Spooky Time! with Pierre C. Arseneault
of Moncton, NB.
With Halloween just around the corner,
what better than a horror story from a talented author.
Pierre’s been here before. Most recently in February with a SBTS for another of his works - HERE.
His first
visit to the Scribbler was in February 2015 – HERE.
It’s been a pleasure to work with
Pierre on the Paths Anthologies as part of the Seasonal Collective. See more
HERE.
Read on about Pierre’s newest novel.
The youngest of
eleven children, Pierre C. Arseneault grew up in the small town of Rogersville,
New Brunswick. As a cartoonist, Pierre was published in over a dozen
newspapers. As an author, he has six titles published so far. You can also read
short stories by Pierre in the Paths anthology series.
Working Title: Maple Springs
Synopsis:
Maple Springs is a town with a lot of history,
and a lot of mystery. People seem to disappear at an alarming rate, yet the
townsfolk brush the disappearances off with bizarre explanations. But some,
like Robyn Skidmoore, think there is more going on in Maple Springs. As Robyn
searches for her missing friend, she deals with tales of a legendary recluse,
monsters, mobsters, and meddlesome neighbors.
The
Story Behind the Story: I
always love to hear what inspired a story. Sometimes it’s the most mundane
things like an image on a book cover which is what inspired my novel Poplar
Falls, the Death of Charlie Baker. Or perhaps it’s some small event that
happened to you on the way to work, like what inspired my short story called
Melvin in the upcoming Winter Paths anthology. Sometimes you just set your mind
wandering on a topic and a weave of a tale starts to form, like my short story A
Path to Redemption in the Autumn Paths anthology.
I recall
having coffee once, long ago and all around the booths, there was a slot in the
backings. Patrons had inserted pennies which were a perfect fit. I remember
telling my friend that stories can comes from just about anywhere, I said
pointing to the coins in the slot.
“Penny for
your thoughts,” said I as I proceeded to talk of Delroy, a homeless man with a
curse and a gift rolled into one. Right there, I had the premise for a short
story that would get published in my anthology Sleepless Nights.
Origins of
story ideas fascinate me almost as much as the stories themselves. For this new
horror novel called Maple Springs, its origins stem from a few places. The
first being this idea I had for a gifted woman who had abilities. Things she
learned to use at a young age to get the things she wanted. I had her in the
back of my mind and even though I’m one of those people who don’t have a mind’s
eye, I could picture her. Long wavy blonde hair, large golden hoop earrings, a
long flowing black skirt that reached the ground and a man’s button blue shirt
with the sleeves rolled to her forearms and a large knot tied at the waist. She
had a boldness about her, even before I wrote a single word.
Which brings
me to the second part that inspired this horror novel. A television show that
never ended, leaving me hanging with unanswered questions. Too many times, I
began watching a show that captured my curiosity only to have it get cancelled
with forever unanswered cliffhangers. Happy Town was one of these shows for me.
I absolutely loved the characters, settings and mysteries. In Happy Town,
people were vanishing mysteriously at the hands of someone they called the
Magic Man. I’m positive this entire show was inspired by the song from the band
Heart. This show was epic, but after airing six episodes during the summer, it
was pulled off the air. There was a total of eight episodes filmed and blam… cancelled
and left hanging forever. So, with what felt like an itch that I needed to
scratch, I decided to write my own story about mysterious disappearances. Only
I would answer the questions.
With that
said, don’t go thinking I stole the idea. The only premise which is similar is
the mysterious disappearances which wasn’t an original idea that the creators
of Happy Town had invented. There are many books, television shows and movies
out there also about mysterious disappearances and even they didn’t invent this
either. This is something that many real-life monsters have made a sad reality
for many. But I’m not alone in having a fascination for dark fiction. So, I sat
down to write a novel about mysterious disappearances, monsters and things that
live in the darkness. Things that might scare some and attract others. All you
have to do is go to a Halloween store to see the evidence of this fascination
with the macabre and horrific.
Maple
Springs is one of those novels that I got so engrossed in writing that it took
over my life for a short while. Which leads me to mention the hardest part of
being a writer.
Waiting.
When you
write a story you love as much as I love this one, you want to share it with
readers. I was itching to have someone read it. But I’m often hesitant to have
someone delve into it before my publisher or even close friends read it. It’s a
strange feeling to be sitting on this new book you’re completely excited about
only to have to wait to share it. And the strangest part is writing something
new while you still have this on the back burner, waiting to put it out there.
I could tell
you more about this novel but that would involve way more spoilers than I’m
comfortable with. But Maple Springs was a labor of dark love and I’m excited to
finally get to share it with readers.
Website:
A question
for you before you go, Pierre.
What
is your favorite part of writing and the part you enjoy the least?
My
favorite part of writing is the very beginning as the possibilities are
endless. Before you write a single word, you could be a pirate captain on a
ship about to face a mutiny. You could be a gunslinger, about to face an
opponent that you know will be your undoing. You could just as well be a
warrior in armor on a battlefield as much as an accountant on the brink of
insanity. You could be in space, on another planet, in Detroit or at the bottom
of the ocean. You could be anywhere, anything and anyone… just about anyway.
You can’t be Harry Potter or Batman. Someone out there might have something to
say about that. But you could be a time traveling accountant who’s on the brink
of insanity and is now convinced he’s Batman. That you could do.
My least
favorite part of writing is when I hit a wall. Denial that writers block is
something I can get was once a thing but no more. Sometimes you write and get
to a point where you realize that the novel you were writing has dried up. What
comes next? Sometimes you know what comes next but if I write that part, well
my novel could now be a novelette or novella. But I can’t stop there, can I?
Not if I want to make this a novel. Like as I write this, I’m thinking about
the crime thriller I’m trying to write. I’m stuck. But like most writers, I’ve
been there before and will get through it. So, type on, people. Stories don’t
write themselves…
I
think a lot of authors feel like you do, Pierre. Sometimes we get stuck and
have to redo, or pause , or reflect but as you say “… and will get through it.”
Thanks for sharing the news about Maple Springs, Pierre. It’s a great story and we wish you continued success with your writing efforts.
And a humongous-Grand-Canyon-thank-you to all our visitors and readers. It's all for you.
Do you like/love spooky stories? If not, what's your favourite?
Please tell us in the comment box below.
I love what you say about sharing your work. The background to this one is fascinating, too.
ReplyDelete