Tim Meyer's prose is tight. His concise, to-the-point style caught my eye while reading SHARKWATER BEACH, and after moderating a panel I did last year, we quickly became good friends. We've chatted for many hours live on air for YouTube about the craft, about publishing in general, and you'd think we've run out of things to chew the fat over. You'd be wrong. Here's Tim.

With SUNFALL back in 2014, you, Chad Scanlon and Pete Draper constructed the idea of series and episodes for fiction well before the likes of Serial Box. With the rise of Netflix, do you think this format could go mainstream anytime soon? And would you attempt such a distribution design again?

I've always loved the idea of a serialized novel. I'm not so sure all readers feel the same. A part of me believes that the majority of seasoned readers would prefer a book. Just give me a whole book. As far as serialized fiction becoming mainstream, I guess that would depend on the platform. For example, when we released SUNFALL: SEASON ONE episodically back in 2014, Amazon was the best way to reach potential readers. And they still are, at least I believe so. Their marketplace, however, isn't really set up for the serialized novel. It can be done, but can often become more costly for the reader, less profitable for the creator, and can sometimes come off as a cheap sales tactic. I think traditional novels work better if you're going the Amazon route, but serialized fiction can work great in a place like Patreon or, as you mentioned, Serial Box. I might try it again in one of those places, but definitely not on Amazon. The first rule of writing I ever learned was know your audience. Same applies with book marketing: know your consumer.

In SHARKWATER BEACH you married a Sci-Fi movie concept with jaw-dropping prose. When I sped through that novel, I expected a quick read and 'popcorn' fun, but not such an economic and confident voice. Is the seesaw of well-written and b-rate something you consciously try and nail? Richard Laymon, for example, is a favorite of mine, but his prose is what some call 'white bread'. I think you lean more towards 'literary', where did you begin to craft that voice? 

Firstly, thank you so much for the kind words. My heart skipped a little at “jaw-dropping prose.” As for your first question: when writing, in terms of style, I don't overthink it much. I just write and see what happens, and let those things work themselves out naturally. But every project has been different. Sometimes I have a clear vision for what I want to accomplish, sometimes I don't. I usually end up writing multiple drafts and countless revisions to improve the prose, and I usually outline the story—sometimes in my head, sometimes on paper—so I have a somewhat clear understanding of my characters' goals. With SHARKWATER BEACH, I envisioned something like you said—a quick popcorn read. However, it evolved into something different all on its own.
As far as the 'shlock' style story mixed with what you called a more 'literary' approach? I dunno. I guess I inherited that from reading a lot of Robert McCammon? Novels like Stinger, Swan Song, and The Wolf's Hour are some of my favorites. The way he takes science fiction and horror and does something beautiful with it really resonates with me. Stephen King is another author I grew up worshipping for all the same reasons. Those two were always merging B-movie ideas with inspiring prose. I love Richard Laymon too, though, and I think his style—while largely considered 'basic'—was extremely effective.

You do a lot of podcasting and live interviews, is this a tool more authors should take advantage of in the current age of self-promotion? Have you seen good returns?

I don't know if I can quantify how much crossover there is between the podcasting stuff and the writing stuff. I'd like to think there's some. Honestly, podcasting is just plain fun and I enjoy doing The Aperture Hour Movie Podcast (on the Project Entertainment Network) with my wife, Ashley, and SUNFALL co-author, Chad Scanlon. We don't really plug the books on the show, though, now that I think of it, we probably should. But also, I think they're two completely different audiences. As far as the live interviews—I love doing them and I think we've definitely made a few readers and friends during our broadcasts. That reminds me... we should probably do another one real soon!

With DEMON BLOOD, you took a 'go big or go home' approach and crafted a huge universe, an epic tale spanning three novels over ten years in the making. Would you ever broaden your stand-alone books to incorporate characters from elsewhere (a Samson with a minor role in another book, for example?), or does the concept of an overarching universe appeal to you?

I've often considered transporting characters from other books and putting them elsewhere. Haven't really done it yet, however, I do sprinkle occasional Easter eggs throughout my books, tying them into other works. So I do have an overarching universe that connects most of my stories. For example, Costbusters, the retail-warehouse that our characters from SUNFALL: SEASON ONE hide out in, is mentioned across many of my other works. The town of Red River, the fictional version of my hometown that was first featured in my novel IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS, is the setting of several other short stories and novels. So, there is a connected universe. DEMON BLOOD, however, I've kept separate from everything else. Now that the series is over, I don't know if I'd ever return to that world again. Writing those books took its toll on my creative reservoir.

Expanding on that, if you could take two characters from previous stories and set them out on an all-new adventure, who would you choose and what would they do?

Interesting question! I literally just said I'd never return to DEMON BLOOD, however, at one point in time I thought about retconning the entire series and having Danny Samson be a supernatural detective of sorts, pairing him with a real homicide detective. They would go around the country like Scully and Mulder and solve murders that had a supernatural bend to it. Hmmmm... I wonder if Jill McCourty from SHARKWATER BEACH is available. Imagine those two together? Good Lordy. (Author's note: Jill McCourty isn't available, sadly. She may or may not be involved in a top-secret mission to investigate Petruski-Corp, the mysterious organization responsible for the events that took place at SHARKWATER BEACH.)

Tim Meyer's Amazon page can be found HERE.

Rachel Autumn Deering is like family to me. She’s an Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated writer, editor, and book designer, but more than that, she a damn fine writer. Her novel HUSK packed a hell of a punch, and easily became one of my Top Novels of 2016. Newer horror authors (such as myself) can often floor-the-gore and forget our pacing, but Rachel keeps calm and collected and never loses her focus — you’ll be hard pressed to find a working word-slinger with more grit. It’s an honour to have her on the site.

WYTCHWOOD HOLLOW and HUSK both share the same universe, a practice normally found in graphic novels. Was this technique intentionally carried over from comics, or was the idea to keep things unified for want of a ‘small town’ feel? Could you see yourself borrowing other techniques from comics? 

Where I'm from in eastern Kentucky, it's common for multiple generations of families to never leave the town where they're born. It's appalling to them—the thought of abandoning the comforts of familiarity for the unknown—so they build these little insular micro-communities that consist purely of family members or very close friends (who often adopt honorary familial titles such as aunt this or uncle that, blurring the lines between blood and social bonds) and they all take care of one another. It's not unheard of for a clan of people with the same last name to own miles and miles of land, where every member of that group will one day build a house and start their own branch of the family. I was one of the few who chose to break away and see what lay beyond the holler, but that desire to be close to home never left me. To my heart, nothing could compare to the land that raised me, and I'll always long for the rolling hills, the lakes and rivers and caves, and the people with their strange turns of phrase. I created Ash Hill as a way to connect to my homeland, no matter where I am in the world or what might be going on in my life. In that way, I suppose I've sort of taken the idea of starting a family and carving out a holler of my own. A holler that exists only in my head. When I wrote comics, I never dabbled in the shared-universes of Marvel and DC characters. The only DC work I ever produced was for their Vertigo line, and it was a completely original short story, with my own characters and settings. Comics never felt like a space where I could set up a home. It always felt fleeting and temporary. Of the moment.

IN THE DARK is a gargantuan piece of work, a comic anthology spanning over twenty stories and three-hundred pages (and for readers: if you don’t have IN THE DARK on your shelf, unfuck that. It’s mandatory for any horror collection. Get it HERE). Did the workload burn you out, or did such a massive undertaking spark the notion of Volume Two?

It certainly wasn't the workload that burned me out. I enjoyed pouring myself into that book and puppet-mastering the whole thing. I was working with a group of my friends to create a book that none of the comic publishers would even consider. I was told time and again that anthologies didn't sell and that horror comics weren't in demand anymore. I was told that the idea would never sell to the casual comic reader who happened upon the book in a store. The idea was too big and it would cost too much to be a success. So I struck out on my own, against 'conventional wisdom' and all the money-making ideas, and simply did exactly what I wanted. A real four-color rebel. The whole feel of putting that book together and getting it out to the world was a thrill. The fact that the book earned me nominations for both the Eisner and the Harvey was a treat, as well. It was the shady business practices within the comics industry, the broken promises and outright lies, and the rabidly cannibalizing fandom that will keep the world from ever seeing a second volume. Comics is not the place for me. Still, that lone volume of work is something that will stand the test of time and always remind me of what I accomplished in the early days of my creative career. It makes me proud. 

HUSK was one of my top novels of 2016, primarily for its emotional hit, and secondly for its horror. That’s a bullseye for me. As a reader, I enjoy a story with a beating heart, and remember Joe Hill once comparing ‘bad’ 80s slasher characters to “bowling pins for the killer”. Kevin from HUSK is definitely not that, and any shorts I’ve read from you walk that same tightrope. Going into prose, what was the importance of character first, ‘monster’ second? Or was it even intentional?

I honestly believe it's just the way I'm wired. I spend a lot of time thinking about people and their motivations. I turn situations over in my mind and consider all the ways a person could respond, emotionally and psychologically. And this is just in my everyday life, not in fiction. I am a a deeply emotional person, so it's only natural that my characters would reflect that in their own ways. I'm not a monster, despite what some educators and ex-lovers may tell you, so coming up with the monstrous aspects of my stories always requires quite a bit more flexing of the creative muscle. A monster is more of a catalyst for horror than the horror itself, in my world. It can get the ball of dread rolling, but it's ultimately the characters and their emotional and psychological responses that work for me. Love is terrifying. Loss is powerful and crippling. A monster can chew on your guts for a little while, but eventually you'll die and that pain will stop. Betrayal and heartbreak can haunt you forever, whittling you down until you're nothing more than exposed nerves and want of the end.

You have a talent for never short-changing characters you might not personally agree with ideologically. Those characters still read as all-too-human and three-dimensional, was this another deliberate act on your part?

That comes from my own tendency to force myself to almost empathize with terrible people. I lay in bed at night and wonder about the private thoughts and fond memories of famously-despised figures. What secret things make them smile? Did they play with the same toys as me? What is their favorite band? Did they watch cartoons as a kid, and which was their favorite? What's their favorite topping on a baked potato? I ask myself all these inconsequential questions and I'll guess at what the answers might be. In doing these sort of mental interviews, I start to connect with these people and that horrifies me. What sense is there in trying to love a mass murderer or a corrupt politician? Why I put myself through that sort of thing, I'll never understand, but the whole act makes me feel things I'm not comfortable feeling. I try to channel that into my writing, asking my readers to consider the more human aspects of the boogeymen. To me, that opens up a whole world of personal horror that lives beyond the page. 

You’ve worked on such properties as CREEPY, DIABLO III, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, and even SONIC THE HEDGEHOG — so, gun to head, what single property would you like to write a prose novel for?

I'd love to try my hand at a serious Scooby Doo novel. No joke. That was my favorite cartoon as a kid. I lived for the next episode. To be able to get into the minds of the gang and explore what makes Shaggy think he can talk to Scooby and why this group of kids constantly seeks out the most dangerous situations would be a blast. I think the tendency for the monsters in that world to always be human underneath also speaks to me and the kinds of stories I write. Can you imagine a deeply psychological Scooby Doo mystery? 

2018 sees the release of WYTCHWOOD HOLLOW, what else can readers expect for the coming year?

I'm working on a non-fiction project for a big publisher right now. It's a historical book for a beloved 90s property. I can't say any more about that just yet. I have two short stories coming in anthologies from Crystal Lake this summer, one in WELCOME TO THE SHOW and another in LOST HIGHWAYS. I have my sights set on a short story collection for a Halloween release, which will include an expanded and revised version of HUSK, along with a bunch of new stuff. And I've just sold an anthology I created with another well-known author/editor friend of mine, but I don't expect that book to see the light of day until probably 2019 at the earliest.

HUSK is available HERE.

Last summer, I did my first novel signing alongside horror veteran Mary SanGiovanni. Each day the convention finished, Mary and I stayed up until the early hours with me hanging on every word such a rare opportunity granted. She's an author I've looked up to for many years, ever since discovering her seminal novel THE HOLLOWER as part of my Leisure Horror reading, and I'm delighted to have her here on the site.

Early next year we see the release of Cosmic Shenanigans, your new podcast on the Project Entertainment Network. What can listeners expect?

Well basically, it will be a podcast focusing on cosmic horror elements in films, television, art, games, music, fashion, pop culture, and anything else I can think of.  I'd like to take a look at what makes the subgenre relevant and enjoyable through the decades, and just how much of our modern culture is influenced by it.  From time to time, I'd like to talk about the roles of notable writers in cosmic horror and in publishing at large, as well as my own modest contributions to it, and explore the female perspective toward and within works of cosmic horror.

You wrote a phenomenal WONDER WOMAN story as part of DC House of Horror this October. Were you concerned taking the wheel of such a beloved character? And what other characters would you like to tackle, DC or otherwise?
Aw, thank you!  I was honored to try my hand at writing such an iconic character.  I can remember watching Wonder Woman on TV with Lynda Carter, and understanding on some simple level the significance of one of the few feminine (and feminist) superhero role models at the time.  And yes, I was absolutely nervous about how my take would be received by fans – a character of dueling souls and dueling interests, simultaneously sympathetic to and hostile toward masculinity, a crisis of identities. Comics is a relatively new endeavor for me, but my understanding is that fans seem to enjoy the DC Horror story I did, so whew!  And I'd love to do more work with DC.  I would love to do more HOUSE OF HORROR or HOUSE OF MYSTERY.  Honestly, I'd give anything they wanted me to work on a shot.

Modern technology voids a lot of old horror tropes (wifi in a spooky house saves a lot of teenage lives...) how do we circumvent these news restrictions, and are we in danger of losing horror's classic identity, or is this a good thing?
I think this is a good thing.  I think it challenges us as writers to think out of the box.  Maybe technology fails, as in apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic settings, or in locations where we simply have no cell reception or internet connection.  Maybe technology becomes part of the problem, a mutating and evolving thing beyond our control. I think part of the fun of modern horror is looking at creative ways writers have circumvented technology or used it adversely to further the suspense.  Often, horror is the fear of loss, and I suspect a lot of modern horror will explore not only what we lose when we lose technology, but what we're losing by having it.
I remember reading somewhere that with every new mystery solved or unraveled by science/medicine/technology, a hundred new “what ifs” are introduced – new mysteries and new potential horrors.  I think in this time of technological advancement, we're creating new myths and and urban legends, new unsolved mysteries.

You've been vocal about your influence from survival horror games (Silent Hill comes to mind), what is it that draws you to survival horror, and what aspects do you mine?
Oh, absolutely.  I think anyone who reads my stuff (THRALL comes to mind) would see the influence that surviva horror (particularly SILENT HILL) has had on my approach to the genre.  What I like about it is the atmosphere of surreal discomfort, of mounting dread.  There are not a lot of big explosions, wild chases, or shoot-outs.  So much of it is psychological terror, where one's wits are more important than any tool or weapons.  There are puzzles to solve and objects to find uses for – I like that, especially when the puzzles are eerie and tie into some deeper, creepier overall meaning.  I like that I have the option to run or sneak by something at times, and fight at others, without feeling overwhelmed by relentless hordes of enemies.  I'm dealing with things one-on-one, usually, and the monsters in these types of games are often some manifestation of personal and intimate horror.  And I like the element that my actions, my decisions, determine the course of events, that they affect the AI and the outcome.  It makes me feel like my contribution to the character I'm playing has an impact on the story.  And now that I think about it, I suppose I try to do all those things in my own horror fiction, as well.

Did becoming a parent change your relationship with horror? What scared you then, and what scares you now?

Oh yes.  I have a distinctly gut-wrenching aversion to violence toward children in my chosen entertainment media now.  I worry in a different way, and am driven by different goals, and so the things that scare me or horrify me reflect that.  Superficially, before I was a parent, I worried about things that could happen to me.  As a parent, I worry about those things happening to my child.  The fear is more intense, because one's feelings for one's child are always more intense than one's feelings for oneself.  There's an added dimension of responsibility there, and of protectiveness of someone who is innocent and dependent on you for survival.  There's a fear of one's own flaws and limitations in a more accute way than ever before.  You don't want to fail your child.  You don't want to let anything hurt him or her.  And you know that the world is fickle and chaotic and dangerous, and that at some point, you have to trust your child to take care of him- or herself.

You speak Gaelic, and have a healthy interest in Irish culture and mythology - would you ever implement Irish folklore into a tale, and if so, what aspects or creatures would you take?

I do!  My mother's side of the family comes from Ireland, and it is a place of ancient power and magic, a place of strength and pride, with a volatile and often tragic history that nevertheless returns time and again to the bravery and loyalty of its people.
I have often considered writing a story about a banshee (bean sidhe, I think, is the Gaelic, right?) but I want to make sure I'm doing something with it that doesn't come across like some weak American stereotype of such a creature, that is true to the terrifying and heartbreaking aspect of it.  It is only one of many types, and not nearly the most brutal, of the Aos Si, but one of the first Irish “ghost” creatures I was told about as a child.  I've outlined a fantasy novel, to tell the truth, which to oversimplify, is like GAME OF THRONES but with an added “house” of fae folk, and I work on it from time to time, but again, I want it to capture for others what it does for me, and I'm not comfortable I'm there yet.  The research for it is delightfully illuminating, though.
I am particularly fascinated with the Aos Si in all their many radiant and terrible forms, as well as their mounds, their rings, their forests and hills, and their magick.  I'm also interested in the Tuatha de Denann – the gods and goddesses, for lack of a better way to say it, of the ancient Irish people.  My understanding is that many people consider there to be a difference, albeit a subtle and blurred one, between the Aos Si and the Tuatha de Denann, and I think it would be interesting to write a story about the customs that persist today in keeping at least the former appeased.

Mary SanGiovanni's new novel SAVAGE WOODS is available HERE.

Few authors capture my attention in a drop-everything-and-read kinda way, but Janz is one of them. His novel CHILDREN OF THE DARK made my number one spot for Top Reads of 2016, and rivals BOY’S LIFE, THE BODY, GHOUL and THE TRAVELLING VAMPIRE SHOW for best coming-of-age story. It’s that good. It also helps that Janz himself is one of the nicest guys in the horror community, and I’m honored to have him on the site today. 

Baseball pops up in a lot of your stories (the kids in CHILDREN OF THE DARK, Mike in WOLF LAND…) how important is the sport to you, and could we ever see a BLOCKADE BILLY style novel?
 
Thanks for the awesome introduction, Matt. It's very appreciated. 
I love baseball. I played a lot as a kid and was a good fielder. I could never hit it very far since I was built like a stick figure, at least as a child. Because of my lack of pop at the plate, I lost interest in it when I was fifteen and concentrated on basketball because I was much better at it. However, when my son was born, I saw the opportunity to share the sport together, and as luck would have it, he's a darn good player and a far better hitter than I ever was. So we share the sport and spend a great deal of time hitting at the field, playing catch in the yard, or going to Cubs games during the summer. It's very special to both of us. 

As for a baseball novel...I will definitely use it in some way at some point in the future. As in, yeah, I can for sure see doing a baseball story. I'm not sure what form it would take yet, but there's no question the sport lends itself to great storytelling, so I'd like to delve into it deeply at some point. 
By the way, you're the first one to ask me that question! 

You don’t shy away from graphic scenes (much in the same vein as Richard Laymon), yet your characters are well rounded and sincere. How important is it to find that balance, and do you think there is such a thing as ‘too far’?
 
First of all, thank you! Secondly... I always adhere to the William Faulkner theory. He was asked once (after he'd written a rather shocking novel called SANCTUARY) if he included shocks just for titillation. His answer was basically, "A carpenter doesn't build a house so he can hammer nails; he hammers nails so he can build a house."
 
That's how I view violence. It's a raw material (or a tool) that an author sometimes utilizes to tell his/her tale. For me, my imagination is pretty dark, so I naturally gravitate toward unpleasant events, but I never do that because I enjoy it or because I'm misanthropic. In fact, much of what I write hurts me to write. But I have to tell the truth, and I have to be honest with the story and the characters. 

As far as whether or not anything is "too far," I think that's a question each artist has to answer individually. There are certain elements I'm not comfortable with, so I only refer to them in an oblique way. For example, in WOLF LAND, there's a sexually abusive father. I included just enough to show how ghastly this was, but I stopped well short of describing events in detail. I wouldn't be comfortable doing that, but that's a situation another author might handle differently. 

Horror often serves as a mirror for social issues and personal ghosts — Has a novel ever helped you through a bad time?
 
I'd say so, yes. I overthink everything, as my wife often reminds me, and the fact that I get to work out my fears and insecurities and doubts and regrets on the page really does help my mental health. Like everyone, I have regrets, so those get shared as a sort of confessional in some books. I sometimes feel unequipped to be the father I want to be, so you'll see that insecurity arise often, as in THE NIGHTMARE GIRL and the SORROWS books. When I have lost someone dear to me, writing has been a sanctuary, so in that regard it's also highly therapeutic. So...yes. A resounding yes to your question.  

Coming-of-age stories tend to get the same scrutiny as horror tropes in terms of sub-genre, were you apprehensive about how CHILDREN OF THE DARK might be received?

I thought it would end my career. I really did. Then again, I've felt that way about a couple of my books (WOLF LAND and CASTLE OF SORROWS come to mind), but I don't think I've felt it as strongly as I did with CHILDREN OF THE DARK. It was just so...different from my other stuff. The characters were much younger, obviously, and the you-know-what didn't hit the fan until halfway through the book. What would readers make of this? Would they think I was trying to soften my approach or write something more commercial? I didn't know. I was worried sick though. Ironically, it has been my most successful novel so far, which shows I know absolutely nothing about how folks will receive my work. 

Is there a singular piece of advice you return to when in doubt about your work?
 
Absolutely. Mike Myers, the guy who plays Shrek and Austin Powers, got his start on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. He wrote for the show as well as performing in it, and what he told himself was, "Give yourself permission to suck." For me, that advice really resonated because I tend to be a perfectionist. And I get to be--in the editing. But when I write my first drafts, I just go, and though much of what I write at first is just garbage, no one ever sees it, and there's more than enough quality buried under the refuse for me to shape the piece into something I can be proud of. 

What’s to follow EXORCIST FALLS?

Man... 2018 is going to be insane. Outside of three completed books--one that's already contracted with a publisher, one that's with my agent, and another that I haven't really shown anybody and love more than anything I've done so far--I'll have, at minimum, nine books coming in 2018 that aren't currently for sale. 

Eight of those, of course, will be my backlist titles: THE SORROWS, HOUSE OF SKIN, THE DARKEST LULLABY, SAVAGE SPECIES, DUST DEVILS, CASTLE OF SORROWS, THE NIGHTMARE GIRL, and WOLF LAND. The other will be a ghost story coming from Flame Tree Press called THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER. I'm finishing up edits now and will send it to my editor on Halloween. After that, I'll be doing some finishing touches and the aforementioned "secret" project that I'm in love with, and then around Winter Break (late December), I'll return to CHILDREN OF THE DARK 2 (not the real title). I'm hoping to have that one done by the end of...probably May 2018. Then I'll get to work on my next project.
​Thanks for having me, Matt. You're a great writer and an even better person.

EXORCIST FALLS is available to buy HERE

David: First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. You are an amazing author and have given me countless hours of enjoyment plus more because who has the time to read everything they want to read. When you started your career did you have just one genre in mind that you wanted to write or did you even have genres in mind or just write the stories you want to write and let others categorise it as a genre?

David: As a child I wanted to write comics. They were my dream job, but as I grew older I began to read all manner of things. London, Twain, Kipling, Poe, etc.. I read horror, some mysteries, science fiction, you name it. But when I read Edgar Rice Burroughs I no longer wanted to write, I had to write, and I wanted to write Science Fiction. I outgrew Burroughs, but not the love and interest he inspired. No matter what I write now, I have a science fiction writers heart, but at some point I realized my interests were leading me in a lot of directions. In my late teens, in college, I discovered Hemingway and Fitzgerald and a lot of those types of writers in school. I went on a readathon of their works, and spent a lot of time in the college library in Tyler coming the stacks. In my twenties, through a science fiction author, Keith Laumer, I discovered crime fiction. I had read some crime and mystery before, but his novel DEAD FALL, also known as FAT CHANCE, was a Chandler pastiche, and it was dedicated to Chandler and Philip Marlowe. Fat Chance was a kind of parody/pastiche of Chandler. No sooner had I read it, then the Chandler novels were reprinted in paper, and I went nuts for them. That led me to reading every crime and mystery novel I could get my hands on. I'm a naturally fast reader, so I covered a lot of ground fast, realized I had read a number of those writers in short story form, and had seen films based on their works. Like Westerns, I had always loved crime and mystery films, but now I had discovered the books in those fields, and they hit me hard. For a while all I wanted to write were those kinds of novels, especially private eye stories. I broke into print writing what they called novelettes for Mike Shayne Mystery magazine, and then I suddenly was interested in returning to an early love, horror, and I discovered Westerns, and then I was reading a lot of "straight fiction" and returning to classic things by Hemingway and Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Flannery O'Conner, Carson McCullers and so on. I understood them better by then. So, as you can see, I'm a mixed up mash-up of genres. All I wanted to write were stories, but there have been periods where a different kind of fiction interested me more than another. Now I don't think in terms of type. I just read and write what appeals to me. I can certainly get excited about someone offering me an opportunity to write a certain type of story for an anthology or magazine, but I have to find my way to approach it. Sometimes that's out of left field, sometimes its more traditional. I let my interests lead me.

Trisha: Given that Batman and its characters are so well known and established (through comics, tv, movies, etc) what was it like to work on that series as opposed to your own original work?

Trisha: I fell right in with BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES. I was born to write for that series, and wish I had more opportunity to do that. I also wrote a Batman animated film, SON OF BATMAN, and the mood for how they wanted the stories done had changed, so though I think it's a fun movie, it was a little less satisfying for me than the series. But I grew up reading Batman. My favorite comic character. I also wrote a novel and a young reader novel about Batman. I had been with Batman since I was four or five years old, so I loved that character. But it can be hard sometimes, especially with other characters, and the more I write the more I want to be me, not them. Right now my son and I are working on a comic series, and I won't say what, that has ground rules and established characters, and we're having fun, but I wouldn't want to do it monthly. I like the challenge now and then, or the change of pace, but mostly, especially as I grow older, I just want to do my work.

Justin: You were quoted in an interview as saying that horror imploded in the 1980s because it failed to mutate at a crucial time. Do you think it needs to mutate now, and if so, into what?

Justin: There's so much self-published stuff, it's hard to know what direction its going to. When anyone can be published, anything can be published, and most of it isn't very good, as it goes with being vetted. There's good stuff there, but it's a bigger morass than ever before, so it's hard to know what's what. My interest in reading horror isn't as strong these days. I read some, mostly short stories, but the bulk of it is 80s retreads. It still needs to change more, and it needs someone publishers that buy and vet the material. Horror has mostly splintered back into being a small press and self-publish affair.

Melissa: What inspired The Drive-In and what his own favourite scary movie?

Melissa: I went to drive-ins growing up, and that inspired the book, that and all the movies I saw there. Drive-ins still existed when I wrote the book, though they were on their way out. I had written an article called HELL THROUGH A WINDSHIELD and an editor friend, Pat LoBrutto, saw it and liked it and asked me to write a novel from it. He then asked if I had more on the drive-in. I did. Part two happened, and years later I wrote part three. The first one, the article, came out of a series of dreams.

Jassette: Growing up which was more of an interest to you, horror or westerns? And what was it like seeing Hap and Leonard come to life?

Jassette: Horror, by far. Western films I loved, but I had read very little that could classify as Western. Brett Harte, Mark Twain, some Max Brand, a few other things, and it wasn't until the 70s that I began to read Westerns in mass. To this day I read Westerns, but only certain ones. I don't read the basic series Westerns, though some modern Western series, things that take place in the here and now and are Western like, I sometimes read. Craig Johnson's Longmire are good, though I'm way behind in that series. Actually, Hap and Leonard are kind of a modern Western series. And it was great to see them come to life. I'm visiting the set tomorrow, and I look forward to it. I was on the set much of the first season and greatly enjoyed that. I'll only be spending a week this time, but I look forward to it.

Kay: How did you get the writing gig for Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo? Has you written any interesting un-produced scripts for comics, film, games, TV etc. ?

Kay: I had written a comic for DC called BLOOD AND SHADOWS, but the artist hadn't finished writing it. Another artist, who has become like a brother to me, Tim Truman, liked my work and they put us together, thinking we had the right sensibility for it. I think we did. I have written one unproduced script for animation, and I guess I can mention it now. Swamp Thing, supposedly adult oriented, but they changed their orientation by the time I finished it. Too bad, good script. I've written a number of film scripts that haven't been made. No games. Wrote Batman the Animated series, and worked on one Superman Animated Series, wrote an animated Jonah Hex short for DC SHOWCASE (interestingly I wrote a Hex script for Batman the Animated Series that was produced as "Showdown"), couple of things here and there. Number of things are in the mill currently, so we'll see.

Conor: Bubba Ho-Tep. What inspired you to write it and how did the film come about?

Conor: My brother wanted to be in music. He's seventeen years older than me. He lived in Memphis, tried to record at Sun Records without success. His wife, my sister-in-law, went to school with Elvis. John Kennedy was assassinated when I was young, and I always loved mummy movies, add to that the fact that my mother had to spend some time in a rest home due to an automobile accident, and you can see the sources.

Diana: Some children's movies are incredibly creepy (e.g. Labyrinth, The Dark Palace). Was there anything you watched as a child that has influenced your work? In a similar vein, is any of your work based on dreams you've had?

Diana: Wizard of Oz was creepy and fun when I was a child. A Christmas Carrol, the old black and white one with Allister Simms, Peter Pan, which looks ridiculous now, but was so fascinating then. It was just a stage, but back then we were used to filling in the rest of it with our imagination. A creepy film INVADERS FROM MARS, which still sticks with me, though on reseeding it, it's only the first twenty minutes that holds up. Noir and nightmarish. And yes, a lot of my work comes from dreams, nearly all from subconscious. I don't plot or lay out what I plan to do. I get up, it's there. I write about three hours, and I'm done until the next day. My brain seems to fill up with story at night, and I put it on paper in the mornings, though I sometimes work other hours if a story is driving me, or I'm traveling. But mostly, three hours in the morning is it.

Aidan: in season 1, episode 26 of Batman the Animated Series, you got to the core of Bruce Wayne as Batman with a single line: “why can’t I be happy?” - how did you get to that place?

Aidan: I think that's Batman's story, that's who he is in a nutshell. He keeps trying to punish criminals to relieve himself of what happened to his parents, but its hole that can't completely be filled. It's a question I think a lot of people ask themselves. I, fortunately, am not one of them. I am happy.

Fright Club 'Getting to Know You Pumpkin' questions:

Would you rather be eaten alive by rats or fish?
I'd rather not be eaten alive.

If you were going to be stranded on an island what 3 items would you bring with you?
A book on survival. A Swiss Army knife. And it would be nice if the island was close enough to swim to the mainland.

Bob Ford is the nicest mean guy working today… let me explain. We met for the first time last year in Virginia, drinks in hand and a good laugh shared. Bob treated me like an old friend, welcoming me with open arms and kind words. Rarely do I feel I’ve known someone for years within mere minutes, but Bob’s one of those guys… you know the type. One of the good ones. But there’s another side at work here… one I witnessed a day later as Bob clutched a novel before an unsuspecting crowd and began to read. And sweet fucking Jesus did he read. Imagine sitting with a real-life Rust Cohle from True Detective and you’ll get a sense of where I’m going. That, or being in a closed cage with a unhappy tiger. Bob paced and made eye contact, he grabbed shoulders and screamed — and folks prayed he didn’t come their way next. Bob hardly looked to his novel, either. He had it memorised.  

Your titles are very lyrical, No Lipstick in Avalon, The God Beneath My Garden, Samson and Denial… does a title ever prompt a story, or how does the process go?

This question made me laugh and here's why; with almost everything I've written, I'll get the title first before the story even presents itself. I don't know why my process is like that but you know writer types. We're a strange fucking bunch.

A lot of times I'll hear things incorrectly and somehow it makes sense. Sometimes... not so much. I wrote a short story titled Bloodlegum and Lolliknives after taking my kids trick or treating one year. My son was young and was trying to say "bubblegum" and I heard it wrong. 

I was on a very long drive from Florida when Free Ride Angie came to me. I knew the title and why this character was called that. The rest came a long time after. Same with Samson and Denial. It sort of hit me one day and I liked the play on Samson and Delilah and my muse kept chewing on the title until a story formed up around it.

But that's how it goes with me. The titles to the things I write have been mentioned to me before so I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

As I’ve mentioned: your readings are damn unique. Did the style develop itself over time, or is that a vibe you crafted?

Well thanks for the kind words and I'm really glad you enjoy my readings. It really is one of my favorite things to do.

I'd met the incomparable Tom Monteleone years ago, but had never seen him do a live reading. I'd seen lots of other writers do readings and the majority of them either sat at a table or stood at a podium. Some were better than others.

Then I saw Tom read. The man is animated. He puts emphasis where things need it. He understands the importance of a pause. He makes eye contact with the audience and secretly picks out individuals to hammer home certain sentences.

I was blown away. It was way beyond just a reading and I knew right then and there... that... THAT is what I want to do when I read live.

I practice ahead of a reading and what helps for me, is that I do a lot of homework on the main character ahead of time. I mean, I really know the character, so it makes it a lot easier. 

Calvin in The Compound, Samson in Samson and Denial, they share a ‘feel’ — down n’ outs with a swan song: not quite good guys, not quite bad. What attracts you to these types of characters?

I really wish I knew the origins as to why so I could better answer that for you, but the truth is, I've always been drawn to the underdogs. I don't like polished. I'm drawn to the rough, the gritty, the underbelly. Because even though there may be a hit man or a drug dealer or prostitute, I try to look past the dirt and see if I can find any redeeming qualities there. The characters I'm interested in ride the gray area between good and bad, morally. 

On the surface, most of us go about our day and don't look deeper. I'm interested in what the garbage men found along the side of the road on their morning route. I want to know about the absolute strangest night a bartender has ever had. What bet the bookie had to turn down.

I guess I'm drawn to these types of characters because, yeah, they're the underdog, but they're also more interesting to me. They're not living in a crackerbox house with a white picket fence, two kids and a dog. Though... I do have a screenplay called Lower Levels that takes this stereotypical character and turns it on its ass.

Samson’s cinematic qualities are hard to deny, I can easily imagine it translating to film. Was that intentional?

I had written several short stories and partnered with someone on a novel that is yet to be published and won't be because I shelved it. Then I wrote several screenplays. I had certainly read quite a few, but had never written one before from scratch and thought why the hell not?

So I did. What I discovered was writing in that format – planning on visuals and angles and such where there might not be a single line of dialogue, but you had to convey something – was so very different from prose. In fact, it was so different, that I had a few false starts I had to throw away when I went back to prose. But when it took hold again, the visual direction and certain other aspects of screenwriting came along for the ride.

Several people have mentioned Samson and Denial would make a great film and I can't argue. The visual elements would be tremendous fun.

Plus... a street full of naked witches? What's not to love?

You’re a 90s rock guy, much like myself. Can you recall any particular song lyric sparking an idea?

Music is always on when I write and I'll change the playlist depending on what I'm working on. I would definitely say the music choices change the tone of what I'm writing. Samson had an awful lot of Nine Inch Nails, Frank Sinatra, and Tool.

The Last Firefly was written to a lot of blues and the Black Keys.

As for an actual song lyric sparking an idea... the screenplay I mentioned earlier – Lower Levels – that idea started from a song from The Cure titled Happy the Man. I love the title and kept imagining the type of character it might describe.

And one day I wrote this down:

"There was a black and bruised homeless man peeling a black and bruised banana.

A bum leaned against the telephone booth holding a banana half black with age. He began to peel it and saw me watching him. He smiled and I saw he he was toothless, save for two upper teeth off to the side like a deformed rabbit. 

He bit a little off the top of the banana — the inside flesh of it darkened like an old bruise — and I had to turn away from the smacking sounds he was making."

That was part of my development notes on the screenplay and I'm planning on eventually reverse-engineering the script to turn it into prose because, as it turns out, Happy the Man is a polite, but rather disgusting, individual and I think my fans stand a better chance of reading a novel than it getting developed into a movie.

What can your readers expect next?

There's a couple short stories I'm working on that are tons of fun right now but I'll keep quiet about the details.

After those are knocked out, I'll get back to working on the novel length sequel to Samson and Denial. That's titled The Crimson Sisters and so far I'm having a blast with it. The shit Sammie goes through... well... you'll all see.

Once The Crimson Sisters is finished, there's a novel that dropped into my lap all at once, signed, sealed and delivered. Doing some preliminary research on it was really messing with me, and I really think, once this is done, it's going to be a truly disturbing piece of work.

You can find Robert's work on Amazon here

I first met Glenn Rolfe around this time last year at a convention in Virginia. He’d said some very nice things about a story of mine, so I introduced myself at his table first chance. Glenn was kind and professional, the kind of guy you hope to meet at such events, and we hit it off from the start. So far, so good. That night, while discussing the recent Guns N’ Roses reunion with author Bryan Smith at the entrance to the hotel, Glenn rolled about like a madman on the ground as guests overstepped him, occasionally chiming into the conversation before continuing his trashing. Now we’re getting somewhere: Glenn goes from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. As a person, and as a writer. And, trust me, that’s a good thing. He’s Laymon-esque, and he’s balls-to-the-wall. Shit, he’s Rock N’ Roll. He was also back at his table first thing the next morning, fresher than most, professional through and through. The dude is a star.

Has becoming a dad changed what you find scary, both as a writer and a reader?

Absolutely. Inherently, (most) people can empathize with the kind of pain and fear that come with something bad happening to a child. I remember when Eric Clapton’s son died. I think I was a teenager, but hearing that, and how it happened, was crushing. Now, every time I hear “Tears in Heaven”, that heaviness seeps back into me. I had my first kid in 2007, and I’ve been fearful ever since. Man, the crazy amount of love that overcomes you when you look into the eyes of your child is insanely amazing. It put an end, then and there, to that young, too tough to die mindset. And I’ve had two more babies since then, so obviously the radness outweighs the fear. That said, it has become my greatest fear, putting spiders, snakes, and The Exorcist in the rearview mirror.  
Obviously, it makes reading and writing things where kids get hurt or killed much heavier, adding depth to the experience in both cases.

Being a musician, has that influence the type of writer you gravitate towards, or your writing itself? You seem to enjoy a more streamlined approach, like a good Punk number — straight forward and fast paced. It’s refreshing.

It does. Coming from the punk rock community, I wrote these one and a half to two minute songs almost exclusively. While I can appreciate larger, more complex songs—Holy Wars (Megadeth) ,Master of Puppets (Metallica), Jungleland (Bruce Springsteen) come to mind—I seem to gravitate toward the short, sweet, and all-out judo-chop offered in a fast and catchy punk song. That mindset followed me into the writing world. For me, you need good characters, good dialogue, and a fun story. That doesn’t take four hundred plus pages. Not in my book. And still, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy longer works of fiction. I do. I think I have writers and readers ADD, for the most part. I love the rise of novellas. I always loved the Leisure Books horror line where a lot of the books were around two hundred and seventy pages. That became my template for my novel writing. Keep the words, the side treks away from the main story, at a minimum. A lot of writers, like musicians, fall in love with the sound of their own talent. You see a lot of stuff that will really impress their contemporaries, but I always feel like I ‘d rather perform or writer for the pure readers and the listeners. Good and simple is what hits the majority. It’s why pop music has always been huge. Most people don’t need all the frills, all the impressive language, or complex arrangements. They just want something that puts a hook in them, catches their ear or eye, and takes them away for a minute. And that probably applies more so nowadays. Everybody’s multi-tasking, wandering through each day constantly changing direction. They seem to need things fast and furious or they move on to the next thing on their to-do list.
I love writing and reading novels, but I have a blast with novellas. That’s why I’ve written and published four already with my fifth, FOLLOW ME DOWN, coming in time for Scares That Care. They offer as much punch, sometimes more, as their counterparts. Think of what The Clash could do in two minutes. Taking on politics, racial relations, and disillusionment. They did it well and became legends. I look at a novella like James Newman’s ODD MAN OUT and see a writer smashing the idea that novellas are in any way less-than. Not many stories can hit as hard as Ketchum’s classic THE GRL NEXT DOOR in the novellas condensed medium.
Sorry for the long answer. 

Can you pinpoint the moment you decided, ‘This is it for me. Writing is what I want to do’? And do you have a moment that almost made you think the opposite?

I tried my hand at a couple short stories in 2004. I was out of bands at the time. I bought a copy of King’s ON WRITING and was inspired to give it a shot. I think I scribbled about six or seven bad stories in some of my lyric notebooks before diving back into music. Fast forward to 2011. My (semi) touring band called it quits. My day job laid me off, and I was a stay at home dad in desperate need of a creative outlet. I pulled up one of the old short stories I’d started back in 2004 and re-wrote it on my computer. That became the first chapter to my novel, BLOOD AND RAIN. I shared it with a few friends on Facebook and they loved it and wanted to know what happened next. With them demanding more, I ended up writing a sixty-five-thousand-word story. My first novel. When I wrote THE END, I was officially a writer, whether I was ready to admit it or not. I of course wanted to write another story the very next day, so that’s what I’ve done. Haven’t considered turning back since.

Living in Maine, do you have a favourite local legend? And have you visited King’s home?

Unfortunately, I don’t know the local legends. I’ve never been to King’s place. I’m still waiting for the invite.

Feet to the fire, what do you think your ‘magnum opus’ will involve? What elements will make up Glenn Rolfe’s Nevermind, or The Stand? And when do you think you’ll get around to writing The One that will cement your style and you’ll always look back on with pride — or has it happened already?

Definitely hasn’t happened yet. I feel like I’m still in my diapers. I have a long way to go. When I do write The One, it will have to be heavy, emotional, contain a great romance, and be scary as hell. Hopefully, it will happen before I’m seventy.

Finally, what’s your favourite Irish mythological creature?

Sadly, I’m not up to date on my mythological creatures, let alone the Irish ones. That probably makes me lame, but I am what I am. I did recently see an Irish-based horror movie called, From The Dark. I think the creature in there was a vampire. Decent flick.

Glenn Rolf’s BECOMING is available for Kindle here. Paperback coming soon.
    

 

When I started writing a couple of years back, one name appeared next to mine time and time again: Patrick Lacey. Since those days, his bushy side-burned sneer has evolved into a full-bearded grin, and his writing grew with it. I've gotten to watch Pat move from short stories like BIG BERTHA in The Horror Zine right up to his juggernaut of a novel WE CAME BACK. Pat’s writing has teeth. It's got claws. And if you only pay attention to those values, it’ll take you out with an emotional gut-punch. He’s one of my favourite people in the genre, and I’m happy to sit down and chat.

One of Horror’s purposes (in my mind) is to open doors no other genre will, taboo subjects that folks don’t like to talk about. Have you ever opened one of those doors and thought, “… maybe I shouldn’t?” … or have you followed through?

Certainly. In my newest novel, WE CAME BACK, there are a few scenes where animals are harmed by way of a possible ritualistic killing. I didn't like writing them and did it as tastefully as I could. Still, though, these scenes needed to be in the book. The novel itself is about a teenage cult and is based off of rumors of such a thing in my  hometown. Growing up, I heard from friends that a group of kids was going around and doing some strange things. Bad things. One of which involved said animal abuse. I had to push myself through these scenes but I feel they make sense in the overall story and have no regrets.

Was there ever a day you doubted being a writer? Any advice for people starting out who might have some doubt?

Only every day. Seriously. I don't know about you but for me, being a writer is mostly trying to convince myself I don't suck. It doesn't get easier. Every time I start a new book, it's like I've forgotten how to write a book. But I push past it, do the best I can, and usually I'm somewhat happy with the end result. There's not a book I've finished that I don't think could be better but at a certain point you have to finish the thing and move on to the next project. That's my advice. Keep writing until it doesn't suck that bad.

What was the best piece of advice you ever got, and how do you implement it?

Most of the writers I admire and respect all have the same golden rule when it comes to writing: sit your ass in the chair and do it. Starting out, I read plenty of how-to books but most of it, in my humble opinion, was bullshit. If you want to be a writer, then write. If not, go do something else. You'll be far happier. I promise. This gig takes undying patience and skin thicker than every dinosaur ever. You have to do the work. I wrote six books before I sold one. That's a lot of hours sitting and typing but that's the only way you can get better. Unless you know a warlock. In that case, forget everything I just said. Also, can you give him my business card?

You recently came here to Ireland and got to take in some of the ancient countryside. Think you’ll work some of what you saw into a story?

Absolutely. I've written two destination novels thus far. The first is my debut novel DREAM WOODS and the second is a novel that has hopefully found itself a home. Fingers crossed. I love the concept of a character traveling somewhere to face evil. It's the perfect horror set up. It may be a trope but tropes stick around for a reason. I have something in mind, something where a writer travels to Ireland to get away from his everyday life, only when he gets there, he's met with something sinister. And I'm not talking about blood pudding here. (Actually, I am.)

Do you have a favourite comment on one of your works that sticks out? Something you can fall back on if you ever need a confidence boost?

Author Tim Meyer said that DREAM WOODS was "like a Goosebumps novel on acid." It may seem silly on the surface but that quote really stuck with me. Goosebumps were my introduction to horror. I wrote a fan fiction entry into the series when I was in third grade entitle THE CURSED SCORPION. It's about a cursed scorpion. Had I not been weaned on the book series, I probably wouldn't be here right now. So whenever I'm having a shit day, I think of that quote.

You play guitar, and you're an avid movie fan. Is there a song, band, or movie that has influenced your writing? An idea from a lyric or a particular scene?

Funny you should ask. I'm currently finishing up a novel about a demonic pop star. I definitely used music as an inspiration for this one but not in the way you would think. I read a story about Justin Bieber fans who were hurting (and in some cases killing) themselves when they found out he'd been arrested. I got to thinking how much power some of these pop stars hold over their fans. What if they could use that for not-so-good purposes. The novel kind of took off from there.

Finally, what’s your favourite Irish mythological creature?

Who's that spud-like man on the Tayto bags? Is he mythological? If so, him. Definitely him.

That’s Mr. Tayto, Pat.

Patrick Lacey’s WE CAME BACK is available in both paperback and eBook here. All proceeds go to The American Cancer Society.