Interviews

What is the book about?

It's about the tendency of men to succumb to evil, the enduring power of evil, and how a place can absorb that malevolence, a la the Overlook Hotel.

What are the underlying themes?

See above.

Did real life experiences bring about any of the plot of this tale?

Yes. I lived next to a graveyard and have always been fascinated by them. In fact, I wrote the first draft of this book in a graveyard, which is fitting. Basically, the main character is transfixed by a specific grave, and I, too, have been mesmerized by gravestones with a lot of character.

What about the setting stimulated your imagination?

The loneliness, the eeriness, the sense of age and history and secret lives.

What are some of your favorite books haunted house/Gothic books?

Early Peter Straub, Richard Matheson's HELL HOUSE, and Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE are some of my favorites.


Who influenced you most in the writing of the book?

If I had to choose someone, it would be Peter Straub. GHOST STORY really affected me when I read it back in college. I've never been the same. And I believe its shadow still shows in much of my writing.

Is there any advice you can give someone starting to write?

You will only succeed if you love it, if you burn to write. If you're not passionate about it, you need to get out, because that passion and determination will keep you going when things go badly. And they will go badly. You'll be rejected, you'll be discouraged, you'll be told you're not good enough. You'll likely experience soul-sucking self-doubt. But if you love it enough, you'll stay with it. That's how you climb. By not quitting.

Where did you write?

Like most of my novels, this one was written in my home, in my writing room. It's an inspiring setting filled with books and an aura of magic.

Did you write in silence, or to any particular music?

I write to Baroque music. It's the perfect fusion of mystery, passion, and energy, and listening to it, the words just flow from my fingertips to the page. It also drowns out the ambient noise that I sometimes find distracting.

What are you writing now?

At the moment I'm editing a post-apocalyptic novel (the first of a planned series) and working on the second CHILDREN OF THE DARK book.