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Wax & Wane Contributor Spotlight: Kevin M. Folliard

by Jan 13, 2016Contributors, Interviews0 comments

Kevin M. Folliard
KevinMFolliard

Kevin M. Folliard is a Chicagoland fiction writer with a degree in English and creative writing from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. His published fiction includes scary stories collections Christmas Terror Tales and Valentine Terror Tales, and adventure novels for 12 and up such as Jake Carter & the Nightmare Gallery, Violet Black & the Curse of Camp Coldwater, and Jimmy Chimaera & the Temple of Champions. Folliard’s work has appeared in Sanitarium Magazine, and he has also developed films and web series for the Champaign-based studio Neon Harbor, including the acclaimed video game parody Press Start series.

www.KevinFolliard.com

Wax & Wane: Hour of the Owl

 

What is your story about?
In “Hour of the Owl,” Jean’s estranged son Wesley returns home to the family orchard with an unusual new bride named Ava. Ava is a slender, ageless woman with bird-like features and a nocturnal schedule. She quickly charms the men in Jean’s family and spends copious amounts of time performing strange rituals in the barn at night. Soon Jean begins to suffer nightmares about owls and a shadowy entity named Stryxus who seeks to claim her son. The story is about a mother’s unconditional love struggling against both the figurative and literal dark forces which have fractured her family.

What do you like most about witches?

Witches have eclectic personalities and talents. Just like all people, they have equal potential for good or evil, but their choices become more interesting due to their otherworldly connections. We all have some measure of power in life, but witches externalize that power in awe-inspiring or horrific ways. In compelling witch tales, the scope of their choices makes the scale of consequences ripe for miracles or disasters.
Who is your favorite fictional or legendary witch, and why?

Growing up, I loved Roald Dahl’s novel The Witches. Dahl’s witches were fascinating for being so unapologetically ruthless. They walked among us, and you had to understand their strange ticks and quirks to spot them and stay safe. I loved that Dahl never sugar-coated his tales or sheltered his young readers from horror. He allowed his witches to be frightening and stressed grave consequences and high stakes for children unlucky enough to cross their paths.
Would you rather be a good witch or a wicked witch? Why?

I would probably be a good witch with a mild selfish-streak. I’d mostly use my powers and influence to help people, but every now and then, I’ll bet temptation would get the better of me and I’d do something just slightly devilish to make a worthwhile point.
What’s up next for you?

I have a growing stash of scary stories up my sleeves for future anthologies, collections, and magazines. Currently, I am planning a sequel to my book Christmas Terror Tales and working on two middle-grade sci-fi adventure novels. Readers can keep track of my new releases and publications at www.KevinFolliard.com.
Wax & Wane: A Gathering of Witch Tales

Wax & Wane: A Gathering of Witch Tales

Whether wicked or whimsical, few folkloric figures are as iconic as the witch. Wax & Wane: A Gathering of Witch Tales serves up 30 spellbinding stories of witches that are enchanting and terrifying, amusing and enticing. Classic or eclectic, fantastical or historical, these witch tales are a literary incantation to delight any fans of witches and witchcraft.

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