A Boy and his Dog -- Friends Always!

"I'll never forgive you for killing the dog!" That's what a friend of mine told me after reading Dogwoods Blush and providing her pointed feedback. And while I am certain that my friend will actually forgive me for telling the story of the horrific death of ol' Blue in Dogwoods, I hope the pain of the emotion never fades. Truth be told, the pain and suffering experienced by ol' Blue resonates with readers more acutely than the suffering experienced by the main characters ... Jerry Bronson, Roman Spindola, Dick Spear and many others. Don Perlin, former artist for Marvel Comics on horror titles like Ghost Rider and Werewolf By Night told me he "really liked the dog." Another reader asked me, "Why did you make the dog suffer so much?" It all dates back to Walt Disney's 1957 timeless classic, Old Yeller. I was six years old when Disney re-released Old Yeller to theaters. Still reeling from the trauma of Bambi (the death of the mother still taxes my emotions!) I went with my Mother to see this adventure starring Fess Parker (of Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone fame). All went according to plan until the fateful ending, where young Travis (played by Tommy Kirk) must shoot the beloved family pet beset by hydrophobia/rabies. Years later we still group people into two groups ... those who did cry when Old Yeller died and those who did not. The pain of losing a beloved pet is normally associated with a needed rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. Losing a pet too soon, especially to a traumatic event, makes that passage even more difficult to traverse. I was conditioned to that way of thinking from a very young age. Television in the 60's was very different than what we see today. Almost all shows held a close family theme and many of them centered on a family pet. Comedies like Mr. Ed even put human traits on animals while traditional hits like Rin Tin Tin and the immortal Lassie made dogs the star of the show. In my household, life imitated art. My earliest memories center on a German Shepherd mix aptly named "King." As I roamed the countryside following my imagination to great adventures in the rural farmlands of Colquitt County, Georgia, King was always by my side. He was, like Old Yeller, 'the best doggone done in west." To me, he was the best dog in the north, south, east or west bar none! When I was in the 2nd grade, a farmer neighbor came to complain to my father that King, leading a pack of other dogs, had killed one of his calves. I refused to believe this to be true but my Father, trying to keep peace in the community, consented to have King put down. It was my first experience of losing a loved one to death but it would be far from the last. As I just celebrated my 51st birthday, I think back on all of the wonderful animals who meant so much to me over the years but have now moved on ... there was Sport, the Fox Terrier; Orry, the Black lab mix (the inspiration for ol' Blue); Onyx the cat; Fats Domino, the Chow mix; Dixie the Spitz ... all of them brought happiness and laughter into my life. I can't imagine a world without pets. It was the experience of dealing with the sorrow of losing these beautiful animals that helped me deal with the sorrows yet to come of losing my human friends and family members. That's also the world I imagined for Jerry Bronson in Dogwoods Blush. In the book as it was for me in real life, young Jerry is traumatized by the painful death of beloved Old Yeller as he watches the movie screen in horror. This event would rise to the front of his mind years later as he helplessly watched his enemies kill his beloved canine companion, Blue. So when readers become enraged at this particular part of the story and proclaim, "I'll never forgive you for killing the dog," they actually become united in the thought process with Jerry Bronson. This event becomes the catalyst for Jerry's thirst for revenge and plays a major role in the final, fateful confrontation that results in the fiery climax of Dogwoods Blush. So relax, faithful dog lovers! The pain suffered by ol' Blue in Dogwoods Blush is NOT in vain! It serves to unite us all to stand against the forces of evil that come calling to the small town of Timmonsville, GA. Rest assured that no animals were actually harmed in the writing of this book! But if you find a soft spot in your heart for ol' Blue after reading it, you are not alone. It just means that like me, there is an animal from your past who still holds a special place in your heart. Will dogs be in heaven? Some say not but if you ask me, I ask this in return ... who can look into the innocent and loving eyes of a beloved pet and say they have no soul? On behalf of Jerry Bronson and dog lovers around the world, I say that heaven would not be complete without those beloved furry friends of my childhood. In my heart, I'll always be just a boy with his dog -- best friends always!

The Sound of a Flower Crying!

In Dogwoods Blush, Reverend Roman Spindola carries two secrets that have haunted him all of his extended life. The first secret, which he reveals to Sheriff Dick Spear, turns out to a ghostly encounter and conversation Roman experienced with his deceased mother as a child. The second, which he experienced at age 16 but never revealed to anyone (until he revealed it to readers of the book) was a horrific vision of a bleeding dogwood blossom, screaming and crying in agony as blood dripped from fearsome wounds, pleading with Roman to stop the bleeding. This is how Roman, aged 79, recalled the horrific encounter from 63 years earlier in Dogwoods Blush:

"I heard it before I saw it. It was a low whine. It had a sad wail tone to it so I stopped and got very quiet as I tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. As I got closer to the source, I imagined I'd find a bee or some type of insect caught in a spider's web. It had that far away drone to it."

As Roman discovered it was a bleeding dogwood blossom, he went on to say:

"... this flower had a face! It cried out, its voice anguished and in pain! ... And then, it SPOKE!"

While I won't give away the rest of that emotional scene (so as not to spoil anything for interested readers who have not yet read Dogwoods Blush), rest assured that this shocking event forever changed the life of Reverend Spindola, leading him to a fearful analysis of the terrible truth the flower tried to warn him of those many years ago. If that visual creeped you out, welcome to the club! While several readers shared their feelings on the "yikes" value of that scene, more than a few have asked me if it was inspired by an old Vincent Price film called, The Fly. And the answer is ... YES! Released in 1958 by 20th Century Fox, The Fly tells the story of scientist Andre Deambre, murdered by his lovely wife who now seems insane. Compelled to dig into the mystery is Francois Delambre (Price in one of his rare roles as a non-villain), brother to the deceased who cannot understand why or how sweet Helene could become a killer. The story is well known to horror film fans and the movie spawned a sequel starring Price (Return of the Fly)and a series of remakes in the 80's. For those who may not know the story, Andre developed a teleporter device (about a decade before Star Trek hit our TV screens). After successfully transporting non-living items, Andre (in true horror movie fashion) decided to try transporting living tissue, using himself in the experiment. Unknown to him, a fly entered the chamber just prior to the teleportation. The "thing" that emerged on the other side was a grotesque monster ... a human body with the head and claw of a man-sized fly. While this creature seemed like a "normal" monster from 50's films and was a worthy heir to the various iconic beasties from classic Universal Films, it was the smaller "twin" that forever horrified viewers. As Andre stumbled around with his fly head and was eventually killed by his wife to end his misery, the mirror opposite fly body with a small human head (and tiny voice) escaped and was eventually caught in a spider web. Audiences cringed as the spider closed on its tiny prey that screamed in abject terror, "Help me! Please help me! NOOOOOOO!" Yikes! I don't know of a single person who EVER saw that movie who does not CRINGE when recalling that scene. It is this feeling that I tried to conjure again in Dogwoods Blush and the vision of the bleeding, crying, pleading flower. Do flowers actually cry? And if so, what sound do they make? Here's hoping I never find out!

Night Terror vs. The Crow ... Brothers in Arms?

Renowned comic creator James O'Barr published a wonderful story in 1989 that became and continues to be an icon in the entertainment industry. The Crow tells the story of Eric Draven, a musician who, along with his fiance, is murdered and returns from the dead to bring justice to the guilty. "True love never dies" became the tagline for that tale which was made into a major motion picture in 1994 starring Brandon Lee, son of legendary Kung Fu movie star Bruce Lee. Brandon's tragic death on the set (killed by a dummy bullet lodged in a prop gun that was fired into his abdomen) added a sense of true sorrow to this tragic tale that became a critical and commercial success and spawned numerous sequels, a television series and dozens of books. Plans are now underway to relaunch the movie with a new cast and story, no doubt only adding to the overwhelming success of the series. Since the release of the original film, many other movies have explored the possibilities of life after death, i.e. of a murdered spirit returning to the land of the living to seek justice and/or tie up loose ends. The commercial success of Ghost (1990) starring Patrick Swayze is just one example of such tales. And who among us who watched Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense (1999) will ever forget the emotional rush we felt when his true identity was revealed? The success of ghostly characters can be attributed to many things ... we all eventually lose someone we love. The grief of letting go and accepting that person to be gone forever is more sorrow than anyone can digest without suffering long-lasting sorrow. So in our efforts to cope, we like to believe that departed person still exists, lingering in their familiar places to offer a word of hope or compassion when our life burdens become too heavy for us to bear. And in that glimmer of acceptance, we also wonder if those whose lives were taken wrongfully and never resolved can rest in peace? If they cannot, what can they do about it? While I originally developed the concept for The Night Terror (the avenger from beyond the grave in my book, I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush) as a teenager in "pre-Crow" 1973, I had certainly already been exposed to such characters by that time. A particularly compelling episode of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone (1962) starring Lee Marvin dealt with a bounty hunter in the old west fearful of the dying threats of a gunman. Comic characters like The Spectre, The Phantom and The Spirit either dealt with an actual ghost hero or a man who wanted his enemies to believe he was a ghost to provide a psychological edge. While countless characters have used the "return from the dead" premise, I always think of O'Barr's Eric Draven, aka The Crow, as the type of character I intended for Jeremiah Bronson in Dogwoods Blush. In both cases while the avenger himself is a weapon of unstoppable vengeance, his motive is much less sinister ... true love never dies ... it continues to grow and evolve even when the body no longer exists. When my good friend George Roussos passed away in 2000, I was comforted by a story that surmised the possibility that finding a penny on the street was a sign that a loved one in heaven was thinking of you and wanted to let you know. As a result, every time I find a penny on the ground I pick it up, look skyward and say, "Thanks, George. I miss you, too." Do I really believe that George left me that penny? No, but it does prove one thing ... true love never dies. For people like George, my Mom, grandmother and countless friends and family members who have passed on before me, my love remains unchanged. I believe that's what James O'Barr felt when he penned The Crow and that's absolutely what I felt when I unleashed Jeremiah Bronson on the land of the living in Dogwoods Blush. The two characters may be vastly different in many ways but they have one thing very much in common ... the body may die, but the love in our hearts goes on and on. Hey, wasn't there a Celine Dion song about that?

Who is "The Korean?"

Readers of Dogwoods Blush know there are several villains in this sordid drama of love and hate beyond life. Most of them meet their doom in the explosive climax, their fates sealed by their own wicked ways. But in the AFTERWORD of the book, I explain my inspiration for various characters and leave readers with a tease of the next storyline, The Dove of War. In that tease, you read that the unnamed henchman (known only as "The Korean") involved with the equally mysterious Alexandru Vasilie was killed by Sheriff Dick Spear in 1995. Yet he is scheduled to also play a major role in Dove of War! In the book planned to follow Dove (titled Stands Against the Wind) the Korean appears again to plague Native American Indian Greg Samson, COLONEL Andy Lowman and the members of the elite Anti-Terrorism Total Assault Cell (ATTAC). So just who is this mysterious "Korean." While I can't divulge all the secrets of this character now (it would spoil the surprises planned for upcoming book) I can tell you that the Korean has generated the most interest of any character in Dogwoods Blush. That's pretty amazing since he's only given passing mention and not developed at all. This gives me great pleasure ... I am thrilled that one of my characters seems to have generated a buzz among readers. When writing Dogwoods Blush, several characters emerged quite differently than I originally envisioned. Roman Spindola moved from supporting to main character, Dick Spear became less hated, Bobby Fast appeared out of nowhere, and then, of course, there was "The Korean." While this major villain in my overall planned epic tale was only briefly mentioned in Dogwoods Blush, rest assured that he will appear to a much greater degree in Dove of War and will be of prime importance in book #3, Stands Against the Wind. His actions in that story will have huge repercussions in the final chapter of this overall story, When the Rooster Crows. Please visit my website (www.billcainonline.com) and check out future projects for more details on those upcoming story lines. So while I hope readers will continue to ask about this mysterious villain, I'll have to let those interests boil for awhile. But I will leave you with this thought ... how do you kill someone who can only die by his own hand? That's a question the heroes of those future books will have to deal with when they face the power and nefarious plan of "The Korean." For a look at one of the concept drawings I commissioned to give "The Korean" a visual look, check out the above drawing by my friend, former professional wrestler and superb artist Angel Gabriele. Check out Angel's website - http://www.powerslamcollectibles.com/ and while you are at it, you can purchase or commission art from him at http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=edee001. As for "The Korean" and other characters from Dogwoods Blush, come back to this blog often. Until then, watch out for the dark places lurking within the soul of man!

Veterans of Foreign Wars - "They were heroes all!"

Readers of Dogwoods Blush will recognize the significance of the VFW logo. The VFW Lodge in Leavenworth, Kansas plays a major stage for a critical plot sequence when the mysterious "Night Terror" comes to wreak havoc and extract vengeance on a member, Vietnam veteran Mike Ewing. In the story, Ewing's sordid past is a secret, unknown to the fellow lodge members who have welcomed this wolf in sheep's clothing into their midst. Thus, these fellow combat veterans from various services all rally around Ewing and try to protect him, not knowing that he is a murderer and evil to the core. As Ewing looks at his friends, he has this thought from Chapter 8:

"He knew them all now ... Redmond, Olds, Sinnott, Sullivan, Boyd, Whitney ... they were heroes all!"

The names of those brave veterans are the names of actual men whom I served with or personally befriended during my 26+ years in the Army. Allow me to introduce them to you!

Redmond: COL (Ret) Larry Redmond. Larry was my very first Battalion Commander when I joined the Army in 1980. He commanded the 1/505 Infantry (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC. I served first as his Assistant S-2 (intelligence officer) before he showed great confidence in me and selected me as his S-1 (personnel officer), a very unusual move as I was a brand new 2LT and trained in intelligence, not personnel. A highly decorated combat veteran from Vietnam with the 101st, Larry was the consummate professional and one of the greatest men I have ever known.

Olds: COL (Ret) Bowman Olds, Executive Officer of the 1/505. My mentor when I was selected to be the S-1, MAJ (at the time) Olds made certain I would not fail. He prepared me daily for my mission and was never too busy to lend me a hand. I would never have made it in the Army had it not been for the tremendous care and leadership I received daily from Bo Olds. When Bo was selected to move to 3rd Brigade as the S-1, he arranged for me to soon follow, where I served for nearly a year as the Assistant Brigade S-1 for the 82nd's "Golden Brigade."

Sinnott: Joe Sinnott, a WWII Vet and former member of the US Navy's "Sea bees," is an artist extraordinaire. The legendary inker for Jack Kirby during the iconic issues of Marvel's Fantastic Four in the 60's, Joe is still going strong today at age 83. He inks the Sunday edition of Amazing Spider-Man (still written by Stan Lee) and is probably the nicest man on the face of the planet. Check out Joe's amazing art and history on http://www.joesinnott.com/.

Sullivan: I chose this name to honor the five (5) Sullivan brothers who served in the US Navy during WWII. All five men died on the same day when their ship was sunk by the Japanese near the Solomon Islands. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Boyd: Major General (Ret) Maurice Boyd was my Brigade Commander when I served as the Brigade S-2 for the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade, V US Corps, Giessen, Germany. Colonel (at the time) Boyd led the Brigade into combat for Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, and DESERT COMFORT in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait (1990-1991). During DESERT STORM, the 42nd Brigade fired 210 missions, more than any other artillery unit in the war. The Brigade's mission was Counter fire ... destroying the enemy's artillery. Not a single allied soldier was killed by Iraqi artillery during DESERT STORM, a tremendous tribute to the leadership of Colonel Boyd.

Whitney: COL(Ret) Robert Whitney was the G-2 (senior intelligence officer), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, 1984-86. I was a junior captain and served as his Chief, All-Source Intelligence Production. LTC (at the time) Whitney was the finest intelligence officer I ever served with and one of the most respected gentlemen I ever met. His example of leadership still inspires me to this day.

So there you have it ... the roster of men who are mentioned by name in the VFW Lodge, Leavenworth, Kansas, in Dogwoods Blush. While Mike Ewing may be a bad guy, his take on these exceptional men was 100% on target ... "I knew them all ... they were, and still are, heroes all!"

Saving SGT Blake--Still a Very Good Soldier!

Readers of Dogwoods Blush know there are numerous references to wars in the book ... WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq ... all are referenced in varying degrees. That's because of my military background (26+ years in the Army) and my passion for military history. Of particular note is the portion of Dogwoods where the mysterious Night Terror makes his way to a VFW Hall in Leavenworth, Kansas in order to kill his longtime enemy, Mike Ewing. While there, Night Terror encounters a WWII vet and wounded survivor of the Battle of the Bulge named Blake Benson. Blake Benson is based on an actual soldier I met in Luxembourg in December 2004. This is his story.

For those who might like a brief refresher course in WWII history, the Battle of the Bulge occurred in December 1944. While conventional wisdom speculated that the war was already won for the allies, Hitler and his SS Panzer commanders had other ideas. Launching a surprise attack on December 16 in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg, Hitler hoped to fracture the alliance of the USA, France and England, inflict heavy casualties and seize the valuable oil and ammunition stored at the port of Antwerp. With bad weather, surprise and speed on his side, the battle began. The "Battle of the Bulge" gets its name from the penetration of the German advance ... the allied line "bulged" but did not break. American units across the entire front fought bravely to hold their position and the German advance stalled. This was due in no small part to the Screaming Eagles of the 101st (Airborne) who held the critical transportation node of Bastogne, Belgium. Completely surrounded and cut-off, 101st acting Commander BG Anthony McAuliffe was given a "surrender or die" ultimatum by the Germans. McAuliffe responded with one word ... "Nuts." The 101st held until elements of General Patton's 3rd Army broke through and linked up with them. The Battle of the Bulge ended in January 1945 with a complete German defeat, although US forces lost about 81,000 men (the Germans lost 100,000). I published the above graphic novel, Hitler's Last Gamble: Battle of the Bulge, for Osprey Publishing in 2007. Check it out if you get the chance.

In December 2004 I had just returned from Iraq and was assigned to 3rd Army, the same unit commanded by General Patton in WWII. I was asked by the Commander to represent the Command in a series of ceremonies to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and Luxembourg. I reluctantly agreed ... I wanted to spend the holidays with my family ... and boarded my flight to Germany. There I linked up with my contacts and headed north to Belgium. Over the next several days, I attended many ceremonies and wonderful events, including a full-colors parade through the streets of Bastogne with about 50 veterans from the famous battle. I met Patton's granddaughter, the King of Belgium, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and participated in many other great events. But meeting "Blake" was a moment I will never forget. On the last night there, I attended a USO show designed to simulate similar shows from WWII. While there I met SGT Blake, a survivor from the battle who still carried guilt from that awful event from 60-years earlier. His company commander, a young captain, died to give Blake the opportunity to retreat to relative safety and in 2004, the remorseful Blake still mourned that decision and carried the guilt that many survivors of traumatic events endure. We talked well into the night, Blake and I, and his sadness and respect for his fallen captain was as fresh as if it had just happened yesterday. While I'd like to think that Blake felt better after our long discussion, I know it would be hard to let go of a guilt carried and nursed for exactly 60-years to the day. But I will never forget how this man touched me in that tent on a frosty night outside Bastogne in December 2004. And so it is to SGT Blake and all the many others like him that I paid homage to in the guise of Blake Benson in Dogwoods Blush. As the Night Terror told him In the book, "You are still a very good soldier! It is an honor to have met you!" So say we all. To the brave men and women who lost a friend or companion in armed conflict, we thank you. Like the fictional Blake Benson, I just wanted to let you know ... it's an honor to have met you.