An Interview with Mark Blackham

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick... 

Hi Mark, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started! 

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? 

Rear Window. The story bangs together the emotional distance of close quarters apartment living, with our curiosity in the messy lives of others. These messy lives we watch are contrasted with the stable intimacy of James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The tension and frustration is almost unbearable in the final moments, when Kelly is discovered in the apartment of the murder suspect – and all we can do, along with Stewart, is watch.

Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

I’m not clever enough in my movie watching to always differentiate between actors I enjoy and those that are good. I like the on-screen presence of Cary Grant and James Stewart because they make a lot out of the small stuff of behaviour. Similarly, Doris Day portrayed the courage of everyday people in extraordinary circumstances.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

There’s a quirkiness to his presentation of twisty stories that lives well out of the time they were made in. In some cases it’s the extraordinarily small canvas that human relationships like Rope and Lifeboat, and even Vertigo at its most tense. In others, it’s the insightful portrayal of ordinary people and relationships when responding to extraordinary challenges, such as North by Northwest or The Man who Knew Too Much.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

Ridley Scott for the physical dirt, sweat and grit he found in the real-life future of Alien and Blade Runner. Terry Gilliam for conceiving and presenting a future of inanity in Brazil. John Huston for his early flamboyant and rebellious film noir.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock? 

I absolutely hate the thought of being watched; I would prefer to go moldy in my own home than live in a retirement village, and I give a joyous finger to security cameras. So I wrote a murder mystery about these things, inspired by Rear Window.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself. 

1)      I raced my wife’s first car, a Nissan Sentra, in a demolition derby.

2)      I boxed competitively in midlife and now referee amateur boxing.

3)      I founded the world’s first natural burials organisation outside of the United Kingdom.

What do you aim to give your readers? 

Something rough, something sordid, something new.

What are you working on now? 

A novel about a jaded music journalist who finds love where it was all along, a short story about the person who writes the last words of humanity, and a novella about a teenager who saves the coddling of the Western world with the aid of an old computer.

Where can we find you online?

I’m at www.markblackham.com and my alter ego is at www.carlingtonblack.com

An Interview with H.K. Stubbs

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick... 

Hi Helen, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

My favourite Hitchcock film is North by Northwest, for all the twists and turns, the on-the-edge-of-my-seat confusion, and humour, as I tried to work out what was going on and marvelled at the storytelling, trusting that it would all make sense in the end. It’s a very immersive film. I really empathise with Roger Thornhill because Cary Grant plays the role superbly. Grant is definitely one of the best, there’s something special about him.

What is it about Hitchcock’s films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

I think they’re timeless in that they’re well-written, powerfully executed and styled, but also, there’s something about that era which is captivating. There was a chance of getting away with things. Communication was more restricted (no mobile phones) and there was less surveillance. It makes it more exciting; there were knowledge gaps, and there was a better chance of getting away with crimes! 

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

I struggle to pick favourites, but I’m going to say Sophia Coppola for Marie Antoinette, it’s a very fun film with gorgeous sets, wardrobe, and cake.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

I wanted a heroine in an occupation often taken for granted and underestimated; I wanted mystery, confusion, murder; I wanted the big American house, the noir feel, some super-feminine women. Shiny hair, fine coats, guns. I wanted adventure!

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

I’d love to get one of my novels into a publishable shape one day. I live with my partner, two kids, a French Bulldog, a cat, a quail, and some fish. Birds, lizards, and green frogs live in our yard. I recently escaped on a three-night rock-climbing trip to the Blue Mountains and am pretty sure I brought Covid home with me. The climbing was great, as was catching up with a school friend and seeing the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House for the first time in a while.

What do you aim to give your readers?

Entertainment and a page-turning good time. A story to remember. I definitely write with my reader in mind. I don’t want to bore them.

What are you working on now? 

Why, this interview, of course! Oh, you meant more generally…well I’m editing my climbing fantasy novel, called Starstone, or maybe Starcrags. It’s an adventure story aimed at adults/young adults. A bit of romance. A quest. A lot of climbing.

Where can we find you online?

Twitter: @superleni
Instagram: @helenstubbs
YouTube: Helen Stubbs
My blog: https://helenstubbs.wordpress.com

An Interview with Andy Rausch

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick... 

Hi Andy, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started! 

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

I hate to give such an obvious answer, but Psycho is my favorite Hitchcock film. Rear Window is probably my second fave. But I love Psycho. My favorite thing about Psycho is that the film switches POV midway through. That would be interesting enough, but the fact that the new POV is the killer of our original protagonist is pretty amazing. I have long considered trying that in a novel myself, but I'm not sure it would work. That it works in Psycho seems like one of those one-in-a-million things. Also, the audience members were pretty much stuck and invested by the middle of the movie, whereas they could just decide to DNF the book.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

I think the appeal, for me, is that Hitchcock was a first-rate director who generally worked with quality screenwriters and performers. He also had a keen eye for a good twist, and generally chose solid scripts and source material. I'm also a big fan of the TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Although Hitchcock was mostly dead when I was a child (he died when I was seven), there were still records with Hitchcock narrating scary stories on them available at our public library. There were also anthologies of short stories bearing the man's name, as well as a Hardy Boys-like mystery book series called Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators that I liked quite a bit. So, for better or worse, I have always been a fan of Hitch's work.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

My favorite director is Quentin Tarantino. I have written three books about him (two published, a third forthcoming). I realize Tarantino has his detractors, but I don't care. Other people's opinions have nothing to do with my enjoyment for, and appreciation of, his work.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

The story was inspired by Hitchcock's film, Lifeboat. I tried to come up with a story that was, on the surface, very different from the film but still maintained the film's essence and the core of what I felt made it work. I'm also a crime writer, so I thought, I want to make this a crime story. I thought hard about it for a couple of weeks before I finally came up with a combination that intrigued me and I thought would work.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

1. I had a heart transplant in 2019.
2. I've interviewed more than 500 celebrities, including Quentin Tarantino, Ian McKellen, and Ethan Hawke.
3. I once spent the night in an adult film actress's home, which, weirdly enough, had originally been built for Clark Gable. (Nothing steamy happened, by the way. I was a guest there in a journalistic capacity.)

What do you aim to give your readers? 

I want the reader to be entertained. I also want to keep them on their toes, where they aren't sure what's going to happen next.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on several projects, including a sequel to my novel, Layla's Score, and a biography of crime writer Max Allan Collins.

Where can we find you online?

authorandyrausch.wordpress.com or on Twitter @writerrausch1

An Interview with Roger Johns

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick... 

Hi Roger, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

Narrowing it down to just one is too difficult, so I’m cheating and picking one along with a runner-up: The Man Who Knew Too Much (the 1956 Jimmy Stewart/Doris Day edition), and The Birds as runner-up. As to the actors, again it’s too difficult to name only one so I’m cheating again, and picking two: Jimmy Stewart and Tippi Hedren (her performances in The Birds and Marnie have stuck with me for decades). 

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

Hitchcock’s ability to expose the disturbing potential lurking inside the ordinary makes it seem like his stories could plausibly happen to anyone in any era, which makes his themes universal and timeless. And his actors’ performances are so pitch-perfect they reinforce the sense that what’s happening on the screen could happen to me, in my house or my neighbourhood or my town.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

Mark Romaneck, who did the near impossible by bringing Never Let Me Go to the screen in a beautifully understated fashion that nevertheless made the movie as powerful and affecting and haunting as the Kazuo Ishiguro book on which it was based. Coming in a close second are Oliver Stone, for most of his movies, and Ridley Scott for the astounding, chilling vision of the future he created for Bladerunner, which was based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

Years ago, I read a news story about a man who’d engaged in what he believed was a legally justified act, but the authorities contended he’d committed a crime. The years-long court battle that followed destroyed the man’s marriage and his psychological well-being, and the legal fees practically bankrupted him. So, Ioften wondered whether there might not have been a cleverer way for the man to have dealt with the situation that prompted the act that got him into trouble in the first place—in a wrong-action-for-the-right-reason kind of way. Also, I’m fascinated with the idea of a character being outfoxed by the web of circumstances he’s woven to outfox others, and how the slow, steady, suffocating squeeze of consequences can drive a person to take increasingly desperate measures. The open submission call for this anthology seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn how this set of ideas would work itself out on the page.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself. 

In late middle age, I studied medicine for three agonizing semesters, then promptly resumed my teaching career. I’ve been held at gunpoint, more than once. And, I’m a huge fan of old-time radio, especially the detective and adventure shows from the 40s and 50s.

What do you aim to give your readers? 

An immersive experience from inside the head and heart of my main character.

What are you working on now? 

I’m writing a stand-alone novel about a young man who disappears, utterly and forever, on his way home from college, as well as several short stories, some of which are crime fiction, some of which are science-fiction, and one of which is my first foray into writing fantasy.

Where can we find you online? 

My website is: www.rogerjohnsbooks.com, and, along with several other crime fiction writers, I co-author the Murder Books blog at: www.murder-books.com.

An Interview with David Carroll

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi David, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why?

I'm a Psycho person, which is a perfectly constructed chiaroscuro nightmare, with a structure that remains effectively askew.

Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

Can I say Vincent Price, since he was in one of the TV shows? Okay, Kim Novak.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

It seems little known that one of Hitch's early jobs was in 1920s Berlin, the era of Dr Caligari and Metropolis. Discussions with FW Murnau (the director of Nosferatu) seem to have had a strong influence on how he looked at film as a visual medium, and he used expressionism throughout his career. Psycho is one example, and his mastery of the camera in Vertigo is another. 

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

There's always the "Italian Hitchcock", Dario Argento! Not quite as consistent perhaps, but certainly a master of visual style and twisted psyches.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

I literally dreamed the main premise of Relish, and then had to go and make a proper story of it. Some of the ideas in Donald Spoto's biography "The Dark Side of Genius" were an inspiration.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

I won a state-wide maths competition in high school. I wrote a combined Doctor Who/horror 'zine back in the day (that got mentioned in the DVD commentary of my favourite story, Ghost Light). I designed a map for Sunnydale California (home to a certain vampire slayer) that became the basis for some official work.

What do you aim to give your readers?

"When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation, ' I say, 'Your salary.' "

What are you working on now?

My co-written novel Prismatic (written as Edwina Grey, winner of an Aurealis award for best Australian horror novel) has just been re-released in digital form, so I am spreading the word.

Where can we find you online

https://twitter.com/theunamiable

An Interview with Cameron Trost

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Cameron, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

If I had to pick one in terms of pure cinematic prowess, I'd have to agree with the experts and say Vertigo. Do yourself a favour and look up "the Hitchcock Zoom" or "Dolly Zoom". As for sheer suspense and the ability to tell a gripping story from a limited perspective, Rear Window probably gets the prize as my go-to Hitchcock film. Neither of these, however, provided the inspiration to my contribution to this anthology. As for his actors, I'm going to be unoriginal and say Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

It has to be a bit of both. Suspense is timeless and Hitchcock's films remain relevant today because modern audiences can still relate to his characters and put themselves in their shoes. At the same time, while progress has been made and is being made in areas such as gender relations and social attitudes, a lot has been lost since the days of Hitchcock's films, particularly when it comes to aesthetics and style. I mean, have a look at this screenshot! 

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

One suspense film that really impressed me for its directing almost as much as Jake Gyllenhaal's outstanding acting is Night Call / Nightcrawler, which was directed by Dan Gilroy. Kubrik, Scorcese, and Shyamalan are definitely on the list too, even if there were some misses among their hits.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

As the editor of the anthology, I decided to choose a film none of the contributors had chosen and then work a story around the title of that film. I'll let you work the rest out.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself. 

I live in marshland in Brittany, and it's a great place for a mystery writer. I have part of a toe missing so mustn't escape along a beach after committing murder or I'd be easy to identify (marshland is perfect for me), and...I haven't hidden any bodies in the marshes...yet.

What do you aim to give your readers? 

I want to make them think, feel, and most of all - check that the doors and windows are locked!

What are you working on now? 

Black Beacon Books anthologies, and then I have two novels and several short stories to get back to!

Where can we find you online? 

camerontrost.com and all over social media

An Interview with Elizabeth Elwood

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

North by Northwest - I saw it when it first came out and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I enjoyed it for its light touch – was never into the scarier films. I couldn’t pick out a "best" actor or actress as there were so many good ones. He seemed to have the pick of the top-notch British stars in his earlier movies and the big Hollywood stars in the later ones.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

For someone my age, there are definitely elements of nostalgia in watching his films. However, mystery and suspense is always timeless, and if handled well, always makes for worthwhile viewing.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

Many I admire for their work in various genres, but I don’t have any special favourites. Still, I do admit a soft spot for Franco Zeffirelli because, in addition to his opera and Shakespearean films, his Tea with Mussolini was so delightful.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

I love Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca, and I thought the Hitchcock film was a fine representation of the book because it recreated the mysterious atmosphere so very well. However, since I doubted my ability to compete with du Maurier’s or Hitchcock’s ability to create suspense, I used the fact that there is a stage play of Rebecca to create an egotistical protagonist, which in turn allowed me to write my nod to Rebecca in the vein of irony and black comedy – also in keeping with the Hitch theme, since many of his films have that tone.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself. 

I studied opera and sang in the Vancouver Opera chorus; I’ve acted, directed and designed sets for a lot of community-theatre productions; I’ve written twenty marionette musicals for our puppet company. Oh, and once I actually ran for mayor!

What do you aim to give your readers? 

An intriguing mystery to figure out and hopefully, an entertaining read.

What are you working on now? 

A mystery with ghosts from several different eras.

Where can we find you online? 

www.elihuentertainment.com

An Interview with Jason Fischer

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Jason, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

Psycho. The reason is for the uniqueness of the plot and the skilful way in which Hitchcock keeps you
in suspense from the first to the last scene. For the overall body of work, it's Jimmy Stewart. However, the best single performance is by Anthony Perkins. Specifically, the parlor scene in Psycho for the subtle decisions he makes as an actor to show the depths of Norman's character.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

I believe they are timeless. The emotions he evokes are universal and no other director is as gifted at
drawing you into the character's plight.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

Steven Spielberg. He is the only other director who can pull you into the story and hold your attention for the entire length of the film as well as Hitchcock could.

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

Like most of my stories, the inspiration came rather quickly after reading the request. I was thinking about all the Alfred Hitchcock movies I’ve watched and how I was always drawn to plots that had characters isolated in a foreign place and with no typical resources to aid them.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

I’m an avid cyclist. Last year, I rode the equivalent mileage from Anchorage, Alaska, to Salvador, Brazil, using the trails around my home. In my spare time, I build furniture, including my library. In that library, I have perhaps the largest private collection of Alfred Hitchcock anthologies. Writing is in my blood as the nephew of the late crime novelist, Eugene Izzi. At a very early age, he introduced me to literature, and I immediately loved it.

What do you aim to give your readers? 

I’d like to take them away from their daily lives for a few minutes to experience a different world.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just completed my first book, The Haunting of Brementowne Mall and I am working on
completing my first Rex Hanning novel.

Where can we find you online? 

jasonfischerauthor.com

An Interview with Paulene Turner

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

 

Hi Paulene, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

 

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

 

It’s hard to choose out of so many great films. Of course, I love To Catch a Thief – a cat burglar on the French Riviera, a mystery, romance, action – what’s not to like. But I also loved the James Stewart films Rope, a psychologically thrilling game of murder, and Rear Window. But one which stayed in my mind and wasn’t a thriller, was a survival film called Lifeboat, made in 1944. The premise was that, after a boat sinks, passengers crowd onto a lifeboat. But as they hit rough seas, it’s clear that some people will have to go over the side in order for the rest to survive. It’s a brutal choice. Everyone on board has a say about who should jump. I always remember that a frail famous artist, sweet and modest, had to step into the writhing water while a loathsome, bullying man kept his place, because they’d need his strength to get through it.

 

What is it about Hitchcock’s films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

 

The way he filmed, that sense of claustrophobia and neuroses he created with the way he shot, was trail-blazing and is still watchable today. Though the music of the era does tend towards melodrama, you can forgive the films as they have so much of style and pace, and always a thrilling script with twists and turns. Plus, there is the fun of playing Spot the Director as he makes a cameo appearance in all his films.

 

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

 

Peter Jackson is number one! And I love Guy Ritchie as a director and writer. Ridley Scott has made some of my favourite films, Christopher Nolan, Ron Howard. With Mark Mylod and SJ Clarkson in TV drama. Gosh, they’re mostly men! I hope that changes in future!

 

How did you come up with the idea for Paranoia?

 

I read a biography on Hitchcock and heard about how he had avoided/snubbed/cold-shouldered Doris Day on the set of The Man Who Knew Too Much, to get a more unhinged performance than usual from her. It struck me as a cold, directorial thing to do. So, it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the call for stories. I created a character who styled himself after Big Al and tried that same technique, ostensibly to get the best performance out of an actress, but really because he liked to wield and abuse his power. It’s meant to be a thrilling and mysterious Hitchcockian piece, particularly for fans (making special reference to our editor’s favourite Hitchcock films).

 

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

 

1) I met James Bond – Daniel Craig – outside the Sydney premier of Quantum of Solace. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, and I told him he was my favourite Bond (but I hope Pierce doesn’t hear!).

2) I have two pugs, called Holmes and Watson.

3) I wrote and directed short films myself for a few years, for the 48-hour film festival, with my family in the lead roles. The difficulty of putting those 7-min stories together gave me a new respect for any story on screen.

 

What are you working on now?

 

I recently wrote two magic words THE END at the bottom of the 6th and final book in my YA time travel series. After more than a decade! Two Aussie teens travel through history in a time machine. As they use modern ideas to solve ancient problems, the changes ripple through the timeline with devastating effect. I’m currently editing all six books with a view to a 2023 release!

 

An Interview with Rebecca A. Demarest

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Rebecca, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let’s get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

That’s an unfair question! Obviously I’m partial to The Lodger, since that was the source of inspiration for my story, but I enjoy almost all of his films. He had a certain flair for the reveal that not many other filmmakers have mastered. Other movies I particularly like are Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, and Rear Window. Add in to that The Birds which my father let me watch way too young. As for the actors and actresses in Hitchcock’s films, I think it’s important to recognize up front how terrible Hitchcock was, especially to the actresses. He was prone to randomly locking people to sets with real handcuffs, throwing them into an attic full of actual birds without warning, and even worse. Sure, their reactions are real on screen, but holy hannah was it inappropriate. That being said, I especially enjoyed Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, and Tippi Hedren on the actress side of things, and Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant on the other.

What is it about Hitchcock’s films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

It’s a little bit of both.The glamor and elegance of his movies is achingly beautiful, and Hitchcock has a real talent for expressing true horror in everyday things and people. This dichotomy is one of the things I most admire in his movies, and something that transcends the dated set design, camera work, and editing. The draw is different depending on the viewer, I think. For me, I enjoy the wardrobe and the cars, while still finding the meat of the movie to be the staying factor. No matter how much the world around us has changed, there are still murderous people out there, and that terrifies us.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course? 

I have to admit I don’t seek out movies because of their director, and only sometimes because of the actors. For me, it’s more about the story than anything else. However, there are a handful of directors that, after I enjoy a movie and credits role, I say “Of course I loved this! [That guy] was the director!” So... If we want to talk about similar era and content, I very much enjoy Stanley Donen’s work; Charade is one of my all time favorite movies (don’t watch the remake, it’s a travesty). If we want to talk about more modern directors, I will watch anything Taika Waititi is involved in, that man is amazing. For another, I was introduced to Kenneth Branagh first in high school with his production of Hamlet and fell in love and am still surprised when I pull up his filmography and go, “He directed [that movie]? No wonder I love it!”

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

I enjoy diving into research around media I enjoy, especially older films, and the story around The Lodger is a fun one, full of interesting reinterpretations and classic Hitchcock sulking. Originally, The Lodger was a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, which Hitchcock reworked for his movie. However, Hitchcock didn’t like who the murderer was in the book, so he wanted to change it to [redacted]. However, the censors at the time didn’t like portraying [redacted] as villainous, so they ordered him to change it. That’s why the final climax and reveal of the movie feels so...stilted and disappointing. Hitchcock threw a hissy fit, and still refused to use the original villain. That’s where I come in. Not only do I use the villain he never got to, I also incorporated some of the rumors around the actors’ personal lives to add depth to the characters, and fulfill the promise of this story in a way that is much more satisfying than the movie was allowed to be. Plus, it’s a fun commentary on policing, and who can pass that up in this day and age?

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

Hmm...I fell off a 20-ft waterfall and landed on bedrock but walked away only with lacerations from sliding on shale as I fell. I have a talent for finding what other people are looking for at resale shops in excellent condition. I am hyper-mobile, which means I’m a mutant, but not really a useful one. It means I can dislocate my joints super easy but at the same time I can wriggle into weird tight spots. So...plus/minus?

What do you aim to give your readers?

A fun ride through interesting terrain with a satisfying ending that sticks in your brain.

What are you working on now?

The last year I dedicated myself to working solely on short stories and poetry, which has been super refreshing. I think I’m finally getting a handle on writing interesting poetry, i.e., not the drivel that fills two journals from childhood. Several of the pieces have been picked up for publication, which is very nice, and you can find out where they are living from my website. Now, though, we are coming up on NaNoWriMo and I think I’m going to jump back into the novel ideas I have sitting in front of me. Specifically a sci-fi romp which includes a young ship engineer, an accidental symbiote, and a technomancer communing with the ghosts in the machine.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me at rebeccademarest.com

An Interview with Joseph S. Walker

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Joseph, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let's get started!

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why?

I have to go with Rear Window. I love the way the film creates a rising tide of suspense without ever leaving this one, very confined setting. It’s a small world, but a beautifully detailed one. And of course, the performances are all great and the story holds up—it sucks me back in every time.

Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with?

Jimmy Stewart. In every one of his Hitchcock performances he’s a character with levels that we don’t perceive at first, depths that emerge as the story develops. He does an amazing job of slowly revealing everything that’s there.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era?

The surface details age, of course, some more so than others. But the essential stories and emotions retain their power, and there are a lot of factors contributing to that, starting with the fact that Hitchcock was an exceptionally talented filmmaker with an understanding of how to exploit the medium’s potential. I think the most important thing, though, is that we can still identify with the way his world is saturated with dread. All of his films have moments where the everyday suddenly becomes terrifying.

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course?

The Coen Brothers—who, obviously, know their Hitchcock!

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock? 

When I head about the anthology, it was shortly after my wife and I had watched Suspicion as part of our pandemic movie binging. It was the first time I’d seen it, and I was immediately struck by two things—the way the ending feels so forced and artificial, and the presence in one scene of Phil and Izzy, two women coded as a lesbian couple in a way that was very unusual for the period. Doing a little reading about the film, I learned that it was released just a few weeks before the attack at Pearl Harbor. I started to get an image in my head—two characters, in a world newly at war, talking about these strange elements in the movie they just watched. The story grew from my investigation of who these two characters were, and what brought them to that conversation.

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

I met my wife in high school, and we’re together thirty-four years later; Harlan Ellison is the writer who made me want to be a writer; I have been to Major League Baseball games in twenty-one different stadiums.

What do you aim to give your readers?

If I’m doing my job right, an emotionally engaging experience that makes you want to read straight through to the end. If I’m really doing it right, something that will still be remembered in a week, a month, or a year.

What are you working on now?

I’ve always got a couple of stories bubbling along at some stage in the process. I recently finished a novella about car thieves and blackmail that should see publication next year. Among my recent publications, Hitchcock fans might also be interested in Black is the Night: Stories Inspired by Cornell Woolrich, edited by Maxim Jakubowski. Woolrich, of course, was the originator of the story that became Rear Window. My story in the volume is A Shade Darker Than Gray.

Where can we find you online?

On Twitter, @JSWalkerAuthor, though I take frequent breaks from Twitter for the sake of my mental health. I keep an updated list of my publications at https://jsw47408.wixsite.com/website

An Interview with Josh Pachter

Our next edge-of-your-seat anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be released in time for Halloween, and is available for Kindle pre-order today for just $1.99 instead of $3.99. While the suspense is building, we're interviewing the contributing authors so you know a little more about what makes them tick...

Hi Josh, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. Let's get started! 

The first question is inevitable...which Hitchcock film is your personal favourite, and why? Which actor or actress do you think was the best he worked with? 

Oh, gosh, how do you pick one favorite out of such a cornucopia of wonderful films? If I absolutely have to pick only one, I’d have to say Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, and North by Northwest. Why? Because they rock, that’s why! And I’m also picking two actors, each of whom he worked with multiple times: James Stewart and Cary Grant.

What is it about Hitchcock's films that makes them so timeless, or is it just the opposite, that the appeal lies in that bygone era? 

To my taste, yes, Hitchcock’s films are timeless. I just retired from a long career of teaching film appreciation to American community-college students, though, and for the most part their interests are limited to superheros and anime. Sad. They miss so much!

Do you have a favourite director, other than Hitchie himself, of course? 

Frank Capra—and it’s probably not a coincidence that Hitchcock and Capra each worked with James Stewart and Cary Grant…

Without giving too much away, how did you come up with the idea for your story in A Hint of Hitchcock?

My stories usually begin with a title, and I keep a list of titles I want to use when I can come up with story ideas to fit them. “Better Not Look Down” was on the list for years—it’s the title of a song Will Jennings and Joe Sample wrote, B.B. King recorded, and I love—and eventually I integrated the lyrics of the song with my take on Hitchcock’s Vertigo and wound up with the story that’s in A Hint of Hitchcock. 

Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.

(1) As noted above, I just retired from college teaching, after fifty years in the classroom.

(2) I’ve been writing professionally for even longer than I’ve been teaching: my first published short story was in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in 1968; I was sixteen when I wrote it, and I remain the second-youngest writer ever to appear in EQMM.

(3) In addition to writing and editing, I translate crime fiction by Dutch, Flemish, Italian, Romanian, Argentinian, South African, and Chinese authors. 

What do you aim to give your readers?

In Edgar Allan Poe’s phrase, “surcease of sorrow.”

What are you working on now?

Every year, Crippen & Landru Publishers releases a limited-edition pamphlet containing one new short story for its subscribers. Publisher Jeffrey Marks invited me to write the 2022 story, and I’m sending my series PI Helmut Erhard—an American whose German father was incarcerated at a POW camp in Hearne, Texas, during the Second World War—north to Grapevine, the Lone Star State’s Christmas capital, where he will solve a murder on the North Pole Express.

Where can we find you online? 

www.joshpachter.com and on the Book of Faces.

A Hint of Hitchcock: Halloween Release

The suspense is over...well, it hasn't really begun yet has it? We can now announce that our next spellbinding anthology, A Hint of Hitchcock, will be available in time for Halloween!

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One name springs to mind when we think of classic suspense films; Alfred Hitchcock. His silhouette is instantly recognisable as no one else has quite the same pouty lips and round, chubby face. The way he posed for photographs and his penchant for making cameo appearances in his films bear witness to his larger-than-life personality, but it was his ability to tell a spellbinding tale coupled with his technical brilliance that earned him the epithet of "Master of Suspense". His groundbreaking use of camera movement and the way he framed shots to maximise anxiety and fear place films like "Vertigo" among the very finest examples of creative achievement ever produced within the seventh art. In "Rear Window" he builds edge-of-your-seat tension by placing us in James Stewart's wheelchair and making us watch events unroll through his eyes, and the use of cutting-edge special effects in "The Birds" is almost impressive as the fact that more than three thousand were trained for the film. What else do these three films mentioned have in common, along with "Psycho" and "Rebecca" and so many others? That's right...they were based on novels or short stories; the written word. In "A Hint of Hitchcock" we turn our attention back from the screen to the page, and bring you, the avid suspense reader, modern tales that chill and surprise, all inspired by the work of the master of suspense. 

• Better Not Look Down - Josh Pachter
• Golden Curls - Rebecca A. Demarest
• More Than Suspicion - Joseph S. Walker 
• Paranoia - Paulene Turner 
• The Suitcase - Jason Fischer
• Rebecca Redux - Elizabeth Elwood
• Highwayman's Hitch - Cameron Trost
• Relish - David Carroll
• Karma is a Thief in the Night - Roger Johns
• Scallion's Head - H.K. Stubbs
• Closed Circuit - Mark Blackham
• Vault - Andy Rausch