Stalker Blog Blitz: Nicki Scalise

Nicki Scalise Guest Post

In Damaged People, the characters Jules and Marc, made their first appearance in another short story of mine, Little Tchotchkes.  A few readers expressed interest in wanting to know more about these two crazy kids and I was happy to oblige. When the call for Stalkers submissions went out, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tell more of their story.

The original inspiration for Jules came from a conversation I had with someone about a situation that happened to a friend. I elaborated, of course, but the basic premise was about a homeschooled girl who developed crush on the boy next door and made a phone call some years later, that left the boy feeling a little unsettled.

When writing Jules, I imagined someone who had been sheltered her entire life, and therefore, had become slightly socially awkward. Without much in the way of people skills, I thought that it wouldn’t be hard for someone, of that nature, to latch onto the tiniest kindness or morsel of attention.  Then I took that idea and ran with it.  As such, I found writing this character a lot of fun. She’s weird and clearly unhinged, but I found her to be almost endearing in her insanity. I hope readers will too.

Excerpt Damaged People

Jules got up to order another cappuccino. There was a line at the counter that was being held up by a middle-aged soccer mom who couldn’t decide between a Mocha or a vanilla latte. Jules had a strong urge to grab her by the back of the head and slam her face into the counter. She let out a snort-giggle at the mental image it drew. She coughed to cover it so she didn’t look like a mental patient standing in line, laughing about seemingly nothing.

She wasn’t sure where the hostile thought sprang from, but she continued to entertain it nonetheless. After she slammed the woman’s face onto the counter, she would then ram her head through the bakery case. She’d yank the woman out of the case by her hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck. There would be shards of glass everywhere. She’d pick up a large one and run it across…

“You’re next.” The young man in line behind Jules tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the awaiting barista.

About the author

Nicki Scalise lives in Colorado with her husband, Jon. They share their home with four dogs and a chinchilla. When not busy dealing with the chaos her four-legged critters bring, she spends her time meeting new book boyfriends, re-watching Firefly, and gazing out the window at the scenic mountain landscape… or staring at the wall. Prayer for the Dead, Book one of the Revenants in the Purgatory series, is her debut novel.

                                         

Stalkers: A Collection of  Thriller Stories

Edited and compiled by Cynthia Shepp and Rene Folsom

Anthology

eBook and paperback, 498 pages

Purchase: Amazon Kindle Paperback  

**The Kindle edition of STALKERS is ON SALE for $.99 until February 27!**

Shadows follow you in the darkness of the night and the eerie sensation of being watched crawls up your spine. Your sanity pulls apart at the seams as the terrors stalk their victims, leaving you too frightened to turn off the light.

These twisted stories will leave you breathless, dreading the horrors lurking around the corner.

Seventeen authors. Seventeen tales of terror. Infinite nightmares.
STALKERS.

Watch your back.

Stories featured in this anthology:
- Every Thorn by Rene Folsom
- Dead Ringer by Jason Brant
- Autumn by Elizabeth Collins
- Don’t Kiss the Dead Fred by A.E. Killingsworth
- Affliction by S.L. Dearing
- Lucid by Andrea Stanet
- Donations by Bart Hopkins
- Bernice by Chad Foutz
- Destination: Death by Eaton Thomas Palmer
- Powerless by Laurie Treacy
- Freezer Burn by Jon Messenger
- The Watcher by Lindy Spencer
- Immortal Luck by Magen McMinimy
- Izzy’s Assassin by Nicole Clark
- Say My Name by Michael Loring
- Damaged People by Nicki Scalise
- Blog Stalker by Phil Taylor

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