REM:
Describe your background to us.
Describe your background to us.
I have
spent the bulk of my adult life working as a book doctor, helping others tell
their stories. It’s been both rewarding and challenging. There is nothing
better than taking the hint of a story and helping someone flush it out, bring
it to its full potential. My own stories have always been there though,
characters knocking at a door in the back of my mind. It was just a matter of
time before they insisted on getting out. Last year I made a decision to give
them a voice. I haven’t looked back. FORSAKEN is the first of many novels to come. My next novel THE FOURTH
MONKEY is set to release in early 2016 and Bram Stoker’s family recently asked
me to co-author a prequel to Dracula using never before seen notes and journals
belonging to Bram.
REM:
Tell us a little bit about your most recent work.
spent the bulk of my adult life working as a book doctor, helping others tell
their stories. It’s been both rewarding and challenging. There is nothing
better than taking the hint of a story and helping someone flush it out, bring
it to its full potential. My own stories have always been there though,
characters knocking at a door in the back of my mind. It was just a matter of
time before they insisted on getting out. Last year I made a decision to give
them a voice. I haven’t looked back. FORSAKEN is the first of many novels to come. My next novel THE FOURTH
MONKEY is set to release in early 2016 and Bram Stoker’s family recently asked
me to co-author a prequel to Dracula using never before seen notes and journals
belonging to Bram.
REM:
Tell us a little bit about your most recent work.
I
was nearly done with the first draft of THE FOURTH MONKEY when I heard I’d be
working on a prequel to DRACULA so even though I knew it would seriously
increase my workload, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. DRACULA was one of
the first really scary books I read as a child and is arguably one of the
greatest horror novels ever written, to be part of that legacy is tremendous.
As a result, I’ve been reading anything I possibly can related to DRACULA and
the life of Bram Stoker.
was nearly done with the first draft of THE FOURTH MONKEY when I heard I’d be
working on a prequel to DRACULA so even though I knew it would seriously
increase my workload, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. DRACULA was one of
the first really scary books I read as a child and is arguably one of the
greatest horror novels ever written, to be part of that legacy is tremendous.
As a result, I’ve been reading anything I possibly can related to DRACULA and
the life of Bram Stoker.
REM:
Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration comes from
many places. I subscribe to the “what if” theory. You can take any situation,
add a “what if” and it will lead your imagination somewhere. For instance, you
order a cup of tea at a restaurant – what if the waitress drops off the cup and
it doesn’t contain tea but is full of _______ instead? What if you look up and
find everyone in the restaurant watching you? What if you look out the window
and people have stopped on the street to watch you? What if cars have stopped?
What if you glance up at a television and the newscaster has your picture on
the side of the screen and is saying something like, “it’s been delivered and
all eyes are on….” What if there is a timer ticking away at the bottom of the
screen: 5, 4, 3, 2…?
many places. I subscribe to the “what if” theory. You can take any situation,
add a “what if” and it will lead your imagination somewhere. For instance, you
order a cup of tea at a restaurant – what if the waitress drops off the cup and
it doesn’t contain tea but is full of _______ instead? What if you look up and
find everyone in the restaurant watching you? What if you look out the window
and people have stopped on the street to watch you? What if cars have stopped?
What if you glance up at a television and the newscaster has your picture on
the side of the screen and is saying something like, “it’s been delivered and
all eyes are on….” What if there is a timer ticking away at the bottom of the
screen: 5, 4, 3, 2…?
Stories surround every
moment of our daily lives. With a little twist, even the most mundane can go
somewhere.
moment of our daily lives. With a little twist, even the most mundane can go
somewhere.
Hmm. Now I’m thirsty.
REM:
What are you up to when you're not writing?
My
wife and I love to travel. We recently journeyed to Belize and Costa Rica. In a
few weeks we’ll be heading to London and Dublin for research. As a writer, I
spend most of my time locked in a small room with nothing but my imagination
and a Macbook. It’s nice to get out and experience all the things happening in
the world beyond the Starbucks on the corner.
wife and I love to travel. We recently journeyed to Belize and Costa Rica. In a
few weeks we’ll be heading to London and Dublin for research. As a writer, I
spend most of my time locked in a small room with nothing but my imagination
and a Macbook. It’s nice to get out and experience all the things happening in
the world beyond the Starbucks on the corner.
