialization, we made sure to leave ourselves a few possible options concerning the direction we wanted to take it, and we’ve now settled on a definite route and are pretty excited to start carving it out.
Speaking of carving things out, Halloween is just around the corner – in the shadows, with a very sharp knife – and that calls for jack o’ lanterns, candy and really good scary stories. It’s too early for pumpkin carving and I never share my candy, but I can help you out with the scary story dilemma.
Bad Things, the classic Halloween tale by my collaborator Tamara Thorne, is on sale now on Kindle for $1.99. If you’re into brotherly love of the vilest kind, nature spirits with cruel intentions, the exhumation of scandalous family secrets, and bitchy women with penchants for dead poodles, click the BAD THINGS below and get your copy.
Halloween is getting closer and that means it’s time to break out your favorite scary stories. One of mine is Bad Things by Tamara Thorne. Bad Things is about sibling rivalry of the direst kind, greenjacks that only special little boys can see, crazy aunts with penchants for perished poodles, and of course, Halloween.
Bad Things (Kindle) is on sale at Amazon for $1.99 today through August 24. Get yours now and get in the mood for Halloween.
Thunder Road, coming to bookstores everywhere from my collaborator, Tamara Thorne, in September!
Evoking Stephen King’s terrifying novel The Gunslinger and the epic adventure film Cowboys and Aliens, Tamara Thorne delivers a tantalizing blend of horror and Western SciFi–in an arid, dangerous world from which there is no escape. . .
The California desert town of Madelyn boasts all sorts of attractions for visitors. Join the audience at the El Dorado Ranch for a Wild West show. Take a ride through the haunted mine at Madland Amusement Park. Scan the horizon for UFOs. Find religion with the Prophet’s Apostles–and be prepared for the coming apocalypse.
Because the apocalypse has arrived in Madelyn. People are disappearing. Strange shapes and lights dart across the night sky. And a young man embraces a violent destiny–inspired by a serial killer whose reign of terror was buried years ago.
But each of these events is merely setting the stage for the final confrontation. A horror of catastrophic proportions is slouching toward Madelyn in the form of four horsemen–and they’re picking up speed. . .
“Tamara Thorne has become one of those must-read horror writers. From her strong characters to her unique use of the supernatural, anything she writes entertains as much as it chills.” —Horror World
“Tamara Thorne is the new wave of horror–her novels are fascinating rides into the heart of terror and mayhem.” –Douglas Clegg
Naming characters is a surprisingly phenomenal thing, because, more often than not, they name themselves – as strange as that sounds. What I mean is that they tend to present themselves to their authors fully-formed; they know their own appearances, personalities, and often, they come pre-named. That being said, this wasn’t the way it worked with Belinda.
The name Belinda and I go way back, but first, I thought its historical meaning was interesting. As I researched it, the name struck me as fitting for this story line because in German, Italian, and American, Belinda means: From the Old German Betlindis, which is derived from the word for snake. Images of snakes draw my mind to the Garden of Eden scene in the bible, and Belinda’s story, at its roots, is one of a similar nature.
Still, as interesting as this was to learn, it wasn’t the reason I wanted to use the name Belinda. My reason, I’m afraid, was far simpler.
When I was a kid, I happened upon a book called The Ghost That Goofedby Edith W. Boutelle. This little book had everything I wanted in a story at the time: a ghost, a talking pet, and a grand Halloween party. The ghost’s name, of course, was Belinda. (I feel I need to note here that Boutelle’s ghost and our Belinda Moorland, of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, have nothing in common except the name.) But this wonderful little book, I believe, set the course for me in terms of storytelling, and because of that, I’ve long wanted to pay some kind of tribute to it. Unfortunately, that has not turned out to be an easy task.
I have tried to use the name Belinda in just about everything I’ve previously written, and for one reason or another, up until The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, it hasn’t worked out. Belinda is a strong name and not – in my mind – well suited for a minor character. As for main characters, like I said, they tend to name themselves, and none of them jumped up and said, I’m Belinda! I’m Belinda! Then, on the few occasions that I did find a suitable place for the name, I was told no.
No, because it stands out too much.
No, because it’s too long and unusual.
No, because it will remind readers of Belinda Carlisle.
While I had my doubts that the front woman of the Go-Go’s really dominated the consciousness of today’s audience – and I certainly didn’t think the name was too lengthy or foreign for readers to manage – I was new to the business and I took advice easily. Too easily. But I think these things happen for a reason.
When Tamara Thorne and I began to discuss writing an erotic serialization, I knew Belinda was our girl. But I also knew that Tamara had to agree to it. After all, if she had wanted to name our heroine Gonzarella, I would not have been pleased – and I owe Tamara the same respect. We both had to love this name. So I didn’t present it to her right away. I would wait till the time was just right, then – like the snake that the name Belinda is derived from – I would strike! But as fate would have it, I didn’t need to do that.
Tamara knew about The Ghost That Goofed. Sheknew how much I loved that story, and when it came time to name our girl, Tamara herself basically suggested ‘Belinda’ when she asked me, “What was the name of that ghost you loved as a kid?”
“Belinda,” I said.
She thought about it for about three seconds and said, “I think that would be perfect here.”
And with every cell in my body, I knew she was right, and I was suddenly very glad that I hadn’t used the name somewhere else.
That was many many months ago, and since then, Belinda’s first installment, The New Governess, has been released. Her second installment, Awakening, is in the last stages of publication and will be available in a matter of days.
Belinda’s is a story of handsy spirits, envy and ecstasy, the elusive hit-and-miss nature of love, and magic of the right and wrong kinds, all set in a beautiful Gothic mansion on a breathtaking estate. On the surface, it’s a fun little romp down the haunted hallways of Ravencrest Manor – but at its core, it’s a story about a woman coming into full possession of her sexuality; a woman harnessing her own power, and this new installment, Awakening, is aptly titled. This is where it really begins for her.
I’ve never had as much fun writing anything as I have this story. It’s a pleasure to sit down to every day… and I happen to think her name, Belinda, is just right. I’m grateful to Tamara for agreeing with me on that.
The Awakening, the second installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, is on its way…
The Erotic Adventures of Belinda is a serialized Gothic Erotica novel by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross. The first installment, The New Governess, is available everywhere.
Tamara Thorne and I have been invited to participate in the celebration of Crystal Lake Publishing’s official launch of Beneath the Lake: On Writing Horror. For the next few days, Crystal Lake will be publishing articles on writing horror, by authors like Tim Waggoner, Patrick Rutigliano, and… us!
If you’ve been following our blogs, you may have already read the post that is going to be published, Extreme Collaboration, but there’s more to come from us and others, so if you love horror, and want to learn more about writing it, go check out the other articles at Crystal Lake’s website.
It’s been a while since I was able to sit down and write anything conversational on my blog, so now that I have an hour or so of free time, I thought I’d drop by and say hello. With the publication of something new, you kind of go into what I call “Machine Mode,” which is that place where nothing but the book exists. You don’t think about anything except the marketing – the interviews, the guest appearances, and all other avenues of PR you can participate in – whatever you can do to get your story out in front of people, and of all the aspects of the writing life, this is, for me, the most difficult. Probably because, in this case, we aren’t done with Belinda. As great as it is to have that first installment out to readers, this is a serial novel, so the show must go on… leaving us in a somewhat constant state of being pressed for time. It doesn’t help that Tamara and I are working under a looming deadline on another project as well.
I don’t hate it though. The only other option is to decline interviews and guest appearances altogether. While I do know some authors who do this, it isn’t an option for me. Not working for your book is as nonsensical to me as ignoring an infection and hoping for the best. I believe in Belinda and I think she’s worth the hard work. In the coming weeks – and months – Tamara and I have a slew of events and appearances that I’m actually pretty excited about. We’re getting some really good gigs and we’re meeting some pretty cool folks.
In the meantime, the second installment of Belinda’s hot and horrifying adventures is well underway. In fact, we’re down to the final scenes – and they’re getting wilder by the page. I’ve never had as much fun writing anything as I am Belinda’s story.
As for the other project we’re working on, it’s coming along at a freight train’s pace. It is, almost literally, writing itself. We intend to have this one done by the end of summer, and then, for those who are patiently waiting, Grandma’s Rackwill go through the final rewrites. No, we haven’t forgotten about Grandma. We couldn’t if we tried to – God love that sweet old lady with her very special talents. We will return to her in Fall, no doubt bewitched anew by her otherworldly ways…
Until then, it’s writing, writing, interviewing, writing, interviewing, petting the cat, writing, writing, interviewing, moving the cat off the keyboard, writing, interviewing, writing, writing, removing the cat from the bookcase, writing, writing, and more writing…
What is Gothic Erotica? It’s what wakes you up in the middle of the night as randy as you are terrified. It’s those things that go bump – and grind – in the night. It’s the sound of footsteps at the foot of your bed that, instead of fading away, draw nearer and, well, get what they want.
When we began The Erotic Adventure of Belinda, we had a clear vision of what we wanted to accomplish. We wanted to frighten our readers while simultaneously seducing them. We wanted to build a world as eerie as it was arousing… we wanted to stir a new set of emotions.
The first installment, titled The New Governess is now available on all formats. If you like your terror titillating, your fright fulfilling, and the kinds of stories that curl your hair with horror and your toes with desire, Belinda is your girl. And she’s available now at Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.
The New Governess, the first installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda is available at Amazon and Smashwords now. More links for places of purchase will be coming soon…
“Shocking and fun! The Erotic Adventures of Belinda by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross will leaving you shivering with excitement as the innocent Belinda breaks free of a minimum-wage hell hole only to move into a sprawling Gothic estate where her body becomes the focal point of a mysterious specter. Out of the pan and into the fire? Only time will tell.” ~ William Malmborg, author of Jimmy and Text Message.
The New Governess, the first installment of The Erotic Adventures of Belinda, is now available on Amazon and Smashwords. (We will have Nook and other links soon.)
New adventures will appear every four to six weeks. Expect serious erotica, lots of ghosts, romance, and intrigue as we put our own spin on Gothic Erotica.
THE NEW GOVERNESS
When Belinda Moorland steps across the threshold of Ravencrest Manor, she feels as if she’s entered a fantasy world. The mansion is breathtaking, and her new employer, Eric Manning, is as mysterious as he is handsome.
But after just one night, she begins to suspect there is more to Ravencrest than she was told. Haunted by nightmares and seduced by erotic dreams, Belinda realizes her new home has a dark side.
By day, the house and grounds are sublime, but the night is alive with dark shadows and phantom footsteps in empty corridors. Eyes – and hands – are upon her, and not all of them belong to the living.
Reviews for Belinda:
“If you’ve finished all of Sylvia Day’s Crossfire novels and are craving more, look no further. In Belinda: The New Governess, Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross have created a world that is rich, opulent, and smoldering with the promise of seduction. You’ll be able to feel the slide of the satin sheets, taste the fizz of champagne.” ~ Sylvia Shults, author of Double Double Love and Trouble
“The Erotic Adventures of Belinda” by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross is a fun, intricate read. The erotica is well crafted and the ornate setting descriptions are breath-taking. Most importantly, from page one, readers fall in love with Belinda. We care about what happens to her, and we hope exactly what that is remains deliciously extensive!” ~ Michael Aronovitz: author of Alice Walks
“Shocking and fun! The Erotic Adventures of Belinda by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross will leaving you shivering with excitement as the innocent Belinda breaks free of a minimum-wage hell hole only to move into a sprawling Gothic estate where her body becomes the focal point of a mysterious specter. Out of the pan and into the fire? Only time will tell.” ~ William Malmborg, author of Jimmy and Text Message.
The interview with Tamara Thorne and I at Conversations Live has officially been re-scheduled. We will be live tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. eastern at:www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive
Our interview at Conversations Live with Cyrus Webb has been rescheduled for this Thursday, the the 29th of May. When we’re certain of the time, I will post it.
Thank you and sorry for the short notice. To hear – or read – any other interviews until then, visit the Media page on my website.
After a brief but necessary hiatus from interviews, Tamara Thorne and I are back at it, full-force. We’re schedule for a live interview at Conversations Live on Monday, May 26th at 8:00 pm Eastern time. The show will be streaming at: www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive
Conversations Live has featured such guests as Kim Fields (The Facts of Life) John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard) Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy) and Scott MacIntyre and Taylor Hicks from American Idol.
Our interview will be archived as a podcast for future listening.
“If you’ve finished all of Sylvia Day’s Bared to You novels and are craving more, look no further. In Belinda: The New Governess, Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross have created a world that is rich, opulent, and smoldering with the promise of seduction. You’ll be able to feel the slide of the satin sheets, taste the fizz of champagne.” ~ Sylvia Shults, author of Double Double Love and Trouble
When Belinda Moorland steps across the threshold of Ravencrest Manor, she feels as if she’s entered a fantasy world. The mansion is breathtaking, and her new employer, Eric Manning, is as mysterious as he is handsome.
But after just one night, she begins to suspect there is more to Ravencrest than she was told. Haunted by nightmares and seduced by erotic dreams, Belinda realizes her new home has a dark side.
By day, the house and grounds are sublime, but the night is alive with dark shadows and phantom footsteps in empty corridors. Eyes – and hands – are upon her, and not all of them belong to the living.
Seduced by Darkness
She followed him inside the chamber. It was lit only by guttering wall sconces and the dying flames in a fireplace across the room. Rich tapestries lined the walls and the tall heavy four-poster bed was covered with soft furs.
“Come be with me, Belinda.”
She raised her eyes and looked across the bed. He stood in shadows, but she saw the glint of his teeth as he smiled. “My darling girl.”
Heat rose in her belly and shot lower. Flushed, embarrassed, she looked down at herself, saw her body through the gossamer robe, saw her nipples turning dark and hard. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but that voice …
“The Erotic Adventures of Belinda” by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross is a fun, intricate read. The erotica is well crafted and the ornate setting descriptions are breath-taking. Most importantly, from page one, readers fall in love with Belinda. We care about what happens to her, and we hope exactly what that is remains deliciously extensive!”~ Michael Aronovitz: Author of Alice Walks
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro – Author is the first woman to be named a Living Legend by the International Horror Guild and is one of only two women ever to be named as Grand Master of the World Horror Convention (2003). She is a good friend, a great lady, and I am honored beyond words that Grandma’s Rack and The Erotic Adventures of Belinda will be sidled up next to her Vildecaz Talents series at Avalerion Books.
With fans like Neil Gaiman, you really can’t go wrong with Yarbro…
And here’s what Stephen King has to say about her novel, A Mortal Glamour – which I am currently reading and loving:
“Terrifying. Her picture of women going slowly mad in a convent during one of history’s darkest periods is both gruesome and irresistible.” – Stephen King
