Excerpt
His foot crunched on a three-foot long stick. It was gnarled and thick, a perfect walking stick and weed slasher. Whisking it back and forth, he swatted at the wild vegeta tion, heading for the woodpile. It would make a great bonfire. He’d never been to one in person, but he’d seen plenty in movies, especially the flicks from the ’80s with teen campers in peril.
West loved those movies, especially the parts where girls took off their shirts and either went skinny dipping or had sex in the woods or an empty cabin. Actresses took their clothes off a lot back then. He’d never even seen a naked boob until Anthony showed him this strange astronaut/vampire flick called Lifeforce. The girl vampire was totally naked, front and back, for half the movie. West’s mind was blown. Horror, sci-fi, and his first naked woman. The constant flip-flopping between arousal and terror left him both exhausted and too tired to sleep that night.
Something crashed through the brush to his left. He stopped, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. There was a garbled growl. The sounds of two cats tussling gave his nerves sweet relief. Not wanting to get in the middle of their fight, he veered to the right.
Closing in on the haphazard mound of wood, he realized what it was. The farm would have had a barn at one time. It must have collapsed decades ago. The old walls and floorboards were blighted by the sun and elements. The stench of decay grew stronger with each step. Weeds grew through the gaps, some of them so thick, they hid whole sections of the former barn. “I wonder what took you down,” he said, lifting boards here and there with the tip of his sneaker. The ground beneath it was black as pitch and had an odd smell, like something scorched and long forgotten. Could have been a fire. Or maybe it was a storm, some hurricane that sent people to their cellars. That is, if hurricanes happened in this part of Pennsylvania.
Did Grandpa Abraham’s place have a storm cellar? And what about a fruit cellar? He heard about them all the time, especially when it came to places for crazed killers to hide bodies. What was the point of a fruit cellar? Why stick your fruit in some hole?
There was sudden movement in the brush behind him. He waited for one of the cats to slink into view. The sound didn’t repeat itself and no cats came out to play. West felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. He had the very uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.
Out here, surrounded by the tall grass, anyone could be lurking.
He closed his eyes and saw the words on the ceiling over his bed. WE SEE YOU West was suddenly very uncomfortable. All of this was so alien to him, he felt as if he’d stepped into a place where he didn’t belong. “Time to go back inside.”
He trudged away from the collapsed barn, unable to shake the feeling that there were eyes at his back
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Hunter Shea . . .
LIGHTNING ROUND
What genre do you read? – Anything I can get my hands on. Because I write a lot of horror, I tend to read more horror books in a year, but I love mysteries, thrillers, suspense, biography, even the occasional romance. I’m happiest when I have a book in my hand.
What genre do you write? I definitely identify myself as a horror author, but over the last few years, I’ve done quite a bit of ghost writing, mostly in the thriller category. I’ve also written a children’s picture book and would like to do more of that some day. But no matter what I do, my first love – horror – always beckons me back.
What was the first book you fell in love with? Maybe not love, but sheer fascination was Stephen King’s Night Shift. I think I was 10 when I read it and I was blown away by the storytelling in a voice that was relatable. I was already a horror kid, but this solidified it for me. As an adult, a book I love and re-read every year is Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. And the book I loved as a kid and as an adult, when I would read to my girls, is The Giving Tree. Pure brilliance that people of all ages can treasure.
What was a book you said you would never pick up again? Oh boy, that’s quite a lot to choose from. I know this is a cult classic, but House of Leaves was a slog to me, and I bailed two-thirds of the way through. Sometimes you just don’t connect with a book, no matter what everyone else is telling you. Don Quixote is quite the undertaking and not as much fun as a book as it is a concept.
Which fiction character do you love? I’m a huge fan of Robert Parker’s Spencer and Hawk characters. I wish I could be that badass. If I was ever in serious trouble, they’d be the ones I’d call to help. Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzolli and Isles are also can’t misses for me. I’m hoping and praying she brings them back for another adventure.
Which fiction character do you love to hate? Diogenes Pendergast is such a unique, truly diabolical character. He’s very much like his brother, Agent Aloysius Pendergast with almost preternatural abilities, but from the other side of the tracks. The elaborate ways he tries to destroy his brother’s life are amazing to watch unfold.
Which fiction character do you hate? Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Just a straight up zero on the likeability scale. If he has a redeeming quality, his own mother hasn’t discovered it.
What beverage do you drink while reading? I’m pretty boring in this regard. Most times, it’s just a cold bottle of water. I’m not a coffee drinker and rarely drink tea. And if I drink alcohol while reading, I can guarantee I’m not comprehending the story as I should.
What do you snack on while reading? The best snack in the world – popcorn! Especially if it’s fresh popped with some salt and melted butter. Though I have to be careful not to get butter stains on the pages, so I keep a hand towel nearby.
Have you always enjoyed reading? Yes! I’m like Burgess Meredith in that Twilight Zone episode. My parents encouraged me to read everything and everything. I couldn’t wait to get the books from Scholastic I ordered in grade school. Best day ever. Nowadays, I read between 80 and 100 books a year. If I could get paid to read, I would happily drop everything else.
Thank you Hunter Shea for joining the Lightning Round. Your work is appreciated.
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