Toot's Book Reviews: Spotlight, Review, Author interview & Giveaway: Feast: Other Horrifying Tales by David Vorhees

Book Blurb & Info

A collection of short stories that take place on different holidays over the course of the year. The collection opens with “A New Year, a New Day, a New Life.” Grant Curtis is arrested on New Year’s Day and charged with the murder of his wife Carla. In “Easter: The Resurrection,” a resurrected Kyle Gardner seeks vengeance on Pastor Brian.

“The Vengeance of Cassidy Clay” is a narrative poem that takes place on Halloween. The poem tells the story of a slave-hunter who haunts the woods long after his death and many more spine chilling tales.

Buy Link

Amazon

Toot's Review by Betty Bee

Okay, so first of all, I want to say that I'm not much of a short story reader. But I usually make an exception for horror story collections because I believe shows like 'Creepshow' and 'Tales From The Crypt' taught us that scary stories sometimes work better when you don't bog them down with a lot of backstory. Also, this way, the ending can often be left up to the spooky imagination of the reader.

'The Feast: And Other Horrifying Tales' hit me in just that horror story sweet spot and left me coming up with a lot of creepy consequences for the characters after the stories ended. Here is the pitch of this book (and I think it's a great one), seven stories, all based around major American holidays, but each with a creepy-crawly twist that makes it terrifying to discover. Of all the scary story collections that I have read over my lifetime, I've never read one with this type of hook and I knew I was going to love it from the moment I started reading.

Some of the spine-tingling stories include, 'A New Year, A New Day, A New Life' about a man who has a dark secret to hide about his wife and how the ringing of her cell phone reveals that secret in a spectacular way and 'The Feast' about a married couple and their young son who go off the road on a Thanksgiving drive and end up spending a day with a very suspicious rural-dwelling family.

Each story was more compelling than the last and each left me completely chilled with fear.

This one is definitely worth reading if you love horror like I do, but make sure that you only read before dark. Otherwise some of these stories might just keep you up long after bedtime. David Vorhees is a modern day Edger Allan Poe!

Author Interview

Interview with Betty and David V.

Hi David, thanks for agreeing to this interview!

BB: Please tell us something about ‘The Feast’ that is not in the summary. (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

DV: The idea for the title story came to me when I read a review of a Thanksgiving

Day horror movie about a Turkey killing people and the writer asked what would

your Thanksgiving horror story be about and the idea started to form.

BB: What writers have you drawn inspiration from? Where else have you drawn
inspiration from?

DV: I would say Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King and Dan Brown have had major

influences on me. As far as inspiration I get them from everywhere, every walk of

life, I see something and ask how can I twist it.

BB: Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself?

DV: This is actually the third cover for this book. Originally, I had it titled Tis the

Season. The first book cover was a white tree with a silver bulb ornament and the

second was a full white tree next to a fireplace with blood dripping down. I had

talked to an advisor and they said the cover and title was to Christmas like and

could hurt the book the rest of the year and so I changed the title and hired a cover

artist to design the cover.

BB: I always enjoy looking at the names that authors choose to give their
characters. Where do you derive the names of your characters? Are they based on
real people you knew or now know in real life? How do you create names for your
characters?

DV: Some of the names I choose do come from people I know, but most times I look up names on the internet until I find one that suits the character.

BB: ‘The Feast’ are short horror stories that take place during the major U.S. holidays. Have you experience any real life horror during a holiday?

DV: Other than normal family drama, lol. No. In reality I have a pretty boring life. I chose holiday because holidays are two-fold there are many blessed with families

and loved but at the same time there are many lonely and tortured souls who hate

holidays because it reminds them of that loneliness. Plus, we always feel a little

safer on holidays which can make us more vulnerable.

BB: Which story is your favorite and why?

DV: The title story, because it was my first plus, I just love the character of Alvin.

BB: What draws you to the horror genre?

DV: I have been fascinated since I was little with horror. My mom and I use to sit up late and watch old movies like Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman. I loved it ever since.

BB: How long did it take you to write ‘The Feast’ from concept to fruition?

DV: Once I actually decided to do it, it took me about 6 months total.

BB: When did you first have a desire to write? How did this desire manifest itself?

DV: I wrote stories even as a little kid. I think I always wanted to be a writer but I

didn’t believe I could until a few years ago when I got a job as a small town

reporter.

BB: Describe the room you are sitting in as though it was a scene in one of your
books.

DV: The room is longer than it is wide but barely. It is small and the fake wooden

panels make it seem even smaller. The furniture is cheap but new except the pull

out couch that has seen better days. The carpet is stained and needs to removed but it helps insulate the drafty house as winter approaches quickly.

BB: Which character do you love to hate?

DV: The nameless main character from Dear Santa. He is so evil you can’t but help to hate him but at the same time you don’t know if he is this way because of circumstance, because he likes, or both.

BB: Using the title of your book as an acrostic, describe your work or yourself.

DV: Tales of the macabre lie in the Feast

As the author unleashes his inner beast

Dark and dirty in a grim reality

Full of evil and brutality

7 stories with gory details

Red now The Feast and Other Horrifying Tales.

BB: Using only adverbs, describe the writing process for you.

DV: Extremely rewardingly unevenly sporadically enjoyably

BB: You are sitting in a coffee shop. What does your writer mind see?

DV: People hiding in plain sight, trying to decide on their next move. What will make or break them, take them to the edge of sanity and what will push them over or save them from falling.

BB: If you could be somebody else for a day who would you choose and why?

DV: Can I choose a fictional character because I always wanted to be Indiana Jones. He got to see the natural and supernatural world. Plus he was smart and cool.

BB: What do you do when you are not writing?

DV: Work, sleep, and spend time with the family.

BB: What book/s are you reading at present?

DV: Stephen Kings Outsider and the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe

BB: What are you currently working on?

DV: A New collection of short horror stories dealing with family

Author Info

David Vorhees joined the U.S. Navy after graduating Lima Central Catholic. Following his military service, he attended the University of Northwestern Ohio for Automotive business. He worked various factory jobs and attended the University of Phoenix online for a degree in arts with a focus in journalism. He recently worked for the Wapakoneta Daily News as a reporter/photographer/paginator.

He is the father of five and grandfather of five. He has always been interested in the occult and the scarier side of life. He loves history and the supernatural and truly believes there is nothing better than a good story.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorHorror

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehoundofbakersville/

~Giveaway~

This giveaway is for1 print copy each for 2 winners and is open worldwide. This giveaway ends November 26, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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