Andy Graham Author

Author of dark fiction and fantasy, dystopia, horror.

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One Book Interview #36 – Pippa Bailey (Author)

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One of the common themes I’m finding in these interviews, is that writers of horror and dark fiction seem to be uncommonly nice. Possibly unexpected given some of the toe-curling, skin-clawing fiction they write.

(It also makes me wonder if authors of happily-ever-after, ‘blue-rinse’ romance novels are secretly horrible and twisted?)

This weeks horror author is the exception to the rule.

I’m joking!

She’s lovely.

(And she’s a musician, so she gets bonus points.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Shropshire, England – Pippa Bailey

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The book I would recommend would be the first adult horror book I was ever given. Cabal by Clive Barker. The copy I had was handed down from my dad. I’d spent years as a kid staring at the covers of his sci-fi, and horror books on his shelves, and it was one I was desperate to read. I wasn’t disappointed. It opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, which was a lot for a seven-year-old girl. It forced me to face concepts, that at the time, I was too young to comprehend. It was certainly my first introduction to anything of a sexual nature. A far more enthralling idea of a love beyond death, than that which most young girls are exposed to, Romeo and Juliet. Cabal kept me completely enthralled with Barkers use of skillful prose, and writing, at a level of which I had not yet been exposed to.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Don’t laugh, but I’d take Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. If I was to be marooned on Mars I would be looking for comfort. Azkaban is a book that helped me survive a childhood of bullying. I would often escape into my own imagination in my early teens with the Harry Potter series. Although, I know not everyone is a fan, and it is a drastic departure from my regular theme of horror books. Rowling has a way of taking you away from the pain and angst of your real life. She smothers you in a world of fantasy and adventure, with a group of ramshackle characters that leave you feeling loved while you read. I could never feel alone with a Harry Potter book.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

That would be a sci-fi horror book called Nascent Decay, by Charles Hash. We met through a review company I run called the Ghoul Guides. I was sent a copy of his debut novel for review. It was the first full novel I read on my e-reader, as I much prefer paperback. I was completely swept away by his world building. The concept for his first book, and subsequent titles in the series is utterly brilliant. It almost feels like it belongs in the Star Wars universe. There are a great number of twists, where you feel you can predict the direction of the story, and then he completely shocks you with a new level of horror. One of my favourite reads of 2017.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

My favourite of my own stories is a supernatural horror called In for A Shock and has just been released. It was written for a charity anthology called Sparks: An Electric Anthology. I’m incredibly excited about this story, and the electrical concepts. IFAS tells the story of Hannah, a woman in her early 20’s who lives alone, and like most people she abuses electricity. Eventually electricity wants to take back the power she has wasted. It gets electrifying and a little gory along the way.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Strangely, my biggest influence would be the musician David Bowie. Other than being an author, I’m a classically trained composer and vocalist. Around the time I discovered my love of horror, I was introduced to Bowie via a terrible TV show called Stars in Their Eyes, where a member of the public impersonates a singer and they compete to be the best. So there I was, 7 years old, watching Saturday night TV featuring a Bowie impersonator singing Star Man, and I fell in love. Possibly my first love. I spent the best part of my childhood sat on my bedroom floor surrounded by Goosebumps and Shivers books, listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Let’s Dance on tape. There was something about Bowie that brought out my imaginative side. He inspired me personally, and my future degree in music. I was an awkward teenager who didn’t really fit in too well at school. I was out-there regarding abstract thought, and not interested in most things other teenagers were. I’d put on my Walkman and my tapes (and eventually cds), and I’d feel a bit more complete. I think being influenced by such an extreme character at a young age helped me to become the person I am today, and to be more accepting of people being their own crazy selves. I was devastated when he died in 2016. I’d put off writing him a letter for about 10 years. I wanted to thank him for being that spark of inspiration for me in childhood, one that hasn’t faded. I never did write that letter.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

As a writer, my biggest professional influence and support has been fellow author Mark Cassell. I have been lucky enough to have been mentored by him over the last few months. Learning from someone who has spent years studying the craft has been an eye opener. It gave me the confidence to be honest with myself about the areas of writing that I do struggle with. I have been introduced to a plethora of writing support books, and courses. Which, without Mark pushing me in the right direction to learn more, I may never have encountered. I would say my writing has dramatically improved as I have taken the time to learn. I think too many people are unwilling to take a step back and assess their writing skills, scared that it’s a step away from where they want to be on their career path. Without Mark’s support, I wouldn’t be where I am today, nor would I have the confidence to continue on my writer’s journey.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

You can find my short stories in several books released in 2016 and 2017 from Gruesome Grotesques, to The Reverend Burdizzo’s Hymn Book, which can be found on Amazon. The one to keep an eye out for is my debut novel LUX which will be released in summer 2018.

You can find Pippa on her FB page.

Pippa Bailey lives in rural Shropshire, England. Principally a horror writer, independent reviewer, and YouTube personality, her supernatural, and sci-fi stories have featured in several anthologies, and zines. Her debut novel LUX is due for release summer 2018

 

 

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One Book Interview #34 – Brea Behn (Author)

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Interview #34 is short and sweet.

So is this introduction. 🙂

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Wisconsin in the USA – Brea Behn.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Secret by Rhona Byrne, because it will change the way you look at the world (even if you don’t 100% believe in it).

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

The Bible, because I would need comfort all alone on a terrifying planet, yikes!

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning. I had never heard of it or her, but wow was I hooked. I’ve read the entire series and several others by her.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

Not published (yet), but my middle grade book, The Colors of a Mind, is my favorite. It is about a young man with non-verbal Autism. To the outside world, he is very one note, but in his head, he goes on great adventures. It has great lessons on being unique, bullying and acceptance. My agent is working on publishing it, so I’m hoping for a yes, any day now… Follow my website or sign up for my newsletter at www.breasbooks.com to find out when it will be coming out.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

The Shack by William P. Young. This book put into words how I have always felt about a higher power. That how we talk to “him” or how we choose to bring “him” into our lives, isn’t what really matters. What it’s really about is love.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I learned a ton about writing in the first few sentences! He doesn’t waste a single word. Amazingly written book.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Oh man this is a tough one, because I write very different things. If you are into memoir type books, then I’d say, Death Sucks, Life Doesn’t Have To. If you like gritty dark Dystopian, then my Wolves Series, starting with Wolves in the Woods. Finally, if you want a more PG dystopian, then Vaxxers. I have joked that I would love to write at least one book in every genre before I die.

You can find Brea at: www.Breasbooks.com

 

Brea Behn started writing at the age of fifteen, when she wrote a memoir for her twin brother. Currently, she writes dystopian, children’s fiction, nonfiction, and is building her career as an author and public speaker. Brea speaks on topics ranging from social medial, being a hybrid author, and on the more personal topic of grieving as a teen. Brea is represented by the Purcell Agency. When Brea is not writing, she is reading, crocheting, canning or watching movies. Brea lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their two children. You can follow Brea’s journey at www.Breasbooks.com.

 

 

 

 

One Book Interview #32 – Mike Poeltl (Author)

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Spirit science. General fiction. Children’s books. An environmental Picture book. A post apocalyptic trilogy.

Just a fraction of the output of this weeks author/ illustrator.

He also has the most ingenious solution to the Mars Conundrum yet (See Q. 2).

Good people of the Internet, writing out of  Hamilton, Ontario – Michael Poeltl

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon translated from its original Spanish. It has everything you want from a book, and as an author, I really relished his story-telling and, honestly, wish I’d written that book.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Something soulful I think. A book that offers mind/body exercises to do on the red planet besides contemplating throwing myself off Olympus Mons. Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra comes to mind. An opportunity to meditate on the quantum world and help you focus enough to achieve a level of awareness where I could eventually blink myself off of Mars.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Again, Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón because he’s a Spanish author whose work was translated. A story I wish I had written. Deep, purposeful and haunting. Beautifully written.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

All of my books are my children, but I do have a very personal connection to Her Past’s Present; a story which involves past lives (of which I have endured on the hypnotic regression table myself). It offers a purposeful storyline which could assist in a reader’s own attempt at overcoming a personal struggle, while offering an intriguing tale to take them from point A to B.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

That’s a tough one. I’ve taken away a lot from every book I’ve ever read, but The Buddhist Book of Living and Dying probably most affected me on a spiritual level. It changed the way I think about living my life and the issues I write about.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

I read multiple genres and enjoy each for what they bring to the table. That said, I often find myself writing without a genre in mind – writing what I want to read. To name a book which has most affected me professionally would not be fair to the others.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

I think Her Past’s Present sums up the meat of what I like to write about, but because The Judas Syndrome; book one of a dystopian trilogy was my first, I think it may be a tie. Both are dark with a deep sense of purpose driving them for the main and supporting characters.

You can find Michael at: www.mikepoeltl.com

 

Michael Poeltl is the author of nine books of varying genres and is currently working on his first sci-fi work due to be published early 2018. He is forever grateful to his readership who take the time to pick up one of his books and offer a mindful review or recommend them to their friends and family.

 

One Book Interview #30 – CW Hawes (Author)

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For interview #30 we have an author and an award-winning poet whose interests include mythology, steam power, and fountain pens.

He is also the second person to almost get his interview vetoed on account of his mention of The Day of the Triffids. (That film still gives me the creeps and is the only way I can explain my otherwise inexplicable fear of sunflowers.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of  Minneapolis – CW Hawes.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

This was a very difficult question! I came up with 15 books and didn’t even have to think about the question.

The one I decided on (today, because tomorrow the choice might be different) is Wingman by Daniel Pinkwater.

The book is for kids (about ages 8-11), but there is plenty of depth to it to make it a satisfying read for adults. It is one of my all time favorites.

The message is simple and positive. The storytelling is superb. Pinkwater’s illustrations are a definite bonus. What I found interesting is that the book is very different from Pinkwater’s other books. And while I very my much like Pinkwater (must be the kid in me), I think Wingman is his very best.

I’m not going to say much more because everyone really needs to read this book. Wingman just may change your life.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Many of your interviewees cite Weir’s The Martian. I’ve never read the book. I have read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and Men, Martians, and Machines by Eric Frank Russell, which probably betrays my age.

I’d love to take my iPad, but that probably doesn’t qualify as a book. And then there’d be the problem of recharging it.

So if I have to stick with paper, and assuming the book was to provide me with entertainment and solace, something to occupy my time during the long Martian winter, I’d take Saigyō, Poems of a Mountain Home, translated by Burton Watson.

Saigyō was a 12th century Japanese poet. We know little about him. He began adult life as a member of the Emperor’s elite guard and while still a young man left the guard to become a Buddhist monk. His poetry is simple and yet profound and will stand re-reading and contemplation for many, many of those long Martian winters.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Quite honestly, I find myself more often disappointed than surprised when I pick up a book these days. I love the indie movement. I love the fact anyone who wants to do so can publish a book. There should be no gatekeepers.

Which, of course, means I become the gatekeeper and must sift my way through the chaff looking for the wheat.

However, the big corporate publishing houses are no better. They publish a surprising amount of banal and even bad books. And they have gatekeepers. Go figure. Of course their gatekeepers are there to make sure the publishing houses make money, not to make sure the book is of quality.

Nevertheless, gems are to be found. Wonderful gems. This is a great day for readers. One book I took a chance on simply because I liked the title was The Succubus in a Red Dress by Daniel David Garcia. And I’m glad I did. The book isn’t at all my normal cup of tea. However, the characters are delightful, there is humor galore, and Mr Garcia knows how to tell a story. I enjoyed the book so much, I’ll probably pony up the bucks to buy the rest of the series.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

I like all of my books and stories. And I love most of them. I write what I want to read and am generally pleased with the result. But if I had to pick one as my favorite it would be Festival of Death.

It was the first novel I wrote. Then 25 years later I rewrote it and published it. I love the characters, especially the main ones: Tina and her brother, Harry. And I love watching them grow with each successive book and story.

Festival of Death came about because I wanted to write a mystery and at the same time discovered there are caves beneath the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Now how cool is that? And toss in a neo-Aztec cult and homeless people and… Let’s just say I had a blast writing the story.

The book is available exclusively through Amazon. Which means Kindle Unlimited folks get to read for free.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

This one is easy. Seneca’s Letters to Lucilius.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman statesman and Stoic philosopher. Perhaps most noted for being one of Nero’s tutors.

At the height of his political power and influence he was so wealthy, he’d have made Bill Gates’s wealth look like chump change. Realizing Nero’s instability, Seneca gave his wealth to the young emperor when he came of age and retired from political life.

In Seneca’s last few years he wrote the letters to his friend Lucilius. They are filled with a mature wisdom that is even more apropos today then when it was written 2,000 years ago. Seneca was truly a man of the 21st century. He can teach you how to live today.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

There is no one book that has influenced my writing career. I find most writing books to be simply a rehash of stuff that has been rehashed a hundred times before and is all available for free on the internet now.

However, four short stories did what no novel or how-to book is capable of doing. The stories are:

The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Conrad Aiken

Sredni Vashtar by Saki

The Color Out of Space by H P Lovecraft

Doyle’s story gave me a taste for the effectiveness of a feel of mystery, a bit of horror, and the effectiveness of a little humor. The Aiken and Saki stories demonstrated the importance of character. Lovecraft’s classic instilled in me the power of atmosphere.

I read all four while in elementary school. I have never forgotten them and still see them as instructive examples of the writing art today.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

I’m a multi-genre guy. I read most everything (romance and gratuitous gore excepted) and I’m currently writing in four genres: post-apocalyptic (in the style of Earth Abides and The Day of the Triffids), mystery, alternative history, and horror.

That said, I’d say a good starting book would be Festival of Death, the first book in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries series.

The reason I chose Festival of Death is because it contains a touch of horror, wonderful characters, humor, and unusual atmosphere. All the things I myself look for in a novel or story.

The book can be found at Amazon and it’s only 99¢, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

You can find  at:

You can find CW at www.cwhawes.com and you can join his Reader’s Group to get in on free goodies and news about his many worlds.

CW Hawes is a retired bureaucrat, having spent 30 years in Human Services. He knows a thing or two about the human condition, and about being human.

He writes books that are thought provoking, laced with humor, are sometimes tongue in cheek or biting satire, and are always filled with characters who could be your relatives or neighbors. He’s written The Rocheport Saga (7 volumes and counting), the 5 book (and counting) Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries series, the From the Files of Lady Dru Drummond alternative history series, as well as horror short stories of which 4 are currently available through Amazon.

When he’s not writing, he can be found fiddling with his fountain pens (often with ink stained hands), cooking, or reading. Unless interrupted by his cat, or his pooky.

 

One Book Interview #29 – Kevin Potter (Author)

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When I asked Author #29 if he was interested in an interview, this was response.

“I’m not sure I’m the type of author you’re looking for. I write dark epic fantasy. More fantasy than dark, but my setting is rather frightening and I don’t really do happy endings. Let me know if you’re interested.”

My reply?

“Absolutely. Sounds just like my kind of book.”

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Cottonwood Heights, Utah  – Kevin Potter.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

I’m going to say Eragon, by Christopher Paolini.

Not because it’s an amazing piece of fiction and not because it went places and did things no other fantasy book had done at that time.

Not at all.

My reason is simple, however.

Chris was fifteen when he wrote it. Let that sink in for a minute. Yes, it got published largely because his parents owned a small press and published it themselves, and it got the attention of a big publisher because they spent huge amounts of both time and money organizing their own publicity and book tours for Chris. But all that aside, at the age of fifteen Chris wrote this huge fantasy book in about a year and went on to turn it into a four-book series with all four being NYT bestsellers.

Lightning strike? I don’t believe so. His success with those books is owed to hard work, sacrifice, and persistent dedication.

I admire that.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Um, Botany 101? Haha

Okay, if survival is not my chiefest concern, then probably The Stand, by Stephen King. For the simple fact that it’s such a long book that by the time you get to the end, you’ve forgotten the beginning, so it’s totally cool to just go right back to the beginning and reread it!

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

This doesn’t happen to me very often. Much more frequently I am disappointed. I think I Am Not a Serial Killer, by Dan Wells.

It’s not in my usual genre, so I wasn’t at all certain I would get into it. But after listening to Dan and Brandon Sanderson talk about the books on the Writing Excuses podcast, and hearing how much others have enjoyed it, I decided to give it a try.

To be fair, the technical writing is not fantastic. In fact, much of it is barely mediocre. That’s a large part of the beauty of this book series, however.

You see, when writing in the first person, you often have to forsake proper grammar and usage in preference for using phrasing and punctuation that the character would think and speak in.

This is one point where a lot of writers fall short when writing first person narratives. They forget that literally everything in the book is the POV character’s thoughts. So they obsess over proper grammar, usage, and style, and then the book just doesn’t feel right because it ends up being written in the author’s voice instead of the character’s.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

Easy.

For a while now, I’ve been working on a supernatural suspense series about the Biblical Apocalypse. The first book is tentatively titled, Servants of Shadow, but that could change.

This is the story I feel I was born to write.

When I was younger, I always thought Epic Fantasy was my calling (even though I never even heard that term until about 3 years ago, haha).

But I’ve always been drawn to stories about the Apocalypse and when the idea first sparked for this series, I had a mishmash of ideas come together and I was honestly floored by it.

Naturally, I can’t tell you what those ideas are just yet, but let it suffice that I’ve never heard of any Apocalypse story using anything remotely close to the ideas I’ve been exploring for this story.

Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect to see this book published for at least another 1-2 years, perhaps longer.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

That would be The Legend of Huma, by Richard Knaak, which is part of the Dragonlance Saga.

I was twelve the first time I read it and it really moulded into me my most fundamental ideas about morality and honor.

It taught me the true measure of a hero and that regardless of how large or small the stakes are, everyone needs a hero in their life.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

I honestly don’t think I can narrow this down to just one.

Game of Thrones showed me that a discovery writer can write a cohesive, massive story without submitting to the 90% of fiction editors who say that outlining is the only way to write a good book.

The Wheel of Time has taught me that not every moment has to be pulse-pounding excitement. We can have sections of just ordinary life (more or less), we can have chapters dedicated to the budding romance or the marital conflict or the small-town friends who have to argue about everything. The entire book doesn’t have to be about the epic conflict.

And finally, Dragonlance (all of them, really. All 100+ novels that I’ve read) showed me that you can have new ideas. You can invent something totally new that gets people’s attention and leads to greater and greater ideas. Just because something seems infeasible, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It’s fiction, if you can come up with a reasonably plausible explanation for why something is, you can do it and so long as you do it well, your readers will buy into it.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

My latest book really is the best place to start. In many ways, I’ve poured my heart into Rise of the Overlord and it’s a much better representation of my style than the first book was. I was still figuring out my voice and my tone when I wrote Fall, and as has been commented on by several readers, it is much less immediate and immersive than the new one is.

The ebook is available pretty much everywhere ebooks are sold.

You can find Kevin at: www.kevinpotterauthor.com

Kevin Potter is a speculative fiction author currently focusing on his new Dark Epic Fantasy series, The Calamity. As an avid reader and prolific writer since elementary school, Kevin always knew he’d be an author. He spent many years bouncing between various business ventures, from restaurant management to IT, phone based technical support to building custom computer hardware. But finally, he has returned to his first love: writing. Kevin lives in Cottonwood Heights, Utah with his wife, 2 daughters, and several dogs.

 

One Book Interview #28 – Steve Van Samson (Author)

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This week’s author is a man after my own heart – mixing genres such as horror, dystopian, dark fantasy and adventure. A man who believes that:

‘character is king and there should always be little seeds planted between lines, that the reader will only discover in subsequent readings’.

Except for the vampires. He has vampires in his stories.

(And a pet dragon at home.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Lancaster, Massachusetts – Steve Van Samson.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Shining by Stephen King. I think it might be fair to say that at this point, more people are familiar with the film, than the novel. Even though both stand as legitimately fascinating characters, it’s a little shocking how little book-Jack has in common with movie-Jack. In fact, King’s Torrances are written so intricately, so staggeringly human, we are left with no recourse other than to fall madly in love with them. That’s why I believe that all fans of Kubrick’s “The Shining”, owe it to themselves to check out the original novel.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Mars is a hike–why take just one story? The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard is literally my favorite compilation, ever. The tales range from werewolves, to sea curses, to explorations of Howard’s bottomless interest in the ancestral roots of men. Included are some of Howard’s best works including two of my favorites: Pigeons From Hell, and Worms of the Earth. Though the writer is best remembered for creating Conan the Barbarian (and with him, that sub-division of the fantasy genre known as “Sword and Sorcery”), this collection reveals at least one more genre we can thank him for, “The Weird Western”. What’s more, the book also features numerous stunning black and white illustrations by Judge Dredd artist Greg Staples, as well as a fascinating introduction by editor Rusty Burke. That should keep me busy on Mars for a while, I reckon.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman. First let me state that Gaiman is (skill and style wise) probably my favorite writer of all time. His prose is so expertly crafted, so brimming with restrained wit–as I read, I constantly feel like I’m being winked at. That said, I do not necessarily adore every single thing the man does. As it happened, my wife had urged me to read TOATEOTL for a while, almost a year. And truthfully, I don’t know what my problem was. I think the title evoked something that didn’t interest me. Maybe I thought it was going to be too childish, or a sap-fest. Not sure anymore. Long story short–when I finally read the thing, I found myself immediately whisked away on a magical coming of age story unlike any other. By the end, my butt was sore from all the kicking I did (you know, for not reading the darn thing sooner).

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

I’m still pretty knew at this whole being published thing, so I’ll choose the last book I finished (which will be released this fall). The book is called Marrow Dust and it is the second in my Predator World series. As with its predecessor, Marrow Dust is set in Africa and deals with the business of survival, some decades after a vampire apocalypse. I had never written a sequel before and crafting a story that felt not only worthy of telling but necessary, wasn’t easy. I’m definitely proud as heck of the thing, and of my tough as nails, female protagonist, Mirèlha Nanji.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Oh boy–this is a tough one since I generally read fluff and nonsense. The hell with it, why fight the tide? Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry. That one holds a very special place in my heart. When I was a tot, my mother instilled in me, a great love of books. We read nearly every night, just as I now read to my own daughter. That said, as time went on, books were replaced by Nintendo and then the far more majestic Super Nintendo–and though it pains me to admit it, at the age of 17, I had never read a novel I wasn’t “forced to, for school”. Fortunately, that all changed with Shadows of the Empire. It was the one book, I couldn’t not read. Billed as the lost Star Wars film, the story fit between Empire and Jedi. And if that wasn’t enough, the novel was only one part of a three pronged Lucasfilm multimedia assault! Prongs two and three were a series of comic books, and a video game for the N64, respectively. All bore the title of Shadows of the Empire and I had to have them. All of them. What was so great about this marketing strategy was this–you couldn’t get the whole story without consuming all of the separate media. The stories were not redundant adaptations of one another, but rather separate tales that intertwined into one massive whole. There were plenty of familiar faces to get excited about, but also new ones like Han Solo’s slightly scruffier pal, Dash Rendar. Best of all though was the villain of the piece, Prince Xixor of the Black Sun crime organization. An evil man, by all accounts, but one who reserved his true hatred for one, Darth Vader. Despite being only 385 pages, this book proved that reading a novel for pleasure was something I was capable of–and as silly as it sounds, when I finished, I was pretty stinking proud of myself.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Hands down, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. Reading these books taught me so much about the sort of writer I wanted to be. They proved that the relationship between reader and writer is a tenuous thing. That sometimes, to be a really great writer, one must first become a tyrant. Manipulating not only their characters, but the hearts of those who read. I definitely don’t agree with everything Martin does (there really is only so much chin grease one logically needs to describe), but he has a way of playing his audience like few others can. Beyond the merits of an unexpected death, he has also shown me the value in creating a character that we will have no choice but to despise… only to then spend the next two books turning our hearts on the subject. When done properly, it’s a heck of a thing.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

The Bone Eater King is my first published novel. The book was inspired by the Robert E. Howard story The Hills Of The Dead which featuring Howard’s famed monster fighting puritan, Solomon Kane. As with THOTD, I decided to set my vampire story in Africa–far away from the typical settings of some modern city or Victorian Europe. With The Bone Eater King I strove to create a pulpy and thoroughly unique adventure tale with horror elements, told from the perspective of an amnesiac. Someone who begins the story in the middle of a pitch dark savanna, unsure who he is or what the dozens of sinister eyes which now surround him, belong to. The book will be released for Kindle on Aug. 21st and then in paperback on Sept. 25th.

You can find Steve at: www.shatteredscribblings.com

Author of the forthcoming pulpy horror/adventure books “The Bone Eater King” and its sequel “Marrow Dust”, Steve is an artist, graphic designer and dad by trade, but also a part time pod-caster, wannabe rock star and a great lover of all things GEEK.