31 Days of Monsters: Chupacabra

If you live down in the southern US and Mexico, you probably know about this curious critter. Stories started in the mid-1990's in Puerto Rico of goats and chickens being attacked and drained of blood. Thus the name Chupacabra, which means goat-sucker.

Name: Cupacabra

Height: 3 - 4 feet tall

Appearance: There are currently two differing descriptions of the Chupa. Initial descriptions was a 3 - 4 foot tall, bipedal creature with short, quill-like hairs or smooth, scaly skin, large eyes that glowed red, and a row of spines running down its back. Some sightings suggested the ability to fly by membranes under its arms or at least the ability to jump long distances. The other description is of creatures which have been seen much more recently, animals which look like small canines, almost hairless, with excessively large canine teeth.

Threat: Low to moderate. While there are no actual attacks on people reported, the Chupa has been seen to make threatening gestures when disturbed, including hissing and making advances, though it doesn't pursue when people flee.

Sightings are primarily in the south, along the US/Mexico border. Stretching from Florida to California, down into Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Panama, and up into Georgia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Full sightings are rare, as the creature is expressly nocturnal. More common are the signs of its passing, chickens, goats, and similar small stock animals found dead in the morning, their bodies drained of blood and the only visible wounds being one or two small puncture wounds in the neck. Most sightings occur when someone interrupts it feeding, leading to short, but intense confrontations before it flees into the darkness.

One of the interesting things about the Chupacabra mythos, is that it happened so recently and so quickly. In March of 1995, 8 sheep were found dead, their bodies completely bloodless in Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Over the course of the rest of the year, it was sighted 35 times and was blamed for the death of over 150 animals on the island. Earlier attacks have been attributed to the creature since, but even those don't pre-date the 1980's. Since then sightings and evidence of its passing have spread out, in a pattern very consistent with the expansion of an invasive animal species.

Theories about its origins vary. It has been suggested to be a stranded alien creature, a genetic experiment which escaped from a lab, or even a creature which has always been there and simply been pushed into our backyards through deforestation and the destruction of the rain forests. The canids which have been getting caught most recently and branded as Chupacabras have been genetically tested and most are determined to be coyote hybrids, either with wolves, domestic dogs, or foxes.

Being a more recent and lesser-known cryptid, it hasn't been used as much in movies and books as creatures such as Sasquatch and lake monsters. That is not to say it hasn't been used though. Generally, it is portrayed as the monster, a hideous predator, looking for fresh meat.

Sadly, most works including this creature have been B-movie fare at best. Trying to entertain through gore and through being bad as opposed to trying for real scares or portraying the Chupacabra as anything other than a bloodthirsty beast.

If movies are bad, books are even harder to find, though they are out there. Most of them follow the same ideas as the movies, however, hoping for the same level of entertainment, or basing their hopes of success on other aspects of the story.

So, if you find yourself down south on vacation. It might be a good idea to not wander too far out into the desert for reasons other than the heat, scorpions, venomous snakes, and lack of water. You also might want to bring your pet goats and chickens inside after it gets dark, too.

~ Shaun

31 Days of Monsters: Kraken

The idea of giant monsters lurking in the depths of the ocean has probably been around since the first pre-humanoid saw the form of a shark swimming through the shallows before disappearing out to sea. Since that time, we've explored the oceans some and we know it isn't teeming with creatures just waiting for us to unwittingly swim into their reach. However, we've also discovered that, in some cases, there really are creatures we should be very afraid of.

Name: Giant Squid, Giant Octopus, Kraken

Size: Actual size estimates are hard to come across, but it's generally accepted that a real Kraken would stretch hundreds of feet across, from tentacle tip to tentacle tip.

Appearance: 8 - 10 tentacles, extending from a central mass, which can be bulbous like an octopus, or pointed like a squid. Occasionally, it also has humanoid features.

Threat: High. The Kraken is a predator, attacking ships, smashing them apart and devouring the crew as they flail about in the water.

The Kraken can be found anywhere in the ocean, though the deeper, the better, and reports stretch across all the seven seas, from the coast of the UK, to the Caribbean, to the Philippines. It is more common on the open ocean than close to shore, but there is nowhere off-limits to its reach.

In recent years, proof of the existence of Giant and Gigantic Squid have given credence to the idea of the Kraken. While such creatures don't stretch to the size stories report, they prove that giant animals can still exist undiscovered on this world we claim to rule. Giant and Gigantic Squid have been put forth as the reason for the Kraken legends, with the extra size attributed to exaggeration, due to primitive sailor's panic at having seen such creatures. They certainly possess the size to be terrifying creatures, and they are undoubtedly dangerous creatures. If they have the same aggressive disposition as their smaller cousins the Humboldt Squid, than they would be almost eager to come across a diver or swimmer in the water to grab and devour.

Reports of the range of the smaller, aggressive Humboldt increasing both North and South along the Western coast of the america's offers more problems than just dealing with the these smaller creatures. Squid are cannibalistic, and it has long been suggested that Giant and Gigantic squid regularly feed on their smaller cousins. The show Monsterquest went on an expedition to test such theories and managed some very impressive footage of an extremely large squid that they were unable to identify. With the spread of the Humboldts,  it's very conceivable that the larger versions will spread out as well, following their food sources as they cover more and more of the ocean.

The Kraken has long been a creature of myth and legend, appearing in Greek stories, and books such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It has had no shortage of appearances in movies and even television shows about its exploits. Most recently in the remake of Clash of the Titans and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Though it has other movies it stars in as well, which are, thankfully, less well-known.

So, while you shouldn't be too worried. It never hurts to be aware of what might be lurking in the dark abyssal depths below you if you happen to go out swimming in the ocean or out on a little day sailing trip. After all, when you're talking about something as massive and powerful as the Kraken, it's very possible that many sightings are never reported, purely because there are almost never any survivors.

~ Shaun

31 Days of Monsters: Sasquatch

I live in the pacific northwest, where camping, hiking, and nature walks are commonplace and can be found within a half-hour trip from even such a major city as Seattle. So it makes sense to start with the most local "monster" on the list.

Name: Sasquatch, Bigfoot

Height: 6-10 feet tall

Appearance: Humanoid/ape, walking upright, coarse black or brown hair covering the entire body.

Threat: Low. Reports of sleeping campers being carried off and held captive have been made, but are rare and never include violence.

Sightings are most common on the West coast, stretching from California up to British Columbia and Alaska, with the majority of sightings being in Washington state. They mostly include quick glances through the brush or along streams and rivers, with the rare dash through semi-open terrain. More common and more famously, are the footprints found in mud other soft terrain. Stretching anywhere from 10 - 16 inches, most commonly with five toes, though more or less have been seen.

The nature of sasquatch being so human-like, leads it to be an easy target for hoaxes and pranks, and a lot of sightings and prints are easily debunked as such. Shoes which leave prints the size and shape of Sasquatch are easy to make, and there is no shortage of gorilla costumes available on the internet. In 2012, a man attempting to create a Sasquatch hoax, died in the attempt. Wearing a ghillie suit, he attempted to dash across a busy highway, was hit by one car (undoubtedly seriously traumatizing the 15-year-old girl driving), and ran over by a second (this one being a 17-year-old boy). Apparently, nobody thought he was bigfoot either.

Despite the ease with which it can be done and how common hoaxes are, there are still a lot of people that believe in Sasquatch. While the scientific community claims there just isn't enough evidence to prove the existence of such a creature, there are enough credible sightings, unexplained photographs, and footprints to enforce the idea that there may still be something out there which is not recognized. One of the biggest helpers to proving the idea that it may exist, is the fact that almost all native american tribes in the areas where bigfoot sightings have occurred have stories and legends of large, humanoid creatures living in the forests and mountains. The word Sasquatch actually originates from the Halkomelem language word sásq’ets. A language common to native tribes in northwestern Washington and southwest British Columbia. Conflict between tribes was common, but I doubt they'd be going around leaving fake giant footprints around each other's campsites.


The figure of Sasquatch has been used fairly commonly in books and movies. Sometimes he is the monster, shredding tents and people alike with fangs, other times he is an intelligent, misunderstood animal, caught up in people's greed for fame and fortune. Most recently, he's been seen in a series of comedic commercials where he is the butt of practical jokes and warns of the dangers of provoking people who shouldn't be provoked.

So if you're going out camping for the 4th of July or for your summer vacation. Keep your camera on you and keep your eyes and ears open. That large dark form moving through the brush off to your left on the trail might just be a large deer. It also might be a bear. Or, it may be something else entirely...

~ Shaun

On Tonight's Edition...

Time for some news.

June has come and gone and it's been a long one, without too much going on really. July is already shaping up to be a much busier month.

My second book, Class 5, is heading in to the editor's office the second week of the month. In addition, I've already sent in a request for cover art, so that is in the works too. If all goes well and things fall into place quickly, I'm hoping for an early August release, but we'll see how that goes.

I also got my second opinion back on my first book, and I have a lot of work to do. To everyone that read it and was not impressed, I apologize. I'm going to make some changes and hopefully get a semi-fixed version uploaded in the coming month.

Additionally, some of you may (or may not) know that I contributed a short story to the 2013 Seattle Crypticon writing contest and managed to be a finalist and an eventual honorable mention, published in the convention anthology. You can find the entire book here on Amazon, but it is not available as an ebook. I can't make the entire thing available, but what I can do is put my own story up for download, which I plan on doing in the coming future.

Here's the other thing. A while back, I saw some of my fellow bloggers doing a blog-a-day challenge and ever since, I've been thinking about how I could incorporate that into my own blog. Well, with summer here and people traveling and camping, it finally hit me. Monsters. I'm not talking about counting down through Godzilla and the Blob.

 I'm talking about real monsters. Cryptids. Over the coming month, I'm going to try my own little blog-a-day challenge, hitting on Bigfoot, Yeti, Ropens, Mermaids, Chupacabra and the like. After all, you never know what you're going to see when you go walking out in the woods.

So check back on Monday, when we start going over things that, depending on what you believe, might actually be out in the woods, waiting for an unsuspecting hiker to pass within reach...

~ Shaun

Author Interview: Karl Drinkwater

So, my 40th blog post is going to be my first interview with a fellow author. 

Karl Drinkwater is a fellow author I met through Goodreads.com. I've read and reviewed his book Turner, giving it a full five stars and which I'll add on here as part of the introduction.

"A terrific read. Suspenseful. Fast-paced, but won't break your neck.  

A true page-turner. As a horror writer myself, I take pride in a certain level of familiarity with the types of stories that are out there. This book had me guessing (mostly wrong) the whole way through. The narrative flows with it's own voice while also giving you a sense of familiarity, certain passages reminding of the styles of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. 

I want to make it a point that the author writes in true English and not American English. Certain parts are also written in Welsh, though they are all followed by translations. Both of these facts only add to the work, as the story reaches back through history. They add a sense of age to the work which makes it all the creepier.
If there was anything I didn't like about the story, it's that you had to be careful which characters you get attached to. This is one of those book where NOBODY is safe from getting the ax. Thankfully, though, the dog stays unharmed."

 I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in a good horror novel.

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce and welcome Mr. Karl Drinkwater. Welcome, and thanks for the interview.

Thanks for asking me!

What got you into writing novels, and why Horror for your first book?

I started writing stories as a child at junior school, and was always fascinated with words and descriptions. I read loads of books and was a year or more above my age in reading ability. One of my favourite things was climbing the weeping willow at the bottom of the garden and reading books, either Enid Blyton or scary stories, the branch moving slightly beneath me.

For many years I wrote short stories but they got longer and longer until I realised I was ready to tackle a novel.

You’re right that my first book to reach the wider world is horror, but it isn’t the first novel I wrote. I spent a year writing a story of relationships in an office. Every break time and lunch time at work I would wheel my chair to the desk behind me where all my sheets of paper were stacked up and continue hand-writing the novel. Then at the end of the break would spin round and go back to library work. However, that book needed lots of work. I couldn’t see how to fix the imperfections at the time, and it ended up shoved into a drawer. I decided that I would try something with a faster pace, a tighter grip on the reader, something they wouldn’t want to put down. I remember pondering it while lay on my bed doodling one day, and decided I would write Turner to tick all those boxes. I called my girlfriend into the room. “Let’s go on a holiday to a mostly-deserted island, preferably without electricity.” She probably thought I was a bit mad, but then did the research and we chose Bardsey Island. Stayed there a week and I hand-wrote Turner, incorporating some elements of the island into the fiction. Then the weather turned bad and we couldn’t get away. I actually had to ring work and tell them I’d be missing a meeting because I was stuck on an island. Great fun to tell that to your boss and for it to be true. After reaching the mainland again it took a surprisingly long time to type the novel up, rewrite it, work with editors and a proof-reader and so on before it actually birthed itself in a peal of thunder, blood, and whirring chainsaws.

So horror was really my second novel, after my failure to write a literary masterpiece that twanged the heartstrings like a pink guitar being plucked by a drunken fat-fingered man in a red raincoat.

After Turner, you went back to Literary writing though, with your most recent book Cold Fusion 2000, correct? I have to admit to not having read that book, yet. Can you tell us a little bit about it ?

Well, it’s a book about how the past affects us, and the difficulties some people have in moving on. At its heart it is a love story but is also about life, coping, and maturity, seen through the lens of a physics- and poetry-obsessed super-geek (the physics and the poetry illustrate different and often-competing parts of his personality). I took a big chance with this book and used a structure that relies on the reader making connections - almost impersonating the main character - in order to understand a major part of the story. I wrote it in an ambiguous way that means anyone can enjoy the main story but things often have two meanings, and a reader who puts in the time and effort is rewarded with certain patterns that change the meaning. It’s difficult to say more without giving it away, but I’ve been lucky with my readers, and many of the reviews of the book have been really perceptive, have understood what I was trying to do. That feels absolutely fantastic. I love readers who ‘get it’.

It is actually a partner novel to the one I’m writing at the moment. Both stories about relationships set in Manchester in the year 2000, chosen as a turning point in lives, a time to re-evaluate what we want to achieve. The one I’m writing now has a lot of crossovers in place, theme, and even some minor characters. Hopefully when taken together they’ll add up to more than their parts.

Sounds intricate. Could this be the start of an entire series?

No, just two books, partners for life. I’m planning on making the covers match up when placed side by side. Apart from one or two short stories related to the characters I’ll move on completely when the novels are finished. Same with Turner – there will be a sequel, but that will then end the story. None of this trilogy stuff for me. I’ve always thought two of anything is enough, and the best things come in pairs. Apart from chocolate cakes, of which you can never have enough.

I can only take so much chocolate myself. I prefer a nice homemade Red Velvet cake. If I had my grandma's recipe I'd always have one made. But then again, I'm not much of a cook. I once screwed up macaroni and cheese so bad my dog wouldn't eat it. Anyway, between your two books on Amazon.com and on Goodreads.com you've got a total of 55 ratings/reviews, two of which are are two-stars while the rest are three or better. Is there anything you're not good at?

Ha ha! I’m not good at lots of things. I am not good at following my own advice, dished out so freely to others; I am not always good at resisting temptation; I’m not very good at dealing with the state of the world and human nature which can leave me rather depressed if I’m not careful. But in those cases I think you just have to do something positive (write some letters, give a donation, go out and do something) then not dwell on the issue too much. I’m not as good at handstands as I’d like, and I have the typical man/runner problem of not being good at doing forward bends. Which suggests I should go to yoga more, but I’m more likely to be distracted by a game of Plants versus Zombies, or drinking wine and eating chocolate on the beach.

As to reviews, obviously we make the books as good as we can, then revise and improve as necessary. Getting the audience right is key. I’ve discovered that giveaways are great for building awareness of your work, but it also means people who don’t even like your type of book enter it just to get something for free. Then give you a lower-scoring review, which is counter productive. Being able to target people who will enjoy your book whilst excluding others is important. Then everyone is happy. Like many things, it is easier said than done.

Would certainly be nice if we could keep our books out of the hands of people who aren't really interested in the genres we write in, but then, some people surprise themselves by liking something they hadn't thought they would. At the very least, they may like a particular author enough to appreciate the writing and the story while looking past the genre the work is in.

You're also from the UK. Aside from the obvious differences in language (humor vs. humour for example), have you noticed any differences in how other countries look at writing and books?

Good point about expanding a reader’s appreciation of other genres.

Mmm, that’s a tricky one, about differences. From the reviews it seems that some US readers warn others that the language is UK English and not to be put off by it. which struck me as strange the first time I saw it since in the UK we read US and UK books and never think twice about which it is, we just adapt to the text. I have quite a few readers in Nordic countries and I noticed they are very good at analysing parts of the text, or it could just be the particular readers I’ve attracted! Overall though I just see an international community of readers, and am touched by how easy it is to cross national barriers now and find people who appreciate your work.

Well, as Americans, we tend to not view things in a lens of international community. It's more just to tell people, "Some of these words aren't spelled like you're used to, but they are correct." Otherwise you might get reviews which talk about how many misspelled words you have.

Do you have an ultimate goal for your writing?

To be able to make a living off it would be nice! But really I just want to write things I’m proud of, and that can generate emotion in other people, whether it be fear or pity or sadness – I don’t care, as long as it touches people in some way. I pour my love and care into each book, get things out which need to be said, then let them free in the world. I’ve always written stories and I always will, and I look forward to seeing where this takes me.

Sounds good to me. Any final comments you'd like to make?

Only that I wish us both luck with our future writing endeavours! Plus: peace and love to all. The world needs it. Thanks for interviewing me. 

Thanks for your words. 

Where to find Karl and his work

Amazon

Karl's Writing Blog

Many thanks to Karl for coming and allowing himself to be interviewed here. I greatly encourage anyone interested to take a look at his books. I can personally vouch for Turner and if that's any indication, Cold Fusion 2000 should be an excellent read as well.

~ Shaun