Blog Archives
Behind the Facade
Eli Pope’s Behind the Facade plunges the reader into a world of visceral storytelling, psychological exploration, and an unsettling confrontation with human darkness. The novel intertwines tales of personal turmoil, societal critique, and haunting violence. From the first chapter, where the protagonist narrowly avoids a catastrophic encounter with a falling body, Pope establishes a tone that is as unpredictable as it is unnervingly immersive.
Pope’s writing crackles with energy, painting vivid, sometimes grotesque imagery. For instance, the opening sequence, with its description of blood misting upward, is both shocking and magnetizing. It’s the kind of scene that demands the reader’s full attention. Pope’s prose doesn’t shy away from discomfort. This rawness helps build an atmosphere where anything feels possible, making the novel gripping yet challenging to digest at times.
The protagonist’s internal monologues are a striking mix of cynicism and sorrow, giving life to themes like the loss of individuality in an increasingly technological society. Passages such as the critique of modern connectivity and its alienating effects resonate deeply, though they occasionally veer into heavy-handedness. The character’s disdain for societal decay is balanced by moments of moving vulnerability, like their reflections on lost love and shattered dreams.
Pope’s exploration of identity is another highlight. The author deftly examines how trauma and grief can reshape a person. The protagonist’s increasing detachment from reality symbolized by vivid dreams and unsettling acts feels both horrifying and tragic.
Behind the Facade, by Eli Pope, is a bold and unapologetic work that explores humanity’s hidden depths. It’s a challenging read but deeply rewarding for those who appreciate gritty, thought-provoking fiction. I’d recommend it to readers drawn to psychological thrillers with philosophical underpinnings and a taste for the unsettling. It’s a book that stays with you, whether you want it to or not.
Pages: 211 | ASIN : B0DMLPHNPR
The Call Home
Eli Pope’s The Call Home, the sixth installment in The Mason Jar Series, presents a complex narrative set in the picturesque Apalachicola. This book intertwines the lives of its characters – Addison, Ethan, Amy Jo, Joyce, and Billy Jay – as it explores the nuanced themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the enduring impact of past deeds. The story seamlessly shifts between the tension of a legal drama, the emotional depth of personal struggles, and the gripping suspense characteristics of a crime thriller, leading to a series of significant revelations.
A notable strength of The Call Home is its detailed character development. Pope adeptly portrays figures such as Ethan, who is battling despair and addiction, and Amy Jo, who confronts her emotional challenges, with a realism that brings depth to their narratives. This detailed characterization ensures that the readers find the characters’ experiences both relatable and meaningful.
The book’s multiple plotlines add a rich complexity to the story, inviting readers to engage deeply as they unravel its intricacies. The setting in Apalachicola further enriches the narrative, infusing it with a unique charm and atmosphere. Pope addresses complex themes like the search for redemption, personal struggles, and the pursuit of justice with a thoughtful balance of delicacy and intensity. The narrative, brimming with unexpected twists and turns, not only keeps readers thoroughly engaged but also invites a keen level of attentiveness to fully appreciate the intricacies of its developments. Pope’s narrative style is fluid and engaging, blending introspective moments with dynamic interactions, thereby maintaining a steady narrative pace.
The Call Home, by Eli Pope, will particularly resonate with readers who appreciate stories featuring richly layered characters and elaborate plots. The strong character development and thematic exploration make this book a compelling read.
An Anthology from the Padded Room
Not every story culminates in the expected rainbows, sunshine, and a fairytale ending. Instead, there are instances where the conclusion takes an unexpected turn, leaving the reader wondering about the fate of the characters. Crafting an anthology of short stories that evoke a sense of melancholy is a challenging feat, but one that Eli Pope has successfully accomplished.
An Anthology from the Padded Room by Eli Pope is a compilation of short stories that range from poignant to downright peculiar. Each story has a distinct length, yet each one packs a powerful punch by the end. Pope has created compelling tales, from inexplicable happenings surrounding a silo on a farm to insects fighting back. Every narrative draws readers into the characters’ aspirations, fears, and nightmares. Of particular interest is a second-person point-of-view story that portrays a woman seeking vengeance against her abusive partner. The reader internalizes the protagonist’s emotions as she contemplates taking extreme measures. My favorite story in the collection is titled The Firefly Wars. The initial two chapters may seem disjointed but gradually become intertwined as the story progresses. It is a tale of retaliation and the uncertainty of which of God’s creatures possess souls. The meandering prose in some of the stories effectively immerses the reader in the characters’ bizarre encounters.
An Anthology from the Padded Room is a gripping collection of short horror stories that venture into psychological fiction. Every story in this anthology fits perfectly with that theme and adds to the intrigue. I recommend this collection to anyone who likes their novels a little weird and supernatural.
Pages: 206 | ASIN : B0BXHTWCT3
A True Sociopath
Snapshot Into A Killer’s Mind tells the true story of Billy Jay Cader through the eyes of an investigative reporter. What motivated you to write this companion to your thriller series?
I was wanting a new character that would be likeable to the reader in comparison to Billy Jay. A character the reader could make a connection with who was compassionate to Billy Jay because of background misgivings. While Billy Jay does inexcusable things that are horrible and violent, I wanted Amy Jo to coax a small dose of understanding to induce an inner battle of how to deal with and feel the possible why’s and how’s of what makes Billy Jay who he is.
I also liked the stark differences between Amy Jo and Billy Jay, yet they find an intriguing common ground between each other. Amy Jo missing her grandfather so much that she seeks to see similarities in the two.
I thought it would be a unique way to create the setting of reading Amy Jo’s published work as a different twist to the normal way of introducing the next in series. I tried not to repeat too much by having Amy Jo re-write or introduce what had already been hashed out in book 4-The Reclamation-Amy Jo’s introduction into the series. I knew there would be some rehashing since she was writing about the interviews from the previous book. It was a risk I decided to take because I really liked the concept of making this series feel like “real time” by appearing as if Amy Jo wrote book 5.
What excited you about revisiting Billy Jay Cader’s character from this unique perspective?
I liked the idea of it being a fresh and new perspective of telling a story. It also gave me a chance to write in scenes Like Amy Jo seeking out and visiting Billy Jay’s father. That particular chapter was one of my favorites to write. Billy John Cader was such a despicable character when Billy Jay was young. I wanted to show by having Amy Jo visit, that he was the type to never let himself be redeemed. He would be who he was until the day he died, seeing no reason to sorry for any of his actions. A true sociopath.
If Hollywood came knocking, who would you cast as the lead characters?
Wow! This is a very hard question and one that I’m certain every writer plays with in their mind after working on a project so long. I can tell you who I see in my head when I’m writing, but the chance of ever actually getting them is almost laughable.
Here are a few though.
Billy Jay Cader- I see Don Johnson. He played a barn burner once in a tv special that I can’t remember the title. The way he played that part and the constant five o’clock stuble, jeans, and t-shirt fit the image of Billy Jay to me. His voice is kind of gravely too, much like my narrator of the Audible version of the books. Mr. Paul J McSorley, a master at voicing stories. A quick shout out to him as I am also fortunate enough to be a major writing contributor to his YouTube based podcast named Fear From The Heartland, where short macabre horror stories are produced and aired every Wednesday evening around 5 p.m. Central. It’s a sub-channel of Chilling Tales For Dark Nights.
Amy Jo Whitenhour- I would love to see Sandra Bullock play her part. She is who I see when I write Amy Jo’s parts. She is capable of having the right amount of innocence and sex appeal wrapped up in someone I could see living on her grandparents orange tree farm, yet spunky enough to be an investigative reporter with a hard past.
When and where will this book be available?
It is heading into production for Audible in June, and I hope to have it in ebook and print released by Amazon-Kindle and Audible by the end of July or early August. It will be able to be purchased online at these two places and other online sites where books can be ordered.
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Snapshot Into a Killer’s Mind
Eli Pope is back with Snapshot Into A Killer’s Mind: The true story of Billy Jay Cader, giving readers a new perspective into our main character’s life through the eyes of Amy Jo. The investigative reporter shows how Billy Jay became who he is today through her various interviews/snapshots. She humanizes our villain and demonstrates how a loving childhood could have changed the course of his life. We also get to know about Amy Jo’s childhood and her present-day life following her interviews with Billy Jay. If you love The Mason Jar Series, you have to pick up Snapshot Into A Killer’s Mind!
As always, Pope delivers a stunning take on tragic events. The author dives right into the gritty details of Billy Jay’s story with a unique twist. We are essentially reading Amy Jo’s now published book as if we are living in the universe where The Mason Jar Series takes place.
I enjoyed the duality approach Pope took to demonstrate how love can make all the difference after living through a traumatic childhood. He always does a fantastic job discussing the plights of this world in a way anyone can understand, but so few people talk about.
The scene where Amy Jo goes to visit Billy Jay’s father felt so realistic and made my skin crawl. He captured his essence perfectly through his impeccable word choices. It was easy to visualize the aging abuser and the pathetic state he was in. I could feel Amy Jo’s disgust and fear the entire time.
While I enjoyed this novel just as much as the entire Mason Jar Series, I felt that some of the information we were given was repeated. We hear Amy Jo speak about many of the same sentiments and phrases throughout the story. Despite that, I still feel that this is a compelling psychological drama that explores humanity in the unique way that only Eli Pope can.
If you loved the previous books in The Mason Jar Series then you are sure to enjoy this one as well! It works as a short companion novel to the rest of the books. I look forward to the sixth installment and can’t wait to see what twist and turns Pope gives readers next. Snapshot Into A Killer’s Mind: The true story of Billy Jay Cader is a must-read for lovers of dark psychological thrillers.
The Mason Jar Was Like A Drug
The Reclamation finds Billy Jay Cader on death row and organizing other inmates to take the judgment of others into their own hands. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Billy Jay is the kind of man that held absolutely no control over any aspect of his life as a young boy. Not until he took it upon himself to fight the struggles of survival, depending only on his own self, at age fourteen. From that point on, Billy Jay did not like to relinquish control of any situation he found himself in. This included being incarcerated. If he couldn’t control the guards, he knew he could control the inmates. His judgment on others was deeply ingrained within him. He felt it was his job almost and maybe facing his execution…his legacy too. Something he needed to pass on so it could live. He learned to enjoy it and probably at this point understood the power it had held over his poppa. The Mason jar was like a drug, it’s outcome the high or intoxication.
What were some aspects of Billy Jay Cader’s character that you wanted to explore in this book that wasn’t explored in other novels?
I think it would be the depth of commitment to judging others that he held. It never seemed to drift far from his psyche, no matter where he was or what level of life he was living. He couldn’t escape it. For a short time after meeting Cat, it seemed he’d outrun his devils…the drawl of being in control. I’ve not read a novel that showed the same kind of wrestling within oneself as Billy Jay’s struggles. The temptation to feel sorry for someone that keeps showing their dark side up and to a point that line is finally crossed. I wanted Amy Jo to be the polar opposite of Billy Jay yet somehow drawn into his magical control. It seemed like a great experiment to see if someone with similar experiences could connect and save him.
What kind of research do you undertake for your novels? Did you research any police procedures or the criminal justice system?
I admit that Google is my friend as a writer. You must be careful and of course not believe everything you find. I also have friends in law enforcement that I turn to and a fellow author friend who is a judge. This story also takes place from the beginning in the forties and up to now the mid-eighties. A lot has changed since this story takes place. It also takes place for the most part in a small southern gulf coastal Florida town. A one stoplight town with some characters who have worked themselves together in ways of leadership and trust. That is a scenario that will always bring interesting and thrilling stories.
What can readers expect in book 5 of the Mason Jar Series?
I’m going to reveal a little secret for what I am calling book 4.5 that will release hopefully in the first quarter of 2022. The new character introduced, Amy Jo Whitenhour, is the journalist writing her take from Billy’s point of view of his life. That story put together from what would be her interviews, will be book 4.5, and will even look as if she wrote it. The cover will bear her name and the story will be more of a novella size. Possibly a bit more than 40,000 words. It will fill in details of more depth and hopefully draw the reader more into the mind of Amy Jo. I believe she is a character that developed rather quickly and came natural to the story, so I’m hoping this next offering will get into the readers liking. At the end of her book, I will have a chapter or two preview of what I then will call book 5. Book five will close a lot of the cliffhangers and unknown and of course…hopefully draw the reader deeper into the web I hope to continue weaving.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon | Website
In the meantime, an investigative reporter begins interviewing Billy Jay Cader for a chance to tell his side of his story. She hopes to write a book from Billy Jay’s point of view.
The two seem to quickly form an odd kindred spirit with each other, one the ward doesn’t care for.
Sgt. Tony Rawlings, partner and close friend of a detective Billy Jay murdered, has suspicions of several young female victims who have been missing for years. He intends to unbury Mr. Cader’s past and insure he pays the price.
This story continues Billy Jay’s journey as things don’t always happen the way they appear they are heading.
Cliffhangers left open at the ending of book 3 are tied together as the dysfunction of the characters of Apalachicola, Florida continues on.
The Reclamation (The Mason Jar Series Book 4)
![The Reclamation (The Mason Jar Series Book 4) by [Eli Pope]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ogY6-ltiL.jpg)
The Mason Jar Series continues in The Reclamation by Eli Pope! Billy Jay Cader is rotting in jail awaiting his execution for the murders of two members of law enforcement. But just because he’s in prison doesn’t mean the cursed judgment game has ended. Billy forms a group of death row inmates who take the fate of other criminals into their own hands. While all of this is happening, a journalist interviews Billy for a tell-all book that explains how he became the monster he is today. As the journalist digs deeper into Billy’s childhood, we have to further question, is evil born or made?
Eli Pope has done it again! The Reclamation comes in as the fourth installment in the beloved but disturbing Mason Jar Series, and oh boy, was it a literary masterpiece! Billy Jay’s backstory left me emotionally ragged. And that’s because, like the journalist, we begin to sympathize with him. Despite his horrendous acts, you can’t help but feel that they all stem from his childhood trauma. But on the other side of the coin, we know that Billy Jay is a master manipulator. He may be trying to tell his story for the sole purpose of getting people to sympathize with him. That aspect of the story alone demonstrates Pope’s immense talent for capturing human emotion through the written word. It’s complex, with multiple layers; the story is never black and white. I also enjoyed the Ethan, Joyce, and Cali storyline.
What I enjoyed about the past books in this series were the mystery aspects. The constant questions of, “what happened,” “who did it,” “is this person who they say they are?” I received all of that and more with these side characters! And before I wrap up this review, I want to further commend Pope on his ability to weave such an intricate story. This is a psychological thriller with ambitious depth, complexity, and vividness that I find unique to Pope’s writing.
If you loved The Mason Jar Series thus far, you need to add The Reclamation to your TBR! Fans of mind mending thrillers and nail biting suspense will thoroughly enjoy this enthralling crime novel.
Pages: 252 | ASIN: B09HR5MSGC
An Explosive Read
Eli Pope Author Interview
The Glass House dives deeper into Billy’s psyche where vengeance now motivates his actions. What are some sources that informed this novels development?
With the basic layout of how I wanted this story to progress and layout, the sources were what I was hoping lay deep in the readers psyche also. We all usually want either the bad guy to redeem himself in some way that lets us know we weren’t fooled by him all along, we saw some qualities that may just turn him. I wanted the reader to keep diving back in and out of seeing him as a bobber floating at the waters surface, constantly pulled under against his will and then released for air and the possibility of losing the devil inside him. There comes a point though, when the line that is drawn in the sand becomes too muddled and stirred so much there is no way sort out what is good from what is mostly bad. Billy Jay’s façade had to break and break big. I think he even was coming to the point he hated himself and was realizing his judgment was really looking in the mirror at himself. He hated what he saw and lashed out.
What were some new aspects of Billy’s character that were important for you to explore in this book?
That there is a point of almost no return. When things begin collapsing around him, he starts to understand he has crossed lines he can never uncross. I wanted to show that yes, he is human, he had a horrible upbringing without love, but one cannot use even a background as such, to continue justifying manic and crazy fits of rage that lead to murder and torturous aspects. Ethan is showing signs of the same path but from opposites spectrums of social and economical backgrounds.
What scene in the book was the most fun to write?
Actually, there are a couple. I did really enjoy the scenes in lockup where Darrell and Jay were forced to share a close area. It was fun twisting the reader one more time into despising Jay for his taunting of Darrell. The other scene is Ethan in Springfield, MO. A man who has designed his path in life to enjoy his wants and desires to their fullest at even his best friend’s expense. He has everything now that he has craved and spent so much time building—and he is foolish enough to go for the easy thrill and lose everything. He thinks he is infallible.
This is book three in The Mason Jar Series. What can readers expect in book four?
Book four carries a different tone from the onset. There is a new character who will either be involved in this series through it’s continued run, or, possibly a series of their own that runs parallel to The Mason Jar. There is of course far more twists and turns as things become revealed more and more in the main characters and side character plots. I hate to give anything away, but I do hope some readers find enjoyment in some danglers for books I call, 4.5 (a novella) that is a surprise book that appears to be written and published by the new character. It’s from the outside looking in prospective of Billy Jay Cader, and book 5 which promises to bring things closer to a close. I can’t say I’m done with the series at that point, because my head is still spinning developments I think the reader will enjoy and be shocked. I however, do not want this series to fizzle away from repeat twists or things that leave a reader unprovoked. I want to end this with the reader feeling their time was well spent and maybe still hungry for more at some point later on. Please stay tuned for now, though. The ride isn’t over just yet!
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LITERARY TITAN 