Gore and More discussion

This is the thread for out October Group Read and fresh off the presses, Kealan Patrick Burke's Blanky as our read. But that's not all! For October, you get double the fun, as we also read Kealan's Sour Candy as the second read of our double header. Kealan has been gracious enough to agree to ride along in the passenger seat as we roll through both his stories. I've worked with Kealan before and he's a pleasure to chat with. He's also giving away signed copies of Blanky to two lucky ducks that join in on the group read and post honest reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. You've got him here all month long, folks. So, make sure you take advantage of it and please help me welcome, Kealan Patrick Burke!

Wow! This is great. I read Sour Candy a couple months ago and loved it. I already have my copy of Blanky. Now to wait until October!

I'm excited! I read Sour Candy a good while back, and I'm actually reading Blanky now :)

Welcome Kealan

Welcome Kealan and thank you! I read Sour Candy and loved it too Vicki.

Welcome Kealan 🙋🎗

Both five star reads! Thank you for joining us, Kealan!

Welcome! looking forward to reading your work!

I read and reviewed Blanky, and those who haven't yet are in for quite an experience! I've not yet read Sour Candy.

Welcome, Kealan! Quite an honor!

Hi Mr. Burke ☺️
I'm happy to have you here with our group this month. I'm looking forward to reading Blanky....as its been on my list of books to read & I just know it's going to be deliciously frightening.

Welcome Kealan! I'm really looking forward to this!

Just grabbed both of the e-books, both look good

Yay!! So exicted to read with all yall! Thanks so much 😁

Welcome and thanks for being here. I do not think I have read those books so I will add them to my October list for sure.

Both of these books sound interesting so I really want to join in on the group read!

Even having read them both (as soon as, or pre-launch date release), I will definitely be taking part in these conversations!! :)

Welcome Kealan!

I loved Sour Candy, and Blanky is already waiting on my stack, so this is the perfect opportunity to dig into it. Great group read choice!

I bought it but I'm waiting til October to start it.

Picked up both the other day. I won't be able to start until October, but I'm looking forward to the discussion.

perfect!

Just started reading this. It sure is hard to read 😢

Just started. Feels like reading a John Saul with the subject matter. However, I need to read more before making an opnion.

🎗

I will try to start it today/tonight.

I am excited to read these this month! Sour candy has been on my TBR for a while so now is a great time to pick it up!

Kealan, these are great covers on each of your stories. Can you tell the group about how they were created and who did them?

I am so scared of (view spoiler)[dolls (hide spoiler)].
How do you write without scaring yourself?

Since it's still October 1st where I am, I am assuming I'm right on time for this. Another read from Mr. Burke? Count me in.

done! dear Mr. Burke! you are fabulous! yes, this was emotionally hard to read. but those dreams!! ah! I loved them cause they were scary as hell! I'm on a mission to read all your books now. 2 down and I'm wondering why I didn't read them sooner! here's my review: I'm also gonna post it on amazon.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

lol I do love that ol bitter Bierce!

I'm not a writer but I've always been curious how the great horror writers are able to open their veins and spill such grief out on the pages without breaking down. In Blanky, it's obvious you know what true grief feels like. I remember a numb feeling when I got the terrible news that my dad was tragically gone and then waking up the following day and being angry at the universe because it was sunny and beautiful outside and that just did not feel right. How could the world go on when my world had just collapsed? I'll never forget that feeling and it happened when I was 14, a very long time ago :) I completely had that feeling while reading Blanky. An excellent but painful read.

Kealan wrote: "Thank you. I do indeed know what grief feels like, and I'm sorry to hear that you do too. It's an inescapable horror--those who haven't experienced it yet are bound to--and as such, it is impossibl..."

Ugh I agree with you, grief is the worst thing ever, so I can see why it would be so hard to write about compared to monsters. It is a monster in itself.

I finished and loved it! You have a great way of making the reader uncomfortable, but unable to stop reading!

My question for you is do you prefer to write novel length or shorter books?

Besides being a brilliant cover artist, Kealan is one of my favorite horror authors (I posted an interview with Kealan on my Goodreads blog). I couldn't get enough of Sour Candy.

I'm jumping on board for this October read!

I just finished Blanky over the weekend and it was as good as expected! Here is my review, which I will also post on the usual suspect sites. Interestingly, while I sympathized deeply with Stephen's grief, I could not sympathize with his character as much. However, that definitely helped in confusing me about his actual role in the tragic turn of events...it kept me suspicious until the end (and even afterwards).

The cover: is beautiful and totally creepy! It reminded me of Rosemary's baby, as the edition read shows a similar old-fashioned baby buggy: Rosemaries Baby. *shudder*

Sour Candy: I already read that story some time ago (see my review). While I liked it a little more, both books are outstanding and at the very top of my 'mount horror'!

Now: I can't wait for what's next!

I just finished a lanky and it was a great read. I do have a question though. (view spoiler)[ It seems like the blanket waited until the couple was on the verge of healing before attacking. Why is that? Or was that really just the main character losing it in thinking that they were beginning to heal? (hide spoiler)]

Personally, I love when you can take a book and look at it from various perspectives. (view spoiler)[ In this one, we are given information to formulate different trains of thought, leaving the ultimate ending more "ambiguous", and open to each individual reader's interpretation. (hide spoiler)]

Kealan wrote: "Hi Erin,

Usually I try to resist giving definitive answers, because I prefer to leave it up to the reader to decide the truth of the matter. However...

[spoilers removed]"

I hadn't looked at it from that perspective but that makes sense. I feel like this idea gives the story a deeper for me. Although, it makes me feel even more for this couple.

Kealan, can you tell us how this story came about?

Kealan wrote: "Ken wrote: "Kealan, can you tell us how this story came about?"

Hi Ken,

It was a combination of things, really. The first was my desire to write about the worst kind of grief and to really face i..."

I thought it was really clever that you chose a baby's blanket since baby blankets are normally a symbol of comfort for small children. And it sometimes can be hard to break the link between a child and their blanky.

Kealan, what can we expect from you in 2018 and beyond?

Ohhh!! That's exciting!

Kealan wrote: "Ken wrote: "Kealan, what can we expect from you in 2018 and beyond?"

Hopefully the novel I'm working on will be done and out in the world by then. MAYBE some film news. Definitely more novellas, a..."

Ooh, that is great news!

As I had already read the second title for this group read 'Sour Candy', I just read Midlisters ;) If you want to read more fantastic stories by Mr. Burke (and can't wait for 2018 to come) check this one out - you can't go wrong with it!

That one sounds good. Where is it available?