I'm pleased to welcome Horror writer, Derek Ailes!

1. Hello, and welcome to my blog! To start off, what inspired you to take the plunge into the world of publishing?

 I've been writing since I was a kid back in the 80s.  After years of helping my brother get his books published, we decided to do a collection of horror short stories together called Journey Into the Unknown.  I came up with so many story outlines during that project, that I had enough ideas to write and publish my first solo project Zombie Command: A Horror Anthology.

2. Tell me about your book.

 Second Journey Into the Unknown is the latest collection of horror short stories by Mark Cusco Ailes and I.  Like the first volume, Mark wrote several short stories and I wrote several short stories.  Mark and I collaborated on the new updated version of my Night of the Living Redheads and renamed it Day of The Redheads.  I have one story about a real zombie outbreak happening at a convention for a zombie television show.  I also did a story called Claws which is a parody of Jaws and Godzilla using a mutated cat.  Being a big fan of Sharknado and after seeing the Catfurnado poster on April Fool's Day 2014, I wrote Furnado.  Furnado is an exciting thrill ride.  Mark wrote a thriller about a killer doll which he split into three separate short stories.

3. What inspired you to write this book?

I grew up being a big The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt, vintage and 80s horror fan.  I wrote a couple of the short stories in the style of The Twilight Zone.  There is a lot of elements in my stories that are a tribute to the old horror films.  I throw in my political humor when I can.  I also come up with my stories from watching the news.  When I see something I think that would make a great story, I go to my laptop and write away. The story Zombie Con is actually what transpired at the Walker Stalker Con in Chicago this year.  The convention was so unorganized and just what I witness there was a real horror story in itself.  I wrote about it and threw zombies into the mix.

 4. Are there any books/authors that have had a profound impact on your life?

Like most authors, I was heavily influenced by Stephen King.  My commitment to writing can be attributed to an interview from Dean Koontz back in the 90s.  Back in the 90s, I  met the late R. Karl Largent (Black Death, The Red Series) at a writing seminar.  He was one of my first mentors in the writing field.

5. What was your favorite part to write (without spoilers, of course)?

Claws and Furnado were a blast to write.  When you can have a good time writing something in the horror field and crack yourself up while doing it, you have something that's worth reading.



6. What do you most hope to achieve with this novel?


A cult following.  I'm looking for an overnight success story.  I looking to gain fans that will sit back and enjoy the thrill ride I put them on.

7. What do you do when you're not writing?
 If I'm not on social media promoting my work, I'm watching movies or television.


Off-Beat Questions


1. I see you write horror. Have some fears/phobias of your own?

Writer's Block, just kidding.  Every writer is afraid of that.  I fear things I can't figure out. 

2. I have to ask. Do you watch horror movies? If so, what do you think was the best period for horror films (for example, my favorite was the 80s, with Jason and Freddy Kreuger)?  

I can go further back than that.  The old time horror films with Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, and Vincent Price will always be my favorites.  I love the 80s horror films, but during that time frame they became all about the gory killing. Everything had to be set up for a sequel.  The studios just couldn't let the franchises end.  With the newer horror films, I'm seeing originality return to the horror industry.


Links:

Website:  http://derekailes.weebly.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDVWK88/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

  I am a science fiction & horror writer from Valparaiso, Indiana. I also love to write horror stories about zombies and evil cats. I am also a political satirist. In 1985 I wrote my first short story: "The Day It Rained Candy." I also started writing a science fiction series called "Power Force." In 1994 I published my first short story: "The Night Of the Living Redheads." My latest novel, Second Journey Into The Unknown, was written with my brother Mark Cusco Ailes.  I also write short stories for shortfictionbreak.com

I'm pleased to welcome Paul Seiple, author of Chasing Fireflies, Book 1 of the Morning Star series!

1. Hello, and welcome to my blog! To start off, what made you decide to take the plunge into the world of publishing?

First of all, thanks for having me. I've always "written." I started writing songs when I was kid and thinking I'd replace Vince Neil in Motley Crue. The songs weren't that good, neither was my voice. I decided to publish after I wrote The Shape of Things to Come, which was the first story that I truly wanted to share. 

2. Tell me about your book.

Chasing Fireflies is the first book in my new Morning Star series. It follows the life of a homicide cop with boxful of secrets from his past that refuse to stay hidden. 

3. I see you write thrillers and horror. Are there any horror/thriller authors that have inspired your writing?

Honestly, music inspires my writing more than anything. I learned to write from listening to Jerry Reed and Jim Croce. Every song told a story. If I had to choose an author, I'd say Joe Konrath's Jack Daniels series made me fall in love with writing serials. 

4. What part did you have the most fun writing (without spoilers, of course)?

With this being the first book of a series, I loved adding little snippets of the future that will only become obvious as the series progresses.

5. If you could achieve one thing with your writing, what would it be?

It's already happened. I had someone on twitter private message me and tell me that he loved my book. Selling books is great, but knowing that someone took the time to reach out and tell you he loved your book is what makes it worthwhile to me. 

6. What do you do when you're not writing?

When I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. My mind never turns off. There is always a story idea floating around in there. I also try to stay as active as possible. It's really easy to ignore physical activity when you're a writer. Health-wise, it's incredibly important not to take your body for granted. I spend a lot of free time hiking, biking, and playing basketball.

7. Can we expect more novels in the future?

Absolutely. The second book in the Morning Star series will hopefully be out in October. The lead character in the series is also teaming up with Joe Konrath's iconic Jack Daniels for a couple of adventures. 

Off-Beat Questions

1. You write horror. What is something you're afraid of? Any weird phobias (one of mine, for example, is small spaces)? 

I like heights about as much as I like Justin Bieber. In fact, my idea of Hell is being trapped on a roller coaster blasting Bieber songs. This is not really a fear, more of an odd fact. The Ouija board that is a key point in my book The Dark Stuff actually exists. It's in my basement now. There is a scene in the book where the board is used to contact a dead neighbor. That happened pretty much as it does in the book. I have no explanation for what happened. 

 2. You're a thriller writer. What would you say is one of the most thrilling things that has happened to you?

At the risk of sounding boring one of the most thrilling things has to be writing "The End" in my first novel. Since I write about the stuff, I wish I had a story about the time I hunted down a serial killer and caught him just before he took his next victim, but I don't. I'm such a poser. But seriously, even though I've written most of my life, I really didn't feel like a writer until I wrote the last sentence in the first novel. For me, that's pretty thrilling.

I'm pleased to welcome Richard Murrary, author of Killing the Dead!

 

 

 

1. Hello, and welcome to my blog! To start off, what made you decide to take the plunge into the world of publishing?

 

 I have wanted to write for a long time now and I have been an avid reader since I was a child. I've spent years creating the stories I would love to read, though limited to just my imagination. With my youngest daughter reaching an age where I am no longer needed unless it's a meal time, I find myself able to dedicate some time to getting those stories out.

2. Tell me about your book.

 

 This book (the first in the series) is set in England and starts out just as the zombie apocalypse kicks into full swing. The protagonist is a charming man who just so happens to be a somewhat psychotic and sociopathic serial killer who has just been given access to a world descending into absolute chaos. When a young woman pursued by the walking dead knocks at his door, he finds he has a choice to make between staying alone or saving a life.

3. What, if anything, inspired you to write this?

  

Well as I mentioned I love to read. I have read countless numbers of books over the years and the one thing that they all seemed to have, was a hero. You know the type, reluctant or eager the hero will still go out and save the day. Quite frankly I had reached the point where I was rooting for the bad guy just for something different. Eventually I realised that if I wanted to explore the world from the more morally ambiguous character, then I would need to write it myself.

 

4. Did you have a favorite scene to write (without giving spoilers, of course)?

 

Gosh, without spoilers it is hard to say. Some scenes were much more fun to write than others. With a main character who is most definitely not the norm, you get to have so much fun with so many scenes. Just trying to show how he sees the world, which is so different from most other people is exciting when you aren't constrained by the morality and rules of civilisation.

 

5. The zombie apocalypse seems like a hot topic these days. What do you think sets your book apart from other zombie books?

 

 The main character first and foremost. He is so different from your usual lead in zombie fiction which tend to mainly have the everyday guy who is terrified and trying to stay alive or the ex-military/policeman or even the gamer guy who was a loner but manages to be a zombie killing machine in the apocalypse. Instead we have a man who genuinely loves to kill. Fighting the zombies isn't a chore to him and he won't even generally notice the moral dilemmas that most people would face, which is where the other characters come in.

6. What do you do when you're not writing?

 

 Between work and being a single parent to an almost teen girl, the only other thing I do these days is write. I realised early on that to be able to do justice to my story I would need to dedicate all of my free time, which generally meant cutting out a lot of the things I used to spend my time and energy on.

7. Can we expect more books from you?

 

 You certainly can. Book 2 in the series is out now and I am expecting book 3 to be released sometime in September this year and I have to say I am really excited about book 3. At this point my favourite killer is definitely finding his way in the world and having a lot of fun with it. I really do love writing and sharing these stories and I am planning on doing a lot more in this genre and others.

off-beat questions

1. What's your favorite zombie fiction (can be books, movies, tv shows)?

 

 I would have to say it is a toss up between "The Walking Dead" graphic novels which I think we all know about now and the "Black Tide Rising" series by John Ringo which has some wonderful characters and an entertaining storyline.

2. I got to ask. Do you have a zombie survival plan? If so, what is it?

 I certainly do have a zombie survival plan and since I have written a zombie apocalypse book it is fair to say that I document it quite well through that book. I will tell you that one of the first things I would do before almost anything else, would be to gather up books. In an apocalypse knowledge would be key, it's no use surviving is you don't know how to grow your own food or purify water.

So Many Genres, So Little Time

I know I'm not the only author who feels inspired to write in multiple genres.

I suppose it's because I like to read so many genres that I'm this way. My favorites are fantasy, supernatural and horror, but I have also enjoyed sci-fi, romance, dystopian, inspirational, and even non-fiction. I've been trying to start out with the dual genre, different pen name thing, like J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith. But even that's hard! I have a fantasy romance that has been eating at me. Seriously, it won't shut up in my head.

I'm curious as to how many other authors have this problem, and how they handle it. Authors are often encouraged to stick to one genre, two at the most. You don't see Stephen King complaining that he wants to write children's adventure stories. But I wonder, does he ever get that non-horror story pop in his head? What does he do when it nags at him relentlessly? Just ignore it, I suppose. But as an artist, that just seems depressing to me. When a story wants to be told, it lets you know. Like, in flashing, neon colors.

I don't think there's any real answer to this question; only perspective. Sticking with one or two genres makes it easier to maintain a readership and bring in more money. But to ignore the other stories is to stifle one's creativity. Poverty, or restricting one's artistry. Depressing any way you slice it.

Granted, I'm being a little over dramatic here. I know of at least one person who makes a decent living off of writing multiple genres. Then again, they publish a book every month (seriously, they're a beast). I hope to publish every two to three months, but a book a month while working full time at a day job? I think my head would explode.

So, ignore the story and stick to two genres? Or release my creativity and explore multiple genres? An endless dilemma. I don't know. What do you guys think?

New Book, New Genre, Over 1000 Page Views!

Today I am celebrating two successes that I'm very excited about!

First off, I have reached over 1000 page views on this blog, after about a month of having it up! It started off a slow and agonizing process where I was lucky to get 1 page view a day. Then one day it sky rocketed to averaging 30-50 page views a day. I know a lot of blogs get way more than this, but I thought this was definitely an accomplishment worth noting! A big thanks to everyone who has viewed or commented on my blog! I am eternally grateful to all of you for your views and support :)

Secondly, I have announced the release of my new YA series, Fairy Tale Horror. Yup, you heard that right. I'm taking a bunch of classic fairy tales, removing all the lovey-dovey aspects that one associates with a fairy tale, and making them scary. Farewell happily ever after, hello big scary monsters.

My first in this novella series is Kill Me, Red, based on Red Riding Hood. It is also under another name (so as not to totally freak out readers of my other genre). The name is: Kelsey Warren-Bryant. Here's the cover and the description:

Red Riding Hood: A Tale of Horror

When Red's best friend gets dragged into the forest by a giant wolf, she sets out to prove that she didn't imagine it. She doesn't know the source of the mysterious growling outside her window every night. She doesn't know why all evidence of the wolf seems to vanish into thin air.

She doesn't know if she's being hunted.







Kill Me, Red, as well as it's sequel Poseidon's Grave, comes out on October 1 of this year. I had a lot of fun writing it, so hopefully readers will have fun with it too. These are definitely a flip-flop from the book I have coming in September, Lokte. 
That being said, my Christian readers who aren't digging the YA horror don't need to worry. I'll be releasing another Christian Thriller early next year. I'll keep you updated, but if I write the book I'm planning, it should be a lot of fun. It's dark and twisted, but will have a good message, so stay tuned for that.

Again, thanks to everyone who has been supporting me through this. I'm very excited about it all, and I can't wait to share my books with all of you :) Have a blessed day!