Tales That Will Leave You Hanging

Most of the tales included in this volume deal with various themes in the Horror genre, many of which involve the supernatural and the occult. The movie The Exorcist, deeply influenced the plot lines and themes of many of the stories and poems found here. (I'm still scarred from watching that movie, having seen it on Day 2 of its release. There was no way a 17-year-old naïve kid could have seen what was coming in that one). Add to the fact that since age 10, I have been watching B grade Horror films, and grew up admiring Karloff, Lugosi, Vincent Price et al. With all of this in mind, it may be easy to guess how this book came to fruition.

A demon hunter (protagonist) John Kane is featured in many of the stories, where he finds himself tackling sometimes insurmountable odds versus the demons Morax and/or Green Man. Each story is stand alone, and is generally not connected to any of the others (with one exception involving a villainous monkey god). Also included in this anthology is seven (very dark) poems.

BIOGRAPHY

Start with the psychology of mind . Throw in the macabre. Add a dash of the occult, a twist of terror, and a smattering of humor; and thematically, you have a summation of the works of Bill Evans. Mr. Evans grew up a huge fan of Hitchcock, Karloff, Vincent Price, and "Chilly Billy" Cardille. As a 10-year-old, the boy would be awakened at midnight by his doting father. Awaiting the child in the t.v. room was a carefully prepared 'Chiller Bag', full of carefully assembled treats. Squealing with delight, the young Billy Evans would position himself squarely in front of the 12-inch screen, armed with his delicious snacks. Both father and son guffawed loudly at the antics of host Chilly Billy and the Chiller Theater cast, during the intervals of the horror film B movie double feature. This routine was a Saturday night Evans family tradition for many years. The films, as well as the whole Chiller Theater 'experience', left an indelible impression upon the youngster.

Academically, Mr. Evans is a graduate of Edinboro University of PA. (English, 1977); and of the University of Pittsburgh (Philosophy 1991). Mr. Evans was also an instructor for 5 years at the now defunct Academy of Court Reporting in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa. He specialized in the instruction of Short Story, Speech Communications, and Critical Thinking. Mr. Evans is also an accomplished public speaker. He has been awarded the status of Competent Toastmaster (CTM) and Advanced Toastmaster (ATM) by Toastmasters International.