Horror Aficionados discussion

This is the thread for the July 2024 Group Read #2 with Guest Author, Leigh Kenny. This month we’ll be reading her hauntingly evil tale, Cursed. Grab your copy by clicking on the link below and please help me welcome to HA…. Leigh Kenny!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMNNBD5M

Welcome Leigh! This sounds fantastic!!

This looks great! I plan to start about mid month!

It's great to be here! I'll be popping in and out throughout the month, so feel free to drop any and all questions. Thank you all for checking Cursed out!

A great book! How'd you get started writing this one?

Thanks, Andrew! The idea for this one came from a real-life situation.
I'll start by saying that I'm a sceptic when it comes to paranormal stuff, but I grew up on J-horror, so all the pale, dark-haired entities TERRIFY ME! I ordered a coat for my son that came with a long dark hair stuck to the bottom of the box. I've always had a vivid imagination, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'd brush my teeth, expecting to see something in the mirror creeping up on me. I'd lie in bed, imagining something crawling up the stairs towards me, freeping closer and closer. Eventually, I knew I needed to turn it into a story. An innocent hair stuck in a box that signifies something much more horrifying than the unwitting recipient could imagine. It began life as a short story but grew legs and became Cursed.
I've loved hearing people's thoughts, and I know the ending in particular has been quite polarising. With that in mind, an idea took hold, and now I'm intending on releasing a sequel next year!

OH - what's your favorite J-Horror movie? J-Horror Book? Have you read The Graveyard Apartment?

Honestly, I can see how a hair would totally trigger that kind of thinking; hair is such a weird thing, especially a stranger's hair that enters your space - and you couple that with the way J-Horror has capitalized on the long, black hair image...bam!

I would like to thank the both of you for now being completely paranoid about finding long, black, stray hairs on any of my stuff!

😅😅

For what it's worth, Netanella, I'm already completely paranoid about it. A problem shared is a problem halved, haha!

To my shame, I haven't really read much in the way of J-horror, but as far as movies go, it has to be The Grudge. Specifically that scene where Kayako comes from beneath the bed covers! I mean, if we aren't safe under the covers, where are we safe?? Pure nightmare fuel that gets me every single time!

Oohh! Shutter is another fun one. The ending was so good!

Ah, yeah the bed scene is def a good one. You should check out The Eye. Its got one of my favorite scenes of all time. Watch the japanese version though.

Adding it to my list! I don't watch a huge amount of movies or tv nowadays but always happy to check out a recommendation!

So excited!

I have picked up a copy of Cursed and looking forward to reading it. Thank you, Leigh, for taking the time for an Author Invite.

Thank you so much for grabbing a copy! Looking forward to answering any questions anyone may have :)

Okay, this book is so so good!!! So original and seriously creepy!!! All the stars for this beautiful little book. All of them!!!

Thank you, Angel ❤️

I am jumping into the fray tonight and can hardly wait! Thanks again for taking time from your busy schedule to share your thoughts with us.

Leigh, can you tell us a little how you came up with Cursed?

So, Cursed came about by accident. I had just started what was to be my debut novel when a package I had ordered for my son arrived. The coat he wanted was in the box. As was a single hair, stuck to the bottom of the box.
I was always terrified by those pale entities with long flowing hair, so this long, dark hair really bugged me. My imagination ran away with itself, and I started to creep myself out, so I decided to turn it into a short story. It grew legs and became a novella, which I released as my debut. I'm consistently blown away by the response it's received so far. And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in this discussion who is partaking in the group read.

I was interested in how the story came to be born. I liked it. The ending was something I had to think about before my book review was written. My question is about that surprise ending (I think it will surprise some readers anyway). I can't truthfully say I was surprised. How did that become your le coup de grace? Was it there from the beginning? Or did you write the ending as a more dynamic action as you wrote the storyline?

Great question! The ending was as much a surprise to me as anyone else. I'm a pantser when it comes to writing, so I prefer to allow the narrative to draw me naturally in the direction it wants to go. While I know the ending has been a bugbear for some readers, the majority have been satisfied by it. It led to many calls for a sequel, and that is what I will be working on once my next book, Hush, My Darling, is released next month.

This was a fun and scary read. One question: Doesn't the ending slightly change the dynamics of how the curse works?

I finished the novel and have posted my review. In the final analysis I could not reconcile the ending with the tone and tempo of the atmospheric narrative. I could see that the main protagonist had arrived at an ending that was in sync with his prior attitude and actions. The final twist was unable to be reconciled. The individual who would walk forward burdened by the evil curse did not ask for it in any sense. It seemed out of sync and unfair. The novel as a whole was excellent, the writing, pace, and character development impressive. Truly a winner for a debut novel. Excellent selection for the group read and author invite.

Hey Alastor. Thanks for reading! The ending only changed the dynamic insofar as the box wasn't offered and accepted the way it previously had been, but it was still offered in a way, and there was a definite acceptance. Though nobody asked her to take it, she did indeed tell it that it was hers now. She chose to take possession of it :)

Hi Pisces 51. I really appreciate your kind words, and I'm sorry you feel the end was out of sync. For me, it was perfectly in sync with the protagonists previous behaviour. He was acutely aware of the unfairness and could not bring himself to make the decision. He also knew he couldn't continue with the curse, so he allowed the universe, or fate, or whatever cosmic power, to make the decision for him. He knew that Cathy's sister had left the box for her specifically, and he probably hoped that by taking it with him, he would somehow break the cycle.

Thank you, Leigh, for your kind words. I specifically meant where the curse ultimately landed, so in a sense I was asking a version of Alastor's question about the "rules" of the curse. I likened this on a smaller scale to the inevitable discussions that I undergo every time I pop King's "Thinner" in the DVD Player. The Gypsy Curse is in an appealing pie, and it is left for the wife to eat at the end. The protagonist made certain his darling daughter was sleeping over at a friend's house. Best laid plans...daughter eats a piece of the pie. I get incensed and my bigger and smarter half tells me to get a life. It could be argued that your curse took a right-hand turn into innocent territory as happened in "Thinner".
In any case, your atmospheric narrative style, atmosphere, and characterization skills are indicative that you are a talented writer and your debut was excellent. Thank you again for taking time for us.

Thank you for reading and for being a part of the discussion! I really appreciate it.

Hi Leigh... so glad to have you joining us this month with your +10 creep factor book! I love that cover art even though it now makes me very suspicious of the wall my own bed is set against. LOL! Did you play a role in developing and/or selecting the artist or artwork?

Curses are so scary to me because it's common that only the person affected will see anything or has any associated experiences, so trying to get help by telling someone else what's happening to you is usually fruitless and frustrating. And a lot of times the individual who is cursed and shares their fear is thought to be a little woo-hoo in the head and therefore quickly dismissed. Arghhhh! Makes it all that much more terrifying.

Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for your kind words! I still adore the cover art as much now as I did when I first saw it! I had no idea what I wanted on the cover and spent weeks checking out different artists' portfolios. This one jumped out at me, and I just had to have it! The artist is Christy Aldridge at Grim Poppy Design, and she has also designed the cover of my upcoming book as well as covers for quite a few of the anthologies that I'm involved in. She's amazing to work with!

And I wholeheartedly agree about curses. I've had a few past readers question Curtis's motives and the choices he makes, but when you factor in the disbelief he would most likely be met with, it kinda makes more sense. People can be quite hesitant to share problems, and I feel like something as fantastical as a curse would only increase that hesitancy. I know I'd probably keep it to myself!

Leigh wrote: "Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for your kind words! I still adore the cover art as much now as I did when I first saw it! I had no idea what I wanted on the cover and spent weeks checking out different..."

Hi Leigh. Thanks so much for sharing insight into the selection of your cover art. Great choice and I'm sure future covers by Christy Aldridge will be just as memorable and impactful.

Love all your points regarding how someone would be hesitant to share with others the personal problems they're having. Additionally, I think our logical minds always try to dismiss or rationalize something we don't understand, and for the poor soul that's cursed... waiting too long to deal with your demon head on can be too late to fight it off. All this reasonable human behavior definitely serves to make your MC that much more relatable!

Thank you so much, Ruth!

Just wanted to sign off with a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the group read. Even if you didn't get involved in the discussion but picked up a copy of Cursed, I really appreciate it. As a debut indie author, it means a huge amount to have people take a chance on my work.

My next book, Hush, My Darling, releases on August 25th and is available to preorder. The synopsis is available on both Goodreads and Amazon if anyone would like to check it out! Have a great rest of your summer, guys!