JENN McKINLAY: It's always weird to me that whenever I have a book come out the next book in the series is always due, which guarantees that the manuscript won't have my full attention and neither will the work in progress.
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As I'm promoting WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN (on sale now for 27% off at Amazon -- just sayin'), I'm madly trying to finish the second in the series WITCHES OF QUESTIONABLE INTENT(out next October!). It makes for some rather exhausting days and sometimes I forget which witch book I'm talking about.
I have been having a grand time, immersing myself in the fantasy world. It's taken a little getting used to as there are no rules -- other than to tell a compelling story, obvy -- and when I get stuck I realize I have to look at whatever plot issue I'm having from a magical standpoint.
Here's a snippet from my work in progress to show you what I mean. In this scene, the staff of the Books of Dubious Origin department are checking their vault for an item they believe has been stolen.
The vault was another surprise. It was not a dank, musty cave with piles of treasured books, magical artifacts, or gold. No, it looked exactly like the safe deposit boxes in a bank vault, with one distinct difference. Instead of locks that required keys or passcodes, these drawers all had a single eye where normally a handle would be. And at the moment, all the eyes were watching us. In other words, nightmare fuel.
“Steady, love,” Jasper whispered in my ear. “They can’t harm you.”
“My psyche begs to differ,” I muttered.
The eyes swiveled in my direction and then blinked as one. I felt my knees go
slack.
Miles moved across the room and gently placed his hand over one of the drawers, closing its eye. All the eyes faded into the flat metal front of their drawers except the one Miles had touched, which popped open when he removed his hand.
A rush of air exited my lungs. Maybe it was my own discomfort at being the center of attention but having so many eyes on me was creepy and I could see how it would be a deterrent for would be criminals.
“Open.” The eye closed and the drawer
slowly opened as he’d commanded. Miles glanced inside and went still. “It’s not
here.”
When I originally sat down to write it, I thought to myself what would be something that would freak me out in a vault? Eyeballs came to mind, no idea why, but I ran with it. This has become my method for writing the fantasy novels. I try to stretch myself as far as I can and see what happens. We'll see what my editor thinks of this scene and hopefully it will make it into the final version.
Also, after I wrote it, I discovered there are drawer pulls that are eyeballs so maybe I'm not that weird? LOL.
What about you, Reds and Readers, what are things that would creep you out in a story? Would you keep reading? Or slam the book shut and run?
Okay, definitely creepy, Jenn, but thanks for sharing this with us . . . .
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet come across anything so creepy as to make me abandon a book I was reading but I suppose it could happen . . . I just can't imagine what it would be . . . .
Report back should it happen!
DeleteYes, Jenn, you’ve got creepy down. Even though eyeballs, for me are not creepy. They are familiar as they help me to understand my eye problems. Over the years, my ophthalmologists have used their take apart models of eyeballs to explain what is wrong and how it can or cannot be fixed. I took advantage of that Amazon discount yesterday. Now I’m looking forward to Thursday. But it has been your posts here and on FB that got me to Amazon yesterday, thank you. Continue to be wonderfully creepy! Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much, Elisabeth! Hope you enjoy it!
DeleteYour description was completely creepy, although the drawer pulls are lovely. I was totally creeped out by the clown in It, and continued reading to the end, but didn't want to read more Stephen King.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, It - soooooo creepy.
DeleteJen your book cover for WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN is just as beautiful as it is indeed magical to look at ! Now that you have peeked my interest I will find it on Amazon ! I don’t find the eyeballs to be creepy I find them intriguing ! ( Mary E. )
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary! I'll hav to try harder. LOL.
DeleteI have skimmed/skipped over creepy parts of books. The one time I abandoned a book was one where a young girl was snatched from her bedroom. The mamma in me just wouldn’t allow me to continue. Now that all my kids are grown perhaps I could read something like that.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I can't do kidnappings of children either.
DeleteVery creepy! But the eyeballs wouldn't make me stop reading. That takes someone looking into Kay Scarpetta's windows at night - that is, when I stopped reading those books!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, we had a lovely small gathering with Celia and her daughter in the bar yesterday. Missed Hallie and Hank, though. Pix on my FB page.
Wish I could have been there, Edith!
DeleteWhat an astonishing process Jenn! I'm with Brenda, don't enjoy movies and books that are too creepy. But your Witches is sitting on my bedside table waiting in line!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks, Lucy!
DeleteMorning All, Paula B here ~ I finished Witches/Dubious a couple days ago. OMG it was soooo good and I don’t usually read fantasy. I loved the entire book. Now to wait a year which, on a positive note, means I’ll have to reread Dubious again just prior to next one. Hmm, sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paula. I had so much fun writing it and the current one. I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed it.
DeleteNot much creeps me out as an adult (thanks to my career-I’ve heard/seen it all- well, I guess stalkers still creep me out!), but when I was a kid, my china dolls were the creepiest. In the 70s, china dolls were still a thing and my grandmother would give them to my cousin and me as gifts so I ended up with a small collection. Of course I was convinced they were possessed (thank you, Stephen King!) and their eyes were watching me. So I moved them all into my parents’ bedroom, but even walking by them in the daytime scared me.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about dolls (looking at you, Hallie!) that is definitely creepy.
DeleteAnnnd this is why your fantasy series is headed for the stars, Jenn! First, the idea of creepy eyeballs and then, following through on that image to the functioning of the safe deposit boxes--brilliant!! It's the little details like that which immerse readers into your fantasy world. And here's a bit of information for you: in our library system, there are currently about 40 copies of this book available for the 133 readers who have ALL of the copies checked out or are on a waitlist. How's that for a book which just published today?!
ReplyDeleteLots of things creep me out--but mostly it's things that have no explanation--like The Haunting of Hill House, for example. If you can understand how and why something is happening, you at least have a chance of escaping danger.
I’ll chime in with library stats!
DeleteCity of Los Angeles has 8 copies, all out, 53 people waiting. For the audio, 7 copies, all out, 44 waiting.
Orange County CA has one copy out, 9 waiting. Audio has one copy out, 10 people waiting.
Fantastic stats! Thank you so much! The Haunting of Hill House messed me up!
DeleteWell done, Jenn! That is Harry Potter level of imagination. Such a vivid description, I could almost hear the eyes snapping shut. Shivers!
ReplyDeleteEyeballs don't creep me out, although ones that move and watch my movements might. But along with skeletons, hands, skulls, and witch hats, eyeballs of many types are crucial to my Halloween decor. Cackle!!
Somewhere, maybe in Oxford? we passes a store that photographs your eyeball and turns it into unique and quite beautiful art. There was actually a line, so maybe that is a trendy Christmas gift this year? Instead of "here's my heart", it's "have my eyeball".
There are several of those places (eyeball photographs) in Venice, where I currently am.
DeleteI can't say I have seen any here, but I don't shop much, either.
DeleteWhy do I want this now??? Why??? Thanks for the info, Karen. Might end up in a book.
DeleteLooks like the only studio in the US is in Miami. Iris Photo | Turn your eye into stunning artwork https://share.google/dquZlxV0107OPkr4W
DeleteOMG. I love the cover (I have said that a gazillion times I'm sure) and the titles (Origin and Intent) are super. The title and cover alone - I would buy the book in a second. I love the eyes watching you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anon!!!
Deleteoh, I cannot wait for this! I am such a fan of this, and gobbled up the first one. You are incredibly imaginative, and I agree with someone above… The eyeballs are very Harry Potter. And that is – – Cinematic and possible and visual (ha!) – – And also, thinking about this, very logical. They are supposed to be the lookout for intruders, so what better than that absolute personification. You are such a genius!
ReplyDeleteAw, you're the best, Hank! The best!
DeleteI just read the first line and laughed and laughed - yes, clearly my attention is elsewehere. It was supposed to be "which guarantees that the manuscript won't have my full attention and neither will the work the work I'm promoting." LOL. Enough said.
ReplyDeleteThis is good creepy! Once when I was on a visit to Birmingham, AL with a group of museum docents, we were invited to see a private collection. The couple collected American Art but also as you can never have too many collections and as he was an ophthalmologist, they also collected eye jewelry. They had brooches, rings, etc. with eyeballs on them. It was a thing at one time. You can look it up.
ReplyDeleteOMG!
DeleteWhile I cannot think of anything so creepy that I would abandon reading a book, I confess that I have abandoned reading a book for other reasons ( unchecked misogyny, the tone of unkindness, or confusion like two different names for the same character without explanation). And I loved your WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGINS, which I got just in time for Halloween and stayed up all night reading the book. I wanted to finish reading novels before doing my version of National Novel Writing Month project in November. I am trying very hard to stay away from social media this month to focus on MY writing project, Jenn!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am looking at Sisters in Crime - Guppies because they include Writers Accountability, right?
Go, Diana, go! Get it done!
DeleteI love how this is uncomfortable on multiple levels. There is the body horror of disembodied eyeballs, and then there is the discomfort of being the center of attention that so many of us hate.
ReplyDeleteHas anybody put a book in the freezer like Joey in Friends?
Ha!!! I loved that episode!
DeleteThe eyeballs are a perfect creepy element in this excerpt from your next Witches book. I can certainly understand feeling a high level of anxiety with them watching you. Their job is to keep unauthorized people out of the drawers, so I can imagine the look the eyes projected was anything but friendly. I have my copy of Witches of Dubious Origin (such a great title and cover), and I do hope I get to start reading it soon.
ReplyDeleteI would say that there was always something in a Stephen King book to creep me out, even though I used to read him regularly. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a favorite book for me. However, when Rose Madder came along, reading it had many disturbing parts to it, and that's when I parted ways with King's books. That's not to say I won't ever pick one up again.
The things that creep me out are ones that are cruel creepy. Eyeballs are more fun creepy. Now, I know frogs aren't a cruel creepy thing, but I am definitely disturbed by lots of them, or crickets.
Yes! Swarms of anything give me pause. *Jenn making notes for the book* Thank you, Kathy!
DeleteJenn, you are amazing! This series is such fun! Finished Dubious Origin yesterday and now can't wait for Intent!!!
ReplyDelete