BLOG TOUR: "Pretty Dark Sacrifice" by Heather L. Reid
When I think of horror, there are few more impressive than Stephen King, right? What makes him so appealing to other horror writers though? Heather L. Reid, a scream queen herself, had some insight on him and what attracts her to certain horror creatives and what she thinks makes horror scary. I mean if you want to try to understand the madness of the genius, it's best to go straight to the source, right?! Heather will be the first to tell you about how very personal her fears are and how they've definitely spurred her into telling some scary tales. Check out my interview with her at Fangirlish for that scoop.
What horror maven scared you as a child - how and why?
I’ve always been a Wes Craven fan. I remember sneaking into the living while my parents were asleep and watching A Nightmare On Elm Street over and over again. The idea of Freddy killing you in your dreams is a truly scary concept. Adults didn’t believe in him and the kids had to keep themselves from falling asleep in order to stay alive. None of them know what’s really going on or how to stop him. The scene in the boiler room where he scrapes his finger knives on the metal boiler sends chills down my spine. I also love, love, love Hitchcock who is a master of suspense and his work is visually stunning as well. Then there’s Guillermo Del Toro. Pan’s Labyrinth is a stunning and creepy film where the fear is coming from both the real world and a fantasy world.
What makes a horror film truly frightening for you - how and why?
A good horror film has to balance characters I care about with a plot that will surprise and keep me guessing. I want my horror films to unfold with a lot of tension without using convenient plot devices or cheap scares. I prefer suspenseful psychological horror such as Psycho, The Woman In Black, The Haunting, The Conjuring, Rosemary’s Baby, or the Omen to straight up slasher films, though one exception to that would be The Evil Dead . I love those movies! The Exorcist might be the movie that disturbed me the most. Maybe because it’s said to be based on a true story or maybe because it’s frightening to watch a little girl say and do such vile things. I went to see it in the theatre when the director’s cut was re-released a few years ago and decided I would never be able to watch it again. I also love zombie movies, but I tend to think of them as a sub-genre. The Walking Dead, though not a movie, has some truly terrifying moments, and if you haven’t seen the crazy fast zombies of 28 Day’s Later, you’re missing out!
If you could be compared to one horror master, who would it be and why?
Steven King. He is the horror master. His characters are raw and real and always a little bit off. The situations he puts them in are strange and original, but somehow he makes them work. A crazy demon clown that lives in the sewers and torments children? Yes, please. Or how about the epic battle between good and evil in The Stand. Nobody can forget the torment Carrie endures from her mother or her classmates, and when she unleashes her anger on the unsuspecting teens at prom? What a moment! And The Shining, Jack Torrance is manipulated by a variety of unseen forces. The tension in the book mimics the boiler that Jack forgets to dump in the end. Each scene is a little hotter, a little tenser, and then, bam! Who wouldn’t want to be compared to King?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and writing new tales of fantasy and horror.ABOUT PRETTY DARK SACRIFICE:
Title: Pretty Dark Sacrifice (Pretty Dark Nothing #2)
Publication date: July 28, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Heather L. Reid
Publication date: July 28, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Heather L. Reid
It’s been five weeks, two days, and eight hours since the demons forced Quinn to throw herself into the raging river, since Aaron sacrificed himself to save her, since his body disappeared without a trace.
Everyone wants Quinn to move on, but she can’t, not after a spirit appears to her at Aaron's memorial, convincing her he’s still alive. When a mysterious box materializes on the very spot Aaron disappeared, Quinn finds she’s at the center of an ancient prophesy of betrayal, revenge, and sacrifice that takes her to the depths of the underworld to face Lilith—Adam’s first wife.
If Quinn can stop Lilith from unleashing the demon horde Eve, trapped inside the box during the Battle of Eden millennia ago, she will save the human realm and free Aaron from an eternity in torment.
All it will cost is her blood.
BLOG TOUR DETAILS:
Thanks for sharing! I've only read a couple books by Stephen King - I need to check out more. As for movies, I LOVE Pan’s Labyrinth and Hitchcock has some great ones - Love Rope and Strangers on a Train.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Yes, those movies are amazing! You should check out Heather's books. They're really good YA horror reads with a lot of sweet romance.
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