Local author L. Andrew Cooper says that he would sneak to watch horror films as a kid and then keep his parents up all night with his nightmares. He's been fascinated with horror since he was very young and is now a member of the Horror Authors Association. He recently released a new horror book and is running a contest on Facebook where people can try to win a prize by sharing what they would do with mind control powers.
In Cooper's book Burning the Middle Ground, the character of twisted Dr. Fincher wrote The Alchemy of Will in the early 1900's, laying out instructions for the human will to be controlled in ways that would allow the manipulation of others and the world around them. Cooper wants to know what you would do with these instructions. He said you might control animals, other humans or even plant life to accomplish your will.
To participate in the contest, visit his Facebook page and post your answer. Then, invite your friends and family to "like" your comment. The post with the most "likes" by the end of February 28 will win a box of "alchemical" themed prizes.
Everyone who participates by posting their answer or by liking one of the posts will be entered into a drawing to win a gift certificate to Amazon.com (where his book can be downloaded for free until midnight tonight).
All of the participants' names will go into a hat and Cooper will draw the winning participant at the Frankfort Ave location of Carmichael's bookstore on March 1 during a reading from the book, which begins at 7 p.m. If the winning participant is not present, they will be notified via facebook. Carmichael's is located at 2720 Frankfort Ave.
"Brian was difficult to fathom. Everything about him - every move, every tone, every decision, every breath - seemed laden with what had happened to him. What the town and the papers called the MCCullough Tragedy was his. She and Brian had been together for months now, but sometimes Melanie couldn't help thinking of the Brian she knew about instead of the Brian she knew. The Brian she knew, taciturn but stable, needy but strong, must have radiated from the Brian she knew about, the one who had witnessed the destruction of his whole life, the one who had spent time in a mental institution, scribbling directions and desires but few insights into the irreparable damage, the thick sheen of scars just beneath his skin."
