1. It’s Halloween, pick 3 of your favorite writers to paint the town red with and tell us why you chose them.
Jeff Says: Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book is probably my favorite Halloween book. Spooky but not terrifying, full of ghosts and ghouls, and a fun and easy read.
Stephen King: The master, obviously. You really can't go wrong with his stuff.
Gris Grimly: Okay, so he's an artist. But his illustrated Frankenstein is an amazing Halloween read.
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?
Jeff Says: Vash the Stampede, from the anime Trigun. Such a great character. Such a cool costume. Someday I'll actually make one.
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.
Jeff Says: The pennies. There's nothing quite like snapping them at your friends all unexpected-like.
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?
Jeff Says: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. Couldn't finish it. Supernatural horror I can handle, but the real stuff---where the situations are completely realistic and the horror comes from the depravity of unhinged human minds---is positively gutwrenching.
Meredith says: I read it, was thoroughly disturbed.
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?
Jeff Says: I suppose I'd be a troll---the old Norse kind. I think living in the mountains, rumbling around them at night, and then sleeping inside them during the day sounds like a pretty nice existence.
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.
Jeff Says: Full Dark, No Stars again. Someday I'll go back and finish it.
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?
Jeff Says:The first paragraph. Horror is all about voice and atmosphere to me. Once I've set it, the rest flows naturally.
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
Jeff Says: a) I wouldn't like to bother him, but I'd still knock on his door if I had a decent excuse to. Besides, I'd like to know how he approaches Halloween.
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
Jeff Says: c) There was a dentist in my neighborhood growing up who gave out full-size candy bars (suspicious, now that I think about it...). That feeling of hitting the jackpot is one I'd love to pass on.
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?
Jeff Says: Call it a break. It's important to take care of yourself and set a pace you can handle, but there's no reason to say you're giving up forever. Forever is a long time.
Connect with Jeff!
Author, writer, and editor Jeff Seymour has been creating speculative fiction since he was a teenager. He is the author of the magical realist short story collection Three Dances and the epic fantasy series Soulwoven, which has netted him over a million reads and 14,000 followers online. Jeff has also edited sci-fi and fantasy on a freelance basis for clients including Harlequin's digital-first imprint Carina Press and the Nelson Literary Agency Digital Liaison Platform. In his free time, he blogs about his writing and editing, pretends he knows anything about raising an energetic kitten, and dreams.
