Local author's book inspired by the Salem witch trials

By [imidgley]

Witchcraft, murder, an ancient curse and an intriguing adventure spanning four centuries are the ingredients for a new novel by East Riding author Ray Clark.

The Goole-based writer has published his first full novel, called Calix, after being inspired by the seventeenth century Salem witch trials and hopes the book will be the first of many fantasy-inspired works to capture the public's imagination,

The story takes the reader from the fevered atmosphere of Salem at the height of its witchcraft hysteria to modern-day Yorkshire, where Ray's heroes must race to uncover the curse that is leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

"The Salem witch trial are something that I've been interested in for a while now," says Ray. "I've always fancied writing a book that somehow linked to them and the idea for Calix emerged over several years.

"It's basically a story about revenge and how the curse have travelled down the centuries to some people living in Yorkshire. I actually think some of the Yorkshire villages around here and in the Dales are quite well suited as a horror setting. They've got that American Werewolf in London feeling."

Although Calix is Ray's first foray into the competitive world of novel writing he has previously scored some success as a short story writer. His first published stories in 1998's Manitou Man: The World Of Graham Masterton was nominated for best collection in the World Fantasy Awards while his 2007 collection The Lord Of Misrule And Other Stories was nominated by the American Writer's Digest as the best self-published book of the year.

But to tackle a full novel was a much more daunting task says Ray who has been toying with the idea behind Calix for seven years.

To make the book as believable as possible, and to capture the ghoulish atmosphere of Salem, Ray travelled to Massachusetts in 2006 to research some of the creepier moments in the town's history.

"It is a really strange place, even now," says former Andrew Marvell School pupil Ray. "There's quite a creepy atmosphere and you can never quite shake the feeling you're being watched. But for a writer that's great material, and it really helped me to get a feeling for the place and how to convey that in my book. It adds a little authenticity."

Calix is available now online, at £9.99. Ray will be attending a book signing at The Bookshop, Pasture Road, Goole, on Wednesday, February 25, from 2pm to 4pm. Call (01405) 720515.