Is Ray Garton Like A Burrito From Taco Bell?

ttzuma · **Joined:** Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:15 pm **Posts:** 13517

Maybe its fate, or synchronicity, or just a coincidence, but it seems like every time I turn around Ray Garton seems to be looking over my shoulder.

I read the re-release of Live Girls last year when Leisure put it out, but to be honest, although I thought it was a good read I didn’t understand why everyone was raving about it. I think it was originally released in the early 90’s so maybe the combination of horror and sex was still new enough back then that it made quite an impression at the time. But like I said, I didn’t think it was anything special so when the sequel came out this year, I put it aside…I have had enough vampire stories to last me a few more years thank you.

Then someone mentioned on the boards, or maybe I just remembered it, that Garton also penned a book called The Loveliest Dead which was also released by Leisure a few years back. I really liked that one, a pretty good ghost story I thought. I love a good ghost story and it doesn’t seem like people want to write them much anymore. My impression of Garton’s work edged up with that remembrance.

Recently I ordered a short story book from Amazon and lo and behold, there was a story in there by Ray Garton. Well, not a story really. It was a chapter of a novel he wrote called Autumn Crucifix that had been censored out when it was released in paperback on Pocket Books in 1988. Well I read the chapter and holy shit! It was nothing like I expected! The action in those 12 pages was fast paced, filled with fraught and tension and the story combined a sense of voyeuristic eroticism and disgust! Just to give you an example, this young teenaged pregnant girl is led to an alter and placed before a cultist/ religious leader. Before a crowd of other teenagers, creatures of some sort, and a pair of her friends spying in on the proceedings, the cult leader begins to sexually arouse the girl which culminates in him giving the girl an abortion with his TONGUE! Like I said…holy shit!

My impression of Ray Garton’s horror writing skyrocketed on just this chapter! I looked him up on line and found out that he had also written some of the stories I’ve read in The Hot Blood series of books. I loved that series and had not read a bad story in any of them! I also found out that he’s written over 50 novels, some of them under the pen name of Joseph Locke (pretty good pen name I think, they must be mysteries, Joseph Locke sounds like a great name for a mystery writer).

He also worked with and then turned against Ed and Lorraine Warren while researching a book on the Amityville Horror and I remembered reading that one all those years ago! And get this…he was given the honor of being named a Grand Master by the HWA! Not only is he prolific, he’s loved and admired by his peers! He's also had some problems with the 7th Day Adventist’s (I think it was them) and he took pains at first to belittle them but has since backed away from that, I think he’s mentioned that on the boards.

And we all know that he has tax problems.

The only thing I read about him that I thought was weird was that he contributed a script or did some writing for the T.V. series Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

So to answer my own question, is Ray Garton like a burrito from Taco Bell? The answer is…in a way yes, because he keeps coming up on me. But in this case that’s not a bad thing. I’m going to search out some of his past novels and give them a try. And even though I hate werewolf novels almost as much as vampire novels, I think I’m going to take Ravenous out from the bottom of the pile and give that a read too.

Laurel in Ely · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:51 pm

Tony. You should pull RAVENOUS from the bottom of the pile and give it a try. I am really enjoying it so far.

Craig Cook · **Joined:** Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:25 pm **Posts:** 5637

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ttzuma · **Joined:** Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:15 pm **Posts:** 13517

Thank God you have a sense of humor Ray! I was worried that you might not have found the title of my post that amusing, and to honest with you, if I'd have know even a portion of all the crap you've gone through in your life, I would not have used such a jovial title.

Man, what you have gone through would have devastated many others. I'm sure there have been much happier times in your life but sometimes the really traumatic ones have a way of overshadowing even the best of times. Not only have you seemed to come out of these horrible periods intact, its sounds like you've become stronger because of it. I was real sad to read of the continuing problems with your parents and sister though; I hope that gets resolved for you sometime.

My wife converted to 7th Day Adventist about 2 years ago. I certainly understand your comments about it being a cult and agree with them, though I have not experienced any of the violence and hate you've gone through. I get tired of listening to how men used to live to be 250 years old and that it was science that caused our life spans to be shortened. And how the earth is only really about 10,000 years old and that its ludicrous to believe we evolved from fish. I could go on and on. The worst part is that she believes that Saturday is the real Sabbath so she refuses to do any work at all on Saturday. No housework, no cooking, nothing. (I love my wife so I put up with it). I can't imagine what you went through growing up and dealing with all of this.

Thanks for clarifying some of the points I got from the internet. What a fascinating career you've had! It only makes me want to read more of your work. After Ravenous, I’ll have to bring up Night Life also.

I’m looking forward to your future projects and congrats on Leisure purchasing your next two novels (can you really write a novel in 6 weeks? June is just around the corner).

Thanks again Ray, I wish you all the luck in the world with your family.

Ttzuma

horrordude · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:01 pm

Listen to Laurel, get reading Ravenous right now. I'm right in the middle of it and I'm going to finish it tonight. It's my first Garton novel and it's made me want to read the rest of his novels. I've never really been a werewolf fan too much, I thought King's Cycle of The Werewolf was great, but never read that many werewolf novels; After Ravenous though, I'd commit to reading the sequel right now- if Ray writes one. Even if werewolves make you laugh, you'll still read this book right through enjoying every word.

Great read, Ray.

Laurel in Ely · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:24 pm

I agree. I am loving this book. Very fast paced and cleaver.
Thanks for a terrific read Ray! I look forward to Bestial.

BTW Tt. Saturday is the Sabbath... any Jew can tell you that.

HugeHorrorFan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:25 pm

So far, I have only read Ray's great vampire novel LIVE GIRLS. I have RAVENOUS lined up for my next read. In my TBR Pile, I still have NIGHT LIFE and THE LOVELIEST DEAD but I am hoping to polish them both this year.

And Ray, I read your response to Tt and man, I am so sorry that you have had such a tough time. Shit man, you not only wrote great horror stories but you also had to live one yourself.

HugeHorrorFan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:54 pm

You know, it is strange that this topic rose from the ashes after I just finished reading a book on the discovery of the LOST GOSPEL OF JUDAS ISCARIOT. I might as well get this off my chest.

I find it utterly disturbing that over our existence people swear, kill, vindicate, and ostracize others in the name of religion. Not a religion of what God truly stands for, but what a few elite people from a couple of millennium ago deemed it to be. “Killing in the name of God” is the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my life, but it is still actively done today.

I think it is important to distinguish between “true” God and following a book that was written generations after the death of Christ. It is merely a view point, a compilation of stories that were told orally for centuries before being written on papyrus. There is no doubt in my mind that by the time the stories were written, they had become embellished or even completely disproportioned to true events. Catholics attest this thought as blasphemy. They believe that the Bible, even though it was written generations after the death of Christ, was written through the Holy Spirit. The actual spirit spoke through and guided the hands of the writer. Hmmm..I will even go with that for a moment.

We don’t know how many Gnostic books were actually written but we do know there are many more than are included in the Bible. Well, I guess if you read THE DAVINCI CODE it is 85 which is a bunch of hogwash. No one knows for sure. When you least expect it, a new one is discovered in some burial ground in the desert somewhere. Regardless, most of the books that we do know about were actively being distributed at the time when the Bible was officially compiled.

My question is: Why were some selected and others considered sacrilegious, completely omitted from the Bible on nothing but opinion? Each religion shaped the Bible to fit a certain belief of what most benefited the success in their religion. How can we truly say we believe in the Bible when it has been manipulated, edited and certains works are completely removed.

Come on…lets try reading ANY other book and remov its parts here and there. What do you get? It is also bad enough that much of the actual meanings from the books are lost through translation.

Even after the Bible was shaped and shoved up our noses, many other stories were still wrongly instilled in us such as Mary Of Magdalene being a prostitute. Why? To make sure women were thought to be temptresses? Another Eve trying to bring Adam down? Please.

It amazes me that one fragmented papyrus in the middle of the desert has turned Christianity and the very meaning of the betrayal of Jesus on its head. The amazement does not come from having found such a document, but that it can discredit a religion so easily.

What do religions that greatly profit from the Bible do (I am referring it specifically to Catholicism here)? They expunge the document and call it blasphemy like they have always done. On absolutely no basis at all.

Anyway, my point is how can we truly believe in the Bible, if the complete story that we read has been tempered with. For me to make form a credible opinion on a subject, I need the entire evidence on the table. I need to study each point of view for what it is and assimilate by belief from the facts.

I will be the first to tell you that I do believe in such a thing as an all knowing, powerful God. The existence of life is so complicated and so many factors have to be in place at the right time and place, that I find it hard to believe it is a mere coincidence. Religion itself though, is so convoluted that I have to think very carefully of what it is telling me before believing. This is man’s error, not God’s.

ttzuma · **Joined:** Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:15 pm **Posts:** 13517

A very good post Paulo. I share the same feelings as you so eloquently put down.

Tt

Nanci · **Joined:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:48 am **Posts:** 4992

The bible is greatest work of FICTION ever written IMHO

Laurel in Ely · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:45 pm

And Jesus is the most misquoted Rabbi of all time.

DGM · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:43 pm

DGM · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:48 pm

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Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:41 pm

I am a Christian, and go to church most every Sunday. I do believe in God, Jesus and The Bible, and I always will. Many of the people there know that I love to read and write horror, and they don't seem to have a problem with it. I don't get into long discussions about it there or anything, but I don't feel I'm treated any differently because it. It all comes down to the individual people. From what I've learned from church, God doesn't want us to judge people or anything like that. that's his job. Some groups or individuals try and alter what The Bible says to fit there own desires, which is where the problems come in.

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DGM · **Posted:** Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:21 pm

Is Ray Garton Like A Burrito From Taco Bell?

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