Today's Authtoberfest featured author is HEATH STALLCUP

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Heath says: Mark Tufo, Ted Nulty and John O’Brien.
Mark would keep us laughing while we decimated the dead. John is ex-military as is Ted, but Ted also has police training. It’s all about survival.



2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
Heath says: Probably Stephen King. Once I saved him I would constantly remind him that he owes me a life debt and my book sales were seriously lagging. ;-)



3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Heath says: Brad Thor. I’ve been going through a lot of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor and Tom Clancy lately. I call it research…



4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Heath says: A million times? I was going to say that it hasn’t been written yet, but that isn’t true. Probably the ONLY book I could read over and over with and not get ‘bored’ would have to be the Bible. Whether reading for pleasure or study, there’s always something new that jumps out at me.



5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Heath says: Hmm…now that’s a tough one. I want to say Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy. It’s the first one to pop to mind when I think about it.



6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Heath says: Again, a tough one. I’d have to say it’s a toss up between Ted Bell’s TSAR and John O’Brien’s A New World: Taken.



7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Heath says: Just one?? Aww man…I would have to say flying. The idea of just flying wherever I want at any given time? No stopping for gas? Awesome!



8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Heath says: I won’t say that it’s my favorite place, but it’s really the ONLY place…the dining table.
I started the Monster Squad at this table and although we moved and I thought I could convert the den into an office and have a bit of privacy to actually sit and do my thing, my youngest son had other ideas. He decided he didn’t like the idea of ‘moving out’ for college. He shoved a futon in the den and took it over as a bedroom.



9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book Caldera.
Heath says: Ooh, that’s tough. To be honest, I didn’t care for the story at all, but my wife loved it. She is the reason I decided to write a sequel. However, if I had to choose one scene, it would probably be when the infected are reacting to the sonic pacifier. The survivors who initially spot them think it’s over until they realize that they aren’t attacking.



10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Heath says: I wish I could say Mitch was most like me, but I think Hatcher has more of my qualities rolled into him. He’s just an average guy that’s trying to make sense of the world going to heck around him.



11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Heath says:Van Halen collection, Enya, Epic Movie Music, Boston’s Greatest Hits and Fever Ray. That’s just a few of the sounds I use to put me in the mood.



12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Heath says: Write what interests you.
Seriously, if you try to ‘write to the crowds’ you will never be happy with what you create. If you write for yourself, others will pick up on it and enjoy the story more. I believe that readers cover a wide gambit of subject matter. While they may be a ‘zombie’ reader, they also dig military stories. Which crosses over with political thrillers. Which can cross with historical romance. Which can cross with… You see, a good story has a touch of everything. A little humor, a little romance, action, trepidation, you name it. By introducing new characters from different backgrounds, you find a way to connect with readers with varying experiences. Just stay true to your vision and they will come.

Get your copy of Caldera

Connect with Heath!

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Twitter @HeathStallcup

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(Heath suspiciously resembles a bulldog...)

About the author:

Heath Stallcup was born in Salinas, California and relocated to Tupelo, Oklahoma in his tween years. He joined the US Navy and was stationed in Charleston, SC and Bangor, WA shortly after junior college. After his second tour he attended East Central University where he obtained BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry. He then served ten years with the State of Oklahoma as a Compliance and Enforcement Officer while moonlighting nights and weekends with his local Sheriff's Office. He still lives in the small township of Tupelo, Oklahoma with his wife and three of his seven children. He steals time to write between household duties, going to ballgames, being a grandfather to five and being the pet of numerous animals that have taken over his home. Visit him on Facebook.com or heathstallcup.com for news of his upcoming releases.

Today's Authtoberfest featured author is Harlow C. Fallon!

1. It’s Halloween, pick 3 of your favorite writers to paint the town red with and tell us why you chose them.
Harlow says: Well, it being Halloween and all, I’d have to go with three authors who know how to do horror and do it well. So I’d pick Josh Malerman first. His book Bird Box scared the daylight out of me (and I’m not easily shaken). Then I’d have to invite Clive Barker, who wrote one of my all-time favorite books, Imajica. Although not classified as horror, it does contain a healthy dose. And then I’d have to invite Chris Pourteau, who’s put out a couple of books (one published, one soon-to-be-published, which I had the privilege of beta reading) in the Apocalypse Weird universe. The Serenity Strain really gets you in the gut, and his upcoming sequel, Ironheart, gives it a good, hard twist. I think we’d paint the town “read” with this crew!
Meredith Says: Great choices and I love Josh Malerman! Stay tuned for his interview on Oct 31st!


2. You’re ready to head out with your pillowcase to collect loads of confections on All Hallows’ Eve, what’s your costume and why did you choose it?
Harlow says: I’d dress up as one of the Weeping Angels from the Dr. Who episode “Blink.” I mean, what’s more horrifying than opening your door to hand out candy and finding yourself staring into the eyes of a freaky angel statue? And if you blink? It’s over. I take all your candy.



3. Old Mrs. Robinson opens her door and you’re holding open your pillowcase patiently waiting. “Oh deary,” she says in her frail, little old-lady voice. “I forgot it was Halloween. Don’t know why you kids go begging anyways. Let me go find something to give you.” She shuffles off and finally returns three and a half minutes later with 5 pennies, 2 peppermint candies that look like they went through the dryer, and her deceased husbands dentures. “Take what you like,” she offers, squinting at you.
What do you choose and why.
Harlow says: Oh, definitely the dentures. I’d wear them around my neck. Everybody would leave me alone and I’d get tons of writing done.



4. I really love reading Dean Koontz but some of his stuff scares the bejesus out of me. What’s the spookiest book you’ve ever read?
Harlow says: I like Dean Koontz too. Especially the Odd Thomas series. But truth be told, I’m not a big fan of the horror genre. Or, let’s say I’m kind of picky. I remember reading The Amityville Horror when I was a teen and I had a hard time sleeping at night for quite a while afterward. More recently, however, I’d have to say Bird Box by Josh Malerman really made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.



5. You’re a writer by day and supernatural creature by night. (Shed that human skin you sack of bones) What are you and why?
Harlow says: I don’t even have to think about that one. I’d be a vampire, no question. I’ve always had a love for vampire movies and books. (not the sparkly kind, although I make room for them too.). Vampires are powerful, silent, stealthy, and yeah, kinda sexy. There’s something about a vampire that gives me a chill and a thrill at the same time.



6. Every author has a bookshelf filled with his or her favorite reads. Run on over to yours and tell us some of the scariest books you have.
Harlow says: Wow, Josh Malerman is getting a lot of mentions in this interview. But I’d definitely have to include his book. I’ve been trying to catch up on all the books in the Apocalypse Weird series, and besides the two I mentioned by Chris Pourteau, Eric Tozzi’s Phoenix Lights, Elena E. Georgi’s Immunity, and Reversal, by Jennifer Ellis are all books that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Another one on my shelf that’s pretty scary is Roadside Picnic, by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. Next to that are some old favorites: Stephen King’s The Stand, and Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man. Peter Cline’s 14 has a good creep factor. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Edgar Allan Poe. I have a collection of his deliciously creepy short stories and poetry. There are some others, but those are probably the scariest ones.



7. We don’t all write horror but there comes a time when you’ve got to surprise your readers and make sure their hearts are still beating. How do you prepare yourself to get in the spooky writing mood?
Harlow says: First I’d put on some dark, spine-chilling music, and maybe watch a scary movie for the mood. There would be popcorn. Maybe some chocolate. A craft beer or two. That would get me going, unless I got a stomach ache.



8. Stephen King’s front porch light is on but there are no Halloween decorations.
Do you:
a) trick-or-treat and cross your fingers that he’s handing out the good stuff
b) run screaming
c) call your mom to bring your favorite King paperback and beg for an autograph
Harlow says: Definitely C. I don’t care about the treats. I want the autographs.



9. Congratulations, you just won the literary lottery and sold a million books at full price! The royalty check clears on October 28th. What are you buying for the neighborhood kids?
a) an assortment of mini candybars
b) an assortment of cheap, hard candies
c) full size Hershey bars
Harlow says: Can there be a D option? How about something healthy, like mini-bags of kale chips? No? You’re shaking your head no. Okay, then. I’ll go with A. Of course, not getting paid until October 28th means there won’t be much of a candy selection left. Sorry, kids.



10. Your writer friend calls you with some frightening news. They’re giving up on writing, can’t take the pressure any longer. What do you tell them?
Harlow says: I’d probably tell them to stop writing for others, and start writing for themselves. When I write under the thumb of deadlines and reader demands (I wish) I find it takes a lot of the fun out of writing. The pressure seems to squeeze out all my creativity. But when I separate myself from that, and start writing something that gives me enjoyment, the fun returns. Write for yourself. If you like it, if you’ve found pleasure in what you’re writing, you’re going to be okay. Don’t worry about others. It may seem selfish, but in the end, you’ll be more productive.

Connect with Harlow!

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Harlow C. Fallon grew up in a home where reading was always encouraged. With an artist father and a librarian mother, Harlow's love of literature and art blossomed and flourished. She cut her teeth on the complex fantasy worlds of The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan, and later fed her imagination a steady diet of Edgar Allan Poe, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury and Frank Herbert.

Today, her imagination continues to thrive. She channels her energies into writing, fueled by the curiosities of the world and the mysteries of the universe. Science fiction and fantasy are her genres of choice.

Harlow and her husband have five grown children, and have made Michigan their home for the past fifteen years.

Today's Authtoberfest featured author is THE BEHRG

The Behrg and me were supposed to meet up at the Hotel California. I got a bad vibe and changed it to Starbucks last minute. The hipsters were a little unnerved watching me interview a shadow. Let's see what The Behrg had to say about reading, writing and zombies!

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
The Behrg says:
A. David Wong, author of John Dies at the End, because even if he’s not helpful we’d have a great time.
B. Stephen King, who would probably be yawning through the experience, thinking “I always thought this would be worse …”
C. And Fiona Quinn, because if she kicks butt half as much as her heroine does, we’d have nothing to worry about. Plus, why would only male authors get to have all the fun?
Meredith says: I love the Stephen king yawning part! And Fiona Quinn - have you seen her videos where she breaks shit? I think she could handle herself well during the zombie apocalypse.
The Behrg says: I think Fiona Quinn could seriously handle the zombie apocalypse on her own, considering all the research she does for her blog! World War Z against Fiona; my money's on Fiona.


2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
The Behrg says: Against my better judgement (and personal preference) I would have to save J.K. Rowling. My kids would kill me if they knew I let her drown. (Sorry, Stephen).
Meredith says: The things we do for our children.
The Behrg says: I'm already holding this hypothetical situation against them!!


3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
The Behrg says: I have ADHD when it comes to reading and am always rotating between five to six books. I just finished The Fold by Peter Clines, which I thought was brilliant. My current list of books that I’m in the process of reading include:
- Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
- Ant Farm by James Jackson (fellow Kindle Scout winner)
- Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn
- The Dark Man by Desmond Doane (another Kindle Scout winner)
Meredith says: Oh hey! Andy Weir said THE FOLD was his best read of the year so far. What do you think of it?
The Behrg says: One of the most intriguing characters I've read in a long time set in a sci-fi novel that's really more mystery than anything. And the ending reminded me of one of my favorite recent movies, Cabin in the Woods, where in the 3rd act everything goes poetically (but justifiably) insane! I devoured it, and that says a lot.


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
The Behrg says: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Something about it that makes it so universal to both youth and adults.



5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
The Behrg says: So many to choose from …… Black Fridays by Michael Sears was a pleasant surprise last year. Legion, a novella by Brandon Sanderson, I also found compellingly original.



6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
The Behrg says: Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts. The execution of this novel was flawless.



7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
The Behrg says: The power to turn negative thought into a sappy CareBear-esque flood of positivity.
Meredith says: That is the perfect super power for a writer! I want it.



8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
The Behrg says: I prefer writing in restaurants or coffee shops where there’s enough ambient noise to drown out my own internal editor who tends to shout quite often as I write. I swear that guy must have Tourette’s.



9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book HOUSEBROKEN.
The Behrg says: One of my favorite scenes in the book is when we first get to look through the son, Adam’s eyes. Here his family is being held hostage in their own home by these psychopaths, but we haven’t yet gotten to see how this young teenager is responding to everything. In just a page and half, I think, we get a glimpse into the workings of his mind and learn that the son is as psychotic as the men who are holding the family hostage.
This scene took me completely by surprise. I had no intentions when I began writing to make Adam into this troubled teen, but as soon as I got behind his head he demanded to be heard. It was a phenomenal lesson for me in learning that characters really do have their own voices and demands.



10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
The Behrg says: I grew up as a working actor and now write to slip into the mindset of someone completely different from me. I’m drawn to fatally flawed characters when it comes to literature – or movies, for that matter. Thankfully, at least for my wife’s sake, I don’t resemble any of the characters in Housebroken (or at least I hope not).
Meredith says:


11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.1
The Behrg says: I’ve tried writing to music, but as a guitarist and musician I find myself completely distracted. Even classical music or soundtracks keep me from focusing. That’s one thing I wish I had the ability to do.



12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
The Behrg says: Don’t be afraid to fail. Take chances and respect your audience by challenging them. And if you’re going to tell a story that’s been done before, find a way to bring a new angle to it. Originality is king in a world filled with noise.

Get your copy of HOUSEBROKEN

Get your copy of The Behrg's new series – The Creation

Connect with The Behrg

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(This is The Behrg. He may or may not be human, an alien, a ghost, an empty soul... or all of the above)

____________________________________________________

Author Bio:

My writing career began in the fourth grade when tasked with an assignment to write about rain. I opted to tell the story of a raindrop who decided life wasn't worth living and leapt to his death only to discover that really he was being reborn. (You know that whole life-cycle thing).

Yeah, I was a little twisted even back then. Thankfully my teacher encouraged my writing rather than send me for a psych evaluation... (that came later).

I was a child actor and starred in recurring roles in Dynasty and Highway to Heaven, and was even in an episode of The Twilight Zone. I dropped out of college to join a rockband, was kicked out of the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland for lobbing rocks onto toy houses, and I have a grave in my backya ... oh wait, this is a BIO not a CONFESSIONAL.

Bottom line: I love to write. And thankfully, my family puts up with it. The very act of creating something that might be slightly askew keeps me going. I'm drawn to dark fiction where I find an appreciation for the light. Horror, thrillers, suspense. Things that make you question your own reality or open your mind to look at the world a little differently than you might have before.

I'm grateful to all those who give an independent author like myself a chance. For more about me, my works, (my rants), and my upcoming projects, please stop by www.thebehrg.com.
I promise I don't bite. (See, there's a reason they keep me muzzled).

Today's Authtoberfest featured author is JON FRATER

1. It’s Halloween, pick 3 of your favorite writers to paint the town red with and tell us why you chose them.
Jon says: Daniel Arthur Smith and Stefan Boltz are both NY writers who I've come to respect and like a great deal. I missed a chance to hang out with them some time ago and am hoping we can fix that at some point. I think that Neil Gaiman would make an interesting add to the NYC Halloween experience.



2. You’re ready to head out with your pillowcase to collect loads of confections on All Hallows’ Eve, what’s your costume and why did you choose it?
Jon says: Phil Coulson from SHIELD. My wife tells me I sort of look like him, and in a real sense, Coulson held the first phase of the MCU together.



3. Old Mrs. Robinson opens her door and you’re holding open your pillowcase patiently waiting. “Oh deary,” she says in her frail, little old-lady voice. “I forgot it was Halloween. Don’t know why you kids go begging anyways. Let me go find something to give you.” She shuffles off and finally returns three and a half minutes later with 5 pennies, 2 peppermint candies that look like they went through the dryer, and her deceased husbands dentures. “Take what you like,” she offers, squinting at you.
What do you choose and why.
Jon says: I take the pennies, arrange them artistically,frame them and put a placard under the frame that says "NICKEL BUILDING KIT." I think it's all about presentation.



4. I really love reading Dean Koontz but some of his stuff scares the bejesus out of me. What’s the spookiest book you’ve ever read?
Jon says: IT by Stephen King, scared me silly when I first read it 20+ years ago. The story is about violence, and specifically deals with bullying. I had lots of memories of being bullied as a kid and never properly dealt with them. King helped me do that.



5. You’re a writer by day and supernatural creature by night. (Shed that human skin you sack of bones) What are you and why?
Jon says: Werewolves rock. Next question.



6. Every author has a bookshelf filled with his or her favorite reads. Run on over to yours and tell us the scariest book you have.
Jon says: Well, IT, by King, as I said, and What Dreams Will Come, by Richard Matheson. Matheson's afterword said that the story and characters were fictitious but the events were not. The idea that we really do drag our bad decisions with us into an afterlife should scare anyone.



7. We don’t all write horror but there comes a time when you’ve got to surprise your readers and make sure their hearts are still beating. How do you prepare yourself to get in the spooky writing mood?
Jon says: I go back to Clive Barker's Tapping the Vein series of graphic novels. Brilliant, creepy story telling.



8. Stephen King’s front porch light is on but there are no Halloween decorations.
Do you:
a) trick-or-treat and cross your fingers that he’s handing out the good stuff
b) run screaming
c) call your mom to bring your favorite King paperback and beg for an autograph
Jon says: I've seen King's house. It is surrounded by a cast iron grate that's guarded by a three headed dragon. If that's closed, they're not taking requests. If it's open, I'd bluster through it, ring the doorbell, hold out a bag, and see what happens.



9. Congratulations, you just won the literary lottery and sold a million books at full price! The royalty check clears on October 28th. What are you buying for the neighborhood kids?
a) an assortment of mini candybars
b) an assortment of cheap, hard candies
c) full size Hershey bars
Jon says: Full size Hershey bars, of course. Good fortune needs to be shared.



10. Your writer friend calls you with some frightening news. They’re giving up on writing, can’t take the pressure any longer. What do you tell them?
Jon says: If they can't take the pressure, then they're giving up on publishing, not writing. These days, with the growing indy author crowd, all the pressure is self-imposed. That bears repeating every now and then.

Connect with Jon!

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Twitter @Jon_Frater

Website

Goodreads

Amazon author page

About Jon:

A gaming industry stalwart dating back to the 1980s, Jonathan Frater is the co-author of roleplaying game books Robotech: Return of the Masters, and Robotech Adventures: Lancer's Rockers, both for Palladium Books. Jonathan also wrote a column on writing and game design called The Tome in Gateways magazine. He's currently a librarian at Metropolitan College of New York. Article 9, the first in his ambitious Blockade Trilogy, is Jonathan's first full-length novel.

Today's Authoberfest featured author is JAMES KNAPP

James is a Philip K Dick Award Finalist, his novel 'State of Decay' won the Compton Crook Award and his work will be featured in the upcoming 'The Doomsday Chronicles.' 

Let's see what James had to say about reading, writing and zombies!

1. It’s Halloween, pick 3 of your favorite writers to paint the town red with and tell us why you chose them.
James says: I'd pick Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen King, and, since it's Halloween, the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe. I'd pick Paolo because he is very nice, draws large crowds, and would probably put up with my constant ordering of candy corn shooters. I'd pick Stephen King because Stephen King. Finally, I'd pick the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe so that when I invariably need a break from the crowd we can hang out in a booth in the back of the place and talk shop (I am the only one who can see and hear Poe in this scenario), then later I can freak him out by watching Saw with him on my phone.



2. You’re ready to head out with your pillowcase to collect loads of confections on All Hallows’ Eve, what’s your costume and why did you choose it?
James says: I would dress as a Terminator, for a couple of reasons. One, as an 'intact' Terminator my costume would be relatively cheap. Two, it would give me an opportunity to flex my horrible Austrian accent for the night, something which everyone knows never ever gets old, and Three (and most importantly) I saw an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer a long time ago where some sort of supernatural tomfoolery caused everyone to literally become whatever they were dressed as on Halloween, and on the off, off, off chance that actually happens I'd love to be a Terminator.



3. Old Mrs. Robinson opens her door and you’re holding open your pillowcase patiently waiting. “Oh deary,” she says in her frail, little old-lady voice. “I forgot it was Halloween. Don’t know why you kids go begging anyways. Let me go find something to give you.” She shuffles off and finally returns three and a half minutes later with 5 pennies, 2 peppermint candies that look like they went through the dryer, and her deceased husbands dentures. “Take what you like,” she offers, squinting at you.
What do you choose and why.
James says: This is a classic trap - Old Mrs. Robinson is clearly a witch of some sort and is trying to pawn off 'Needful Things' style cursed objects to me. Assuming that the pennies are cursed to offer *bad* luck to whoever picks them up, the peppermint candies are cursed so that when sucked they actually coat your tongue with wintermint flavor, and the dentures are cursed so that while the wearer will always know 'just what to say' in any given situation, 'just what to say' in this case will invariably be something horribly racist and/or misogynistic. I would therefore pick the pennies, since I think pennies now officially cost more to mint than they are worth - it is far less likely anyone will bother to pick them up and get cursed, especially once I toss them into the same plastic bin where I discard our cats' used litter.



4. I really love reading Dean Koontz but some of his stuff scares the bejesus out of me. What’s the spookiest book you’ve ever read?
James says: This is a short story and not a book, but I have to pick it because it is one of the creepiest things I've ever read; Born of Man and Woman, by Richard Matheson. Double-U, Tee, Eff?



5. You’re a writer by day and supernatural creature by night. (Shed that human skin you sack of bones) What are you and why?
James says: I actually have to buck the trend, here (something I very rarely do, I assure you) - I write almost exclusively at night, and transform into a Werecoder during the day. My curse isn't as bad as you might think...at night I appear as a Fabio-esque hunk who has the pecs and abs of a young Brad Pitt, the hair of Brad Pitt, and the confident swagger of Brad Pitt...during the day I'm actually still a lot like that, except with the pecs and abs of Ron Swanson, the hair of Jason Statham, and the confident swagger of Brad Pitt (just not nearly as effective). My transformation occurs when the sun comes up, usually in the shower, and involves a certain amount of swelling and hair-graying.



6. Every author has a bookshelf filled with his or her favorite reads. Run on over to yours and tell us the scariest book you have.
James says: Honestly? Down on the bottom shelf, all the way to the left, are some old yearbooks of mine. Scarier than Saw.



7. We don’t all write horror but there comes a time when you’ve got to surprise your readers and make sure their hearts are still beating. How do you prepare yourself to get in the spooky writing mood?
James says: Sadly I don't have to - readers too often seem to find even my comedy dark...



8. Stephen King’s front porch light is on but there are no Halloween decorations.
Do you:
a) trick-or-treat and cross your fingers that he’s handing out the good stuff
b) run screaming
c) call your mom to bring your favorite King paperback and beg for an autograph
James says: Well...in my scenario, Stephen King is already with me, Paolo, and the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe and King already thinks it's kind of weird that I insisted on going to his house to trick or treat when we all know he isn't there, but after he goes around the back and opens the front door to humor me I then run screaming just to mess with him (and to make Edgar Allen Poe laugh because, let's face it, he's still kind of messed up from watching 'Saw' on a phone).



9. Congratulations, you just won the literary lottery and sold a million books at full price! The royalty check clears on October 28th. What are you buying for the neighborhood kids?
a) an assortment of mini candybars
b) an assortment of cheap, hard candies
c) full size Hershey bars
James says: I'm sorry, but in this scenario I am far too drunk and (with the exception of my monocle and top hat) far too naked to hand out treats to children.



10. Your writer friend calls you with some frightening news. They’re giving up on writing, can’t take the pressure any longer. What do you tell them?
James says: Remind them that, no matter how discouraging the business end of it may be, they love to write almost as much as they love candy corn shooters - never give up...everything worth doing is hard, that's why it's hard. If it's what you love, then never stop writing.

Connect with James!

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Buy his books at his Amazon Author Page

About the author

James Knapp was born in New Hampshire in 1970, and has lived in the New England area since that time. He developed a love of reading and writing early on, participating in young author competitions as early as grade school, but the later discovery of works by Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov turned that love to an obsession.

He wrote continuously through high school, college and beyond, eventually breaking into the field with the publication of the Revivors trilogy (State of Decay, The Silent Army, and Element Zero). State of Decay was a Philip K. Dick award nominee, and won the 2010 Compton Crook Award. Ember, The Burn Zone, and Fallout were all written under the name James K. Decker.

He now lives in MA with his wife Kim.

Please Welcome Isaac Marion author of WARM BODIES

Way back in 2013, I read WARM BODIES. It made me laugh out loud, it made me a little sad and it made my heart go pitter patter. Since then R's deepest thoughts have stuck with me and made me smile. So when the super awesome Isaac Marion said, "Heck yeah," to an interview, I was super pumped!

Let's see what Isaac had to say about reading, writing & Zombies!

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Isaac Says: Cormac McCarthy because he probably knows about guns and he could intone bleak poems about our misery while we sit around the campfire. Miranda July because she could pacify the zombies with whimsical bittersweetness. Joseph Aguilar because he’s an old friend and I don’t want to spend the apocalypse hanging out with a bunch of creepy celebrities I’ve never met before.




2. I tend to write about my fears, and one of those fears is losing authors whose books I love. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first?
Isaac Says:  Stephen King, because I owe a good sized portion of my creative identity to him and he’s already had one brush with death; seems unfair for him to drown a few years later.




3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Isaac Says:  Currently in the middle of the above-mentioned Joseph Aguilar’s book of poetry and flash fiction, Half Out Where. Also Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Isaac Asimov’s The End of Eternity.




4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Isaac Says:  There is definitely no such book. I have a restless mind. There are maybe four or five books I’ve read twice, but that’s as far as I can go. The one that seems the most inviting to reread is probably Everything Matters by Ron Currie Jr.




5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Isaac Says:  Since you said this same thing in your interview with Andy Weir, I half expected you to tell me your favorite was Warm Bodies but it seems you’re speaking from the heart! Well, 2014 feels so achingly far away so I don’t know if I can even remember which books I read that particular year...I may be forgetting other favorites but Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse, springs to mind.
Meredith says: My favorite read from 2013 was "Warm Bodies." This blog held a placeholder for my Goodreads review of "Warm Bodies" in the top right-hand corner for almost 3 years :) I wish I had a screen shot to prove my love and dedication.

6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Isaac Says:  Now this is easier. I don’t even know if this counts as a “book” but I read the complete works of H.P Lovecraft (I may have skipped one or two less essential tales) and it sent my mind screaming into an illimitable void of nameless gibbering horrors!




7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Isaac Says:  Immutability. My body can never be affected or altered by anything. This makes me invulnerable to everything: physical injury, disease, age, hunger, thirst--immortal and entirely self-sufficient. In this state I’d be able to explore every inch of the world and every activity in human life without any fear or urgency.




8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Isaac Says:  I do almost all of my writing at local coffee shops. I spend enough time home alone already; if I made it my workplace too, I’d go crazy. But I do tend to do my editing at home, since I’m more easily distracted while editing, and I do most of that on my back yard deck overlooking downtown Seattle.




9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from one of your books.
Isaac Says:  I’m probably biased by their freshness but my favorite scenes are definitely in my upcoming Warm Bodies novel, The Living. But since I can’t talk about those yet, I’d have to say it’s a scene in my short story “Jerry Lives Forever” (published in Tethered by Letters issue #7) when Jerry lives through the expansion of the sun and subsequent collapse of the universe. I really enjoy going all the way out there.




10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Isaac Says:  Sometimes in short stories I don’t make much effort to separate the narrator from myself, but in any of my novels, it’s never me. I guess R from Warm Bodies comes the closest, but he’s just one slice of my personality, or maybe my personality at a certain era in my life, long ago. Combine R with Perry and you come a little closer.




11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Isaac Says: My writing music is very different from what I’d listen to for pleasure. It has to be instrumental with fairly flat dynamics--no vocals and no big shifts in mood or intensity because that will throw me out of my head space. I have a playlist with a bunch of different songs for different moods, and I play whichever one matches the mood of the scene I’m trying to write--sad, bittersweet, triumphant, creepy, etc. A few that I come back to often are “Villa del Refugio” by This Will Destroy You, “Prospectors Arrive” by Jonny Greenwood, “Bookstore” by Jon Brion, “Lamb’s Breath” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and “An Ending (Ascent)” by Briaan Eno.
Meredith says: I think "Lamb's Breath" is going to give me nightmares, I could only listen to a tiny bit of that.



12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Isaac Says:  Don’t write “for an audience.” That leads to safe, impersonal, formulaic pandering. Don’t write “for yourself.” That leads to masturbatory noise that does nothing for anyone but you. Write to communicate. Write to connect to other minds and share something.

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About this author

Isaac Marion is a young hermit living in Seattle with his beard and his cat, starving, hysterical, naked. His first novel, WARM BODIES, was adapted into a film in 2013. A prequel novella, THE NEW HUNGER, will be released some time in 2015, and he is currently working on an absurdly ambitious concluding volume, which will hopefully be released late 2015 or early 2016. And he will let you in on a little secret: no one wrote this bio about him. He is writing it in third person, pretending to be some raving publicist or besotted fan for some reason of ancient and baffling literary convention. He is me. Hello, I'm Isaac, hello.

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