The Paradox of Horror: Pleasure and Pain

I've got a question for you: If you enjoy horror stories, do you take pleasure in the fear, the pain, and/or the gore? Why or why not?

If you don't enjoy horror stories, what don't you like about those feelings of fear and suffering?

I have my own answers of course, but I want to know what YOU think. I'm excited to be working on my first horror themed presentation. It's not until October, but I like planning out all of my thoughts well in advance. I'm timing my first horror talk with the most popular month for horror stories, and it will take place just a couple of weeks after the release of my horror adventure, Rabbit in Red.

When I think of watching a horror movie or reading a scary story, I evaluate it based on my physical reactions. If I grimace, turn away, close my eyes, jump, have nightmares: that's the story I, perhaps ironically, love and recommend to others! Isn't that crazy? Or is it just the joy of horror? :) That's the paradox of horror I'm exploring. If I'm not scared or don't react in a physical manner to the story, then eh, the story probably gets a bad review.

I think some people consider the pain, the gore, the fear you experience in horror as A) something you must endure to reap other benefits, such as seeing our hero survive or the mystery unfold, or B) something that produces a physical reaction-- the adrenaline rush-- as something actually pleasurable, similar to the rush one gets on a roller coaster. 

So what do you think? Do you take pleasure in horror? Why or why not?

I've also updated my author website, which includes adding my first horror talk to the list of upcoming events. Check out my that site if you have a chance. It includes all the links to my other social media sites, and I hope you'll follow me on my journey of horror! I have quite a few other questions and themes I'm exploring for not only my upcoming talk but other stories I'm currently writing. 

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to your comments!

The Newfoundland Vampire by Charles O'Keefe

Distinguished Press is celebrating the release of The Newfoundland Vampire by author Charles O’Keefe. Grab your copy on Amazon right now for only $3.99!

Here’s a teaser for the story:

Like many geeks, Joseph O’Reily has always fantasized about being a vampire. Then one night Cassandra Snow walks into his life and he learns that not all dreams should come true. Cassandra has plans for him – plans for eternity.
As his world begins to turn upside down, Josephs wrestles with the changes to his everyday life. Eternal youth and amazing power come at a price that might be higher than he can afford. Vampires may not be human, but Joseph is determined to hold on to what he values most — his humanity.

You can join us this Saturday April 25 all day long for fun games and prizes to celebrate O'Keefe's release and other great works from Distinguished Press. Plus, there will be a surprise announcement! Visit us at this Facebook link to join the party. 

And check out this excerpt from the novel!

“As Joseph walked away, heading in the general direction of his parents’ house, he looked down at his bloody, torn shirt. The pain in his side had already started to fade. He probed gently with his fingers and found the wound had closed up. He glanced at his watch and noticed he could see the dial without pressing the light button. It was 10:35, and he recalled that he’d told Cassandra he would return to her room around midnight.

When he thought of Cassandra, he immediately knew the truth about what she’d done to him. Tuesday night she’d bitten him and drank his blood. Two nights later, he was drinking the blood of a moose out of some uncontrollable, instinctive need. What has happened to me? Is any of this real, or am I dreaming? Have I lost my mind?

He knew what had happened. He knew what Cassandra had done. He knew what he had become. The notion that he might no longer even be human hit him like an imaginary punch in stomach, and he leaned against a nearby tree to stop from falling over. His vision swam, and his mind churned as he tried to come to grips with the realization. As crazy and hard to believe as it was, he could come up with no other explanation.

He recalled a principle by William of Ockham, Other things being equal, a simpler explanation is better than a more complex one. He shook his head. Ockham’s razor. But was it even possible, let alone the simplest explanation? He admitted he’d harbored a deep, dark wish from the time he was thirteen of becoming a vampire, but he never imagined that it would ever come true. It was impossible. Vampires didn’t exist. So, then, what is this? What am I doing out here, drinking the blood of a moose and healing wounds? Am I having some elaborate delusion?

He tried to grasp the reality of his situation by reviewing what he knew. Cassandra slept all day. That first night they had spent together, she had bitten his neck. He’d fallen asleep next to her, dreaming she’d had blood on her mouth. She had expressed her desire to taste his blood several times. And she’d introduced him to the perversion of sharing their blood during sex. Her mannerisms and certain patterns of speech seemed oddly old fashioned.

In the last few days, he’d felt extremely weak during daylight and extremely powerful at night. He could hear and see better than he ever imagined possible. And there was the insatiable hunger he’d suddenly developed that could only be satisfied by blood. Could it be true? Instead of a made-up myth, vampires were real, and Cassandra was one – and now, so was he?”

You can follow Charles on Twitter, and be sure to get a copy of the novel here!

You can also visit his author webpage and the Distinguished Press homepage for more info.

Bill's Nightmare by Artist Tracie VerKuilen

When I first signed a book contract, I had a hundred ideas for fun things I wanted to do to help pass on the excitement I have for the story. One such idea was to connect with interested artists, and give them a brief scene or character from Rabbit in Red and see what they (no restrictions) visualized.

It's also a chance to give credit to hard-working and talented artists.

The first such artist who volunteered for this is a current college student of mine, Tracie VerKuilen. Tracie is a talented young woman with ambitions of being a published author too. She graduated from Peoria Notre Dame High School (me too!) and is attending Illinois Central College, focusing on English and Psychology (I was an English major and also attended ICC!). We clearly had a lot in common as students, and I have full confidence that she will see all of her dreams come true.

Thank you, Tracie, for this contribution. It's the first piece of art I have received for my writing. I plan on framing it, and always letting it be a reminder of one of my biggest philosophies: artists support one another and cheer one another on. Success comes from those who champion others. That's why I know you'll be successful in all of your future ambitions.

I love this scene for many reasons. In my very first drafts, this was the opening to the story. Bill Wise, one Rabbit in Red main character, woke from a nightmare. Of course, he's a horror enthusiast and his bedroom is full of terrifying items that may trigger dark thoughts.

As of now, we first meet Bill in the middle of action, and we don't see his bedroom or get to know the nightmares that plague him until later in the story. But the things that haunt him at night and the passions that get him through his days are incredibly important parts of the story.

I gave Tracie just a page or two of this section, and above is what she invented in her imagination.

Isn't it just freaking' AMAZING?

Again, thank you, Tracie. I love it.

Look for Rabbit in Red, my horror adventure, in September of this year.

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Thanks to everyone for your support with my projects. If you'd like to contribute art, you can e-mail me at joechianakas@gmail.com and we will discuss that.

You can also find me on a variety of social media. Just click the link below to be redirected to those sites and feel free to follow me there too.

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After a week of surgery

Who doesn’t like talking about their book, their writing, and their revisions, right? :) After several days of surgery (on my book, not me, just to be clear. Did my blog title trick you?), I just wanted to sit back and do some writing that didn’t require thought, so I’m updating my blog on my Rabbit in Red journey.

First, I can’t thank my friends, new and old, enough for their support. Several of you have liked and some have even shared my author page. That’s how, I’m convinced, all creative works initially become successful. THANK YOU.

My week started by cutting nearly 5000 words from the first six chapters. In fact, I slashed two chapters completely. It hurt. I bled a little, as did the manuscript. But it needed to be done. I needed to get into the story quicker. So six chapters became four, but then I rewrote as well. Revision, as all writers must learn, is not about proofreading. It’s about rewriting and rewriting again until you get it right. I’m closer than ever before, and that always feels fantastic. It’s like after cutting apart the story, I get to enjoy some morphine.

Pictures from Springdale Cemetery, where I walked, March 2015.

 My writing process, which I would highly recommend to other writers, works best when the weather cooperates. I like to write for a couple of hours, take a break, and go for a walk outside. Before I performed surgery on the ending of my tale, I paused, took an hour long walk through a nearby cemetery, cleared my mind, and simply thought about things. I didn’t listen to music like I do when I exercise. I just walked and thought. However, I did take my phone out several times. Here’s a nice tip: use a note app on your phone (of course you already do if you’re a writer, right? Those random ideas can pop up anywhere at any time, and you absolutely have to make a note of them. I still wake up after a nightmare, quickly take out my phone, and text a memory of my dream if I thought it would make a good story. Those are fun to unscramble the next day, by the way). As I walked and thought about my ending, I’d take out my phone only to make a note about something I needed to change, add, or cut. The fresh air, the exercise, a little increased blood flow throughout the body and brain: all of those things help me return to the story refreshed. I can then write for another couple of hours, and generally speaking, the writing after a little walk in the fresh air is typically better than whatever I first wrote that day. 

 

It’s been a week of playing an odd game of Operation on the novel. I’m amazed at how much this book has changed from the first draft I completed last summer. But that’s the thing about writing: it’s a journey and you have to circle back around quite a few times before the trip ends. Author Terry Pratchett, who sadly passed away today, said, “The first draft is the story you tell yourself.” That makes a lot of sense, and I loved my story from the inception. But after the first draft, you have to learn how to tell the story to others.

My publishing team has been working on the back-of-the-book blurb too this week. Shall I share a possible draft? We’ve also been working on the short tagline. Maybe I’ll share the short version for now, and save the full back-of-the-book blurb for later :)

“Enter the Rabbit in Red challenge: A one-of-a-kind game for horror enthusiasts. Launched head first into a bizarre competition, players solve riddles and even fight classic horror villains. But when some of their numbers go missing, they discover they must battle for their very own lives to survive this twisted game.”

Thoughts? It’s still very much a work in progress.

One of my writer friends thought it sounded like Ready Player One meets Battle Royale. I totally dig that comparison.

Next on my list was to begin book two in the series. It’s odd to be working on book two before book one’s edits are 100% finalized, but it’s fun feel like you’re in demand. I’ve been told the publisher would like to release each book in the series in six month installments. That’s crazy exciting to me.

Here’s the opening to book two. I’ve already made one small change (if you follow my Facebook page, you’ve already seen it). Super rough work in progress draft here, but I hope the opening lines of book two will enhance your excitement to read book one.

“His forehead glistened with sweat from a feverish nightmare plagued by a single image: that of the rabbit soaked in blood, a constant reminder of his warped past and a harbinger of a crumbling future.  Each day he’d look in the mirror and the reflection that stared back at him frowned in agony. Until he thought of evil. Only wicked thoughts could make him smile now, so he’d contemplate sweet revenge and grin at the possibilities.”

Thank you again to those friends who enjoy these updates and like to cheer me on. As a teacher, I’ve always thought that was the best thing I could do: Be a cheerleader who encourages and applauds their efforts. I can’t tell you again how nice it is to have that feeling reciprocated. And I can’t wait for you to read Rabbit in Red.

The King's Mortal by Armada West

She had the kind of beauty that started wars. Wars that left a path of destruction and mayhem in their wake.

On March 6th, Distinguished Press is proud to present the debut book in Armada West's Wintertide series, The King's Mortal. On launch day, all proceeds will be donated to To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit movement dedicated presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

Synopsis:

I invite you to join me in Cimmerian, the frigid vampire realm—the home to the huntsmen of God. They have been tasked with slaughtering the humans who've released the plagued doppelgängers of mankind from their hellish prison, and it is an eternally uphill battle. Hope comes in the form of young Lana Corvin, a psychic lingering on the cusp of death with a blood disease, and wasting her precious days as the main squeeze of a notorious drug dealer. When she becomes the target of Cerberus, a kingpin drug lord, Fate will teach her that life—no matter how much or how little of it you possess—gives no second chances. That is, unless the rogue Vlad Dracula, hellbent on usurping the throne to claim Cimmerian for himself, doesn't teach it to her first.

Excerpt:

“This is a private meeting,” Gavin said. His arms hung at his sides casually, but everything about his stance was ready to move as he stared at Cerberus and his henchmen. There were ten of them, not including the dogs bristling at the ends of their chain leashes. Dear God, what kind of dogs are those? They were massive, standing only a few inches shy of her mediocre five feet, and covered with bushy fur. Maybe they were bears, not dogs at all. Lana glanced warily from Cerberus to Mónica, Donatien, and Béla. Mónica had locked up the artillery, and Lana noticed the appearance of a holster holding a gun at her hip. Donatien and Béla were now on each side of her and Gavin, and she got the uneasy sensation they were for her, not Gavin. Meanwhile Blair, Russ, and Johnson were all starting to reach for the heat they were packing.

“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt my invitation was just misplaced.” Cerberus’ beady eyes moved over to Lana’s friends. “It looks like I was mistaken.”

“You were.”

Gavin’s tone never wavered as Cerberus strutted forward. Lana shied away behind Gavin, biting down on her lip—Cerberus didn’t miss the motion. Immediately his eyes flashed to her. He was a lone wolf who scented blood.

“I know you. You’re Vic’s piece of ass.” His eyes had a cruel glimmer. “If you’re here, he won’t be. That’s rather disappointing.”

It was a slap to her already wavering confidence and Lana physically winced at the comment. All it took was that momentary distraction. She didn’t see him pull the gun out; she only heard the safety clicking off.

“Now, this is going to be nice and easy from here on out. You three” —he waved the muzzle in Blair’s direction— “will load all of that into my car. I will pay you for the merchandise.” Cerberus was mindful enough not to point the gun at Gavin. “And you . . .” He eyed her with hunger. “You can get in my car, dear.”

“I’d rather shit in my hands and clap,” she said.

Visit the release event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1577655532457325 and you can also purchase at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U58F2E6, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/523590 More links will be added to the Facebook event as they go live. 

 About the author:

Armada West is an American author and model from upstate New York. Her first notable recognition was for her comedic play, "The Loo Cue", which won a playwright competition and starred actress Fiona Hutchinson. An avid gamer, West wrote articles and tech reviews for TheGamersHub.net

 Her foray into publication began at Crushing Hearts Black Butterfly in 2012 with the release of her romance novella Undefeated and her first full length novel, Bottom Feeders. A short story, Underneath (The Christmas Tree), was included in the first Hot Ink holiday anthology Milf and Cookies.

West co-authored a romantic sci-fi short story, Space in the Fall, with fellow author and friend, Jadeleath. The piece premiered in the Persephone's Song anthology from Keith Publications.

In 2014 West was contracted by Distinguished Press for her series Wintertide, a re-vamping of Bottom Feeders. The King's Mortal will be available March 6, 2015. When the Gloves Come Off, a full length novel adaptation of West's Undefeated, was picked up by Roane Publishing in 2014. A release date is still pending.

As a model, Armada West has been featured in Riot Vixen magazine (February 2014) and on Inked Girls. She also worked with game developer, Jaime Fraine, for his 2014 "Tree Translator" Kickstarter campaign and was featured in two of his promotional videos.

My Birthday Wish

First, thank you to the many friends who have already supported—for months and years and in just the last few days too—all of my writing ambitions. It’s such a big, cool journey. I can’t even sleep—staying up late thinking of ideas, waking up early eager to get to work on the ideas, but it’s fun to be stimulated and motivated.

It’s my birthday today, but I’m still taking a few hours to work on random projects. I hope I’ll surprise you with some unique ideas, posts, and events over these next six months and beyond.

Because it’s my birthday, I feel like I can take a risk and ask you all for support in helping build a writing platform. The more people who know about the project, the better chances of its success. So whether you are reading this today or in six months from now, here are a few things I’d like to ask you to do. Like in a good story, there’s a certain magic in helping and supporting others in achieving their dreams. And believe me, we appreciate it and never forget those who helped us.

So what can you do?

      ---- If you haven’t already, please “like” my author page here. 

      --- Then consider sharing the page on your wall or inviting friends to like the page, especially any friends you may have that know me and any friends you have who like reading, books, writing, no matter what the genre.

      --- I’d love if you could subscribe to my blog here. On the right hand side of the page, you should see a “subscribe via e-mail.” Enter your e-mail and any new posts (no, I won’t spam you!) will go directly to your inbox. If you’re viewing my blog from your smart phone, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, click “view web version,” and then you’ll see the subscribe box on the top right. 

      --- If you’re on Twitter, you can follow me there too.

That’s all I’d ask for today, and you’d sure help make my six squared birthday even better. Down the road, you’ll see some pretty sweet stuff leading up to the book release. From art work to video and everything I can think of in between, I’m shaking all of my creative juices hard.

If you’d like to help in any way, let me know. Here are some of the initial ideas I have. I’d love to promote scenes and characters from the book through art (any medium), so if you’d like to be a part of that, all you have to do is say so. I’m looking for people who want to make fun YouTube videos—splicing together horror films to make unofficial trailers and creating original work too, be it animation or even short films. I’d love to have music too, so if you like to write and play original music, I may try my hand at song lyrics to compose haunting stuff. But I can’t sing. Or play an instrument. Ha.

I know there are many great artists out there, and the longer I’m on this journey, the more I realize that art succeeds when people come together. It can be mutually beneficial, so don’t be shy: let me know if you’d like to join me for a lap or two on this road.

Whether you’d support me by liking and sharing the page and subscribing to the blog or whether you have ideas and want to contribute to unique media and marketing ideas, I’m all ears. Or in this case: eyes.

Yes, I have a fantastic team already of writers, editors, and publishers. But like friends, you can’t have too many people helping, right?

Thanks for your support.

If you’re visiting the blog or page for the first time and want to know more about the work, here’s the blog post I wrote after I signed my contract: 

Since then, we do have an official launch date. The book will be released September 18, 2015. I put a countdown at www.joechianakas.com. :)