If my ongoing attempt at click-bait headlines doesn’t excite you, then maybe today’s guest will! Lex H. Jones has the distinction of appearing alongside myself in more anthologies than any other author. Think we’re at seven or eight currently! What that goes to show you is that somehow I’ve managed to sneak into some of these books featuring some amazing talent – one of which is LEX!

I’m a huge fan of his work, so I’m truly excited to welcome Lex as today’s 3Q’s guest!

Welcome!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try to write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Lex: You know it’s funny, I’ve been all over the place with this kind of thing. At one point I had a routine, then that didn’t work for me anymore due to life changes, then I formed a new routine, then had a period of just doing what I could fit in whenever the mood struck me. Then I had a period of quite severe illness earlier this year, which made writing of any kind off the table for a long time (nerve damage in my skull, made laptop usage extremely difficult). So now that’s, thankfully, behind me, I have started a new routine of aiming for at least 2 pages per day, and then just carrying on past this point if I feel like it/have time to do so.

Steve: If you could write a story for another author’s fictional world/series, which would it be and why?

Lex: Oooh, that’s an interesting one. I think I veer between Masters of The Universe (which was my first real fictional love) and Batman. Both of those are worlds where I feel I could do something different, write something that hasn’t been done before, and where I have enough personal love and reverence for them that I wouldn’t mess it up. This may be a controversial point these days, but I personally feel that anybody taking on an existing franchise (be it films, TV, comic books etc) ought to really love and care about the thing they’re now continuing. That doesn’t mean it should all be “safe” fan-service with no risks or chances taken, but I don’t like the “screw what’s come before” approach that some seem to delight in taking. People loved these things for a reason, these franchises that you’re now being paid to write for still exist for that same reason, so have a little respect, please. So yeah, I definitely think the kingdoms of Gotham or Eternia are lands I’d like to explore and try something a little different in, but whilst still paying respect to what people love about them.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Lex: My most recent release is a collection of short ghost stories called Whistling Past The Graveyard, which was released last year. I haven’t had anything new this year due to the aforementioned health concerns, but hoping to get some stuff done this year which may see the light of day next year. Whistling was something of a labour of love, because I love writing short ghost stories. The ability to dip into a world for just long enough to witness whatever oddness the protagonist is experiencing, and then leaving with the reader (hopefully) wishing they could stay a bit longer, is a joy to me. The style I go for is a bit old-school, subtle horror. So if you like the kind of ghost story that you’d read round a campfire, or by the fireplace on a winter’s night, then this book is for you. I remember you giving it a very lovely review, Steve, so thank you for that.

Steve: Bonus Question! Do you have a cherished book?

Lex: A Christmas Carol. I have a copy from 1923, which I read every Christmas Eve. I think it’s not only the greatest ghost story ever written, but the greatest story of any kind. It balances the dark and the light, the gloom and the hope, the despair and the joy so perfectly. Even if you think that seeing the film adaptations is enough, I still implore you to read the book because it’s so wonderful. A couple of Christmases back, I arranged for myself and some other authors to do live readings of one chapter each, which was really fun.

Outstanding! How very, very cool!

Thank you so much, Lex!

To discover more of his work – please do check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lex-H-Jones/e/B008HSH9BA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexHJones