Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back to the Capes and Tights podcast right here on Capesandtights.com, i'm your host, Justin Soderbergh. As always, this episode is brought to you by our friends over at Galactic Comics and collectibles at GalacticComicsandCollectibles.com, but we welcome Laurel Hightower to the program today to discuss her upcoming book, Killer vhs, the Long Low Whistle. Hightower is a Bram Stoker nominated author of books such as Whispers in the Dark, Crossroads Below. Every woman Knows this Silent Key, Silence Spirit, Coven in the Day of the Door, as well as her short stories and a dozen other things are out there too, as well. But we're talking the Long Low Whistle from the Killer VHS series right here on the podcast. But before you listen, check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, bluesky threads, all those places. You can rate, review, subscribe over on Apple or Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube.com as well as capesandtights.com for so much more. But this is Laurel Hightower, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of the Killer VHS series the Long Low Whistle. Enjoy everyone.
Welcome to the podcast. Laurel, how are you today?
[00:01:17] Speaker B: I am doing well, Justin, thank you. How are you?
[00:01:19] Speaker A: I'm doing wonderful. You know, mentioned a little bit about the weather before we started recording. My wife and the kids went out to camp really quickly today. I met them out there and we did a camp day which is was nice, but it's like probably the last one of the year, I'll tell you that much. I don't know if I can go out to a camp anymore this year for multiple reasons. Not just the weather, Laurel, I'll tell you, there's multiple factors in there. There's family involved, there's all kinds of stuff. But no, I'm glad we're here to talk horror and horror, horror books and things like that right here on the podcast. So welcome. We've actually had, let's see, Brian McCauley has come on for the killer VHS. So he's been on.
Patrick Barb has been on.
Josh McMillan McKillian McMillan. I always forget his last day he's been on. So there's a few people. And then Tanya Pell is coming on as well. We'll talk about her new book. Yes. But we're actually going to talk about her wicked roots.
[00:02:15] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: Which is phenomenal. But we're going to talk about both. But so like, it's like it's pretty cool. Like I'm trying. I got to get everybody on at some point, right? We got to make sure this is like a killer vhs. And then I got to get Alan on. That's my goal is to, to get out.
[00:02:25] Speaker B: Yeah, you gotta get Alan. Have you talked to Alex yet? He's the one who did this one though.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: But that's the thing. I think that's the one that I'm missing. I think it's Alex because I think gotta collect all the Pokemon I discovered. I think I discovered killer VHS through Candy Cane kills with Brian McCauley. So it was after, you know, actually it launched before I discovered it. So I think that's the reason why we haven't got Alex on. And then these things are coming out and they're so good that it's like, how do you feel like fit Alex in when there's other people that needed you need to discuss things with? So. No, but you're the author of the upcoming killer vhs, the seventh one on the series called the Long Low Whistle, which is phenomenal. You're obviously an author of multiple other things too. But that's what we're here to talk about. It comes out in November. Are you excited? I mean, it's getting really close here. I mean, you must be excited.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: Yeah, in as much as, you know, when you are a full time employed parent of a seven and a half year old, you're capable of any feeling other than general exhaustion. Yes, yes, it does seem to be a positive thing. Upcoming.
[00:03:23] Speaker A: Well, the one thing again we talked about talking to a bunch of these authors of these books is is that now you're the seventh person to come up with the book. So now not, you know, Alex kind of had the leeway of being the first. And so like if it wasn't that good, it was very beginning of it all. Now I feel like there's so many good ones that the bar is just being set higher and higher and higher. I will say for anybody who doesn't know, I love this book. So you've met the bar, so you're okay there. But I'm guessing that's part of it though, right? I mean now you're the seventh one in this, this is a, or the sixth author, seventh book to do this. I'm guessing that's probably comes with the territory as well now, huh?
[00:04:01] Speaker B: Yeah, to an extent, yeah. But I guess it's more just like it felt a little bit more like because I, I. The first one of these that I read was Melonhead Mayhem. Was Alex's you know. And he was the first on it. I really love his work too. Brief shout out to. He also did not through. I don't think it was through shortwave but he has a book called Reanimated Rex which is very like Jurassic park zombie sort of thing. And it's, it's like so much frickin fun.
Sorry too but, but it's, it felt a little bit more. I don't know, like I said, like when, when Alan put the announcement up like all the other killer VHS authors where it was like walking into a reunion. Everyone's like, oh my gosh, it's you. You're on board.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Yay.
[00:04:41] Speaker B: And I'm like, oh yay. I love that. This is great. So it just felt a little bit more, you know, like kind of camaraderie and stuff. And I'm, you know, I hope that it ends up being. Being fun. But I think that's the whole thing about it is the, the, the essence of the, you know, the, the big puffy boxes at Blockbuster Video. Those kinds of things is what you're looking for. So I'm kind of like, oh, maybe if mine's bad, it'll be so bad it's good. You know, like.
[00:05:08] Speaker A: Well, I guess it's in the horror vein.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: It's like that it might just be fun at least.
[00:05:14] Speaker A: Well I mean it is. You get this, like I said. But you know how that's been compared to like adult goosebumps. Like it's like a version of a Goosebumps or. Myself at 39 years old was very into goosebumps. Still very into goosebumps.
We went to Storyland in New Hampshire which is like a kids theme park that deals with like you know, Humpty Dumpty and a bunch of other stuff there. And it was Halloween and I wore my Goosebumps. I was like, this is about. This is as much as I can do. I wear the Goosebumps T shirt. I'm not going to scare little kids. But it's like in this vein. But the difference is R.L. stine had all of those. Like it's his. So if it was a good one, bad one, whatever was R.L. stein. This one, it's like, you know, like with the exception of Brian, it's all different authors. So that's what's cool about this. You got different tastes, different viewpoints, different parts parts of your life. You said you have a seven and a half year old. The different parenthood things. It's like so much that goes into These, creating these things that R.L. stein had one mind frame. And so that I think is also what made it different, is that this is like, cool. And if you could. Don't have to like one. You don't have to like one. You know, it's your true. In your own opinion, I will say you should like this one because it's phenomenal. But before we go too far, I hate the word elevator pitch, but I tend to use it a lot. Do you have an elevator pitch for the long blue whistle?
[00:06:25] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. If I do, it's really bad because I'm the worst summarizing things. But I mean, essentially it's the main character, Trish, she grew up in a mining town and she grew up hearing this, this sort of archaic mine whistle that they use. They were so proud of it. It was this, you know, connection to the past. But her main memory of it now is that it went off the day that there was an explosion in the mine. And a lot of men lost their lives, including her father.
But she has never been able to determine exactly what happened to him because he wasn't in the main shaft of the mine. So 18 years later, she is breaking into mausoleums in the middle of the night because they, you know, the mine's been sealed. And so she is looking for other ways in because she really wants to get answers. So she ends up teaming up with a crew of cryptid hunters who are searching for their, you know, their own, their own sort of things because they, they illustrate to her there is a video that was taken the day that her father was killed. And so once she sees that she's kind of, you know, lit on fire and they, and they all go underground.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: So that's good. I mean, elevator. That was the 10 story elevator pitch. That wasn't like the four story elevator. That's good. There are tall buildings in this world now. So I think that it's fine.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: No where like I'm holding the door open and hanging out while someone's trying to walk away. And then this, that's the slowest door possible.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: That's not closing. You're like, why is this not closed? No, it works. I mean, it's, it's, it's hard to also explain. I think the authors to explain their book without also accidentally spoiling it or been like, this is exactly what happens. Yeah, yeah, that works. It does. I'll tell you, with all of these books, there's different feelings I get out of the different ones. And I think that's what's cool about this series as well. And this one. And I wrote my review if anybody got a chance to read it, which is the first, like, part of the book is its own horrifying experience on itself, on its own. Trish's experience with her dad, dealing with the death of her dad or the supposed death of her dad, what it says to her, not knowing what happened and so on and so forth. And this happens right at the beginning of the book. So it's not really like a spoiler. Spoiler. But like, that was like, at the. After reading that first section, before it gets into, like, the meat of the book, I'm like, damn, you already got me, like, reeling here, man. I'm like, I don't know how I could continue this book. This isn't even like, this is just a setup for the whole story and it's true. And then, then you deal with Cryptids, you deal with some claustrophobia parts of it too, because you're obviously going to mine and things like that. So there's many levels that people can get into this book, this, but you're mixing Cryptid horror in this. You're mixing unresolved mystery of sorts with her dad, you know, dying, but, but, but not really knowing what happened.
Is there a way that you maintain that, like, tension, you know, between different things in, you know, dealing with something that someone might have lost their parent and this is a real life thing, and then something that's more like, you know, fake or fiction in a sense, dealing with both of those. Was it. Was it like a white rope pipeline kind of thing? Like, how did you deal with that?
[00:09:28] Speaker B: Not consciously. I wouldn't say. It's more that I feel like, you know, with the kind of stuff that I write, it's like people's motivations and how their history and how what, what their motivations are, why they're there, how that drives their actions. You know, does it make them more hesitant or does it make them, you know, kind of throw caution to the wind?
Does it make them more or less likely to interact with other people and involve them in the search? Like, those are the sorts of things that I try to more focus on is, you know, getting to know my character, having an idea of their backstory so that I know how they're likely to react to things and then just trying to stay authentic to that. And, you know, even, even, like, fairly minor characters, I tend to try and at least have a little bit of a sketch as far as, like, what, you know, there, there's a Guy who she grew up with, who's, you know, in there briefly and you know, it's like I, I know what his interaction was and that sort of thing and that, that's the kind of thing that I want to just inform again the authenticity of their interactions with various people and the, and the choices they make.
[00:10:31] Speaker A: It makes sense. You know, there's a, there's a real life disaster there. There's this. The Cryptids of itself, the.
Has a, has a character in it in a sense, if you think about it.
Did you draw on real experiences at all? Like, is there like, did you like do a deep dive on the Internet? Did you go on a YouTube rabbit hole that at all, like with this, all this stuff, like finding about real disasters that happened in mines to get like a basis on this? Like, where did you get the basis of that from?
[00:10:56] Speaker B: Well, so I actually, I work for a law firm and I have for a number of years and I started out in the environmental section of it. I'm a legal assistant slash paralegal. I'm not a lawyer, but in any case, I live in Kentucky and coal mines are, you know, big part of industry here in eastern Kentucky.
And so I was familiar with them anyways just from growing up here. And I did not grow up in eastern Kentucky, I grew up in central Kentucky.
So I, it's not like I was touring mines and you know, my, I've got the black lung paw kind of thing.
So, you know, not trying to claim that heritage, but just more like a familiarity of it.
And then yeah, just like, you know, and I certainly. Obvious disclaimer so that no one at my firm has a heart attack. I never ever utilize anything, you know, legal stuff is always very like, we ain't using that. We do not talk about that. We don't talk about Fight Club, none of these things. So. But it's more like, you know, you, you're aware in the periphery of these things that happen and how they happen, and it's hard not to start thinking about the mechanics of it. And. Well, mechanics makes it sound very inhuman. I'm much more interested in the, you know, like you're like, oh gosh, you know, like you're, you're underground. The danger that you're in all the time, you know, and, and people just accept this and they just get up and they go every damn day. And it's, you know, so it's something that's like, it's, it's kind of eerie to me. And there was also like, I had, you Know, there were some.
Catherine McCarthy is, is another author that I really adore. She's. She's very talented. She's in Wales and talked about there was some mining accident in Wales that was like, took out like almost an entire town or something like that. So you know those sorts of like stories that you hear over time and in some ways just the effect that something that large on a town with an industry like that has on the entire town and everyone who lives in it.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: I mean, we see it. Was it October Skies or a movie I can. I could picture. Is that the one with Jake Gyllenhaal where his parents. Dad's a coal miner?
[00:12:57] Speaker B: Is that.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: Is that what I'm thinking about?
[00:13:00] Speaker B: Possibly. I'm. I'm bad about actually this conversation last night how every movie that everyone else has seen, I haven't. So.
[00:13:06] Speaker A: Yeah. So yeah, October Scout, Jake, John. It's a mining. His dad. The same thing. I can picture what you're saying, that people just get up and they put on their boots, they put on their overalls, they put whatever on. They put their hard hat on. They just do what they need to do to. To make ends meet. In some places in the world and the country itself, there's places like this. And I can understand that. And so there are that your connected tissue with your. Your job is that there's these places. You mean there wasn't a case that you dealt with that had to do with Cryptids?
[00:13:33] Speaker B: Yeah.
Not supposed to talk about it. I totally wrote about it. I did. Like, I do.
[00:13:38] Speaker A: I think we changed the name for people's safety. Don't worry.
[00:13:41] Speaker B: Yeah. Just don't worry. But you know, everything else. No. Oh my God, no.
And it. Because it was funny. I think one of. One of. And I love my job. They're very sweet about my writing. Almost none of them have ever read any of it. And I think that's a great way for us to do things. But like, I think I mentioned that one of my. And one of my guys was just like, you can't. I'm like, I promise. I swear. I swear. None of this. It is all fictional. I would never.
[00:14:04] Speaker A: No, you work in that. Yeah. You work in that field. So you know that thing. I also love the fact that you were like purposely say you're not a lawyer. Was that just to be like, I don't want to say things that I don't want people to think that. Or you're like, I don't want people thinking I'm a lawyer.
Yeah. I don't want people knowing this. It's funny how many people, though. I've actually discussed a number of comic book writers or authors who are either ex lawyers or what they call themselves recovering lawyers or lawyers or currently lawyers. It's kind of funny how many writers there are that actually work in that field, which is pretty crazy too.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: It makes so much sense though, because legal writing is such a huge part of success in that field.
My folks actually, it's kind of nice because it's one of the things they actually really value my writing background because I proofread almost every major brief that goes out of that office.
And you know, because I'm not very nice. I'm not like, it looks great, guys. I'm like, this, no, it's not gonna work. Not working, no. You know, but I mean, I'm nicer about it, but, you know, it's definitely a skill that dovetails, essentially. I mean, witness Scott Turreau.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: So, yes, Yeah, I mean, I agree with you. I'm glad that there's like a separation because I work as a creative director for a brewery by day, and so I, you know, have my thing there and I have. They know I have this over here, you know, talking to people like, oh, that's kind of cool you talked to that person. But I don't know, it's probably one person in the nine years that I've worked there. I gu. I've only been doing this for four and a half years, but like, the four and a half years of doing this, they have actually probably even like paid attention to it. So part of me goes, that's kind of sucks. I don't have like a built in audience, but the other side of me goes, I'm glad they're not listening.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I think a couple of them have read like one or two of them. And I do remember one of my guys, his wife, I think read my. Read my book and she was giggling over the bio. I think it said something about wrangling litigators by day. And she's like, that's you.
You're one of the ones she's wrangling.
[00:16:03] Speaker A: This is cool. And so, I mean, I guess while we're on the subject a little bit too, before we jump right back into the actual book is what's that like? So you obviously said you have a child. So you have a kid. So you have that, you have a family, you have your work, you have the writing books. Is there a specific way you balance this? Obviously we're doing this on a Sunday Night. Because both of us work, so we have schedules to work around, things like that too. But is there something specific that you like, give writing time, do you have family time or do you just fit things in when you can actually fit things in?
[00:16:31] Speaker B: Writing time happens when everything else is done for the most part.
I was lucky enough for a little while to work part time at my firm, which was really, really nice because it gave me set writing time in the morning and it gave me more time with my son in the morning. But I'm fairly recently divorced and moved. And that's actually, that's been, it's been a wonderful change. It's great. Like we love the house and everything like that, but it also means, yeah, like it's, it's just kind of major upheaval in how my schedule works. So I'm still kind of trying to navigate that a little bit, but getting a little bit better about being like, okay, no, this is, and I think that's the thing, like, especially as a parent, like, I, I, it's not in the cards for me to say, oh, I'm a morning writer, I must have my Fine, then I guess you're gonna get up at 4am because that's, you know, the only, the only way that's gonna work and that's gonna happen. So it's, you know, like trying to cope, I guess with like, okay, your writing time starts at like 8:40 after your kid goes to bed. And I'm like, yes, so tired, you know, just trying to, just trying to work it back in. Just trying to find my, find my footing.
[00:17:35] Speaker A: Okay. I mean, it makes sense. I mean, you know, it's you obviously you like your job, your day job, it sounds like too, but so like, is this something that, like if this all of a sudden, I know we're just skyrocketing. You sold a million copies of book that you rather just write all the time or is this something that like, you still like doing what you do during the day?
[00:17:51] Speaker B: I would actually probably just drop back to part time again just because it's, I mean for one thing health insurance, you know, and also there's just the I'm that I'm that weirdo that, that doesn't really like to work from home. Now. I am not the weirdo who's going, everybody, let's go back to the office because I need people the water cooler. God, no. You know, anyone who can should and wants to, like, that's fine. But like for myself, like, I don't know, I, I, a Little bit. Probably part of it's my posture. Like, I don't sit at a desk like a human. I. I crouch on the couch like a goblin to write. So, like. And that's when I do work. End up working from home. That's what I'm doing. And I'm just. And then I'm like, why am I so sore? This sucks. I'm gonna go back to the office. And it's like, the answer is in your hands, Hightower.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: But apparently it's not. So, you know, my wife's the same way. My wife will be like. Like. Like, three nights in rush, she'll sit on the couch really weirdly. And I'm like. And she was like, my back hurts. I'm like, yeah, I told you, the way you're sitting on the couch is the reason. She's like, yeah, that's like, that can't be it. I'm like, it must be my desk at work. I'm like, no, that's not. That's not what it is.
[00:18:56] Speaker B: Well, I mean, she's sitting like. She's like.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: Her head's weirdly. Like, her legs are weird. Like.
Yeah, well, I'm a kind of guy person who.
I work remotely on Mondays. And that started basically, like, the pandemic hit. I worked remotely, right? I started to remember. And then slowly going back to the office. One of the things you discussed was like, what if Mondays? Because Monday is one of those weird days that, like, we're not open. I work at a brewery, so the restaurant's not open on a Monday.
There's people, like my bosses who I work with, have a house at a mountain or on the water. And so, like, they kind of, like, work remotely. Kind of like coming into the office on Mondays, like, there's like, nobody here. Why would you drive in to sit in an office where there's nobody really going to be there? So Mondays became my remote day, and I just kept it. And I kept it the whole time, which has been nice because I get my own little thing. But then I was like, someone's like, would you like, more days?
[00:19:44] Speaker B: I'm like, I don't know.
[00:19:45] Speaker A: I like, not the interaction with people because I hate people. But that's.
That's not what I want. But it is true. I get work done here. I feel like I get a lot of work done here when I'm sitting in my office at home. But I get. I feel more accomplished going to the office. It's weirdly to say, like, I feel like I actually get more Work done home. But I feel like when I'm in the office, I feel like it's just. I get more done. I don't know. It makes so much. It doesn't make any sense because I get more down home. But, like, I don't know. There's something about it. So, like, if I ever did it, I'd want one more day, maybe, and that would be like, a floating day. Like, I don't feel like driving into work today, so I'm going to work remotely.
[00:20:18] Speaker B: I'm just going to go ahead and not. Yeah.
[00:20:19] Speaker A: But other than that, I want. I like the office structure. I do.
[00:20:22] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's. It's one of those things. Like, my job consists of essentially just doing whatever it is my attorneys need me to do. And so part of it is a lot of them work remotely significantly more often than I do. And so I need to be there to do the things that they can't do up in the office. It's like. And I just. I have no beef with that. My whole thing is like, I took practice LSATs after I finished my paralegal degree, and for a hot minute, I was like, I think I shall go to law school. And then I was like, ew, that seems like a lot of work. Nah, screw it. I don't want to. So, like, these are choices that I've made, you know? So I'm just like, no, no. These folks went the extra mile. They went to law school. They are the ones responsible for things. I will be happy to be here and serve them. And then that also means that I get to go home and then I just leave it all at the office. It's not my problem.
[00:21:06] Speaker A: Yes. I'm not working. That's great. You know, it's funny. My wife and I are actually re watching King of Queens and. And Carry On. King of Queens is a paralegal at one point or we're trying to train. She works in an office as an assistant at a law firm. And I'm just thinking, I'm picturing you desk like Carrie and King of Queens. But that's not in a different world, but, like. But yeah. So like, you. Same thing with me. Like I said, I've always said the same thing with, like, if I want a million dollars, I'd want to do this more. Like, I want to have talk to people. I'd want to be like. Like, you live in Kentucky.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: We're flying down. We're gonna have a hotel room, and I'm gonna meet in the conference room and we'll do the recording in the conference room. You cool with that? And you're like, yeah, that's cool. Or, hey, can I fly you to Maine? That's what I would do, but I think it still would want to work part time doing the creative side of brewery stuff because I feel like the other side of it is I can't. I don't know if I could do all of one thing. Like, I don't know, like, I did this with this out. I'm better at this because I have this and, and it's the same thing. I feel like, you know, maybe you're better, your writing is more fine tuned and better honed because you have somewhere else to go and do something else and not focus fully on that.
[00:22:09] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's, I mean, you just, I think it's just better for me structure wise, like. And, you know, I mean, you meet people, you hear stories, you get ideas for maybe a short story or a little bit like, oh, I like this facet of this person. I'm going to maybe use it in a character, you know, kind of thing. I have one book in which I killed off almost my entire office at their request. I don't know why they, they were just like. One of the guys was like, have you ever killed me in a book? And I'm like, well, if you read my work, you'd know that, you know. And I'm like, no, I have not. He's like, well, why not? And I'm like, what did you. Are you. Why? You know, and he's like, well, I want. Kill me. I'm like, okay. So I ended up just becoming a thing and I killed off almost everyone and, and like, you know, their families and all kinds of stuff. And it, I, I don't think anyone ever read it, but it was, I, I owed the story anyway, so I was like, sure, I'll just, I will kill you guys all.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: Yes, that makes sense. Usually people pay for that on like a Kickstarter or some sort of thing. Like, yeah, kill me on a story.
[00:23:06] Speaker B: You know, I'll bring that up at the next review. Like, by the way, this was a free service I provided. Perhaps you want to consider that, you.
[00:23:13] Speaker A: Know, so I, like I said, it's one of those things. And I think it's also the assumption that, like, I'm glad you have that in your bio on your website because I feel like it's an assumption nowadays of people who are like, oh, they write books, that's what they do. And I Think that there's a. It does. It doesn't change my view on if a book's good or not. Like, if I read the Long Low Whistle and I was like, oh, it's okay. Oh, but she also works during the day, so that's. I mean, let's give it an extra bump on a star because, you know. No, that's not what I'm saying. But I think it's like one of those things where, like, it almost put you on the level of me at the same time. Like, I don't put you on a pedestal because, like, I put a person, Stephen King, for an example. I live in Maine, so Stephen King is a great example. That's what he does. He's up there. So his books need to be good because that's all you do. Nothing else you do. For me, it's like, oh, but I do this part time and I also do my full time job. So seeing you be able to do something creative and be talented at it and also go to work during the day is something to go in. Like, hey, I can do that. People who just do that, I feel like, are in another level than me. I feel like you're on another world or it's not achievable, which it is. You can put your mind to it. Yes, it is achievable, but I still don't think I'm achievable. I'll do my thing now. I feel like we're at least on the same playing field, which is great because your book's phenomenal. So, like, yes, it's one of those. Yeah. And so, yeah, I gave you credit for working full time and I'm glad you have it in your bio again because I think it's the people that are like, you have a published work that's on Amazon and people are like, oh, that's what they do for a living. Well, not really well.
[00:24:40] Speaker B: And it is funny because I think, like, when they first. And I'm very lucky to be very valued at my job, they really value my work, which is amazing. But they, like, when I started getting published, they were like, are you gonna leave? And I'm like, it is so cute how little you guys know about the publishing industry.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: No, I need to be here because I'm writing books. I don't think you understand that. Like, I need to be able to pay for these books.
[00:25:00] Speaker B: This supports me writing books, just so you know.
[00:25:03] Speaker A: And that's great. And I feel like you probably have a little bit. We were like, I said I, I record on Mondays during my lunch break. Like, I fluctuate that usually. So like, I'm like, oh, if I have a, you know, and that, to be honest with you, this is great because I have like once a month, once every two months, I do an afternoon evening on a weekend or Monday night, Tuesday night. Because obviously other people's schedules are different, but like a lot we would not imagine. A number of people were like, they're like, we can do this during the day because so many other podcasters are out there who have full time jobs are like, I can, I can record 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, whatever it is.
But I had the freedom to do that because I work from home on Mondays. I'm like, ah, two o' clock on Monday. That's when I'll take my lunch break and I will chat with, you know, Laurel at that time or whatever and then I'll eat my lunch while I'm working other times. So it's nice to have this. And so like my work doesn't want me doing it all the time, but I have some freedom in that. And so that's, you know, one of those things that if you needed to potentially take some time off to do a book signing or do something that you probably have a little bit more we on that. So having a good relationship with your day job is always good.
[00:26:01] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, they're, they're very respectful of all that because I do, I spend a lot of time traveling for cons and stuff and they're just like, it's con season by, we'll see you when you get back.
[00:26:09] Speaker A: I'm like, hey, I mean, you're weird. But yeah, see, yeah, they know that. Okay, they figured that over time. But no, and so you're now part of this VHS killer VHS group. Okay, let's call it, it's a cult. No, you're part of the VHS cult now. Alan has, is the leader of this cult and you have this, this book series. That's phenomenal. Literally. There isn't one that's bad so far, which is great. This is a great sign to things.
How much freedom does Alan give you in these books? I mean, I know there's structure, there's different things. There's, you know, obviously it has to be horror because that's what the whole idea is. There's the VHS was a big integral part to the beginning part, but I feel like now it's like video esque or adjacent works.
Is there much that he gives you or is he just like this Fits into the realm of killer vhs.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: Yeah, it's very wide open. And I think that's part of what helps make it so successful, is that, you know, you're not. You're not hemmed into a small point, and you're not getting repetitive because just the, you know, the concept of there being a video element of it, which, you know, in mine is the. Is the recording that she finds.
But what I think is really great and Alan is. Is just amazing to work with because he's very, very organized, which is great, because I am not.
And he is, you know, very communicative. And, like.
So, like, I gave him a pitch. He was like, you know, do you have anything for this? And I'm like, well, here's my thoughts, you know? And he's like, yes. No. Okay, this works great. I think he might have been like, I would suggest maybe XYZ. And then I think when I was maybe 10,000 words in, he asked to see the first 10,000 words because he was like. And he was a very, very, like, respect. He was like, if you don't watch me, there's no problem. Like, I trust you. And I was like, oh, my God, no. Like, I don't want to be traveling five miles down the road in the wrong direct.
That's like, my nightmare is, like, that someone asks me for something and, like, I deliver it, and they hate it, but they don't feel like they can say anything about it because they're like, oh, I asked you for this. Well, this is garbage. But I guess, you know, like, that's like, a nightmare for me. Like, I need to know that people are going to be like, hightower, your head is all the way up your ass. I'm going to need to pull it back out and try again. Like, that is what I want to hear. Because no writer ever reaches the point where they do not need input and editing.
[00:28:33] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:28:33] Speaker B: No writer.
[00:28:35] Speaker A: I mean, that's equal, in my opinion, on the graphic design side of things. I deal with that on a regular basis when I have a new beer coming out. And there's like, hey, we should do this summer ale. And I start designing a summer aisle, and I give it to them, and they're like, yeah, that's not what we were thinking. And I'm like, well, I hate this, then. So now I've learned over the years, being like, okay, do you have ideas in your head of what you want this to look like? I don't like you coming to me and being like, it needs to be this. This this and this. Because it ruins the creative process for me. I enjoy the creative process, but I do, like, oh, this summer we should do boats because it's Maine and we should have lobster buoys and we should have the. Cool. Now, I can run with that and give you something that you want, but too many times I've handed something getting been like, yeah. And I'm. In my mind. In my mind I'm going, they hate it. They absolutely hate it.
[00:29:15] Speaker B: I know.
[00:29:16] Speaker A: And I really wish you wouldn't have said something until now, but, like. And so, yeah, so you handed your 10,000 words in because Alan wanted to make sure you weren't going in a direction that didn't work properly. Right. I'm guessing that's what.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And thankfully, he was happy with it. And he gave me a couple of really good, like, small suggestions that I incorporated and, you know, kind of move from there. And then. Yeah, like, no, he. It's. It's a. It's great. And I know some of the. I don't know if they've been announced, so I won't say anything about it, but I know I have. There's some other authors I know that are. That are in the pipeline for that. I'm very excited because I'm like. Because I love it. Because I feel like if I want to read a Brian McCauley book, I want it to be a Brian McCauley book.
[00:29:56] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:29:56] Speaker B: You know, and so I love that within that realm, each author is able to really kind of just stretch their wings and, you know, and go, yes.
[00:30:06] Speaker A: And now, I mean, with this cool as, you know, get out Patty Allen on the back here with the Simon and Schuster distribution deal, too, which is amazing. Which now this is going to be so much more wider because it was always funny whenever I finished, like, a review, being like, this book is available at bookstores everywhere. And it's like, well, yes, in a way, like, you could call.
[00:30:23] Speaker B: Theoretically, yes.
[00:30:24] Speaker A: Yes, you're right. But it's a lot more work for the person at the bookstore to have to, like, go, oh, yeah, I have to call Alan. You know, like, all that stuff now. It's more like anybody who buys books from Simon and Schuster, which I don't know what bookstore out there who doesn't buy books from Simon Schuster can get these books, which means that there's a possibility of more reach. More people get to be able to get it easier. Because obviously you can get it on Amazon or on Short Waves website. But, like, it might be easier for people to Just stumble upon it now because of this deal. Which is awesome.
[00:30:51] Speaker B: Yeah. Which is. I mean, really, that's part of the enjoyment of the book buying process. Like, I still. Even as jaded as I am about the availability of horror on books, you know, in bookstores, like, I'm still, like, I'm never gonna give up. I'm still gonna go look. I'm still gonna see if they have something other than Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Yes, look, there's a Josh Mailerman. We're making progress.
[00:31:10] Speaker A: Exactly.
It's. It is true. I mean, it's a number of times I look, deal with the comic book. I'm a big comic book fan too. In the comic book industry is the same way where it's just like, it's. Sometimes people don't stumble upon these things unless they see them. And so, you know, it's harder for some of these people. And then like, convincing my local bookstore to be like, you really need to carry this VHS series, like this killer. And then trying to be like, no, you really do. And then like, reminding them when the new one comes out that you need to. You need to do this. And so, like, it seems like a lot more work for me. I'm like, just go to Short Waves website, grab it. But no, just go directly to the source. But no, this is really cool. And I think that this is a part of this. And I don't know, you know, off the bat, I don't know if 11 4. I don't know if it starts until December. I couldn't remember when the actual deal started, but it's not.
[00:31:54] Speaker B: But I think it'll be sometime next year.
[00:31:58] Speaker A: Titles released after December 1st. But that means that the future people will start to. It might be one of those things that the first month isn't. This is a normal killer VHS release. But sometime in December, someone may be able to get it more actively, which is pretty cool for this.
[00:32:09] Speaker B: Yeah. And then the really fun thing too, is that Crossroads, my second book, When Off Limits, unfortunately close their doors. Alan at Shortwave picked up Crossroads. And so that will end up getting that book a wider readership.
And I will just say too, just as an aside, like Waylon, when he had to close Off Limits, like, that is the way you do it. Like, he was up front. He communicated to the authors first. He gave every. He was like, nothing's coming off the market until this date.
I will make myself available all the files, all the COVID art, whatever you guys need, because I want you to succeed. And I was Just like, this is. I mean, like, I was sad, of course, you know, because Crossroads actually launched that press. It launched off limits when Sam Kolevsnik owned it, but it was still just like, wow. So I sort of. I feel like I just, like, got handed off from, you know, one delightful personage to another. I was like, oh, good. Okay. Yay. This is lucky. Because that is definitely not always the case.
[00:33:10] Speaker A: No. I mean, I've interviewed people and I'm closer friends with now with people who had published comics through a publisher called Aftershock Comics. And they went bankrupt. And in that same time, they went bankrupt, there was, like, series that ended five issue. Series that ended with issue four, and they still didn't have issue five. And they're, like, holding on to the rights to this thing and trying to fight this back. And. And this whole, like, this person's like, I have this. One of my favorite comic books I've ever written in my entire life, lives at this publisher, but I can't touch it because they're very. They're very. They're, like, hoping, you know, with bankruptcy courts and all this stuff that they could sell it for some money. But, like, yeah. So publishing is one of those weird things. And you went from one. You know, I've never physically met Alan in person. I'm going to one of these days. But, like, there's never been a bad thing. I've heard about Short Wave, which is. Which is amazing. From authors, from readerships, from stores, from. All the people have done this.
It's Alan at this point right now, like, this. This is this one person running this thing. And, like, you think about killer VHS and how awesomely well designed all these things are, too, is that you'd think that it's, like, this massive team, but it's not really a massive team.
[00:34:15] Speaker B: I think his wife is. Has picked up some of that, too, which is great. But, yeah, I mean, I think. I think ultimately it just comes down to, like, he is a person with rigid ethics and just a general sense of, like, hey, I owe XYZ care to these sort of people, you know, my authors, the readers, the bookstore owners, you know, whoever else. He's just very. He's very above board on everything. And that's incredible. And that's why it's like, you know, ghoulish books. Who's published two of mine, too, are other folks that are just, you know, And Max is absolutely wild. Obviously, like, Max is. Is more fun than should be allowed to be had, but also just, like, ethically Morally, one of the very best people that I know. Yeah. As is their wife Lori. So it's, I mean that's, it's, it's what it is wonderful to get to do business with people on that level, you know?
[00:35:06] Speaker A: Yes, yes. And that's cool. And that puts it out there. It makes people like myself, even aside from talking to people like yourself, make me want to buy books from said publisher because I just did the good stories in the heart. Like we're all doing this in this, whether it be publishing, whether the media, whether it be promotion, pr, whatever is, are doing it because we love this. This is not like, you know, I'm not sitting here going, I gotta talk to Laurel because I have to, I want to talk to you. And this is a passion of mine. So I want to do it right and I want to, I want to treat you right and I want to do all that stuff right. And the same thing I feel like Alan is, yes, he needs to pay his bills, you know, but like in the same sense he's doing it because he loves the publishing industry, he loves books, he likes doing this, he likes design. His. As a designer.
[00:35:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:49] Speaker A: If he just closed up shop as a publisher and just designed covers at books for the rest of his life, I'd be happy because is. They're just phenomenal. Like, but they're just beautiful on the.
[00:35:57] Speaker B: Interior layout for the killer VHS stuff, it's just like, it's absolutely beautiful.
[00:36:02] Speaker A: It's gorgeous.
[00:36:03] Speaker B: You know, I am very big on deadlines. I'm very big on meeting deadlines.
But you know, I was getting a divorce at the early part of the year and as hard as I tried, like I fell behind and I had to be like, Alan, you know, this is what's going on. And he was like, oh my God, I just, I don't care. Like, please just take care of yourself. He's like, this is the last thing that you do. And I'm like, you know, I think I was only maybe like a month late or something, but like that genuine like I, I could tell that it wasn't like a fine, it was like a no. I care about your, your, your well being significantly more than I care about a bottom line. And that's, that's amazing.
[00:36:40] Speaker A: Which is, which is easy for. It's harder for him to say to do that than a big publisher in a sense too because a big publisher can float whatever needs to be need. There's a possibility that like the sales of this seventh killer VHS books means the future of the publisher. And so it is different for a small publisher to be like, yeah, don't worry about it. If it's late, it's late. So that means something. I mean, I feel like it means more to me than some sort of big publishers. Like, yeah, no worry about it. We got lines of credit we can deal with. It's. It's. You know, this is like each book sale is the future of shortwave. And so, you know, nothing put pressure on you because you were late, you were bad. Not. But my point is it. It comes from an actual. Like, my boss comes in and asks, how's it going, Justin? This is not a greeting. It's a. He wants to know how I feel and how I'm doing, how my family's doing. And that's like, Alan, it's like, if he asked you, how's it going? He's not being like, how's the book coming? Are we close? What's going on? Oh, yeah, he wants to know how you're doing. Yeah.
Yeah, that's pretty cool. That's really, really cool. So. So the Long Low whistle comes out November 4th from Shortway, so you can get it at Short Wave Publisher. Where does this. You know, for those people who haven't heard you before but have heard of killer vhs, that's pretty cool because they're going to learn about your book and your. In your backlog of stories and things like that. But where does this, for those people who are Laurel Hightower fans, fit in there in your vibe? Does this. Is this a Laurel Hightower story? Just did a killer VHS jacket?
[00:38:00] Speaker B: Absolutely. I'm incapable of not adding like grief and feminism into pretty much everything that I do. So there's. But it's more. I would say for those who are familiar with my work that it's probably closer along the lines of below in the sense that it's kind of like a high octane sort of creature feature sort of scenario. Obviously there's a lot of human elements in it and there are actually a couple of Easter eggs in this one, which is not something that I've done before, but I kind of. I kind of did to my work and then also a little bit to someone else's. So, yeah, so it kind of is in with that. But yeah, it's probably pretty recognizable as. As my type of work.
Like I said below, I really genuinely was like, because Crossroads is pretty heavy. And so when I went to write below, I'm like, I'm just gonna make it a fun creature feature. Yeah. And. And Then I was like, just kidding. Feminism. But, you know, again, I feel like that's what I. That's what I want to write. That's what needs to come out. And that informs my vision of everything that I do. So I, I don't feel bad.
[00:39:00] Speaker A: Yes. And like I said to me, there's this beginning part that really has like this emotional thing to me. Like, I, you know, these are novellas. So, like, let's be honest. If you went out to the lake, like I mentioned today, went to camp, if I sat there in the morning and started reading this book, you could finish it by the time you went home. Hopefully you could, you could do it all in one day.
But there was just so much in that beginning part that it was like, I needed a break.
[00:39:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:39:23] Speaker A: Like, it was like, I just need to take a second, I need to go get a drink, I need to figure this out.
[00:39:27] Speaker B: No.
[00:39:27] Speaker A: And so I was able to finish it quickly. But. But in the same sense, like I said, there was a lot going on and there was moments of fear and scare. Watching. Reading books with the lights on is a real thing, in my opinion. It's so hard to scare people, I think, with books, in my opinion, because you can put a book down any moment. I feel like jump scares and scary movies, there's like, you have to fumble for the remote. The scary moment will pass by the time you can turn that off.
[00:39:54] Speaker B: Off.
[00:39:54] Speaker A: And so to me, it's like, it's very easy to go, oh God, and slam a book closed. So, yeah, books that make me scared is real. And so I think that this is one of them. And I think that's, that's what's really cool about it. But you blend, like, not only the horrifying moments, you have this grief, this trauma. You mentioned feminism, mystery, The Cryptid part of it is very atmospheric.
So there's emotional stakes. So it's a lot going on in this small, shorter story than a longer Stephen King book. If they mentioned. Yeah.
Not that he hasn't had really good novellas. I'm just saying, like, most of them are like a brick. And his son has one coming out here pretty soon. That's a 800 and something pages called King Sorrow. So it runs in the fame.
But yeah. So this short story, and I think that there's a lot going on here. Again, I, I love every single killer vhs. But I, I mentioned it and I'll say it again, this is the best. And I think that, that.
And I, like I said, I saw Brian McCauley a couple weeks ago. And I had to tell him too.
And I had to tell Tanya that too. And both of them weren't wrong. They were like, I need to read it then. Because I don't think Tanya was about to read it or something. And she's like, I just couldn't have a chance to yet. But you get to add your book to this stack of beautiful.
[00:41:08] Speaker B: I think it's so cool together.
[00:41:09] Speaker A: I don't think I've seen that before. Yeah, what's funny about this? This lives on a bookshelf over there next to my Goosebumps books. So that's the cool thing too. It's like, this is just like the modern or adult version of those books, which is awesome.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: So I'm impressed because my boyfriend is very. His book. He's a huge reader. He's also a writer, excellent writer. And his book collection is very organized. So the first time he came to my house, he was like, I can't look directly.
What the hell is going on here? And I'm like, He's like, you don't know what the author's. I'm like, I know.
[00:41:41] Speaker A: I'm surprised.
[00:41:41] Speaker B: He stood around over there and he's also over there and then also somewhere over there and then also in the bedroom. And he's just like, what the hell?
[00:41:47] Speaker A: I'm surprised he stayed around. I'm surprised. I'm surprised. Laurel, as a person who is very adamant about three, I have. We bought this house in June, June or May. And there's a built in bookshelves over here, you can't see. But they had taken down two or three of the shelves to put a TV in here. Like, they had a TV in the shelf. And so now I'm missing some shelves. So there's just stacked books and then. And it's. I have anxiety right now. So. Yeah, so, like, it's like, it's one of those things where I'm like, I have a guy fixing my ceiling this coming week. And I'm like, can you measure some shelves out? Because I need you to put some shelves in here. I need to put these books up. So, yes, I can understand that. Like, if I was. If I was still dating and I walked into someone's house and their books were unorganized, I might just be like, it was nice meeting you and leave. So I'm glad he stayed around.
[00:42:27] Speaker B: Well, thankfully he. We're long distance, so he'd flown up.
[00:42:29] Speaker A: So he was like, you know, probably.
[00:42:31] Speaker B: If he'd had his car, he might have Been like, all right, you know, squealing tires, like, he's done, then he's out. But no, that's.
[00:42:38] Speaker A: That's great.
[00:42:39] Speaker B: I trapped him.
[00:42:39] Speaker A: So that's awesome. But killer VHS. The Long Low Whistle comes out November 4th from Shortway Publishing. Grab a copy, please. I think it's wonderful. And while you're doing that, go on Shortway's website and order like, all of them if you don't have them, because they're all phenomenal. And that's not a timer for me to say, we need to get off that. That was a timer for me to say, I need to take my medicine. So that wasn't like a play music playing. We need to put the, you know, put the lights down and go to commercial. No, I would have understood, though.
[00:43:06] Speaker B: You have small children. It'd be like, yes, exactly.
[00:43:10] Speaker A: They heard them in the other room. So I'm like, oh, what's going on here now? Yeah, so grab it. It's phenomenal. I think five out of five stars I put out there. I think this is amazing. I think chatting with you makes me like it even more because you're wonderful, wonderful, wonderful conversation here. And so I'm glad that this book is out there on November 4th and shortwave.
It's phenomenal. People should read it. Do you agree?
[00:43:30] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:43:31] Speaker A: You know that people should read it. I don't.
You don't have to say it's phenomenal. That's okay.
[00:43:35] Speaker B: But you can say yes, I would love for people to read it. That would be fabulous. And also, if you happen to be in the area, on November 2 is the release signing at Vortex Books and Comics in Pennsylvania. I will be signing actually with Bo Johnson, who is a phenomenal crime writer from Canada. He is, you know, crossing the border and hanging out with me for a while and.
Yeah, it'll be lots of fun.
[00:43:59] Speaker A: Yes. Brian Keene, right? Brian Keene's store. Is that Vortex? Yeah.
[00:44:03] Speaker B: Brian, Nina and Mary, San Giovanni.
[00:44:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Their store. Yeah. That's awesome.
Yeah. Just.
Just saw Christopher Golden a couple weeks ago and I live in Maine and. And for the release of the end of the world book by Stevie based on Steven, Stan and Chismar. Richard Chismar came up to our event here. Oh, nice to do. It was with Chismar and two other authors. There were all bunch of people there. And Stephen showed up. Stephen King was there because Richard and Chismar obviously and Stephen have a connection as well as Stephen's from Bangor, so there's that. But Brian was Very upset because Brian was supposed to be chismare. Was supposed to be with Brian.
[00:44:42] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:44:44] Speaker A: I mean, kind of sad, but he was just like, Disney was sad. He was like, what the heck? You're supposed to be with me. Now you're up to Bangor because Steven's there. What the hell's going on in here?
[00:44:50] Speaker B: I know. Yeah, well, because, I mean, you got to, you got to order the books, you got to do that whole thing. But yeah, no, I, I, I will. Sorry, Brian. You'll be dealing with me regardless of whether you want to or not. I'll be there.
[00:45:00] Speaker A: I think it sounds like a great curve. I feel like if I was living in Pennsylvania right now, I'd be driving down or if I didn't have small kids or, or, or a day job or.
I know I did good.
[00:45:09] Speaker B: Well, I was gonna, My son is, is like, he actually adores Pennsylvania and he loves Brian and Mary. Like, absolutely. So, you know, he's like, he's got, like, you're going without me. Excuse me. And I'm like, I'm sorry. I will buy toys.
[00:45:24] Speaker A: Well, it's, I went down for a spooktastic book fair in, in Pennsylvania. Sorry.
[00:45:29] Speaker B: Sorry.
[00:45:29] Speaker A: In Massachusetts a couple weeks ago. In the night prior, Brian McCauley was signing in Philadelphia, right outside Philadelphia with, with Adam Caesar and a big Adam Caesar fan. Adam's been on the podcast a number of times. One of my, literally one of my favorite books of all time, not young adult books, not horror books. One of my favorite books of all time is Clown in the Cornfield. And so I was like, oh, I'm driving down to Massachusetts. How much further is it? Depends. I literally was this close to thinking that my parents live in Connecticut, so I was dropping my kids up in Connecticut. It's like, I can just drop down there and go to that event and then drive back the next day. And my wife's like, you're crazy. Needless to say, I didn't do it. But otherwise.
[00:46:04] Speaker B: But I can see why you were.
[00:46:05] Speaker A: Tempted for both those guys. Yeah, for sure. So, but yeah, November 4th, grab it and obviously check out, you know, your website for all the other stuff that you have too, because there's a bunch of other good stuff out there. And when I do a pre roll recording, I will mention some of those too on there. But yeah, I, I so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to, to chat with us here and discuss the book and so much more. And we'll have you on in the future if you ever want to. That sounds good to you? Awesome. But thank you so much, Laurel, and.
[00:46:31] Speaker B: Have a great day, Sam.
