"On Halloween night in Deer Creek, Kansas, Jake Victor, Ashley and Ashton Gemini, and Kristin Grace convince Ronnie Smalls to meet them at the town cemetery, which local folklore has always rumored to be the Gateway to Hell. Their intention was only to scare him, but soon the wicked prank becomes actual horror as the group learns the Gateway is all too real. After demons snatch Ronnie and drag him to Hell, the terrified foursome vow to keep what they had seen a secret.
Two years later, the group receives a mysterious letter, an invite to play a high-stakes game in Hell. If they win, they release Ronnie’s soul as well as their own from eternal damnation. If they lose, they are stuck in Hell forever. Choosing to play, they face nightmare after nightmare as each level escalates in intensity and forces them to face the seven deadly sins.
Inspired by the legends of the Gateway to Hell in Stull, Kansas, Hell’s Game explores the cruelty that teenagers can inflict upon each other as well as the horrors that exist amongst mankind. It is a dark, action-packed young adult novel that will both scare its readers and make them question the true meaning of evil"-Goodreads.
Tell us five things about yourself that most people
might not know.
TL:
- I grew up in Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Last year, I adopted a cat named Paige,
and I renamed her Paige Turner because I’m a bookworm!
- When I was in middle school, I owned and
read the entire Goosebumps
series from R.L. Stine.
- The book The Shrine at Altamira by John L’Herueux inspired me to write
fiction.
- I was the president of the pre-law fraternity in college, but I never ended up attending law school. I went to film school instead!
FBL: Your cat's name is the coolest ever. Just sayin'.
What audience would enjoy reading Hell’s Game?
TL: Hell’s Game
follows a group of popular teenagers who are forced to play a high-stakes game
in Hell after they play a mean prank on the school nerd. As the group moves
from level to level in the game, the settings intensify, and each level is a
manifestation of one of the seven deadly sins. I
hope that Hell’s Game can be enjoyed
by lovers of horror and by a broader audience. If YA readers enjoy the writing
of L.J. Smith or Suzanne Collins, they most likely will enjoy Hell’s Game.
FBL: I love new takes on the seven deadly sins! This book sounds right up my alley.
What influences your
story lines and settings?
The Midwest greatly influences my stories and settings. I like to write about real people and examine their psychology. When I write horror, I try to avoid cheap thrills, but instead, I think about what I’m the most afraid of, and I try to bring that out through characters that a lot of people have met in their lives.
The Midwest greatly influences my stories and settings. I like to write about real people and examine their psychology. When I write horror, I try to avoid cheap thrills, but instead, I think about what I’m the most afraid of, and I try to bring that out through characters that a lot of people have met in their lives.
FBL: That sounds like such a great way to write a horror story and actually make it scary.
What are your
favorite horror movies?
My favorite horror film is Frailty, starring Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. It’s very
creepy, and the audience has no idea where the story will go. I like horror
that genuinely surprises, and Frailty
has one of the best twist endings I have ever seen. I also like Rosemary’s Baby, Silence of the Lambs, and
The Craft.
FBL: Frailty blew my mind the first time I saw it. The ending completely took me by surprise.
What is the main message that you’d like your readers
to take away from Hell’s Game?
Every character in Hell’s Game is affected by some form of
evil, whether it’s harm inflicted by another person or harm inflicted by a
supernatural force, and those evil acts create a negative ripple effect in
everyone’s lives. The main message I wanted to share was that those who see or
know of evil acts and do nothing are just as guilty as those who committed the
crime. Hell’s Game is very much a
morality tale that I hope will influence its readers into doing the right
thing.
FBL: Thank you so much for the interview, Teresa! I cannot wait to dig into Hell's Game! I'm always looking for a good horror novel and yours sounds perfect.
You can check out Teresa's website and Goodreads page for more information on Hell's Game. And then head over to Amazon to purchase it for your Kindle.
Hell’s Game on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Game-ebook/dp/B007S3HYTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333928392&sr=8-1
Hell’s Game on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13584901-hell-s-game
Haha - Paige Turner!!! What an awesome name - I'm still laughing! :D
ReplyDeleteThat cracked me up when I read it too!
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