Carl Alves's Blog, page 31
March 17, 2016
Cold City by F Paul Wilson
Having never read any of the Repairman Jack novels, I thought Cold City would be a good place to start, since I would be starting the series in chronological order. I immediately found the character of Jack to be engaging, a twenty-one year old kid who is trying to live off the grid in a big city after avenging his mother’s death by killing the man who murdered her. He has a hard time controlling his temper as evidenced by giving a co-worker a horrific beating after the guy sucker-punched Jack. He befriends Abe, a wizened old Jew from New York who doesn’t always abide by the law but seems to have his own moral compass that guides him. Later, Jack gets a job running cigarettes from North Carolina. After saving twenty-eight young girls from being sold as sex slaves, by the end of the book, Jack has made himself a boatload of enemies, who want to see him dead.
Jack is a sympathetic character who is easy to relate to. He is young and makes some very poor decisions, like not killing one of the sex slave traffickers and busting the guy’s knees instead. This novel seems like it was mostly setting the stage for what is to come in the subsequent books in the trilogy since nothing is resolved at the end. The pace of the novel is good and the writing is professional, making for a pleasant and easy read. I thought the characters were well-developed. The one thing I didn’t like is the Order, a shadowy international cartel with untold wealth and operatives whose objective is to create chaos. This group seemed very cliché, like about a dozen other groups I have read in fiction novels, and their goal of chaos seems silly and lacks believability. This was a fun read and I look forward to the next two novels in the series.
Jack is a sympathetic character who is easy to relate to. He is young and makes some very poor decisions, like not killing one of the sex slave traffickers and busting the guy’s knees instead. This novel seems like it was mostly setting the stage for what is to come in the subsequent books in the trilogy since nothing is resolved at the end. The pace of the novel is good and the writing is professional, making for a pleasant and easy read. I thought the characters were well-developed. The one thing I didn’t like is the Order, a shadowy international cartel with untold wealth and operatives whose objective is to create chaos. This group seemed very cliché, like about a dozen other groups I have read in fiction novels, and their goal of chaos seems silly and lacks believability. This was a fun read and I look forward to the next two novels in the series.
March 15, 2016
The Walking Dead: The Same Boat
The Same Boat was mostly an introspective episode, at least the first two thirds of it until Maggie and Carol unleashed hell on the Saviors in some serious woman on woman battling. My overall thought is that I’m not crazy about this whole Negan storyline. The fighting has been too one-sided and, in this past episode, not terribly realistic.
Carol
For the first time, Carol is experiencing some doubt and misgivings about her role as warrior, enforcer, and executioner of the group. She sees what Paula is, and what she may eventually become if she continues along this path. At the same time, it doesn’t deter her from what she must do, which is kill people in order to ensure her and Maggie’s survival. Having said that, this episode was seriously short in realism. It’s just not believable that you had two unarmed captives who were tied up with duct tape being able to get out of their confinement and slay six armed people. The show has to do a better job of keeping things real, otherwise it becomes a cartoon. I enjoyed the introspection, but not the action.
Maggie
This episode unveiled a fiercer version of Maggie than has ever been shown on the show. She was a mama bear brandishing her claws and sharp teeth in order to protect her cubs. For a moment, when she got slashed, I thought she was going to lose the baby. I would suggest that Maggie might want to spend the rest of her pregnancy within Alexandria and leave the fighting to others who aren’t with child.
Negan
Twice in this episode, the characters suggested that Negan wasn’t actually a person, but the group collectively. I don’t buy it for a second. I know that Negan is a character—an especially vicious one—from the comics, and an actor has been cast in the role of Negan. So, he’s lurking out there somewhere, and even though the battle has been very disappointing in it’s one-sidedness and the way it’s making the characters look like super heroes, it’s not over yet. I also, thought the part where Rick kills Primo was really stupid and reckless on his part. Why wouldn’t he take Primo back to forcefully interrogate him to find more intel on Negan? This was amateurish and inconsistent with Rick’s character.
Carol
For the first time, Carol is experiencing some doubt and misgivings about her role as warrior, enforcer, and executioner of the group. She sees what Paula is, and what she may eventually become if she continues along this path. At the same time, it doesn’t deter her from what she must do, which is kill people in order to ensure her and Maggie’s survival. Having said that, this episode was seriously short in realism. It’s just not believable that you had two unarmed captives who were tied up with duct tape being able to get out of their confinement and slay six armed people. The show has to do a better job of keeping things real, otherwise it becomes a cartoon. I enjoyed the introspection, but not the action.
Maggie
This episode unveiled a fiercer version of Maggie than has ever been shown on the show. She was a mama bear brandishing her claws and sharp teeth in order to protect her cubs. For a moment, when she got slashed, I thought she was going to lose the baby. I would suggest that Maggie might want to spend the rest of her pregnancy within Alexandria and leave the fighting to others who aren’t with child.
Negan
Twice in this episode, the characters suggested that Negan wasn’t actually a person, but the group collectively. I don’t buy it for a second. I know that Negan is a character—an especially vicious one—from the comics, and an actor has been cast in the role of Negan. So, he’s lurking out there somewhere, and even though the battle has been very disappointing in it’s one-sidedness and the way it’s making the characters look like super heroes, it’s not over yet. I also, thought the part where Rick kills Primo was really stupid and reckless on his part. Why wouldn’t he take Primo back to forcefully interrogate him to find more intel on Negan? This was amateurish and inconsistent with Rick’s character.
March 12, 2016
The Walking Dead: Not Tomorrow Yet
The gang is back to doing what they do best in Not Tomorrow Yet—battling it out with another rival group for their survival. This was different than previous fights because in the past they had always been attacked and had to fight back. For the first time, they were the ones provoking the conflict—if you exclude the previous dustup between Darryl and company against the Saviors. Having said that, I think this confrontation is fully justified when considering the Savior’s track record and the fact that they would eventually have to fight them. At least this way, they could do it on their own terms.
Carol
I liked how at the beginning of the episode Carol was settling into her role of suburban mother (even though her child is dead) by baking acorn and beet cookies for the community. She even has the beginnings of a romance happening. Of course, all of that changes when she hears that they are going to fight against Negan’s people. Then Carol goes into full battle mode again without hesitation.
Morgan
Morgan once again shows why he has become my least favorite character on the show. What a useless pacifist. I thought it was funny when Rick asked if anyone objected, all heads turned to Morgan. Of course, he objected. Let’s talk it out. Well, Morgan, with some folks there just isn’t any talking. In the case of a group which is taking half from another community so that they won’t kill them, and wants the head of the leader of the community because they were shorted, well there isn’t negotiation. Just go away, Morgan.
Glenn, Heath, and Father Gabriel
Here are three characters that, prior to this episode, had never actually killed anyone. In Glenn, especially, I found that remarkable and admirable considering all of the tight situations he has been in. Unlike Morgan, when the time came, he was prepared to do what needed to be done. I’m not saying that killing someone is an easy thing, but sometimes in war, it’s necessary. They overcame their fears and fought with their group because it was necessary.
The Assault on Negan’s Compound
This was way too easy, and nothing ever comes easy to The Walking Dead crew. Granted, the plan was great and the action that followed was completely logical. Having said that, I still kept expecting more of a fight from the Saviors. The fight isn’t over as indicated by Carol and Maggie having been taken hostage, but they wiped out so many of the Saviors. How many more people can they have—at least at this location? My guess is that this is far from over and that there are more Saviors elsewhere. I’m guessing that the battle is just beginning. I know in the graphic novels, Negan and his gang are a big deal, and I expect that to be the case here as well. There will be casualties.
Carol
I liked how at the beginning of the episode Carol was settling into her role of suburban mother (even though her child is dead) by baking acorn and beet cookies for the community. She even has the beginnings of a romance happening. Of course, all of that changes when she hears that they are going to fight against Negan’s people. Then Carol goes into full battle mode again without hesitation.
Morgan
Morgan once again shows why he has become my least favorite character on the show. What a useless pacifist. I thought it was funny when Rick asked if anyone objected, all heads turned to Morgan. Of course, he objected. Let’s talk it out. Well, Morgan, with some folks there just isn’t any talking. In the case of a group which is taking half from another community so that they won’t kill them, and wants the head of the leader of the community because they were shorted, well there isn’t negotiation. Just go away, Morgan.
Glenn, Heath, and Father Gabriel
Here are three characters that, prior to this episode, had never actually killed anyone. In Glenn, especially, I found that remarkable and admirable considering all of the tight situations he has been in. Unlike Morgan, when the time came, he was prepared to do what needed to be done. I’m not saying that killing someone is an easy thing, but sometimes in war, it’s necessary. They overcame their fears and fought with their group because it was necessary.
The Assault on Negan’s Compound
This was way too easy, and nothing ever comes easy to The Walking Dead crew. Granted, the plan was great and the action that followed was completely logical. Having said that, I still kept expecting more of a fight from the Saviors. The fight isn’t over as indicated by Carol and Maggie having been taken hostage, but they wiped out so many of the Saviors. How many more people can they have—at least at this location? My guess is that this is far from over and that there are more Saviors elsewhere. I’m guessing that the battle is just beginning. I know in the graphic novels, Negan and his gang are a big deal, and I expect that to be the case here as well. There will be casualties.
March 6, 2016
Dark Hollow by Brian Keene
Aspiring author Adam Senft is trying to keep things together as he builds his writing career and tries to keep his marriage together, which has hit a serious strain as a result of his wife’s miscarriages and the emotional toll it has taken on her. Things take a dramatic turn for the worst in his Central Pennsylvania neighborhood when he comes across a neighbor of his performing oral sex on statue of a satyr that has come to life after these strange pipes play. He realizes he has not lost his mind when women in his neighborhood begin to go missing. The satyr is a threat to Adam and his male neighbors as they ban together to protect their wives and the other women from falling prey to the mystical power of the satyr. This leads to an old murder that occurred nearby and a confrontation against a powerful supernatural force.
I have read some other quality novels by Keene, but this has to be the best novel of his that I’ve read. For one thing, he does a remarkable job with character development. Adam Senft is a lifelike character that I can fully relate to. The side characters are similarly well-developed. The use of a satyr as a villain in this novel is pretty unique and cool. For a character that doesn’t have much dialogue, it’s also a well-developed character. The story unfolds at a logical and brisk pace. The horror elements are spot on. The only thing that I thought was kind of a downer was the ending, which although fitting wasn’t terribly uplifting. This is a top notch horror novel that you will want to read.
I have read some other quality novels by Keene, but this has to be the best novel of his that I’ve read. For one thing, he does a remarkable job with character development. Adam Senft is a lifelike character that I can fully relate to. The side characters are similarly well-developed. The use of a satyr as a villain in this novel is pretty unique and cool. For a character that doesn’t have much dialogue, it’s also a well-developed character. The story unfolds at a logical and brisk pace. The horror elements are spot on. The only thing that I thought was kind of a downer was the ending, which although fitting wasn’t terribly uplifting. This is a top notch horror novel that you will want to read.
February 29, 2016
10 Questions with Edd Sowder
1. What was the impetus behind starting Burning Willow Press?
By impetus do you mean Motivation or Energy? Both were completely Kindras, my wife and partner, idea. I as you know am an amputee and lost my leg in 2014, after a long fought battle with surgery after surgery to keep it after a bad accident. Different story for a different time. The motivation was I needed something to do after losing my leg. I was to recover in three months and return to work but for the time being; I was in a wheel chair, on a walker and crutches and rehabbing myself to learn how to walk on a prosthetic. While in the hospital, my lovely wife comes to me and asks me if I think she should just open her own publishing house. Now, my being the kind of guy I am, I tell her sure thing. I am thinking that after I go back to work, I will bankroll it for you. No she meant right now! So I became a publisher. The energy comes from our authors. I want only what is best for them without sacrificing too much of ourselves if we can help it. Some of our authors have so much energy it is enigmatic! I cannot tell you how much of a thrill I get when I see that one of them is on the phone and asking me to help them…Yeah right! You guys don’t need my help, I need yours! All of you rock!
2. Who is your favorite writer?
Would I win brownie points for saying Kindra Sowder? What about Carl Alves? No, damn it worth a try. Obviously I am a huge horror fan myself and there is nobody finer at that or a better selling author at it than the great Stephen King. I have all of his books, movies, TV shows and even have the X-Files episode he wrote called “Chinga.” Now upcoming authors I really like are all of ours of course; Mark Reefe, James Crawford, Ellie Piersol, Mike Gardner, Sarah Dale, Dave Hughes, Lisa Vasquez, WJR Parks. Watch out for those ones. They are great! And yes at one time or another most were BWP authors too. I love what Armand and Tufo are up to with their Arm and Toof stuff. And then again, DM Slate, Alice J. Black, Stephanie Reisner and Donna Marie West. My God there are too many I could go on and on with this! I need to stop.
3. What is more fulfilling to you, writing your own fiction or editing an anthology?
Writing and editing have both become a part of my life. They are equally challenging and therein lay the rewards. I love to edit. I really love to twist a thorn into a side of an author and watch them suffer in agony as they read over my edits and go NO!!!! I can’t believe they want me to change it! Wait…that is part of a story idea I have. Sorry. Seriously, Editing has come naturally for me. I was always pretty good with literature and have a unique knack for pointing out plot holes, flow and storyline fall downs. So it makes sense that I do some editing along the way. Writing my own fiction is torturous. I can never seem to get enough written on the pages before my duties at BWP start to call or the phone rings or a text goes off or hell I have to piss or get coffee or food. I don’t know. I get distracted and have to come back to it. I was a better writer concerning distraction when I was younger and had no care for distractions then I grew up, got responsible, sort of, and now it tends to get the best of me but I will get my current novel done and out there at some point because I do not know how to give up on something. Just ask my wife.
4. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Loaded question Carl. I can go in a few directions here. I can quote better writers than I and state the obvious and tell them to read others in the genre and see what is selling…too obvious. I can tell them to not read anyone else…that is just too arrogant. So I will tell them what I overheard when I asked that same question on a panel I was a part of for Monstercon with Kindra and the venerable John Hartness. “I Drink. A lot.” Then edit and re-edit and revise and revise again. If you do not know the right word then it was the wrong sentence.-Stephen King. What I tell a young and upcoming author is that you need to take a break or you will get burned out. Fresh air, turn off the phone, music is okay if it fits the genre…don’t listen to country music if you are writing a romance. Unless you are listening to it backwards, so she comes back to you and you are no longer an alcoholic and hell your truck runs right again and that deer didn’t get away, oh and your dog isn’t dead now. If you mean to write a thousand words try to do that and more. To start writing you must first start with the first word. What I do when I am writing is I see a window in the page and type what I see. You’d be surprised what comes out of what you see in descriptions. And do not give up…you will regret it. Remember that even Stephen King got rejections from publishers who kicked themselves ten years later. Of course, he probably bought them and burned them to the ground though in the 90’s. Ha ha.
5. If you had a wish list of three authors you could work with on an anthology, who would they be?
Just three….c’mon, Carl! Okay let me think…Hmm…Carl Alves, Peter Oliver Wonder and Audrey Brice. Three very talented authors. Wait…no…Kevin Bannigan Jr., Lisa Lepovetsky and Ellen Denton. Three more. I know shameless plugs for the Anthology I just helped finish up. Let us be serious here. If I could work with three authors on a new anthology, I know that I would love to work with Mark Tufo, Armand, Evans and Giacomi with a taste of Kopas in there for the zombie hit list. But that is not three. I guess there is only three that I would love to work with. King, Rice and Koontz. The big three. But I think that is everyone’s wish list.
6. What made you start writing?
Drugs. It was all the 4 way windowpane man. Not that it did not help when I was much younger. Hmm…..maybe I need to get back to that. Seriously, I started writing at age 14. I started with writing poetry. I found that I was a pretty good romance poet and it was a great way to get girls. Write a sonnet at age 16 for a girl you are attracted to that is nearly 20 pages long and guess what, you are getting somewhere fast. Did I say that? Is my wife reading this? What about teens? Oh shit. Never mind that kiddoes… I started writing because I had a story I wanted to tell. It would not get out of my head until I started writing it down. At first it was nearly consuming my every thought but eventually its muse quieted down as I got nearer the end of it. And off and on I have been writing since then.
7. Is there an overall theme to Crossroads in the Dark or was there an overall vibe in the stories you were selecting?
Theme, yes….definitely! Vibe, hmm…let me think on that one. Each story had to deal with a moral decision, there’s the theme. One in particular made me wait until the very end before I saw it and I then said, “Shit, pretty damned good!” That was Shaun Phelps with “OCD” which was a very thought provoking story. All of the stories that were selected were great stories that had a moral decision to be made and it was a tough choice to let some go back in the not selected folder. Honestly I wanted to pick most of them but had to settle on a number so I did. Kindra allowed me to take over the anthology series of books we put out so I have complete creative control over them. Next years will be bigger and better. I guess I answered the Vibe as well.
8. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer or editor?
Nope. I can read anything and edit it. As a writer, I try to stay away from writing textbooks. I can write most anything if I put my mind to it and not get distracted by my other duties in life. I would love to be able to just edit or write all day long some days but I do what I do for Burning Willow Press out of a labor of love. I love that I am needed to do it. Yes, it gets harder sometimes but it is all worth every headache and Excedrin I take.
9. What is it like working with your wife Kindra in Burning Willow Press?
Wait…can I say I am actually sleeping with the boss? It is actually a bunch of fun to work with her. I cannot ask for a better person to be in business with. She created this. I am along for the ride, rise or fall. I am here to help her face whatever challenges we have and figure out a way to get through them. Her passion for this is where I draw my strength to keep it going. Honestly, though, some days I ask her if she has any idea how much I do behind the scenes for her and she says, “No and as long as I do it…I am worth the money I do not make for it.” We have ups and downs like any growing business but hopefully, we will be able to do more in the next year than we did in our freshman year.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I think if we were to go with two separate dinners here we may get a better answer. For my scientific mind I would ask Albert Einstein, Nathan Rosen, Erwin Schrödinger, my college Physics IV professor, Dr. Bill Yarborough and Boris Podolsky to dinner just to see how that went. My guess is a new and renewed version of the EPR Copenhagen paradox that was set forth in the early pioneering days of physics. I think that would be fun to get involved in with all I know today about sciences and what they had not discovered yet. Then the other dinner party starts on day two, or better yet, night two. I would ask Stephen King, H.G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and my wife, Kindra because if asked anyone else to join me for that dinner she would file for divorce the next day. But if she did not want to attend, I would ask Edward Kenyon or AJ Brown to join me just to watch one of them sweat as these guys stared back at the sweating guy who does not know what to say other than, “Hello, I am a huge fan of all of you.” –Edd Sowder, Co-founder of Burning Willow Press, LLC
By impetus do you mean Motivation or Energy? Both were completely Kindras, my wife and partner, idea. I as you know am an amputee and lost my leg in 2014, after a long fought battle with surgery after surgery to keep it after a bad accident. Different story for a different time. The motivation was I needed something to do after losing my leg. I was to recover in three months and return to work but for the time being; I was in a wheel chair, on a walker and crutches and rehabbing myself to learn how to walk on a prosthetic. While in the hospital, my lovely wife comes to me and asks me if I think she should just open her own publishing house. Now, my being the kind of guy I am, I tell her sure thing. I am thinking that after I go back to work, I will bankroll it for you. No she meant right now! So I became a publisher. The energy comes from our authors. I want only what is best for them without sacrificing too much of ourselves if we can help it. Some of our authors have so much energy it is enigmatic! I cannot tell you how much of a thrill I get when I see that one of them is on the phone and asking me to help them…Yeah right! You guys don’t need my help, I need yours! All of you rock!
2. Who is your favorite writer?
Would I win brownie points for saying Kindra Sowder? What about Carl Alves? No, damn it worth a try. Obviously I am a huge horror fan myself and there is nobody finer at that or a better selling author at it than the great Stephen King. I have all of his books, movies, TV shows and even have the X-Files episode he wrote called “Chinga.” Now upcoming authors I really like are all of ours of course; Mark Reefe, James Crawford, Ellie Piersol, Mike Gardner, Sarah Dale, Dave Hughes, Lisa Vasquez, WJR Parks. Watch out for those ones. They are great! And yes at one time or another most were BWP authors too. I love what Armand and Tufo are up to with their Arm and Toof stuff. And then again, DM Slate, Alice J. Black, Stephanie Reisner and Donna Marie West. My God there are too many I could go on and on with this! I need to stop.
3. What is more fulfilling to you, writing your own fiction or editing an anthology?
Writing and editing have both become a part of my life. They are equally challenging and therein lay the rewards. I love to edit. I really love to twist a thorn into a side of an author and watch them suffer in agony as they read over my edits and go NO!!!! I can’t believe they want me to change it! Wait…that is part of a story idea I have. Sorry. Seriously, Editing has come naturally for me. I was always pretty good with literature and have a unique knack for pointing out plot holes, flow and storyline fall downs. So it makes sense that I do some editing along the way. Writing my own fiction is torturous. I can never seem to get enough written on the pages before my duties at BWP start to call or the phone rings or a text goes off or hell I have to piss or get coffee or food. I don’t know. I get distracted and have to come back to it. I was a better writer concerning distraction when I was younger and had no care for distractions then I grew up, got responsible, sort of, and now it tends to get the best of me but I will get my current novel done and out there at some point because I do not know how to give up on something. Just ask my wife.
4. What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Loaded question Carl. I can go in a few directions here. I can quote better writers than I and state the obvious and tell them to read others in the genre and see what is selling…too obvious. I can tell them to not read anyone else…that is just too arrogant. So I will tell them what I overheard when I asked that same question on a panel I was a part of for Monstercon with Kindra and the venerable John Hartness. “I Drink. A lot.” Then edit and re-edit and revise and revise again. If you do not know the right word then it was the wrong sentence.-Stephen King. What I tell a young and upcoming author is that you need to take a break or you will get burned out. Fresh air, turn off the phone, music is okay if it fits the genre…don’t listen to country music if you are writing a romance. Unless you are listening to it backwards, so she comes back to you and you are no longer an alcoholic and hell your truck runs right again and that deer didn’t get away, oh and your dog isn’t dead now. If you mean to write a thousand words try to do that and more. To start writing you must first start with the first word. What I do when I am writing is I see a window in the page and type what I see. You’d be surprised what comes out of what you see in descriptions. And do not give up…you will regret it. Remember that even Stephen King got rejections from publishers who kicked themselves ten years later. Of course, he probably bought them and burned them to the ground though in the 90’s. Ha ha.
5. If you had a wish list of three authors you could work with on an anthology, who would they be?
Just three….c’mon, Carl! Okay let me think…Hmm…Carl Alves, Peter Oliver Wonder and Audrey Brice. Three very talented authors. Wait…no…Kevin Bannigan Jr., Lisa Lepovetsky and Ellen Denton. Three more. I know shameless plugs for the Anthology I just helped finish up. Let us be serious here. If I could work with three authors on a new anthology, I know that I would love to work with Mark Tufo, Armand, Evans and Giacomi with a taste of Kopas in there for the zombie hit list. But that is not three. I guess there is only three that I would love to work with. King, Rice and Koontz. The big three. But I think that is everyone’s wish list.
6. What made you start writing?
Drugs. It was all the 4 way windowpane man. Not that it did not help when I was much younger. Hmm…..maybe I need to get back to that. Seriously, I started writing at age 14. I started with writing poetry. I found that I was a pretty good romance poet and it was a great way to get girls. Write a sonnet at age 16 for a girl you are attracted to that is nearly 20 pages long and guess what, you are getting somewhere fast. Did I say that? Is my wife reading this? What about teens? Oh shit. Never mind that kiddoes… I started writing because I had a story I wanted to tell. It would not get out of my head until I started writing it down. At first it was nearly consuming my every thought but eventually its muse quieted down as I got nearer the end of it. And off and on I have been writing since then.
7. Is there an overall theme to Crossroads in the Dark or was there an overall vibe in the stories you were selecting?
Theme, yes….definitely! Vibe, hmm…let me think on that one. Each story had to deal with a moral decision, there’s the theme. One in particular made me wait until the very end before I saw it and I then said, “Shit, pretty damned good!” That was Shaun Phelps with “OCD” which was a very thought provoking story. All of the stories that were selected were great stories that had a moral decision to be made and it was a tough choice to let some go back in the not selected folder. Honestly I wanted to pick most of them but had to settle on a number so I did. Kindra allowed me to take over the anthology series of books we put out so I have complete creative control over them. Next years will be bigger and better. I guess I answered the Vibe as well.
8. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer or editor?
Nope. I can read anything and edit it. As a writer, I try to stay away from writing textbooks. I can write most anything if I put my mind to it and not get distracted by my other duties in life. I would love to be able to just edit or write all day long some days but I do what I do for Burning Willow Press out of a labor of love. I love that I am needed to do it. Yes, it gets harder sometimes but it is all worth every headache and Excedrin I take.
9. What is it like working with your wife Kindra in Burning Willow Press?
Wait…can I say I am actually sleeping with the boss? It is actually a bunch of fun to work with her. I cannot ask for a better person to be in business with. She created this. I am along for the ride, rise or fall. I am here to help her face whatever challenges we have and figure out a way to get through them. Her passion for this is where I draw my strength to keep it going. Honestly, though, some days I ask her if she has any idea how much I do behind the scenes for her and she says, “No and as long as I do it…I am worth the money I do not make for it.” We have ups and downs like any growing business but hopefully, we will be able to do more in the next year than we did in our freshman year.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I think if we were to go with two separate dinners here we may get a better answer. For my scientific mind I would ask Albert Einstein, Nathan Rosen, Erwin Schrödinger, my college Physics IV professor, Dr. Bill Yarborough and Boris Podolsky to dinner just to see how that went. My guess is a new and renewed version of the EPR Copenhagen paradox that was set forth in the early pioneering days of physics. I think that would be fun to get involved in with all I know today about sciences and what they had not discovered yet. Then the other dinner party starts on day two, or better yet, night two. I would ask Stephen King, H.G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and my wife, Kindra because if asked anyone else to join me for that dinner she would file for divorce the next day. But if she did not want to attend, I would ask Edward Kenyon or AJ Brown to join me just to watch one of them sweat as these guys stared back at the sweating guy who does not know what to say other than, “Hello, I am a huge fan of all of you.” –Edd Sowder, Co-founder of Burning Willow Press, LLC
February 25, 2016
My Oscar Predictions
Best Picture: The Revenant – Out of the major categories, this is the closest race. It’s a toss up between The Revenant and Spotlight with The Big Short being a darkhorse. The Revenant has the late momentum and that’s my choice.
Best Director: Alejandro Innaritu – The director of The Revenant wins back-to-back Oscars.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – This is a stone-cold mortal lock. Bet the farm on it.
Best Actress: Brie Larson – See best actor.
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – He takes the Oscar in a landslide in his reprisal as Rocky.
Best Supporting Actor: Alicia Vikander – Kate Winslet and Rooney Mara have a shot but Alicia Vikander will take it.
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight – An easy winner.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short – The consolation prize for not winning Best Picture.
Cinematography: The Revenant
Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road – In what will be a big night for Mad Max, they will dominate the technical categories and win the most overall Oscars.
Score: The Hateful Eight – This is a lock
Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Costume: Carol – In the biggest upset of the night over Mad Max: Fury Road
Makeup: Mad Max: Fury Road
Visual Effects: Mad Max: Fury Road – Star Wars The Force Awakens has a shot at this Oscar but Max still takes it.
Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Song: Til It Happens to You – No contest.
Documentary: Amy
Foreign Film: Son of Saul
Animated: Inside Out – If there is any award that’s a bigger guarantee than Leonardo DiCaprio taking home best actor, it’s this category.
Short Documentary: Body Team 12
Animated Short: Sanjay’s Super Team
Live Action Short: Ave Maria
Best Director: Alejandro Innaritu – The director of The Revenant wins back-to-back Oscars.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – This is a stone-cold mortal lock. Bet the farm on it.
Best Actress: Brie Larson – See best actor.
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – He takes the Oscar in a landslide in his reprisal as Rocky.
Best Supporting Actor: Alicia Vikander – Kate Winslet and Rooney Mara have a shot but Alicia Vikander will take it.
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight – An easy winner.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short – The consolation prize for not winning Best Picture.
Cinematography: The Revenant
Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road – In what will be a big night for Mad Max, they will dominate the technical categories and win the most overall Oscars.
Score: The Hateful Eight – This is a lock
Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Costume: Carol – In the biggest upset of the night over Mad Max: Fury Road
Makeup: Mad Max: Fury Road
Visual Effects: Mad Max: Fury Road – Star Wars The Force Awakens has a shot at this Oscar but Max still takes it.
Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Song: Til It Happens to You – No contest.
Documentary: Amy
Foreign Film: Son of Saul
Animated: Inside Out – If there is any award that’s a bigger guarantee than Leonardo DiCaprio taking home best actor, it’s this category.
Short Documentary: Body Team 12
Animated Short: Sanjay’s Super Team
Live Action Short: Ave Maria
February 23, 2016
The Walking Dead: The Next World
Set two months after the completion of the mid-season premiere, The Next World, was a time to take a pause from the craziness of the last episode, and start to set up story lines for future episodes. Although I like the general approach of this episode, what I didn’t care much for was that only two months later it seems as if nothing was made of Carl losing his eye, or Rick losing Jesse (more on that later), or the community being nearly decimated by a zombie horde. There should have been at least some mention or reflection upon that.
Jesus
This episode introduces a character from the graphic novels, Jesus. Rick and Darryl are off searching for supplies when they hit a jackpot of food and supplies on a cargo truck. After stopping at a gas station, they encounter Jesus (no, not the Savior of Christianity but some dude who kind of looks like Him). I liked how Jesus duped them and took the truck, and also how Rick and Darryl reclaimed it. The part that was utterly ridiculous was how Jesus somehow untied himself from the ropes that bound him and overtook the truck. I’m sorry but this just isn’t humanly possible. It would take him at least a couple of minutes to undo the ropes, even if he is Houdini. The truck had to be going at least thirty miles per hour and no human being would be able to overtake it. Sorry, this was an epic fail in terms of believability. When they lost the truck during the fight against Jesus, I groaned. What an awful waste of much needed resources. Having said that, I do like the character of Jesus and could see some real possibilities for him.
Carl and Enid
These are two dreadful characters, so it makes perfect sense that they should be a quasi-couple. I have no real idea what Carl was trying to accomplish out in the woods, even after his half-hearted explanation to Michonne. This has to be my least favorite couple on the show.
Spencer
Spencer is a bit of a lost soul with his family biting the dust. That they killed off the rest of them would suggest that Spencer is not long for the world of The Walking Dead. Just look at Jesse’s family. They were all eliminated from existence in less than one season. At least he got some closure with his mom.
Rick and Michonne
This story line is not working for me at all. For one thing, it’s only been a couple of months since Rick lost his last woman, and now in the very next episode, he’s hooking up with Michonne. It makes his last relationship seem trite and unimportant. Also, the two of them as a couple just doesn’t work for me. I think they work well as close friends and allies, but not as an item. Not to mention, Rick’s women don’t last very long. This doesn’t bode well for Michonne’s existence in the zombie apocalypse.
Jesus
This episode introduces a character from the graphic novels, Jesus. Rick and Darryl are off searching for supplies when they hit a jackpot of food and supplies on a cargo truck. After stopping at a gas station, they encounter Jesus (no, not the Savior of Christianity but some dude who kind of looks like Him). I liked how Jesus duped them and took the truck, and also how Rick and Darryl reclaimed it. The part that was utterly ridiculous was how Jesus somehow untied himself from the ropes that bound him and overtook the truck. I’m sorry but this just isn’t humanly possible. It would take him at least a couple of minutes to undo the ropes, even if he is Houdini. The truck had to be going at least thirty miles per hour and no human being would be able to overtake it. Sorry, this was an epic fail in terms of believability. When they lost the truck during the fight against Jesus, I groaned. What an awful waste of much needed resources. Having said that, I do like the character of Jesus and could see some real possibilities for him.
Carl and Enid
These are two dreadful characters, so it makes perfect sense that they should be a quasi-couple. I have no real idea what Carl was trying to accomplish out in the woods, even after his half-hearted explanation to Michonne. This has to be my least favorite couple on the show.
Spencer
Spencer is a bit of a lost soul with his family biting the dust. That they killed off the rest of them would suggest that Spencer is not long for the world of The Walking Dead. Just look at Jesse’s family. They were all eliminated from existence in less than one season. At least he got some closure with his mom.
Rick and Michonne
This story line is not working for me at all. For one thing, it’s only been a couple of months since Rick lost his last woman, and now in the very next episode, he’s hooking up with Michonne. It makes his last relationship seem trite and unimportant. Also, the two of them as a couple just doesn’t work for me. I think they work well as close friends and allies, but not as an item. Not to mention, Rick’s women don’t last very long. This doesn’t bode well for Michonne’s existence in the zombie apocalypse.
February 21, 2016
The Walking Dead: No Way Out
The mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead was without a doubt one of the most insane and pretty awesome episodes in the show’s history. The zombie body count was off the charts. There was heartache and breath taking moments as well as an assortment of thrills and chills.
Rick
What a rough episode for Rick. He has gone through major heartbreak and trauma, but this episode took it to another level. I knew that little bastard Sam was going to be the death of them. It showed that in order to survive in post-apocalyptic zombie land, you have to be mentally and physically tough, something Sam was neither. Normally, it’s utterly taboo in American film and television to kill off a child, but in this case, Sam is so whiny and annoying that I don’t think any of the viewers of the show will mind. It’s hard to blame Jessie’s response to the situation, freezing at the sight of her son’s death. It would have to be beyond traumatic for a mother to see her son turn into zombie chow, but the difference between her and Rick was that he did not hesitate to chop off his dying girlfriend’s hand in order to save his son. Rick nearly lost it in the end when he went on a suicidal assault on the zombies, which served to be the rallying cry for the Alexandrians, even weak ones like Eugene and Father Gabriel. The one really questionable thing he did was leave Judith in Father Gabriel’s hands—a move I would never have made considering he has been nothing but a tool this whole show.
Carl
The sequence of events didn’t come as much of a surprise. When Ron’s brother and mom were killed, I figured he would take a shot at Carl. I also saw Mishone coming from behind and killing the little bastard. Carl losing his eye wasn’t a big surprise. Although I don’t read the graphic novels, I knew he lost his eye in the comic. An eye patch will give him a character. Buck up, young man.
Glen
After the fake death earlier on in the season, I didn’t think Glen would buy his ticket in this episode, even though he was in all kinds of deep trouble as he tried to save Maggie. He should be safe for at least the next two seasons. I’m still bitter about his fake death, so it’s hard for me to feel much empathy for him.
Darryl
My favorite part in this episode came early on when Darryl, Sasha, and Abraham found themselves in a pickle with the biker gang only to have Darryl blow them to kingdom come with that rocket launcher. That was pretty bad ass and it came as a surprise. Never underestimate Darryl’s resiliency. He also had the forethought to create the fire that would lead to the zombies demise.
This was a helluva an episode. Even many of those soft, inexperienced Alexandrians were forced to get into the middle of a battle with the zombie horde and shouldn’t be so useless going forward.
Rick
What a rough episode for Rick. He has gone through major heartbreak and trauma, but this episode took it to another level. I knew that little bastard Sam was going to be the death of them. It showed that in order to survive in post-apocalyptic zombie land, you have to be mentally and physically tough, something Sam was neither. Normally, it’s utterly taboo in American film and television to kill off a child, but in this case, Sam is so whiny and annoying that I don’t think any of the viewers of the show will mind. It’s hard to blame Jessie’s response to the situation, freezing at the sight of her son’s death. It would have to be beyond traumatic for a mother to see her son turn into zombie chow, but the difference between her and Rick was that he did not hesitate to chop off his dying girlfriend’s hand in order to save his son. Rick nearly lost it in the end when he went on a suicidal assault on the zombies, which served to be the rallying cry for the Alexandrians, even weak ones like Eugene and Father Gabriel. The one really questionable thing he did was leave Judith in Father Gabriel’s hands—a move I would never have made considering he has been nothing but a tool this whole show.
Carl
The sequence of events didn’t come as much of a surprise. When Ron’s brother and mom were killed, I figured he would take a shot at Carl. I also saw Mishone coming from behind and killing the little bastard. Carl losing his eye wasn’t a big surprise. Although I don’t read the graphic novels, I knew he lost his eye in the comic. An eye patch will give him a character. Buck up, young man.
Glen
After the fake death earlier on in the season, I didn’t think Glen would buy his ticket in this episode, even though he was in all kinds of deep trouble as he tried to save Maggie. He should be safe for at least the next two seasons. I’m still bitter about his fake death, so it’s hard for me to feel much empathy for him.
Darryl
My favorite part in this episode came early on when Darryl, Sasha, and Abraham found themselves in a pickle with the biker gang only to have Darryl blow them to kingdom come with that rocket launcher. That was pretty bad ass and it came as a surprise. Never underestimate Darryl’s resiliency. He also had the forethought to create the fire that would lead to the zombies demise.
This was a helluva an episode. Even many of those soft, inexperienced Alexandrians were forced to get into the middle of a battle with the zombie horde and shouldn’t be so useless going forward.
February 14, 2016
10 Questions with CC Adams
1. Tell me more about your story “I’m Taking You With Me”?
Without going into too much detail, it shows what someone is forced to do for a loved one. About a year ago, Nella (my friend in Toronto who the story’s dedicated to) told me a story of a suicide from her younger years in the apartment block she lived in. The impact of the jumper was so severe that it tore his fingers off. So I then ruminate on what kind of corner must you be herded into that you’d see such a destructive demise as your only course of action? So yeah, that’s how “I’m Taking You With Me” came about.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
Hmmm. Not sure there’s been any one, but I can cite a few for various reasons. Probably the biggest was Michael Crichton, simply for the level of research and rationale that’s gone into his work: Jurassic Park, Prey, Timeline, etc. For stories that intrigue and engage you, there’s a lot of attention to detail in there with the action – and they move at a good pace.
3. How did taking part in the National Novel Writing Month Challenge affect you as an author?
The whole NaNoWriMo experience taught me a few things. It taught me the pros of outlining. For me, that doesn’t mean that your outline is so detailed that you paint yourself into a corner when writing at speed, but you want just enough outline to keep you on course. It’s taught me the importance of getting your draft down. That means no distraction, no second-guessing – just WRITE AND FINISH. Save the typos, continuity and other niggles for Round 2.
4. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
Absolutely! Even for short stories, I outline. Doesn’t matter how long/short the story is – I want to get a handle on the flow and the nuances. I don’t just want to write something, I want to craft something.
5. Do you strictly write short fiction or have you dabbled with novel writing as well?
Oh, no! I’ll write everything from flash fiction to full-blown novels. My first formal forays into writing were novels. The only reason why I knocked out so many shorts is because it’s a faster turnaround to write a short, edit a short, submit a short, and get a short published. You get your work out there faster. It gets addictive though – and then I’m on some “just one more” business…! But no, the short fiction was more to get my work out there to an audience and start to elevate my online/global presence. I’m fiending to get back to longer fiction though, so that should be from December 2015.
6. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
I’d say if there was one overall theme, it’s the exploration of fear. I think it’s often portrayed in popular culture as a human sensibility – but that doesn’t mean that the monsters don’t have something to fear, too. Nor does it mean that monsters live to terrorise us. To some monsters, a human may be food and nothing more. But the human won’t necessarily see it that way.
7. What type of scenes do you most enjoy writing?
Pretty much all of them! The ones where the stage is set and on closer inspection, something is off-kilter. The scenes where the reader is ahead of the curve but the character isn’t. Or where the character is and the reader isn’t. The bloodshed. The terror and dread. Sex scenes. Arguments. Hell, they’re all tools to craft and work with. It’s all pretty cool.
8. What made you start writing?
I guess it was fanfic first; a couple of stories based on characters from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld. I’d watched some of the forum members attempt NaNoWriMo over a couple of years, and I tried to soak up the knowledge: the buddying, the outlining, the word counters and such. So a couple of years later in 2009, I had my first (and only, to date) crack at the challenge and knocked out 52,000 words in 29 days, beating the challenge by a decent margin. That’s when I thought, “Yeah, you might have something here.” So yeah, I’ve been running with it ever since.
9. What made you want to start writing horror?
I guess it was two-fold. One, for all the horror and dark fiction big brother introduced me to as a kid. Not necessarily gory stuff, but the atmospheric and eerie works. The stuff that is now more likely to be called “creepy.” The likes of The Omen, Salem’s Lot, Poltergeist. Deadly Friend. Phantasm – for the eerie nature of The Tall Man alone (and that haunting theme: man, I fell in love with that). Those are the kind of films that, for me, draw you in with how the scene is set, the direction, the photography. I try and bring a cinematic view to my work.
Plus, I wanted to bring something to stories that I’d not seen before. Doesn’t matter whether I create a new kind of monster or try horror in a different setting. It could be anything and anywhere: from a chilly windswept hillside to sunset on a Cali beach. I’m writing the kind of stuff I’d want to see.
10. If you could pick one other author to collaborate with on a novel or story, living or dead, who would it be?
I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never given it any real serious thought, but then, there are a whole host of horror/dark fiction authors out there. A whole host of flavours. Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s at least one where we could craft some new dark fable together. I’m open to ways to elevate my craft and keep my game tight.
Without going into too much detail, it shows what someone is forced to do for a loved one. About a year ago, Nella (my friend in Toronto who the story’s dedicated to) told me a story of a suicide from her younger years in the apartment block she lived in. The impact of the jumper was so severe that it tore his fingers off. So I then ruminate on what kind of corner must you be herded into that you’d see such a destructive demise as your only course of action? So yeah, that’s how “I’m Taking You With Me” came about.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
Hmmm. Not sure there’s been any one, but I can cite a few for various reasons. Probably the biggest was Michael Crichton, simply for the level of research and rationale that’s gone into his work: Jurassic Park, Prey, Timeline, etc. For stories that intrigue and engage you, there’s a lot of attention to detail in there with the action – and they move at a good pace.
3. How did taking part in the National Novel Writing Month Challenge affect you as an author?
The whole NaNoWriMo experience taught me a few things. It taught me the pros of outlining. For me, that doesn’t mean that your outline is so detailed that you paint yourself into a corner when writing at speed, but you want just enough outline to keep you on course. It’s taught me the importance of getting your draft down. That means no distraction, no second-guessing – just WRITE AND FINISH. Save the typos, continuity and other niggles for Round 2.
4. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
Absolutely! Even for short stories, I outline. Doesn’t matter how long/short the story is – I want to get a handle on the flow and the nuances. I don’t just want to write something, I want to craft something.
5. Do you strictly write short fiction or have you dabbled with novel writing as well?
Oh, no! I’ll write everything from flash fiction to full-blown novels. My first formal forays into writing were novels. The only reason why I knocked out so many shorts is because it’s a faster turnaround to write a short, edit a short, submit a short, and get a short published. You get your work out there faster. It gets addictive though – and then I’m on some “just one more” business…! But no, the short fiction was more to get my work out there to an audience and start to elevate my online/global presence. I’m fiending to get back to longer fiction though, so that should be from December 2015.
6. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
I’d say if there was one overall theme, it’s the exploration of fear. I think it’s often portrayed in popular culture as a human sensibility – but that doesn’t mean that the monsters don’t have something to fear, too. Nor does it mean that monsters live to terrorise us. To some monsters, a human may be food and nothing more. But the human won’t necessarily see it that way.
7. What type of scenes do you most enjoy writing?
Pretty much all of them! The ones where the stage is set and on closer inspection, something is off-kilter. The scenes where the reader is ahead of the curve but the character isn’t. Or where the character is and the reader isn’t. The bloodshed. The terror and dread. Sex scenes. Arguments. Hell, they’re all tools to craft and work with. It’s all pretty cool.
8. What made you start writing?
I guess it was fanfic first; a couple of stories based on characters from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld. I’d watched some of the forum members attempt NaNoWriMo over a couple of years, and I tried to soak up the knowledge: the buddying, the outlining, the word counters and such. So a couple of years later in 2009, I had my first (and only, to date) crack at the challenge and knocked out 52,000 words in 29 days, beating the challenge by a decent margin. That’s when I thought, “Yeah, you might have something here.” So yeah, I’ve been running with it ever since.
9. What made you want to start writing horror?
I guess it was two-fold. One, for all the horror and dark fiction big brother introduced me to as a kid. Not necessarily gory stuff, but the atmospheric and eerie works. The stuff that is now more likely to be called “creepy.” The likes of The Omen, Salem’s Lot, Poltergeist. Deadly Friend. Phantasm – for the eerie nature of The Tall Man alone (and that haunting theme: man, I fell in love with that). Those are the kind of films that, for me, draw you in with how the scene is set, the direction, the photography. I try and bring a cinematic view to my work.
Plus, I wanted to bring something to stories that I’d not seen before. Doesn’t matter whether I create a new kind of monster or try horror in a different setting. It could be anything and anywhere: from a chilly windswept hillside to sunset on a Cali beach. I’m writing the kind of stuff I’d want to see.
10. If you could pick one other author to collaborate with on a novel or story, living or dead, who would it be?
I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never given it any real serious thought, but then, there are a whole host of horror/dark fiction authors out there. A whole host of flavours. Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s at least one where we could craft some new dark fable together. I’m open to ways to elevate my craft and keep my game tight.
February 10, 2016
10 Questions with Adrian Ludens
1. Tell me more about your story “Question Mark” in the Crossroads in the Dark anthology.
AL: That one was fun for me to write, because it's a premise I've often daydreamed about. A millionaire offers you money for answering one simple question. Sounds fun right? But what if you answer wrong? What happens then? I wrote this story to explore this idea. In truth, I didn't know the ending until the moment I wrote it. I felt like I was sitting in the back seat of this car watching the events unfold.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
AL: Oh man, there are several so far. Selling a story to Kevin J. Anderson for inclusion in the HWA's Blood Lite III: Aftertaste anthology was an enormous thrill. In 2015, I sold more stories than in any previous year and appeared along-side three of my top four favorite authors, so that was a defininte highlight--or series of highlights--for me.
3. What got you into exploring abandoned buildings?
AL: There are a lot of them in the region where I live. There was an entire city block that had been condemned and everyone had to move. Not because the houses were falling down, but because the college nearby somehow bought the properties to build new student housing there. Construction got bogged in red tape so the houses sat empty for a few years. Exploring them was fascinating; some of those people lived very hard lives, some were lazy slobs, while others took pride in their homes. The walls in each house talked, you know? Abandoned farm houses and out buildings are fascinating too. My brother-in-law and I once snuck into an abandoned tourist attraction. They had a high dive show, seals, sea lions, and a dolphin show. When they moved out, they left all the tanks and pools filled. Creepiest thing I've ever encountered: a pool deep enough for dolphins that was still full of water in a pitch dark auditorium!
4. Who is your favorite writer?
AL: I am one of Stephen King's Constant Readers and own all of his books, so I'll stick with that as my answer. Joe R. Lansdale, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gary Braunbeck, and Mort Castle are my Mt. Rushmore of dark fiction writers. Virtually everything they write thrills me. Early Ray Bradbury is a huge favorite, as is Tom Piccirilli's work from the middle of his career. George Orwell, O. Henry, and Flannery O'Connor all left lasting impressions on me as well.
5. Do you strictly write short fiction or have you dabbled in writing novels as well?
AL: The longest piece I've ever written is 15,200 words. It has not been published. At this point, I don't think I have a novel in me. I would be content to write short stories for the rest of my life. Ideas are never a problem.
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
AL: I have fifteen stories currently under consideration with various editors and markets. I have two new stories that are almost ready to submit (I don't think any story is ever truly "finished") and three more that are part way through their first drafts. In 2015 I took a different approach with my writing. I'd bust through three or four first drafts very quickly and then take several months to polish those stories up. I send them out and start the cycle over again. I don't write very much though--maybe a dozen stories a year.
7. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
AL: Not that I am consciously aware of. Sometimes I write something and it's cathartic and feels good to get it out of my mind and onto paper. Other times I simply follow a prompt or theme supplied by an editor or anthology I am interested in sending something too. I also find the more I read, the more I want to write, so other ideas must inspire me. (After a bit of introspection:) Maybe my theme could be "Nobody gets out of life alive," because death is never far from my thoughts. Maybe all my stories are just my way of getting used to the idea!
8. What is the most unusual job you have ever held? AL: I am a radio announcer full time. My current part-time jobs are: intermission host during hockey games, mobile dee jay for bars and weddings, and event staff for the local civic center. I definitely stay busy but none of those jobs are what I would call "unusual." Does being a writer count?
9. What made you start writing?
AL: As a life-long lover of books and reading, I've read many different genres. None stuck in my mind quite as much as the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents anthologies. These served as my introduction to macabre stories by Roald Dahl, Theodore Sturgeon, Joseph Payne Brennan, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury and other authors who wrote stories that I could never quite categorize. I mean, I loved Louis L'Amour for a little while, but it didn't take me long to recognize that he followed certain formulas when he wrote. Those Hitchock authors were a lot less predictable! About ten years ago, I was at a crossroads in my life and needed a hobby. Writing became that hobby. My writing career has consisted of me making mistake after mistake and learning, very gradually, from those mistakes. This is true for stories, submitting, formatting, marketing--everything! I'm still making mistakes.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
AL: So many choices! I'd either go with all fictional characters and just enjoy the adventure that unfolded, or I'd take a practical approach. I'd invite my five favorite authors, maybe, or five editors I admire. Striking up an online acquaintance isn't as impactful as talking and laughing with someone over dinner and drinks. I think having a few more friends and allies in this business would be a good thing!
AL: That one was fun for me to write, because it's a premise I've often daydreamed about. A millionaire offers you money for answering one simple question. Sounds fun right? But what if you answer wrong? What happens then? I wrote this story to explore this idea. In truth, I didn't know the ending until the moment I wrote it. I felt like I was sitting in the back seat of this car watching the events unfold.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
AL: Oh man, there are several so far. Selling a story to Kevin J. Anderson for inclusion in the HWA's Blood Lite III: Aftertaste anthology was an enormous thrill. In 2015, I sold more stories than in any previous year and appeared along-side three of my top four favorite authors, so that was a defininte highlight--or series of highlights--for me.
3. What got you into exploring abandoned buildings?
AL: There are a lot of them in the region where I live. There was an entire city block that had been condemned and everyone had to move. Not because the houses were falling down, but because the college nearby somehow bought the properties to build new student housing there. Construction got bogged in red tape so the houses sat empty for a few years. Exploring them was fascinating; some of those people lived very hard lives, some were lazy slobs, while others took pride in their homes. The walls in each house talked, you know? Abandoned farm houses and out buildings are fascinating too. My brother-in-law and I once snuck into an abandoned tourist attraction. They had a high dive show, seals, sea lions, and a dolphin show. When they moved out, they left all the tanks and pools filled. Creepiest thing I've ever encountered: a pool deep enough for dolphins that was still full of water in a pitch dark auditorium!
4. Who is your favorite writer?
AL: I am one of Stephen King's Constant Readers and own all of his books, so I'll stick with that as my answer. Joe R. Lansdale, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gary Braunbeck, and Mort Castle are my Mt. Rushmore of dark fiction writers. Virtually everything they write thrills me. Early Ray Bradbury is a huge favorite, as is Tom Piccirilli's work from the middle of his career. George Orwell, O. Henry, and Flannery O'Connor all left lasting impressions on me as well.
5. Do you strictly write short fiction or have you dabbled in writing novels as well?
AL: The longest piece I've ever written is 15,200 words. It has not been published. At this point, I don't think I have a novel in me. I would be content to write short stories for the rest of my life. Ideas are never a problem.
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
AL: I have fifteen stories currently under consideration with various editors and markets. I have two new stories that are almost ready to submit (I don't think any story is ever truly "finished") and three more that are part way through their first drafts. In 2015 I took a different approach with my writing. I'd bust through three or four first drafts very quickly and then take several months to polish those stories up. I send them out and start the cycle over again. I don't write very much though--maybe a dozen stories a year.
7. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
AL: Not that I am consciously aware of. Sometimes I write something and it's cathartic and feels good to get it out of my mind and onto paper. Other times I simply follow a prompt or theme supplied by an editor or anthology I am interested in sending something too. I also find the more I read, the more I want to write, so other ideas must inspire me. (After a bit of introspection:) Maybe my theme could be "Nobody gets out of life alive," because death is never far from my thoughts. Maybe all my stories are just my way of getting used to the idea!
8. What is the most unusual job you have ever held? AL: I am a radio announcer full time. My current part-time jobs are: intermission host during hockey games, mobile dee jay for bars and weddings, and event staff for the local civic center. I definitely stay busy but none of those jobs are what I would call "unusual." Does being a writer count?
9. What made you start writing?
AL: As a life-long lover of books and reading, I've read many different genres. None stuck in my mind quite as much as the old Alfred Hitchcock Presents anthologies. These served as my introduction to macabre stories by Roald Dahl, Theodore Sturgeon, Joseph Payne Brennan, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury and other authors who wrote stories that I could never quite categorize. I mean, I loved Louis L'Amour for a little while, but it didn't take me long to recognize that he followed certain formulas when he wrote. Those Hitchock authors were a lot less predictable! About ten years ago, I was at a crossroads in my life and needed a hobby. Writing became that hobby. My writing career has consisted of me making mistake after mistake and learning, very gradually, from those mistakes. This is true for stories, submitting, formatting, marketing--everything! I'm still making mistakes.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
AL: So many choices! I'd either go with all fictional characters and just enjoy the adventure that unfolded, or I'd take a practical approach. I'd invite my five favorite authors, maybe, or five editors I admire. Striking up an online acquaintance isn't as impactful as talking and laughing with someone over dinner and drinks. I think having a few more friends and allies in this business would be a good thing!
