Photo Content from Michael Pierce
SOCIAL MEDIA
WHAT FICTION MOST INFLUENCED YOUR CHILDHOOD AND WHAT EFFECT DID THOSE STORIES HAVE ON SUSY ASYLUM?
I went from reading children’s books like Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, The Wheel on the School, and The BFG to Stephen King, starting with Pet Semetary, in the summer transitioning from elementary school to junior high. For several years, Stephen King was all I would read and I poured through many of his classics. I admit, I read them at the time for the shock value, missing much of his colorful characterizations and emotional nuances. I became obsessed with all things horror and tried to mimic what I wrote with what I read. Most of my writing throughout high school was written to be shocking—which was my quiet rebellion. I made great fans and enemies of my English teachers.
It wasn’t until several years after graduating from college that the need to shock wore off. I found my true voice and began my novel writing career about four years ago. Around that time, I picked up my first Stephen King book in quite a few years and read it with a new and more mature perspective. The novel was Carrie, and it was not what I had expected at all. It was short and sweet, raw and direct, creative, shocking, and emotional. I became curious of how much I missed in King’s novels from reading them at too young an age. So then I began rereading The Dark Tower series and gained a new appreciation for his genre-defying work.
SUSY Asylum has shocking moments, but I believe I’ve found a much better balance than with the stories I wrote as a teenager. It is a story with definite horror, but not a horror story. Since high school, I’ve been influenced by many more authors, especially ones currently writing YA. But SUSY pays homage to the King of my childhood nightmares. The horrors Oliver goes through in SUSY Asylum are necessary to develop him into the hero he will need to become to survive the Lorne family. He will not soon forget what he has to go through in this book, and I hope readers will find the second leg of his journey just as haunting and memorable.
Thank you, Jean, for having me on your blog today.
Oliver and Desiree are introduced to the writings of a mysterious blogger, Commodore Chaos, when they return to Provex City to indulge in what the sublime city has to offer. The blogger claims the Lornes are collecting people venturing between the higher planes of awareness and locking them away in a mythical asylum. But are these legitimate concerns for inter-plane travelers or just the ramblings of an anonymous conspiracy blogger?
Oliver looks to Provex City as his only connection to his father while Desiree looks to the city as an escape from the torment of losing her best friend—again. Provex City is a wonder of beautiful treasures, entrancing them to continue returning. But behind the beauty, wolves have continued hunting Oliver, a boy who is still unaware of his importance in the rebellion.
Oliver’s belief is waning. Desiree will not always be by his side. Mr. Gordon will not always come to his aid. Oliver finds himself alone, forced to confront his biggest fears, fight his inner demons, and face the very cold reality that no one is coming to save him.
Welcome to SUSY Asylum.
This sounds awesome!! Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! Thanks so much for hosting a tour stop today Jean!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me as a guest post today. :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this book. It sounds so good. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteYay!!! Amazon tokens....mmmmmmmmmmmm
ReplyDelete