The
King of Evil
Josh
Stricklin
Genre: Horror,
Occult, Voodoo
Publisher:
Silver Leaf Books
Date of
Publication: September 1
ISBN:
978-1609751753
Number of pages:
334
Word Count:
80,000
Cover Artist:
Paul Tynes
Book
Description:
After a horrific
accident, graphic artist Jack Simmons and his wife, Cindy, have lost all sense
of a normal life. With their marriage in pieces, their only hope in setting
things back is by starting over. The two pack their lives in boxes and migrate
to the Big Easy. Upon arrival, Jack and Cindy fall into the jobs of their
dreams. The new start they were hoping for seemed to have been waiting for them
in New Orleans, after all. But something followed them. Something Evil.
Jack is
commissioned to create the artwork for a graphic novel about a voodoo king, The
King of Evil. As Jack works diligently to create a masterpiece, drawing the
images back and forth between paper and his computer, he starts seeing things.
Images of his King appear in the corners of his vision. They spring up just as
Jack falls asleep. Always only inches out of plain sight.
The King grows
more powerful, and soon he unleashes his power on Jack, Cindy, and the people
in their lives. The King slowly destroys everyone around them, showing the
newly rekindled couple what it's like to be evil for evil's sake. Jack and
Cindy will need help from the King's past victims to stop him.
The King of Evil
is a heart-pounding, supernatural thriller. Its vibrant characters and intense
action is certain to keep its audience reading well into the night.
About
the Author:
Josh Stricklin
is an American author and musician with degrees in English literature and
advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi. His first novel, Those
Who Are Left, is available online and in person. The King of Evil is his first
terrifying novel with Silver Leaf Books. He's currently hard at work finishing
his first series…or more likely reading comic books and wearing a Seahawks
jersey.
Meeting the King of Evil
The King
of Evil
is a story that takes place in New Orleans, and it follows the lives of Jack
and Cindy Simmons. Jack is a graphic designer, and Cindy is a Physical
Therapist. They move to New Orleans because Cindy gets a better job, and at the
same time, Jack is commissioned to create the art for a graphic novel. The
novel is about their run-in with an evil voodoo spirit.
This story actually came from a
few of different places. The most obvious influence on the story was the city
of New Orleans (the actually city, not the train). I live closer to New Orleans
than any other big city so I naturally spend a good bit of time there. The
first book I wrote, Those Who Are Left,
takes place in Jackson for the most part and ends in New Orleans. I thought it
would be good for the flow from one book to the other if I picked up where I
left off.
Much like the first book, I spent
a lot of time in the book’s setting to get the lay of the land and to get into
the feel of the city. I didn’t want the villain of the story to be a voodoo
spirit. I just knew I wanted the villain to be from inside Jack’s mind. The
more time I spent in New Orleans the more I realized that The King was the
perfect villain. There’s a scene where Jack and Cindy check out the town, and
they find a number of different shops that sell voodoo-inspired trinkets and
clothing. There are plenty of them in the area. I walked the same streets Jack
and Cindy did. Just like they did, I found a hole-in-the-wall with tons of
items I could use—even the statue that Jack and Cindy eventually buy and use
for the graphic novel. The city is an incredible place, and I still go there
regularly even though I’m not working on a story set in New Orleans.
Another part of the story came
from my experience with Physical Therapy. Cindy’s job as a physical therapist
allows her to meet vital people that help her in the end. It’s not as vital to
the story as other parts, but it was something I really liked writing about. I
had an accident and had to go through a few months of PT for me to be able to
walk again. I felt that it was a good enough experience to use in my writing.
There was a moment in particular
though that really spurred this story on. I had the idea of a character being
attacked by his art. I’ve described art multiple times as being like a monster
inside you that constantly takes over your thoughts. That’s what it is for me.
It’s something that controls what I do sometimes. It’s relentless in its quest
for 100% of my attention.
I wanted to bring this idea to
life. It’s an idea that’s been done before, I know. I wanted to make this idea
my own, and I almost gave up on it. I couldn’t find a way to bring Jack’s
creation off the canvas into his life. I was putting the finishing touches on
another book I wrote, when it happened. There was one scene in particular that
scared me. Believe me, I know what that sounds like, but it’s true. I can’t
explain why, but it just freaked me out a little. I had to stop when I finished
and walk away from the keyboard for a couple hours.
I
eventually cooled off and went back to it. I was about to sleep and even start The King of Evil. One night I had an
incredibly vivid dream of that scene in the manuscript that I had to take a
break from. I stood at the opening of a cave and something reached out for me.
I snapped awake, heaving breath.
I
was legitimately scared, and luckily I had a pen and pad next to might bed. I
wrote down what happened and in the morning I had what I needed. In the story,
it’s Cindy’s personality that gives the spirit the power to come alive, but
it’s Jack nightmares that bring him from the canvas to the real world.
From
that night on I had to just sit back, and let the story use my fingers to come
out. Compared to my first book, this was a much easier novel to write. I had a
lot of fun getting to know the voodoo religion, and I think it shows. I can’t
wait to hear what people think about it.
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Not genres I read a lot of. I agree about the cover.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I am excited to read this book. I will have to make sure to get to your next book signing.
ReplyDelete