Hey everyone!

I know I’ve been MIA for a while, and I apologize.  For those who know me, this is the busiest time of year for me, as I get the pleasure of working with the talented crew of the Knott’s Scary Farm’s production team as we bring nightmares to life.  (Pretty cool pitch, right?)  Even as my schedule has become less than ideal, I wanted to let everyone know that Tainted is still plugging away through the editing process.  And I must say, it really is coming together nicely.  I’ve spent a lot of time chiseling the story down into a lean, mean, horror machine... wait, that sounds dumb... Let’s try this.  A lean, mean, rip your face off and eat it because it likes it, nightmare of a ride... ok, that’s better.  Not great, but better.  With that said, I’m really happy with how the story is turning out.

Before I get swept back into the raging torrent that is Knott’s Scary Farm, I wanted to share a review I received from one of Tainted’s beta readers:

First, let me say I personally am not the ideal demographic for this book. It was not written for me, a middle aged stay at home mom. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading it. This book is a thoughtfully written and well crafted horror fiction. It nods respectfully to the campy and well loved nostalgia of seventies horror movies. There were enough twist and turns that I got dizzy with anticipation of what could possibly be hiding around the bend. The non-linear plot line kept me reeling with curiosity. The Author writes in a way that assumes his reader is as intelligent as he is. Character developed is solid, resulting in a cast of characters that are complex and interesting. It feels very intentional that each character was giving enough substance, they could stand alone as the main in their own story line. This brings me to the way Point of View is delivered. Using a omniscience Multi character point of view which offers a more holistic and layered storytelling. I was reminded of the parable about two wolves living inside us, a good wolf and a bad wolf, the one who wins is the one we feed. The beast of Tainted are fed well, and often. I appreciate that the Author went full bore into gore and destruction, never shying away from describing scenes that make you cringe. With that said, there was plenty of personal growth and relationship drama to balance out the bat-shit crazy. I liked the added element of real life drama by including the ever present raging wildfires of California. It helped bridge the world of fantasy and reality. The end crescendos and fades in a way that is both satisfying and entices the reader with hints of exploring more of the story. 

Pretty cool, right?  I’m excited, are you excited?  

I must go, but I will share again soon!

Till next time,

PJ Marshman