Thomas Amo on: Midnight Never Ends

I'm turning over the reins of this here blog to my good friend Thomas Amo on the eve of the

publication of his latest tome, a horror anthology entitled MIDNIGHT NEVER ENDS. Tom is also the author of the thriller AN APPLE FOR ZOE, the YA smash FOREVER ME and numerous plays including LET'S GET LADE! and BOB'S YOUR AUNTIE. He's also the host and operator of the internet radio station Radio Rock 92.6 The Bltiz which can be heard on Spreaker.com. The Blitz is a Indie music station with a mix of talk that focuses on the arts and entertainment industry with a special interest in Indie Film, Music and Authors.
RADIO ROCK 92.6 THE BLITZ  
But enough already about radio! Let's talk horror! Take it away, Mr. Amo.

It was a dark and stormy night.

Doesn’t it seem that most ghost stories, horror novels or anything to do with stuff that goes bump in the night, all begin with that classic first line? Well, for this author, it doesn’t have to be dark or stormy, to find myself immersed into the dark, paranormal corners of my mind. And with that said, we can begin our tour. 

Unless you’re television generation, (ages 45 - 60) give or take, a great deal of references made in today’s blog may go over your head. However, don’t feel excluded. Quite often many people come to appreciate things that were created long before they were residents on this planet. So, you’re in luck. Who knows, perhaps you may find something new here today and add them to your list of likes?

It was 1969, yours truly was six-years-old, and hooked on all things spooky and scary. Especially, horror films and television shows. I know, six-years-old and already a creepy kid. I loved the classic black & white Universal horror films from the 1930s and 40s. My heroes were Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lon Chaney Jr. How many kids that age could not only tell you who the stars were, but also knew the director’s names too? Add to that list, film composers and the makeup men as well. (Jack Pierce, incidentally.)

During this golden era of the “boob tube” a new series came in the form of a movie of the week. Rod Serling had returned to television and this time it wasn’t going to be the science fiction morality tales of The Twilight Zone. This was a place where horror, the strange, and bizarre would have a permanent home. This residence would be known as the Night Gallery.

From 1970 to 1973, every chance I got, I would sneak the channel to NBC to watch the popular anthology series. Being that it was on at 10pm it wasn’t always easy. Inevitably Night Gallery is always compared to Twilight Zone. And while there is no question that production value on TZ was exceedingly bountiful compared to NG. I still preferred to spend my time at the Gallery. I was too young to remember The TZ, as its original run was from 1959-1964. Later on, when I did begin to watch TZ, I simply thought of it as clever and creepy. But NG was chilling and properly scary. Naturally, as the years go by and you return to watch a show that terrified you as a child, you find it’s mediocre at best. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE the show and there are a handful of episodes that are gems. But for the most part, it’s pretty campy.

Nonetheless, Rod Serling remained a constant inspiration to me as a young would-be author. He was the Stephen King of his day, and there was no denying, he was truly a gifted writer. Noted as the only television writer to win seven Emmy Awards.

So, flash-forward to 2014, it’s a dark and stormy night, and this author cannot sleep. So instead of tossing and turning for the next hour, a trip downstairs, a cup of coffee and late night television is my prescription for this night of declined slumber. And what do I settle on to watch? You guessed it kiddies; Rod Serling’s Night Gallery. I can’t tell you which episode it was I watched, but it was on long enough to wake up my muse and get her back to work. As I reflected on the show, it not only took me back to a time, fondly remembered, but served to inspire me to pay homage to the creative forces that gave my imagination more material than it knew what to do with. I had never entertained the idea of writing a collection of short stories. The closest I had ever come to that, was writing episodic scripts for independent television.

Did I dare pay tribute to Rod Serling? Wouldn’t his fans hate that? Who was I to do such a thing? But wait, I’m a fan. While doing my research I watched every interview or documentary I could find on him. I learned that he would be the first one to encourage creative minds to create. He loved to debate, and getting people to engage in conversations about issues was important to him, topical, political, or otherwise. So, with that essential permission, I decided, I would write a book that would be my very own tribute to a show that had a tremendous, creative impact on my future artistic life. And also, more importantly to a man, I wished I could have met. If for no other reason than to simply to say, thank you.

Okay, now on to the show. “Midnight Never Ends” is an adult horror anthology of four tales, ranging from the subjects of death, to the consequences of black magic, and the occult. Each story, like in the Night Gallery itself is presented with its very own canvas, complete, with a Serling type narration to segue the reader into the story. I felt if I was going to attempt a tribute at this show and the man; then the artwork was going to be as essential as the stories themselves. Four original paintings by artist, Jeannifer Marciella Soeganda, provide rich details that capture the true essence and flavor of Night Gallery artist, Tom Wright.

Prepare yourself to return to a time, where a man in a black suit, resonate voice and a macabre smile, takes you on a tour where the paintings are tilted left of center. A place where, “Midnight Never Ends. 

NOW ON SALE on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

 
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Thanks, mate! As for the rest of you, go out and buy this bleedin' book. That's an order! It's real scary, kids...it'll put goosebumps on your goosebumps! Remember the name...

MIDNIGHT NEVER ENDS by THOMAS AMO

Let's Get Bloggin'!

What a summer so far. Gay marriage, the Zimmerman debacle, Amanda Bynes (an unfortunate mash-up of Britney Spears and Lohan who should go back to her former self, the girl known as "Who?") but hey, no mass shootings this year thus far for which we can all knock on wood, even it's on your rifle stock.
Lindsay

Then there's the Royal Baby. Leave it to the Brits to bring us all together again, whether it's to collectively exclaim ""Awwwwww..." or to shout "Enough with these over-privileged fucks already!" I fall into the former category. I actually like the idea of a monarchy in the old empire. It's rather quaint. So they named the kid George (though I prefer the nickname Digit the Finger Prince) so that England will have another King George someday. This worked out well once...

...and not so hot another time. 

We lost a couple of tough guys recently. Seeing Dennis Farina's name in the credits guaranteed that I would enjoy whatever I was about to watch. The man was an absolute natural and always delivered the goods. Recently, he and Dustin Hoffman made an excellent pair on HBO's ill-fated LUCK. My favorite had to be his portrayal of Ray "Bones" Barboni in GET SHORTY, especially delivering the immortal phrase that pays, "Fuck you, fuckball!"

As for Farina's ponytail wearing co-star in that film, James Gandofini, well whadda ya gonna do? I still watch THE SOPRANOS, not being able to pass by as I'm channel surfing and, to use a phrase from another gang story, he always pulls me back in. I'm just drawn to this giant that walked among us and am so grateful that he did. Check out one of his best post-SOPRANOS performances in Andrew Dominik's KILLING THEM SOFTLY with Brad Pitt.

The Emmys always disappoint, whether in the nominations, the awards or in the craptacle known as the show itself. How can an industry celebrating itself produce such bad television? The nominees are chock full of omissions almost too painful to list (but damn, no love for RECTIFY or Tatiana Maslany of ORPHAN BLACK?). However I have to applaud the recognition of Jonathan Banks (BREAKING BAD), Bobby Cannavale (so goddamn evil on BOARDWALK EMPIRE) and my girl Mrgo Martindale (THE AMERICANS) Then there are two sentimental favorites nominated as well: Bob Newhart on this year's finale of THE BIG BANG THEORY who has NEVER won an Emmy and my boyhood dreamboat Diana Rigg (GAME OF THRONES).Well done, Mrs. Peel. I'd still do ya. 

Finally a big shout-out to my good friend and fellow author Thomas Amo (AN APPLE FOR ZOE and FOREVER ME) who debuted his online radio show 92.6 The Blitz, playing classic rock and featuring the independent arts including authors, filmmakers, musicians and more more more in the words of The Andrea True Connection. Listen Monday-Friday 9-11 PST right HERE.

So that's it on this end, boys and girls. Have yourselves a swell rest of the summer and stay tuned for some big news real soon. Yes, bigger that the birth of a mad, stuttering British baby. 

Guest Blog: Thomas Amo on Forever ME

Here's something I never do: Turn my blog over to somebody else.  He's not just somebody either. He's my good friend, fellow author and all-around grand guy Thomas Amo. His latest book, Forever ME, is quite the departure for Tom, his first foray into Young Adult fiction. That's right. TA does YA.

Here's the rundown:

Forever Me

Hannah Richards isn't your typical 16 year-old at Wichita Falls High. Fashion, trends, cosmetics and style are unimportant to her. An avid reader, guitar player, and classic movie and television buff, Hannah marches to the beat of her own drum. Visible only to her father, the town sheriff, and her two best friends, Lauren and Haylee, Hannah lives a simple, un-pampered life as an "Eastie."

After coming to the aide of Taylor Monroe, a popular member of the "Stilettos" at school, and a series of misunderstandings with her friends, Hannah is forced to re-invent herself. She quickly gets caught up in a life much different than the one she knows, where status, glamour, makeup, appearance and acceptance become her masters. And what of the dark secret that haunts the streets of Wichita Falls?

Can Hannah survive the lies, deceit, jealousy, and rage that are now waiting for her around every corner? Will she succumb to the pressures of popularity? Or will she be crushed under the heels of the "Stilettos"?

~High school is hard enough just being yourself, let alone trying to be someone you're not~

 

Interview with the Author

1. Q: I understand Forever ME is inspired by true events. Tell us how that came about?

A: I was just about to leave the house one morning when I caught a segment on morning television about a group of teen girls at a Texas high school who had organized a group called, “Redefining Beautiful.” They were trying to encourage fellow female students to go one day a week without makeup. They were stressing that you don’t need makeup to be beautiful. I was so amazed by their bravery and confidence to go against type, especially in high school and at an age where girls feel the most awkward with themselves. A close friend of mine who is a film producer had been asking me if I had anything I was working on I could share with him. By time the segment was over, I had the basic plot in my head and before I left the house, I already knew the ending of the story. I phoned my producer friend and told him I had something, we met that afternoon and I pitched the idea to him as a film. He loved the concept and told me he was interested. Could I write the screenplay? I went to work right away. But about 50 pages in, I found these characters were so lifelike, I felt it needed to be a book, it could always be a film later. I called my friend back, said, I have to write this as a novel. With his blessing and two years later, Forever ME was published.

2. Q: How are teen girls responding to a book written by male?

A: I was concerned about that. Would they relate to it? Would it seem real to them? Or would it come across as a guy giving his version of what he think teen girls are like today? Well, to my pleasant surprise, teen girls are sending me emails, tweets, and telling me, they completely relate to the situations, they’ve said, “OMG, that is so me!” “I’m just like Hannah!” Or they know girls like Shelby and the Stilettos. Or jerk guys who treat them like property. I got plenty of praise from some parents even grandparents on Forever ME, but the real vindication comes from the teens who love it. I couldn’t ask for better than that! (Plus I have a 19 year old daughter, so I wasn’t totally in the dark.) But I did do my research.

3. Q: What did you learn about teen girls that you didn’t know?

A: A lot! I learned that some girls lose precious hours of sleep by getting up at sometimes between 3 and 4 a.m. to begin their daily regiment of getting ready for school to make themselves look “normal” or what they feel they must look like to their friends and fellow students. Girls are under tremendous pressure to always look a certain way, weigh a certain amount. Often it is self-imposed, even the prettiest girls feel insecure about their looks. Girls who are bullied often feel completely alone with no one to turn to. Even if schools have zero tolerance for bullying, there’s always an unspoken rule to not tell. Being bullied is embarrassing, especially when girls get publicly humiliated in school and other students stand by, watching or laughing. School can more often than not, feel like prison instead of an educational institution.

4. Q: Speaking of Bullying, there’s quite a lot of it in Forever ME. Were you attempting to send a message?

A: Actually no I wasn’t. Not consciously anyway. My wife pointed out to me that bullying wasn’t just limited to the students. Friends bullied each other and even parents bullied their teens. It made me realize there are many different ways for kids to be bullied like there are as many forms of abuse. It’s not always physical, but it is always damaging.

5. Q: I see in several past reviews Forever ME gets compared to the film, “Mean Girls.” Did that have any influence on your writing?

A: Not at all, I have not seen the film. So I’m always surprised when someone compares it to that film. I imagine since the subject matters are similar I can see how someone could draw that conclusion. It was important to me in the beginning that my main character, Hannah was not the new girl at a school. That’s always tough on a teen to be the new kid. I wanted her to have her own friends, a well-adjusted home life and content with her life as it was. It was only when she crossed the invisible line of mixing with the social elite did it present a problem in her life. Wichita Falls is a place where a girl from her side of town is often reminded it’s best if she stays there.

About the author

Thomas Amo is the author over 20 comedies and farces for the live theatre. This former full time theatrical producer has spent the last thirty years writing in many different genres, from pilot scripts for television to screenplays on independent films. Outside acting, directing and producing, his first love has always been writing. Forever ME marks his debut into YA fiction

Excerpt from FOREVER ME


Wichita Falls High was your typical Texas educational institution. It boasted a fine athletics’ department with a focus on football. The student body was composed of about fifteen hundred students, the majority being mostly Caucasians and Hispanics. While the African American and Asian students were smaller in numbers, they all mixed well with one another. Like most high schools, you could find plenty of, emo, goths, stoners, jocks and cheerleaders. The only segregation that seemed prevalent at Wichita High was the one between the Clubbers and the Easties. Clubbers were the young adults whose families belonged to the country club. These were the students who went out of their way to not interact with the teens who were from, that part of town. Hannah and Lauren were Easties. If you lived east of Chester Street, then you were socially unimportant. To translate into pop culture terms, Easties were Mudbloods.

There was one other group at Wichita Falls High that commanded its own title, and it belonged to a small band of girls known as the Stilettos. They were Shelby Farrell, Courtney James, Vanessa Chezwick, Madison Winthrop and Taylor Monroe. They were Clubbers of the highest order. Their fathers had the most money, and they lived in the exclusive section of the country club, with the exception of Taylor. Taylor’s family lived just outside the club. Her inclusion in the Stilettos came in the form of a proxy, as her father was Shelby’s father’s best friend.

Taylor was easily one of the most attractive girls at Wichita Falls High. She had striking, golden honey colored eyes, set within an oval shaped face. Her dark eyebrows accentuated her luxurious long blonde hair. She was the most petite member of the Stilettos, standing only at five-foot-three. Shelby was the accepted leader of the clique; her tall five foot ten height alone made her appear like the one in charge. She had long brunette hair, porcelain skin, and emerald green eyes that seemed to peer directly through you. Like the rest of her clique, she too was sixteen. They all drove, but to be a friend with Shelby, it was a requirement to ride in her Mercedes. The way her tall legs carried her, she walked as if she owned the school. Her second in command was Courtney, a medium height and slight build of a redhead. She was freckled and pale and her disposition was always dour and disagreeable. She loved taunting other students, especially girls she considered ugly or fat. The two remaining members of the Stilettos were Vanessa and Madison. Vanessa was a stunning Japanese/Italian girl with rich, naturally wavy, black hair and almond shaped, chestnut eyes. Her olive toned skin appeared flawless and her heart shaped face was beautiful when she smiled. That, however, only happened when she was bullying younger students. She was just slightly shorter than Shelby, which was in her favor. Madison took care to be certain she never wore heels that made her taller than Shelby. Otherwise, it would be considered an act of defiance. Madison had been into Cosplay during her middle school years. Being a slightly overweight child, her involvement in costume play had been a means to find acceptance among others. She loved the idea of dressing up as a character from a film or television show. She mostly wore Catholic schoolgirl uniforms that were reminiscent of popular 90’s Japanese anime. By time she became a Stiletto, everyone was so used to it, it would have been odd for her to wear anything else. She too was pretty with brunette hair and blonde streaks. She wore glasses but Shelby forced her to go to contacts that year. She was slightly shorter than the rest, yet taller than Taylor. She was also a bit chunkier than the other girls but it didn’t take away from her looks in the slightest.

To be a member of this clique, looks were not enough. You had to be beyond good looking if you were going to walk with this privileged collection of goddesses, and you better have the money, the heels, and social standing to go with it.

Hannah didn’t care she was considered an Eastie by the Stilettos or the Clubbers. She was happy with who she was. Designer labels and loads of makeup didn’t make you prettier in her mind. Hannah never bothered with makeup; why spend hours in front of a mirror trying to become something she wasn’t. She tried it once when she was twelve to impress her friend Haylee’s older cousin, Nick. She applied false eyelashes and blue eye shadow, complete with bright red lipstick. She thought things were going well, until Nick asked her how much she charged. Hannah was as embarrassed as any preteen girl could ever be. Makeup became a thing of her past after that day.

Purchase Forever ME and Tom's other fine books on his Amazon page, the place to go for all your Amo needs.

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Remember the name:

Forever ME

A novel by Thomas Amo

And now we return you to our regularly scheduled blog...

The Doctor is In

About a year ago, I had been introduced to a co-worker’s grandson as “This is Scott. He writes books.”

“What kind of books?” the pre-teen inquired.

“Oh, they’re about me,” I told him. “I have to write about myself. Nobody else will.”

One look at my bibliography validates that statement. However, now I can make another literary claim to fame that I had nothing to do with. Scott Cherney is a supporting character in my friend Thomas Amo’s paranormal novel AN APPLE FOR ZOE: THE FORSAKEN and I am just tickled pink. Don’t believe me? Look.

ZOE (a proposed trilogy in which THE FORSAKEN is the first chapter) is one crazy-ass roller coaster read concerning the investigation of a series of occult murders that link with movie stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood and the greatest hits from the Serial Killer Hall of Fame. Once it hits the ground running, Tom’s book is positively relentless. I had barely enough time to catch my breath in between chapters before the action and horror crank up all over again. Best of all are two of the best characters I’ve run across in this genre-the insane Russian twin smoking-hot female assassins known as the Baranova Sisters, Tarista and Devonia. I can’t wait until the next installment to see what bat-shit mayhem they’ll be up to next.

As for me, I turn up about 2/3 of the way through AN APPLE FOR ZOE. Well, at least Tom’s version of me. Doctor Scott Cherney, at your service. It's funny because there actually is a Dr. Scott Cherney, an ophthalmologist who lives just down the state from me in Eugene, Oregon. I discovered him when I Googled myself one day. (Yes, I Google myself. I'm a consenting adult) But what kind of doctor am I? I’m a gopher doctor. If somebody gets sick, I gopher another doctor. Ba-dump-bump! (You can take the boy out Pollardville, but you can’t take Pollardville out of the boy) Actually, Scott is a police psychiatrist extraordinaire. Good ol’ Doc Cherney gets to utter the phrase that pays, “Billy Bob No-Nose here isn’t your typical Ned Beatty rapin’ hillbilly.” Sounds like something I’d say. Tom had also observed me when I used to smoke and added that to the character.

In a matter of three moves, he had a single cigarette from the pack to his lips and lit.

Tom said he noticed I did that every single time without fail. I had no idea. Sounds pretty cool to me, even if I haven’t smoked in over fourteen years. The only thing he changed was that the good doctor smokes non-filtered Camels while my brand of choice was Camel Light. Filters were always better otherwise you’re spitting out tobacco after every puff.

So I am humbled that my friend has chosen to honor me in this fashion. Tom has also stated that his dream cast for the film version of AN APPLE FOR ZOE, Dr. Scott Cherney will be played by…wait for it…Robert Downey Jr. Yes, really, but it's only because Bob Denver is dead.

In all sincerity, this really starts out my year on the best note possible. My friend Tom Amo made me part of his dream. Thanks, mate.

NOW WHERE THE HELL IS MY ACTION FIGURE?

AN APPLE FOR ZOE is now available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions. Go forth and buy a copy. Do it for me. Do it for him. Do it for Robert Downey Jr. He needs the work.

Tom’s Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Amo/e/B004NIZCM6
Tom’s blog: http://authorthomasamo.blogspot.com/

Red Asphalt: Do You Believe in Magic?

In honor of RED ASPHALT's ascension to a 2011 Top Ten list (seen here at Author Tom Amo's blog), here is an oldie but a goodie about said novel written by yours truly.

RED ASPHALT is about a guy named Calvin Wheeler, a dreamer in denial of his own reality. He feels shackled to his everyday life, a seemingly normal existence that he considers a prison. It's all because he aspires to greater things. He believes that he was put on this earth for a very special reason. Unfortunately, because he has to co-exist with the rest of the world, he thinks that his potential is being squandered and this great gift of his is slipping away from his fingers the longer he has to conform to a society that he wants nothing to do with.
Calvin is under the impression that he could very well be the next George Lucas. He has been working on a novel for almost a decade, one that considers has the potential to explode into a major phenomenon with unlimited franchise potential. He calls his book ABRACADABRA. It’s a massive, colossal fantasy epic that mashes sword and sorcery together with science fiction and world history into one big ass casserole.Calvin is so convinced of its success that he is staking his entire life on it to the exclusion of everything else, including his job, his marriage and his own sanity.
For Calvin, his novel is a do-or-die situation, in more ways than one. The book becomes an all-consuming obsession for him. It's a romantic notion to say that...to quote yet another movie because that's what I do...there's a line in a great film written and directed by John Milius called THE WIND AND THE LION when Sean Connery says "Is there not one thing in your life that is worth losing everything for?" For Calvin, his "one thing" is his book and he has staked everything on it.
So is Calvin a good writer? He could be. He has a lot of good ideas, but he's never completed anything, nor has he shown any of his work to anybody. He tells his wife about the book. He even discusses its progress with her. But he's never shown any of it to anybody including his wife. He wants to wait until it's finished and it may never be done. ABRACADABRA represents a sanctuary for Calvin. He's safe when he's working on it. Since he's been beginning lose a few marbles, it's always been there for him. Once it's done, he'll have nothing else, nowhere else to go. He'll have to deal with the reality of getting the damn thing published and therefore, out of his control. He wants to succeed, but only on his own terms and it don't work like that. Somebody's going to have to read the damn thing eventually. It keeps it to himself, how will he ever succeed? Does it make ABRACADABRA a book at all? It's that hoary old cliche of the tree that falls in the forest making a sound or not. But that's not even Calvin's biggest problem. Time's a wastin' and he damn well knows it. He's been working on ABRACADABRA for so long that it's starting to fade away from him and he knows that. He hasn't even begun to assemble a workable first draft, opting to just work out the story details first. After seven years, it’s has worn out its welcome before he's even begun. Time is constant. It won’t stop anyone or anything, least of all Calvin. Now time is running out.
At one point, Calvin says, "Without magic, there is nothing." When his world crashes in on him, he begins to think that magic is nothing more than tricks we play on ourselves. When he realizes what his delusions have cost him, Calvin loses his way back to reality.
Abracadabra.

RED ASPHALT is available in paperback, download and on Amazon Kindle. For more info, visit http://www.scottcherney.com
Thomas Amo is the author AN APPLE FOR ZOE and LET'S GET LADE both available on Kindle