…but that’s not all. In it I got to interview one of my heroes. The man behind such iconic legends in horror as PINHEAD and CANDYMAN. I was able to pick the brain of Mister CLIVE BARKER in a brand new chat which meant so much to me because when I was a child I gravitated towards the larger hardcover bound books at my community library. The very highest level of the deviant and forbidden was always his words, always his. I’d look through The Books of Blood and quiver in my little boy boots at what sort of man would create this. Who is he? These images came to life in my youthful impressionable mind, what sort of man indeed. My interest in checking out all of his adult fiction brought the ire of the librarian, who told me emphatically I was forbidden to read the works of Clive Barker unless I had a parent say it was okay. With my mother standing across the checkout table a day or two later, that self-imposed dictator of censorship was confronted and as she backed down from her earlier judgment she told my mother something I never forgot, “Well fine—he can read Clive Barker, but know this, he’ll either grow up to be a great horror writer, or a serial killer.”I never killed anyone, but I did begin writing, and occasionally I thought of him. I met him in person for the first time at Dark Delicacies, the classic brick and mortar shop dedicated to all things macabre, located in Burbank, California. I remember clearly so desperately wanting to separate myself from the regular fans standing in line, to let him know I wasn’t just an admirer but rather a peer. A fellow dark dreamer. However, I was still a peer holding books for him to sign just like everyone else. I had to find a way… I decided on a few choice statements to show how I was different. When I had my moment with him, we connected over my unusual musings, and he invited me to his side of table, (it had worked!) I sat next to my guru as he finished signing and doodling art for the rest of the fans.

He invited me to pose for a collection of photography, but I chickened out because it was very erotic. We exchanged emails for years after that, advice and notes about the industry as my career blossomed. He even gave me a blurb on my writing, which graced the cover of my first book. Getting to know him as I have I can say without a doubt he is a very giving, charming, and unique individual. Nobody sees the world like this visionary. While at the same time, he is human, and after being bedridden from toxic shock for nearly three years he was the first to tell me that he isn’t the man he used to be. No matter, Clive Barker is an artist we all can relate to, and still has the fire in his eyes. Having an excuse to meet back up with him for this book was a joy. Segments of the interview were recorded over the course of three visits around Halloween 2018, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. I hope you enjoy it……………