Title: Victim Souls
Author: Andrew Terech
Genre: Horror, Young Adult
Release Date: November 8, 2014
Sometimes, only bad guys can beat the Devil…
The plan is simple: get the money and deliver the car. What could possibly go wrong?
What can’t?
Things start to go south when Sam Drake realizes that his brother Johnny is hiding something, a secret about Sam’s troubled childhood that goes beyond his most feverish nightmares…
Then Johnny’s girlfriend, Ash, starts sending Sam the kind of mixed signals that can only lead to big trouble…
As the trio of small time crooks falls deeper into an abyss of betrayal and violence, they will discover that the greatest danger they face is not of this world.
With everything he believes about himself and the world around him shattered, Sam will become the unlikely champion in a battle with true evil, a fight to save a soul that has already been forfeited to darkness.
His own.
Death, evil, monsters, ghosts and the worst traits in humanity are just a few reasons why horror appeals to me and to so many others. Why is that we’re drawn to such awful things? Why do we expose ourselves to terror and restless nights? My love comes from two places: my love for my father and my love of fear.
My father was a massive horror fan. He used to let me sneak out of my room at night and watch scary movies with him when I was a kid. He always made me bring my blanket, so he could tell me when to cover my eyes. I always listened without question. Those are my fondest memories of my father and one of the few ways he and I truly connected. For me, horror has a sentimental value but that’s not the case for everyone. I’m not sure why my father was drawn to the genre; he passed away before I was ever able to explore the subject with him. If I were to guess, he probably had the same reason I do; the reason we all do.
There are two primary emotions: Love and Fear. All other feelings are rooted in one or the other: anger, hate, jealousy, envy, etc. Horror has a way of tapping into that primary emotion of fear, making us feel something that logically we’d want to avoid. But we’re human, and emotion is what makes us feel alive. Some people jump out of planes or launch motorcycles over large canyons. Why? To feel that primary fear. To feel alive. Except, everyone isn’t lining up to dive off a cliff, because those activities introduce a real danger that most of us aren’t willing to risk.
The beauty of a well-written horror story is its ability to induce an intense emotion without the danger. I’m not much of a thrill seeker, but I love to sit alone in a dark room with a terrifying book or film. We love all forms of fiction because it can simulate a powerful reality without the consequences. One could apply the same logic to the popularity of video games and virtual worlds. Some people even prefer to live in a safe, virtual world instead of the real one. Horror isn’t the only genre that access our fears, but its by far the best at it.
Fear exists in us to keep us alive; a built in mechanism that tells us not to go into that dark alley or to run the other way when the bear roars into our campsite. With horror, we get to walk down that alley; we get to stand our ground against that bear, all without the consequence or real danger. Writing horror stories gives me the opportunity to create the thrill for others, and it offers a way to explore my own deepest fears.
That’s what draws to me to the horror genre. How about you?
Andrew’s a horror fiction writer who is also a massive fan of the genre. He’s been writing short stories and working on his novel for over 5 years. He has several short stories published, as well as some editing credits. He moderates a writing workshop in Phoenix, AZ where he’s been exposed to many different forms of fiction, which have broadened his influences. He aims to write stories that creep out his readers, while offering well-developed, rich characters they can sink their teeth into. He’s also a fan of experimenting with form and structure to create something uniquely my own.
Andrew grew up on Long Island in New York, and has lived in Arizona for the past 7 years. His professional background is in psychology where he’s carved out a nice career for himself. However, writing has always been his passion.
Currently, he’s hard at work, developing additional content to publish. He hopes to find an audience that loves the genre, and is up for a good scare.
Thanks for being on the tour, Heather! :)
ReplyDeleteThank for the support!
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