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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Special Levels of Earthly Hell: A Story of Demonic Possession Inspired by Actual Events by Merry Freer

Drew Collins is an atheist who experiences the world in black and white. As an educated man of science, he rejects belief in the paranormal and the existence of demons. Until an energy he calls "The Beast" takes possession of his wife. 


Description:

Published: July 3rd, 2015
Cover Artist: Kalen O’Donnell

Drew Collins is an atheist who experiences the world in black and white. As an educated man of science, he rejects belief in the paranormal and the existence of demons. Until an energy he calls "The Beast" takes possession of his wife. 

What he witnesses at night in his own bedroom cannot be reconciled with science. And yet he sees it with his own eyes, feels its presence, ominous and evil, with his entire being. 

Against every instinct, Drew reaches out for help. It is not just his marriage that’s at stake. The evil force has permeated his wife's family, tearing them apart and culminating in bloodshed and murder. Drew must face a stark choice: sacrifice his beliefs and fight an entity he doesn’t understand and is reluctant to label, or abandon his wife and her family. 

GUEST POST
Real vs. Fiction (Based on Actual Events)

It’s a blurry line when it comes to a book about demonic possession. The main character in my latest book, “Special Levels of Earthly Hell” is a real person and an atheist, yet he claims to have witnessed it. He’s a pretty trustworthy guy too, not known for exaggeration or practical jokes. Besides, I saw the look in his eyes and heard the catch in his voice when I interviewed him. He saw something.

As an author, writing about actual events and real characters has both an up and downside. The upside is that the story and characters have already been developed. It then becomes the author’s job to tell the story in an interesting manner and to do it justice. The downside is that the story and characters have already been developed. Wait. Didn’t I just list that as a plus? Yep. Characters and story lines that are not fictional are more rigid and the writer has an obligation not to stray too far from reality. There’s not a lot of wiggle-room for tweaking events or embellishing.

I have written two fact-based books (one a memoir in the true crime genre and the other an “inspired by actual events” paranormal story). There is a great deal of frustration on the part of the author when a reviewer gives a poor review because he/she doesn’t think a character handled a situation properly, or act and react in ways that don’t make sense to the reader. It’s a real story, folks! I can’t make a real character in a true story do something they didn’t do because it makes more sense to the reader. The characters’ poor decisions or the crazy situations in which they find themselves are what made it an interesting story in the first place. Just something thing to think about the next time you read a story that is “based on” or “inspired by” the truth.

About the author:
Merry Freer is an author of memoir and fact-based fiction. She is a native of San Diego, where she lives surrounded by a large, eclectic family and a treasured handful of truly close friends. While "Doctor, Doctor" is her debut novel, she has been a writer and editor for many years, including work with the San Diego Chargers and the San Diego Hall of Champions. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from San Diego State University and has been a featured speaker for classes dealing with medical ethics. 

Her controversial memoir, "Doctor, Doctor," topped the Best Seller List in True Crime/White Collar Crime for 10 months and received a "Best Books of 2014" award from "Suspense Magazine."


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