Have you ever wondered how writers endure hours of solitude, 1,001 rejections, a myriad of bad reviews, and even worse insecurities? The not-so-surprising answer is humor. If we didn’t laugh at this writing life, we would go crazy. So, here are some humorous dos and don’ts to lighten up the writing life and help those of you who don’t write to understand what makes writers just a little bit different. 1. Don’t shred your first rejection … [Read more...]
Suspense Author Janice Boekhoff: Are Writing and Storytelling the Same Thing?
All of us who write love to pour our words onto the page in new and different ways. We strive to get just the right image, just the right tone, just the right nuance. But are these efforts in vain? Has anyone ever recommended a book because of the tone? Sometimes when I get book recommendations from friends, this is what it sounds like: Friend: You’ve got to read this book by so-and-so (name withheld because I don’t want to get sued … [Read more...]
Noir Author Richard Godwin Discusses The Connection Between Crime and Horror
I have said that The Pure And The Hated is a cross between crime fiction and horror fiction. That is because the events in it involve an intersection of styles. While it is more crime than horror, the reason there is an overlap is what I am exploring in these articles. I believe crime fiction, especially Noir fiction lends itself to hybrid genres. In these articles I have explored the themes of horror fiction and how it has evolved. I now … [Read more...]
The Double: Richard Godwin On the Idea of Split Personality
In The Pure And The Hated the idea of split personality is a central theme. It relates to what identity is and how irrational impulses may drive a character. As I trace the roots of horror fiction in Gothic and look at how it has evolved, I want to look at some of the themes of the genre. The theme of the double occurs early on in works such as Poe’s story William Wilson, in which the protagonist encounters his negative doppelganger. It is … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin on the Gothic Roots of Horror
There is much that is Gothic in The Pure And The Hated, my novel about the past, about revenge and lawlessness. In many ways revenge may be seen as lawless justice. As I examine what horror fiction means to us and how it relates to crime fiction, I want to trace its roots. I want to show that the two genres are not that distinct. In the latter part of the eighteenth century there was flowering of Gothic literature in England that ran … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin on Horror Fiction
In this series of posts I want to look at what links horror fiction and crime fiction. The posts are part of the launch of my Vermont based novel The Pure And The Hated. I have spent several years if my life in Vermont. My wife is from the state and the novel is set there. While it is a crime novel, it is also Noir, it is a revenge tragedy, and it is part horror. What do we mean when we talk about horror? What is it that horrifies us? The genre … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin’s THE PURE AND THE HATED Cover Contest
Help Us Finalize A Cover For Richard Godwin's Thriller THE PURE AND THE HATED Please vote on the cover for Richard Godwin's THE PURE AND THE HATED, that you think works best for the synopsis below. The synopsis: A man takes a stranger into his house only to unleash a savage lesson from the past. A psychological crime novel about the past, the nature of justice, family secrets, the nature of forgiveness, revenge, identity, hunting and … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin’s SAVAGE HIGHWAY Receives Great Review from Dead End Follies
International bestselling author Richard Godwin's new thriller noir book, SAVAGE HIGHWAY, received a great review from the Dead End Follies blog. SAVAGE HIGHWAY follows the mystery of the disappearance of women from a truck stop on a remote highway in Arizona and was released from WildBlue Press on January 19th, 2016. Get your copy of SAVAGE HIGHWAY today! "Richard Godwin writes the extreme and the disturbing very well. He's very good at … [Read more...]
Burl Barer Interviews Richard Godwin Author of SAVAGE HIGHWAY
International bestselling author Richard Godwin is interviewed by Edgar Award winning author Burl Barer and Howard Lapides about his new thriller noir book, SAVAGE HIGHWAY, and his writing process. Richard's new book follows the mystery of the disappearance of women from a truck stop on a remote highway in Arizona and was released by WildBlue Press of January 19th, 2016. Listen to the full interview … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin’s Noir Thriller SAVAGE HIGHWAY Takes Readers On A Ride To Hell
Women are disappearing on the highway, a drifter hunts the men who raped her, and a journalist discovers law has broken down and been replaced with something far more savage. On a remote highway in Arizona women are disappearing at truck stops. Journalist Johnny Sullivan travels to the area to investigate. He encounters hitchhiker Patty, who is being hunted by violent trucker Red. Patty tells Johnny of the local myth of the maniac trucker. … [Read more...]
