THE HORROR OF MY LIFE CHARLES W. JONES

I grew up in a small town of five hundred people in Wyoming that everyone always pronounces wrong or spells incorrectly, Shoshoni (show show knee); I swear it’s a real place. My first novel, Dreamwalker: The Second Plain, is LGBTQ+ as are HOME and Daughter of Illusion. My other books include the Circus Tarot Trilogy (it’s Clowns and Tarot, what’s not to love), Hunger, Hydrangeas on the Lanai and Darkness is Coming. And last, but not least, I have two anthology collections, An Unnamed Acquaintance and Liaisons Macabre. Oh, yeah, I currently live with my husband of twenty-one years in Colorado with our three cats, ten crested geckos, and one saltwater fish tank.

Project to highlight: HOME https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B9WW2QW
Website: https://charleswjonesauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chuckwesj
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ChuckWesJ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/706875.Charles_W_Jones
Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/Charles-W.-Jones/e/B005K038PY/

THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMEMBER READING 

When I was maybe eleven, I came across The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson in my grandma’s collection of paperbacks. I remember being intrigued by the cover with the red house and lettering. I figured if my grandma read it, then it must be OK. 

As I read, I was pulled further into this fantastic story about a family that was being tormented by ghosts, but that didn’t bother me, that’s nothing; dark and thunder, now that’s a different story. I read throughout the day while my brother and I waited for my grandma to get off work. When she came home, I sat on the couch reading. I put the book down, and the look on her face was priceless like she’d seen something from the pages I’d just read.

She was concerned that I’d have nightmares, and something like don’t come crying to me if you do was said, and she took the book from me. Then she stared at me a minute and saw that I was sad. I remember what she said next like it happened a minute ago. She said, “Hell, as long as you’re reading, who cares. Just don’t tell your mom.” From that day on, we had a bond that hadn’t been present before. We shared the love of horror.


THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING 

Growing up, we had cable TV, which is amazing for a town of five hundred people, and one of those channels played old movies on Sunday afternoons. On one of these days, they showed The Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price. My mom laughed when she saw that it was on and said that she’d seen it in the theater when it was new.

There are parts of this movie that an eight-year-old shouldn’t see, but I couldn’t close my eyes or look away, I was in love. Seeing this movie later in life, I don’t understand why I flinched, but I was eight, so I guess I have to give myself some credit.


THE GREATEST HORROR BOOK OF ALL TIME 

I’m obsessed with Cabal by Clive Barker. OK, that’s a lie. I’m obsessed with everything by Clive Barker, but this is my favorite. The story is dramatic, edgy, and a great fantasy. The horror aspects of it make me tingle. The creatures are strange and delightful, and I can’t get enough of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it, I know it’s over twenty.


THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME 

Oh shit, this is a difficult one. There are so many that I love, so I’m going with the first one that pops into my head. The Conjuring (2013) is the winner of the moment. 

There is an intensity in this movie that I find rare in current films. It’s one of those that I have seen way too many times, and each time, I jump and my sphincter contracts in all the same spots. The exorcism scene freaks me out every time, even more than that in The Exorcist.


THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME 

Huh, I wonder who that could be? Oh wait, I think I already answered this. Clive Barker is the one for me. The worlds he creates are what I aspire to make when I sit down to write. 

He’s the only author that I’ve collected first editions of all of his books. And when I met him at a book signing for Visions of Heaven and Hell, all I could do was stare at him. It was the strangest thing. I’m never speechless. 

THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME 

Like The Greatest Horror Film of all time, there are several that I find amazing, so again, I’m going with the first one that pops into my head. And the winner is from a book that I read in high school: Familiar Spirit by Lisa Tuttle. 

It’s of a black cat with glowing eyes, and a mysterious figure is standing at the doorway of a spooky house with the same glow coming from inside the house. The cover captivated me then like it does now.

THE BEST FILM POSTER OFF ALL TIME 

I love the artwork of B Movies from the 1950s and 1960s. The artistry is incredible, and I wish I could get my book covers to look like them, but I haven’t found an artist that I can afford. My favorite is The House on Haunted Hill (1959). The detail is phenomenal, making me want to watch the film.


THE BEST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN 

Oh, now we’re getting personal. HOME is the masterpiece that I let the Fallen Angel, Belphegor, take control and guide my fingers around the keyboard. He wants a meeting with God and tries to use Cody to make the appointment.

Main Street of my hometown is the setting, and I gave it one last breath of life before it was demolished both in the book and in real life. Even with the criticism, I get from the cover, I love this book. I’ve thought of changing it a few times to satisfy their needs from what has been said is “the nonsensical Romance-like cover,” but then I say, fuck that, it’s how HOME wants to be.

THE WORST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN

I’m shaking my head as I write this because it’s not a bad book, it’s just on the verge of silly and is misunderstood, which was on purpose. Hydrangeas on the Lanai was my attempt at Gothic Horror with the overdramatic feel of a B-Movie. I believe that I hit the criteria for both. The reviews I’ve received for it, and the DM questions about it tell me that it was a flop.

THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME 

That’s easy, Carnival of Souls (1962). I love this movie, but no one ever knows about it, and that’s a shame. It’s about Mary Henry, who was in an auto accident, then moves to Utah. As the story progresses, it’s unclear whether she’s hallucinating or what’s happening is real. So much of this movie makes little sense at the time, it’s like fragmented pieces of reality shoved together, and it’s all on purpose. Everything seen and felt is for a reason, adding a layer of chilling surrealism. The entire story feels like something Alfred Hitchcock would produce.

THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME 

Shameless plug time? Probably not. Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu. I don’t know anyone who’s heard of it when I talk about. It is one of the strangest, beautiful books I’ve ever read. The darkness that lurks around every turn gives a layer of edginess. If you haven’t read it, you should.

THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME 

My answer is because I’ve just learned of this author and had the honor of getting a copy of his most recent book, Cannibal Nuns from Outer Space. His name is Duncan P Bradshaw, and until a few months ago, I had no idea that he existed. Had I not been on Twitter at the right time when he asked for volunteers to read the book before its release, I’d probably still be in the dark about him. 

THE BOOK / FILM THAT SACRED ME THE MOST 

It by Stephen King tops that list for me, filling both the book and film category. Clowns have always freaked me out, and Pennywise took that fear and multiplied it by one thousand. Of course, that didn’t stop me from watching the original made for TV mini-series or seeing the recent remake and planning on seeing the sequel. 

There’s something about being scared by a movie or book that’s exhilarating, and it makes me want to face my fears.

THE BOOK / FILM I AM WORKING ON NEXT 

I’m currently writing the second book in the Eli Thompson series, Master of Ravens. It starts where Daughter of Illusion left off. The Fallen Angel who graciously accepted my invitation to be written about is Naberus. He’s not one of more widely known Fallen Angels, which I think is the reason he agreed; he wants to get the word out. The violence level is just as high as in Daughter of Illusion, so if you haven’t read that one already…yeah, you know where I’m going with that.

Daughter of Illusion: An Eli Thompson Thriller by Charles W Jones

Eli Thompson has witnessed many disturbing things in his life, but when he has a vision of despicable acts, he isn’t sure what to do until he is told that he needs to leave his comfortable home in Wyoming and go to Denver, CO. When he arrives there, he still doesn’t know why he’s there until his senses lead him to a restaurant in LODO where a grisly act has occurred.After Eli is arrested by Detective Jonas Wechsler for being at a crime scene, they discover that other crimes where the perpetrator has vanished have happened and are entwined with the same Fallen Angel, Agrat bat Mahlat, who desires to bring about change to the world by sacrificing men to Samael. Quickly, they learn that there are other players in this vile plan, one a pawn to carry out the Fallen Angel’s orders, and two siblings, who were separated at birth.Eli and Jonas, against the wishes of their Watchers, decide to confront Agrat, finding themselves in a precarious predicament.Warning! This book contains graphic violence, sexual content, and other vulgarities.

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