Author Brian Moreland

Hello Brian, I love how you get so involved into your research for stories, mind telling us more about the research you did for your novels?

Hello, Dale, and thanks for having me here as a guest. I’ll first introduce my novels and then follow it up with how I researched them.


Tell us a little about, DEAD OF WINTER.

Dead of Winter is a historical story based partly on true events, dealing with an outbreak of cannibalism in the late 1800s. It’s also a detective mystery. The main character is Inspector Tom Hatcher, a troubled detective from Montreal who had recently captured an infamous serial killer, Gustav Meraux, known as the Cannery Cannibal. Gustav is Jack-the-the-Ripper meets Hannibal Lecter. Even though the cannibal is behind bars, Tom is still haunted from the case, so he decides to move himself and his rebellious teenage son out to the wilderness.

At the beginning of the story, Tom has taken a job at Fort Pendleton to solve a case of strange murders that are happening to the fur traders that involve another cannibal, one more savage than Gustav Meraux. Some predator in the woods surrounding the fort is attacking colonists and spreading a gruesome plague—the victims turn into ravenous cannibals with an unending hunger for human flesh. In Tom’s search for answers, he discovers that the Jesuits know something about this plague. My second main character is Father Xavier, an exorcist from Montreal who is ordered by the Vatican to travel to Ontario to help Tom battle the killer causing the outbreak.

Throughout the story I interweave several facts I pulled from history books and an interview I did with a descendent from a Canadian Ojibwa tribe. During my research, I came across some unexplained stories that the Ojibwa and Algonquin tribes all around the Great Lakes region, including Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, and Minnesota, feared a supernatural creature that lives in the woods and stalks people every winter. They migrated every year because of this superstition.

This legend also spooked the white fur traders, like the Hudson’s Bay Company, who lived in isolated forts all across Canada and traded with the Indians. In my novel, Fort Pendleton is a fictitious fort named after one my characters, a tycoon by the name of Master Avery Pendleton. When the mysterious killings start plaguing the colonists living within his fort, Pendleton hires Tom Hatcher to solve the case. Tom teams up with an Ojibwa tracker and shaman, Anika Moonblood. She doesn’t believe the killer is a man or animal, but something much more terrifying. In the book, everyone in the neighboring Ojibwa tribe is spooked by the stalker out in the woods. Dead of Winter is currently available at through most booksellers.


Tell us a little about, SHADOWS OF THEMIST.

Shadows in the Mist is about an Army platoon leader who has seen a lot of death during his tour, from battling Germans in North Africa, Italy, and Germany. Lt. Jack Chambers has lost so many men that he’s earned the moniker “Lt. Grim Reaper.” Now he’s down to his last few men who call themselves “the Lucky Seven” because they’ve survived many battles with Lt. Chambers. All he wants now is to get his men out alive. To earn an opportunity to send them home, Chambers volunteers his platoon for one last secret mission--lead a team of commandos to a Nazi bunker. What Chambers and his men don’t know is something dark and evil is waiting for them in the foggy woods.

Shadows in the Mist takes place in Germany’s Hürtgen Forest, a seventy-square mile patch of woods and farm country that borders Belgium in Northwest Germany. The setting is World War II, in October 1944, when Allied soldiers were first crossing into Germany. The Battle of the Hürtgen Forest was one of the bloodiest battles we fought. I’ve woven in historical details, like the issues the Allies were actually facing, along with real towns and battlefields.

My characters, being a platoon leader and his platoon, were developed based on numerous research I did on WWII. I studied many photos and films, interviewed veteran soldiers, historians, and even walked the battlefields in Germany. I also studied the Nazis, their philosophies, abnormal scientific practices, and their fascination with Occult. All of that research went into building a fictional world that was based on events that really happened. It helps that my readers have seen many of these same images. They can easily visualize the setting, the soldiers, and the Nazis. All I had to do was write a plot that keeps readers turning the pages.


What drew you to horror?

I would say watching movies like Jaws and Alien and The Howling when I was a kid. I never had so much fun being scared. I got similar experiences from reading horror novels by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Robert McCammon. For me, horror creates an adrenaline rush that makes the experience thrilling. When I decided to try my hand at writing a horror story, I discovered that being creative and exploring my own imagination can be just as thrilling as watching a great movie or reading another author’s novel. It’s also very fulfilling to share my fiction with readers.


Have near-future projects you want to mention?

Yes, I’ve been writing a ton of new stuff in 2012. I wrote a novella, The Witching House (released August 2013), and a completed a novel, The Devil’s Woods (releases December 2013).

The Witching House: In this present-day novella, two young couples go urban exploring in a mysterious abandoned house set deep in the East Texas woods. The adventurous double-date turns to terror, when they discover something is living down in the cellar. And it hungers for human flesh.

The Devil’s Woods: This novel, also set in present day, is about a haunted Cree Indian reservation up in British Columbia, Canada. Something evil in the woods has been abducting people for over a century, and now three siblings will go into those woods in search of their missing father, an archaeologist who disappeared while on a top-secret expedition. This is probably my most action-packed novel yet with plenty of terrifying thrills. If you thought Dead of Winter had a lot of thrills, you ain’t seen nothing yet.


Your work oozes quality, do you have any advice for writers just starting out?

Sure, I’ll share how I develop my stories:

First, I typically start with a title that lights my fire. In my mind, I play around with a plot idea that can go with the title. I also think of my characters and the main conflict. It’s all daydreaming at first. Once a plot idea is formed in my head, I write a one-page outline summarizing what I think will happen in the story. I play with character names, settings, and begin to imagine scenes that could happen. I’ll decide my beginning (prologue), middle (Second Act) and the ending (grand finale/climax and resolution). All of this will probably change (including the title) once I get into writing the book, but it gives me a starting point.

I definitely do my best writing through organic, stream-of-consciousness writing. I’m always discovering new details about the characters as I journey along with them. Sometimes I steer the story, but mostly I allow my characters to take over and see where they take the story. There are often plot twists that completely surprise me.

After I’ve written a 100 pages or more and I’ve gotten to know my characters, I’ll write a chapter-by-chapter outline so I can have a bird’s-eye view of the story and keep on track of where it’s going. The second act of a novel can go way off course if a writer doesn’t widen the lens every now and then. So after the first 100 pages I continually go back and forth between losing myself in a scene and then reviewing my outline (a.k.a. synopsis).

My outlines are every chapter summarized down to one paragraph. This allows me to observe the flow of the scenes and adjust them for pace and emotional impact. With multiple character subplots happening at the same time, like Dead of Winter for instance, I’m constantly changing the sequence of the scenes so that they build to a climax. I think of my subplots as if they are trains moving down a track toward a catastrophic collision. Outlining helps me get the timing down just right. The outline also helps me work out issues in the story line and smooth out my twists and turns. When I focus on writing the individual scenes, that's when I shift back to organic writing.

Once the first draft is completed, my book is nowhere close to done. Now the truly fun part begins, because I know my characters and where the story is going from start to finish. I’ll rewrite and edit the book for months, adding more details to scenes, fleshing out my characters, punching up the dialogue, and tightening the action so that the scenes are taut. I also get a lot of new ideas on how to best unfold the mystery. Then I go back to scenes and add details in that set up a revelation or plot twist that happens later on.

I’m also a perfectionist when I write. When a character says something or does something, I constantly ask myself, does this ring true? Would my character really go into that dark house where the killer is hiding? Would she run from the beast or would she hunker down and fight it? If she walks into the killer’s lair because she hears a noise and is curious, it won’t ring true for me. If the heroine’s a cop and the killer has her child captive in the house, the scene is more believable to me if she enters the house to save her child. The reason any character does something that will put their life in jeopardy must make sense.

Putting in extra hours in plotting my story in the revision stage has paid off, because the editors of my first two books had very minor changes. I also learned a trick to ratcheting up the tension and pace. In the final 100 pages, as I’m building toward the ultimate climax, I write shorter and shorter scenes that are mostly action.


Thank you, Brian it was an honor having you here.

Thanks, Dale, it’s been a pleasure being your guest.


Shadows in the Mist

The truth will not stay buried.

During World War II, Germany’s Hürtgen Forest was a killing field. But there was something worse than the enemy in the mist. An ancient power was waiting to prey upon those who opposed the Third Reich.

Jack Chambers survived the war, but even after all these years, he still has nightmares about Hürtgen—and the unholy horrors he battled there. Now he is determined to reveal the truth behind his platoon’s massacre and entrusts the task to his grandson, Sean. But Sean’s quest sets him in a deadly race against those who wish to bury the truth forever—and those who plan to use it to unleash hell on Earth.

BUY A COPY

Reviews:

“Combining Masonic history, mysticism, and Nordic rune-lore, Moreland’s tale of a world at war is equal parts horror story and spine-jangling thriller. An adventure not to be missed!” ~James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Map of Bones and Black Order

“Brian Moreland has created a great horror novel … Shadows in the Mist is probably one of the best books I've read this year.” ~Horror Bob, The Horror Review

“There’s a solid story here ... one that mixes elements of Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay ... and the fast-paced thrillers of John Saul.” ~Kirkus Discoveries

Dead of Winter

A predator stalks the frozen woods.

At a fort deep in the Ontario wilderness in 1870, a ghastly predator is attacking colonists and spreading a gruesome plague—his victims turn into ravenous cannibals with an unending hunger for human flesh. Inspector Tom Hatcher has faced a madman before, when he tracked down Montreal’s infamous Cannery Cannibal. But can even he stop the slaughter this time?

In Montreal exorcist Father Xavier visits an asylum where the Cannery Cannibal is imprisoned. But the killer who murdered thirteen women is more than just a madman who craves human meat. He is possessed by a shape-shifting demon. Inspector Hatcher and Father Xavier must unravel a mystery that has spanned centuries and confront a predator that has turned the frozen woods into a killing ground where evil has come to feed.

BUY A COPY

Reviews:

"Dead of Winter is a thrilling, wholly-engrossing read that masterfully crosses multiple genres and leaves the reader breathless. Moreland weaves one hell of a history lesson, rich with brilliant characters and incredible plot twists. Highly recommended!" ~Brian Keene, best-selling author of The Last Zombie and Ghoul

“With Dead of Winter, Brian Moreland breathes disturbing new life into an ancient horror legend. Crisp dialogue, riventing action, and a skin-on-your-teeth pace. Wow!” ~Jonathan Maberry, New York Times Best-selling author of Patient Zero and Dead of Night

“Dead of Winter is an exceptionally well crafted horror novel that tells a gripping story of dark religious doings, a horrific serial killer, and a sympathetic Inspector, in a dark and fascinating historical setting of 19th century Canada. The atmospherics are outstanding and the story offers plenty of surprises right up to its shocking and violent conclusion. Highly recommended.”

~Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Monster of Florence and Cold Vengeance

"A major new talent." ~James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of, Map of Bones and Black Order

“Moreland's novel is a unique blend of historical fiction, thriller, and horror--and it all works flawlessly. Dead of Winter had me breathless. This is one hell of a great read." ~Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of The Reach, Sparrow Rock, and StarCraft Ghost: Spectres

"A gripping blend of supernatural and historical thriller. Moreland boldly enters the realm of dark legends and evil magic." ~Scott Nicholson, The Red Church

"A frightening and chilly romp through a winter wasteland, Dead of Winter will freeze your soul! Sharply written and scary as hell, this one is a must-read for all horror fans. I am in awe of Brian Moreland." ~Ronald Malfi, author of Snow and Floating Staircase

"Brian Moreland writes a blend of survival horror and occult mystery that I find impossible to resist. His writing is clean, precise, and, best of all, compulsively readable. I know, when I've got one of his books in my hands, that I'm going to be lost to the world for hours on end. He's just that good. And Dead of Winter is the best Moreland story yet - a thriller that hits every nerve with perfect accuracy."
~Joe McKinney, author of Dead City and Flesh Eaters

“Grisly and terrifying. Moreland spins horror and history into a truly savage yarn.”~Joseph D'Lacey, author of Meat and The Kill Crew

“From lust and greed to duty and piousness, the cast of complex characters in Dead of Winter erupt to life in historical splendor. Drawing on several horror elements, the reader will be swept away on this canoe-ride of excitement, terror, and mystery. Tom Hatcher takes his son, Chris to the isolation of the Ontario North to repair the wounds of their past. When the blizzards bring an evil to the fort that mysteriously turns the inhabitants into vicious cannibals, Tom’s detective skills are insufficient weapons against the menace that lurks beyond the walls of the fort. Grab a warm blanket and throw another log on the fire, and delve into the terror that only winter can snow down on the soul.”
~Aurora Nominee Suzanne Church, author of "Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle"
and "The Tear Closet"

Brian's Bio:

Brian Moreland writes novels and short stories of horror and supernatural suspense. In 2007, his novel Shadows in the Mist, a Nazi occult thriller set during World War II, won a gold medal for Best Horror Novel in an international contest. The novel went on to be published in Austria and Germany under the title Schattenkrieger. When not working on books, Brian edits documentaries and TV commercials around the globe. He produced a World War II documentary in Normandy, France, and worked at two military bases in Iraq with a film crew.

He also consults writers on how to improve their books and be successful. He loves hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and dancing. Brian lives in Dallas, Texas, where he is diligently writing his next horror novel. You can communicate with him online at www.brianmoreland.com or on Twitter @BrianMoreland.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HorrorAuthorBrianMoreland

Twitter: @BrianMoreland

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1150022.Brian_Moreland

Brian’s Horror Fiction blog: http://www.brianmoreland.blogspot.com 

Coaching for Writers blog: http://www.coachingforwriters.blogspot.com