So, here’s the thing: as long as it took me to write this last story, it almost didn’t get written. Morgan, in fact, initially refused to let me write it… for inclusion in the podcast, anyway. My original pitch for Material Components, you see, was actually a little bit different from the finished project… and here I suppose I should say: if you actually intend to listen to the podcast, now’s the time, ‘cause it’s about to get spoily in here.

The original idea was this: two teenaged losers who are into magic wind up getting their hands on the real thing and come up with the brilliant- sarcastic usage here- idea of shooting up their high school and then bringing everybody back as zombies as the ultimate form of revenge for the ostracism they faced in their day-to-day lives (Note: this is not the source of the outbreak in Blood and Dust. Or maybe it kinda is. Or is entirely. I really don’t know, the zombies don’t tell me these things). Morgan immediately put the kibosh on this. To her, like I’m sure it is to thousands of others and maybe even to you, the subject of school shootings is a hot-button, nigh-unapproachable subject. It’s a matter that shouldn’t be trivialized, and I hope I haven’t done that here.

In fact, this story is a very personal one for me. Parts of it are almost autobiographical- I was one of those unlucky kids that faced the trials of the high school bully, and I definitely felt the dark gravity of the whirlpool of despair that Eli gets pulled down into. When you’re up against a situation like this, when the faculty seems unwilling to get wrangled into the situation and the safety of home is miles away both in the real world and in your heart, you go to some bleak, black places. You contemplate both methods of self-defense and revenge. Now, for whatever reason, one day this campaign of violence that I found myself embroiled in for months just… stopped. I didn’t ever really find out why. But in a way, I found out why it started, years later.

I was at a restaurant with my father one day, and had excused myself to go to the restroom. As I was washing my hands, the bathroom door opened, and in walked my worst nightmare. I found myself alone in the bathroom with this guy who had made my life a living Hell for so long. Who had driven me to thoughts of suicide, or, matter-of-factly, worse. I thought, given our interaction in the past, that this could only end one way. But instead of the daydreams I had put together in my head of “if I ever see that guy again,” this guy apologized. He told me he was a fucked-up human being at that point in his life, and he asked for my forgiveness. And instead of giving in to those fantasies of vengeance I’d concocted in my head in all the years prior, I swallowed my fear and my pride and I gave it. And as schmaltzy as it sounds, we shook hands and he walked away, and I never saw the guy again.

Now, I tried to leave the interpretation of the story open to the listener; that either Eli and his father, Matthew, were both touched and doomed by the power of the book and the dark forces it brought them into contact with, or they were both just two unbalanced people brought over the edge by the circumstances of their lives. There is no actual evidence of magic in the story, other than the results of Eli’s belief in it. It’s entirely possible that the darkness that Eli eventually succumbs to comes from within him rather than without.

That being said, my first pitch obviously wasn’t so deep, which is why Morgan initially rejected it. She thought, perhaps rightfully, that someone might get the wrong ideas from it, and be influenced to take the resolution of matters like this one into their own hands. Having experienced the feeling of being backed into such a corner myself, I hope that people get the right idea; that violence, no matter how seemingly justified at the time, should never be considered as a viable solution to violence. If you bring force to bear, you will only wind up bringing more force home to roost.

In the end, I’m glad she let me develop and go ahead with podcasting this story. I think that there are certain subjects which should be handled with care- but as a writer, I don’t think I should ever be forced to consider a subject completely off-limits. So I posit this question to you: are some tales best left untold? What topics, as an audience / reader, do you think should be taken off the table? And if your answer is “nothing”… tell me why.

Thanks for your time, folks, and we’ll catch you the next time the moon comes up.

-Dean Sasser

Dean@trickstermoon.com, Dean Sasser on Facebook, @Deanrockon on Twitter

Promo: Dark Journeys

Songs: Dark Matters – David Emeny

 

 Episode 06 - Material Components [00:58:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

To paraphrase the Narrator, I would like, if I may, to take you on a dark journey… *

One of the great things about podcasting is the community. Some call it ‘the tribe’. People are generally very friendly and helpful and kind. Not to mention talented. It’s because of these qualities in the other podcasters we’re slowly getting to know that we want to share with as many people as possible what they’re doing with their work. So from time to time we’ll be talking about the work of other podcasters out there… This week, Jennifer Hudock, a wonderful podcaster and extraordinary person, is doing a tour of various blogs in order to spread the word about her projects. And because we here at Trickster Moon think she’s super awesome, we were glad she agreed to take some time to visit us and answer some questions.

Morgan Elektra: Who is Jennifer Hudock? Can you give us your 5 word story so far?

Jennifer Hudock: I am alive with possibility.

ME: Dark Journeys is a short story anthology you’re releasing story by story. Tell us a little about the stories, where we can find them, and what made you decide to sell your fiction in this particular way.

JH: Each of the stories in the Dark Journeys collection is unique. They aren’t tied to each other at all, but share a common, dark undertone. Every story in the collection to date has been previously shopped around to traditional publishers, and a couple of them have been published in journals or online zines.

I decided to start selling them on Amazon and Smashwords one by one because I wanted to reach a larger audience with my work. Once I have twelve, I plan to compile them into a single anthology and sell it as a unit with a bonus story that hasn’t been released yet as part of the collection.

ME: You are also working on putting together two other anthologies that are compilations of other people’s work. What are they, and why did you decide to do them?

JH: I am working on two charity anthologies: From the Dark Side and Farrago. Each one will contain a large variety of work from different online writers, and will be sold on Smashwords and Amazon. All the proceeds for the From the Dark Side Anthology will go to the Letters and Light organization, which is affiliated with NaNoWriMo. All of the money we raise with the Farrago Anthology will be donated to my friend, independent filmmaker, Michael Bekemeyer, who is trying to raise the funds he needs to film his script.

I have always thought it would be a good idea to do some anthologies for charity, and one day Patrick Pillars and I were talking, and we came up with the idea to do From the Dark Side. We sent out an invitation to everyone we thought might be interested, and presented it as an opportunity to expose the other work, whether it be podcast, fiction or otherwise, to a larger audience, because the book itself will contain a huge page with information on where you can find out more about each contributor.

The Farrago Anthology popped up as an idea when Michael started talking about how much money he needed to film his script. I read the script last year and knew it was good stuff, so I wanted to do what I could to help. My fiance, James Melzer, and I started brainstorming, and I proposed the idea of a fiction anthology. The response was huge and incredibly humbling to see how many people wanted to contribute to see another artist realize his dream.

ME: You write in many genres, but your writing seems to have a dark edge. What is it about the shadowy side of things that draws you?

JH: I have always been fascinated by the darkness. As a kid, I had a few paranormal experiences that guided me to read a lot about ghosts, demons, spirits and the like. It just sort of stuck with me my entire life. I am also a big fan of mythology and my Celtic ancestral roots, so I love putting a dark spin on that genre whenever I can.

ME: Goblin Market , your podcast novel, is something of a modern day Grimm fairytale. How did you develop that idea?

JH: The idea from Goblin Market started out as a cross between a Labyrinth fanfiction and a spin on Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market’ poem. As I continued writing the novel, I developed a lot of mythology that just didn’t fit into either universe, and realized I needed to strip out the fanfiction elements and make it my own. That took me about a year to entirely complete, and after that it just sat on my hard drive for a long time because I didn’t know what to do with it. Then I got into podcast fiction and decided I wanted to share it that way, so I started to skim over it and make some minor edits, then began to podcast it.

ME: If you were to go crazy, Annie Wilkes-style, what writers would you keep hostage and force to write just for you?

JH: One writer- Neil Gaiman. And I would make him write Sandman stories just for me.

ME: You’re locked in a basement, waiting out the zombie apocalypse… what books do you make sure you have with you?

JH: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Swan Song by Robert McCammon, American Gods and Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman, Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry and Goblin Market so when all the other books get burned by crazy looters in the zombie apocalypse, aliens will find mine in the aftermath and think it was a piece of great American literature.

ME: Recently, you and your fiancé established The Creative Alliance, a website for creative people to congregate and network. What were your hopes when you came up with the idea?

JH: I really believe we are part of a huge shift in the creative element right now because of the ongoing changes in how we present our creative work right now. I know there are others out there who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and their own work, and the only way we can make a memorable impact and really stand out is if we band together.

ME: What are your plans for the future? Where do you imagine Jennifer Hudock in ten years?

JH: Right now I am working on a novel called Running Down the Moon that I want to publish traditionally. I am also working on the sequel to Goblin Market, Jack in the Green, which I plan to start podcasting this summer.

In ten years, I will still be making my dreams a reality because that is what I do.

ME: And finally, what do you want written on your tombstone?

JH: She Really Lived

Thanks again to Jenny for stopping by. Make sure you visit her website, and check out her work. Also, be sure to visit her other stops on the tour (which I’ve listed below)… I hear rumors there’s a going to be a giveaway at the end!

Sin-scarily,
Morgan Elektra

May 2010 Blog Tour Dates
May 14, 2010: Jim – Yes, THAT Jim
May 17, 2010: Edward G. Talbot
May 19, 2010: Morgan Elektra of Trickster Moon Productions
May 21, 2010: Ramblings of English with Chandra Jenkins
May 24, 2010: Paddy’s Wanderings with Patrick Pillars
May 27, 2010: Drew Beatty
May 29, 2010: Scrivener’s Circle with David Sobkowiak and Laura Frechette

*Just a note regarding the bizarre blog title, and opening line, for those of you that care to try and understand the inner workings of my brain. As I was driving home tonight, I was thinking about writing this blog entry up and trying to come up with a name for it. And so my brain goes “Hmm… Jenny’s anthology is called Dark Journeys… maybe I can make a play on that. Hmm… dark journeys… strange journeys… Oh there’s that line from RHPS. Oh, Rocky Horror Picture Show… I could call it Jenny Beanses Blog Tour. Same amount of words. But no, doesn’t sound quite right. Jenny Hudock Blog Tour. That’s better, because the H in Hudock and the H in Horror… hmm. But blog is only one syllable and picture is two. Jenny Hudock Online Tour? No. Too clunky. Jenny Hudock Weblog Tour? Who calls it a weblog anymore? Ok… Hmmm. Jenny Hudock Bloggie Tour! Cause then the syllables all align.”

Yeah. I’m weird.

A little over a week ago (on my birthday) podcaster, author, and all around awesome guy Mr. PG Holyfield was nice enough to sit down, via Skype, and talk with Dean and I about his book Murder at Avedon Hill. Unfortunately, the gremlins were feeling frisky that night and the audio didn’t record correctly. Luckily, PG was nice enough to come back and talk with us some more last night. As always, we had a blast talking with the incomparable Mr. Holyfield, and I hope you enjoy listening to the result, and don’t mind the few finicky mic issues. (Technology was not my friend this week… see previous blog entries for hints as to why this might be.)

If you’ve listened to previous episodes of Trickster Moon Presents… you might recognize either the title Murder at Avedon Hill or the name PG Holyfield. In Episode 02, Promopalooza, we mentioned the podiobook version of Murder at Avedon Hill as one of the podcasts that inspired us to try out this crazy thing… and you may remember me getting a little flustered  while discussing my…er… appreciation of PG’s voice acting ability. PG is also one of the hosts of my favorite writing roundtable podcast, The Dead Robots’ Society.

PG’s first novel, Murder at Avedon Hill, is being published by Dragon Moon Press. The book will be available on Amazon, and this coming Saturday, May 15^th 2010, PG is having a book release party live on Stickam. He’s also planning a rush on Amazon, but more about that in a little bit.

Murder at Avedon Hill is a fantasy novel, in that it takes place in a world not our own, and with its dark under currents and comedic highlights, it’s got a bit of something for everyone. The story focuses on a crime – a murder, natch – in the small town of Avedon Hill. Arames Kragen, a monk travelling to a conference with his charge Arrin Pertie, must pass through the town on his journey. Upon their arrival at the Avedon Hill gates, the two discover the town closed to visitors. Arames offers his services to the Lord of Avedon Hill in the matter of the murder in order to gain passage through the town, but what begins as  a means to an end quickly becomes a mission to find justice. With a large cast of interesting, and perhaps guilty, characters you’ll be kept guessing who committed the titular deed until the shocking finale.

I personally loved the varied characters that inhabit Avedon Hill. Whether it’s strange little Jilly Hemming (why was she burning those dolls?) , the cantankerous Marrissa (what is she concocting in that shop of hers?),  or the staunch Head-Constable Louis (where was he really the night of the murder?),  I enjoyed them all. PG manages to make even the smallest tertiary character leap right out of the story and sit down and say hello. Damned if you don’t end the story a little sad to say good-bye to some new friends.  And he manages to expertly weave the mystery as well… teasing and taunting the reader until the very end. I am normally pretty good at guessing who the culprit is in a mystery, but I was no match for Mr. Holyfield.  There was a definite ‘Ahhh… you got me!’ moment when the guilty party/parties (no spoilers here!) is/are revealed. And once you see the grand design, you can go back and to the beginning and see where each little thread finds its place in the story. It makes for a very high re-read (or re-listen) value.

Basically, what I’m saying is if you’re a fan of any of the following:

murder mysteries

 fantasy

 horror

 creatures (like vampires and werewolves and Orcs)

 magic

comedy

procedurals

interesting characters

mystical prophecies

gods

journeys

good writing

than you’ll enjoy Murder at Avedon Hill.  Which means not only should you listen to this interview with PG, and come join in on the fun of the book launch party on Stickam, but plan on picking up your copy of the book from Amazon on Saturday too. And if you know of anyone else who’s into any of the aforementioned things, pick them up a copy too. You won’t regret it.

Sin-scarily,

Morgan Elektra

 

 Episode 05 - A Murder of Tricksters [01:01:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So, I am recuperating from another Saturday night spent out with some friends having fun and staying up way too late. My back kind of hurts, my stomach isn’t upset really but maybe a little mad, and I am crazy tired.  But I had a really fun time and spent the evening with a couple of people who make me laugh – which I prize highly in the people I know. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China, you ask? Well, nothing… but it does have something to do with the well of creativity and where ideas come from, which is what I’ve been thinking a lot about this week.

I have always written. I’m one of those people who knew from a very early age what I wanted to do. Oh I went through brief periods as a very young girl or wanting to be a ballerina… or a vet. And I toyed with the idea as an adult of doing something else as a career. But even in those various scenarios, I always wrote… just not for a living. I have this very distinct memory of being six, maybe seven, and going with my mother to visit a friend of hers. We spent the better part of the afternoon there, and for the most of that time I was sitting at the kitchen table with a pencil and some paper, writing a story. It was called The Rainbow Maker, and it was about a world where no color existed and a woman who was a scientist/witch who concocted colors in a cauldron in her basement. I still have it somewhere.

So, I have always written. But recently I have entered one of the most prolific periods of my life, and it occurred to me to really examine why. Why are the words and ideas coming easier and more often now than they seemingly ever have? What’s the difference between now, and before? Well, to answer that we need to address the Dreaded Question:

Where do you get your ideas?

Well, where do we? Lately, I’ve begun to think of it a bit like a well somewhere deep inside of me. The well of creativity. And every person has this well, I think. We dip down the bucket when we are in need of an idea. The difference between us all is what comes when we draw the bucket up. Whether it’s an idea for a story, or a piece of music, or a mathematical formula, or whatever. Maybe you’re an architect and you dip into the well for a building design, or a chef dipping in for recipe, or a scientist dipping in for that certain tweak of a chemical composition. You send down your bucket and see what comes up.

And of course, what comes up depends on what’s down there, right? So, say we all have somewhat of a natural wellspring of ideas. Sometimes it trickles, and sometimes it gushes. But just the wellspring doesn’t fill the well. There’s rain too…  and that’s where friends, family, and community come in. Spending a night with good friends, having a few drinks and laughing and being silly? There’s a sudden summer storm. A passing comment from an online buddy? A light spring shower. A deep discussion with some fellow writer friends? A downpour. And each drop fills up that well a little more. And it raises the water table too, which makes your own wellspring flow stronger. And each bucket you draw up is now brimming with fresh ideas.

So, lately I’ve been listening to awesome writer podcasts like The Dead Robots’ Society or Mur Lafferty’s I Should Be Writing. I’ve been interacting in the podcast community, emailing the writers of the podiobooks I enjoy and reviewing them on iTunes. I joined up with the awesomely creative folks over at The Creative Alliance. Even just sharing a joking back-and-forth on Twitter, chatting on Skype or Messenger, or going out for a few beers with some friends from work… all of these things have been filling my well. And not only that, but putting me in a frame of mind to want to dip into it more often. And it is delicious and refreshing.