Calista - my first horror novel

When my mother was pregnant with me and living in Senegal, her favorite thing to do was head to the cinema and watch a horror movie. I often joke and tell her, while feigning admonishment, that the horrors she experienced as she rode on waves of suspense and scares would have chemically passed to me, her vulnerable foetus. In what drugged state would I have existed, I wonder, as I floated about in that cushy womb, dreading another traumatic rush of adrenaline... Would I have become as addicted as she was? Would I have ached for similar thrills in my youth to compensate for the loss of this potent mix of chemicals? And was this perhaps the reason why as a young child, I was fascinated by the macabre and why as early as four years of age, I sat quietly with my mum and grandmother, watching supernatural horror movies like The Entity and Audrey Rose? Mind you, I was not spared the ensuing nightmares, but then again, what we love is not necessarily good for us.

Years later, I married a horror screenwriter and while I know from observing him and his many horror filmmaker friends, that horror writers are the sweetest people on earth – counterintuitive but true – I also knew that it would be just a matter of time until I'd try my hand at a wicked tale. (Because I'm also very sweet like that.)

Sheridan Le Fanu, Arthur Machen, Charlotte Dacre, Stephen King, Mary Shelley, Anne Rice, Daphne du Maurier and Wilkie Collins, are writers I admire in the suspense/horror genre. I'm a lover of atmosphere and ambiguity so these authors have been my go-to for gaining inspiration and for that general feeling of, "whoa, I want to write like that". Apart from Stephen King and to a degree, Anne Rice, their material is also delightfully old-fashioned which suits my historical novelist bend. I also love nasty women in novels. My greatest scare in this department is still Madame de la Rougiere in Uncle Silas but Wilkie Collins and Charlotte Dacre have nothing to envy. 

For almost two years, I had been wanting to write a novel about a certain [secret] topic that is dear to me. It was my novel XX. I didn't know what it would be about but I knew it had to feature that topic.

While in Greece this year, a horror story came to me and suddenly it made so much sense to merge this wicked tale with my topic of choice, that I wondered why I hadn't thought of it earlier. So you could say that I decided then and there to write a horror novel as a vehicle for my pet topic. I'm really happy to have made that decision. (And Greece was fun too.) 

But when should it be set? And where? I looked up a period of Greek history that is distinct for its political situation, and decided based on this research that my novel would be set after the Greek War of Independence, and – due to some other logistic details that I will not reveal – well before 1853. I settled on the period between 1836 and 1850. This historical horror novel would take place in both England and Greece; a Victorian novel with a Greek influence!

I titled it, CALISTA, like my female character.

I've just about completed the first draft. It is shorter than all my other novels and definitely shorter than my debut novel, The Ming Storytellers which totalled at 610+ pages. For Calista, I had initially envisaged a novella but there was so much I wished to say that I realised it couldn't be less than 50k words. So a novel it is. 

I will be launching a cover early in the year but in the meantime, I'm loving this creepy experience. I'm right back in that womb, so to speak, the hormones are rushing in, and I've a devilish smile on my face.

See you next year.

Warm Christmas Wishes

Sending warm Christmas wishes to all the wonderful readers and writers out there. If you're interested, my historical novels will be free on Kindle from 15 to 18 December, with Julien's Terror also free on an extra day, up to 19 December. This is for all Amazon territories. 

It's a little gift from me to anyone who has wished for more books in these times but has had to endure financial restrictions. It doesn't seem like much, I know, and it doesn't compare to a good meal but the value, believe me, is significant, because due to my nature and the conditions in which I choose to write, it so happens that for every book I wrote, I temporarily gave up a job and therefore my income. Writers are a little crazy, aren't they? 

Sometimes senseless things take over your life.

Like 2020.

Hardship has the power to bring out the best in people or to exacerbate their worst. But we always have the choice. If you had to examine the year that just went past (yes, that year!) and indicate your highest achievement, what would it be? 

Was it that you kept your head cool and showed endless patience during those periods when you had to juggle working from home, online schooling and children's homework while also running a home? 

Was it that you reached out to the aged and the isolated by sending a warm letter to a stranger? 

Was it that you developed better communication skills and finessed your diplomacy when dealing with particularly difficult co-workers while all of you were forced to work from home? 

Did you find yourself thinking more of others, those who have less than you? 

Did you appreciate moments of humour? 

Did your creativity explode in the kitchen as a result of restaurants having closed? Did you support your local struggling businesses? 

Did you spend more time with your child? Did you read more? Write more? Say I love you more? 

Did you rediscover the awe of nature? How utterly precious it is...

Were you kind?

Were you kind to yourself?

Some people may feel they achieved nothing, but they would be wrong. For certain individuals, each day may have been a struggle; to eat, to feed their children, to avoid crying, to stay alive... They were in fact the highest achievers this year.

With ongoing social distancing rules, the near absence of smiles occasioned by the persistent wearing of masks, the loss of this positive emotional contagion during good times - parties, sport events, large gatherings, concerts - people of all ages have been threatened with or felt alienation and loneliness. It would have taken them enormous spiritual courage to keep functioning.  

At the same time, the most difficult challenge for those who struggled with loss of income, who were cut off from their job network and who felt a sense of failure, or lack of control, was to avoid succumbing to anger, depression and despair. To know that you were dealt an unfair blow and yet to continue to hope, is true power. 

To remain strong, to learn to calm the mind, is an achievement in itself. An achievement in resilience and human courage.

I wish you peace.