Saturday, October 16, 2010

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Catherine Olson


Famous (in some circles) director, David Cronenberg, who made B horror movies like the Dead Zone starring Christopher Walken, thinks “of horror films as art, as films of confrontation. Films that make you confront aspects of your own life that are difficult to face.” (http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/horror/4.html )

Wow, that was entirely too serious. Here is what I think. I don’t want to actually confront anything, so make my horror victims special with real hopes and desires, make my monsters sweet yet horrible, and make the settings fun. And let me enjoy the confusion of my attraction to the revulsion I know I should be feeling.

In the really, really, really olden days when guys in white blankets tied at the shoulder decided what is so called Tragic, people wanted to watch the rich and powerful fall to misery and death. Whatever. We watch rich and powerful on the news every day sticking it to us in various ways that we can’t even figure out. I wish they would fall. That would be a Comedy. What is tragic is watching a person who might possibly help out my future fall into oblivion. That is why the main character in After Eventide is young girl, Lorraine, who wants nothing more than to grow up and be a teacher. The world needs to back off of her and let her reach her goals, damn it.

The truly frightening monsters are the ones we don’t see coming. They are hot and tell us stories of glory and friendship, while dropping bombshells of hints that they would kill us if they ever choose to. That monster could raise his hand to smash your face in, but you love him even more because he restrained himself. You know who you are- sicko. Man, I have to stop calling myself names. In After Eventide, the monster entices a fifteen-year-old girl into a world of death and violence and a part of you hopes she goes off with Harold to wage war on the human race. Sicko. She needs to be a teacher, remember.

And my horror is always funnest in places that I know and love. When I read a novel, I want to loose myself for a little while, and that is always fun in places I love. How many horror movies are at the amusement park? And what I love is the beach. How fun is it to have death and violence at the beach? Bright sunny days, blood filled nights. Too awesome.

David Cronenberg is totally right about horror as an act of confronting, “aspects of your own life that are difficult to face.” And one of the most difficult aspects of our modern life is figuring out the values we choose to hold regarding those of the opposite sex. Questions like- what level of violence is sexy in a man? At what point does a girl say, “I am outta here.” How old is too old, or too young? I like to examine these tough questions while cracking up along the way, so I wrote a fun novel about a monster that confronts modern realities while holding onto his thousand year old ideas of violence. Bet you’d like it too.
~Catherine


In honor of Halloween, answer this question and I will randomly choose a comment to receive a free hard cover copy of After Eventide.


Which would you rather be, a medieval vampire or modern vampire? And why?

Be sure to leave your email address with comment

Contest open to US Shipping Only

Winner TBA on Wednesday Oct 20


Just a note I haven't had the chance to read this book for review yet but my daughter read it and loved it, in fact she couldn't put it down.

It went everywhere with us until she finished reading it. That says so much about this book.

I've only seen her do that with one other book- Nightshade which she has declared to be her all time favorite so that says After Eventide is a fang-tastic read.

22 comments:

Mary Grace said...

Medieval vampire living in the modern world. :) I don't know why, maybe I'm a traditionalist. Based on novels and books, I like the attitude, mannerisms and up bringing in the older times.

*yadkny* said...

I would be a modern vamp because I like that there aren't as many rules now as there were back then. Some of the mannerisms and traditions from back then were great, but at the same time those people were a little too tame for me. If I'm going to be immortal, I want there to be no limits.

yadkny@hotmail.com

Miranda Hardy said...

Medieval vampire. I just find that time more fascinating.

DreamyCowgirl@hotmail.com

debbie said...

I would like to be made a vampire in medieval times, but have lived through them, and now living in modern times. That time period is great to look back at, but I don't living through it would be a good thing.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Catherine Olson said...

I think it would matter if you were a woman vamp in medieval days cuz I'd have some serious women's rights issues I would cure quickly :) and I am by no means a feminist, but seriously. Burning women in the town square would piss off my fang filled mouth!

Sherry said...

I would rather be a modern vampire because they seem to be nicer and treat people better. With the modern vampires they don't kill to feed.

sstrode@scrtc.com

Barbara E. said...

I'd rather be a modern vampire, but with a long history so I'd know just how much better it is today with all the modern conveniences. I would be able to find a way to feed without hurting anyone and being a night owl is a lot more accepted these days.

Barbed1951(at)aol(dot)com

Stephanie M said...

I would rather be a modern vampire. In history there were a lot of people killed because they were supposedly involved with the supernatural or devil. It is also easier to get blood now from blood banks rather than trying to hide every person who you bite.

smccar1 at hotmail dot com

writtenwyrdd said...

Excellent post! I wholeheartedly agree with your take on what horror is and should be.

I would prefer to be a modern vampire despite the inconveniences of having to keep your identity secret with global communications and face recognition tech. Mostly because we are a lot cleaner now, and with a heightened sense of smell, can you imagine what cities would have smelled like to a vamp?

It's these little things that I tend to think of.

Edna said...

I'd rather be a modern vampire because I like the social attitudes and rules a lot more than in the past. Good hygiene is a must for me and life with all the new tech is appealing also.

nalynboni AT gmail DOT com

Bitsy Bling Books said...

Humm...that is a tough question. I love the traditional romantic concepts of the medieval vamps. However, modern vamps have the ability to blend in and move around easier. Still, I'm a big fan of the tortured soul (or soulless) so medieval it is.

Charlie
bitsyblingbooks@gmail.com

Estella said...

I would be a modern vampire---they drink synthetic blood.

Jolene and Family said...

I would have to say modern. I couldn't live without a toilet, my curling iron, a shower, and just the thought of girls not shaving back then makes me gag. I'm all about the modern vamps :)

june111@att.net

katsrus said...

I woule want to be a modern vampire. I like all the modern conviences we have now. LOL.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I think I would rather be a modern vampire. If I was a medieval one, I would have had to worry about all those people running around with wooden stakes way back when and that could make a vamp want revenge on humans.
mom1248(at)att(dot)net

Shai Williams said...

Can I say both? I think that I would prefer the modern time with all the conveniences but I would prefer to have been turned centuries ago so that I will have the money to enjoy said conveniences.

blogbaby(at)comcast(dot)net

donnas said...

Modern, with a history. All the time can be spent with the new technology that can make living at night much more fun.

SandyG265 said...

I'd rather be a modern vampire. I wouldn't want to live in medieval conditions.

sgiden at verizon.net

Autumn said...

I'd rather be a modern vampire. I don't think I'd want to have to kill medieval people. I'm sure they'd be dirtier than modern people LOL

autumn.crochet@ gmail .com

booklover0226 said...

Like several posters, I would like to be a modern day vampire who has lived through medieval times.

To have lived through so much history and to have amassed a fortune! I would be living in grand style... with all the books I want!

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

Andrea I said...

It would have to be medieval as I would have been around for many years. I would want to live in the current times.

andrea.infinger@gmail.com

Persephone said...

Either way I am living forever. But I think I would prefer living through the medieval period. Just to witness history first-hand. Cool-ness, yo!

patronus89013 at yahoo dot com

 
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