I don’t know about you, but if you mention the names, “Simon Pegg” and “Nick Frost” alongside the nouns “spoof” and “comedy”, you already know you are in for a treat. Now, lovers of all things that go bump in the night should be doubly excited that all these words are also to be found alongside “supernatural” and “drama” with the release of the first trailer for the new series Truth Seekers.
Billed as bringing chills and thrills in equal measure it is due to be released on Amazon Prime later in the year and I am sure I am not the only one who cannot wait to binge watch the heck out of it.
So, given that I love watching programmes like this and I have written a fiction novel based around paranormal activity - am I a believer in the paranormal? It really depends on how dark the room is when you ask me!
The idea for Shadow Man came very organically to me. I had written numerous short stories without a problem and had attempted to write various other novel length stories, but just couldn’t make it past the first few chapters. Until one morning I started writing Shadow Man.
- Write what you know
- Write what you want to read
The two things that stuck in my mind and that always used to trip me up suddenly became the backbone of my story. The characters are all loosely based around people I know. Aside from the kidnapped friend kept a prisoner for 20 years in an underground bunker, a fair percentage of the things that happen to my main character, Toni Locke are things that happened to me growing up – yes, even the creepy things! I just took what I had experienced and expanded it to suit the narrative.
When Toni recounts first meeting the Shadow Hat man, that is how it happened to me. A clear memory of a shadow man in top hat and tails, taking his coat off in the spare bedroom. Unlike Toni I haven’t seen him since. The time Toni remembers laying still under her bedcovers pretending to be as still as a park bench, but the thing that’s hiding in the shadows in her room sees her anyway – yup, that happened. The hand reaching up out of the toilet – is the reason I don’t flush until I am ready to leave the room!
Writing Shadow Man was a bit like therapy. Making all the things I grew up with into fiction took its weight from my shoulders. The responses that people have been giving me about the novel have been fantastic. People are really identifying with my characters and getting chills over the spooky bits – I even had a bit of a George R. R. Martin moment. (Not going to explain and give any spoilers away! Sorry)
I did try and make the relationship between the friends relaxed and tongue in cheek at times so I hope you get a little bit of the “Simon Pegg” and “Nick Frost” vibe in certain parts.
Haven't got your copy of Shadow Man yet? What are you waiting for???? Availalbe on Amazon in paperback and ereader here!
