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| [image courtesy of morguefile] |
A few years ago, as a participant in Yolanda Renee's blog tour to promote her book The Snowman, I had the dubious honor of using my handy-dandy Flight of Fancy gizmo to go to the Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska, to interview the creepy-as-hell serial killer Stowie Jenkins, AKA the Snowman. (You can find that earlier interview HERE.)
Well, this time, I didn't sign up to be an official part of her current tour to promote her newest book Murder, Just Because, but it's my pleasure to help her unofficially, because I love HER and I love her book. But ain't no way I'm going back to interview that psycho. Nuh-uh. It was scary enough interviewing that psychopath when he was behind bars, but now, after ten years in the joint, he's escaped, and he's even scarier than before.
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| [image courtesy of unsplash] |
I returned to the handy-dandy Gizmo store and purchased a special attachment for my Flight of Fancy gizmo. It allows me to be... invisible. Ta DA! Pretty smart for an old broad, huh?
Besides, there was no need for me to do an interview this time, anyway, because professional journalist Denise Cochran already did that in the book. In her family's secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. (Yeah, she's a lot braver than I am.)
But, ya see, the actual give-and-take of the interview isn't included in the book, so I'm gonna take another Flight of Fancy trip just for you guys, so I can observe the interview unseen and tell you all about it. (You're welcome.)
And awaaaaaay we go...
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Wow! This is some cabin! Cozy and homey, with a nice fire burning in the fireplace. But where the heck is Denise? The creep's over there sitting in a classy-looking wing-backed chair, as if he owned the place... and a number of cameras are pointed in his direction... but no Denise. So what gives? She must be one smart cookie. Obviously smarter than I am...
DENISE'S VOICE: Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you today, Mr. Jenkins, but I'm curious. Would you mind telling our audience why you agreed to it?
ME: (rolling my eyes) Oh puhleeeze. The creep's a publicity slut. Duh.
STOWY: (grinning into one of the cameras) You can call me Stowy... or Stone. Mr. Jenkins was my old man's name. (He sweeps the room with ice cold blue eyes, pausing for a beat too long as he looks in my direction. The hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention and a chill dances up my spine. He can't see me, he can't see me, he can't see me... can he? Then he looks back into the camera, allowing me to breathe again.) Thank you for hosting me, Ms. Cochran, but I must say, as much as I appreciate being here in your lovely cabin, I'm more than a little disappointed you aren't actually here with me. I’ve always admired your beauty and your honesty. It would've been so nice to see you... (He grins again.) in the... flesh.
DENISE'S VOICE: Yeah, well, I appreciate that, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. No point in taking any chances. So why did you agree to come?
STOWY: (shrugging) I suppose I can't blame you for not wanting to entertain the Snowman face-to-face, but like I said, I admire you, so I would never hurt you. (He pauses for a moment before continuing. Then he gazes into a camera with a pseudo sincere aw shucks look on his face.) I agreed to talk to you so I could assure your devoted listeners that I mean them no harm. My only quarrel is with those people who did me wrong.
DENISE'S VOICE: Is that so? And how exactly have any of those people wronged you, Stowy?
STOWY: (eyes widening and voice rising) Are you kidding? They sent me to prison! For ten years of unmitigated hell. No man should have to endure that kind of treatment, especially me!
DENISE'S VOICE: Wait a second. Let me get this straight. Isn't it an established fact that you killed those women?
STOWY: Well, technically, yes, but my mother tortured and molested me for years, and she's the real murderer here, not me. I think of myself as more of an... artist.
DENISE'S VOICE: I see. Are you saying your mother controlled you... that she made you kill?
STOWY: (with a humorless snort) Not at all. The stupid cow wasn't even aware of my hobby, but when I was nine years old, I saw her kill my father. She fed him her special chicken soup, and then she just stood there watching while he convulsed and died. Then she winked at me, tucked him into bed as if he were merely sleeping, and then waited an hour before calling the paramedics.
DENISE'S VOICE: I see...
STOWY: No, you DON'T see! (He leans toward the camera, his eyes wide and unblinking.) I'm telling you the old bat was a homicidal maniac! She killed Winnie's mother the same way. (He sits back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest.) She's the one who should have been in prison. Not me.
DENISE'S VOICE: This is all news to me. Did any of this information come out at your
trial?
STOWY: HA! What trial? There was no trial. That was a kangaroo court. A travesty of justice! They put me away for life, and then added ten more life sentences on top of that. I was railroaded.
DENISE'S VOICE: But your mother is dead now, right?
STOWY: (Looking straight at me, he grins broadly, his eyes and white teeth sparkling in the bright lights.) Yesssss, she is.
ME: (With a sudden overpowering urge to run out the door and into the Alaskan wilderness... or at least, back home to do the laundry.) Holy crap. Can he see me? I hiccup and he furrows his brow in my direction. Shaking, I fumble in my pocket for the gizmo control. Where in the...
ME: (With a sudden overpowering urge to run out the door and into the Alaskan wilderness... or at least, back home to do the laundry.) Holy crap. Can he see me? I hiccup and he furrows his brow in my direction. Shaking, I fumble in my pocket for the gizmo control. Where in the...
STOWY: And I must say, it was one of my most enjoyable kills.
ME: I'm outta here!!! (I just remembered... my fella's in desperate need of clean socks...) Sorry, but if you want to know how the rest of the interview went, you'll have to read the book and figure it out for yourselves.
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ME: I'm outta here!!! (I just remembered... my fella's in desperate need of clean socks...) Sorry, but if you want to know how the rest of the interview went, you'll have to read the book and figure it out for yourselves.
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Murder, Just Because
Short Blurb:
The Snowman is back, and as his bloody rampage continues, terrified Alaskans increasingly doubt Quaid’s abilities. In a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, Jenkins starts picking off the people in Quaid’s life… and drawing closer to the most important person in Quaid’s life...his wife. The Snowman’s cruelty knows no bounds, but the object of his hate knows no fear!
Tagline:
The Snowman’s cruelty knows no bounds, but the object of his hate knows no fear.
Bio:
Looking for a new adventure, Renee recently moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A storyteller from a very early age, an avid reader, and with an education and background in business and accounting, becoming a writer only made sense. And writing mysteries pure logic.
More titles from Yolanda:
MURDER, JUST BECAUSE
LINKS
Author Links:
Email: yolandarenee@hotmail.com
If you enjoy chilling thrilling books, look no farther. This one will definitely fill the bill. So, for that matter, will all of Ms. Renee's books. While you're hunkered down during this pandemic, you might as well cower under the covers with a good book or two, eh? (But pssstt! It's best to read them during the day...)
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
P.S. I hope y'all are doing well. Turns out, I WILL be taking the rest of this month off, and I WILL be writing. After reading my poor neglected manuscript, I decided it's just might be worth finishing, after all. So I'll see you guys next month. Take care, y'all!
