10 Questions with James Crawford
1. What is the genesis of your novel Manleigh Cheese?
Initially, it was born from Facebook. After writing my first trilogy, I asked my friends what I should write next. Out of the choices I gave them, they picked urban fantasy. I decided to give it a try.
Of course, I had to bend the genre a little.
There’s a small chain of high-end specialty cheese stores (Cheesetique) here in the Washington, DC area that is super amazing. I crossed them with a food truck and ended up with Manleigh Cheese, the mobile cheese-oriented food truck that gave the book its title.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
There are two, maybe three. I tend to throw the absurd into my work, whether it’s horror or otherwise. That’s due to Richard Kadrey, with a serious serving of Mario Acevedo. Jim Butcher.
3. Describe your experiences with Permuted Press and Burning Willow Press?
My experiences with Permuted…Uneven. Let’s leave it at that.
Burning Willow is an amazing group of people. They truly love their authors, do their best to promote us, and are very transparent. I also have to say that their contract is the least draconian of anything I’ve seen so far.
4. What current writing projects are you working on?
My current project is a supernatural action novel, tentatively titled “Bleeding the Little Lambs.” It’s my first effort at writing a kick-ass female lead. The manuscript is about ¾ finished and I’m having a ball writing it.
I’ll probably start working on Manleigh Cheese II after “Bleeding…” is finished.
5. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
The "Blood Soaked" trilogy and "Manleigh Cheese" have a huge helping of government conspiracy. Looking at everything as a whole, I’d have to say that the main theme is how ridiculous life is.
6. What made you start writing?
A weapon I couldn’t afford to make. The hero weapon of "Blood Soaked"—the Man Scythe—was beyond my abilities as a hobbyist knifemaker to build (in skill level and costs), so I decided to write about it instead. That’s what started the ball rolling, and why I produce more words than blades.
7. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
I don’t know. My initial answer was “anything I find morally reprehensible,” but I realized that my villains have been known to do things that fall into that description. That aside, I probably will never write Fluffy or Plushie erotica…unless a character needs to be a fetishist.
Oh, hell. I wish I hadn’t written that.
8. How do you define success as a writer?
When my readers have fun and I have fun at the same time. As an indie/small press author, I can’t focus on monetary success, or I’ll spend my life in a perpetual state of disappointment.
9. What is your best quality as a writer?
I don’t shy away from humor, and my characters have “real people” feelings.
10. If you could create a Mount Rushmore of the greatest authors in the horror genre, which four writers would you choose?
Stephen King. Peter Straub. Laurell K. Hamilton, when her characters aren’t being polyamorous and kinky…her first five books. Relative newcomer Ronaldd Malfi. I have one book from him, and it tweaks me so much that I haven’t made it past the first chapter. (Good job, Ronald!)
Initially, it was born from Facebook. After writing my first trilogy, I asked my friends what I should write next. Out of the choices I gave them, they picked urban fantasy. I decided to give it a try.
Of course, I had to bend the genre a little.
There’s a small chain of high-end specialty cheese stores (Cheesetique) here in the Washington, DC area that is super amazing. I crossed them with a food truck and ended up with Manleigh Cheese, the mobile cheese-oriented food truck that gave the book its title.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
There are two, maybe three. I tend to throw the absurd into my work, whether it’s horror or otherwise. That’s due to Richard Kadrey, with a serious serving of Mario Acevedo. Jim Butcher.
3. Describe your experiences with Permuted Press and Burning Willow Press?
My experiences with Permuted…Uneven. Let’s leave it at that.
Burning Willow is an amazing group of people. They truly love their authors, do their best to promote us, and are very transparent. I also have to say that their contract is the least draconian of anything I’ve seen so far.
4. What current writing projects are you working on?
My current project is a supernatural action novel, tentatively titled “Bleeding the Little Lambs.” It’s my first effort at writing a kick-ass female lead. The manuscript is about ¾ finished and I’m having a ball writing it.
I’ll probably start working on Manleigh Cheese II after “Bleeding…” is finished.
5. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
The "Blood Soaked" trilogy and "Manleigh Cheese" have a huge helping of government conspiracy. Looking at everything as a whole, I’d have to say that the main theme is how ridiculous life is.
6. What made you start writing?
A weapon I couldn’t afford to make. The hero weapon of "Blood Soaked"—the Man Scythe—was beyond my abilities as a hobbyist knifemaker to build (in skill level and costs), so I decided to write about it instead. That’s what started the ball rolling, and why I produce more words than blades.
7. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
I don’t know. My initial answer was “anything I find morally reprehensible,” but I realized that my villains have been known to do things that fall into that description. That aside, I probably will never write Fluffy or Plushie erotica…unless a character needs to be a fetishist.
Oh, hell. I wish I hadn’t written that.
8. How do you define success as a writer?
When my readers have fun and I have fun at the same time. As an indie/small press author, I can’t focus on monetary success, or I’ll spend my life in a perpetual state of disappointment.
9. What is your best quality as a writer?
I don’t shy away from humor, and my characters have “real people” feelings.
10. If you could create a Mount Rushmore of the greatest authors in the horror genre, which four writers would you choose?
Stephen King. Peter Straub. Laurell K. Hamilton, when her characters aren’t being polyamorous and kinky…her first five books. Relative newcomer Ronaldd Malfi. I have one book from him, and it tweaks me so much that I haven’t made it past the first chapter. (Good job, Ronald!)
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