Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Pumpkin Spice Liqueur

      Since it's Halloween season, I thought I'd do another pumpkin-flavored alcoholic beverage.  I think I've more than covered pumpkin beers over the years (see my post on October 31st, 2023 for the most comprehensive post about them), so this year I'll discuss a cream liqueur with pumpkin flavoring.  Specifically, the one made by the Pennsylvania Dutch brand, out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

     The ultimate story of the maker of this blog post topic goes back to 1884.  A French immigrant, Charles Jacquin, began a business that made cordials.  If you're curious, "cordials" seem synonymous with "liqueurs"--they're both alcoholic drinks made from spirits (a base liquor) flavored with spices, or herbs, or fruit, or sugar, or some combination of these.  The resulting beverages are often after dinner, or dessert drinks, also known as digestifs.  Anyway, Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc., did well, and weathered the Prohibition years (1920-33) by manufacturing non-alcoholic cordials.  The move to the current Philadelphia location occurred in 1933.  In 1937 the first importation of a foreign beverage was started, with the French drink Forbidden Fruit.  By the 1950's, Jacquin's was producing over 40 kinds of cordials and liqueurs.  In the 1990's the firm began the Pennsylvania Dutch line, with their egg nog being the flagship offering.  Currently, and since 2020, the CEO of the company is a 3rd generation family member, John A. Cooper.  The label on my bottle notes that the producer is Dairyland Distillers, Co., but this is a subsidiary of Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc.  Also, the company is itself a subsidiary of Chatam International, Inc.  And aside from Pennsylvania Dutch, some of the other brands under the Jacquin umbrella include Forge Vodka, Roasted Daughter, Irish Manor, and Rock & Rye.  Alternate cream liqueurs from the Pennsylvania Dutch brand include chocolate cream, salted caramel, egg nog, peaches & cream, strawberries & cream, peppermint bark, lemon cream pie, and American bourbon cream.  As far as how it's consumed, some people drink their cream liqueurs straight, some have it over ice, some mix it into cocktails, and some bake it into desserts.  Finally, Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc. obviously focuses on manufacturing and distributing alcoholic beverages, with one exception--they import and sell French jams and jellies made by the St. Dalfour Gourmet French brand.

Pennsylvania Dutch Pumpkin Spice Cream Liqueur:  This drink had a light orange color, and a slightly spicy odor.  I had mine straight, after chilling it for a while.  The taste was like egg nog with pumpkin spice in it, or like advocaat (see my post on July 30, 2022 for more on that drink) with pumpkin spice in it.  Since I like both of those other drinks, and pumpkin spices in general, this was a compliment.  It was good.  Creamy as billed.  A nice odd take on an alcoholic drink.  I'd recommend it to those who like egg nog, advocaat, and also like pumpkin spiced things.  It also hid its alcohol content pretty well too--it's 14.75%, but went down easier than I would have expected.  Looking back, on October 23, 2021 I tried another pumpkin spice liqueur, from Bols, and I think this one was a bit better than the Bols one.

     As a preview for what's ahead for this month, I hope everyone likes horror movie trivia quizzes.  Because that's what in store for the next two posts.  Enjoy!

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "The Hils Have Eyes" (1977)

      It's Spooky Season once again, my favorite time of the year!  To kick it off, let's do a deep trivia dive into the classic 1977 movie "The Hills Have Eyes."  It's one of Wes Craven's career high points, that's for sure.  Brutal and uncompromising, and it still holds up today.  Alas, it did lead to one of Craven's worst outings, with "The Hills Have Eyes Part 2" but we won't talk about that.  Anyway, the usual format, with questions followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead, etc.

Questions:

1)    What is the name of the old man's gas station/store?

2)    According to the sign, how many miles away is the next source of gas?

3)    According to the old man, why were authorities investigating the area lately?

4)    What is the name of the town where the old man buys his supplies?

5)    To what city is the Carter family heading?

6)    The Carter family is in this remote area because of a gift.  What was it?

7)    Which family member gave the gift for Question #6?

8)    Bobby is wearing a t-shirt with a university's name on it.  Name this school.

9)    What number anniversary are Big Bob and Ethel about to celebrate?

10)   How much does the old man charge the Carters for the gas they buy?

11)   According to the old man, how long ago did the mine stop producing ore?

12)   Big Bob just retired from his job as a police detective.  From what city?

13)   What turnoff from the main road does the Carter family take after the gas station?

14)   In Big Bob's (sometimes racist) diatribe, who does he say shot at him on two occasions?

15)   What is the name of Big Bob's doctor?

16)   What kind of bird does Bobby see, and identify to Brenda?

17)   According to Ethel, via Marlon Perkins, how many feet long can rattlesnakes get, and in how many minutes can their venom kill you?

18)   Someone in the Carter clan is seen killing an animal.  What kind?

19)   Where is Doug heading to on foot, and about how far away is it supposed to be?

20)   According to Big Bob, about how far away is the old man's gas station from where the Carter vehicle breaks down?

21)   What beverage does Lynne express a craving for, along with a shower?

22)   The family discusses how their dog Beast killed a poodle previously.  Where?

23)   While calling for help on the CB radio, Ethel uses the wrong code word.  What is it?

24)   What call sign code identity does Lynne use on the radio?

25)   Where do Lynne and Doug live?

26)   According to the old man, when did he and his wife settle in the area?

27)   What was the name of the old man's wife?

28)   According to the old man, how heavy was his son (Jupiter) at birth?

29)   In what month and year did Jupiter burn down the original family home?

30)   How did Jupiter acquire a woman to breed with?

31)   According to Doug, how far away was the military tower, dump, and the end of the road?

32)   The feral family's Mama is seen drinking an alcoholic beverage.  Name it.

33)   A message on the blackboard by the door of the trailer says to call someone.  Who?

34)   What member of the feral clan syphons the gas from the station wagon, using his mouth and a hose?

35)   What brand of digital clock is seen in the trailer?

36)   What two brands of soft drink are seen in the trailer refrigerator?

37)   What three identifiable things does Mars eat in the trailer?

38)   What member of the feral clan fatally shoots Lynne, and then who fatally shoots Ethel?

39)   Who stabs Mars in the thigh?

40)   Who kills Big Bob?

41)   Who kills Mercury?

42)   What is the name of Doug and Lynne's baby?

43)   True or False?  The feral clan is seen engaging in cannibalism.

44)   While calling for help later, Bobby uses a different CB radio call sign.  Name it.

45)   What does Pluto say he is on the CB to fool Bobby into revealing important information about the Carter's situation?

46)   Jupiter accrues four types of injuries from Bobby and Brenda.  Describe them.

47)   Mars accrues several kinds of injuries as well.  Describe them.

48)   What is the eventual fate of the feral clan's Mama?  (Conjectural)

49)   Who killed Beauty (the Carter's female dog)?

50)   What is Doug's (and presumably Lynne's) last name?  (It's never spoken aloud, but it's in the credits.)

51)   Why didn't the feral family kill the old man (their grandfather) much earlier than they did?  (Conjectural)

52)   Where is the movie set?

53)   Was the feral clan inbred?  (Conjectural)

Answers:

1)    Fred's Oasis.

2)    200 miles.  When we see the maps, though, this is clearly an exaggeration.

3)    Because the feral family recently raided an Air Force PX.

4)    Corn Creek.

5)    Los Angeles, California.

6)    Big Bob and Ethel were given the deed to an old silver mine.

7)    Their Aunt Mildred.

8)    Ohio State University.

9)    Their 25th, or silver anniversary.

10)   $6.80

11)    40 years.

12)   Cleveland, Ohio.

13)   Strike Creek Road.

14)   His fellow police officers.  (Hopefully by mistake, but who knows?)

15)   Dr. Springer.

16)   A turkey buzzard, "the janitor of the desert."  (Online sources say it's really some kind of hawk.)

17)   20 feet long, and 8 minutes, or possibly, 8 feet long and 20 minutes.  In reality, 8 feet long is about the upper range for a large rattlesnake, but their bite doesn't usually kill this quickly.  It depends on the amount of venom injected, where on the body it bites you, etc., but most victims have enough time to get medical treatment, and survive.

18)   Lynne kills a tarantula she finds crawling around in the trailer.

19)   A military installation, approximately 6-7 miles away.

20)   15 miles.

21)   A gin and tonic.

22)   Miami.

23)   Instead of saying, "mayday," she says, "maypole."

24)   Mobile Unit 2345 CB.  Which is actually not their personal call sign, but the type of radio they're using.  (See Question and Answer to Question 44.)

25)   New York City.

26)   1929.

27)   Martha.

28)   20 pounds, and reportedly, he was as hairy as a monkey.

29)   August of 1939.

30)   According to the old man, "He stole a whore that nobody would miss."

31)   About 5 miles.

32)   J & B Scotch Whisky, the brand so popular in movies.

33)   Johnson, when they get to Los Angeles.

34)   Pluto.

35)   An Avatar.

36)   Coca-Cola, and A&W Rootbeer.

37)   A handful of raw meat (hamburger?), some milk, and the blood from the neck of the Carter's pet bird.  Also a bite of something greenish--maybe lettuce?  (I couldn't tell for sure.)

38)   Mars shoots both of them.

39)   A dying Lynne, using Pluto's makeshift blade.

40)   It appears to be Jupiter alone.  Possibly aided by Mercury, but everyone else is accounted for.

41)   Beast the dog pushes him off a rock overlooking a steep drop.

42)   Katherine, or Katy for short.

43)   True, we see them dining on Big Bob's remains.

44)   Breaker 1 Niner for KUY 9532.

45)   He pretends to be a member of Air Force Rescue.

46)   He's dragged on the ground through brush from the cable trap, he's part of, or at least near, the trailer explosion and suffers some burns, is hit by Brenda's hatchet blows, and finally Bobby shoots Jupiter twice, finishing him off.

47)   As mentioned before, Lynne stabs him in the right thigh, Doug shoves him down, and hits him with several rocks, including in the head,.  Then Ruby induces a rattlesnake to bite Mars on the back of his neck or upper back, and finally Doug finishes him with several stabs to the chest.

48)   It's unknown.  She's not at any of the attacks, so is presumably alive at the end of the movie back at the feral clan's home.  She's not seen in the 1984 sequel.  Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury definitely die in this movie, and Pluto was killed or at least mortally wounded (he's somehow resurrected for the sequel).  Ruby is getting friendly with the Carters at the end of this movie, and in the sequel is living in civilization, with Bobby.

49)   According to him, while he's fighting Beast, it was Pluto.

50)   Wood.

51)   I think they had a very uneasy alliance.  Grandpa Fred would trade things they needed for things they'd stolen or trapped elsewhere, since Fred periodically traveled to town for supplies.  In return, the family let him live, and he didn't turn them into the authorities for their (presumably) other thefts and murders.  It's only when he appears to be leaving for good that they kill Grandpa Fred.

52)   It's actually conclusively shown, as the Carters are looking at the map right before the crash.  It's in Nevada, in southern Nye county (which is huge).  The map shows that they're within or just west of the real Nellis Air Force Bombing and Gunnery Range, and possibly the adjoining Nevada Test Site (nuclear testing area).  They're either east or southeast of the real town of Scotty's Junction, and northeast of the real town of Beatty.  Very close to the border with California, and Death Valley National Park.

53)   Oddly, there's no evidence of this.  Mercury, Pluto, Mars, and Ruby all appear to be in their 20's or 30's, so it appears they're all the descendants of Jupiter and Mama.  (Or some or all were kidnapped from outsiders as babies or children.)  There aren't any kids young enough to be the product of Mama and Mars, Pluto, or Mercury, nor any of the male members and Ruby.  So, unless these children died or ran away, the feral clan doesn't appear to be carrying on incest.  Some rare civilized behavior!  Although, it looks like there's some issues with Jupiter and/or Mama's genetic line, given Jupiter's physical oddities, Pluto's deformities, and Mercury's apparent mental deficiency.  And I guess it's possible that they are committing incest, but there are fertility issues or something.  But I'm rambling, there's no evidence for it, which is the important thing.

     I'll end with a quote from Jupiter as he's taunting the corpse of Big Bob.  I find it ghoulishly poetic:

             "I'll eat the heart of your stinking memory!"

 

 

 

Interview with J. Rocky Colavito

        Today you'll be meeting another one of my "Scream and Cream" co-authors, J. Rocky Colavito.  His entry in that book is the disturbingly named "SporeGasm."  Anyway, here we go.   

J. Rocky Colavito is nearing the end of a forty-plus year career of teaching college students English, Literature, Rhetoric, Film Studies, and Horror. His classroom journey has taken him from upstate New York, to urban and rural Arizona, to the bible belt of Louisiana, to the urban sprawl of Indiana. He started writing horror very early in life, took a long hiatus because of a bunch of different factors, and returned to it in 2017 courtesy of a random opportunity to teach a horror writing class. Out of that came the short story “Red Eye” (published in Dark Dossier), and the collection Can You Handle This, My Darling? (recently updated to Malevolent Micros). Participation in a writing group led to his first paid sales and the beginnings of his association with Buck Neighkyd, his first serial character whose adventures can be followed in Caveman Magazine and in the novel Creative Control (Buck’s Origin story). He has subsequently published in a variety of horror genres ranging from quiet to extreme. He is the author of the Neo-giallo series (five works, and counting), the stoned cryptids series (inspired by Cocaine Bear, two books forthcoming in 2024), and professional wrestling adjacent horror (also forthcoming in 2024). He hails from Western New York, but calls Tucson, Arizona his adopted home. When he’s not curating his social media and dealing with his classes and grading, he follows local professional wrestling, the writings of a special group of author friends, and practices the arts of cooking and puzzle solving courtesy of the New York Times.

If you could talk to any writer, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you discuss?

Carl Hiaasen, I’d love to find out how he sharpened his eye for dark human, human folly, and environmental consciousness.

Do you plan your entire story or novel all out in advance, with a complete outline, etc., or do you just start writing, and see where it takes you, making it up as you go along?

Total pantser; I might have a rough idea of structure once I get started (ie when to change beats, add a killing or sex scene, and so on). I like watching the piece form organically.

How do you come up with your story titles?

Inspiration from past artifacts (lots of the Neo-Giallo titles reflect the titles of Giallo films), obscure stuff (nursery rhymes), twists on quotations, and my dreams.

What writers have influenced you the most?

James Ellroy, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Carl Hiaasen, Jonathan Maberry, endless writers of Giallo films, the Rialto report, porn journalism of various types, Frank Edwards, Mickey Spillane, Dan Jenkins.

What is your current work in progress?

PCPiasa, the third novel in the Stoned Cryptids series (preceded by SmackSquatch and MethMoth—these are currently in limbo as the press that was going to publish them disbanded and a new one is being reorganized from the wreckage). This one involved another regional cryptid—a flying creature that is invulnerable to conventional weapons and capable of bringing down aircraft. Qulaifies as extreme horror because of the presence of sex and violence.

Do you prefer writing short stories, novellas, or novels?

Comfortable in all three. Preference is dictated by what the call asks for.

What is the best stunt, lie, or practical joke that you’ve pulled off?

Back in the day we used to wear athletic supporters that had this snap pouch in the front where you inserted the protective cup. I and a couple friends caught a frog and put the damn thing in the pouch in a teammate’s jock. He was in a hurry and put the thing on and the frog kicked> much hilarity. Those were definitely the days.

What is your favorite beer/alcoholic drink/wine?

Quit drinking over twenty years ago. Back then it was Corona with lime and tropical drinks (mai ties, margaritas, mojitos, et al).

What are your five favorite novels?

No particular order:

American Psycho.

The Big Nowhere

Kiss Me, Deadly

The Dragon Factory

Native Tongue

What are three things you wish you hadn’t done in your writing career?

Connecting with a certain person who is the source of constant travail

Trying to do everything myself (covers, editing, marketing, et al)

Waiting so long to start

What do you do to break a case of writer’s block?

I rarely suffer from it, when I do I start something else

Which book do you wish that you’d written?

American Psycho

Do you have any guilty pleasure reads, and if so, what are they?

Porn journalism.

What is the first book you remember reading?

The volume of a children’s encyclopedia on dinosaurs

Have you had any negative fan experiences, such as cyber stalking or the like?

Not from fans, just with another author/editor.

What’s your stance on reviews of your work?  Do you ignore them, read every one, obsess over them?

Appreciate them regardless of stance.

About allegory and symbolism—do you often intentionally insert these things into your stories?  Have you ever looked back on one after you’re finished and realized you put in some of these without consciously realizing it?

Not deliberately, and no, I don’t intentionally look for this kind of stuff.

How do you handle rejection from magazines and publishers?  Do you have any particularly funny or unprofessional rejections to share?

Shrug, say a quick thanks, and move on. When something's rejected it just means that there’s another place for it.

What is the most disturbing movie(s) you’ve ever seen, and why?

Full Metal Jacket—total dehumanization of the soldiers and what happens to the protagonist at the end.

Do you usually do a lot of research before you start a project?

Depends, I’ve done a lot of research in my time as an academic, so I draw upon that. I look up stuff as needed otherwise.

Most of my research wis watching movies in the genre I’ve chosen, or reading within that genre.

What are your feelings about your earliest stories?  Do you feel they still hold up, or are you a bit embarrassed by them?

They’re a starting point, I hope I’ve built on how I started.

What pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Grow a hide—people gonna hate and be critical, listen to the useful stuff, tune out the rest

Make writing a non-negotiable part of your everyday life. Don’t let shti get in the way of doing it.

Don’t be afraid to try new things

Listen to your characters; voice is important.

Just do it!

What’s your writing history?  Did you start as an adolescent, or was it later?  And then how long did it take before you starting submitting your work?

I’ve written on and off since I could push a pen on paper. I got to be pretty good at writing academic essays, and that’s how I spent most of my life prior to a few years ago making writing part of my life. I got the chance to teach a horror writing class for non-majors and that was the start. I did the projects for the class alongside the students. Self published a collection of micro fictions, and then got my first unpaid fiction publication from that class. My first paid publication introduced a serial character, and my first novel published by a press was that character’s origin story.

The movement into fiction from scholarship was abrupt, but it is how I’m going to spend my retirement.

Are there any topics that you refuse to write about, because you think they’re in bad taste, or are too extreme?  Explain

I try not to kill animals “on screen” and I won’t include graphic child exploitation. Children do die, but not in the way that adults do. I’m pretty cool with writing extreme horror, so I have few to no boundaries. 

What’s your post-writing process?  Do you edit extensively?  Do you use beta readers or writing groups?

Spell and grammar check, post submission edits with line editing as needed. I also edit as I go.

How much of your work is based on your personal experiences, such as work, relationships, and so on?

Not much, I have set works on college campuses so a lot of that is informed by places I’ve worked or attended. I do keep an ear to the ground for news of the weird emanating from colleges and universities, and I’ve personally lived and experienced a lot of weirdness in my forty some years of teaching. Characters may be composites of people I’ve known or heard about. Situations may be similar, but not exactly so. 

Do you have any writing rituals, such as doing it at a regular time every day, or writing in public places, or while listening to music?

I pretty much write after dinner, but am trying to do it earlier in the morning before doing other stuff. I don’t have rituals per se other than eating some kind of snack that’s bad for me while I write. I’m really partial to large size Smarties at the moment.

What famous books and movies do you think are underrated, and why?

Original Godzilla in Japanese; it’s a textbook on allegory

The Fog—an excellent take on The Crazies

The Crazies (original)—unsettling because it’s something that could happen

The Children of Ravensback—cries for a quality remake, also chilling because of the basis in reality

What famous books and movies do you think are overrated, and why?

Everything by Stephen King after The Stand—too ponderous and self absorbed

The Walking Dead series—too many spin offs and overstayed the welcome

 

 You’ve been a writer, editor, and publisher.  Which of these is your favorite?  And has serving as the latter two changed you as a writer?

Actually, I’ve only been a writer, so I can’t talk about the other two. But watching others put collections together is super fascinating and instructive.

 As an editor/publisher, what’s the most unprofessional and/or crazy experience you’ve had with a writer, or submitter?

I’ll flip this and speak to an unpleasant experience with an editor who engaged in a destructive back and forth with the head of a press I was attached to. I was put in a position to have to choose sides and ended up having four items being put in limbo as a result of the press collapsing. I cut off contact with the troublesome editor, who then had the sack to contact me through an intermediary in an effort to mend fences and get me to contribute to another one of his projects.

Otherwise, things have been positive.

     I'd like to thank Rocky for stopping by, and letting us know a bit about him.  Be sure to check out his books.   And obviously, don't forget about "Scream and Cream," available now on Amazon, in both ebook and paperback.

The Release Date for "Scream and Cream" is Here!!

 

     I'm very excited to announce that the anthology I've been referencing for the past few months is finally out, and available.  Both as a Kindle ebook, or as a paperback.  Brought to us from the fine folks at Crimson Cult Media, and publisher/editor/author Marie Lestrange.  Next, I'll introduce the 13 people who have stories in this horror/erotica book.  They are:

Carietta Dorsch

Paul Lonardo  (whose interview was just published here 3 days ago--check it out)

Bert Lestrange

Shaun Avery

K.L. Rassmussen

Yvon Wang

C.C. Parker

D.W. Milton

J. R. Santos

K.L. Massey

Myself, Paul Stansfield

Marie Lestrange

J. Rocky Colavito  (whose interview you can read here this Saturday, the 28th)

     Here's the preorder buy link to Amazon again, which also includes more information about the book:

                                     SCREAM AND CREAM PreOrder   

     (Just in case this preorder link isn't still working, you can obviously reach the page for "Scream and Cream" by typing this name in the search bar on Amazon.)

     Also, if you'd like to read some reviews and ratings about this book before purchasing, you can head on over to Goodreads.  As of now there are 5 ratings and 4 reviews, all very positive.

     So what are you waiting for?  Get yourself a copy and be disturbed, frightened, and a little turned on, all at the same time! 

Interview With Author Paul Lonardo

      As I've been mentioning for the past month or two, the "Scream and Cream" anthology of which I'm a participant in, is due out soon.  In three days, actually.  Normally I post on Saturdays only, but I'll be making an exception next Tuesday, September 24th for the book's release day.  Stop by then for much more information about "Scream and Cream," such as an author list, ordering info, etc.  To whet your appetite, today I'll be interviewing one of my co-authors, Paul Lonardo.  He shares a birthplace with horror legend H.P. Lovecraft, and.....I'll let him take over from here.  A blurb about his story in "Scream and Cream" is included at the end of this interview.  Enjoy! 

 

                                                                           

I am a freelance writer and author with numerous titles, both nonfiction and fiction books, across multiple genres. I have placed short fiction and nonfiction articles in various magazines and ezines. I am a contributing writer for Tales from the Moonlit Path, The Smithfield Times, and ShopinRI magazine. I am an active HWA member.

Instagram: PaulLonardo13

Twitter: @PaulLonardo

Author Website: https://www.thegoblinpitcher.com/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-lonardo-b88b4b12/

Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/lincoln-ri/paul-lonardo-palonardo-aol-com-author-ghostwriter

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/paul-lonardo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/734960.Paul_Lonardo

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/paul%20lonardo/_/N-8q8

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lonardo/e/B000APQ0Z4/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

 

 

1.               Do you plan your entire story or novel all out in advance, with a complete outline, etc., or do you just start writing, and see where it takes you, making it up as you go along?

 

I usually let the story take me where it wants to go. For longer projects, a novella or novel, I’ll plot out some points that I want to reach so I don’t meander too much, but I find that when I get a kernel of an idea for a story, it is usually going to pop for me if I put the time in to write it to completion.

 

 

2.               How do you come up with your story titles?

 

A lot of the time I come up with a title first, even if I don’t have an idea for the story itself. I have lists of potential titles for stories. Although, it is difficult to be original no matter how obscure the title sounds. It’s always disappointing to search and find that the title has been used already, often by multiple authors in different genres.

3.               What writers have influenced you the most?

 

Since I continue to read whenever I can, I continue to be influenced by writers and books. These days, it’s more lesser-known or unknown writers whose books I will pick up. But as far as those writers who have influenced me to become a writer, I have to credit Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Robert R. McCammon, Dean Koontz, to name a few.

4.               What is your current work in progress?

I am writing a lot of short fiction at this time, checking the submission calls of various genre magazines and ezines. They are very inspirational in getting the creative juices flowing. With a theme and a deadline, it becomes a challenge and it’s a great test to see how you are improving as a writer.

5.               Do you prefer writing short stories, novellas, or novels?

 

Short stories have always been a favorite of mine. Maybe that’s because I grew up reading comic books (some superhero comics, but mostly the horror comics). The tales were short and exciting, with new ones every month that I couldn’t wait to read.

 

6.               What is your favorite beer/alcoholic drink/wine?

 

Wine is my go-to adult beverage of choice, but since I discovered the espresso martini, my wine rack has been gathering dust and aging, which is okay.

7.            What are three things you wish you hadn’t done in your writing career?

 

There is one major thing I wish I hadn’t done, and that is starting later in life. If I had less self-doubt and been more serious about my writing when I was younger, I could have enjoyed the entire experience longer, including all the ups and downs that come with the profession.

8.            What do you do to break a case of writer’s block?

Being the quintessential Taurus, I try to push through it, that whole DON’T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT WRITTEN attitude. What writer’s block may be is simple lack of inspiration, but that can come at any time. You have to be open to it. If you give up, you’ll never know what you might have had. How often do you hear writers, as well as other artists, express surprise by how well a book (or song, or anything else they created) was received by other people.

 

9.            Do you have any guilty pleasure reads, and if so, what are they?

Sadly, I’m one of those people who keep the supermarket tabloids in business. I blame my mother, God rest her soul. She always made me buy those gossip rags for her, and every once in a while I find myself reaching for one while waiting in line.

10.            What is the first book you remember reading?

 

I can’t say for certain if it was the very first, but it had to be close, and it was one I took out of the school library numerous times. And that would be Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Love it to this day. I own a copy now, got if for my son when he was young. I actually got it for me, but that’s just between us.

                                                                  

11.            Have you had any negative fan experiences, such as cyber stalking or the like?

 

Does my wife count? Just kidding. She’s my best fan. Come to think of it, she’s my only fan.

12.            What’s your stance on reviews of your work?  Do you ignore them, read every one, obsess over them?

 

I prefer not to look at personal reviews, good, bad or indifferent, unless they come from another writer/editor/publisher with constructive criticism. Once a book is out, there’s nothing that can be done. Some will like it, some will not like, others may be in the middle somewhere, and that’s fine. That’s part of it. You have to take the good with the bad, but I won’t obsess over it.

13.            About allegory and symbolism—do you often intentionally insert these things into your stories?  Have you ever looked back on one after you’re finished and realized you put in some of these without consciously realizing it?

As a young writer, I would intentionally use symbolism whenever I could, but I eventually realized that this heavy-handed manner of storytelling can sometimes detract more than benefit a narrative. Symbolism is best when subtle, and it is most effective when done on a subconscious level. As a more experienced writer, it becomes something that you’re not even aware you’re doing. When you go back after and notice it, that’s when you know you’re onto something.

14.            How do you handle rejection from magazines and publishers?  Do you have any particularly funny or unprofessional rejections to share?

 

Rejection is part of the process, and I’m at the point where I expect a large percentage of submissions to be rejected. It’s a numbers game, so when a story does get accepted, I’m ecstatic about it because it’s like winning the lottery. Not getting any response is the worst because many publishers still ask that you not to simultaneously submit your story elsewhere. I say submit it everywhere at once. If you want to increase your chance of winning the lottery, you have to buy more than one ticket.

15.            What is the most disturbing movie(s) you’ve ever seen, and why?

No matter how many times I see it, The Exorcist continues to scare the crap out of me. A half a century since its release, it’s as disturbing as ever. It has aged remarkably well, though it’s clear that movies have a much faster pace today. Still, you get pulled into the film by the story and its characters, and don’t realize that the possession sequences do not occur until the very end of the movie.

16.            Do you usually do a lot of research before you start a project?

 

I do plenty of research, but I would say that most of the research happens during the writing process, not before I begin the project, though I do some there, as well.

17.            What are your feelings about your earliest stories?  Do you feel they still hold up, or are you a bit embarrassed by them?

I don’t know if ‘embarrassed’ would be the right word to describe my feelings about my earliest works, but they certainly need a rewrite. Which is why I don’t like to read my older stories, unless my intent is to rewrite and release an updated version. If my writing style and knowledge of myself, life, and the human condition hasn’t changed since I wrote my first piece, I’d be in a lot of trouble as writer.

18.            What pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers?

 

Well, I am often asked what advice I have for someone who wants to pursue a career in writing. My response is always the same. It may sound cliched, but the simplest things are sometimes the solutions to biggest dilemmas. If writing is something you really enjoy, don’t let anything stop you, no matter how little time you have to devote to it. Always write for you first, write what interests you, and the readers who find you will be lucky they did.

19.            What’s your writing history?  Did you start as an adolescent, or was it later?  And then how long did it take before you starting submitting your work?

 

I’ve been writing in various forms most of my life, though my initial interest was in cinema and filmmaking. I was in high school when I borrowed a friend’s Super-8 movie camera, which touched off a personal, creative spark. I began making my own blend of action and horror movies. I wrote the scripts and was behind the camera shooting scenes around the neighborhood with my friends playing the parts.

 

We had lots of laughs making those movies. I took it more seriously because they were all projects I had envisioned, and I wanted to see them through to completion. It was really a creative outlet that I was experimenting with, and the experience got me thinking seriously about screenwriting. In those early years, I went to movies all the time, so I learned everything I could about how screenplays were written and tried my hand at them, writing several original stories for the screen. They were certainly awful, but they were mine.

 

Growing up in the 80s, I was a fan of dark fantasy and horror, in books as well as film, so when I turned to other forms of writing this was the genre I focused on.

 

Stephen King and other contemporary horror writers influenced me in those years when I started writing my own short fiction, developing ‘my voice,’ as they say about a writer’s early efforts.

 

I’ve written more than twenty books to date, including novels, novellas, short story collections, as well as a host of nonfiction titles, and recently a book of haiku poems, naturally in the horror genre, where they are called horrorku. I continue to work with other people on collaborative nonfiction projects, and I also ghostwrite and edit books for aspiring authors.

 

As evidenced from my list of books, there are numerous other genres represented in my fiction besides horror, including romance and a children’s adventure novel. My nonfiction ranges from true crime, to sports, to biographies, and assisting others with their autobiographies. I really enjoy the challenge of writing in a genre that is new to me. It keeps me feeling fresh and eager to learn different styles of writing and approaches to a topic or subject matter. This also ensures that I continue reading, because you have to read in the genre you are writing.

 

20.            What’s your post-writing process?  Do you edit extensively?  Do you use beta readers or writing groups?

Editing doesn’t really stop for me. Today, with self-published works, even when the book is released, there is the capability of rewriting and uploaded the new version. It’s dangerous only because touching up a story can literally go on forever. At some point, however, you just have to let the story go and stand on its own, in the same manner you have to do when your child reaches a certain age. There’s always a new story to create. And that’s what’s so great about writing.

                                                                       

21.            How much of your work is based on your personal experiences, such as work, relationships, and so on?

 

Experience, not much. My work is based largely on curiosity. Something sparks my imagination and makes me want to explore a topic, subject or emotion. Life experience is another matter altogether. The mature writer you become understands so much more about…well, everything, than the novice writer you once were. There is no shortcut to this life knowledge, but it seeps into your writing every step of the way.

22.            Do you have any writing rituals, such as doing it at a regular time every day, or writing in public places, or while listening to music?

For me, a comfortable place to write is important, and I actually have two places I can work. Which location I use depends on the time of the year. Besides the quiet and still of the night that I prefer, I also require cooler air temperatures. In the summer, I have a basement office area that is always cooler than the rest of the house. In the winter, the upstairs living room is where I’ll be working, with a window air conditioning unit at the ready if the heat ticks up to high.

 

 

23.             You’ve been a writer, editor, and publisher.  Which of these is your favorite?  And has serving as the latter two changed you as a writer?

 

Writing is first and foremost my favorite. Editing is my least favorite because it is less creative and more tedious, but it probably the most import part of the process and essential to creating a really good book. So, if you should ever find a really good editor, hang on to them for dear life. Publishing can be fun, but time-consuming. I should do more promoting of my own work, but I always end up jumping right into a new project.

     And here is a short blurb for Paul's contribution to "Scream and Cream," titled "Rebirth."

Rebirth plays off the frightening legend of the Hindu Goddess Chhinnamasta, who is represented by a headless woman. Her image symbolically represents sexual restraint. When a young man seeks out a woman that he does not know to enlighten him on the pleasures of tantric sex, he gets a whole lot more than he bargained for. This erotic/horror tale could be described as fifty shades of red