Interview with author Walter Spence

In the novel "House of Shadows" it seems as though young Eugene Evans and his sister Barb are two very lucky children. They suddenly have the chance to escape their hard-scrabble childhood, thanks to the kindness of a mysterious benefactress. But they soon learn that if something seems too good to be true it probably is; as they are exposed to a secret society of vampires, and Eugene is eventually called upon to make a life changing decision.

So, what does author Walter Spence have to say about his first installment in "The Breed War Series"? Let's find out.

Q: We first meet Eugene, “Ace”, when he is a young boy. How does he evolve during the course of the novel?

A: I have, in other venues, referred to House of Shadows as ‘The coming-of-age story from Hell’. In modern times, particularly in America, young people experience a considerably-prolonged adolescence. But in earlier periods of human history, growing up was oftentimes quite traumatic and left serious scars, mentally as well as physically. Eugene is pushed to his limits as he is forced to adapt to his changing circumstances. But that’s what makes him special.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “House of Shadows”?

A: When I first contemplated writing it, I had just finished a novel titled “The Caballa” which had -- off and on -- taken me over a decade to write. And when I was done, I looked at what I had wrought and said to myself, “It’s okay. But I know I can do better”.

House of Shadows began, like most of my ideas, as an attempt to tell the kind of stories I wished other people were writing. The Caballa was one of the most difficult things I had ever written, and the writing of it had been both prolonged and painful. What I wanted was what I had heard of from others, the joy in a tale’s creation. That is what I wanted to accomplish, to have fun telling the kind of story I would love to read myself.

That having been said, I wanted other things as well. I wanted an elaborate beginning to a growing mythology, that House of Shadows would be only the tip of an enormous iceberg. In the past I have been disappointed by attempts, in multiple forms of media, to tell an elaborate story which has wonderful individual elements (a single novel, a television episode), but which also has a central mystery revealed over time. There are numerous examples of this kind of falling-short, the TV series Lost had any number of them, for example (the mysterious series of numbers which started as the winning lottery numbers for Hurley, and continued to make appearances throughout the lifetime of the show, but which nothing ever came of in the end). I wanted to begin a series with satisfying individual works also supported by a prolonged story arc. Time (and the readers) will determine whether or not I succeed in this.

Q: Do you have a main source of inspiration?

A: The only answer to your question that immediately springs to mind would be my younger brother Jamie, who was murdered during a robbery around twenty years ago. He was, and remains, possibly my greatest inspiration, for any number of reasons.

Q: Who are some of the writers who have influenced you the most?

A: A list of such a length would be beyond the scope of this interview. Rather than belabor specifics, I would say all of the writers who have stretched my mind and forced me to think differently. But if I had to name a writer whose story-telling skills I most wish to emulate, I would have to place Stephen King near the top of such a list, if not at its apex. The essential humanity of his characters, and how they cope with their horrendous circumstances, has always been an inspiration.

Q: If “House of Shadows” was adapted for the big screen who would you want to see in the part of Eugene?

A: An actor who could, in my mind, play Eugene, I have yet to see. He is a powerful presence, both physically and intellectually. No doubt there is some no-name actor out there who could do a commanding job of it.


Q: Is there a genre you haven’t yet attempted as a writer but would like to?

A: I would enjoy writing a good science fiction novel. I even have an idea and a title for one, The Misbegotten. Perhaps one day.