THE CHAOS STORIES
by Charles O'Keefe
GENRE: Supernatural/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
BLURB:
Here you'll
find nine new short-stories, some which have been from my life, or things that
could have happened. One is inspired from the many games of Dungeons and
Dragons I've played over twenty years while another is from the Call of Cthulhu
role-playing game. Some are even some from other authors, who kindly
contributed to my collection.
As a treat for fans of my series, I
have included six deleted chapters, two from each of the three Newfoundland
Vampire novels, which have been all cleaned up and have been made better than
ever for your reading pleasure.
I have also included not one, but
two chapters from the upcoming fourth book in the Newfoundland Vampire series,
War of the Fangs. I've filled this collection with tales that will make you
laugh, or will scare you, and will hopefully make you think a little about the
world around us and the people in it.
Excerpt
"I'm not leaving you behind, no man gets left behind, GET MOVING!" Marlon screamed the last part at the top of his lungs and they bolted forward. It wasn't easy with all the roots and holes in the ground. Larry fell once as did Marlon, painfully twisting his ankle so that now Larry had to help him but they moved on, spotting one mark on a tree and chalk on another. The mist had started to rise, it was at their ankles now. "Mar I can't feel my feet, it feels as if I'm running on blocks of ice. We need to get out!" Marlon looked about frantically, the trees were still thick, he couldn't see the tall grass from where they had started this morning. Everything felt tight, his chest felt like it was going to explode, his heart felt like it would leap out through his throat at any second. The trees seems to be closing in on them, he felt like he was back in France, just waiting for the first bullet to split the air. Marlon looked down for a second, legs are numb up to my knees but somehow I'm moving, I don't feel the pain in my ankle. "We'll get out, you are the best woodsman I've ever seen. I know you can do it." Larry nodded and Marlon was glad to see a small smile creep onto one side of his face, he pointed with his right arm to a mark, an arrow pointing to the east, the way they were going. You better be, he thought, I'll be damned if I die in a forest by some mist, I made it out of the war, I'll make it out of here!
Author Interview
What would you have done differently if you were the main character of your book?
Wow! Excellent question, well this book has lots of main characters (as it's a collection of short stories), so I'm forced to pick just one. Yes in the story "Another Day in Paradise" the main character, Michael, is momentarily distracted by his thoughts and surroundings and has a car accident. Michael is me, I really did have a car accident in the Bahamas with my parents and my wife onboard. So of course I wish I had been more focused and avoided that other car, it's one of the few regrets I have in life. No one was seriously injured but I have to live with that one of the last memories I have of my dad was an accident I caused.
What was your inspiration behind this book?
The stories came from different places in my head, several of them were inspired by real things I did and people I knew. Others were from characters I played in Dungeons and Dragons and Call of Cthulhu (role-playing games). I know it sounds a little vain but I'm at the point where my imagination and my life is all the inspiration I need.
Why did you become a writer?
Oh another great question! Well in this case there were several reasons, my friend had a book published and I thought if he could do it, why not me? I wanted to have my own name on the cover, not just mentioned in the acknowledgments section of a book. I felt unfulfilled, my job was (and is) very dull and monotonous (like most people I'm sure). It gave me something to get excited about during the day and write about the next morning. I also felt I had a story to tell to the world (ultimately lots of stories, as I've written four books) and that this was a way to express many ideas I have on important topics and maybe even make the world just a little bit better.
Do you have a favorite author or authors?
There are several authors I enjoy, so it's hard to nail down an absolute favorite. Stephen King, the master of horror, is a wonderful writer when he has the right story. He can do amazing characters, very vivid descriptions and bring plenty of suspense, action and emotion to a story. Ernest Hemingway is another one of my favorites, I've read lots of his work and he is amazing at capturing human emotions, relationships, the beauty of nature and the horrors of war. Hemingway is a master at description too and has written some of the best short stories I have ever encountered. I think Richard Matheson is also an amazing writer, excellent at horror and also great at short stories.
Do you like to write your books in a continuing series?
Yes I have three books in one series (The Newfoundland Vampire) and I intend to write another volume of "The Chaos Stories". I am a little obsessed with character development and arcs. I always wonder what my characters could do next and this usually leads to more stories.
If you could date any character from any book, who would it be and why?
This is an easy one for me. In my "Newfoundland Vampire" series I created a character (well technically she is based on a real historical person but I made a lot of changes) that is my dream woman, Cassandra. She is a 224 red-headed Newfoundland vampire. I've always been fascinated with vampires and she is the one I would let turn me. She's smart, strong, independent, sexy, loving, funny, mysterious and just a little wild, devious and manipulating.
What kinds of books do you like to read in your spare time?
I try to read a variety of material. I just finished a book by Richard Matheson called "Hell House" which I enjoyed a lot. I'm currently reading a non-fiction book by EC Stilson called "The Golden Sky". I really enjoy non-fiction and always find it nice to break up my regular horror/sci-fi/fantasy reading.
Do you cry when writing sad scenes?
There is a story I did in this collection called "Another Day in Paradise" and it was an emotional one. It's based on a real accident I was in the Bahamas (really it's almost exactly what happened). No one was seriously hurt but when I wrote it my Dad was sick in hospital and later during the editing he was dying. So the final draft changed for personal reasons and it was tough but no I haven't cried during any scene I've written, at least not yet.
Did you have a Cover Designer?
Yes I'm happy to say I have a local guy who has designed my last two covers. His name is Kevin Kendall and he's an excellent artist and great person. I'm very happy with both covers, if you have any artistic needs do yourself a favor and check him out http://www.kendallightstudios.com/.
If you were able to dine and have a one on one with your favorite writer/author who would it be?
Excellent question! No question for me, since I was 12 years old I've loved Ernest Hemingway. I know he's long gone (died in '61) but you didn't say living or dead. He's one of the greatest American writers and someone I've always felt a connection to. He was a fascinating person, fought in two world wars (and the Spanish Civil War), was a world famous journalist, hunter, writer, married twice, brave, troubled and of course an amazing novelist (won the Nobel Prize for Literature for "Old Man and the Sea") and a wonderful short-story writer as well. Aside from writing I'd love to talk with him about so many things, human emotions, war, women, his love of cats, sexuality, boxing and getting older and of course his many brushes with death. I'd love to know why he struggled with alcoholism and why he became so depressed (he sadly committed suicide). Finally I love Florida and in particular Key West (where he lived for a number of year), to have dinner with him at his house would be a transcendent experience.
Do you re-read your favorite books?
No I believe in a variety of reading material. I will admit to reading "The Hobbit" a second time (a book I love) but that was because I was during a course which had it on the reading list and had to refresh my memory. I just think there is so much out there, more than anyone can even hope to scratch the surface of, that it's best to keep reading new books from authors I enjoy and even those I don't know. I have always believed variety is the spice of life and I follow that with my reading.
Do you ever get in a reading slump like your readers do?
I'll admit I'm a slow reader and as a consequence I always have a backlog of books ready to read (paper, digital and audio). So no, I never get in a slump, if anything I find the opposite, I'd love to not have to work and spend my days reading and writing.
What is the funniest book you ever read?
I'll tell you the truth, I've only ever read one humor book, "Royal Flush" by Scott Bartlett. It was funny (in parts) but never had me really laughing out loud with joy kind of deal. It's something I'm glad you pointed out, I need to read a great humor book.
Great interview, thanks for having me!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Charles O’Keefe lives in the
beautiful province of Newfoundland, Canada, with his wife and two feline
‘children,’ Jude and Eleanor. He is a part-owner of a beauty wholesale
business. He enjoys many hobbies and activities that include reading, gaming,
poker, Pilates, Dungeons and Dragons, and of course, fantasizing about
vampires. Charles is the author of three books in the Newfoundland Vampire
series, but this is his first collection of short-stories. Look for the fourth
Newfoundland Vampire book sometime in the near future.
To find out more about
Charles or his other books, go to Twitter and Facebook or visit his web site at
http://www.charlesokeefe.com
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8 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
I really enjoyed reading the excerpt, thank you!
Good morning,
Thanks so much for being a part of my tour, have a great day! :)
Hi Nikolina,
Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. You're welcome, thanks for your comment! Have a good one :)
congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)
Hi Lisa,
Thank you! That's nice of you to say :) You're welcome, have a great holiday season!
Hi Victoria,
Thank you! Thanks for your post, have a great evening :)
I really enjoyed reading your interview, thank you!
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