Never Judge a Book by its Cover

I am often asked what inspires me to write the stories I do. With most of them being either speculative fiction, supernatural horror, or a blending of the two, people are surprised when I say, “My own life experiences.” My first release, “Abigail” focuses on an orphaned baby girl, with violet reptilian eyes, grey scales, and tiny horns on her forehead. Most people think it was a random idea that I ran with, and while that may be true to some extent, there is also a big part of myself in this book as well.

It starts with observation, at least that was the case with “Abigail”. The story is about Adrian Billard, a gay man who has been marginalized and bullied as a child for being different. Adrian’s experiences have affected him so deeply he has nearly given up on the idea of ever finding a love of his own. That is until he meets Dr. Michael Ezekiel, and on what should be the happiest night of Adrian’s life, his world is turned upside down. He finds a baby on his front steps; only Abigail is unlike any other baby. Not only does she look different, but she also possesses a strange gift. So where is the real-life experience and the observation that inspired such a tale? Well, that’s a story in itself.

To be honesty, I wrote “Abigail” while I was incarcerated for mistakes I had made while in the grips of addiction. (Ten years sober this year, thank you) I lived with men from varying ethnic backgrounds and different sexual identities. While I was there, I noticed that those who identified as homosexual or trans were marginalized by other men who also came from marginalized backgrounds. This affected me deeply, we were all marginalized in some way, yet some more so than others. It inspired me to write about it.

On the surface, “Abigail” looks like a horror story; the book has a creepy cover, and because of that you might be inclined to draw a conclusion. But you would be judging the book by its cover and would be remiss to do so. Adrian has grown up in a world that treats him different because he is gay; when he meets Abigail, he judges her based on her appearance. It’s an observation from my own life experience, and there is a message to be gained if you are open to.

“Abigail” takes a hard look at racism, bigotry, and homophobia; very real horrors that plague our society. Also, the surprise twist comes out of nowhere and will leave you with a sense of hope for the future. That’s a rare take away from a horror story and good reason why you should never judge a book by its cover.