With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.
The Dead Sky Morning Trailer
The Making of the Trailer
Book trailers are popping up everywhere these days, from high-budget, cinematic versions to simple title cards and public domain music. It’s a dicey experiment, one that some authors believe translate into book sales, while others think they are a waste of time and money. After making trailers for my first two Experiment in Terror novels, Darkhouse and Red Fox, I think book trailers are somewhere in the middle. Anything you put out there helps to market and create exposure for your novel – but whether it generates actual sales, well that remains to be seen.
Regardless, for my third book, Dead Sky Morning, I wanted something a little different. The novel is set off the coast of British Columbia – where I happen to live – on an actual island you can sail to. Well, sort of. See, D’Arcy Island is as inhospitable in real life as it is in my novel, so I had to settle for a quick jaunt to a closer, safer island. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…
I treated Dead Sky Morning’s trailer like a mini horror movie and a great way for a bunch of my extremely creative friends to showcase their talents and gain experience in the process. Kelly has a degree in film and has worked on various student projects and decided to take on the dedicated task of directing. Molly works as a PA and editor down in Los Angeles, and flew up here with equipment to act as director of photography and the editor. Kelly’s husband Alex is a chef…he handled the lights. And tent set-up! The gorgeous Talar (playing Perry) is a theatre actress, looking to take on more film roles. Scott (playing Dex) is a singer and musician who had just moved to Vancouver from Montreal and thought the project would be a great way to meet people (it was). And Bret, well EIT artist Bret thought playing Ranger Bill would make him the most badass ranger in town (it did).
As for me? Well, aside from locations and script, I honestly didn’t do too much. I mean, my work was done when I wrote the book. But I can tell you I did a good job of running down the dock and scaring away seagulls whose loud cries were interrupting the shoot.
Speaking of the shoot, I enlisted the help of my father, Captain Sven, who took us out on his sailboat to a small, remote island to spend a few hours shooting the majority of the scenes. Fortunately, unlike the island in the book, this one did not have zombies and rabid raccoons running around. We’re all very gracious for his time and energy, and unlike the time we shot Darkhouse, no one lost their lunch over the side of the boat.
The second day of shooting was also quite interesting. I scouted a beautiful grove in Vancouver’s Stanley Park to act as the island’s interior scenes. Little did I realize, we were actually filming in some sort of secret sex spot where gay men go to hook up. I’m not kidding. That was the most interesting couple of hours ever, as man after man could be seen wandering amidst the trees, wondering when we were going to wrap up filming so they could get back to their “activities.”
After the shoot was done, Molly and Kelly went through the long and challenging task of editing. Then came the music, courtesy of Raissa who is currently doing a music degree in New Zealand. As you can see, the Dead Sky Morning trailer is a collaboration of many different creative individuals from many different countries, all of whom I am proud to call my friends.
And now for the GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate the long-awaited release of the trailer, I’m teaming up with Bookish Babes to offer a giveaway of four signed Experiment in Terror paperbacks to any reader within North America, as well as this exclusively-designed tank top in any size (don’t worry, the graphic will make sense when you read Dead Sky Morning).
*aside from Andrea: It makes PERFECT sense.*
Also, Darkhouse is now FREE on Kindle for January 3- 4th till midnight! Pick up your copy on Amazon HERE (link to http://experimentinterror.com/2012/01/02/darkhouse-free-on-kindle-jan-3-4th/ )
So, you ask, how do you win all of this awesome. Easy. Fill the form below and tweet your little hearts out. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
