GUEST: J.E. Taylor

Natural Disasters…

I am writing this four days after Sandy hit the East coast. I’m one of the more fortunate people that is far enough inland in Connecticut to not have a huge impact this go around. The biggest impact we had at our house was a flicker of electricity on Monday evening. That isn’t true of the other side of our town which was out of power for a few days and schools were closed through Wednesday. Even so, for us this weather event was a far cry from last year at this time when we were crippled without electricity for a little over two weeks by the same type of snowstorm that hit West Virginia with Sandy.

As I watch the news and the devastation up and down the coastline from New Jersey through the shores of Connecticut, I’m astounded at what Mother Nature can do. I don’t ever remember New York City being as crippled as it was in this storm. The idea of an entire tunnel being flooded like the one from Brooklyn to the Battery is one that brings nightmares to mind. The mayor was smart getting people out of the city so early.

Can you imagine if they had scoffed at the weather reports and that tunnel filled during rush hour?

Well, as a horror and suspense writer, this what-if scenario brought forth a great many unwanted visuals in my mind and they were just as disturbing as the actual devastation viewed on the news lately. The flooding, the black out in the city, days without power, food, water and even gas in some places drives a great deal of fiction ideas, which for me, lands on the side of chilling.

Beyond the flooded tunnel, one of the ideas this has sparked in my mind centers around this question:

What would happen if the power grids in New York City were shut down for good?

I shudder at the possibilities this particular situation would bring forth, and yet, I can see a compelling story surrounding that type of catastrophe. A brilliant ‘What If’ that has been explored many times before, but my flavor of this would be revolved around the darker of the human elements.

So, along with a glimpse of the dark ideas this disaster brought to my mind, it also brought the sorrow for the losses people in those areas suffered. Remember, things can be rebuilt, lives can’t. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. I wish you well.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings today and I hope you are safe and surrounded by loved ones in the wake of this disaster.

In the meantime, check out my new Steve Williams release, Saving Face:

The Windwalker Serial Killer stalks the inlets of southern Maine for the next beauty to advance his collection and Special Agent Steve Williams is frustrated with always being a breath behind the slippery psychopath.  Escalating the pressure, Steve’s adopted sons, CJ and Tom Ryan, take teenage rebellion to an entirely new level, leaving Steve in an explosive situation.

When the Windwalker slaughters Tom’s ex-girlfriend, taking her face as a macabre trinket, Tom is found on the scene covered in her blood, with her scalped body draped across his lap.  Damning evidence against him is unearthed, his father's secret identity is about to be exposed, and he's charged with Tanya’s traumatic murder. To prove his innocence, their only hope is the worst-case scenario; for the Windwalker to harvest a new face.

SavingFace on Amazon 

SavingFace on Barnes & Noble 

SavingFace on Smashwords 

SavingFace on Kobo books 

Until next time…

Ciao

JET