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jana_denardoJamie is the first on the Halloween fest, answering your questions and sharing a really cool sounding story with us. For the record at least two professors where I teach are ardent Bigfoot hunters and the idea of using that for a story really rocks.
Halloween Blog Interview questions
Where did you come up with the idea for your characters?
I listened to a couple interviews with people who spend their free time tracking Bigfoot and was impressed by how seriously they approached it. These weren't just some bumbling fools wandering around in the woods with cameras (or rifles). They were methodically collecting data from hundreds of cameras, cataloguing it, and analyzing it.
What drew you to write for this type of world?
After hearing the interviews, I picked up some books on the subject and I found myself fascinated by the fact that it all makes sense, if you look at it from the right angle. I'm not actually convinced that Bigfoot exists, but when I was reading about the evidence, it all seemed very plausible.
Who is your favorite horror/fantasy author? How did their works influence you? What is your favorite work by that author?
Perhaps H.P. Lovecraft, though I can't say I really have a favorite. I love the old Victorian vampire and ghost stories—especially Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla"—and a lot of YA horror novels, like the very creepy series of YA stories by Cade Merrill based upon the Blair Witch.
Who is your favorite character you've written and why?
I created a character named Devon who was the focus in a couple short stories about werewolves. He was a runaway, after being kicked out of the house as a teen for being gay, and lived on the streets of Boston until he was bitten by a serial killer who turned out to be a werewolf. Then he moved north into the wilderness of New Hampshire where he met another young man struggling with lycanthropy. Those stories have yet to be published, but my plan is to expand them into a novel soon. I think Devon is interesting because he got dealt a bad hand, but keeps fighting and eventually things work out for him.
How do you keep the supernatural fresh?
For me, realism is extremely important. I want to feel that this could all be really happening, and the trick to that is realistic detail -- making sure that everything the characters do seems plausible and not just the way they act in movies and television shows; including details that ground the paranormal in everyday life.
What is your favorite supernatural trope to write (ghost, vampire, demon, etc.)?
I enjoy writing about werewolves. For me, there has always been a strong sense of eroticism connected with the idea of people stripping naked and running around in the woods. Lycanthropy has always struck me as an allegory for repressed sexuality, something animalistic in our nature that we're helpless to fight against.
How would you like to see supernatural fiction develop?
I'd like to see a return to the folk origins of some of these stories, a return to the idea that these things are terrifying. Folktales about vampires, for instance, are very different from the romantic post-Anne Rice vampires we see in stories today. I like romance, but I'd like to see more truly scary paranormal romance.
Book Promo:
I’d like to offer a free download of my novella, “Finding Love Through Bigfoot”.
Free Download Link:
head here
Blurb:
Finding Love Through Bigfoot by Jamie Fessenden
Stuart moved to the country, looking for a little calm and stability in his life. But that calm is upset, when a large, man-like creature begins showing up in his yard at night.
Soon, Stuart finds himself running for his life through the New Hampshire forests, and the only person who can save him is an enigmatic ranger named, Jake. But Jake isn’t just out there on patrol — he’s been tracking the creature. And he won’t rest until he finds it.
Thanks for dropping by Jamie and feel free to ask more questions here guys. And check out Jamie's other titles on goodreads and amazon. A lot of fun sounded stories there!
Halloween Blog Interview questions
Where did you come up with the idea for your characters?
I listened to a couple interviews with people who spend their free time tracking Bigfoot and was impressed by how seriously they approached it. These weren't just some bumbling fools wandering around in the woods with cameras (or rifles). They were methodically collecting data from hundreds of cameras, cataloguing it, and analyzing it.
What drew you to write for this type of world?
After hearing the interviews, I picked up some books on the subject and I found myself fascinated by the fact that it all makes sense, if you look at it from the right angle. I'm not actually convinced that Bigfoot exists, but when I was reading about the evidence, it all seemed very plausible.
Who is your favorite horror/fantasy author? How did their works influence you? What is your favorite work by that author?
Perhaps H.P. Lovecraft, though I can't say I really have a favorite. I love the old Victorian vampire and ghost stories—especially Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla"—and a lot of YA horror novels, like the very creepy series of YA stories by Cade Merrill based upon the Blair Witch.
Who is your favorite character you've written and why?
I created a character named Devon who was the focus in a couple short stories about werewolves. He was a runaway, after being kicked out of the house as a teen for being gay, and lived on the streets of Boston until he was bitten by a serial killer who turned out to be a werewolf. Then he moved north into the wilderness of New Hampshire where he met another young man struggling with lycanthropy. Those stories have yet to be published, but my plan is to expand them into a novel soon. I think Devon is interesting because he got dealt a bad hand, but keeps fighting and eventually things work out for him.
How do you keep the supernatural fresh?
For me, realism is extremely important. I want to feel that this could all be really happening, and the trick to that is realistic detail -- making sure that everything the characters do seems plausible and not just the way they act in movies and television shows; including details that ground the paranormal in everyday life.
What is your favorite supernatural trope to write (ghost, vampire, demon, etc.)?
I enjoy writing about werewolves. For me, there has always been a strong sense of eroticism connected with the idea of people stripping naked and running around in the woods. Lycanthropy has always struck me as an allegory for repressed sexuality, something animalistic in our nature that we're helpless to fight against.
How would you like to see supernatural fiction develop?
I'd like to see a return to the folk origins of some of these stories, a return to the idea that these things are terrifying. Folktales about vampires, for instance, are very different from the romantic post-Anne Rice vampires we see in stories today. I like romance, but I'd like to see more truly scary paranormal romance.
Book Promo:
I’d like to offer a free download of my novella, “Finding Love Through Bigfoot”.
Free Download Link:
head here
Blurb:
Finding Love Through Bigfoot by Jamie Fessenden
Stuart moved to the country, looking for a little calm and stability in his life. But that calm is upset, when a large, man-like creature begins showing up in his yard at night.
Soon, Stuart finds himself running for his life through the New Hampshire forests, and the only person who can save him is an enigmatic ranger named, Jake. But Jake isn’t just out there on patrol — he’s been tracking the creature. And he won’t rest until he finds it.
Thanks for dropping by Jamie and feel free to ask more questions here guys. And check out Jamie's other titles on goodreads and amazon. A lot of fun sounded stories there!
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-12 04:47 am (UTC)I also am fascinated by werewolves, but for completely different reasons than the ones you've given.
I do love your story idea about Bigfoot hunter(s).
no subject
Date: 2012-10-12 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-13 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-19 03:02 am (UTC)(Sorry this is so late). I have to admit that while I enjoy those romantic vampire/werewolf/etc books, there really is nothing like a good horror story that goes back to the roots of the creature and the only happy ending is for the creature in question, happily munch on the bones of some unwary travelers.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-19 03:25 am (UTC)