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"It'd creeped over the far edge of the rock, just a hand at first, long fork-like fingers gripping the dead animal like a doll. Then I saw the head, and it grinned at me, bright golden eyes cutting the darkness like two beacons. It was as though it knew I was there and had waited for the most opportune time to make its grand entrance and scare the piss out of me, which it did, but I hadn't noticed that until later.
"When I finally made it past the dreadful glow of its eyes, the rest of the thing's face came into focus..."
From Deep in the Darkness
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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Now THIS is fan mail!
Hi everyone,
A lot of you have been asking me, "What's next?" and "When's the new book coming out?" Well, there are a lot of good things (as always) in the works, but nothing I can announce officially yet. I will say the my next novel DEAD SOULS will be published, perhaps sometime late next year (I'm still working on it). I'm also still working on mass-market rights for SLEEPWALKER, but nothing there to announce yet either. In the meantime, I wanted to share a recent fan e-mail I got. Now, I do get e-mails from readers on a daily basis, all of which are positive and great to read. But I received this e-mail from a reader, and to say the least, I was floored. This, my friends, has made the eleven years of hard work all so worth it.
Check it out:
Dear Michael,
I picked up a copy of your book THE DEMONOLOGIST tonight. Indecisive about having the cashier put your book in a bag or not, I hurried home anticipating getting started on my reading. I nearly skipped dinner and couldn't shovel the food down fast enough. Barely full and half tired I opened your book and began reading, starting with the back cover first and then making my way to the front. I read the few reviews which I found highly impressive. You were compared to Stephen King which in my opinion is one of the most successfully talented and respected horror authors of all time. By the way, I had no idea he was retiring. We learn something new every day don't we? I also noticed you had dedicated the novel to your parents. Maybe most people don't bat their eyes twice at the dedication of the book, but I find that to be one of the most important tributes of the story. I would think that is one of the driven reasons for the book in the first place or a 'motive' to continue writing it besides the uncontrollable urge and ambition to write. In other words, a major inspiration to write the book. I read your prologue (grand opening before the doors open) and I have to admit was very dark in a hazy kind of way. I wasn't quite disturbed, but more curious by the mysterious elements that were leading into the unknown chapters that would soon enough place it together. 'Cujo' is one movie that had me terrified of dogs, so the snarling flesh-eating dogs really did turn my stomach. That's the point of it, right? you used descriptive detail that I really enjoyed, considering I am a very detailed person by nature. I am all about the who? What? When? Where? And why? And everything in between that. From the sand barely exposing the corpses to the blood spilling onto the boy...you had my imagination placing myself in that scene, which in all honesty would not at all want to be there. LOL. There was something very historic about your prologue and I think more then anything that's what gave it its creepy taste.
As I continued, I quickly picked up on the main character being a rock star just starting out in fame. Just a question: did you at all relate yourself to this character in certain aspects? By the way, Bev Mathers is a great name! very retro and very grabbing. Not to mention unusual, which is part what horror is about. Its good you write with experience and knowledge. An example of that is when the crowd in the concert went crazy for one last 'encore'. Anyone who has attended any concert knows that is tradition for musicans versus their fans. Very unique how you described the scratching in the skull. That's almost repulsive considering none of us are sure how that would feel, but if we did feel it, we'd be sure it wouldn't be pleasant. I almost grabbed my head and said, "ouch." Right away, I felt uncomfortable as far as being uneasy is concerned. I like how you introduced that their was a problem almost instantly, but in a way that left me wondering,"hmmm..." as I read on, you brought in a few other important characters that I'm sure will have a major impact as I read more. The obnoxious, slobbish of a manager, his very matured attractive daughter, and the unfamiliar man who didn't belong in the setting at all, which more or less gave his character suspenseful suspicion. I like how you start Bev's episodes very mild. You only give glimpses of what is going on with him, but not enough to determine the cause and reason. That's what drives me to read more and more.
You were very realistic when you had Bev assuming what the reasons were for his physical discomfort. Any other person would have thought it was from being tired or having anxiety issues. No one would initially assume it was demonic episodes or of that super natural nature. I have always been a fan of the paranormal and the supernatural, so the darkness and the hidden nature of it automatically pulled me in. You definitely have my attention.
The exciting part of the supernatural is anything can go. The physical world has no definite relation to the eternal plane, therefore, we have no certain answers. This leads us into a whole different realm of belief. It is the 'unknown' that we fear and this can harm us as well as guide us. In your case, it will harm us, which makes this book even more threatening to the human mind. You made it known the closeness between Bev and his daughter and with this makes the story even more unpredictable. Will this draw them closer or pull them farther apart?
Also to note, that restaurant you used made me want to go there. It's been years since I have been somewhere where I can eat and enjoy the ocean beside it. The sound of the ocean is one of my favorite sounds and you achieved making me feel calm and relaxed as well as on edge and uneasy. That doesn't happen with me often. At least not where the two combine together at one time. The stalking of the unfamiliar man creeps me out as it is. You used basic human fear and transformed it into a reality. A 'stalker' always carries that creepy horror with them. the note on top of that was very threatening in a non direct way and you even had Bev mention that in the book. The fact that he was 'requested' and then 'demanded' was a very black approach and I love it. It's almost as if it were a good thing and a bad thing. At this point, I have no idea who or what is good and who or what is evil. You can surprise me here. I guess I'll have to wait and see. The 'loss of time' between the restaurant and Jake's house also leaves open gaps. How did he get there? It made me wonder, which means I'm sure it made every other reader wonder.
The nightmares Bev has are the most disturbing part of the dream because it's so twisted and so raw. You used a lot of firy colors here and made it known that there was a lot of evil bounded between his dreams and his reality. The questions I asked myself were "what relation did Kristen and Jake have here in the nightmares?" Maybe nothing, but in a writer's opinion, there is something and I can't wait to find that out. The conversation with the Priest was one of my favorite parts so far. I was fascinated when he was explaining demon worship and Satanism. I have to say what an appropriate 'drinking conversation' to have while sipping on a cocktail. I love it! That's the kind of conversation that would make me stay a little bit longer. I have to ask, what kind of research did you do here? How did you get this information? Well, now there is a priest involved that we know of and that I believe will be linked significantly throughout the book. It's good to see there is a good side against the bad side. Maybe?
My foremost question is the role Bev plays here. Is he possessed or not? This is my first book I am reading by you, so I'm not sure where you are going to take me. It's very erotic in a immoral type of way. So far, I have read ten chapters and I had to stop to write you this. I didn't do any writing myself tonight because I became so indulged in your book. I want to let the information sink in a bit before I read anymore, but just for the record it took me ten chapters before I decided to call it quits for the night. If I feel this way, then how many others as well? Very well like an entertainer, you have to be able to handle your crowd. You have to keep them attentive and make them respect you. Same thing for writers. They have to do be able to feed their crowd, just more in an imaginitve type of way. I love it so far and am going to read much more tonight. I like your mind, Michael. Wow! So creative and so open. That is truly beautiful...
Wow. All I can say is "Thank you" so much dear reader for taking the time out to comment in such detail. You made my career with this one.
posted by Mike at 10:17 AM
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