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His dark new collaboration with author Richard Chizmar hits stores Tuesday
One should never take candy from strangers.
Especially if it comes in a container that may have apocalyptic powers.
Credit: Cemetery Dance
It makes her stronger.
More beautiful and brave.
But the buttons … those have a much darker purpose.
This is a gift fraught with both responsibility and menace.
Id love to read it.
I didnt expect anything to come of it.
When Gwendy Petersen is given her box, she gets basically the same guidance.
But otherwise, his books are his books.
So Kings offer to turnGwendyinto a team effort was an extremely rare one.
And we rolled with it.
One of the most daunting things about the story was its setting: Castle Rock, Maine.
Chizmar admits he was daunted by this return to classic King country.
I felt a huge obligation to trying to do the place and the story justice.
Its sacred ground for Stephen King readers, he says.
I spent a weekend in a state of mild terror because I knew what I had done.
Then I sat down Monday, and when I started writing some notes it wassheerterror, Chizmar says.
My hands were shaking.
Then I tossed my notebook aside, and opened my laptop and just started writing.
Before you knew it, I was in Castle Rock and the nerves were gone.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Within three days, he added 10,000 words.
I sent those to Steve.
He added a few thousand, sent it back, and then we did that until we were finished.
Played ping-pong with emails, Chizmar says.
We left that up to the other writer.
Honestly, I didnt ask.
I didnt want him to change his mind.
They spent exactly a month on the novella.
Its a huge amount of trust, especially for him.
It was really easy for me to trust Stephen King with my words, Chizmar says.
In addition to Castle Rock, theres another iconic King presence inGwendys Button Box.
Is this another manifestation of Randall Flagg, the demonic figure fromThe StandandThe Dark Tower?
The tiny chocolate treats the box dispenses are addicting, and they begin reshaping her literally for the better.
But with that comes a temptation to explore the boxs other powers.
When people get hurt, they want revenge.
But is that who she really is?
