When I was in fourth grade, I convinced myself that a vampire loitered outside
my bedroom window waiting for me to go to sleep. Being a precocious child, I
decided to outwit this fiend. So when I'd get in bed, I'd lay still and flat as
a plank under the covers with a pillow over my head. I'd leave the bedside lamp
on too, for that added touch of authenticity. "Nothing to see here. Move
along." My plan must have worked because that vampire never found me. He also
never, as I'd hoped he would, bypass my "empty" bed and go down the hall to
take care of my sister. Oh well.
A few years later, Michael Jackson's Thriller video gave me nightmares for
weeks. In fact, I still can't watch it now. I didn't watch the Exorcist until I
was in my late twenties, and then stayed up nights imagining that tribal mask
peering through my windows at night. Basically, what I'm telling you is I'm a
big old sissy.
So how did I end up writing books about vampires and demons? I learned to use
my overactive imagination for good instead of evil.
Now I'm in the driver's seat, bossing the big baddies around and placing them
in a succession of awkward situations. Take the demon in my debut novel, Red-Headed Stepchild. His
name is Giguhl, and he's originally sent to kill Sabina Kane, the heroine of
the novel. Only as the story goes on, we find out this demon isn't as tough as
we thought. For one thing, he'd rather spend his days drinking beer and
ordering gadgets from the home shopping channel than staking vampires. For
another, it's hard to be intimidating when, after a spell goes awry, you end up
stuck in the form of a hairless cat.
Basically, I'm conquering my fears by making fun of them in fiction. These
days, nightmares about zombie apocalypses or vampire attacks are nothing but
story fodder. Heck, I even watch horror films without needing to sleep with the
light on. But I still sleep with a pillow over my head just in case.
Jaye Wells
www.jayewells.com
RED-HEADED STEPCHILD
out April 2009
I loved what you had to say about Giguhl, and I remembered reading about your book in RT. Love the title. I'm looking forward to reading it more than ever now!
(Kay Martinez 2:33pm April 1)
Just wondered where you got the idea for the home shopping network demon. Someone you know have an addiction? Just curious!
(Sara Reyes 3:53pm April 1)
I'm actually a big fan of horror and thriller books! Stephen King is one of my favorite authors.
(LuAnn Morgan 8:30pm April 1)
