Reading Between the Lines: How to Analyze and Interpret Symbolism in Fiction

Fiction is not just a form of entertainment, it is a way to explore the human experience, to understand the world and our place in it. One of the most powerful tools that authors use to convey deeper meaning and themes in their stories is symbolism. Symbolism allows authors to add layers of meaning to their stories, beyond the literal level, and create a more immersive and thought-provoking experience for the reader.

However, interpreting symbols can be a challenging task, even for the most experienced readers. In this article, we will explore what symbolism is, why it is important, and provide tips on how to analyze and interpret symbols in fiction.

What is Symbolism?

Symbolism is the use of a symbol, or a representation of something, to represent something else. In literature, symbols are often used to represent abstract concepts, such as love, death, or power. They can also be used to represent specific characters or themes in the story.

Symbols can take many forms, including objects, colors, numbers, or even animals. For example, in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies,” the conch shell represents order and civilization, while the pig’s head, or the “beast,” represents the primal instincts of fear and violence.

Why is Symbolism Important?

Symbolism is an important tool that allows authors to add depth and complexity to their stories. By using symbols, authors can convey multiple levels of meaning in a single image or object, creating a more immersive and thought-provoking experience for the reader.

Symbolism also allows authors to explore themes and ideas that may be difficult to express directly. For example, in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” the ghost of the title character represents the trauma of slavery and the lingering effects of the past on the present.

How to Analyze and Interpret Symbols

1. Look for recurring symbols: One of the first things to look for when analyzing symbols is recurrence. If a symbol appears multiple times throughout the story, it is likely that it represents something important.
2. Consider the context: The meaning of a symbol can change depending on the context in which it appears. It is important to consider the specific moment in the story and the characters involved when interpreting a symbol.
3. Think about the opposite: One way to understand a symbol is to consider its opposite. For example, in “The Great Gatsby,” the green light represents Gatsby’s longing for his lost love, Daisy. But when Gatsby finally reaches the green light, he realizes that it was an illusion, and that his dream was never attainable.
4. Look for connections: Symbols often connect to other symbols or themes in the story. For example, in “The Catcher in the Rye,” Holden’s red hunting hat represents his desire to be different and stand out, but it also connects to the theme of identity and the search for self.
5. Trust your instincts: Sometimes, the meaning of a symbol can be subjective, and it is important to trust your own instincts when interpreting a symbol.

Conclusion

Symbolism is a powerful tool that allows authors to add depth and complexity to their stories. By understanding what symbols are, why they are important, and how to analyze and interpret them, readers can gain a deeper appreciation for the stories they read. Remember that symbols can have multiple meanings and to consider the context and its relation to the theme and other symbols in the story. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to ask for help or to look for more information about the symbols

John, welcome; thank you for joining us today. First off, if you could share a bit more about The Undertaker’s Daughter without giving away any major spoilers? What inspired you for this story? Were any parts of it brought up from your own life? (Not including the Eldritch horror, of course.)
JJM: Thank you for the warm welcome, so happy to engage with you!

For awhile, I’d held a simmering interest in the subject of golems. It wasn’t until I did a deep dive into their origins and history that it boiled over into the need to tell a golem story. I sat before a blank formatted Word document, saved as ‘Golem,’ with three pages of notes and more details swimming in my head. Had no clue what to write. Within fewer than sixty seconds, it all came to me: characters, their personalities, and the plot. Like a radio signal from somewhere, just BAM!–got the whole story. Then I had more research to do on mortuary science. Apart from geography used as the setting no, not one character or any aspect of the book relates to me personally.I believe this is your first full novel to be released; previously, you’ve released a combination of novellas and short stories. How has this longer work been different from your previous outings?

JJM: Hear me now, believe me later: it is by far easier to write a novel than a short story. Think about it. For a story to work, it must grab a reader’s attention, pull her in, be so engaging that she can’t bear to stop at any point. She must keep reading to find out what happens next. Believable, relatable characters she gets to know through chapters of action and dialogue. In the hands of the reader, a sort of magic happens: she sees in her mind something very close to what the author saw in his mind. This happens in a multi-chapter story spanning 80-100K words. Now: make magic happen in only 5, or 10K words. Squeeze 100 pounds of magic into a 5-pound bag. See what I mean? Edgar Allan Poe only ever published horror short stories, and his work still tops the list today. Reading his stories, you see what he was seeing; feel what he was feeling 150 years ago. Feel what mood he was in. That is real magic.

It looks like you’ve primarily written darker stories with your fiction; what has drawn you to them?

JJM: By age eight, I had burned through the entire works of Poe, Lovecraft, Asimov, Shelley, Stoker–whatever ‘horror’ I could access. I’ve loved horror from Day One. I’ve always sought to feel a tingle of fear, like walking into a completely dark mausoleum in a supposedly haunted cemetery. I was a jaded horror reader by my teens. I felt like it was a fairly dead genre until Stephen King rescued it in 1974. I snapped up his works the moment they hit bookstore shelves, then shared them with friends. We’d meet to throw Frisbees under streetlights then huddle together to identify what ‘scenes’ of his were scariest.

When it comes to non-fiction, you were working as writing tech-based books for a living. How has preparing and writing in that realm differed from fiction?

JJM: Not writing tech-based books but yes, I wrote a boatload of marketing copy and legal docs. The discipline of writing is different for each writer. I know some who agonize over every word in typing new sentences, spending minutes per sentence. My previous writing experience probably set my process forevermore: get it all down once, then go back and correct fat-fingerings and nits. If time allows, get it down, do a copy-editing pass, then let it sit for a long time. Return to it weeks-months-years later with completely refreshed eyes. That’s when the flavor gets added.

If you could collaborate with any living author, who would it be and why?

JJM: Great question. Probably Clive Barker. I find that we are both unafraid of blood, gore, and grossing out our readers. We’re liberal with the gross-out scenes while obeying story arc and momentum. I think we’d have fun grossing each other out, like a little competition!

One of your friends asks for a book to read; what do you suggest to them? Now, they ask for a book to read that is written in the same genre as your own; which do you pick, and why?

JJM: Everyone should read the entire Holy Bible cover-to-cover (maybe skip ‘Numbers.’) It’s more than a dry history book. It’s alive. Makes Shakespearean tragedies seem tame. The horror inside is real. As for pure horror fiction, I’d say F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep. Just a fine horror masterpiece that doesn’t always seem to make it on horror reader-fans’ essential reading lists.

What book are YOU reading right now?

JJM: No Plan-B (Jack Reacher) by Andrew and Lee Child.

What advice would you give to inspiring writers who are getting into the craft?

JJM: Read everything in your genre. If you think you can do better, probably you can. Write stories to give yourself tingles of fear, or romance, or mystery: whatever spins your beanie. Assemble a database of indie publisher submission emails or portals in your genre, minimum 50 (the more the merrier.) Have someone you trust, like an already published author, read your work and redline it. Guaranteed there will be nits. Then submit, and keep submitting. Forget about the money offered for your short story, novella, or novel. Just get published and build on that.

Do you have any stories in the works you could tease us with details on?

JJM: Confucius said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” But sir—can silly graves truly contain every species of hate? The Vengeful Dead are nine unique hard-core supernatural horror stories designed to engage and unsettle the most jaded horror fans.

Seeking relief from bullies, teens turn to the dark side but quickly learn it exacts a heavy toll; other young mischief-makers out to make an easy buck inadvertently commit a great evil and try to cover it up—but quickly learn that dead, doesn’t always mean gone. Convicted and imprisoned, an assisted suicide doctor pays his debt to the State until he gains popularity among wardens for his lethal injection skills, but his many victims, including the wrongly convicted whom he executed, insist on payback. Professional graverobbers feel no regret stealing from the dead, until the evil dead get buried along with a curse. A below-average man’s luck changes after inviting a beautiful woman and her coven sisters into his world; the common child’s toy they sell him leads him to wealth beyond his wildest dreams—but at great cost to him and to the sisters.

Animal magnetism leads an avaricious young ne’er-do-well into the lonely arms of an attractive trust fund heiress, smack against her father and brother—also across the grounds to the family crypt, where four empty graves and incontrovertible revenge await. A successful illusionist flies to Palestine to buy an ancient magic artefact, allegedly authentic, traced back to the original pagan Arabic desert gods, along with a warning from the seller to appease the magic within or suffer unimaginable consequences—a lose-lose proposition. Contrary to his spiritual beliefs, a wealthy old man invests in his nephew’s business plan to prey upon those seeking immortality through cryonic corpse preservation, until his nephew disregards those beliefs and has him frozen—out of sight out of mind—but is he? Raised by a High Priestess mother in the Santa Muerte unholy death cult of Mexico, a rescued young boy, now a man running a business in the States cannot shake his faith in the White Lady of Death, luring and sacrificing the innocent at her altar, until darkness turns his own lure into the creepy instrument of his undoing.

One reviewer’s five-star rating and comment on the one story out of the collection previously published in September within a horror anthology: ‘So disturbing I could not sleep. Literally. It disturbed the sleep out of me.’ Mic drop moment for me. MY WORK HERE IS DONE, lol.
Thank you again for joining us today, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our readership?

JJM: Thanks for the great questions! I would share with your readers, assuming their objective is a shared one (getting published): Grow thick skins. Rejection is a big part of the game and never let this (or a sour review) near to your heart. Writing is a job like every other. Work at it every day and it will happen. Those who declare, “I will be published come Hell or high water!” are those who make it in the biz. It’s not magic; it’s a process. Follow the process. And when you do get published, market the hell out of it! Shout if from the mountaintops! Make your publisher grateful by increasing sales. There may be a magic connection between you and your reader thanks to your awesome story, but if few read it because there’s no buzz (few ratings-reviews, few Bookstagram posts, no podcasts, no Booktuber reviews, no eZine write-ups) then there are no sales. Create thy own buzz. Authors didn’t just magically end up in grocery store racks or on Costco’s book tables because their stories are ‘that awesome.’ They spent at least a decade following process, as must we all, starting from zero.

I know that the website has been pretty dead as of late. I’m sorry for that. I try not to talk about my personal life on here, so I’ll just say that it was health related. I’m fine. Everything is fine. I’ve just been. Exhausted. For months. I’m sorry to the authors who I started interviews with and didn’t finish. I’m sorry to the authors who I didn’t respond to. I’m sorry to the readers who had started to come to the site. And I’m sorry to the person who gave me this domain and webpage.

I’m feeling. Better. I’m not okay yet. I don’t know if I will be again. But, I’m going to try and be monitoring e-mails again. Setting up interviews with authors who reach out. And hopefully, starting to reach out to authors again on my own.

Sara

Q: Nick, thanks for joining me today. Let’s get right to it, what can you tell my readers about ‘The Exorcist’s House’?

A couple of years ago, I was watching a documentary on the famous paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. There was a room in their house where they kept “haunted” items from previous cases. It was even a museum for a while where you could visit the infamous Annabelle doll, among other curiosities. When the show was over, I wondered what the next resident of that house would think if they moved in without knowing its history. What if those artifacts really were cursed?

This was the genesis of The Exorcist’s House. The basic premise is that a husband and wife and their teenage daughter move from Ohio to an old farmhouse in West Virginia. Their plans of renovating and flipping the property are sidelined when they are tormented by a demonic presence in the basement. After researching the history of the house, they discover that the previous owner was an exorcist, and they’ll have to face an ancient evil if they want to survive.

My goal with this book was to create loveable, realistic characters and then send them on a rollercoaster ride into Hell. I wanted the horror to begin on page one and keep that momentum throughout. If it wasn’t scary, entertaining, or moving the story forward, it got cut.

Q: I feel that a LOT of horror fiction has been set in the ’80s over the past decade. What made you decide to go with the ’90s in this tale?

There were two reasons for this time period. First, I was born in ’86, so the early ’90s is that nostalgic sweet spot for me. This was the time I was experiencing horror at an age when I could get truly scared by it. Goosebumps, Are Your Afraid of the Dark?, Tales from the Crypt, Stephen King books, and ’80s/’90s horror movies were formative experiences.

The other reason was that my cousin owned a farm in West Virginia in the ’90s. I visited it often, and the house, the countryside, and the animals all made an impression on me. In the back of my mind, I always wanted to use it as a setting, but I had to wait for the right story.

Plus, it’s convenient to write believable horror in a world with no cell phones.

Q: When starting this story, were you always planning on putting out an occult tale that deals with what appears to be a demonic presence?

There was always going to be a supernatural element in this book. I started with the idea of a family moving into an exorcist’s former home, so I knew whatever that exorcist was fighting would enter the narrative at some point. However, possession and exorcism stories are horror subgenres themselves by now. I didn’t want to rehash the same old tale. If I couldn’t add something fresh, I wasn’t going to pursue it.

What makes Stephen King Stephen King is that he doesn’t just write about a haunted hotel. He has that premise but adds elements like a family recovering from alcoholism and the “shining” ability and blends everything together to make a classic piece of American literature. That’s a high bar to set, but the idea of taking a horror trope and enhancing it with rich layers was the blueprint.

Q: Your last work was ‘Anathema.’ What can you tell us about that release?

Anathema was my first novel. My initial motivation for writing it was to depict a person in recovery from substance use disorder in a way that most stories had not. As a person in recovery myself, I got tired of seeing TV shows or movies about the recovering addict struggling to stay clean every day. In my experience, recovery is the opposite of that. I wanted to illustrate that a person with solid recovery can literally face absolute evil and not relapse back into their addiction. It’s a dark, dark—like Pet Sematary dark—book, but it had to be to truly showcase the importance of hope and faith.

I wrote it over the summer of 2019, and a small press picked it up that November. It was released in February 2020. I had several promotional engagements arranged—release party, speaking engagements, book signings—but COVID had other plans. Everything was canceled. I was limited to online sales and word-of-mouth promotion.

Despite all that, Anathema still received favorable reviews and sold relatively well. During that time, I became an active member of the Horror Writers Association and joined the Horror Authors Guild. I was pleased to find out that Anathema won Debut Novel of the Year at the 2020-2021 Horror Authors Guild Awards.

I have a limited amount of signed first editions for sale on my website, www.nickrobertsauthor.com, and the second edition is currently available on Amazon.

Q: You’ve released quite a few short stories over the years, which is your favorite to date?

This is a tough one because I’ve written in many different genres. The ones that get picked up by the literary magazines aren’t horror, but they still explore darker human themes: addiction, grief, and loss. Out of those, I’d say “The Deal” is my favorite. It was my first published story (The Blue Mountain Review), and it reeks of amateur hour, but it’s deeply personal and brings a smile to my face in the end. The main character is a young man who hires a hitman to kill him if he can’t quit his drug addiction.

The story that disturbs me the most is “Grandma Ruth” and was featured in an anthology called Know Your Enemy by J. Ellington Ashton Press. This one gives even me the willies. It’s not the scariest story I’ve ever written (that would be “Sally Under the Bed”), but it creeps me out on a deeper level. When a young woman receives a call from her cousin saying that their estranged grandmother is on her deathbed, she forces herself to go and say goodbye. On the way to the hospital, she tells her girlfriend about all the childhood horrors she secretly endured at the hands of Grandma Ruth, but she doesn’t know that the worst is yet to come.

Q: Do you have a favorite character from your novels or short stories that you plan on returning to?

Both of my novels, Anathema and The Exorcist’s House, exist in the same world. I don’t plan on revisiting any characters from either story, but I am interested in expanding the mythology of the area.

There is one character in a yet-to-be-published horror/western story called “The Noose” that I could see taking on a few more adventures though.

Q: Now that you have both short and longer stories in print, do you have a preference in length?

I don’t have a preference in length, although I do enjoy the quicker turnaround on cranking out a short story and getting reader feedback. (I suppose I’m still a sucker for instant gratification.) Another perk of writing shorts is that I can work on them on the weekends during the school year. I’m currently an English teacher and a doctoral student with a wife and two kids, so my plate is always full.

A major perk of being a teacher for me is having the summers to devote to my novels. When I start a new novel in the first week of break, I stay on a militant regiment: I wake up, exercise, sit in front of the computer screen by 10 AM, and don’t stop until I reach at least 1,000 words. After three months, I have my first draft.

Q: You’ve lived in were born, raised, and currently live in West Virginia. What aspects of your work are drawn from the area?

From the time I read Ruth Anne Musick’s, The Tell-Tale Lilac Bush, I was fascinated by Appalachian ghost stories. The geographic isolation in certain parts of West Virginia naturally lends itself to a rare breed of spookiness. This state is known for its scenic beauty, but it also has a dark side that hasn’t been properly explored in literature or film. Our current claim to horror fame is redneck hill people in movies like Wrong Turn or other gems from the Hicksploitation genre.

There’s a certain joy I get in setting horrendous events in beautiful places. There’s nothing like describing a pink sky with the sun setting behind rolling hills, or a steep gravel road that zigzags up a forested mountainside, and then following that up with palpable dread and depravity. Cormac McCarthy’s brilliant novel, Blood Meridian, is the gold standard for this approach.

Q: We’ve seen what you write, what genres do you enjoy reading? Who is your go-to author?

I enjoy horror of course. It would be disingenuous to say that anyone but Stephen King is my go-to author: I am a proud Constant Reader. I do love Clive Barker, Paul Tremblay, Edgar Allan Poe, and Stephen Graham Jones as well.

Stepping out of the horror arena, I would have to say that Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Cormac McCarthy are all at the top of the list. I am also quite fond of true crime stories as long as they are tastefully done and non-exploitative. I recently read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and it’s now one of my all-time favorites.

Q: When not reading or writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I love spending time with my wife and kids, weightlifting, playing video games, helping people with substance use disorder find recovery, and planting myself on the couch for quality movies and TV. On a perfect day, you’ll find me on the back porch with my MacBook and a Cuban cigar, typing away while puffing on an aged Cohiba.

Q: Thanks again, do you have any teases of what you’re working on next that you could hint at?

I am presently working on the final chapter of my doctoral dissertation which is researching how possible stigma associated with substance use disorder could affect the employment process for teacher-applicants in recovery.

There are two short stories kicking around in my head right now. One involves a romantic getaway to a luxurious cabin going horribly wrong, and all I can say about the other one is that we shouldn’t take gravity as we understand it for granted.

Q: Finally, if there is anything else you would love to share with our readers, please do so here!

If you have read to this point, all I want to do is express my gratitude. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about a new author. I am blessed to have a passion and a sense of purpose that is creative writing. The fact that anyone chooses to come along the journey with me is humbling and brings me great joy. Keep me on your radar. The best is yet to come.

Welcome to an exciting blog tour featuring Steven L. Shrewsbury and his new, action-packed heroic fantasy novel, Killer of Giants! The tour takes place April 18-25 and readers of fantasy, sword and sorcery, and dark fantasy will love exploring first story of the Keltos warrior Rogan!

The blog tour features reviews, guest posts, and interviews, so don’t miss any of the activities taking place on the participating blog sites!

About the author:  Award-winning author STEVEN L. SHREWSBURY lives and works in Central Illinois. He writes hardcore sword & sorcery, fantasy and horror novels. Twenty of his novels have been published, including KILLER OF GIANTS, BEYOND NIGHT, BORN OF SWORDS, WITHIN, OVERKILL, PHILISTINE, HELL BILLY, THRALL, BLOOD & STEEL, STRONGER THAN DEATH, HAWG, TORMENTOR and GODFORSAKEN. His horror/western series includes BAD MAGICK, LAST MAN SCREAMING, MOJO HAND and ALONG COME EVENING. He has collaborated with Brian Keene on the works KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS & CURSE OF THE BASTARDS and Peter Welmerink on the Viking saga BEDLAM UNLEASHED. A big fan of books, history, the occult, religion and sports, he tries to seek out brightness in the world, wherever it may hide.

Book Synopsis for Killer of Giants: In an antediluvian world, Keltos warrior Rogan emerges as the lone survivor of a battle. Slaying a Nephilim giant from Shynar, Rogan takes back the mammoth his folk gifted the kings.

Soon, warriors are sent to recapture the mammoth and bring it to the Lord of the world, Zazaeil, a demon in human flesh, and the Nephilim giant Marduk, in the fabled city of Irem.

After learning that his sister is to be a sacrificial bride to Marduk, Rogan journeys to Irem in the company of Elisa, a warrior herself, whose mother is a wizardess. With a horde of warriors in pursuit, they encounter many evils, monsters, and challenges to their selves and souls.

Will the song of Rogan’s blood make him strong enough to be the Killer of Giants?

Author Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shrewsreh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorstevenshrewsbury

Tour Schedule and Activities

4/18    Jazzy Book Reviews    https://jazzybookreviews.com/       Author Interview

4/19    Horror Tree    https://www.horrortree.com          Guest Post

4/20    Exquisite Corpse        https://traciemcbridewriter.wordpress.com/         Guest Post

4/20    BOOKS TO CURL UP WITH     https://bookstocurlupwiith.blogspot.com  Review

4/21    The Write Start          https://www.thewritestart.net       Guest Post

4/21    BookWitch     https://bookwitchblog549755749.wordpress.com/           Review

4/22    Sapphyria’s Books     https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/ Guest Post

4/23    BookWitch     https://bookwitchblog549755749.wordpress.com/           Interview

4/24    Literary Underworld https://www.Literaryunderworld.com        Guest Post

4/25 Sheila’s Guests and Reviews http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/ Guest Post

Links for Killer of Giants:

eBook Links

Kindle Version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SGV5141

Nook Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killer-of-giants-steven-l-shrewsbury/1141004710?ean=2940160798370

Print Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Giants-Steven-L-Shrewsbury/dp/1736812556/

Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killer-of-giants-steven-l-shrewsbury/1141044545?ean=9781736812556

John, welcome, thank you so much for joining me today. I’d like to kick things right off and ask about your upcoming release of ‘Dark Stars’ from Tor’s Nightfire line. What can you tell us about editing this collection of stories?

Hi.  Thanks for your interest.  Editing Dark Stars has been a turning point in my professional writing life, as it represents the real first anthology I’ve put together and edited.  It was a blast, from start to finish.  It’s made me so much more aware of the spectrum of horror than I was before, and the presence of so many wonderful writers.  It was tough deciding who to invite to submit stories for this, so who knows?  Maybe Dark Stars 2 sometime.

You have both known and newer names attached to ‘Dark Stars’. Of the newer authors, whose work are you most excited to be able to share with the world?

There are authors many readers will be familiar with, like Alma and Caroline and Josh and Stephen—and, of course, Ramsey Campbell. But there are others, just as powerful writers, whom readers might not be as familiar with—Gemma, Livia, Chesya, Usman T, Malik.  I’m as excited by sharing their stories and hopefully helping them reach more readers.

You’ve written shorter works, longer works, and done editing. What are your thoughts on these different aspects of the written word?

Writing and editing exercise two related but completely different parts of the brain.  I’ve been writing for 30+ years, so I’ve learned quite a bit (still learning!) about the art and process of writing.  Editing, though…  I came up in the trade magazine business.  I was editor/publisher of an art magazine for years, then editor for a retail paint magazine.  I know about editing, at least in the non-fiction, more journalistic style.  Fiction editing is tougher, because you always have to keep in mind that you don’t want to edit everyone’s stories in the same way, so that the result you get is sort of the same, homogenous pap at the end.  All of the authors in Dark Stars have their own unique, easily seen style, their own voice.  I tried hard not to edit that out.

If I do decide to edit more works, I’ve learned quite a bit working on Dark Stars.  Especially working with such a solid publisher as Tor/Nightfire.  Kelly Lonesome, the senior editor there.  Been a blast being able to work with people who share the vision for the book without being nudged.

I still prefer writing over editing.  And there’ll always be a soft spot in my heart for short stories and novellas/novelettes.

When you aren’t busy working on writing or editing, what else do you enjoy doing with your time?

I live out in very rural Illinois on a couple of acres.  My wife, Deb, works from home, so we’re there (especially over the last two years) most of the time.  We have a couple of cats and a couple of pugs.  I like to cook, particularly bake.  I make some mean bread.  I also paint a little, acrylics, mostly space scenes, nebula and stuff.

I’ve read that you grew up reading comic books. Has that at all had an impact on your writing? If you had the opportunity to write for any existing comic franchise, which character or group resonated with you the most that you’d want to have a crack at?

Ahh, comic books.  Yeah, I was a big Marvel fan—Spider-Man, Capt. America, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, The Avengers.  Really got me into reading.  I think it’s had an enormous impact on my writing.  I’ve secretly always wanted to write for comics.  I’d really want to explore a little-used character from the ‘70s, The Son of Satan, Damion Hellstrom.  Marvel got really occult in the ‘70s, and it was great.  Nowadays, I don’t think they’ve figured out quite how to use the character, but that’d be fun.

Have you geeked out that comic books are finally mainstream or have your love for them waned over the years?

Have I geeked out over Marvel movies?  Ask my wife.  Seriously, I am a major fan of Marvel movies.  I also collect Hot Toys figures, which are arranged atop my bookcases in my office.  I’m up to 34 figures at present, with five more on the way.  It’s kinda an addiction at this point.

Your Twitter says that you’re from the Midwest! As a Chicago resident, I have to wonder, do our season changes at all affect your writing?

Born and raised in St. Louis, been in southern Illinois (where my wife is from) for the last seven years.  I love the changing seasons, and yeah, it probably does affect how I write and what I write.  Nothing better than cranking up the music, getting a cup of coffee and settling down for a nice day of writing when its cold or rainy out.

You’ve received two Bram Stoker Award nominations. I know it’s hard to choose between your children but are you more proud of either of the two?

I love the fact that both nominations have been for short fiction, but I think my first nomination, for my novella collection The End in All Beginnings, makes me prouder, just because it’s for the entire work.

Last year you started a newsletter, for potential fans looking to sign up, what can they expect to see in it? (Signup here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/LsRokyo?source_type=twpo&source_id=bba07669-d34b-40f6-ac46-badcc19afef0)

The newsletter is my way to stay in front of readers, give them some background information as to what projects I’m working on, as well as some glimpses into my life.  I try to keep it light and fun.

Thank you for your time today, can you tease any other fiction that you currently have in the works? 

I have a bunch.  Two novels, Plastic Space House and He Left, will be released sometime.  I’ve also got two collections ready to go, a cosmic horror collection called All the Stars Die One by One, and a short horror fiction collection called The Little Things we Don’t Discuss.  All coming sometime soon.  Two pieces of my short fiction will also appear soon.  The first, “Huddled Masses, Yearning to Breathe Free, will appear in Orphans of Bliss.  And “The Things We Did, We Did Were All For Real,” in The Hideous Book of Hidden Horror.

Finally, is there anything that you’d like to share with our readers?

Thanks for reading and keep reading!

Renata Pavrey

Q: Renata Pavrey, you’ve got a lot going on in your life, what else can you share about who you are for our readership?
A: Thanks for having me, Sara. I’m a nutritionist and Pilates teacher, but my interests range from sports to music, books and art, languages and gardening. I love reading and writing, and a lot of my work is influenced by my profession and hobbies. I recently had a Halloween-themed story selected by a Scottish publisher for a zine, which was based on nutrition science and fronted by animal characters. So that’s who I am – a little bit of many things, but passionate about everything I do and strive to do the best I can.

Q: Your debut solo release is the poetry collection Eunoia. What inspired you to put together this collection, and are there any themes that resonate across the work?
A: I have always loved writing poems, and using poetry to explore the limitations of prose. At the height of the lockdown last year, several educational institutes opened up virtual options of their usually on-campus courses. I am primarily from a science background (I have two degrees in Nutrition and Dietetics) and never had the chance to study literature formally. Eunoia was a culmination of learning and creating. With the pandemic looming large, I wanted to draw attention to the small things that bring us joy. The world was, and is, going through a lot. Eunoia strives to highlight what matters to us, however trivial those things might seem to others. The collection covers a range of themes across running, dance, reading, baking, connecting with friends, being taken for granted, coffee and tea. Interestingly, the feedback and reviews I’ve received so far have seen different poems resonating with different readers, who have even interpreted the same lines and verses differently.

Q: You’ve been published in over 15 anthologies to date. Which of your works are you most proud of so far?
A: For someone from a non-literature/journalism/creative writing background, I’m proud of all my works. I’m thankful to all my publishers for providing a platform to budding writers to present our work in the literary sphere. Some of the books I would like to highlight are Candy Capers from Raven and Drake Publishing, and Letters to My Younger Soul from EIV Publishing. Both books are charity anthologies – the former raising funds for the Brain Tumour Charity, and the latter donating all proceeds to organizations that work with at-risk adolescents and underprivileged women. Sisterhood from Wine Women & Wellbeing is close to my heart, because it’s the first piece I ever submitted (although it was published much later) and is about a friend who has always supported my writing. I also love Hallozine 2 from Coin-Operated Press, because it was the first zine that featured my work, and being a creative person, I’m thrilled to have my writing published alongside artwork and photography.

Q: Outside of writing you have a lot going on. The first thing I saw that stands out is that you are an Odissi dancer! For anyone not familiar with the style, what can you tell us about it?
A: Odissi is a form of Indian Classical dance, originating from the state of Odisha in the east of India. Historically the dance was performed in temples by women, and only male dancers could perform it outside. Now-a-days it is danced all over the country and even around the world, by both men and women. In my early days of learning the dance from Smt. Asha Nambiar in Mumbai, some of my fellow students were from Spain and Hong Kong. There are tailors who specialize in sewing the Odissi style costume from a traditional Odiya saree. The headgear and jewellery are also distinctive and sourced from Odisha. And the ghunghroos are blessed by the guru before we can wear them on stage. I have written poetry, essays and stories about the dance. Incidentally, many reviewers of my poetry collection Eunoia have loved the pieces on traditional dances and ghunghroos (ankle bells).

Q: As a marathon runner, keeping in shape is vital. I know that looks different for everyone, but what are the top 3 guidelines you feel are most important to keep up on?
A: 1) As a nutritionist, food comes first and foremost for me. It fuels your run and helps you recover for the next workout. Eat to be able to sustain a healthy life in mind and body.

2) Strength training is equally important in an endurance sport. Only running will not help a runner in the long run. Make fitness a part of your lifestyle.

3) Rest days are important. More doesn’t necessarily mean better. Ensure you recover well for the next workout to pursue the sport for a long time in the years ahead.

Q: You’ve written both poetry and prose. Do you have a preference between the two or one style that just feels to come more naturally for you?
A: Non-fiction comes more naturally to me. I love talking about books, animals, plants, current affairs. A lot of what I write is based on personal experiences, and these also make their way into my fiction. I use poetry where prose isn’t enough. There’s often power in saying more by saying less. Poetry also gives me a greater chance to work with wordplay, forms and devices, which I use as a creative outlet. I have also found poetry a great tool to explore different languages. I am currently pursuing a German language poetry course, and it’s fun, creative and educational.

Q: Where were you born (and/or are you from) and how has that affected your work?
A: I was born in India, where I reside. Several elements of my life in the country make it to my work. A poem I composed about running the Ooty Heritage Run in South India was selected for a travel anthology from Sweetycat Press. And a story I wrote about Muhnochwa from North India was published in a collection on urban legends from Crow’s Feet Journal. I’m observant and curious and a lot of what I write is from things I notice around me.

Q: I’ve seen that a lot of your writing has been in horror, is that your preferred medium? Are there any other genres that you enjoy writing in?
A: I love horror as a genre. The Goosebumps and Fear Street series occupy my earliest childhood memories of reading, followed by works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite writers – I love the dark humor of her essays, short stories and novels. I think horror writing serves as a medium to face our fears. The spookiest places in the world are no match for the darkest recesses of the human mind. I also enjoy writing literary fiction, satire, crime stories, fantasy fiction, and I’ve recently ventured into writing for children’s books. I wouldn’t call myself a genre writer since I don’t set about to write in a particular genre. My ideas decide what turn they want to take while writing.

Q: If someone asks for a recommendation for a book to read, what is your top response(s)?
A: If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino. I love all his works, and this one’s a particular favorite. The reader is a character in the book, and it has a narrative like no other. Ranaangan by Vishram Bedekar is another one I love recommending. Originally written in Marathi, the English translation by Jerry Pinto is titled Battlefiled – it’s set entirely on a ship, and is one of the few WWII novels written from a non-European perspective. Shirley Jackson’s non-fiction books are absolutely stellar. Although she gained fame from her fiction, her essays and dark humor can’t be missed.

Q: Thanks again, do you have any teases of what you’re working on next that you could hint at?
A: I started working on a non-fiction book as part of NaNoWriMo this year, but then I had computer problems and had to write by hand. So, I switched over to a new goal of a poem a day for the month of November. I now have a nice bilingual collection of English and German poems. I’m also working on a few submission calls for some publishers. Working full time in a completely different field means I have limited hours for creative writing, so my projects do take a long time to finish.

Finally, if there is anything else you would love to share with our readers, please do so here!

Thanks for having me here, Sara. It has been wonderful sharing with readers. I would love for readers to pick up my debut poetry collection Eunoia, and hope that it helps you find your own eunoia. I’m particularly proud of this book because it was a long time in production, and I’m thrilled to see it out and reaching readers.

I’m happy to share this beautifully illustrated novel, Child of Awareness with you all today! Read on for more details!

Child of Awareness (Redeeming Grace Trilogy, Book One)

Publication Date: July 2021

Genre: NA Sci-Fi/ Fantasy/ Illustrated

Intended Age Group: New Adult (targeted at 18+)

Gracie’s fire burns holes in the fabric of spacetime. A friendship with her long-dead sister and unsettling dreams can’t penetrate the dark mystery of her father’s past. If her light can’t illuminate the truth, her father and everything she loves may be lost.

Blending science fiction, fantasy, and family drama, Child of Awareness introduces us to the flawed, immortal Usuriel Family. Called a “masterclass in world building,” this sweeping coming-of-age story weaves in themes of loss, belonging, and first romance.

Trigger Warnings:

Mature language, implied sexuality, violence, self-harm, and child neglect

Excerpt

Chapter 1 – My First Heartbreak

The first time I met my father I didn’t know anything about his history. In fact, I didn’t know he existed until I was old enough to read.

As a young child, I knew little outside of the yellowing paint and peeling wallpaper of my mother’s apartment. Occasionally Mother and I traveled to an outdoor park. She’d push me on the swings, a smile on her gaunt face and her dyed blonde hair up in a messy bun. That was rare. More often, my mother slept during the day and didn’t have the energy to take me places in the daylight. Thus, those stained walls contained most of my world.

Not to say that my mother was unloving. Each day she brushed my hair, tutting at how my wavy red strands tangled.

“My hair was just like this when I was a little girl,” she’d say, running her fingers through its silky length. “And so was my nose – covered in freckles, just like yours!” The warm pad of her thumb would wiggle the tip of my nose and I’d giggle. Her smile lit up my whole world. “Ah well, at least you got your father’s eyes.”

“What was my father like?”

A dreamy look would come into her lined face and she’d pull me into her lap. “He’s very handsome. And powerful. I think you’ll like him.” Her arms squeezed me tight. “One day I’ll take you to meet him.”

That day never came.

Like all small children, the rest of my early years have been reduced to a few bright flashes of color and the smell of old tobacco smoke. The last memory I have of my mother, however, has not faded or blurred with age.

I was about five at the time and home alone in our apartment, playing with a stack of chipped wooden blocks. After a time, I rummaged up a bowl of rice crackers from our pantry. I nibbled the edge of one. Stale, but still edible. Standing on tiptoe, I ran the tap into a battered plex drinking cup we kept near the sink. Bringing my prizes with me to the living room, I grinned at my growing block metropolis on the stained rug.

Voices in the hall. My head shot up.

“Stay quiet and…” my mother had said as she walked out the door, waiting as always for me to fill in the end of the phrase.

“Don’t open the door,” I’d intoned dutifully.

With a smile and a kiss on my brow, she’d left in a cloud of perfume and fake fur.

Her instructions had never been tested before. No one ever knocked. The only time the door slid open was at my mother’s palm. To say I was startled at the loud, sudden rapping from the entrance hall is an understatement.

A spooked rabbit, I scurried toward the relative safety of the bedroom. One scuffed shoe caught the edge of my block tower and it fell in a loud jumble behind me.

“Hello?” called a muffled voice through the door.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Abigail Silver grew up in central Pennsylvania but currently makes her home near Charlotte, NC. She shares a humble, one-story abode with her husband, young son, and two fur children. She holds a BFA from Edinboro University in Applied Media Arts. She has been writing novel length work since high school, which was longer ago than she cares to admit. She grew up immersed in her father’s classic superhero comics and his collection of sci-fi thrillers. As an adult, she is an avid Star Trek and Dr. Who fan. When she isn’t reading, writing, or drawing (which is rare) she enjoys blasting music with the windows down on long car trips.

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Welcome to the tour for Burning Bright, the next exciting novel in Michele Kwasniewski’s series, The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart!

Burning Bright (The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart #2)

Publication Date: November 1st, 2021

Genre: YA Fiction

Fresh off the debut of her EP, sixteen year old Dani Truehart is flying high on a string of number one hits. After locking down her first full-length album in record time and furiously preparing for her world tour, Dani is torn between leaving her loved ones behind and embracing her burgeoning stardom.

Dani’s fame and fortune, along with her ego, explode as her tour moves across the globe. Elated when two of Hollywood’s hottest young actors, Kayla Spencer and Trey Connors, befriend her, Dani finds herself living life in the fast lane and recording her second album as she tours. Constantly dogged by the paparazzi, Dani basks in the adoration of The TrueHart Nation, her loyal super-fans who are ready to follow her around the world and go to war with anyone who dares dis their favorite pop star whom they’ve dubbed The Queen of Harts.

But with her mother’s desperate attempts to cash in on her fame getting bolder, a public drunken scandal and her inability to connect with her boyfriend Sean and her best friend Lauren, Dani relies on her guardian Martin Fox and manager Jenner Redman to clean up her messes. She also increasingly depends on the drinks tour dancer Beau slips her to cope with her overwhelming life. Between juggling her drinking on the sly, the pressures of her public image and her ever-increasing fame, Dani and Beau wind up cornered in a huge lie in order to keep her secrets under wraps. The pressure crescendos when Dani’s mother blackmails her about her drinking and best friend Lauren catches Trey kissing Dani at the launch of her third album. Desperate to keep Lauren from telling Sean and Kayla about the kiss, Dani makes a choice that threatens not only to take her down, but everyone who has made her a star.

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Excerpt

Looking like a carbon copy of last night but feeling like a shadow of myself, I sit on a huge gold and red throne backstage, waiting for the video package to roll. “Sounds like you had quite the adventure last night, rock star?” Beau elbows me playfully. I wince, grateful for the darkness that hides my burning cheeks.

“You wouldn’t have thrown up on my watch. I’d never let you get that sloppy.” He winks.

“Uh, thanks, I guess. But trust me, that whole scene won’t be happening again. Jenner and Martin have me on lockdown, and my parents are threatening to pull me off tour if it does.”

“Yeah, right. Like MEGA’s going to let your mom and dad kill the cash cow that’s raking in millions of dollars.” He gives me a wry look, his features eerily highlighted by the dim blue stage safety light. “Not likely. They might talk a big game, but trust me, you could steal a car, rob a bank or slap the president of the United States and you’d still find yourself on stage at curtain time.”

Available on Amazon

Rising Star (The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart #1)

Publication Date: October 20th, 2020

Genre: YA Fiction

In the first book in THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series, RISING STAR, fifteen-year-old Dani Truehart is living a life that is not quite her own. Driven by her mother’s desire for fame and fortune, she has spent her childhood dutifully training for a career as a pop star. On the brink of discovery, doubts begin to creep into Dani’s mind as she questions her own desire for fame, and she wonders whether she can trust the motivations of the adults who are driving her forward.

Following a brilliant audition arranged by her vocal/dance coach and former ’80s pop icon Martin Fox, Dani is thrown full-force into the music industry. She leaves her friends, family and scheming mother behind to move with Martin, who has become her legal guardian, into the Malibu compound of her new manager, Jenner Redman. Jenner, the former swindling manager of Martin’s boy band, leverages what’s left of his depleted fortune to launch Dani’s career.

Isolated from her life at home and trying to stay apace with her demanding schedule, Dani struggles to keep in touch with those she loves, connect to her withholding mother and find her voice as an artist. With Martin and Jenner at odds over their rocky past and finding herself unprepared to handle the pressures of her future singing career, Dani’s debut album and future stardom are at risk of falling apart.

Goodreads

About the Author

After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Technical Theater, Michele Kwasniewski spent over fifteen years in film and television production. Starting out as a film set assistant on movies such as INDEPENDENCE DAY, FACE/OFF, PRIMAL FEAR, and EVITA, she worked her way up to production manager on TV shows including BIG BROTHER, ADOPTION STORIES, EXTRA YARDAGE and MEET THE PANDAS. She is also a proud member of the Producers Guild of America. Michele’s colorful experiences in the industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series. Michele lives in San Clemente, California with her husband, their son, and their disobedient dachshund. RISING STAR is her first novel.

Michele Kwasniewski | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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