Looking Through New Eyes

I have been wanting to read Demon for a while. Ever since I’ve gotten into this genre actually. Truth be told, I never actually knew what it was about. The cover, the name, it just intrigued me.

That’s how I pick out a lot of my books… By author, by cover, by title. I rarely even make it through the first two sentences (if that) of the blurb on the back. When I do, it sort of ruins it for me. Yes, I usually get more excited to read the book, but now I have a good idea of what’s going to happen. (And since I read so much, I can start plotting out the story line before I leave the bookstore or hit “Check Out” on Amazon.)

I like going in to a book blind. It makes it so much more exciting.

So when I did get Demon and began reading, I jumped right in. Apparently, Tosca Lee felt the same way as I do: just get to the story.  (Even the back cover blurb is a quote from the story.) Immediately we are thrown into the main character’s (Clay) dreary life. The first sentence alerts us that he’s probably not in the prime of his life, “It was raining the night he found me.”

It’s a simple sentence, but if you think about it, it’s almost as alluring as the design on the cover. It brings a lot of questions to mind.

Actually, the book will probably dig up a lot of questions for you. I’ll try to give you a brief intro to the story, and don’t worry, anything I say (as usual) is revealed within the first chapter so it’s not a big secret in any way, shape, or form.

Demon: A Memoir is narrated by Clay, a human, who works at Brooks and Hanover publishing as an editor. The unidentified “he” from the first line is Lucian (again, don’t fret, this is all told in the first chapter), and it’s not hard to guess what type of being he is. Lucian lures Clay into telling him his story. Clay becomes obsessed with Lucian, along with everything he says. Clay’s life is turned inside out as Lucian’s words torment him until Clay finally puts them on paper, with the vague thought of publishing the finished work.

For me, the beginning of the story could have had a little more to it. I felt that it moved too fast. I don’t have an issue with the fact that about two weeks go by in the first couple of chapters, that’s perfectly fine. The issue is that Clay starts to talk about how crazy he’s going. He points out all the weird habits he’s developed and things like that. It isn’t a deal breaker or anything (for this story) but I’m never a big fan when narrators (third or first person) talk about emotions or states of mind or habits before the reader can see them.

I think just one or two more scenes showing Clay’s habits would have been helpful. I find it somewhat disorienting when the main character tells us something we haven’t been able to see yet.

But like I said, it isn’t a deal breaker for Demon because as soon as it happens it’s pretty much over.

Demon is also riddled with comic relief. Well “relief” might not be the right word. For one instance, Lucian and Clay are discussing forgiveness. Lucian makes his opinion clear with a dead cat analogy I don’t think I’ll ever be forgetting. He states something along the lines of that if he kills someone’s cat, and says sorry, it really does nothing at all because frankly, the cat’s still dead. Lucian goes on to make the point that yes, he could buy another one for the owner, but that does nothing as well. Because all he’s accomplished is giving himself another chance to run over a cat - again.

It’s minor, comical passages like this that really make the story fun to read. Besides getting a 180-degree spin on the Creation story, serious moments turn around and make you laugh in a matter of seconds. Yet, the story never loses its weight. 

There’s still an overtone of seriousness that cannot be disparaged.

As I got deeper into the story I appreciated Lee’s work with the Lucian. He wasn’t portrayed as this evil thing that could and would destroy or kill at any moment. Yes, we could tell that he was capable of that… But he was alluring. He was captivating. His talent of story telling was enchanting.

Of course the reader knows he’s dangerous. But it’s not overwhelming. It’s an honest portrayal of how Satan and his followers work; they coerce you into their web.

After seeing how deep Clay gets himself into this mess, I was exuberant at the ending. I’m tempted to tell you how it goes, but I want you to be left with the anticipation.

Plus, who wants to be labeled a spoiler?

On that note, I should end this post before I spill the beans. However, I do recommend reading Demon if you want or need a new outlook on God’s love for us as imperfect beings. Through this book, I’ve been reminded of things I’ve heard since childhood, but I’ve been able to view them with new eyes with this story.

I’ve definitely got a new favorite to add to my lists.

If you want to know more about Tosca Lee (if you don’t already) check out my Crafting the Creeps through Fiction interview her.

http://flirtingwithfear.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-creeps-through-fiction_09.html

There, you’ll also find links to her Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as her website.

Crafting the Creeps through Fiction: Questions for the Authors Who Do It Best

The author of my current read, Something Stirs, graciously offered to be interviewed for this series. Thomas Smith has made himself known in a variety of literary scenes. His website states that he is the published author, essayist, travel writer, short story writer, among other things. Smith’s writing has also made itself known in the TV world. He was a TV news producer as well as a comedy and joke writer. 

Smith’s novel, Something Stirs, has a strong meaning and potent message.

As the fifth author to join the Crafting the Creeps through Fiction series, I’m happy to post the interview responses from Thomas Smith.

1) What is your earliest memory of being afraid?

“It would have to be the day I almost drowned. I was about five years old and we were at the beach. I couldn't swim, so someone was always nearby, keeping an eye on me in case something happened. A friend of the family put me on a raft and started pulling me around in the surf and I was having a blast. I wasn't afraid of the water, I just didn't know what to do in it. At one point, the friend slipped and accidentally grabbed the raft. when he did, I pitched over the side and was caught up in the wave. I distinctly remember trying to scream and feeling the water run into my mouth, nose, and throat. I was flailing in the green water, still trying to scream when my father came up under me and lifted me out of the water. I couldn't let him go for the longest time. And while I have snorkeled all over the Caribbean and even have a house at the beach, I never go in the water that I don't have a momentary flashback of seeing the surface and not being able to reach it.”

2) Are you ever worried that you push the "horror envelope" too far?

“I don't really worry about that because (1) I have a pretty good idea of what I can “get away with” and where the edge is under the current publishing parameters, and (2) if an editor sees something that he/she feels is pushing things a bit, they will tell me. A scene can always be rewritten, or I can make the case for keeping it the way it is written and see what their response is.

For example: In Something Stirs I had a particular scene that disturbed my editor to the point that she emailed me, told me her concern, and after I thought about it, I was able to tone it down enough to meet their standards and still keep the creepy factor pretty high.

Also, I never write anything just for the shock value. I will write something that I hope is frightening, scary, even terrifying, but even at that level it must be in line with and essential to the story. There's really no point in writing something just because you can. Horror is simply an emotion (not really a genre) as is love, amazement, fear, calm, and hate...and any of them can be used to move a story along or act as a roadblock to the tale you're trying to tell. It is in the utilization of every element of the story that the message is able to speak. So, horror can make an inroad for redemption. Horror for the sake of the gross out or trying to be visceral for no good reason silences the real voice of the story. And I always try to keep that in mind.”

3) What is something no one will ever say about you?

“Do you think he's a member of Mensa?”

4) What character surprised you most with something they said or did?


“Actually there were two. The first was Jim Perry when the Ben and Rachel told him about the son they lost a few years earlier. His response, while supportive and empathetic, was also pretty direct. I really didn't know how that would play out until I actually went back and read the scene once it was finished.

The other was Piggy Ann. When the final confrontation began, I had no idea what she/it was going to do. I hadn't thought that far ahead, so I was pretty much just along for the ride.”

For more information about Thomas Smith and his plethora of works, check him out on Facebook, Twitter, or his website.

Website: http://www.thomassmithonline.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tsmithwriting

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tsmithwriting

Crafting the Creeps through Fiction: Questions for the Authors Who Do It Best

In 2011, the third author in this series published his first novel, and then in 2012 he published his second. Mike Duran has written The Resurrection, The Telling, as well as a novella titled Winterland. I’ve read The Telling and will most likely be purchasing the other two in the near future.

The Telling is not a Horror novel with undertones of Christianity. The story depicts a blunt battle between good and evil. As strange things begin to happen in his hometown, Zeph Walker, a childhood prophet, must decide whether or not to admit the truth he’s been hiding from for years.

Duran regularly posts on his blog, and also has various other types of work that you can find under the Books tab. I’ve read some of his posts and posts he’s written for other sites, and they’re not to be missed. Recent articles have been creating quite a stir for some readers. I definitely suggest you check them out.

Mike Duran was gracious enough to send some great answers for Crafting the Creeps through Fiction.

1) As a writer, do the voices in your head ever overwhelm you?

“Ha! I think that's called "schizophrenia," isn't it? I've heard it said before that writers need to develop a kind of multiple personality syndrome. In other words, we need to learn how to actively cultivate the voices in our heads. I know, that sounds weird. But when it comes to creating characters, the author is the first and best prototype. Most of your better characters will be culled from yourself. But if it's true that we need to cultivate these fictive persons, then it's also necessary to assign rooms for them, so that at the end of each day we can lock them there.”

2) What's something no one will ever say about you?

“Interesting question. I hope no one would ever be able to say I'm boring, uninteresting, or dispassionate. I'd rather have folks say I'm intense, I think too much, and enjoy deep conversations.”

3) What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

“What's you're favorite color, food, or something like that. Those kinds of questions always seem so lame to me. It's almost like the interviewer did not want to exert the energy to research their subject and ask some provocative, informative questions. You'd think if someone was interesting enough to be interviewed, what their favorite color was would be way down the list of questions one can ask. (And, by the way, my favorite color is green.)”

4) What is your earliest memory of being afraid?

“It probably had less to do with fear than being profoundly disturbed about the nature of the universe. I was probably 5 or 6 years old. My dog, Daisy, was my best friend. She slept at the foot of my bed every night. We had a very close relationship. Well, my mother brought home some chicks one day and we kept them in a little pen out back. I was mesmerized over those little yellow fuzzballs. Until one day I came home and found that Daisy had slaughtered all of them. The back yard was strewn with chicken guts. perhaps the most disturbing element of the event was having to reconcile how the dog I loved could massacre such innocent little things. It scarred me for life.”

To find out more about Mike Duran and his writing, I recommend following his blog. You can also like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.

Blog: http://mikeduran.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cerebralgrump

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cerebralgrump