And now a rare guest post from my pal Glenn Rolfe . . . let's hear what he has to say (and then go get his new book Blood and Rain)!
“New England Horror Writers Anonymous”
Why don’t you go ahead and tell us who you are.
My name is Glenn. I’m a horror writer from Maine.
Hi, Glenn!
Hi.
Can you talk to us about the reason you’re here today?
Okay, yeah. A horror writer from Maine…I mean, the shadow cast by the
master looms like an Independence Day flying saucer over my head, ya know, but
I’ve learned to live with it and to take it day-by-day. We are storytellers,
too, right?
Right!
I guess I didn’t make it any easier on myself by tackling werewolves for my
novel. I mean, I’ve read Cycle of the Werewolf, I’ve seen Silver Bullet….
Great book! Great film!
I know, I know. Obviously, they inspired my story, but more than that, they
inspired me.
Very well, Glenn. What makes your book different from…you know, his?
I guess it’s got me in it instead of him?
Writers….all of us…we put our experiences, our fears, our insecurities,
our flaws, and our loves and hates into our work, right? I guess each character in my story has a
strand or two of my DNA.
Can you give us some of those…fears or flaws?
Yeah. One of the big fears I have is not being able to protect the ones I
love. That’s a scary prospect. What if I couldn’t save my little girl? What if
she was too far away? What if I got there a split second too late? What if the
thing that has come back to take her from me is only here because I couldn’t
get the job done right the first time? What if my failure led to her demise?
There’s guilt, there’s fault, there’s fear….And the flaw? I mean sometimes in
trying to shelter those we love or want to protect from something dark and
ugly, we make the biggest mistake…
Do you need a minute?
No. I, I’m okay.
What about the beast? The werewolf. Can you tell us about creating your
monster?
It’s mean. It’s nasty. And it loves it.
What does it love?
Being the monster. Having the power, the lust, the hunger for death and
destruction.
Where does that dark side come from?
From within…and from the world.
Are we talking the story here, or are we talking real life, Glenn?
Both.
***
The above piece is about my new werewolf novel, Blood and Rain. It was most
definitely inspired by Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf, but also
from my own life and surroundings. So many horror novels out there, so little
about werewolves. Why? I read Cycle
and knew that I wanted to craft my own beastly story.
There is a lot of me in Blood and Rain. From the music I love (or
loathe), to my fears and insecurities, and from dumb teenage decisions to even
worse adult choices. It admittedly has a bit of an 80’s movie feel to it, and I
love that. I hope if any of the above someds interesting or
familiar (in a good way) to you, you’ll all take a minute and check it out.
It’s a fast and furious read. And I’m really proud of it.
Thanks to James for allowing me this platform.
Blood and Rain
Samhain Publishing, 2015
The light of a full moon reveals many secrets.
Gilson Creek, Maine. A safe, rural community. Summer is here. School is out
and the warm waters of Emerson Lake await. But one man’s terrible secret will
unleash a nightmare straight off the silver screen.
Under the full moon, a night of terror and death re-awakens horrors long
sleeping. Sheriff Joe Fischer, a man fighting for the safety of his daughter,
his sanity and his community, must confront the sins of his past. Can Sheriff
Fischer set Gilson Creek free from the beast hiding in its shadows, or will a
small town die under a curse it can’t even comprehend?
One night can—and will—change everything.
Early praise for Blood and Rain:
“With slashing claws and blood-soaked fur, Glenn Rolfe’s novel will have
you howling in terror and delight. A welcome addition to the werewolf mythos
and proof that we’re in the presence of a rising star in the genre. Highly
recommended!”
–Ronald Malfi, author of December Park
“A major new talent rises from the Maine woods…Rolfe is the real deal, and Blood
and Rain is a classic monster novel, full of blood and teeth and the kind
of razor sharp writing that makes the pages sing. Small town horror is back,
with a vengeance!”
–Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of Sparrow Rock, Diablo: Storm of Light
and Day One
“Many authors nowadays get lauded for writing ‘throwback’ horror fiction,
but none of them quite goes the distance like Rolfe does in Blood and Rain.
Werewolves, silver samurai swords, and small New England towns: it all makes
you wish this was twenty years ago so you can take the paperback off a
supermarket spinner-rack and huff the yellowed pages.”
– Adam Cesare, author of Mercy House and Exponential
