Steve Stred's Blog, page 26
March 6, 2023
3Q’s – In which Christopher Henderson becomes a hermit!
3Q’s today is with an author whose work I have really enjoyed reading!
I connected with Christopher through Kendall Reviews and have read a fair amount of his stories. Christopher reminds me a lot of Adam Nevill, in that he writes how the current crop of authors write (fast and loose) while also keeping one steady hand in the old ways (slow and delicate) and because of that, his work is always something that makes you sit down and take notice.
Super excited to have him stop by today!
Welcome Christopher!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
CH: If only I had finished my current book in a single draft! I’m afraid the first draft lost its way during the pandemic and by the time I’d got my mojo back, ripped apart that attempt, and wrestled the remains into a form I was happy with, I was onto at least Draft 4!
There does come a point, however, when it’s important to put the work aside for a few weeks. You need to return to that manuscript with fresh eyes or else you’re in danger of seeing only what you expect, rather than what’s actually there.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
CH: Perhaps I wouldn’t have spent so many years writing non-fiction. My initial plan was to write horror, but when I started out in the 1990s, the quickest and easiest route to getting published and paid was via letters to newspapers, writing filler paragraphs, and submitting magazine articles. One of my abiding interests is folklore and the paranormal, and at that time magazines were practically screaming for articles on those subjects thanks to the phenomenal popularity of ‘The X-Files’. I found some success writing those, and that helped to deepen my interest in those subjects. Step by step, I ended up focused on serious paranormal research on the one hand and writing collections of local legends and real-life ghost stories on the other. It wasn’t until a few years ago when political changes in the UK resulted in me losing my regular non-writing income plus much of the money I’d set aside for the proverbial rainy day (do NOT get me started on that!) that I found myself no longer able to afford the lengthy and often expensive research that went into those books. Those changes forced me to take a long, hard look at where I had ended up. In the end I said goodbye to that life, began again with a pen name, and set out to write the horror fiction I’d initially intended.
Having said all that, maybe I wouldn’t change the past because so much of that old life is now fuel and source material for this one.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
CH: My favourite is always the story I’m thinking of writing next. The one still full of endless potential, existing only as waves of probability yet to be collapsed by decisions and imprisoned in words.
But I particularly enjoyed writing ‘The Horror at Lavender Edge’. It’s a novel that seems to divide opinion, and while some readers have raved about it, others (your good self included!) have not been as keen. For me, though, it was a chance to escape the modern world and revisit childhood memories by setting events in London in the 1970s. It’s an era that fascinates me at the moment.
That book was the first in a series and as I answer this question, I am getting ready to release Book 2. It kicks off six months after the events at Lavender Edge with a protagonist coming to terms with how those events have changed him, and struggling with the knowledge that his own selfishness was partly responsible for the way things panned out.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
CH: Woah, that’s a hell of a question!
The romantic part of me – that bit of my soul that keeps making me re-read Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ – is drawn towards the endless expanse of the ocean, to the magnificent isolation of vast horizons and the silent, crystal clarity of the stars at night, and to the poignant hopelessness of surrender to the inevitable.
But mountains bring at least a slight possibility of obtaining shelter, water (of the drinkable sort), and food. With luck, I might learn to survive in the mountains long enough to find my way out or else to start yet another new life. Why not? I’ve always rather fancied being a hermit.
Steve: That is excellent! And if you lived as a hermit, you could conceivably write a ton of books!
Thanks again for doing this, Christopher!
To find more of his work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christopher-Henderson/author/B0768KRXXR
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChendersHorror
March 3, 2023
3Q’s Special – Zachary Rosenberg and his magnetic telepathy!
Special 3Q’s today is with one the most supportive guys out there – Zachary Rosenberg!
I’m so happy to have him join me today! His newest novella is a rampaging fun time and one thing you’ll soon discover while interacting with him – is that he’s infectiously supportive!
Welcome Zachary!
Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
ZR: I always try to get between 500-1000 words there. Personally, I don’t really have a “writing time.” I can be far too chaotic and hard to hold to a schedule that way, especially with the day job (and find it very hard to actually write at work proper). Really, it’s usually in the afternoon or evening when I can get a good moment to just take a crack at it.
Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?
ZR: I see I’ve found the Steinbeck werewolf novel at last! Naturally, if I found a secret manuscript in this context, it’d be one shared with the world. But not before taking a read first, of course!
Steve: Tell me about your newest release and why someone should read it!
ZR: My latest release is “Hungers As Old As This Land,” through Brigids Gate press! Combining two of my loves, westerns, and horror. If I may say so myself, it’s a darkly thrilling story of the hungers at the heart of America’s past, along with grim reminders of persecution, violence, and Manifest Destiny. Told through the eyes of likable, relatable characters, with cool monsters and a tight, moving story.
Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?
ZR: Ooh, either Magneto or Professor Xavier. Power over magnetism would be pretty epic, let alone that telepathy of the latter!
Steve: Oh – two great choices!
Thank you so much for doing this! To find more of his work – check the links!
Amazon:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZachRoseWriter
3Q’s Special – Rebecca Rowland might spontaneously combust!
Really exciting 3Q’s Special today with the fantastic author and anthologist, Rebecca Rowland!
I’ve read some of her work and what I have has been really great! With the launch of a really thrilling anthology on the horizon, I was so happy Rebecca was able to stop by for a visit!
Welcome Rebecca!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
RR: As an author, I pay more attention to how I write things than what I write. More often than not, I type a handful of paragraphs, then go back and revise those snippets two or three times before continuing on with the story. When I’m done, unless I’m under a tight deadline, I put the story away for a few weeks before revisiting it. When I finally read the first draft as a whole, I’m looking more for plot holes than for syntax or diction tweaks.
As an anthology editor, I read stories as I receive them—often, two or three times. I have never been a fan of editors who try to align a writer’s style to their own, and I try to keep a creator’s voice intact: that means not fussing too much. In general, I select stories for projects based on the writing rather than on the story-telling, so when I copy edit, it’s very minimal, and once the story is placed, I tend to not look at it again because by that time, I can’t see the forest for the trees. I send the stories back to the authors and ask them to take one final scan for typos: by that time, they should be able to see their pieces with fresh eyes. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to trimming and shaping our own work; we pick at things too much. Outside proofers are godsends: they clip stray hangnails without any emotional attachment.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
RR: I would have gone into writing horror not giving a fuck about what others think, to be crudely honest. For years, I was so self-conscious about how something might come off: to my friends, to my co-workers, to people who might form a first impression of me based on what they read. Maybe it’s a product of age or maybe it’s a product of experience, but these days, I write what I want to write without much filter. Sometimes it’s too filthy for people; sometimes it’s too clean. It took me a while to feel comfortable in my own writing skin. Some authors mold their work around what’s “hot” or what sells. I can’t fault them. However, I try to approach writing and curating the way I approach my personal relationships: for me, duplicity is one of the most loathsome traits to possess. I can’t employ it in my relationship with others, and I can’t employ it in my work either.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
RR: Although I will always have a soft spot for “Bent,” I’d have to say Shagging the Boss is my new favorite. People hate the title. One well-known reviewer refused to even look at the story because she insisted it “had” to be erotica (even though there isn’t a wink of sex anywhere in it). The novelette takes place in Boston—where I set a lot of my fiction—at a location where I worked in the mid 1990s. On one level, it’s a fun creature feature, but at its heart, the story is about the ethical limits people bend (or break) and the nefarious actions they ignore when they want something badly enough. Ambition isn’t a bad thing, but it can be monstrous at times as well.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question! Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
RR: It would have to be the mountains, if only by default. My skin’s pallor rivals a graveyard ghoul’s. If I were adrift on the open sea, the sun’s reflection might damn well set me ablaze.
Thank you once again for doing this, Rebecca!
To find more of her work, check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rebecca-Rowland/author/B07GCBFCXP
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_rowland_books/
Website: https://rowlandbooks.com/
March 2, 2023
Book Review: The Entangled Dragon by DS LaLonde
Title: The Entangled Dragon
Author: DS LaLonde
Release date: January 14, 2023
Huge thanks to the awesome DS for sending me a digital ARC of this one. I had tried really hard to get it read and reviewed before release date, but alas a jam packed reading schedule and personal and family colds threw that plan into the fire!
But, here I am, having devoured this in a few sittings and gleefully smiling over the contents that LaLonde has delivered this time around.
I read their prior novel, ‘A Bleak Remedy’ last year, and while this one has shades of similarities, it is its own beast, while still showcasing LaLonde’s snappy prose.
What I liked: The story begins by following middle-of-the-road, Rick. A middle manager, living a meager existence, getting by without being flashy or having too much money in the bank. Just a regular dude. That is, until he gets invited to participate in a trial. At first, he’s convinced it’s a scam. But soon enough he discovers its not – but the truth of what it is, is where we leap off.
At this trial, he discovers demons exist, that there’s more to the world than what we see on directly before us, and its this starting off point that LaLonde uses to then unleash a fantastic romp of a story.
LaLonde has really created an imaginative and very in-depth world here, one that has layers and texture and feels fully fleshed out and lets us become immersed completely in it. Rick is a solid character and the secondary characters who are introduced and play various roles in the ever growing story all feel solid as well.
The ending is both engaging, but if you look at the cover you see it says Book One, which means we get a fair number of open ended questions that will most likely contribute to wherever we end up going in the sequel.
What I didn’t like: While I did appreciate how much was thrown at us, sometimes it did feel a bit overwhelming. This could be because – in comparison to ‘A Bleak Remedy’ – it is a shorter page count/word count, but it also comes down to the large scope of the world LaLonde’s created. On the flip side, cutting some away would feel awkward, so there really isn’t a solution, just more me finding there to be a lot going on haha!
Why you should buy this: LaLonde has a really easy and engaging way of telling their stories and between the two novels I’ve read of theirs now, they definitely work hard to create sprawling set pieces that are filled with crazy corporations, secret society type aspects and compulsive plot points.
Another solid winner from LaLonde!
4/5
Book Review: Hungers as Old as This Land by Zachary Rosenberg
Title: Hungers as Old as This Land
Author: Zachary Rosenberg
Release date: May 17th, 2023
In the past, I typically passed on doing both a blurb and/or review. When someone reached out, I’d either say yes to one or the other but not both. But over the last few months, I’ve seen more and more reviewers decide to either reduce the number of books they’re taking on or stop reviewing ARC’s completely. It’s a tough spot out there right now and I see it from both sides – as a reviewer and an author. At the time of writing this, I have a novel coming out in two months and (and I completely understand life and no disrespect meant) some of the reviewers I always knew would be willing to read an ARC from me are no longer taking anything on.
So, I decided to make that switch and if someone wanted both, I’d be willing to do that. Every little bit helps.
Which, was why I was excited when Zachary reached out to see if I wanted to check out an ARC of his upcoming novella. I’ve only read a short from Zachary previously, but was really eager and keen to see what he’d created with this western/folklore horror story.
What I liked: The story follows events in Grey’s Bluff, years after the Civil War. Esther and Siobhan are secret lovers, living in Esther’s fathers home and tending to the town as needed. Part of that ‘tending’ is making sure their end of the pact that Esther’s father made with those called The Hungers who live in the mountains is maintained.
I really enjoyed the interactions between Esther and Siobhan and thought they made a really solid, thoroughly crafted couple. I would suspect that they are based on a real-life couple, the little mannerisms Rosenberg adds in suggesting that.
It sets up an exciting wild-west tale and Rosenberg holds nothing back. We get topical and timely socio-political commentary interspersed within. The meat of the story occurs when an old army friend of Esther’s dad is sent to forcefully take Grey’s Bluffs.
Rosenberg uses this as a way to pack a solid quarter of the story with an action-packed sequence. It rumbles us along until we get to the ending and we get to see what happens when those who’ve not treated The Hungers kindly step into their world uninvited.
What I didn’t like: Two things nagged at me. The first is the bigotry/anti-Semitism parts. I feel like it wasn’t expanded upon enough. This is a short, snappy novella – but I would’ve been just as happy if we had another ten pages added and Rosenberg took his time digging into that deeper and making the reader feel more for the characters and less off of historical acceptance. The rise of anti-Semitism over the last few years has been unacceptable, but unfortunately it isn’t something new. I would’ve loved Rosenberg to have these characters discuss how it had impacted them more, instead of an impassioned speech that is delivered. As well, the racism/bigotry plot line could’ve been expanded a bit more too to really work as a powerful novella showcasing this. Knowing the publishers and the publishing house, I’m certain they’d have had no qualms about that.
Secondly – NOT ENOUGH HUNGERS! AH! Zachary! You’re killing me here! They are kept in the shadows and remain there and we get hardly enough description to formulate what they might look like. And they barely get involved to any formidable degree. Definitely something I would’ve loved to see more of! Maybe a sequel or prequel will hit that aspect down the road!
Why you should buy this: This novella packs a ton of emotions and action into its short page count. Rosenberg wields his pen like a master swordsman, slashing beautiful and compulsive prose in each and every paragraph. This one really does a wonderful job of playing to the strengths of what makes westerns great, but also what makes folklore horror great.
Definitely one to snag!
4/5
3Q’s – Ezekiel Kincaid plays the long game!
Today’s 3Q’s is a fun one! I always like when people send in some fun ‘accessory’ stuff for their answers and Ezekiel did just that!
I connected with Ezekiel a while back and it’s been great watching his fans get new and saliva-creating works of dark fiction!
Please, welcome Ezekiel!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
EK: Once I’m done with my first draft, I take some time away from it and work on something else. I usually work on something drastically different. For example, if I’m writing horror comedy I will switch to something intense and scary. This keeps my mind fresh and allows me to switch gears. When I go back to the first draft, it helps me look at it with fresh eyes.
Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?
EK: Of course! Look at this picture I took around my property. My fiancé says it is just a puddle. But I say it is a Sasquatch footprint. This is obviously a major point of contention in the relationship.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
EK: Man, this is a tough one. I’d have to say it is my Dreadful Death series (third book in the series is forthcoming). This series is based on the ghost of a little girl that appeared to me a few years ago. There’s also a real-life haunted photo involved with the writing of the books as well as a haunted doll. This series was by far the most intense thing I have ever written and has literally given people nightmares. I had a few beta readers tap out before the end because the story got to them too deeply.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?
EK: There have been many, but my all-time favorite is the one I pulled on my oldest daughter. When she was around ten or eleven, I told her this story about some haunted VHS tapes I found in an old man’s trash can when I was around her age. I told her these tapes have real documented footage of a family being harassed and then possessed by an evil entity. I showed her my Paranormal Activity DVDs and said that I had to hide the tapes, so I got them transferred onto DVD and made them look like real movies. I told her I did all this so I could “hide them in plain sight.”
She was fascinated by the story and the movies. She asked me what happened to the VHS tapes, and I told her I had gotten frightened and threw them away. I told her the other weird thing about these tapes was the date on them. I told her I found them in 1990 but the date on the camera when recording was around 2007.
For years my daughter would ask me about the tapes and when she could watch them. I even had my brother involved in the prank, confirming my story about the footage. Finally, when my daughter turned sixteen, I let her watch the movies. She was enthralled and scared out of her mind, thinking they were real. After we watched the first Paranormal Activity movie, she was searching for it online, still convinced that what she saw was real. Even when she saw the actors and actresses names, she still couldn’t put it together. It wasn’t until she read an actual interview with the actors that it dawned on her.
She had been had! The look on her face was epic. I carried this joke on for about five or six years and the payoff was well worth it. It is still a running joke between me and my kids about how bad I got her. My patience for being able to carry this thing on for years is also praised by my friends and family. It was a fantastic prank and still brings us laughs to this day.
Steve: Hahaha! Oh man, that is great! The long game always pays off!
Thank you so much for doing this, Ezekiel! To find more of his work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ezekiel-Kincaid/author/B08GZQ55PQ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EzekielKincaid
March 1, 2023
3Q’s – R.E. Sargent and the battle against fish food!
Super excited for today’s 3Q’s!
I first connected with R.E. Sargent a number of years back. R.E. is one of the driving forces behind Sinister Smile Press, which has been releasing some truly fantastic anthologies, as well as R.E.’s solo work too!
I’m super happy that he was able to stop by today!
Welcome, R.E.!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
R.E.: It really depends on how close I am to deadline. If I don’t have much time, I will jump right back into the edits while everything is fresh. My preference though is to step away from the manuscript for a week and approach it with fresh eyes. I go back through every line and make edits and create notes of issues that need to be researched or resolved. Once I have fixed everything, I like to have Microsoft Word read the manuscript to me out loud—it’s amazing how many little errors your ears can catch that your eyes were not able to.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
R.E.: The only thing I would ever change is taking back all the years I took off from writing, because I let the publishing process discourage me. Essentially, I gave up, until the fire eventually rekindled. My advice to anyone that is struggling is never give up. Keep writing. Hone your craft. And one day, you will get to where you want to be, and you will have an amazing stack of manuscripts you created in the process.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
R.E.: That’s a hard one, because as an author, and also a publisher, I have many I am fond of…however, I just released my first short story horror collection the other day titled Everything Went to Shit, and I am so proud of this collection and every aspect of it, including the title, the cover, the stories, and the endorsements from other authors.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
R.E.: I’ll take the mountains any day. You have enough resources in the mountains to build shelter and live off the land. The sea has so many dangers below its serene surface that, if they don’t come up for you, you might eventually end up heading down where they are. Either way, it’s only a matter of time before you are fish food.
Steve: Ha! Excellent choice!
Thanks so much for doing this! To find more of R.E.’s work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.E.-Sargent/author/B072N46VW8
Twitter: https://twitter.com/resargent22
Website: https://www.resargent.com/
February 28, 2023
3Q’s – Brian J. Smith is getting emotional!
I’m usually pretty on the ball with knowing when I’ve connected with somebody on the various social media platforms, but for some reason I actually can’t for the life of me remember when myself and Brian J. Smith connected! Either way, we’ve interacted and supported each other for some time now and it’s been great seeing him continue to release fantastic dark fiction!
Welcome Brian!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Smith: I dive back into it the very next day.
I print the first 50 pages and read them out loud and write any corrections on a wide-ruled notebook and finish them on my desktop. I continue that process until the book is done and then repeat that process again one more time to make sure everything is done right.
Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?
Smith: If I could change anything I’d have to say conveying more emotion. When I first began writing at the age of thirteen, I failed to convey any real emotion into my stories and into my characters and that was where I had failed as an author. Emotion creates characters that people will love and along with good storytelling you have a good book on your hands.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Smith: When it comes to books, I’d have to say “Consuming Darkness” because I’ve always been a fan of creature features like Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Thing From Another World and The Night Stalker series w/Darren McGavin. I didn’t get to fully enjoy the latter until I was in my teens but I’d watched the former with my father every time it was on cable tv.
When it comes to stories, I’d have to say my supernatural horror novella “Dark Avenues” because I’ve always believed that our dearly departed never go away. They visit once in a while to see how we’re doing but in Kevin Perkins’ case Marilyn had visited him because of an injustice that needed to be corrected. The death of my parents had taught me how deep and cold grief can feel once it settles in on us.
These components alone make a good story because an author who has experienced such things and put them down on paper can connect with a reader who has been through the same thing as well.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?
Smith: I’d have to pick getting lost in the mountains. A nice cabin with a bright crackling fireplace and a good book and a writing tablet or five would be just fine.
Steve: Great choice!
Thanks so much for doing this, Brian!
To find more of his work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brian-J.-Smith/author/B071HYLBN3
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beardedauthor9
February 27, 2023
Book Review: Playground by Aron Beauregard
Title: Playground
Author: Aron Beauregard
Release date: November 25, 2022
Over the last number of years, Aron Beauregard has emerged as one of Extreme/Splatterpunk Horror’s true Heavy Weights. His books are hotly anticipated by his ever-growing throng of fans and he has been raking up the accolades as well – becoming Splatterpunk Award nominated and Splatterpunk Award winning during that time.
A prolific author, Beauregard continues to release new and exciting slabs of decimation. But, I, being of the previously described ‘extreme-light’ crowd have yet to dive into any of his books. They sound great, but I’ve never been a hugely massive extreme-extreme horror reader. Saying that – I do my best to try and support as many as I can, and with this novel having been nominated for Best Novel for this years Splatterpunk Awards, I figured this was a perfect one to check out!
What I liked: I mean, the cover should give you some solid indication what you’re in for. If you require ANY sort of Trigger Warnings, you way want to stay away from this one. If you, however, enjoy the brand of brutality Beauregard delivers, this one will make you smile from ear to ear.
The story follows a crazy old lady, Geraldine, who gets sexual gratification from others misery. The worse that happens to them, the more turned on she gets. So, as one does, she creates this insanely intricate indoor playground and invites three low-income families with kids to test it out. They just don’t realize this is more ‘Saw’ meets ‘Hostel’ meets ’31’ than Sesame Street.
Beauregard has set this up as an escape room story for kids – with the only difference being each room is literally live or die – and the dying part is always a carnage filled paragraph of viscera. It also shows how some of the kids will band together and work to survive, while others are singularly focused on themselves and that typically doesn’t work out so well.
There is a really well-inserted redemption arc within the story, one involving the man-giant, Rock and his battle of wills versus loyalty and that worked to humanize the events to a degree.
I think the ending worked really well and followed how the reader sees the events played out. Beauregard does a great job of showcasing the hurt that was created with Geraldine’s actions as well as how this directly impacted the various characters in the novel.
What I didn’t like: You’ll need to go into this fully allowing yourself to just believe. Sure the scope/scale of these indoor rooms is insane. And so are the elaborate punishment devices that have been booby-trapped within each one to decimate the participants, but that’s part of the joy of reading something to just read and have fun. If you struggle to suspend belief for any amount of time, you’ll most likely want to stay clear of this one.
Why you should buy this: If you’re a fan of Aron’s you probably have already snagged this and most likely have read it. If you’re new to extreme horror and want to see what it’s all about, this is an excellent place to dive in and discover how these novels will contain really well done plots with fantastic writing and some of the most horrific gore-filled scenes you’ll ever read.
This was a blast.
4/5
3Q’s – Damien Casey is D E A D, ya hear?!
3Q’s today is another super fun one. I love how each author takes the fun questions as fun questions and has… fun with them! Damien and I connected some time back on Twitter and through that it’s been great watching as they’ve carved out a place for themselves in the dark fiction work AND have now started a small press with the amazing Kyra Torres!
Please welcome Damien!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
DC: For me it’s so so much easier to get back in. I do a first draft on my phone, people make fun of me, but it’s easier. Then I convert it to Word and do a light edit/format in the process. I set myself a limit of three edits. I like to think my writing has a distinct voice and if I over edit, I tend to lose that; which makes me big sad.
Steve: You win a very prestigious award and are invited to receive it. The award is a bronze plated copy of the book that means the most to you in your life. What book is it and why?
DC: I don’t have one answer for this. So, I’ll do three! Just like the 3 Q’s! YAY!
The great and secret show by Clive Barker- this is the book that made me want to start writing.
The Bottoms by Joe Lansdale- I write my characters before I ever even think of a story. I attach to them so much. I learned that from The Bottoms. This is also the book that made me realize how important your own voice is.
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by William Mabbit- This little booger eater has made me smile on days when I truly just didn’t want to. As cheesy as that is, it’s so important.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
DC: Ohhhhhhhh. That’s a two sided one too I’m afraid! The first would be Coffin Dodger, I put a lot of myself in the book and really focused on my characters. I would say Coffin Dodger is when I started coming into my own.
Hot Pink Satanism is just as important to me. Through the process of writing this I found my ~*BFF*~ Kyra R Torres, we started a pub AND a podcast because of this book. This is also the first book I’ve had picked up by a publisher. It will forever be so special to me.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – You’re on a camping trip when suddenly a wild animal confronts you. You take off running and it follows. What animal are you confident in thinking you could outrun?
DC: As the great Baymax once said, “I am not fast.” So ya boi is probably D E A D.
Steve: Oh dear. Well, I hope you are able to outrun something!
Thanks again for doing this, Damien!
To find more of his work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Damien-Casey/author/B07B7G49HJ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcuglybooks
Website: https://www.3-bpublishing.com/
