An interview with horror author, Lance Reedingee
Today for your chilling reading pleasure, we have an interview with Lance Reedingee, the author of the creepy horror novella, Goblins.
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I love that this story is set in the Appalachians. What made you decide to set your story there?
I live about an hour away from the West Virginian region and have visited the area many times. To be able to location scout the majority of ones work is such a visual advantage. This location is not that far from populated areas but just a few miles in and it becomes otherworldly. Once dusk sets in, the shadows of the mountains engulf the wooded trails and what better place to have monsters lurking in the woods. The small towns that encompass most of the southern Appalachians are charming yet daunting as well. As told in “Goblins” all of these towns seem to hold secrets.
How long have you been working on it?
It was about six months total from outline to finished draft, of course there is a long period of post production that goes after that. For many of my works there is already an outline for categories I want to write, such as: Vampires, Werewolves, Goblins, and other creatures.
What made you decide to write horror?
Growing up in the Eighties, horror became part of pop culture. Many from my generation gravitated artistically toward the horror genre. The primal emotion of fear based art helps to evoke emotion more so than most other genres. As well, horror provides so many sub genres that can be explored. A writer or producer can put out work with elements of comedy, drama, action, all under the setting of horror based art while exploring other creative outlets.
What inspired Goblins?
“Goblins” was defiantly inspired by the Japanese books and film “Battle Royale,” as well as the Spanish film “Intacto.” These works are all contest based horror which has fascinated me. In such works the audience gets to not only enjoy the film or book but examine the piece over and over as contest featured works provide so many different characters and points of view. Works such as “The Hunger Games” and “Lord of the Flies” are enjoyed over and over as they can be read or viewed thru different perspectives from all of the different narrative points. To write contest horror is a lot of fun, but the attention to detail and timeline of events is very difficult to keep up with.
Was it an active decision to write a novella?
My publisher has a great game plan for all of her artist which I really bought into. The team at Boutique41 implements a start small and grow philosophy. They encourage a novella in form of the atypical twenty to twenty-five thousand words to start, which was where “Claws” fell under. “Goblins” needed to be over the forty-thousand word mark making it officially a novel, though on the short end of the word count stick. Both works were well over that count at first draft and then we went to work on narrowing the narrative to give the reads great pace. In particular when writing to a North American base, you have to keep the story rolling. I love this philosophy of word counting in getting started. Way too many writers begin with their epic works and spends years working on a project that may never find a proper outlet and they just give up. My advice is to start small and build, if you can write a short you can write a novella, if you can write a novella you can write a novel.
Is there a horror novel or movie that really scared the hell out of you as a child?
As a Catholic of course “The Exorcist” comes to mind for myself and just about everyone who has ever viewed the film. Wes Craven’s “Last House on the Left” is probably the film that scared the hell out of me the most. The horror community worships the Eighties but the films of the Seventies were so brutal and shot almost as snuff projects that the violence is shockingly lifelike. Craven and other artist had to rely on creativity and live props as opposed to modern FX, which brought out many kill scenes that look absolutely real. We all love monsters and creatures but as in “Last House on the Left,” human monsters could be the person walking past you in the park which is scarier than any monster of myth. I read ‘IT” at a very young age and lived in a suburban neighborhood, so as per written work, that is the book that scared me the most and inflicted a serious distrust of clowns.
This is your second book. How did working on it differ from writing Claws?
“Goblins” is a much longer and more intricate work than “Claws.” The major difference was the amount of characters and settings in the work. A good exercise is to have a biography written of each character to reference during the project. “Claws” was one long setting with a classic two person point of view where as “Goblins” takes place in over a dozen settings with several characters sprinting to a conclusion. The major difference while writing “Goblins” was to go back and have to reexamine that motives of each characters as the story progressed.
What do you think your favorite part of Goblins is?
There is a Goblin attack in chapter two that is my favorite work of the book. Since the story plays as a action thrill ride horror, this attack is straight old school horror at its core and was so fun write. I got a little carried away and we did have to edit it to make the scene a tad less brutal but that chapter is by far my favorite and I have gotten a lot of great feedback from the horror community from it.
What do you see in the future for your career? Are you working on any new stories?
My current publisher gives all of her artists a game plan and I am now on step three. I have just started the outlinefor my next work with a contract to have over Eighty-Thousand words for a full blown novel. Each work is personal as I try to leave my mark on all of the horror tropes. “Claws” was a sea creature, “Goblins” is contest horror and this year I am working on a Vampire piece. Eventually I would like to do a series which could best be described as the “Game of Thrones of Horror.” I think the one thing the genre is lacking is an epic work filled with many monsters, perhaps the closest thing to attempt that is the Russian novels “Night Watch,’ or the Polish books “The Witcher.” I would like to remove some of the more fantasy based elements of these great works and put out a straight horror epic series.
Where can our audience find you?
Like many authors, I can be found on Amazon with links to all of my works. As well as my publisher’s site, Boutique41publishing.org. I am also listed on Goodreads and Barnes and Noble online. If you are a fan of all horror, I contribute to horror-nation.com with weekly articles and film and literature reviews.
Ever wonder what would happen if a witch, a mythological dreamscape, and a kitchen disaster collided at full speed? Jennifer Weigel’s Let’s Do Lunch (Witch Hayzelle’s Recipes for Disaster Book 1) doesn’t just answer that question—it serves it up on a flaming silver platter with a side of snarky humor and alliterative goodness.
This fast-paced, genre-blending novella is part mythological adventure, part obsessive investigation (Moby Dick style), and part cookbook. Yes, you read that right. The book sprinkles in recipes—some of which might be surprisingly edible (looking at you, tofu dish). I think the mix of this worked really well. At times, and this might be because of my background, I thought that the book was pushing into Gargantuan territory and then it slipped back into a real recipe.
Where Let’s Do Lunch really shines is in its world-building. The mythology of dreams is an intriguing and immersive element that keeps the story grounded in a unique and whimsical lore. The characters, while more like vehicles for humor than deep personalities, fit well within the book’s quick and quirky style. There’s also a delightful meta-layer to the storytelling, making it feel self-aware in the best possible way.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Weigel, Jennifer (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another thing that worked really well, even on Kindle, is the art the author produces. The drawings really do make a lot of the book pop and work remarkably well in black and white (or paperwhite, as the case may be). Even the cover is a mix of void space set aside by white–the creation of art through erasure of darkness.
Kindle Caveat:
One small hiccup–if you’re reading the Kindle version, be prepared for footnotes that don’t always play nice with e-readers. They can be tricky to navigate, making it tough to appreciate some of the book’s side notes without breaking the flow. This is something the publisher seems to agree with (as the amazon page has a similar warning).
Overall and Score
Overall, Let’s Do Lunch is a light, fun read perfect for anyone who enjoys their fantasy with a heavy dose of humor and a sprinkle of culinary catastrophe. If the rest of the Recipes for Disaster series keeps up this level of playful mayhem, fans are in for a treat (or at least a hilarious food-related accident).
(4 / 5)
“It’s the thing they say about Tome. Everyone returns in the end-“
Lucy Foley’s 7th and newest page-turner was released in June 2024. The Midnight Feast, demonstrates to readers why her name keeps appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. Blending a mystery/ thriller story with folkloric horror, Foley had me sitting up past my bedtime and considering moving Tome.
- Audible Audiobook
- Lucy Foley (Author) – Joe Eyre, Sarah Slimani, Roly Botha (Narrators)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Plot.
The Manor, an exclusive retreat nestled deep within the woods, opens its doors on a weekend of glitzy chaos. Founder Francesca Meadows, is the picture of serene wellness. A meditating, green juice-drinking, organic linen-wearing type, at least on the surface. The Manor was left to her by her Grandfa (no this is not a typo!) and she summered here as a teen.
Francesca is rather stressed because it is opening night and the construction is still in progress. The next stage in the renovation is the building of treehouses for guests to stay in. Inspired by one that Francesca had as a child. However, this means cutting down trees in the woods. Though this part of the woods is technically private property the locals are not happy, and neither are the strange bird-like creatures in the woods. These are Elder trees after all, and cutting them down would be bad luck without asking the trees’ permission first…
As a diverse cast descends upon The Manor, each harboring concealed pasts, the idyllic facade begins to crumble. Locals, masquerading as glamorous outsiders, mingle with the elite, revealing a web of interconnected secrets and unspoken resentments.
Beneath the veneer of tranquility lies a simmering undercurrent of tension, fueled by unspoken desires, long-buried grudges, and the unsettling feeling that everyone, in their own way, is seeking redemption at The Manor.
Highlights.
The Midnight Feast brims with subtle and insightful social commentary. One of the most compelling aspects is Foley’s ingenious portrayal of the affluent imitating the pagan, and vice versa. The elite, led by Francesca Meadows, strive to embrace “natural living” with white robes, floral headpieces, and a veneer of eco-consciousness. Ironically, they are aping the very rituals of the local townsfolk, who hold deep-rooted pagan beliefs. Meanwhile, these locals are donning formal attire and dropping their accents to navigate the social circles of The Manor. This fascinating dynamic, presented with understated humor, highlights the performative nature of social identity and the blurred lines between genuine connection and superficial imitation.
On a more profound level, Foley grapples with the complex issue of land ownership and the historical injustices it can perpetuate. Francesca Meadows, with her inherited wealth and privileged position, asserts absolute dominion over the land. She views it as her exclusive domain. She attempts to restrict access to the woods, a vital thoroughfare for the local community, sparking a conflict that raises important questions about land rights, historical dispossession, and the inherent unfairness of a system that allows a few to claim ownership over land that has been traditionally used and revered by others for generations.
Drawbacks.
My only criticism of this book is for something Foley is known for doing; 5+ points of view. There’s Bella, Owen, Francesca, Eddie, DI Walker, and local fishermen, then add to this journal entries from the summer of 2010 and it really does feel like you are drowning in the beginning. Despite this overwhelm, as you become more familiar with the characters it becomes easier to follow. Foley is excellent at making her characters’ voices distinct from one another. So much so that you almost don’t need the names at the top of the chapters. But buyer beware.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Foley, Lucy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Final Take.
Having thoroughly enjoyed all of Foley’s novels that I’ve read, I can confidently say that The Midnight Feast is a standout. The seamless integration of folkloric elements – a personal favorite – truly elevates the narrative. From the enigmatic markings to the otherworldly creatures lurking within the forest and the intriguing use of solstice as chapter markers, Foley masterfully weaves a captivating and atmospheric tale that kept me utterly engrossed. This is a true page-turner that I wholeheartedly recommend.
(5 / 5)
Published in January of 2024, This Wretched Valley is Jenny Kiefer’s debut novel and is a horror written for hikers, campers, and all of your general outdoorsy type people. Reminiscent of Scott Smith’s The Ruins, with a healthy helping of Adam Nevill’s The Ritual, This Wretched Valley is a story of restless and vengeful spirits with some spectacular body horror scenes you will not forget.
The Plot.
Set in Kentucky, This Wretched Valley’s main plot covers a week in March of 2019. The time-stamped chapters follow four college friends and their faithful Australian Shepherd. One of the four friends, Clay, has discovered a rock formation that appears to have never been climbed or explored. The group embark on an expedition that is part rock climbing exploration and part scientific research. From the moment they enter the valley at the base of the rock things don’t feel right. Their dog, Slade, is acting funny and the plant life grows in unusual varieties and patterns for this part of Kentucky.
After an accident climbing the rock things go from bad to worse, with strange apparitions appearing before them and dead animals being left at the edges of the camp. The worst thing is that despite following their GPS, they can’t seem to find their way back to the car. Tempers flare, but is it because of the situation they find themselves in, or is something influencing their emotions?
Highlights.
One of the highlights of This Wretched Valley is the short chapters that are dotted throughout the book. These chapters tell the stories of other people who came before our hikers, from other centuries, that suffered due to their presence in the valley. As the main chapters culminate the characters from the historical chapters begin to pop up in the present.
The descriptions of the injuries the hikers suffer, real and imagined, are excellent. Kiefer really knows how to make a reader squirm, if you enjoy blood and gore this book is for you. There is one scene in particular with a swarm of flies that I read twice.
Drawbacks.
I know it is a necessary evil in horror, that the main characters must miss things that may seem obvious to the reader for the story to build. I mean, if the hikers in This Wretched Valley picked up on how the dog was acting in the first chapter and left we wouldn’t have this excellent book. That being said, so many things begin to go wrong, but each is shrugged off or explained away. The ignorance of huge things that were happening right in front of them seemed a little too wilful. Perhaps we can give Kiefer the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe this was the point, the wilfully ignorant get what they deserve.
Another grip I have with this book is the head-hopping. Rather than focus on one character in a chapter and reading their point of view, Kiefer has head hopped. Delivering various points of view within a chapter, sometimes within a paragraph. And that’s fine, many authors do this. However, at times it was hard to figure out who was seeing or thinking a particular thing. Going back to reread some paragraphs did help, but stopping in the middle of the action to reread is not ideal.
The Final Take.
While I’m not an avid outdoorsman myself – camping, hiking, and climbing aren’t my passions. I found myself thoroughly engaged with the descriptions of the natural world in this novel. Kiefer, a rock climbing enthusiast, clearly brings a genuine passion and expertise to her depictions of This Wretched Valley. I believe any reader who enjoys these pursuits will find a particular resonance in her writing.
For those interested, I discovered that Jenny Kiefer owns Butcher Cabin Books, a unique horror bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky. If you’re in the area perhaps pop in and explore a book store dedicated to the world of horror literature.
(4 / 5)
