Creepy critters are everywhere on my blog this month as I interview authors of the paranormal and fantastic. Today C. Lee Brown, author of Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins and Secret of the Druids is my guest. Thanks for stopping by again, Lee!
Thank you for the opportunity, Audra.
What, in your opinion, is the scariest mythical creature?
I think the Dragon is probably the most dangerous, but for just pure terror it has to be a Vampire. They get up close and personal. You’re still alive while they hold you mesmerized and suck the blood out of you.
What is it about them that creeps you out?
A Vampire is so insidious. First of all, they look like anyone else.
Secondly, a Vampire, which is already an undead creature, is extremely hard to stop. How do you kill something that is already dead? If you succeed, better be careful and not spill any blood on the ashes or it will come back. They embody all that is evil and unholy. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I even creep out at the thought that a Vampire can not only kill you, but also destroy your immortal soul by making you as evil as them.
If you had to run into one of your mythical critters in a dark alley, which would you choose, and why?
Well, if I’m going to buy the farm, I’d prefer to be killed with some class by a beautiful Drow Elf assassin, but a Werewolf in a dark alley might be interesting. If a Werewolf caught me alone in an alley, first thing I’d do is
take a mental inventory of what I have on me, checking for anything with silver. Like the Vampire, a Werewolf poses special problems if you want to kill or control them. The accepted lore says they have an extreme, even fatal, “allergy”
to anything made of silver. I think I’d stand a better chance of survival against a Werewolf than a Vampire.
Both of these are stock and trade monsters for the horror genre and favorites with the kiddies on Halloween. My daughter recently told me that we’re past the cute and cuddly costumes with my ten year old grandson. He wants blood and gore.
Although I have both Vampires and Werewolves in my world of Pearl, I use Werewolves and shape-shifters more frequently in the stories than Vampires. There is currently only one Vampire residing in Sandahl. I don’t really accept
the Vampire as belonging in the Fantasy genre, but somehow my mind can justify a Werewolf. Does that make sense? The new book I’m working on, Secret of the Druids, has a Werewolf, several shape-shifters that turn into wolves and a
host of Dire wolves.
Tell us a little about your writing process.
Some of my material gets made up on the spot as I write, but most of it is part of a plan laid out in my mind some time ago. I have transcribed an outline for my main character, Cable Hornman, and it takes him from his mid-teens to his
mid-thirties. If I’m around long enough, I plan to do at least three sets of three novels each, just on Cable Hornman. These will be part of the “Tales of the Bard” series. Each book can stand alone, but each trilogy will take the
reader on an epic adventure with Cable.
I love the fantasy epic. Tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones are like pie ala mode to me. I gobble them up. I’d like to leave epic adventures as a legacy for my family, especially the grandkids.
I draw on everything when I write. Some of the plots and scenes come right out of role-playing games I had with my kids back in the 80’s. I throw in more details by tracking things like the etymology of names I use, ideas I get at
bedtime (almost every night) and feedback from other writers, like you, Audra.
For the manuscript on Secret of the Druids, I researched several things. Recent work involved the study of crows, their various names, new discoveries about their behavior and their amazing intelligence. Crow names are used by the Druids in my story. Of course wolves play a major role in this book too and I had to do some research there.
I’ve also done an anthology set in my fantasy world, A Visitor to Sandahl, and some of the material those writers came up with has affected the course of Cable’s adventures. A sequel anthology I’m currently working up, Return to Sandahl, has a few new writers sending characters across Methanasia and their stories will no doubt change the course of events as well.
THIS or THAT
Tricks or Treats?
Are the tricks more fun? Of course they are, even in literature. Who cares about someone getting apple pie. (or candy) Give them a tale about an Imp that throws a wrench in the power plant’s generator and see what kind of silly
situations develop in the dark. That’s for me. I loved the movie Gremlins.
Monsters or Mummies?
Give me a big ole monster with a maw full of stained fangs. Not some stumblebum Frankenstein monster, but something mutated by radiation or fallen to Earth from a world far away in another galaxy. (Sci-fi meets horror) I know Brendan Fraser made a lot of money being chased by and chasing mummies, but for me it’s all tongue in cheek when you talk about mummies. Let’s pull off their cloth wrapping so they turn to dust and move on, shall we?
Twilight or True Blood?
I know this is going to upset some folks, especially folks (ladies) under thirty, but I don’t care for either of those above. Even the low-budget Hammer productions with Christopher Lee seem better. These new age Vampire series are
too touchy feely for my way of thinking. It’s all about the sensitivities of the female character and whether she can find true love with a member of the undead. Maybe I’m just being a crass male, but Humbug! Give me a good old Bram Stoker type Vampire story. A Vampire is evil first, last and always or he just isn’t scary. And a real Vampire doesn’t go around protecting girls from getting hit by a car.
Wolves or Vampires?
I guess I’ve already made the commitment to wolves. Your basic wild wolf is a noble predator and scavenger. Horror has taken this much maligned animal and given it super powers as the beast called Werewolf. Unlike the Vampire, who I believe shouldn’t display any emotions other than anger or rage, the Werewolf changes back and forth from beast to a normal human, Therefore it is logical that the creature would at times show empathy or possibly even love for a fellow
being. He’s not really evil, just chemically challenged. Unless there is a full moon out, they might even make a good companion on a date.
Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.
Secret of the Druids involves a Bard, a wizard, a dragon, a molested Princess, Dire riding wild men, Lupe, a werewolf and a medieval battle.
Where can we find out more about your books?
Here are my works:
Tales of the Bard series:
Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins is Book 1 in the Tales of the Bard series, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, plus soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble.
Cable Hornman in The Secret of the Druids is a sequel, Book 2, in the Tales of the Bard series, coming soon on Kindle.
Troubadour Tales:
The Brawl a short story in A Visitor to Sandahl, first of the Troubadour Tales, an anthology of short stories by
various writers set in the same world as Cable Hornman’s Tales of the Bard, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, or soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.
Cliffhanger, a Cable Hornman novella, and The Bag, a short story, both in Return to Sandahl, an anthology of short stories containing more Troubadour Tales by various writers set in the vicinity of Sandahl on the world of Pearl. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.
Thank you for the opportunity, Audra.
What, in your opinion, is the scariest mythical creature?
I think the Dragon is probably the most dangerous, but for just pure terror it has to be a Vampire. They get up close and personal. You’re still alive while they hold you mesmerized and suck the blood out of you.
What is it about them that creeps you out?
A Vampire is so insidious. First of all, they look like anyone else.
Secondly, a Vampire, which is already an undead creature, is extremely hard to stop. How do you kill something that is already dead? If you succeed, better be careful and not spill any blood on the ashes or it will come back. They embody all that is evil and unholy. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I even creep out at the thought that a Vampire can not only kill you, but also destroy your immortal soul by making you as evil as them.
If you had to run into one of your mythical critters in a dark alley, which would you choose, and why?
Well, if I’m going to buy the farm, I’d prefer to be killed with some class by a beautiful Drow Elf assassin, but a Werewolf in a dark alley might be interesting. If a Werewolf caught me alone in an alley, first thing I’d do is
take a mental inventory of what I have on me, checking for anything with silver. Like the Vampire, a Werewolf poses special problems if you want to kill or control them. The accepted lore says they have an extreme, even fatal, “allergy”
to anything made of silver. I think I’d stand a better chance of survival against a Werewolf than a Vampire.
Both of these are stock and trade monsters for the horror genre and favorites with the kiddies on Halloween. My daughter recently told me that we’re past the cute and cuddly costumes with my ten year old grandson. He wants blood and gore.
Although I have both Vampires and Werewolves in my world of Pearl, I use Werewolves and shape-shifters more frequently in the stories than Vampires. There is currently only one Vampire residing in Sandahl. I don’t really accept
the Vampire as belonging in the Fantasy genre, but somehow my mind can justify a Werewolf. Does that make sense? The new book I’m working on, Secret of the Druids, has a Werewolf, several shape-shifters that turn into wolves and a
host of Dire wolves.
Tell us a little about your writing process.
Some of my material gets made up on the spot as I write, but most of it is part of a plan laid out in my mind some time ago. I have transcribed an outline for my main character, Cable Hornman, and it takes him from his mid-teens to his
mid-thirties. If I’m around long enough, I plan to do at least three sets of three novels each, just on Cable Hornman. These will be part of the “Tales of the Bard” series. Each book can stand alone, but each trilogy will take the
reader on an epic adventure with Cable.
I love the fantasy epic. Tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones are like pie ala mode to me. I gobble them up. I’d like to leave epic adventures as a legacy for my family, especially the grandkids.
I draw on everything when I write. Some of the plots and scenes come right out of role-playing games I had with my kids back in the 80’s. I throw in more details by tracking things like the etymology of names I use, ideas I get at
bedtime (almost every night) and feedback from other writers, like you, Audra.
For the manuscript on Secret of the Druids, I researched several things. Recent work involved the study of crows, their various names, new discoveries about their behavior and their amazing intelligence. Crow names are used by the Druids in my story. Of course wolves play a major role in this book too and I had to do some research there.
I’ve also done an anthology set in my fantasy world, A Visitor to Sandahl, and some of the material those writers came up with has affected the course of Cable’s adventures. A sequel anthology I’m currently working up, Return to Sandahl, has a few new writers sending characters across Methanasia and their stories will no doubt change the course of events as well.
THIS or THAT
Tricks or Treats?
Are the tricks more fun? Of course they are, even in literature. Who cares about someone getting apple pie. (or candy) Give them a tale about an Imp that throws a wrench in the power plant’s generator and see what kind of silly
situations develop in the dark. That’s for me. I loved the movie Gremlins.
Monsters or Mummies?
Give me a big ole monster with a maw full of stained fangs. Not some stumblebum Frankenstein monster, but something mutated by radiation or fallen to Earth from a world far away in another galaxy. (Sci-fi meets horror) I know Brendan Fraser made a lot of money being chased by and chasing mummies, but for me it’s all tongue in cheek when you talk about mummies. Let’s pull off their cloth wrapping so they turn to dust and move on, shall we?
Twilight or True Blood?
I know this is going to upset some folks, especially folks (ladies) under thirty, but I don’t care for either of those above. Even the low-budget Hammer productions with Christopher Lee seem better. These new age Vampire series are
too touchy feely for my way of thinking. It’s all about the sensitivities of the female character and whether she can find true love with a member of the undead. Maybe I’m just being a crass male, but Humbug! Give me a good old Bram Stoker type Vampire story. A Vampire is evil first, last and always or he just isn’t scary. And a real Vampire doesn’t go around protecting girls from getting hit by a car.
Wolves or Vampires?
I guess I’ve already made the commitment to wolves. Your basic wild wolf is a noble predator and scavenger. Horror has taken this much maligned animal and given it super powers as the beast called Werewolf. Unlike the Vampire, who I believe shouldn’t display any emotions other than anger or rage, the Werewolf changes back and forth from beast to a normal human, Therefore it is logical that the creature would at times show empathy or possibly even love for a fellow
being. He’s not really evil, just chemically challenged. Unless there is a full moon out, they might even make a good companion on a date.
Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.
Secret of the Druids involves a Bard, a wizard, a dragon, a molested Princess, Dire riding wild men, Lupe, a werewolf and a medieval battle.
Where can we find out more about your books?
Here are my works:
Tales of the Bard series:
Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins is Book 1 in the Tales of the Bard series, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, plus soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble.
Cable Hornman in The Secret of the Druids is a sequel, Book 2, in the Tales of the Bard series, coming soon on Kindle.
Troubadour Tales:
The Brawl a short story in A Visitor to Sandahl, first of the Troubadour Tales, an anthology of short stories by
various writers set in the same world as Cable Hornman’s Tales of the Bard, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, or soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.
Cliffhanger, a Cable Hornman novella, and The Bag, a short story, both in Return to Sandahl, an anthology of short stories containing more Troubadour Tales by various writers set in the vicinity of Sandahl on the world of Pearl. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.
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