KATERI STANLEY
Writer / Scribbler / Dreamer
HARD WAY HOME
Can we be saved from ourselves?
*A SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY THRILLER NOVELETTE*
Contains themes related to mental health issues, depression, anxiety, trauma and drugs. Readers may find scenes upsetting and/or triggering. *Please read with care.*
Jackie works in a dead end job at the Shop and Drop and is secretly planning her suicide. News breaks out that her hero Brandon Rivers, notorious drug troubled lead singer of grunge rock band Fall Into Place has escaped Holy Cross Hospital.
On her way home, Jackie is attacked by two drunken men, but is rescued by a mysterious stranger who she discovers looks exactly like the infamous musician. From his stance, to his voice, to the iconic Egyptian eye tattoo on his neck. The only thing that is different is the colour of his eyes and when questioned, he insists that he is not Brandon Rivers but has come to give Jackie an important warning.
Behind the Scenes
Hard Way Home was originally written under a different pen name & was finished in 2014. This story sparked the beginning of my writing journey.
It was inspired by a dream I had when I was a teenager; I was miserable, in a job I hated & there was a radio broadcast about a famous rock star who had gone missing from rehab. During my break, I went outside for some fresh air & I had this strange feeling that I was being watched, and I was by a tall figure in a hooded coat.
I always write with music playing in my ears & I keep a list of songs for each project. The grunge band, Nirvana & the late great Kurt Cobain were important muses for this story. I was listening to the Nirvana MTV Unplugged session playing on a loop, writing to the early hours of the morning.
After I finished HWH, I reached out to an independent filmmaker called Blake Ridder & we talked about producing a video for the book. Within a couple of weeks, Blake & his team created this wonderful trailer & it introduced to me to actress/singer/song writer, Effy Willis. She is also the face for the book cover. There were talks about making HWH into a feature film but sadly it didn't come to fruition. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience to see my work transported onto the screen!
Due to the strong themes & subject matter, I would love to see Hard Way Home made into a film, short or feature length. <3
-Kateri x
(January 2021)
P.S. The tunnel mentioned in the book is based off a real life place!