Friday, October 1, 2010

Exploring Horror Fiction - Part 1


Happy October Everyone!

To celebrate my favorite month, my blogs for October will be devoted (in some way) to the horror and paranormal genres.

As most everyone knows, I write in several genres, including romance and horror. For some, that might seem an odd combination, but it works for me. One half of my brain writes the horror, and the half writes the romance.

Although I write hot and spicy romances for Amber Quill Press, I actually started out writing short horror stories. Since I grew up reading horror fiction and watching horror movies (the whole horror movie thing is a blog for another day) it only seemed natural. (After all, Halloween is my favorite holiday!) Later, I branched out into science fiction and published 40 or so pulp fiction-style sci-fi stories for the Sun.

In horror fiction, I get to explore different settings, plots, and characters that I couldn’t develop in romance. Sometimes after working on several romances, I’ll switch moods and write a horror story to give my brain and writing muscles a change of pace.

My horror short stories are more psychological/spooky/creepy than gory, and I like to explore the darker aspects of a story and not always give the characters a happy ending, as I do in my romances. It’s fun to take a seemingly normal situation (a Halloween party, a man living in an apartment, a boy with a grudge) and add a supernatural/horror element.

Recently, two of my short stories appeared in horror anthologies published by Pill Hill Press. (Both books are available on www.Amazon.com)

Haunted: An Anthology Of The Supernatural - contains 42 short stories about haunted places. Set in a haunted house, “Whispers from the Past” blends the paranormal with a startling bit of reality. Here’s a short excerpt:

Paul rolled over in the narrow twin bed and tried to ignore the faint whispers. No matter what he did, they invaded his mind like silvery moonbeams.

He closed his eyes and counted to fifty, hoping to focus on anything but those quiet sounds on the edge of his sanity. Ghosts did not exist, yet he was hearing eerie noises in the dead of night.

The whispers grew louder, more insistent. Now and then, he could make out a word or two in the hushed voice he recognized from long ago.

It can’t really be him. It’s just my over-stimulated imagination, or maybe the contest people are playing tricks on me.

“Stop it!”

He snapped back the bedclothes and stood up. The whispery voice fell silent.


To order the paperback, click here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617060216/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=0Z66HE40JJ7NBMK2CXXB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

To order an electronic copy, click here: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-An-Anthology-ebook/dp/B003VWCJ4Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1279655717&sr=1-2


The Four Horsemen – An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine & Death This anthology of twenty-five short stories is based on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In “The Ape” a young boy in South Carolina uses an unusual “toy” as a tool for revenge. Here’s a snippet:


South Carolina, 1961

Billy wrinkled his nose as he entered the dimly lit shop. The air smelled funny, like a mix of spices and smoke. He closed the door behind him, cutting himself off from the outside world.

His mind fired a jumble of warnings. Nobody knew where he was… he wasn’t supposed to be here… who knew what might happen to him?

He fought the urge to yank open the door and run, but he couldn’t. He had work to do. It had taken every bit of courage he had to get this far, and he wasn’t going to give up now. Everyone in town knew where the voodoo-lady practiced her magic—but no kid in fourth grade had ever been brave enough to come inside before.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Horsemen-Anthology-Conquest-Famine/dp/0984261036/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273504039&sr=1-5

In my next blog, I’ll talk about what elements go into making a good (creepy) horror story, and share bits about my other short horror fiction. Links and excerpts from my other horror tales are on my website www.KelliWilkins.com

Until next time,

Happy Haunting!

Kelli

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