Edgar's Books: Discussion of a Decent Dream by E. Curtis

In the fall of 1789, on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, a dense, persistent fog enshrouds the village of Ingleton. Shadowed spirits hide in the mist and bedevil the townsfolk, heralding a tragedy that has befallen one of their own.

Edmond continues to search for Alexandra, his fiancée, who disappeared the same night that the mist set upon their town. Presumed dead by all others, he visits Alexandra's empty grave, desperate for any hint of what has become of her. Weary from the sleepless nights on his quest, no longer able to stay awake, Edmond falls into a dream before her headstone and there obtains clues from Alexandra as to her whereabouts.

Haunted all the while by a malevolent spirit, Edmond follows the trail that Alexandra left for him and enters the underworld, only to learn that he has been there before, and in fact, quite often. But more, he discovers how he is to blame for Alexandra's disappearance.

A dark literary novel rich in imagery, Discussion of a Decent Dream unearths the consequences of a child's decision to surrender his heart in exchange for unholy power and transcendent knowledge.

Discussion of a Decent Dream is a Finalist in Britain's Wishing Self Book Awards in the Adult category.

Excerpt

I had seen in dream that which appeared before me, a gloriously lined whirlwind of black. It exhibited itself as odd, twitchy, yet with cohesion, both beautiful and horrible at once, as if the core of this being eclipsed an otherwise unseen dawn. The vapor then solidified and took the form of a man, though its feet made no impression in the sand.

It warmed to me, expressing in that charred face such familiarity and delight. Even for my instinctive recoil, I made no real retreat, for I again wanted to hear it speak.

Interview

Do you ever wish you were someone else?

I don’t, because I don’t much care for other people. I think it would be odd not being me. There’s already enough confusion in my mind, and suddenly being someone else would promote a dissociative crisis that I and they would probably never recover from. It’s best to deal with your own issues and avoid placing on one’s self the mess of the life of another.

What did you do on your last birthday?

I am a bit of a foodie, so I cooked for friends.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

I used to dread editing but was taught by my line editor that this is where the magic happens, and this is true. The change that took place with Discussion from the first draft to the second was mind-blowing. Editing notes challenged me to elevate each piece of the work. Now I only dread the marketing that follows, answering questions like this, and shouting out to strangers to look at my work.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I either don’t have this problem at all, or I have it all the time. My process is a little different than the prescribed norm. I do a lot of work in my head, settling into scene and character, processing the visions/daydreams that take over. So, I am not a writer who writes some minimum word count every day. I do think about the work each day, but I only write when I am totally immersed. Some would say that this is writers block, but I consider it part of the process. Instead of lamenting a lack of process, I see it as necessary for my style.

Tell us about your latest release.

Discussion of a Decent Dream was released in April of 2018. It’s my first novel. It was inspired by a dream I had about a girl I was dating at the time. She had died, and through a series of paintings, her sister explained to me what had happened. The paintings depicted a demon chasing her through her dreams as a lion, and when it caught her, it ate her and was able to take her soul into hell.

One night, around the same time, as I wandered through my mind as I was falling asleep, I explored some great thoughts that I told myself I should write down, lest I forget them. But I didn’t get up, and of course, the next morning I had forgotten all of them. I sat on the couch with my coffee and legal pad and pen and brainstormed for any hint of what the thoughts were about. The result was the introduction of Vigil, originally in Chapter One, now moved to Chapter Two, with him in exile in the underworld for some, as yet, unknown transgressions.

I label the work as Dark Literary. When I say Dark Fantasy people get mad, expecting brain candy that they can consume in a few hours. Discussion has a depth and a truth, it is a story that compels one to think, and this can make some genre readers uncomfortable. Some try to read it too quickly, as one would a genre novel, and this doesn’t work. Discussion is meant to be savored at a conversational pace. At about 250 pages, it’s on the shorter side for a novel, so taking your time isn’t a major commitment, and this will aid the reader in grasping all of the subtleties, which would be missed with a pan-and-scan speed-reading session. I warn potential readers that a speed-read will result in literary brain freeze. I am not long winded, rather the opposite. The story is quite lean, and it is a story that can’t be guided by the reader, as some try to do. Let it take you where it wants to, and you will be rewarded.

Thanks...

About the Author

E. Curtis draws on personal experiences of the otherworldly for his writing. Through dreams, visions, and waking encounters, his exposure to darkness has motivated him to detail what he has come to know of the preternatural. While a few short pieces have been published on an online literary magazine, Discussion of a Decent Dream is his first novel.

Website: http://discussthedream.com/

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The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.

Buy link: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BTHW1SY/

Giveaway

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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