A Campfire Nightmare by Jeffrey Stagg

A Campfire Nightmare

Nightmare Series

Book One

Jeffrey Stagg

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Stagg Literature, LLC

Date of Publication:  March 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1517744441

ASIN: B01CRQKFZO

Number of pages: 344

Word Count: 117,824

Book Description:

IN AGES PAST, the Flathead Native Americans fought a war against a monstrous force that stalks the woods surrounding Flathead Lake. So says William Rox, legendary musician and director of the prestigious Colman’s Amateur Music Program, known as CAMP.

Jimmy Downs is thrilled to be attending CAMP—or he would be, if he weren’t being bullied by campers who seem to think wealth can buy talent. Jimmy doesn’t have money, but he can drum like no one else. As for the bullies, at least his best friend, Michael Munday, is with him. The two have had each other’s backs all of their lives.

But bullies are about to become the least of Jimmy’s worries. Dark, hulking figures begin surrounding the woods around camp…figures that bear more than a passing resemblance to Rox’s campfire stories.

Jimmy and Michael are about to become players in a very old war—assuming they survive.

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PROLOGUE

The black-cloaked figure knelt by the lake, examining the muddy soil. A great northern storm had rolled through hours ago, but the air was still frigid. Waves crashed against the stony shore, waterdrops splashing up against his waterproof black covering.

His fingers traced along the print clearly pressed into the mud. It was a large paw print, something like the shape of a wolf’s but the size of a bear’s. He examined the mark on the ground and then moved to where he should have found the creature’s front paws, but not surprisingly, he instead found what appeared to be humanlike handprints, with long, triangular fingernails jutting out from the tip of each finger. The cloaked man placed his own right hand within the print, knowing that the muddy outline was easily twice the size of his own pale hand.

His left hand tightened around the shaft of his bow as he stood up.

Even though it was nearing one in the morning, his eyes clearly made out the many prints that had been made throughout this particular clearing.

He had warned the other guardian that something was going on.

“Why so many?” the man asked aloud as he pulled down the hood of his cloak. “There shouldn’t be this many here anymore.”

“What’s that?” a British man’s voice called from the darkness.

A flashlight’s beam bobbed through the trees, weaving back and forth until it fell upon the pale man’s form. The man lifted one of his hands to block his sensitive eyes from the somewhat dim beam. He indicated the soil in front of him that marked the passing of their quarries.

“A pack,” the pale man told his companion, moving the tip of his weapon to indicate how many individual creatures had passed through there. “You should keep the camp closed this year.”

“No,” the huge British man answered, snapping his response a little more testily than he had wanted. “It needs to be open. You know just as well as I do that we need to stay open.”

“Even at the risk of the lives of hundreds of people?”

His companion stepped forward and jammed a double-edged longsword into the ground as he examined the pathway. The flashlight was a head lamp, mounted with a pair of bands that wrapped around his head. As his head shifted from one set of prints to another, a feeling of anger began flooding into his soul.

“I need you to thin out this pack. You can shoot the sods from afar, and with that horse of yours, you’ll be able to stay ahead of them.”

“I can do that,” the pale man agreed, pulling his hood back up, still watching the back of the big man.

“There’s something going on this year that we don’t understand quite yet,” the British man told his friend, standing up and pulling the sword from the moistened ground. “Something feels different. It feels wrong…and right at the same time.”

“Maybe the legends are true, and the natives’ stories are coming to pass,” the archer suggested, beginning to stroll into a particularly dark portion of the forest, his fingers tightening on the dark wood of his bow as he disappeared into the night.

Finding himself alone, the swordsman stood and peered up into the sky at the bright round moon hanging in the air, twinkling stars engulfing the night. This was Big Sky Country, and it was true to its name. His eyes searched the heavens, hoping that an answer would reveal itself.

He let out a huff of hot breath, and the air clouded before his flashlight dimming the light slightly.

Shaking his head and turning to stare at the spot where his companion had disappeared, he whispered to himself, “I hope not. We’re not ready for them yet.”

As his words disappeared into the night like his breath, a clear rumbling sound thundered through the night on his left. Reaching down slowly, he drew his sword once more, its silver blade sparkling with the light of the moon.

“God above, keep me safe that I might be able to open the camp.”

The rocky growl turned into a mix of a scream and a roar as the furry eight-foot monstrosity leaped at the man, humanlike hands reaching out with razor claws. Swinging the sword out wide, the man pivoted to meet the demon in the darkness.

About the Author:

Jeffrey was born in Ogden, Utah in 1989.

Born to a podiatrist from Utah and a rancher's daughter from Montana. Stagg was able travel throughout his childhood finding solace and inspiration in the wild.

His interest in nature has made Stagg realize that the melding of natural world with magic was where he could excel. To keep ideas alive, Stagg is an avid nature photographer, imagining book scenes wherever he travels.

While attending Weber State University, Stagg was able to work as an artisan cheese maker for the award winning Beehive Cheese Co. in Ogden, Utah. It was there that the details of A Campfire Nightmare came together. During the 5 years he was employed at Beehive, Stagg has created story lines for many series he is in the process of writing.

Now, Stagg works as an educator and works with students in reading and writing. Encouraging those around him to spend more time in books.

www.staggliterature.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/53416743-jeffrey-stagg

https://www.facebook.com/staggliterature

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Interview with Author Jeffrey Stagg- A Campfire Nightmare

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

-       Well, my home has been Utah my entire life, but I spent weeks and months each year traveling through Idaho and Montana. Lots of time to kill on the road as a kid, so I started reading. I was really into fantasy novels. So, I began imagining on my trips mysterious things happening, like monster attacks or finding something magical. I got into Urban Fantasy because I always was in my own world of imagination trying to think of what modern weapons could do against different creatures or how society would react if they found out monsters were real. Honestly, how cool would it be watching someone fight a werewolf or a vampire with a machine gun? But, Urban Fantasy also allows me to blend old world fantasy with new world technology; two things that are contrary to one another.

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?

-       This is a little bit of a spoiler, but my vampire doesn’t appear until the very end of my book. In A Campfire Nightmare I mostly use monsters known as “warwolves”, like a werewolf, but with subtle differences. But, I will admit, in book two, which I hope to release soon enough, I have a pair of vampires, one of which I have never seen the likes of; I draw him from a real, old legend, from an ancient people. He is going to be fun and that’s all I’ll say about him. I like using these monsters because they are an amazing representation of corruption. I only use that in a general term, but the corruption of the human soul and becoming like the darkness humanity fears is incredible and terrifying. They are just fun to write about!

What inspired you to write this book?

-       I started this book more than four years ago as I worked full-time in a cheese factory, went to school full-time and tried to juggle a social life. I would daydream at the cheese factory I worked in, thinking about my favorite place on earth, Flathead Lake, Montana. Finally, I decided I should start writing it down. Whenever I found time in-between classes, or even during some classes, I would write. I came up with odd ideas, wanted to create something new in the world of fantasy, and I realized that my little story was becoming more than just a short story. I accidentally wrote a book. I literally wrote a book on accident, but I loved it.

Please tell us about your latest release.

-        So, my latest, and only so far, release is ACampfire Nightmare. It’s an Urban Fantasy aimed to draw new readers into my world. It is described as a YA since my main characters are around 16 years old, but it really was written for people of anyone older than fourteen to enjoy. So, let me tell you a little about it:

James “Jimmy” Downs is your typical sixteen year old boy. He wants to be popular, have a lot of friends and just be happy. But, there is one problem for Jimmy, his family is on the low end of the income scale. Apparently, money is everything to the kids at his school.

Jimmy and his best friend, Michael, believe they hit the jackpot when both of them are accepted into the most prestigious music camp in the world; Colman’s Amateur Music Program, also known as C.A.M.P. The camp is located on the shores of a glacier fed lake in western Montana. What the two boys don’t realize is that their families’ economic statuses will put them on the low end of the food chain in C.A.M.P. as well.

The two boys believe that bullies would be the worst thing at C.A.M.P., but the land on which the camp is situated has a deep, dark secret. At night, monsters haunt the forest, trying to get to the campers and the only thing stopping these beasts are two guardians. One little mistake and the balance of the guardians are tipped against them. Jimmy and Michael find that their dream camp, is really a nightmare.

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

-       My favorite character to write about is Michael. All my other characters are awesome, but Michael is my comic relief. He is the perfect tension breaker. So many times in this series I get to have him make jokes at inappropriate moments and odd comments. I can always rely on Michael to, not only do the right thing, but to make jokes about it as he goes. His humor will never change.

Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

-       Once more, Michael, but also Jimmy. I have a strange sense of humor and I make inappropriate jokes at the worst moments. Plus, Michael and I don’t really know when to shut our mouths sometimes. That’s why he is one of my favorite characters, but these are also the reasons why he isn’t my main character. Jimmy and I both have serious natures at times. He and I are the same that we need to think some things through. When my Michael personality is gone, it is Jimmy’s thoughtfulness that appears.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

-        My favorite scene in the book is definitely the legend of the Flathead people. Here is just a tiny piece directly from the chapter, no spoiler in it!

Like now,” Rox said, pointing toward the mountains across the lake, the sun dipping behind the mountain, but strangely, it gave a little light from its hiding place, “the sun withdrew its protection from the people and unleashed the hounds from their hiding places. “Their howls could be heard from miles away, and by this point, the poor Flathead people knew what that meant. It was time to go to war. Women and children ran to hide in their tepees, as if the weather-proven deer hide could really hold back the shredding power of the warwolves’ claws. The men, young and old, prepared for a night of chaos and death.

“Horsemen sat astride their mounts with massive, stone-tipped lances, and archers were scattered through the woods, some in trees and others crouched on the ground. All had been anointed by their families and the medicine man with war paint, giving them a ghastly visage. Hatchets and knives had been prepared for this moment, a war that would never be known about in the outside world.” A scream in the crowd drew everyone’s attention toward Stephanie, Janie, and Peter, but the three of them were looking elsewhere, behind Jimmy, Michael, and Kylee, into the forest. As soon as everyone realized the direction of what had frightened Peter and the two girls, the massive group shifted to stare into the woods. Some of the people gasped immediately, but it took a few moments for some of their night vision to sharpen enough to see the men lining the woods. Ten massive men stood in the shadows of the trees, all staring at the campers. None of them made any type of movement. They were dressed in deer chaps, headbands, and moccasins, and one had a massive headdress of feathers sitting atop his head like a crown. Each held weapons: hatchets, bows with arrows notched but not drawn, and knives, and a couple held large lances adorned with eagle or osprey feathers. It was clear that they were native Flathead Indians by the way their foreheads slanted up sharply. The paint they wore gave them an intimidating look. All were muscular men between the ages of nineteen and thirty, and they had the steely look of soldiers on their countenances. “Don’t move!” William shouted as campers began to get up. “They are only echoes; they cannot hurt you.” As the group calmed, the director spoke softly, with reverence in his voice. “Look at them. They represent what the idea of honor and human determination really is. They are heroes and deserve nothing but respect.”

-        I hope that caught a little interest!

Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?

-       While I was writing this book, I looked into several different legends of monsters and found incredible links between tons of countries and their versions of vampires and werewolves. A few of which I am hoping to use.

Something super interesting I get to do for my next few books is learn about cultures not just long dead, but some in which little is known about them. One particular place I have found is supposedly somewhere near Russia, and is a harsh, cruel land. Now, what do you think could come from there? Something super tough and scary. How cool is that? Add their legends into it and you have a crazy Molotov cocktail.

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

-       I love this question because my world isn’t really any different. I mean, sure, there are monsters and a couple secret societies, but, for the most part, these are normal kids. I created creatures that only come out during the night. Mankind as a whole is scared of the dark; not because of the lack of light, but that there is something there that they can’t handle. Monsters that lurk in the dark is our greatest fear and I just played that up.

The differences, I can’t give any real details because that’ll spoil bits about book one and two. They may be subtle in the first book, but they hit you like a freight train in book two.

Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?

-       Before I write, I have to find music that will set the mood for a scene. If I am writing for my villains, I need dark creepy music, for my fights, I need crazy rock, you know, for a good ass kicking theme song. Whenever I write something sad, I choose mostly slow violin music, it really helps break my heart.

Also, some of my best writing comes around 10:30 p.m. until about 1:30 a.m. when I shut off all the lights, so all I can see is the screen of my computer. Nothing will distract me at that moment. Plus, I am generally dressed in a hoodie with the hood up and headphones on. I rock out in the dark like your typical shut in. If I don’t have my surroundings like that, I can’t focus and have a hard time writing even a single page.

Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?

-        One of my favorite interests, besides writing, is nature photography. Too long do I spend inside, writing as fast as possible or working. I like to get outside and hike through nature, taking photos as I go. I have seen some amazing things. I have photographed eagles around lakes, quail scurrying across paths, ducks landing on water, moose with their young and so many other animals as well as all four seasons, waterfalls, mountains and fires. It’s amazing what you can find as long as you leave the road behind you.

Another interest of mine is working with my puppy. I have a Liver-Spotted Brittany Spaniel. She is amazing! I got her when she was just a little puppy and we are hard to separate. She is smart and learns quickly and we enjoy hiking everywhere together.

What can readers expect next from you?

-        Honestly, great and new ideas when it comes to Urban Fantasy. I am working to release two more books this year (2016). I have so many more in mind, and I plan to even delve into other genres as I go. A Campfire Nightmare is the start of, what I hope to be, a long and creative career as an author. I hope that my followers will enjoy watching my characters grow and reach their potential, going from picked-on kids to legends.

Where can readers find you on the web?

-        You can find me on Facebook as Jeffrey Stagg, Stagg Literature, LLC

o   Or you can visit my website: www.staggliterature.com