There are now two of me—one is the “Stephen King of gay horror” and that me writes books like IM, A Demon Inside, Blood Sacrifice, and 
Deadly Vision. This Stephen King character is grizzled, bearded, and grumpy. You don’t want to meet up with him in a dark alley.
The other me is much lighter, in terms of psyche. That me is a gay romance writer. This guy, who is clean-shaven, has a smile for everyone, and is generally in a good mood, writes love stories like Chaser, Tricks, Beau and the Beast, and Caregiver.
These two me’s have seldom been left alone in a room together and when they have, they have managed to produce books that are a hybrid of the two, books like The Blue Moon Café and Bashed. Those two books combine the sometimes-at-odds with the other combination of horror and romance.
For the first time ever, the two me’s sat down in a café in Seattle’s free-spirited Fremont neighborhood (neutral territory because the horror me likes the big troll statue living under one end of the Aurora 
Bridge—see picture). In order to keep things, um, straight, the following interview uses HM to indicate Horror Me and RM to indicate Romance Me. And yes, you can romance me, anytime….
HM: So what are you doing here? Must you show up everywhere I want to be? Christ, I can’t get a moment by myself.
RM: Sorry, but it’s a free country. I can be anywhere I want. What’s that? A cappuccino?
HM (rolls eyes): It’s a black coffee. Drip.
RM: Well, I’m having the crème brulee latte.
HM: You would (snorts).
RM: I detect a note of disdain here.
HM: Well, there’s more than a note, Miss. Why are you sitting down at my table? Did I invite you?
RM: No, but I belong here as much as you do.
HM: Getting back to the disdain, I have disdain for you because you are taking over my personality and stealing my reputation. Before you happened along with your little love stories, I was doing quite well for myself writing about blood, gore, and things that go bump in the night. 
You know, mapping out nightmare territory. I had my author photos taken in cemeteries. People knew me for throwing a good scare into them.
RM: And they still know you for that, which is something you’d realize if you took a good, hard look at yourself. But I am here to tell you there is room for more than one writer under this rapidly-thinning head of hair.
HM: But why? Why romance? It’s the antithesis of everything I stand for.
RM: Not really. Romance, like horror, is ultimately about strong emotion. Fear, like love, is universal. So, we are not as different as you’d like to think.
HM: I’m not so sure about that. I write about people being killed, people being haunted, monsters, ghouls. I don’t see how that’s much like your la-di-da romance tales.
RM: Think of the emotions involved. The rising sense of excitement, the increased heart rate and perspiration, the breathlessness. All of those are present with both fear and passion.
HM: Okay, I get it. I get it. But does that mean you still have to step on my toes? You’re ruining my reputation.
RM: Just like with love, sweetheart, there’s room for variety, for harmony. I think we can coexist.
HM: But you seem so much more powerful lately. Just look at the books that have come from you over the past year.
RM: You’re right.
HM: Why is that?
RM (pausing to consider and take a sip of his latte): Maybe it’s because I’ve reached a different place in my life. I’ve reached a place where the stories I want to tell are about something other than the terror that life can bring, but the joy that life can bring, too.
See, for years, when you were really my dominant force, I was consumed with finding love in my own life. And I came close many times, but for one reason or another, it never worked out. That is, until I met Bruce. He was the one. The perfect fit. The soul mate. The one with whom I can’t imagine not spending the rest of my days.
Once I was secure in my own personal romance, only then was I free to write about others’. Does that make sense? I needed to confront my fears (not just the ghastly, curl-your-hair ones), but the ones about being alone, about maybe never making that connection that was more than just passion, but family.
HM doesn’t say anything for a long while. He sips his coffee and eyes me, like I’m some sort of alien—not the illegal kind, but an invader from another planet. The kind he might write about. For a moment, I am afraid, he will fling the coffee into my face, but then a strange thing happens—he begins to fade away, just like the ghosts in the stories he used to pen.
Just as he’s about to disappear completely, he stops in mid-transformation and eyes me.
HM: I get you. You were who I always wanted to be. But, although I am fading away before your very eyes, I am not disappearing.
I am merging with you.
###
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© Rick R. Reed, 2013, all rights reserved
It’s amazing what finding “the one” can do to a person. If it happens in romance, (really happens so I as the reader can buy it), I swoon. But if it happens in real life, its SO much better than in romance… hearing stories as yours and Bruces has me, as the saying goes, squeeze a little tear in the corner of my eye from sympathetic happiness. Thanks for sharing–and for not having HM totally disappear from your stories. I, for one, would miss him.
Thanks, Feliz. Who knew finding “the one” could make such a difference in one’s writing?
😀 😀 😀 😀
Thank you very much 😎
So Rick
Is this (RM and HM) like living in someone else’s body? This is fascinating.
Obviously the change you describe in your writing is as a result of having Bruce in your life, but even acknowledging that event I still think that the transformation is quite remarkable. He must be really proud of you. :biglove:
It’s all about harmony–bringing the disparate parts of self together to live without too much tension under one roof. That’s what I’m working on right now, in many ways.
Hey, one can never have too many Rick Reeds. Well-done and informative piece, as always.
Thanks, Dorien.
RRR:
Thanks for calling this to my attention.
I’ve enjoyed both of these guys.
As ever,
CS 🙂
I am not even going to get into how many have “enjoyed” both of us.
It’s weird and wonderful how our own personal happiness or unhappiness colors what we write and how we write. Great post, Rick!
I’m a fan of horror romance. Maybe get the guys to collaborate? 8)
Great column. I feel that way many days.
Honey, I HAVE. Blue Moon Cafe, BASHED, How I Met My Man, even A DEMON INSIDE are all romance/horror.
The trick is to keep them collaborating when one just wants to eat the other…preferably as a nice roast.
(again, had those days)
Hilarious and so illuminating. Thanks for ye introduction to the other you.
Got so involved I pictured two physical beings chatting. I do hope that you were in a secluded corner where no one could hear you talking to your other self (little men in white coats don’t you know). I don’t think Bruce did so bad picking you either. Y’all are perfect for each other.
You have to understand the Fremont neighborhood…very laid back, troll statue, statue of Lenin, a neon Rapunzel on the Fremont bridge. No one looks twice at two halves of the same person having a chat.
Oh this was very well done! I loved the byplay between them, and especially the last two paragraphs.
Thanks for letting us know about it. 😀
So…Maybe because my basement office is a little chilly on this cold Canadian January morning, but there were a few goosebumps, there. If it’s any consolation to HM, I like the troll statue, too, and I’m a dyed in the wool romantic. I guess I should thank Bruce for helping you find RM, so I can enjoy your writing without needing to sleep with the light on 🙂
Goosebumps are good, whether in a romantic or a horror context.
Well, I’m glad to know Horny Me isn’t going to disappear forever, some of us would feel deprived.
Very clever, Rick.
…or depraved. Thank you, sir.
Like WSS’s Jets, he’s depraved on account of, he’s deprived!
Awesome insights and helpful. I’m very confused as to why certain elements keep getting into my fiction when I tell them not to show up. Perhaps if I wait, they will begin to behave. 🙂
Don’t count on behavior, misbehavior, perhaps.
Bloody awesome, Rick.
This is bloody awesome, Rick.
Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to stop by. Your comments meant a lot to me.
Not much of a horror fan, have you got any plans to merge your romance side with a sci-fi writer? 😉
Good luck either way tho
Honestly, Majken, I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, so it’s not too likely. But I have learned to never say never….
Hehe, oh well 🙂
I’ll stick to the romances then
Great “self-analysis” 🙂 I wonder how it’s differed, of if it has, for you when you talk to other people about writing. Have you noticed a difference between telling people “i write horror” and “i write romance?” I tend to repress a cringe when i tell mixed company i write “romantic fiction” because they’re probably thinking of crap like Twilight these days.
Not so much. I guess the big difference is, if I mention romance, no one says, “You mean like Stephen King?” as they once did when I said I wrote horror. I guess I’m at a stage, though, in my life that’s beyond worrying about what others think about me. Take me or leave me. This is who I am.