#stevejdavies

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WRG!Good Reads:  The Devil Rides Out… Again

I have spoken before about books making the transition to film, usually the resulting movie receives more credit than it should simply because of who wrote the original novel.

Back in the heyday of British horror it was Hammer Studios who ruled the roost, both home and abroad.  Probably the company’s most famous actor, Christopher Lee, brought to life some of our darkest fears and became synonymous with horror the world over.

Mr Lee also led the cast in the movie adaptation of one of my all-time favourite books; The Devil Rides Out, by Dennis Wheatley.

I was just 13 years old when I first read this book, my local library had just renewed my membership card to reflect my promotion to the ranks of teenager and let loose in to the ‘adult’ section of the library for the first time I was determined to find a good scare.

Walking back home with this scary looking book in my hands, with its picture of a devil astride a horse on the cover, I couldn’t help but sneak little reads of random pages.  I don’t think I have been so excited about a book before or since!

It did not disappoint either; there were passages that I had to force myself to read, it was only a book but I was terrified!

The story of The Devil Rides Out is set in 1930s England.  Duc de Richleau (played by Lee in the movie) and Rex van Ryn set out to rescue one of their friends, Simon Aron, from a Devil Worshipping cult (as you would).

Although Simon was certainly taken against his will that didn’t prevent him from falling in love with cult initiate Tanith.  Having prevented Tanith from attending a ceremony on Salisbury Plain the group flee to the home of the Eatons, who are friends of Richleau and van Ryn.  They are followed their by the cult leader, Mocata, who (rather handily) has a psychic connection to the two initiates.

Mocato visits the house to try and talk Simon and Tanith in to returning with him, when he is told in  no uncertain terms to leave them well alone  Mocata subjects them all to a night of terror, using all of his abilities as a master of the dark arts.

During the onslaught of black magic horror, Mocato successfully summons the Angel of Death to finish them all off.  Here is where Simon loses his new love as Tanith is killed by the Angel.

I won’t say any more about it as I would hate to spoil it for anyone, you will just have to trust that this is a genuinely frightening story.  Any fan of Clive Barker would love to have this in their collection, I know I do.

Prices for paperback editions of this novel can run in to the treble figures, and I haven’t been able to find a digital edition anywhere.  You may be able to find something suitable from these guys though, FantasticFiction.com

P.S. try not to feel too bad about the dog, it is only a story after all….

Words Compiled By:  Steve J Davies

Images

Horror Channel UK

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WRG!Good Reads: An encounter with "Grub"

Last week saw my family and myself enjoying the great Welsh coast whilst on a much needed holiday from our hectic schedules.  During the evening, with the little ones tucked up warm and snug in bed, there wasn’t a great deal to distract from the pleasure of a good book.

Now I don’t know about you guys, but to me there isn’t much in the world that can compare with a good book in front of a roaring fire and a fierce wind rattling through the branches outside… unless of course you add a nice steaming mug of tea to that scenario.

Being an independent author I often find myself searching for books that I wouldn’t normally come across on the bookshelf of a supermarket or bookstore.  There are countless numbers of great reads that go undiscovered and authors never heard of let alone forgotten.

As a new, and proud, contributor to WRG! I hope to be able to shed some light in the wilderness that some ‘indie’ books and authors find themselves in and hopefully introduce you all to your next new favourites.

During my week away on the coast, complete with fantastic views of the ocean and the aforementioned howling winds, I felt a good dark read was in order.  Once I had managed to secure a Wi-Fi connection for the few minutes it would take to search and download an eBook, I began the search.

For the purposes of this posting I decided to try an author that was previously unknown to me, so as to give a completely unbiased report.

The author I chose is JD Gillam and the book is entitled FIFTEEN.

                     This short story is focused on a young boy named Grub, a somewhat unknown entity on the very edge of society.  Nothing is known about the boy, where he lives, who his parents are, even his real name.  The residents of the unnamed town have just come to know him as Grub on account of his dirty, shabby appearance.

Children are warned to never speak to Grub, or to even walk on the same side of the road as him.  Without even knowing why, people just seem to shun this young social reject.  One little girl ignores her parents warning, ignores the boys outward appearance.  All Kady sees is a young lonely boy, perhaps a new playmate?

Fifteen is an excellent example of the short story done properly, a lot of information and background is given with scarcely a wasted word.  The pace is just about spot on too, moving along quickly enough to keep your interest without spoiling the suspense.  From the very first page I could tell I was going to enjoy reading this, it has a strong and descriptive start that continues through to the end.  The Kady character is also well written, considering the space given for background, and you feel warmth for her caring and loving nature whilst simultaneously wanting to admonish her for her foolishness

The ending is not quite what I expected, which is a good thing, and it left me mildly surprised and completely satisfied with it.

The book is completely free but I would have gladly paid for the privilege of downloading a copy.  I have found some similar reads to this that you can check out below, if you enjoy surprise endings you surely will not be disappointed.  

Until next time, enjoy your reads and have a great weekend.

Playground A slightly disturbing unique story from the viewpoint of a child.

Appliances Included A ghost story with a difference, you will never curse at your dishwasher again

Words By: Steve J Davies

Images Courtesy: 

Image copyright of JD Gillam

Village Books Blogs

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WRG!Literature: The “Just Killing Time” series

                                            Introducing Steve J Davies

With our first edition of WRG!GoodReads up this week, a review of the book, written by our own is in order.  The “Just Killing Time” series, written by Davies, is a diarised account of the progression of the main protagonist from states of underlying and overlaying violence to emancipated serial killer.

If you've read the True Crime genre, maybe some Patricia Cornwell or most significantly Jesse Kellerman, you will be familiar with the most popular archetypal structure of serial killer lore and with the latter, a first person account as well. 

Davie’s character Carl features none of the characteristics of the serial archetype found in fiction. His is a protagonist who delivers a scathing account of his existence.  From the word go, there is an overtone, an "elephant in the room" type of pre-emption towards  violence.  He is irate, sharp but not witty and delivers his anger bluntly with an equally colorful vocabulary. 

The introduction of violence with, say, the dog, does follow the conventional serial killer story line, except that in this case, Carl is not a child but a fully grown man so the impact of it is both visceral yet expected, after reading further on and gaining further insight into his behavioral "blue-print".  Expectation and suspense are replaced with frank, immediate detailing; one sees Carl for exactly what and who he is.  His is an unstable almost unlikeable character, which is a deviation from the literature of the "struggling" man who finds himself becoming a killer or, even the sauvé, likeable murderer full of stylistic charm and intelligence.

His is a story depicting the essence of a devolutionary sociopath on his downhill journey into the psychopathic role of serial killer, strangely, it is also in contrast, or rather, clashing with the evident evolution from animal murderer right up to full blown serial.

Fans or people interested in the True Crime genre, (such as, say the Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones, the biography of Shanda Sharer's murderers) and fiction, as well as the Jesse Kellerman (prolific US author of “The Executor”) fans who have become accustomed to reading about philosophers-turned-murderers or professors-turned-murderers or even doctors-turned-murderers, might find this book a good read as well; to be able to study the opposite of the characterisation of intellectual killer - the instinctual one.

Davies credits the discovery of the journals belonging to Jack "The Ripper" as one of his definitive inspirations behind the Just Killing Time series.  An avid fan of "dark" literature, this week he reviews a fellow Indie author and peer in the 21st century variation of the Thriller/Horror genre.  Davies is also, on the verge of completing the final installment to the series, so stay tuned for more information on where to get your copy.

Get the best guide to the best reads every Friday with Steve J Davies, here, on WRG! 

Words Compiled by:  Sam "Aimee" Remani

Images Courtesy:

Village Books Blog

Smashwords

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                               THIS WEEK on WickedRunwayGoal!

WickedRunway!Feature:  The Cannes Film Festival is the European social event of the year, one can expect to see some of the best cinema that will no doubt direct the atmosphere of most awards ceremonies later in the year, right up to the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.   David and Brandon Cronenberg have created a buzz as the first father-son duo to premier films, simultaneously, at Cannes.  That’s all well and good and we say rock on, bring on the great flicks…but the pretty people in their pretty dresses at the Cannes 2012 premieres, film photocalls, and benefits such as AMFAR are probably what we ogle at the most.  Hence the feature. Which designer had the most influence resulting in  the most significant looks on the red carpet?  Did Jada Pinkett Smith flourish in green or flop?  How about Marian Cotillard…find out this week in the WRG!Feature.

  WRG!Fitness:  Get the scoop on Kangoo Jumps.  Is it just a fitness craze?  The lure of a pain-free set of knees after a workout might just cement this new movement into the kind of staple that kick-boxing has become…or it could just be a quick fad, out by 2013.  What about the miracle, zero calorie noodle that women in far East Asia, mainly China and Japan, have used (for around 800 years) to feel fuller and stay slim.  It's got to be love. Further more, we feature a post-workout meal and how to monitor those anabolic and catabolic reactions in your body.

  WickedRunway!Focus:  Rachel Bilson takes on “Blue Bell” in New York style.  CWTV has moved to renew the cute “New Yorker in the South” series – and that’s a delightful addition to the more sombre, thought-provoking drama of Revenge and Ringer.  Bilson’s wardrobe on the show has been enviable to say the least.  We take a look at how to achieve that “icon out in a one-road town” look.  We show you where to find them, those SATC reminiscent pieces, paired with Zoe’s own classic pieces and downright flashy pieces … she’s worn the lot and we look forward to more.

  WRG!News: EURO 2012, who will make it to the silverware and by proxy a first class ticket to the Confed Cup in 2013.  If the only thing you know about football is that it’s a bunch of guys, running after a ball and eventually someone wins…well…how about we take you through the “other” biggest competition in the world, after the world cup, league championships and UEFA Champions League of course.  This week, hit picks and predictions involving Group A and Group B for the Euro 2012.

  WRG!Trends:  The Texture Report is something everyone will need eventually this year.  Yep, the Southern Hemisphere is going through the motions of settling into winter.  Give yourself a break from all the woollen layering and take a look at great ways to keep warm and look good this season.  Northern Hemisphere …you’ll get the cold chills soon enough, this’ll help you out when they come barging into your sphere soon enough.

  WRG!GoodReads:  In the first edition of our variety edition, Steve J Davies, author of the Just Killing Time series, reviews some of his “Good Reads” for us, whilst out on holiday on the Welsh Coast. Davies helps us get reading again (for anyone who has forgotten what a book looks like, what with the omnipresence of the internet and e-books.)  JD Gillam’s “Fifteen” is first up on the list.  To commemorate our little journey into reading, a review on the Just Killing Time series awaits and we also show you how to create a calming space where you can read in peace, even if it's for just an hour out of your day.

Words Compiled by:  Sam "Aimee" Remani

Video Courtesy:

Eva Longoria at Cannes:  Loreal Paris AU

Images Courtesy:

Kangoo Jumpers through Alibaba

Hart of Dixie 

UEFA Euro 2012

Texture Report, Satin

JD Gillam, Fifteen