Werewolves in Cynthia’s Attic

It is my great honor to host today's stop on Mary Cunningham's blog tour to celebrate her latest book in the Cynthia's Attic series.  The Legend of Lupin Woods. Mary was one of the first authors to ever visit the Asylum and she is a wonderful author and awesome lady. Usually I tend to grill the author with my mind bending questions (okay, they aren't that mind bending, but they are fun! So I've heard), but today, Mary gets to take over. That's right, the inmates have taken over!! Take it away, Mary:

In 2004, fresh off the excitement of my first 2-book publishing contract for Cynthia’s Attic, I began establishing an online presence at my publisher’s request, uh…insistence.

One of my first tasks was to explore author websites and chat groups. Believe it or not, I didn’t find one blog! Blogging had not reached the manic proportions of today, with most bloggers writing simple, online journals; but networking sites were hot.

I joined a children’s chat group in order to schmooze with other young reader/young adult authors and immediately related to one particular author. Both of us had first-time multi-book contracts, the idea for our series’ sprang from recurring dreams, and our stories were fantasy/fiction. The perfect networking match. 

We chatted, online, for several months, and then lost touch. I can’t quite remember why, but I supposed it was because I was in the middle of editing my first book, Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket, deadlines approached, and time management was crucial. I’m sure it had nothing to do my online buddy, Stephanie Meyer’s schedule. Wonder what ever happened to her? I do hope she had some success with her series about…uh, vampires, I think.

Speaking of vampires, I was recently asked why, until Book Five, I choose to write stories for ‘Tweens that are lighter; vampire-less, werewolf-less, zombie-less…you get the drift. I can’t really say. It just happened. Cynthia’s Attic always delves into magic and spells and such, but the scariest monster, to date, was Stony, a rock monster who attacks twelve-year-old Gus, in an enchanted garden in The Magician’s Castle. Other than that, a nasty, bad-breathed clown, a sinister stranger on horseback, and a friendly alligator were the most menacing characters in Cynthia’s Attic. Until Cynthia's Attic: The Legend of Lupin Woods.

Yes, I crumbled. In the 5th and (sniff) final book in the series, a werewolf pops into the lives of best friends, Cynthia and Gus. Not your typical werewolf, mind you…a more congenial, helpful type, but a werewolf to be sure.

This werewolf would kill for a peak inside the book!

What do you know!! Here's an excerpt from Cynthia's Attic: The Legend of Lupin Woods!

Those eyes…did they just move? Hair stood straight up on my neck as a low growl inched ever closer. I sucked in one last breath and hid my face waiting for a fatal blow or bite.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" My head jerked skyward. Yellow eyes hovered. "Cat got your tongue?"

The creature bent down and poked my upper arm with a furry finger. I wanted to run, but sheer terror kept me plastered to the tree.

The hulking figure straightened and chuckled. "I'm not planning to hurt you. What are you doing in Lupin?"

Lupin? I tried to answer, but dryness gripped my throat as if I'd swallowed an entire sandbox. Plus, an ominous word jumped into my brain. I'd heard something that sounded like lupin once before. It was at the movies! Wolfman. Oh, no. Lupine is another name for wolf! Was I in a wolf forest?

My eyes scanned the treetops. I might be saved if the sun rose soon, but light would have to pass through the dense canopy, and from where I sat, that seemed doubtful. The beast must've read my mind.

"If you're waiting for sunrise, you'll be disappointed." It smiled–or made a weak attempt–revealing huge, pointy teeth. "Instead of night and day, around here we have night and black."

I gulped and managed enough spit to choke out four words. "Why-am-I-here?"

 

Cynthia's Attic: The Legend of Lupin Woods (Book 5) - Synopsis

Cynthia and Gus have solved a lot of mysteries across time, but something is seriously wrong and things are beginning to unravel.

Aunt Belle is missing…again! Cynthia’s great-grandfather, Beau, was never found! And now they are wondering if Blackie is still making life miserable for Lilly and Annie.

This time, the twelve-year-old girls journey into a strange woods full of frightening creatures and dark secrets in search of answers.

From Aunt Belle's cottage to a small village in France, they meet new friends and discover a connection to New Orleans that may lead to the devious source behind these alarming developments. Or bigger trouble.

Check out this FUN video for the Cynthia's Attic Series:

Keep following Mary on her tour and check out previous stops - 

Visit Cynthia's Attic Blog for a schedule of The Legend of Lupin Woods Blog Tour!

http://cynthiasattic.blogspot.com/2012/05/cynthias-attic-legend-of-lupin-woods.html

But wait!! There's more.

Mary Cunningham, author

Cynthia's Attic Series

The Missing Locket

The Magic Medallion

Curse of the Bayou

The Magician's Castle

Legend of Lupin Woods

Bio: Like Cynthia and Gus, my childhood best friend, Cynthia and I grew up in a small, Southern Indiana town…the setting for the series. Not one summer day passed that we weren’t playing softball, hide and seek, badminton, or croquet with friends in the vacant lot behind Becky’s house.

In my attempt to grow up, I joined The Georgia Reading Association, and the Carrollton Creative Writers Club. When giving my fingers a day away from the keyboard, I enjoy golf, swimming and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where I live with my husband and adopted furry, four-legged daughter, Lucy. Together we’ve raised three creative children and are thrilled with our 2 granddaughters.

At last count, I’ve moved 9 times to six different states (all after the age of 36), and aside from the packing and unpacking, it’s been a great experience, having made some very dear and lasting friendships. My non-writing time is spent showing power point presentations on gathering ideas and the writing process to schools and libraries.

Mary Cunningham Books - http://www.marycunninghambooks.com

Are you book crazy? Of course you are, that's why you are here. Good news. This is where you can buy Mary's books:

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/mc-lolw-Smash

OmniLit - http://tinyurl.com/mc-lolw-OmniLit

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Cunningham/e/B002BLNEK4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Cunningham/e/B002BLNEK4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

WELL, that was fun. I should let inmates... ahem... authors, take over more often. Now, get out there and read, and write, and create great books... just like Mary.  

Gretchen McNeil POSSESSes us!

Possession. EVP. Other dimensions. Ghosts. Aliens. And a few certain shall-remain-nameless story arcs from the DC universe. The world is filled with unexplained things. For many of us we believe in monsters, demons, and all kinds of things that go bump in the night. Writing about them can be a cathartic way of dealing with our fear. Others of us, like to chalk up mysterious happens to human created psychosis. I fall in the grey areas of these beliefs. I have experienced many strange things in my lifetime. Some of them easy to explain... some of them not. Our guest author today had a childhood fear of demonic possession. So what did she decide to write her first YA book about? You guessed it.

Gretchen McNeil's POSSESS takes us on the journey of fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu who just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Before we get started, let's set the tone and scare the pants off a bunch of readers. WARNING: The following trailer will give you a serious untreatable case of the heebie jeebies.

For those of us that don't know you, can you tell me a bit of your background and what brought you to writing for YA? 

Gretchen McNeil - I started out as a performer – an opera singer, to be exact. I have two college degrees to prove it, too! Writing came along relatively late for me: about five years ago. I was going through a divorce and needed something to occupy my mind. My first novel wasn't YA, but all the agents who rejected it kept saying it had a YA voice. And here I am.

What made you focus on writing thriller/horror/suspense? Can you talk to us about some of your influences in this genre? 

GM - I'm a junky for a good mystery and anyone who can spin me along on a tenuous thread of suspense and expectation, turning the screws and upping the ante with every page. In fiction, Agatha Christie and Christopher Pike were huge influences on my writing and clean, direct style of storytelling. I also love Wilkie Collins, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Brontes, Daphne du Maurier, Diane Setterfield, Henry James and Edgar Allen Poe. And of course, the masterful cinematic storytelling of Alfred Hitchcock. 

What scares you the most and do put those fears into your writing as a cathartic way of dealing with them?

GM - POSSESS addressed one of my personal fears: demonic possession. The Exorcist traumatized me as a child, so when I was thinking of scary topics for fiction, it was at the top of my list. Researching demonic possession throughout history and across cultural boundaries was incredibly interesting, and perhaps creating a character who was born to combat their evil was my way of easing the fear.

Why do you think people love reading dark books and in your opinion what draws them to the "fear factor"? 

GM - There's an adrenaline release that goes along with being scared. The delicious promise of a "gotcha" moment: the way the hair stands up on the back of your neck, your heart racing from pure anticipation. And of course, the knowledge deep down, that it isn't actually happening to you. It allows us to experience something horrific without actually experiencing something horrific.

Current horror and thriller films have pushed the envelope as far as brutality - losing the element of true horror. How do we bring that audience to books and keep them scared? 

GM - For me, horror isn't about blood splatter and body count. The "splatter porn" aspect of many modern horror franchises doesn't appeal to me. Truly fear-inducing moments to me are about ambiance, tone, stakes, and as I said earlier, the heart-stopping anticipation of what might happen around every turn, and behind every closed door. I'm more terrified by a scene where someone is walking alone in the woods, hearing noises and experiencing the acute sensation that someone or something is following them, rather than a bloody kill scene.

The Strangers - 2008

Agreed! I love the tension building. Although I have a soft spot for the over the top bloody moments like The Evil Dead.

What has changed for you being a writer now that you are published? 

GM - The biggest change for me as been in how I write. I have deadlines now, other books to edit and promote while I'm drafting. It's more of a profession than a hobby, and I had to make that mental shift.


Your latest book TEN sounds dark and deelish. Can you give a snipet of it? When can we get our hands on it? 

GM - TEN comes out on September 18th from Balzer + Bray. I'd share a teaser, but I swear it'll ruin it for you. Almost every chapter has a spoiler!

And - finally - when people ask you what is a great scary book to read, what do you tell them? Why? 

GM - Hands down, my favorite scary book of all time is SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury. I haven't read much of his work because I'm not a huge sci fi fan, but this book scares the crap out of me. Creepiness drips from every page. A total masterpiece.

And the movie version...

I don't know about you but I am ready to exorcise my writing muscles. See what I did there? I highly recommend that you check out Gretchen's books if you haven't.

Thank you, Gretchen for visiting the asylum and letting us creep around the dark side with you. Until we meet again... in a dark alley. Muahahahahaha....

INFECTIOUS writing with Megan Crewe

I warned you not to go out tonight... It comes to life... Who will survive and what will be left of them... They're here...

We've all read the warnings and yet we still walk deep into the dark without a flashlight. Whether it be true life horror, fictional horror, supernatural, paranormal, thriller, dark fantasy and beyond, somewhere deep inside us (most of us) there is a desire to be creeped out. Only in the safety of our homes of course. But what if that horror hits home, invades your home, your daily routine, or you very being? Author MEGAN CREWE brings us a dark tale of speculative fiction that is very much based in the real life terror of what if. THE WAY WE FALL released earlier this year by Disney-Hyperion is Megan's second book and it's about a virus outbreak on an island that brings terrifying results. I recently reached out to Megan to chew her brain about her writing and what scares her.

Photo credit: Chris Blanchenot

For those of us that don't know you, can you tell me a bit of your background and what brought you to writing for YA?

Megan Crewe - I've always loved making up stories. I was the sort of quiet, introverted kid who could spend hours just hanging out in the worlds I imagined in my head (and, er, I'm not so different as an adult). As soon as I could, I started writing those stories down. I got progressively more ambitious--I wrote my first novels in my teens. At that time, I wrote about teenagers because that was what I knew. I figured as I got older and more experienced, I'd start writing older and more experienced characters. But as I got into my twenties, I realized that I wanted to keep writing about the teen years. It's just such an intense and complex time in people's lives, when they're going through so many firsts and making decisions about what kind of person they want to be. There's so much possibility, and that makes for fascinating stories.

What made you focus on writing thriller/horror/suspense? Can you talk to us about some of your influences in this genre? 

MC - To be honest, I don't think of myself as a thriller or horror writer. Pretty much everything I write falls under the umbrella of speculative fiction--which includes horror, but also science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, etc. I can enjoy reading completely realistic stories, but when it comes to writing, I find it hard to get really excited about a story unless it has some sort fantastical or futuristic element. And sometimes those fantastical or futuristic elements are scary. ;)

The horror genre has definitely had a major impact on my writing, though. I was a teenager in the '90s, when the most popular type of YA was horror: R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, Caroline B. Cooney, and so on. So I read a lot of that, and it informed my early impressions of teen fiction. I particularly appreciated Pike's books for the way he balanced the supernatural or thriller elements of his books with realistic teenage concerns, which actually made them even more scary, because they felt more real. That's something I try to do with my own books.
And one of the first adult fiction writers I got into was Stephen King. (I have vivid memories of reading FIRESTARTER in sixth grade.) I was (and still am) incredibly impressed by his ability create tension and suspense, to the point that I could be glued to the page for a seven paragraph description of something as simple as a character opening a door. I'd say one of my goals for every book I write is to make it as difficult to put down as possible, and King is the master of the page-turner.

What scares you the most and do put those fears into your writing as a cathartic way of dealing with them?

MC - I find the idea of death in general very frightening. I'd imagine the fact that I seem to write a lot of stories involving ghosts (my first published novel, and two others not yet sold) has something to do with that. And disease has always seemed to me to be one of the scariest ways you could die. Most things that threaten you, there are ways you can fight them off. But a virus can get right inside you without you even knowing it's there, and then wreak havoc on your body that you're helpless to stop. I wrote THE WAY WE FALL because I'm afraid of viruses and epidemics. I think we write the best stories when we're writing about something that really gets to us emotionally. I'm not sure how cathartic it was. While I was doing research for the book, I think I made myself even more scared than I'd been before!

Why do you think people love reading dark books and in your opinion what draws them to the "fear factor"?

MC - Well, I think catharsis does come into play there. When you read about something dark or scary, and about the characters surviving it, you almost feel like you've been through that struggle yourself, without having to actually be at risk. It gives you a sense that even when things are horrible, it's possible to survive and to have hope. I suspect some people also enjoy frightening books (and movies) for the same reason people enjoy roller coasters--there's a thrill and an adrenaline rush to provoking that panic response in yourself.

I feel that current horror and thriller films have pushed the envelope as far as brutality - losing the element of true horror. How do we bring that audience to books and keep them scared?

MC - I don't know if we necessarily can. Not everyone who loves movies is going to be engaged by a book, they're such different mediums. But I think as long as there are a variety of horror books being published--those that are more suspenseful and psychological, those that include their own sort of brutality--and we get word out about them, the people who'd be interested in reading them will find them.

Terrifying reads await...

What has changed for you being a writer now that you are published?

MC - Well, I have deadlines. Heh. I've found the biggest change after being published is the amount of outside involvement in your writing. When you haven't been published yet, you can write whatever you want, on your own schedule. No one's reading your books other than your critique partners and some of the agents and/or editors you may be submitting to. No one has any expectations of your work. Once you're published, you have to write at a certain pace if you want to have new books out regularly. You become aware that it's not just agents and editors you need to appeal to, but editorial directors and acquisitions meetings and marketing folks. And readers. Now there are all these readers you could potentially reach, and when you do reach them, you're seeing them posting what they think about your book online. It's both thrilling and worrying. Suddenly there are a lot more voices in your head when you sit down to write a new book. You know there are people out there eagerly looking forward to seeing what you write next, and you don't want to disappoint them. You have to learn how to shut the worries out and get back, as close as you can, to that place where you wrote just because you loved what you were writing.

The Way We Fall is part of a trilogy, correct? Can you give a snipet of the next book? When can we get our hands on it? 

MC - Yes, THE WAY WE FALL is the first in a trilogy. Unfortunately, I'm not sharing anything from book 2 (THE LIVES WE LOST) until the publisher puts the book description out there, because it'd be pretty hard not to give away major spoilery facts about where the story's going in an excerpt. We don't have a definite release date yet, but it should be published next winter!

Can't blame us for trying to get a little sneaky-peek. 

And - finally - when people ask you what is a great scary book to read, what do you tell them? Why? 

MC - Right now, I would probably direct them to Richard Preston's THE HOT ZONE, which is the true story of an Ebola outbreak that almost made it out of quarantine in North America. It's written like a great work of fiction, but ten times as scary as any made-up story because it actually happened--and could again.

Yes, I remember that book and how horrified I was. True life horror cleverly disguised as a fiction book and I read it. Couldn't leave my room for a week. Germs everywhere! GERMS! (sprays Lysol, composes self).

Thank you, Megan, for hanging with us and bringing your brand of terror our way. I'm very interested to see what happens in book two. To learn more about Megan you can visit her here http://www.megancrewe.com/index.html

Christopher Healy Saves the Kingdom!

How much do we love Walden Pond Press around here? A LOT. Not that you would have noticed with all the posts that we have done with them, for them, about them... we are geeked out by the many authors they have ushered into the fantastic world of children's literature. Today's guest happens to be one of those amazing authors with a brand new book that just launched yesterday to be exact. Christopher Healy is said writer and his new book The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is the new book.


What brought you to writing for children? Was it always your goal? 



Christopher Healy - I wanted to be a writer ever since I was a kid, but I didn’t necessarily think I’d be a children’s writer. It was having kids that took me in that direction. When I became a dad, I found myself immersed in children’s pop culture and started writing about it. I reviewed so many kid’s books, movies, games, etc., that my mind just settled into that world. I became very comfortable there, and by a certain point, whenever I got ideas, they were inevitably ones that would fit neatly into children’s literature.


Your first book Pop Culture is about the trials and tribulations of being a father in this crazy world. Being a father of two myself and working on a writing career, can you talk to me about how you carve out time to write with your hands full? What is your writing schedule like?

CH - I write like a madman until 3PM, trying to squeeze in as much work as I can before the kids come home. I’ll be honest: It’s not easy. But I’m grateful for it in a way, because it has forced me to develop a good work ethic. I have no choice but to be efficient. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sneak into my office to work in the afternoons or evenings at times, too. But I try to save the administrative side of business for those moments. It’s really hard to focus your creativity when you’ve got two kids loudly meowing and staging a Warriors cat battle in the next room. Of course, there’s a major bright side to being a children’s author with kids — you don’t have to travel far to bounce ideas off your target audience.

Your latest book The Hero's Guide to Saving the Kingdom puts a fun new spin on the classic fairy tales and many of their characters. Can you tell us a little bit about the book and what has changed for you as a writer now that it is published? 

CH - I consider those classic fairy tales the launching point for The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom and its subsequent sequels. They gave me a great place to start, with some built-in mythology and automatic familiarity for readers, but I didn’t necessarily set out to write a book about fairy tales. For as long as I’d dreamed of being an author, I wanted to write a grand fantasy saga with its own unique mythology and original characters. At the same time, I’d long had this idea about fleshing out the Prince Charming characters from different fairy tales and turning them into realistic, flawed human beings. The Prince Charming idea felt more special and different, so that’s the one I started writing. But once I got into it and found myself creating brand new characters to surround these princes, new villains for them to battle, new situations to put them in that had nothing to do with their fairy tales, I realized I’d combined both ideas already. I was creating my own mythology. And now I’m the writer of a series. I’ve got more books to write about these same characters, a lot more time to spend in the heads of these folks. I suppose I could look at that as limiting, because it means I can’t really look into any new or different projects for a while — but I don’t. I love these characters and I’m very happy to continue shepherding them through life for the next few years.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing a writer has to do after publication? Why?

CH - Get active in social media. I would not have guessed this even a few months ago, but I think the main reason anyone has even heard of my book before its publication is because I got introduced to bloggers via Twitter and Facebook. I had no idea that this wonderful network of book bloggers even existed. But they are out there, they are very active, they are incredibly supportive of writers, and they just might be the best way to spread the word about your book. I love book bloggers — and I swear to you I am not just pandering. (If I were pandering I would have mentioned my long-time love of comics, my continued fascination with old Ralph McQuarrie concept art, and my appreciation for people who post random pictures of Batman on their Facebook pages — all of which is true, by the way.)

Ha ha ha! I have no idea what you are talking about (wink wink)... this person sounds awesome (wink wink)...  Speaking of Batman, this is a cool picture.

(c) Erik Von Lehmann

Wait, how'd that slip in there? Ahem, please continue.  

Outside of books, what influences your writing? What is it about those particular influences that help your writing process? 

CH - My kids would be the biggest influences. My 10-year-old daughter, especially, is very vocal about what she likes and doesn’t like. It would be impossible for me to live in the same house with her and not be influenced by her. She’s not your typical 10-year-old girl, though. Not long ago, her friends were all naming their favorite celebrities and my daughter said hers was Marie Curie. Sometimes it feels like having a real-life Lisa Simpson. Speaking of which, The Simpsons has always been a huge influence on my sense of humor.

As a long-time comic book fan (oh, man, there I go — I did mention it), I’d also say my writing is influenced by that visual style of storytelling I grew up with. I always tend to imagine a scene visually before I put in down in words. Video games probably have an impact on my writing as well. I’m a big fan of the Lego video games, in which you often control a large handful of characters and need to switch between them to conquer various obstacles. When devising the missions for my heroes, I often thought in those terms. “Okay, first they come to the giant, so I have to switch to so-and-so, because his particular skill is best to help them get past. Then they need to break into the fortress, so I switch to so-and-so #2, because he’d been able to get the door open.” And so on.

So you're saying video games can help your career!? Cool!

If you were to be trapped in a fairytale and had to live in the world, which one would it be and why?

CH - I’m cheating a little, because this is not a classic fairytale, but I’d say: Post-War of the Ring Middle Earth (but definitely only Post-War). I think I’m pretty cut out for life at Bag End.

I'm just going to say it now, anything to do with Hobbit's and Middle Earth and all that awesomeness is fairytale. It has become such a part of our historical literature and shaping of many modern day storytelling we can call it FT for sure.

A HUGE thank you to Chris for stopping by the asylum and a mucho mucho thanks to Kellie at Walden for including us in this wonderful blog tour. To keep up with Chris on the rest of the blog tour dates check out the link here and spread the word - http://waldenpondpress.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-blog-tour-time-welcome-to-heros.html?spref=tw

But wait! It's not over yet. There are more goodies. Monday we posted about a tweetstakes that ends 5/4 - you can see the info here - http://literaryasylum.blogspot.com/2012/04/walden-pond-press-tweetstakes.html

And for those of us that LOVE the amazingly cool illustrations that always seem to fill the pages of children's books - Walden Pond Press has been so kind to share some of the imagery from the book by Todd Harris. Feast your eyes on this!