Guest Post – Twin Peaks by Tom Becker

Throughout the month of October myself and the lovely Heather over at  heatherreviews.wordpress.com  thought we would team up and do a read along with some spooky reads!

We have both been enjoying the Red Eye series published by Stripes Publishing this year so thought these would be ideal for a spooky read along!

Everyone is welcome to join in!

We have a hash tag on twitter where you can keep up to date on our progress and tweet out yours – #RedEyeReadAlong

We also have a Goodreads Group set up for the occasion for even more discussion and to comfort each other when we get scared – you can find the group here

As part of the read along the lovely people at Stripes and the brilliant Red Eye authors have agreed to play along with a weekly spooky guest post throughout the read along!

And today is extra special as this post is also part of the Halloween Red Eye Blog Tour!

Today I am honoured to have the wonderful Tom Becker, author of Dark Room, talking to me about Twin Peaks   !

**cries for Mommy**

The camera never lies…Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start. But when they wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having visions. The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy…until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. With a killer on the loose, can she make sense of what she’s seeing before it’s too late?

Twin Peaks

When I was young I watched Twin Peaks on TV, and the show’s eerie, surreal atmosphere had the most incredible impact upon me.  I’m not sure I’ve been as scared by a book, film or programme since.

The main reason for this was Killer Bob, a murderous demon that dwelt beneath the surface of the apparently sleepy town.

For me the best (or worst) Bob scene takes place in the spin-off film, Fire Walk With Me.

High-school student Laura Palmer returns to her home in the middle of the day having received a mysterious warning – and from the first shot of the house lurching up in front of her, you really don’t want her going inside. She creeps into the house to find the downstairs rooms empty. Fans turn slow circles upon the ceiling. The feeling of dread is even worse because this is Laura’s own house, where she should be safe. The staircase is so narrow it almost feels like it’s shrinking around her as she goes upstairs. By the time Laura reaches her bedroom you know there’s something terrible in there, and you’re willing her to get out. Instead she pushes her bedroom door open an inch at a time, to find Killer Bob hunched by her dresser, where Laura hides her diary. She screams – Bob roars. Sobbing, Laura races out of the house and hides in the garden.

But the full horror of her encounter is yet to come…

About Tom Becker

Since Tom Becker learned to hold a pen, he wanted to become a writer. In fact, when he was 5 years old, he wrote in a notebook that it was his dream was to be an author. Aged 25, Tom has realised that dream with publication of his first novel, Darkside in January 2007.

Tom’s early enthusiasm for books and reading was encouraged by his parents who were voracious readers. Their family home was cluttered with bookcases and piles of novels. Tom spent most of his childhood curled up in an armchair reading fantasy novels by Brian Jacques, and later graduated to grown-up novels by David Eddings and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Tom studied History at Oxford University and was struck by the otherworld-ly atmosphere of this academic institution. He used to spend long days studying and reading in the University library and always felt intrigued by the atmosphere there – perhaps that is why a library is such an important setting in Darkside.

Tom started writing Darkside in 2005, it took him three months to complete and he is now working on more books in the series. He drew inspiration from film noirs such as The Asphalt Jungle and The Big Sleep (hence the glasshouse scene in Darkside), and comicbook writers such as Alan Moore.

Aside from reading, Tom’s big love in life is music. He is still reeling from the break-up of his two favourite bands, Rocket From the Crypt and Sleater-Kinney. Tom’s other passions include supporting Everton Football Club and consisting on a diet of fry-ups and fish fingers.

Find out more about Tom Becker on his website here or follow him on twitter using @Tbeckerlegge

Check out my previous Q&A with Tom Becker here

Check out a #RedEyeReadAlong Q&A with Tom Becker here

You can also find out more about the RedEyeReadAlong here and the Dark RoomRead Along here which includes details of the weekly challenge.

A huge thank you to Tom for stopping by and for Jen at Stripes for organising this with us!

Do join in using the has tag on twitter #RedEyeReadAlong and why not join the Goodreads Group here

You can follow me on twitter using @ChelleyToy or Heather using @hlwrites0490

Happy Halloween!