What is the title of your latest book?
It is called Cherub and available from Bizarro Pulp Press on February 4th... in Kindle and paperback!
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The book started as a competition between longtime friend Kevin Moyers and myself regarding what is taboo and what is not. Both of us were used to pushing the envelope and the first chapter of the book sprung from that about eight years ago. It has taken some time, but the surrounding story, as well as the metaphor, developed around that scene.
What genre does your book fall under?
Some may call it a hardcore horror novel and others may call it trash. I’m going with good, old-fashioned crime exploitation. Hardcore Crime.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Cherub- In all reality, this may need to be a CGI character. If I had my druthers, though, I would choose King Kong Bundy. At 6’5” and 500 lbs., he is what we would need physically. As a massive five-year-old, though, who knows if he could pull it off. Some of the more vile portions of the book are due solely to Cherub’s innocence.
Vena-She needs to be physically huge, too. Again, I would dip into the pro-wrestling world and go with The Amazing Kong. Race isn’t a factor here, but Vena needs to be loving, compassionate, not naïve (due to her horrendous back story) but capable of extreme violence. You’ll see.
Mama-Poor Mama. Giving birth to Cherub physically destroyed her. All she wants is what is best for her boy, but we can’t be trusted. He ‘plays’ very hard. She is slight, crippled and depressing. I like Dee Wallace for this.
Angie Fletcher-The quintessential ‘bad nurse,’ Angie runs the Blessed Arms mental hospital and turns it into a meth lab using the inmates as factory workers and Cherub as sex-enslaved muscle. Middle-aged, attractive and ruthless, she will do anything to maintain control of her empire. Pam Grier is my call.
Clint- Angie’s lackey, Clint is hired middle-management. She uses him just like everyone else. When given only a small amount of control, he abuses it and lives out his sick fantasies with the defenseless inmates. He is one sick puppy. Bill Mosely is my guy, here.
Leon-Is just doing his job as an orderly in the hospital, but he gets in over his head. He needs to be large (see a theme here?). I like Tiny Lister for this one.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Housed in a mental health hospital that forces the violent inmates to work in a makeshift meth lab, a mentally challenged, hulking behemoth of man they call Cherub is used by the staff to do very bad things, very bad, until the love of his life gives him a reason to stand up and do the right thing.
Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?
I am working with Bizarro Pulp Press.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Good God. All told? Approximately 8 years. From concept to first draft. Now, when the actual physical process of writing started it took about eight weeks.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
There isn’t much similar, book wise, but I would probably think classic revenge tales like Old Boy, Last House on the Left or I Spit On Your Grave are similar. Like I said, this is old school exploitation. Gloves off.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The theme is about powerlessness… like most of my work. I have this need to dress it up in the most vile package possible.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Oh, I don’t know. Vile sex. Terrible acts of torture. Enslavement. Uprisings by the criminally insane. Cannibalism. More vile sex. Even more vile sex. Mind control. Meth consumption. A distinct lack of good taste. No boundaries.
Full Synopsis:
He wasn't like the other boys. Too rough. Even on the day he came out of Momma's belly. When Momma died, though, they sent him away to a terrible place. A doctor place... but the people there didn't act like doctors. They called him Cherub and they made him do awful things. Wet things. Hurty things. Until he met his angel, that is. She made it better and the pain went away.
For awhile.
Nothing lasts forever, except a mother's love.