I was interviewed by author Robert Fleming late last year and the interview has been posted on AALBC.com!
The largest, most popular website for African-American literature! Please check it out!
http://aalbc.com/authors/zetta_brown.html
Just in time for African-American history month! LOL
http://www.zettabrown.com
Whitewash a book cover? Not on my watch.
To be blunt–this kind of stuff really pisses me off:
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2010/01/19/cover_whitewashing/index.html
or
http://bit.ly/4F8h1j
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore. Black protagonist–white person on cover.
Is it pure ignorance and bigotry in the publishing world?
Is it mere pandering?
Or is it lazy cover designers?
All of the above?
In my opinion, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if the fault lies with the publisher or the designer, it’s totally unacceptable.
The cover has since been “corrected.” But Bloomsbury provides such a lame, so-called apology:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6716006.html?talk_back_header_id=6640748#talkback
or try
Same book different cover/edition
I will be very interested to see the revised cover.
And don’t be fooled by this so-called apology. When this happened to Justine Larbalestier’s book, LIAR last year, here’s what she said:
http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/07/23/aint-that-a-shame/
The cover for LIAR has since been changed too.
Now read this article that was originally posted in Publishers Weekly and pay close attention to what the publisher’s publishing director says.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6675065.html
We have a saying where I come from…“That’s mighty white of you.” And it is said sarcastically when someone is being magnanimous without really conceding anything. They are sorry for getting caught and nothing else.
Surely, if you are going to have a person on a book cover representing the main protagonist, surely the “best interest [for] this book” is to use a representation that matches.
For the same publisher to make the same bonehead mistake in a matter of months is stupid. Stupid. STUPID. They need to look at the way they produce book covers and communicate with their artists if not their authors. And I mean this for ALL covers, not just the books featuring people of color.
As a black woman, I’m offended. If I was a white person, I would be offended, too, because these “big executives” are playing me for a fool and assuming that I’m so shallow or such a latent and/or subconscious racist that I will only purchase items with a white face.
Are you really that shallow? Readers, in general, and unless they are a collector or looking for a specific edition, do not care who publishes a book as long as they can get it. But I think if more readers knew this kind of asinine practice is regarded as standard operational procedure, they would be appalled—or at least look at covers more closely.
This kind of idiocy isn’t limited to publishing. The movie that came out last year, COUPLES RETREAT with Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman, had two black actors in it–Faizon Love and Kali Hawk.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell that by the movie poster where I live in the UK! The black actors were deliberately left off. Why? Because black folks don’t sell movies.
http://www.moviefone.co.uk/2009/11/16/couples-retreat-poster-controversy-uk/
And the funny thing is, I would not have realized this if 1) I hadn’t been living in the UK at the time and 2) If I didn’t spend hours a day commuting and seeing this movie poster plastered on busses everywhere, and 3) If I hadn’t seen the US version of the poster.
Big publishing. Hollywood. It doesn’t matter. Ignorance and the compounding of stereotypes still continue. And unless people (consumers) start to say enough is enough, it ain’t ever gonna end.
You don’t get this kind of nonsense working with an independent publisher where we work closely with the author. If you do, and it offends you, as an author you have a choice to stand up to your convictions and demand for it to be put right.
Authors of color, ask yourself: Does my multi-book deal with NYC mega publisher and my advance and royalty checks with all those zeroes worth more than the anguish and struggle my ancestors endured? If the answer is “Yes,” you are a part of the problem.
As for everyone else, if none of this bothers you, well, you’re a part of the problem too.
I am well aware that authors have little or no say in their cover art at the mega NYC publishing houses unless they have monosyllabic names like King, Rice, and Brown (no relation).
I am also well aware that the one color that appears to trump all in this matter is green.
====
Zetta Brown is editor-in-chief for LL-Publications and was the editor of the 2009 EPPIE Winner for Best Horror Novel, PIT-STOP, by Ben Larken. She holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and is the author of several short stories. In 1998 her short story, “Black Water,” was a regional first-place winner for The National Society of Arts & Letters (NSAL) Award for Short Fiction.
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and it’s the beginning of a new year. Time to make resolutions we hope to accomplish before the year is out. This year I’ve set several goals for myself. Loosing weight, yeah it was on last years list, too, finish four of my longer WIPs, submit them, and land myself an agent. Did you make a resolution? What are they? Depending on what it is, the library can help achieve some of those goals.
If your like me, and one of your resolutions is to get healthier and lose weight, the library offers many options and resources. Most libraries have workout DVDs and books ranging from diets to stretching. At our library, we received grant money to buy health related materials. I ordered all the Biggest Loser Workout DVDs, Walk at home with Leslie Sansone, and various cardio, yoga and pilates DVDs. They are popular, but most importantly, they are returned because patrons want to check out other titles in the collection. Also, we have all sorts of books to help you plan your diet, stretches, and workouts. Looking for a little motivation and inspiration? Check out Chicken Soup the Soul Healthy Living Series: Weight Loss.
Something that we discussed and considered was forming a walking club. We talked about a staff member leading the walking club, after library hours, and walk 30 minutes to an hour. This would work at our library because the latest we stay open is 6:30 pm and it would be after hours. Also, depending on the size of the group, you could discuss and/or recommend books, like a mobile book club. The Atlanta Public Library offers a Hatha Yoga Class and Reality Salsa. Their classes are free and open to the public. Does anyone have something similar to this in their hometown library?
Now for all writer’s, the library can also provide lots of different resources. Need to do research for that historical novel? Need books to help you with your grammar? Or want to land that New York agent but need help with that query letter? Check out your library to see if they have the books you need. In todays economic, it might not be feasible to buy the books you need. Most libraries have copies of 2010 Writer’s Market, 2010 Guide to Literary Agents, and various grammar and style books. Need a break from writing? Read about other writers in Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul.
Also some of the bigger libraries have guest author readings/lectures or workshops. The Dallas Public Library system has “Express Yourself” Youth Poetry Competition! for the young poets in Dallas area. The Seattle Public Library system hosts a Youth Speaks Writing Circle for youth ages 13-21. If you need help understanding or learning more about social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, to help promote your work and grow your audience, the New York Public Library offers an Introduction to Social Networking class. Stop by or call your local library and ask what type of programs and classes they offer. If they don’t offer anything in your area, suggest it to the librarian. There may be others in your area looking for the same thing. Or if you have a similar program at your library, have you attended? What did you like/dislike?
As always please send any comments and questions to librarian(at)ll-publications.com
Next month is February, the month of love and romance. Will discuss how romance books are extremely popular and heavily requested at my library.
So this week I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about. Then I finished reading A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck. This is the third book in the series and is just as great as the first two. Grandma Dowdel is a riot and going strong as ever.
I first read Peck’s work two years ago while I was taking a children’s literature class. We had to read all of the Newbery winners and honor books since 1922. The John Newberry Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA) to an author for the best book of American literature for children. Peck’s first book, A Long Way from ChicagoNewbery honor book in 1999. The sequel A Year Down Yonder won the Newbery Medal in 2001.
When I started A Long Way from Chicago, I couldn’t put it down. In the book we are introduced to Grandma Dowdel and her two grandchildren, Joey and Mary Alice from Chicago. They describe their annual summer visits to the small, rural Southern Illinois town, beginning in 1929. They think that nothing happens in the small town and will be bored but with Grandma Dowdel anything is possible. Once I finished the first, I hurriedly started the second book.
In A Year Down Yonder, Mary Alice goes to live Grandma Dowdel in 1937. It is during the Great Depression and money is tight as ever. But this doesn’t stop Grandma Dowdel from helping others and providing for them. The next book in the series is A Season of Gifts, which came out earlier this month. In this story, a family moves in next door to Grandma Dowdel. It is now 1959. She is described as older than dirt but the years haven’t stopped her from doing as she always has.
I love these books because Peck has created a character that is memorable, hilarious, eccentric, crafty, and with a larger than life personality. Think of her as an early version of Madea. Nothing stops Grandma Dowdel from doing what is right. Anyone tries anything funny, she has her shotgun loaded and ready to fire within reach. She teaches Joey and Mary Alice how to survive during difficult times. No matter how gruff, scary, and in-your-face she seems, she has a heart of gold. She makes sure her friend doesn’t lose her home to foreclosure, provides money for the family next door to fix the church, and makes sure the local bullies are taught a lesson. She knows about everyone and everything that goes on in her small town. Nothing escapes her. But instead of gossiping and judging, Grandma Dowdel helps where she can.
In the last book, she does small things to get people what they need. Grandma Dowdel gives away so much, especially during Christmas. She teaches us that small things do make a difference. That nothing is impossible. All we have to do is work hard and believe in what you do. I love Grandma Dowdel and everything she represents. These books are recommended for ages 9 and up but I think that everyone should read them. You will laugh and I hope, come to admire Grandma Dowdel and her escapades, as much as I do.
I hope everyone has a great and safe Holiday Season!
Okay, so this post is going to be a rant. While I think that decorating for the holidays is fun, my library director has taken it to a new level. I work in a small county library so our budget is already tight as it is. But when our director goes out and spends over $400 during one shopping trip for fall and Christmas decorations, I am beyond pissed. This is the same person who complains she doesn’t have enough money for staff or only has X-amount of money for books, yet she goes out and buys all this stuff.
Right before Thanksgiving she brought out the Christmas trees. Originally she wanted to put four up but we only had space for three of them. Then she brings out all bags and boxes for us to decorate. Already short staffed, she wants us to decorate the whole place during library hours. So on top of doing our normal duties, we are supposed to find time to decorate. I just stayed at my desk and watched the others. I’m sorry but first off all, I think she took the decorating bit a little too far. We have three huge Christmas trees and lots of other decorations covering the front desk, the door entrances, and numerous other places. She bought three, large, movable ornaments that hang from the ceiling. She was upset when I pointed out that we couldn’t hang them up because the motion sensors would pick them up when then alarm was set at night. So those went back to the store allowing for another trip where she bought more stuff. This time several huge wreaths.
Second of all, she spent way too much money. Money that could’ve been used for other things we need, like buying books. I’m not sure exactly how much money she has spent total, but I do know its way more than she should have. Lastly, what if one of the staff or patrons did not believe in or celebrate Christmas? In the last library I worked at, we were not allowed to hang anything that had the word “Christmas” in it and we could only say Happy Holidays to our patrons.
Maybe I’m overreacting and should get in the Christmas spirit. But in all honesty, she has totally ruined it with all her demands. What do y’all think? Is there such a thing as too much decorating? Or do you even expect your library, or any other public building to be decorated?
I want to take this time to wish my sisters Liz and Dréa Riley a very Happy Birthday!!!!
That's what we're here for
Patron: “I am looking for a globe of the earth.”
Librarian: “We have a table-top model over here.”
Patron: “No, that’s not good enough. Don’t you have a life-size?”
Librarian: (pause) “Yes, but it’s in use right now.”
The purpose of the reference interview is for the librarian to determine what the patron needs. When a patron walks up to the desk and asks for help, sometimes they are not clear on what they are looking for. They ask for X when what they really need is Y. It could be that they are being vague because of the nature of the subject or they themselves don’t understand the assignment their teacher assigned them. A good librarian should ask several questions so that they know what exactly the patron is looking for. The librarian is not trying to be nosy but rather be clear on what the patron really needs.
Some patrons are uncomfortable walking up the desk and asking for help. They may feel that the librarian is asking too many questions and feel uncomfortable at the intrusion. By asking questions, the librarian is simply trying ferret out what the patron needs and not be intrusive.
For example I had a patron ask where the medical books were located. We have lots of books on the subject so I asked if there was something specific they were looking for. The patron looked a little uncomfortable so I said that I just wanted to make sure that we had what they were looking for so that I could send them to the correct location. Then the patron says that they need more information on STDs. At this point I don’t need to ask further questions because I can give him a general area where he can look for books on the subject. But by this point the patron feels more are ease and tells me exactly why they need a book on gonorrhea. Well I didn’t really need to hear the whole life story but it did help me narrow down the search and get an exact call number for them. Sometimes it’s hard telling them to stop, that they are sharing way too much information.
I remember another instance where a student came in and said he needed a book. Ok so far so good, we have lots of those. After more prodding he said it was a book for his English class and the author was dead. Well now, that does help but still I needed more information. So after about twenty minutes of Q&A turns out he needed The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne. And since he waited to the last minute we didn’t have any copies available for check out.
The reference desk can be very intimidating for patrons, either because they are embarrassed about the subject or confused on what they need. So what they first ask for is not what they really need. It is the job of the librarian to clarify what is needed so that the patron can have a successful experience. Some interviews may take longer than others or the librarian may not need to ask anything because some patrons don’t have a shy bone in their body and tell you their whole life story without any prompting. Either way, the reference interview helps
On the next installment I am going to rant…I mean talk about holiday decorations and the library. Is it needed? Do patrons care whether we decorate the library?
Laura Guevara – Resident Librarian, LL-Publications
The winner of the signed copy of THE HOLLOWS by Ben Larken, from a random draw of all those who posted, was …..
KELLEY!
Kelley, I contacted you through your website, so you should get that message but if not, please get it touch!
Best
Jim Brown
Out today!
We end a fun HORROR WEEK at the LL-Publications Blog today with an interview with Ben Larken, EPPIE winning author, and his new releases, THE HOLLOWS, out today.
This is your last chance to win a signed copy of THE HOLLOWS by commenting on the blog. One lucky winner, from all those making appropriate posts (not spam, you guys need castrating…), will be announced tomorrow!
And so to Ben. Ben lives in Fort Worth, the city he was raised in, with his wife and
Ben and his EPPIE award
children. His day job as a police dispatcher keeps him well occupied, and of course he loves to read horror. Ben was fortunate to win an award with his first published book, PIT-STOP.
My main character, David Alders, is a conflicted former cop whose life never rebounded after his wife disappeared 10 years ago. Hitting the end of his budget, he and his teenage daughter Melanie are forced to move into their first apartment complex – The Whispering Hollows. Once settled, weird things start happening inside the complex. Melanie hears a ticking clock that no one else seems to hear, and David wakes up one morning to find himself back in yesterday again. Apparently his presence in the complex is unlocking a special power, and with it he just might find a way to get back to his wife – if the power doesn’t prove too much for him.
3) Your debut book, PIT-STOP (see yesterday’s blog for details and excerpts) won the EPPIE 2009 Award for Best Horror. Winning an award with your first book is a major achievement. How did you embrace that, and how has that affected you as a writer?
4) Tell us about some of your influences – literary or otherwise.
6) Give me three reasons I should read The Hollows:
7) What’s next up for Ben Larken? There’s more to come from THE HOLLOWS of course (a four-part series), but what else do you have in the pipeline?
I have another series I hope to kick off in the next year, this one about a detective caught in a war between angels and demons. And I’d like to get enough short stories finished to put out a collection. I have a couple other stand-alone horror stories that I can’t wait to get to. Bascially, I have enough to keep me busy writing for a long time to come, and that’s just the way I like it.
Thank you Ben, not just for the interview but for the amazing books you’ve given us the opportiunity to publish. Here’s to THE HOLLOWS following in the footsteps of PIT-STOP!
Jim Brown
EPPIE 2009 Best Horror
It’s every author’s dream – to get that book published, to see your name printed on the cover. Ben Larken finally got that sensation with PIT-STOP, his debut novel – described by reviewer Geoff Nelder as “an extraordinary horror/thriller”. But for Ben something else happened, something not every author achieves. His debut book became an award winner. PIT-STOP was crowned EPPIE 2009 Best Horror at EPICon in March 2009 in Las Vegas.
With Ben’s next book THE HOLLOWS released tomorrow (Friday 20th), let’s take a look at PIT-STOP and see why it’s so good.
PIT-STOP takes place at a quiet roadside diner on Arizona’s scenic route 66. Officer Scott Alders finds himself over a cup of joe, staring at the reflections in his spoon. Trouble is, he soon realises he’s not quite sure why he’s there, or how he got there. Looking around, he sees everyone else with the same half-dazed lost look. One by one, they begin to come to themselves and through Holly, the unconcerned waitress, they learn that the Pit-Stop Grill is not your everyday roadside diner. It’s a layover while they wait for a bus, and a gruesome demonic driver. The door is sealed, and the Pit-Stop Grill is the one place you don’t want to be, it’s the last stop on the road to Hell.
Amidst fears, doubts, and denial, the ten occupants try to band together to fight against the seeming inevitable, and against RAMSEY, the bus-driver gifted with the powers of Satan to bring all to his side in Hades.
—————————————————-
Get on the bus...
“Holly,” he said with a voice infuriatingly calm. “Please show your customers what happens when they refuse to get on the bus.”
Even through the nerves stretching Holly’s face, her expression dropped. She didn’t move at first. Then, with noticeable strain, her hand lifted to her blouse. She unbuttoned the top button, then the next one. She stopped.
“Ramsey, please,” she whispered. “Please don’t make me.”
He replied like a parent softly disciplining a child. “Holly, show the people what happens when you don’t get on the bus.”
She closed her eyes as a line of mascara ran down her cheek. She unclasped the next button and pulled open her blouse.
“Oh, crap,” Bill said. He was the only one who spoke. Cassie let out a small whimper.
Everyone else could barely breathe as they stared at the cavity where Holly’s chest should have been. The skin was gone. Instead there were mold-covered ribs and even darker things lurking beneath. Decrepit organs like fist-sized raisins writhed and pumped under the bones. Holly closed her blouse as quickly as she opened it.
“Thank you, Holly,” Ramsey said. “You may go now.”
The waitress lowered her head and stepped into the backroom with her hand over her mouth trying to stifle the sobs. Ramsey the bus driver revolved slowly on the bar stool, turning toward them.
“Now,” he said with a sigh. “Get on the bus or suffer the same wrath.”
“No,” Scott answered, his voice cracking. “Don’t listen to him. He can’t get us all. We have to stick together.”
Ramsey puckered his lips. “Such a valiant path. And yet, it’s never succeeded.”
Scott didn’t move, though Dustin could see a slight tremble in his legs. Then he realized he was trembling, too. They all were, as if an electric current passed through the group.
“You’re going down!” Bill cried, throwing his baseball cap aside. He ran at the driver, yelling a wordless battle cry, his fists raised and ready as he stampeded toward the albino perched on the bar stool. Ramsey never got up. He lifted one ghostly finger and touched Bill’s fist as it dived toward him.
Bill fell over howling in pain.
He landed on his side then rolled onto his back, shrieking like a banshee. A large circle of red appeared on the drunk driver’s chest. The stain deepened, making trenches of crimson in his shirt as a “Y” shape bled into the center of the circle, resembling a peace sign or a—
“A steering wheel?” Dustin said.
“Very good, Mr. Calloway,” Ramsey said, nodding respectfully. “Bill’s car didn’t have an airbag, and I’m afraid he was too drunk to remember his seatbelt. He died instantly, impaled on his own steering wheel. Such a shame, as you can see.”
Bill screamed. Janine buried her face in Dustin’s shirt. He couldn’t blame her. Bill Myers’ chest was collapsing in front of them. Bones crinkled and snapped like popcorn popping. And yet Bill kept screaming. His lungs should have been punctured. His esophagus had to be tattered ribbons.
Scott was thinking the same thing. “How is he still yelling? Why isn’t he dead yet?”
“He can’t die,” Dustin said. “He’s already dead.”
Ramsey leaned over Bill without getting off his barstool. “Would you like to get on the bus now?”
“Yes!” Bill cried and the moment he said it the blood disappeared from his shirt and his chest re-inflated. His screaming snapped off like a switch. He looked down at his body through tear-filled eyes.
“I would hurry if I were you,” Ramsey said.
Bill didn’t need further convincing. He leapt to his feet and ran outside, racing for the bus. It welcomed him into its black stomach with cryptic silence.
The bus driver rose from the barstool and stretched. His spine cracked and sounded like twigs snapping. He yawned, revealing shimmering, blood-caked teeth, and turned to the others.
“Who’s next?”
—————————————————-
Perhaps we all wonder what happens when we die. Is there a place such as Purgatory? Are we all answerable for our sins? It’s a place we never want to find ourselves in, but our heroes are there seem to face an impossible task in escaping RAMSEY. Faced with their own fears and reflecting on their own lives, they turn to each other for help.
—————————————————-
The outside lights snapped on. “Pit-Stop Grill” blinked in sizzling red neon as the fluorescent lamps cast a dull sheen over the gas pumps. Sprinting between the two pumps was Laura, blood-drenched and screaming, running toward the infinite highway. Scott watched through the window, feeling her terror. He could barely repress the scream inside himself.
“Laura!” Janine yelled, standing next to him. “Don’t leave me!”
Suddenly, the bus swooped around the side of the building like a shimmering bullet, targeting its prey and going in for the kill. The engine ripped and revved, sending tremors through the whole diner. Laura half-ran, half-staggered onto the blacktop, looking exhausted and vulnerable.
“Hide!” Janine screamed. “Laura, hide!”
“Where?” Dustin said. “There’s nowhere to go.”
Scott’s hand was on his pistol before he even formed the thought. He brushed past Janine, Dustin and Cassie, heading for the door.
“What are you doing?” Dustin shouted after him. “You can’t kill him!”
“No, but if I can slow Holly down, maybe I can give Laura enough time to get back.” He ran through the doorway, noticing how Janine had no complaints about his righting the wrongs this time.
A wave of disorientation hit him as Scott crossed over the threshold. He staggered, realizing it was because he was leaving the diner. Whatever spell the place had on their collective souls snapped off in an instant, and Scott was suddenly struck by how alone he felt. The terror inside swelled, bordering on hysteria. The soothing, hypnotic pull of the Pit-Stop was gone. Being outside the walls of the Pit-Stop felt like being strapped to the nose of the diving plane, watching the ground fly up to meet him.
Laura screamed and Scott tried to focus. The bus was almost to her. The white beams of its headlights soon found her and Scott watched in horror as Laura’s exposed legs and arms began to sizzle and smoke. The mammoth vehicle followed her path exactly, and for a second Scott thought they were all dead. The bus careened toward the two gas pumps, as if to weave between them like Laura had and Scott braced himself for the explosion that was sure to follow. But the jet black bus hit the pumps and passed through them like a ghost unfazed by the laws of reality. Scott wondered if the same would be true when the bus reached Laura. Would it pass through her and continue down the highway?
The answer soon came. The bus didn’t veer into her. It spun into her. The back end lifted off the blacktop, whipped around and the effect was like a homerun smack. Scott cringed at the sound as the bus found her. With a hollow thock, Laura flew back the way she came, landing with a metallic clang against the gas pump to his left. Scott watched her twitch and spasm, her white clothing now completely blood stained. Somewhere behind him, Janine screamed.
Scott ran. The pumps were only yards away but the distance felt overwhelming. He sprinted harder. In his periphery he could see the bus wasn’t moving. It had stopped in the middle of the highway, satisfied its prey wasn’t going anywhere. But if Scott could get to her first he could drag her back into the diner.
Then he felt the pull.
The power was all-consuming, a telepathic storm with hurricane-force winds. Every other thought evaporated. Scott stared past the gas pumps to the bus, its shimmering black windows beckoning him forward. He could hear the vibration coming off the glass, demanding his submission. He was helpless against it. His eyes widened helplessly and he stumbled toward the bus.
The bus was too big, too commanding, and he walked toward his new home feeling the pull strengthen with every step. With that sword-drawing sound, the drawbridge door on the side of the bus lowered. He stared at the blackness inside, broken only by a pair of red eyes gazing out of the darkness. The eyes welcomed him. He was almost there.
Fingers wrapped around his hand.
The moment he felt their touch, the psychic pull slackened making Scott look down and break contact with the floating red eyes. Laura’s bloody fingers had a death grip on him, but there was power coming through those fingers—enough power for the terror of the moment to flood back into him.
Her face was crumpled on one side, the bones of her skull splintered and her flesh a bloody pulp. Her body looked more like a pile of smoldering kindling, legs and arms thrown over each other like branches in a fire pit. With her one good eye, she gazed up at him.
“Get Janine out,” she sputtered, blood flowing down her chin. “Get her away from here…Please.”
Scott heard a footstep. And then another. Ramsey was coming. Scott didn’t look back. He didn’t have to. He didn’t want to look at the bus at all. Whatever power Laura Decker passed on to him would be wasted if he did. Instead he nodded at Laura. Her good eye seemed to soften then rolled back in its socket as her fingers slid away from his.
Scott ran harder than he ever remembered running in his lifetime. Ahead, the Pit-Stop Grill waited, getting closer but not fast enough. His terror only increased as he stared at the windows, realizing he couldn’t see Dustin, Cassie or Janine in them. What he did see made his stomach bottom out.
The bell tinkled and the front door—the only door into the Pit-Stop—pulled itself shut.
—————————————————-
In times of total despair, in times when you feel everything is lost, hope can be the one thing that drives you forward. Hope sometimes brings opportunity, and for our survivors battling against the dark forces, opportunity is what they need.
—————————————————-
No one else said anything. Janine’s eyes closed and made a steeple with her fingers. She looked deep in thought. Cassie’s eyes were closed too, but they cracked open every few seconds to make sure she wasn’t the only one. Dustin closed his eyes but could have been doing it from exhaustion. Scott stared at them all, thinking of wasted time.
God, he thought. I don’t know what I did to deserve this.
He couldn’t think of more. He stared at the ground, the blank sky, and then to his sides, his gaze jumping from boulder to boulder. He zeroed in on one of the larger stones, especially the chicken scratches on one of its flatter surfaces. His eyes widened.
“Wait…those aren’t scratches,” he whispered. “Those are words.”
The others looked up as Scott limped away from them, moving to the boulder. “Amen,” announced Cassie and got up quickly to follow him. Janine stayed where she was, her expression pinched in concentration.
Scott reached the boulder and leaned against it. The whitened scratches were words all right—small, poorly-formed words, possibly carved into the stone with a sharp pebble. He read silently while Cassie read aloud.
“My husband is D.B. Binder, notoreus thief and bank robber. He is respnsible for 20 heists along Route 66 and they say he is famus. For some reeson I am not, althoe I skeemed evry single one. I was the getaway driver too. But they wer waitin for us in Flagstaff. D.B. went in to the bank and never came out. Then they shot out the tires. So I ran until I got stuk climbin a sharp pole fince. The fince ript me open on the way down. And then I woke up here. In hell.
No one is awake. Their eyes are open but ther asleep. Even D.B. I waited til the bus came. While the othrs got on I ran. But now I’m tired and I can’t run anymor. I see anothr light a long way off. If I keep going maybe I can get outta here.
But if I can’t I wanted someone to reed this. I wanted someone to know I was the skeemer, not D.B. He was nothin speshal without me.
Holly Binder”
“Do you think it’s really Holly?” Cassie asked when she finished. “I mean, our Holly? Waitress Holly?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say yes,” Scott replied, running his fingers over the words. How long had it taken her to write this? She had been by herself, so how could she have written this much?
The answer that floated to the surface gave Scott chills. Ramsey had known she was gone. He had allowed her to finish. In his mind’s eye, Scott could see the bus driver at the top of the hill, watching with an amused smirk on his lips as she carved away. Or maybe it had been night and the entire bus had hovered silently over her, hidden in the darkness.
Cassie had different thoughts. “Did you read that?” She pointed to the words. “She saw a light a long way off, and it wasn’t the Pit-Stop Grill. There’s something else out there.”
“Something she never made it to,” Scott reminded her. “And we don’t know which direction she saw it in. It could be anywhere.”
“So what?” she cried. “It’s not like we don’t have all the time in the world. We just keep looking.”
“But we don’t have time,” he countered, feeling another bitter throb in his ankle. “Dustin’s getting worse.” And so am I, he wanted to say but didn’t.
“Then we follow your original plan,” came Dustin’s wheezy voice, and they turned to see the young man picking himself up off the ground. Janine rose quickly to give him support. Dustin leaned on her, keeping his bloodshot eyes on Scott. “We follow the highway. If there’s anything out there, it’ll be next to the highway.”
Cassie hooted. “Then let’s get this road trip started.”
“You guys can thank me later,” Janine smiled.
Scott arched an eyebrow. “Thank you for what?”
“My idea,” she said as she and Dustin hobbled past the boulder with Holly Binder’s Last Will and Testament etched into it. “You didn’t see that rock until after I started praying.”
Scott stayed where he was for a moment, watching them move farther into the ravine. He couldn’t decide if Janine was joking or dead serious. Staring at the hastily-scratched words he realized it was possible they had been led to this spot by a benevolent being.
But in the same breath, he new something darker could have just as easily left this message, something that was slowly setting them all up for a trap.
—————————————————-
Does the damned group finally escape the relentless pursuit of RAMSEY? Are they really all dead, as they think? You can see why PIT-STOP is such a popular book. If you pre-order THE HOLLOWS (gotta do it today, as it’s out tomorrow!) you’ll get the ebook of PIT-STOP free with it, or you can buy PIT-STOP itself, from LL-Publications, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other good retailers.
BUT … answer this question and you could win your own signed copy of the 2009 EPPIE Best Horror, PIT-STOP! The best answer, in our view, will win the book.
“What, in your view, is the best book (apart from PIT-STOP, OF COURSE!) about Hell, Satan, Evil, etc., and why?”
Perhaps it’s a classic like The Exorcist, or The Omen, or another gem you’ve read or seen.
Jim Brown
She's just seen her blind date...
HORROR WEEK at the LL-Publications Blog
Counting down to the release of THE HOLLOWS on Friday 20th November
What scares you the most? Which horror icon is the one that keeps you coming back for more? Who’s the King of Horror? Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, even Aliens?
Or is there one character you’d definitely hate to meet in a dark alley, your dreams, or a mist-shrouded graveyard? Perhaps it’s Freddie, Jason, Frankenstein’s monster, Michael Myers, Chucky, the IT clown?
Personally I recall watching the original Alien when it was released. Scared the utter crap out of me. I actually nightmared the whole movie that night and woke up bathed in sweat!
So who hits the fear factor for you?
Jim Brown
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