REVIEW: Patrick Lacey - Sleep Paralysis

Genre: Horror / Collection

Publisher: Great Old Ones Publishing

Publication Date: 5^th July 2016

Pages: 240

REVIEWED BY NEV

I received an advance copy of Sleep Paralysis from the author, Patrick Lacey in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Great Old Ones Publishing.

I have read a couple of things by Patrick Lacey. The first was his short story The Lynnwood Vampires, which appeared in the anthology, Widowmakers and is also included in this collection. The second was his novella released last year, A Debt to be Paid. You can find links for both reviews at the bottom of this review.

You may not have heard of Patrick Lacey before. He is one of those authors that I would love to have a hand in changing that fact. I love his writing. Don’t ask me why. There isn’t a stand out difference in his style that grabs me. It just makes sense, and it’s scary, and tense, and for the most part, beautifully written.

Anyway, I had a chance of reviewing his debut collection Sleep Paralysis. This is what I thought.

WORM GARDEN

Worm Garden is a cemetery, famous the world over for being one of the most paranormally active areas. Josh and Charlie are going there to investigate it. Josh has a secret he would like to tell Charlie. Maybe now isn’t the time.

Wow. This is so much head feck in an opener. A creepy cemetery, people with secrets, giant worms. Psychedelia in a nutshell.

It slowly builds the tension until all hell breaks loose and you think what the actual flip!

This one may have you going back to it to figure it out. Very intriguing.

★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

OPERATION PARASITE

Manny has some information for his reporter friend, Nolan. It concerns a secret corporation working in conjunction with the government to infect the nation. He must get the information out there. Everyone must know before it is too late.

Perfect. Perfect idea with perfect tension and perfect horror and perfect writing.

This is perfectly executed. It even has the ending that will have you calling Mr Lacey a bad name.

Does it show I loved this one?

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

PEN PALS

James has been assigned a pen pal in school. He has to write to Simon. He doesn't hear back from him for ages, but when he does, he is intrigued to learn more about Simons fascination with making things disappear.

Until he learns the truth of this talent.

This is so so creepy. This is the sort of thing that would be the ultimate nightmare if it happened to you.

Again written in a style that will have the hairs on your entire body standing on end the whole time you are reading this.

Loved it.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

DROWNING IN FILTH

Danielle is the host of a reality television show that visits and tries to help hoarders. People living up to their necks in dirt and filth.

On their latest assignment, they meet Amanda. She claims she has no power to stop what she's doing. The thing she found in the forest won't let her.

Oh man this is another creepy one. Don't try and read this one while you eat. No point. I'm really starting to realise what that special thing is I like about Patrick Lacey's stuff. Creepiness. It makes your skin crawl.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

LOST AND FOUND

Henry’s Grandma is dying. He has to say his goodbyes, but his stutter won’t let him. When his father gets angry with him, he runs away, and sees something that he isn’t sure is real.

He soon discovers that it’s more believable than he first thought.

This is another of those psychedelic, dream like stories that you aren’t quite sure whether it was real or not, or all in the character’s head. Or maybe your head.

Super creepy again.

★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

FIRST BELL

Eddie always gets up an hour early. He needs to. It's part of his ritual. He needs to get to school a while before the first bell so he can meet Chrissy and the unlucky, like he does every day.

This is more of an emotional tale than horror. Yes, it does contain ghosts and the sentiment behind the story is horrific in itself but the emotional side is the bit that grabs you by the throat.

Mr Lacey deals with one of the most topical, but sensitive subjects in American culture these days in a perfect way.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror / emotion.

SEND YOUR END

Marissa is in turmoil. She watched a video on a new website and now she is hooked. She doesn't know what to do. She speaks to her favourite teacher about it but no one seems to know what to do.

Strange one this one but again, creepy as hell.  This one examines the power of suggestion over our feeble minds and tests just how far we can be pushed before we crack.

Great stuff again.

★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

THE LYNNWOOD VAMPIRES

Frank is a teacher at his local school. They have had an urgent meeting about the alarming rise in the members of the Lynnwood Vampires, a goth group in the town that seem to be growing in numbers and ferocity.

When his daughter Alyssa gets a new boyfriend and seems to have joined the group, Frank must act before it’s too late.

Second time of reading this and it's even better than the first.

An urban horror story of goths and Vampires trying to take over an all American town. Great stuff.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

NORTON

Richie is falling apart. His wife has left him and all he has is his daughter, Veronica. He wants to make things right, but times are tough. When Veronica sees a fluffy toy lying by the roadside she instantly wants it. Richie gives in for a quiet life.

Veronica names him Norton. Norton changes everything.

Nothing creepier than dolls or fluffy toys that seem to be possessed in some way. Norton is no different. For someone like me with a deep rooted fear of cuddly toys, this one was extra creepy.

★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

COLD CALL

Beth is struggling with her new daughter, Suzi. She gets a persistent cold call that just won’t let her be. She tries to get rid of them but it soon becomes clear that this won’t happen. Beth has made a deal that she can’t remember. It may just cost her everything.

This is brutal. By that I mean the sentiment of the story is brutal. It asks a human to give up the one thing they have, and they seem to have no choice in the matter.

This is really scary stuff.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

BAD EGG

Laura has only ever wanted one thing in her life. A baby. Problem is she is not getting any younger and her doctor has just told her she will never conceive.

After a vicious attack by some sort of beast leaves her injured, it looks like the unthinkable is happening.

This is surreal and scary and in some parts ridiculously funny as well. This Mr Lacey has some imagination inside that head of his.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

CRITTER MARROW

Gary has been asked to stay behind to clear the company’s junk email folder.

One email in particular catches his eye and when he opens it, he wishes he hadn’t. Strange images on the email make him think he is going mad. He needs to delete it for good before he truly does go insane.

My least favourite so far. A bit weird and out there for me. I think this maybe needed to be a bit longer with more background to explain what the evil in the email was for it to make more sense to me.

★★★ for general.

★★★ for horror.

LAST WORDS

Peters father is dying. He tries to tell him something before he passes, but Peter doesn't understand.

He thinks he understands OK when he sets about clearing up his father's house. Especially after his discovery.

You think you know people eh? Sometimes the biggest discoveries about people come after they are gone.

This tale is full of that emotion again. It's weird in a way because Peters discovery is horrific beyond any words, but at the same time more sad than anything.

This is just wonderful writing.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror / emotion.

LOST THINGS

Henry lives on the streets, beside a big dumpster. It never gets emptied but never seems to get full either.

When a man throws something he shouldn't into it, Henry discovers the dumpsters true potential.

Another one that shows the depth of the imagination of Patrick Lacey. This story is just superb. It has horror. It has emotion. It has everything it needs.

Every town needs a dumpster like this one!

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

THE BOSS

Perkins wants to be a writer. For inspiration he goes to sit in Big Ted's burger joint. Something interesting always happens there.

Tonight is no exception when a customer asks to speak to The Boss.

Another one that I suspect is a bit more tongue in cheek than anything else. At the same time, the intent in the story is scary as hell again.

Horror and dark humour all in one tidy short.

★★★★ for general.

★★★★ for horror.

MRS. ALTO’S GARDEN

Kristen and Michael move into their new home beside the mysterious Mrs Alto. She seems to be the stereotypical widow that just loves to be in her garden.

That is, until Kristen spots her making a late night trip in to the woods. Mrs Alto may not be as innocent as she lets on.

This is like the quintessential 80’s horror film. Small town, with small minded people, with a huge big secret just waiting to be revealed. You can’t be quite sure whether it’s alien or manmade but you know it holds horrors.

With a twist at the end that will leave a smile on your face, this one will give you the creeps big style.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

BIG BERTHA

Christopher hates working the late shift in the arcade. It’s not so much the cleaning up he has to do but more that the Big Bertha machine gives him the creeps. He is right to be creeped out.

I think we all had an arcade game that scared us when we were kids. Imagine being left alone with it? Just you and it, and it starts to talk to  you? I think I just pee’d.

Another one where you can feel the fear that the character is going through. You have no choice the way this is written.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

FULL DISCLOSURE

A man who’s name you never learn has stayed in his apartment after he died.

He haunts it daily, making it his job to keep tenants out so he can be alone. At least, until Adrianna moves in. He soon falls for her but there is a dark force in the apartment that is after her too. How can he stop her coming to harm?

A haunted apartment. A ghost falling in love with the new tenant. An evil force wanting to do her harm. What a way to finish this collection. Again it has everything.

★★★★★ for general.

★★★★★ for horror.

So there it is. My thoughts on the individual stories between the covers of Sleep Paralysis. I will start this summary off with a bold statement: this is one of my favourite collections, ever!!

This is the embodiment of everything that a collection of short horror stories should be. Each and every story in this collection is scary. Each and every story in this collection is creepy as hell. Each and every story in this collection is full of all sorts of emotion. Each and every story in this collection is written so beautifully perfectly that you will believe every tale is possible. You will believe every character is real, every situation is actually happening and above all, anything is possible.

Patrick Lacey has nailed it in every way possible with this collection. This, ladies and gentlemen, should be used as a reference book for an aspiring author that wants to gather together a few of their short stories and release it in one book.

Nothing more to say.

Bravo, Mr Lacey, Bravo.

Normally when I review a collection it gets a very clinical and precise score from the average scores of the stories therein. The Clinical score for Sleep Paralysis is:

★★★★.6 for general and ★★★★.5 for horror / emotion.

In a break from tradition, I have no choice other than to do this.

General rating:

★★★★★ superb.

Horror / emotion rating:

★★★★★ and again.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy Sleep Paralysis or any other books from Patrick. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

Sleep paralysis: A transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, accompanied by powerful hallucinations and muscle weakness, preventing one from moving.

A website that specializes in suffering. A basement filled with secrets and bones. An apartment housing much more than just ghosts. These are the places between reality and the unknown. These are the stories that stay with you long after you've read them. These are the things that visit your dreams. And nightmares.

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS PATRICK LACEY

A Debt to be Paid

Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He currently spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, his Pomeranian, his cat, and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him.

And for more about Patrick, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads - Amazon Page

INTERVIEW: PATRICK LACEY - PART TWO!

Welcome back to Part Two of Confessions’ interview with Patrick Lacey.

Tonight Patrick will tell you all about his new collection, Sleep Paralysis. He will also talk about some more general stuff in his life and of course take on The Ten Confessions.

Monday night is a boring night.

Grab a big tub of ice cream and a spoon and lose yourself for a half hour. Most of all……..enjoy!

CoaR - Moving on to Sleep Paralysis, what made you collect all of these stories together?

PL - One day, I was looking at my Amazon author page, feeding my ego, and realized I’d gathered quite a few story publications in a short time and having a collection released has always been one of my writing goals. I went painstakingly through each and every contract, assured I had the rights to each story, and started putting them together.

CoaR - The stories are quite diverse. How do you come up with so many different ideas and scenarios?

PL - That’s a good question and I don’t really have an answer. Since I don’t plot or outline, I’m never quite sure how each story is going to come out. I try to take a strange, simple concept (haunted junk mail, inter-dimensional dumpster, etc.) and make it as believable as possible. But I am conscious of my backlog and if I sense that a story is getting to similar to another one, I’ll switch things up. Usually they just get weirder.

CoaR - Creepiness is the outstanding element in this collection. Do you have to concentrate on trying to make the stories creepy or does it just flow with you?

PL - I suspect and hope that creepy is one of my strong points. It’s tough because everyone is creeped out by different things. For me, things that seem unnatural are the creepiest. Let’s take Nightmare on Elm Street, the film that shaped my formative years, as an example. In one of the earliest scenes, during a nightmare sequence, Freddy Krueger’s arms expand several times their normal length. It’s seemingly random. Why would he do this? It serves no purpose other than to confuse or scare his victim and the audience. For me, that’s creepy.

If you were walking down the street, peering into storefronts, and noticed a man wearing a purple, pin-striped suit and juggling rotten apples, you’d laugh at first. It would seem ridiculous but also unnatural (there’s that word again). Then you’d start to grow antsy and eventually, the creepiness would set in. That’s a long-winded answer of me saying: yeah, I like it downright creepy and I try my best to inject that sort of thing in most of my stories.

CoaR - I found some of these stories very emotional as well. In one in particular you deal with a subject that is in the news on a daily basis these days. In my opinion you dealt with it superbly while still making the story scary. Did this worry you at all? Where would you draw the line with what you would write about?

PL - I suspect you’re talking about First Bell, which centers around a school shooting. That one was hard for me to write. It was just after the Newtown massacre here in the states and I, like much of the country, was feeling sad and anxious and disgusted. I needed to write it down (again: free therapy!) and get it out of my system. That’s another thing I love about horror: you can use real-life events and tragedies, hide them in a horror story, and explore the human effects of said events.

For the novel I’m working on now, I’ve had to do a lot of research with serial killers and how they’ve been glorified over the years, which also makes me just a tad disgusted. Real life is terrifying.

CoaR - You have a few different types of horror in this collection ranging from monsters to ghosts to evil people to evil dumpsters. What is your favourite sub-genre within horror to write, and also read?

PL - All of the above. I read all types of horror (and fiction in general). I love it pulpy and gory. You have a slimy monster chowing down on some severed limbs in your book? Count me in. But on the flipside, you have a quiet character piece that maybe just hints at the horror, perhaps on a cosmic level? Sign me up as well. Horror is so diverse and that’s another reason I’m so drawn to it. I think (hope) that since my tastes are all over the place, that my fiction runs the gamut as well. Then again, what do I know?

CoaR - What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

PL - Watch horror movies, play some retro video games (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is my favourite), spend time with my wife/dog/cat, and drink an obscene amount of coffee. I also love cooking and am surprisingly amazing at it if I can toot my own horn for just a moment.

CoaR - What’s coming in the future from Patrick Lacey?

PL - Let’s see. I’ve got a plethora of short stories coming out over the next year or so. Then I have my novel, Dream Woods, dropping from Sinister Grin later this year and Darkness in Lynnwood next year. After that, my schedule is open as of now. I’m shopping around a novella that is a direct sequel to my story Operation Parasite (which appears in Sleep Paralysis), and I’m finishing up a novel as we speak. It’s the darkest thing I’ve ever written. And there’s plenty of that creepy stuff you mentioned earlier.

THE TEN CONFESSIONS

1 Who would you view as your main competitor in the writing world?

This may seem like a cop out, but I’m just about the least competitive guy I know. How about this? How about I mention Matt Hayward, whose debut short story collection is coming next year from Sinister Grin? The stories I’ve read from it are great. He’s roughly the same age as me, so I’ll call him my direct competitor starting next year, though by that I mean he’s going places and the bastard can write with the best of them.

2 What book or author have you read that you think should never have been published?

The Hunger Games. I hated it. Absolutely loathed it. But you know what they say about opinions and all that. Plus, I think that author is really going places. Maybe they’ll even make it into a movie or four.

3 Are any of the things your characters have experienced in your books been based on something that has actually happened to you? What was it?

Definitely. As I mentioned prior, the main character in my upcoming novel Darkness in Lynnwoodresembles me in many ways. But we’ll get to that closer to the book’s release. How’s that for a tease?

4 Have you ever blatantly stolen an idea or scene and adapted it for one of your own books? If so, care to share?

I honestly don’t think so but if anybody spots one, let me know!

5 Have you ever anonymously left a bad review for someone else’s book? If so, care to share?

Nope. If I dislike a book, I won’t leave a review. What can I say? I’m a nice guy. Plus, I can find something I like in just about any book. I grew up watching horrible horror movies, after all. I’m easy to please.

6 What’s the one thing you are least proud of doing in your life and why?

How’s this for a confession? During college, I used to drive down to this quiet spot in Salem, Massachusetts to read in between classes or whenever I had downtime. I was a bit more of an introvert then and being around people quickly drained the life out of me. One day, as I was reading, a woman knocked on my window and, quite clearly distressed, asked if could give her car battery a jump. I told her sorry, I didn’t have any jumper cables, which was an utter lie.

She thanked me and walked away and I thought about how much of an asshole I was. I just wanted to be left alone for that hour but it would’ve taken approximately five minutes to help that woman. Probably (definitely) not the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life but it still haunts me from time to time.

7 What’s the one thing you are MOST proud of doing in your life and why?

Marrying my wife. Also, publishing books and stuff!

8 What’s your biggest fault?

I obsess over a lot of things, sometimes to a fault. If I’m working on a book, I tend to think about it almost constantly, which isn’t necessarily a healthy habit. I’ve gotten better about it over the last couple years, though. So there’s that.

9 What is your biggest fear?

This ties oh so perfectly in the release of my collection. I’ve suffered from sleep paralysis for most of my life and often, during those episodes, I see something. A monster if you will. It’s actually a common effect, though most sufferers see an old hag watching them. For me, it’s something else. For me, it’s a creature of some sort and it’s always nearby, drawing closer each time. Not fun at all. Great title, though.

10 If you had to go to confession now, what would be the one thing you would need to get off your chest?

I’ve never read Bram Stoker’s Dracula all the way through. There, I said it. Mock me, torment me, do what you will! At least I’m honest.

Sadly, that is it for the interview!

You should, by now, know a lot more about Patrick Lacey than you did a few days ago.

If you need to know more then come back tomorrow night when I will be publishing my review of Sleep Paralysis, and giving you all the links to buy it and all the links you need to follow Patricks career in the writing world.

As always I would like to give my personal thanks to Patrick for taking the time to complete this interview with Confessions and not getting annoyed with the constant messages he was getting from me.

I know that time is a precious commodity coming up to a book launch so thank you sir!

Don’t forget the review tomorrow night!

Thanks again for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer!

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS PATRICK LACEY

A Debt to be Paid

Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He currently spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, his Pomeranian, his cat, and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him.

And for more about Patrick, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads - Amazon Page

INTERVIEW: PATRICK LACEY - PART ONE!

Welcome everyone to the first night in a three parter featuring a young man that I reckon is destined for a big big future in the writing world.

Please welcome, Patrick Lacey!

I first discovered Patrick’s writing in the anthology, Widowmakers, and immediately fell in love with his writing style. Hopefully after the next couple of nights he will have picked up another few fans!

In Part One of the interview tonight, Patrick will be telling you all about himself in general, his writing and his influences.

In Part Two, tomorrow night, he will tell you some more general stuff about himself and his writing then more specific stuff about his newest collection, Sleep Paralysis, and also, he will take on The Ten Confessions.

The final night on Tuesday will see my review of Sleep Paralysis published.

It’s Sunday night, so, go get some proper comforting junk food and a cold one and sit back, and most of all…….enjoy!

CoaR - So tell everyone a bit about yourself in general. Who is Patrick Lacey and what is he about?

PL - Patrick Lacey is a young man whose earliest movie memory is seeing Nightmare on Elm Streetfor the first time at age five. His parents grew up in the sixties, were ex-hippies, and didn’t put many restraints on what he watched as a child. Because of this, he devoured horror films on a regular basis, became obsessed with monsters, and started writing his own stories about them. Not much has changed.


CoaR - Do you have a pay the bills job? Care to share what it is?

PL - Sure, by day I work as an Editorial Assistant at a medical publisher and enjoy it quite a lot. My co-workers are supportive of my writing and the stress level is very low. It’s the perfect job for a by-night writer.


CoaR - Why writing? What made you tackle it professionally?

PL - The first story I remember writing all the way through was my own Goosebumps novel, The Haunted Scorpion. I was in third grade and my grandfather had just died. It was, essentially, my first experience with death and writing seemed to help with the grief. I kept that part tucked away in the back of my mind when I started writing more seriously. It truly is a coping mechanism for life and while I’m doing it, all of my problems go away. Plus, it’s much cheaper than therapy. If I go more than a few days without writing, I start to grow antsy and my attention goes out the window. So it’s as much a compulsive habit as it is something I strive toward. Also, as I mentioned earlier: monsters are neat!

CoaR - Checking you out on Facebook and suchlike, you seem to like your beer. What’s your fav?

PL - I’m glad you asked, Nev. For me, beer is like coffee. There’s nothing like relaxing and sipping a cold one. I love sitting in a busy bar and people watching.

It’s a great way to come up with characters. I’m big on porters lately so I would pose two of my favourite selections: Monk’s Blood from 21st Amendment Brewery and Victory at Sea from Ballast Point. Both are extremely dark, heavy, and taste a bit like coffee. I hope this also describes my writing.


CoaR - Take us through your process for a story. How do you start it and follow it through to the final product?

PL - I don’t take notes all that often and I’ve never outlined. I mull ideas over and if they don’t go away, I turn them into a story. I can usually tell if it’s going to be a short story or something longer but I never know just how long, nor do I know much about the plot. So, in that sense, I’m a by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy. I usually do three drafts: a rough, first draft (this story is total and utter shit!), a critical rewrite/second draft (this is great!), and a polish/third draft (it’s okay, I guess). As for a writing schedule, I try to write one thousand words each day but life gets in the way often, so I’m happy if I get five hundred words. Or at least a really cool sentence or two.


CoaR - Checking you out on Facebook and suchlike, again, you seem to have a thing for T-shirts. Where do you get them? How many have you got?

PL - Oh, how I love horror t-shirts. I buy way too many and my wife tends to get me one for every holiday. I get them from a plethora of places but some of the best are Fright Rags, Rotten Cotton, Cavity Colors, and Scurvy Ink. All of those companies are amazing and you can’t go wrong with either. If I had to guess, I’d say I’m pushing fifty shirts or so. Not as many as Adam Cesare, who posts a new one just about every day (filling me with total jealousy), but I’m getting there.

CoaR - How do you keep track of your ideas? Do you carry a notebook with you everywhere or write stuff on the back of your hand?

PL - I usually don’t write anything down unless it’s such an odd or specific idea, that I think I’ll forget it seconds later. Then I’ll either grab a post-it note or open the notepad app on my phone and jot something down. The latter is preferred because of my horrid handwriting, which looks a bit like hieroglyphics.


CoaR - Checking you out on Facebook and suchlike, again, you also seem to have a thing for collecting memorabilia and stuff. Are you a real geek? For example, I noticed the other day a picture of Colorforms Play Sets. Are you really just a big geeky kid?

PL - I’ve always been into collecting stuff, mostly horror, since I was a kid. It’s only gotten worse as I’ve become older and have a steady income. I especially like finding retro memorabilia (i.e., the Ninja Turtles/Ghostbuster Colorforms setsin question) at thrift stores. It’s much more enjoyable finding that sort of stuff out in the wild. It’s my form of hunting, except with a lot less blood (for the most part).


CoaR - Everything I have read of yours so far has been either a short or a novella. When is the biggie coming? The first novel?

PL - As luck would have it, Nev, I have my first novel Dream Woods debuting from Sinister Grin later this year. For an elevator pitch, think The Shining if it took place at Disney World and had things like demonic vending machines, possessed mascot bears, and roller coasters that run off human blood. It’s a wild one. After that, Sinister Grin will release my novel Darkness in Lynnwood. It’s based off of The Lynnwood Vampires, which is in my collection Sleep Paralysis and it’s my favourite thing I’ve ever written. It’s also extremely personal and drove me to the edge of insanity several times during its creation. Good times.

CoaR - Can you tell us if any of the characters in your books are based on people you have come across in your life or maybe even yourself?

PL - See above. The main character in Darkness in Lynnwood definitely has some of my traits in him. Otherwise, I tend to steal bits and pieces from multiple sources to create characters. It’s a great way to make them realistic while also avoiding a lawsuit.


CoaR - Who would be the authors you would give the credit of being your influences and who do you just not “get”?

PL - There are a bazillion but I’ll just list a few. I started off with King, like many other writers, but he was more of a gateway author for me. Then came the other influences like Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, John Skipp, Graham Joyce, Stewart O’Nan, Richard Matheson, Paul Tremblay, Brian Keene, Elmore Leonard, Ira Levin, and so forth. I guess that was more than a few, huh? As far as not “getting” someone, I’ve never been big into H. P. Lovecraft, which, depending on who you talk to, might be blasphemous. I truly appreciate his contributions to the genre, and love weird fiction as a whole, but he just doesn’t do it for me.


CoaR - What’s the most difficult part of writing for you?

PL - Probably the first draft. While it’s fun and exciting to have a blank page awaiting you, it’s also scary because as I’m going through that initial stage, I absolutely loathe every word. Usually it’s the second draft that calms my worries. After I’ve had time to reflect on the manuscript, I don’t hate it that much.


CoaR - What would your ultimate wish be with your writing?

PL - I do not expect to ever become a best seller but then again, I never really thought I’d sell a story or a collection or a novella or a novel either. I just started writing and figured I’d keep at it and see what happened. I’m a simple man, so if I could make enough money writing someday to maybe pay off my mortgage/school loans, then I’d be happy. I’m fine working a full-time day job. I would make a terrible starving artist.

Well that is it for Part One of the interview. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow night to hear about the new collection, Sleep Paralysis, and see Patrick confess to The Big Ten!

CONFESSIONS REVIEWS PATRICK LACEY

A Debt to be Paid

Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He currently spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable.

He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, his Pomeranian, his cat, and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him.

And for more about Patrick, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website - Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads - Amazon Page