Another blast-o-rama today with fellow Canuck Chris Carolan joining me on this ridiculous adventure!

I connected with Chris a while back and funny enough, for some reason, I always thought he lived on the East Coast of Canada. Nope, turns out, he’s down in Calgary, just three hours from me. Good grief. One of these days I’ll need to arrange a get together for the Calgary and Edmonton and surrounding areas writers to meet up!

Please, do welcome Chris!

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

Chris: I wish I could say I write every day, but to be honest I’m lucky if I get time to write once a week lately. My day job has me on a very erratic schedule right now, I just wrapped up a marketing certificate program which soaked up a lot of hours, and I’ve got a two-year-old at home. My writing is done in stolen moments like lunch breaks, nap time, and those rare and random evenings when I’ve got a bit of steam left at the end of the day.

I don’t have a word count in mind when I sit down, as such, but I’m writing my current project by hand and aim for seven to ten pages of handscript in a sitting. I think that usually ends up somewhere around 1500 words, give or take. Writing by hand has really been a boon to my productivity. When I’m writing on a computer, I find I’m very inclined to edit and polish every sentence of that first draft as I go, and it really slows things down. But when you’re writing by hand the ink on the page is the ink on the page. You have to move on and – to borrow a line from my pals in the film industry – “fix it in post.” I just have to hope I can actually read my own writing when it comes time to transcribe.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Chris: Heck, I want to say I’d share it with the world, but let’s be honest… I have enough trouble getting people to read the books I love that are already in print!

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

Chris: By the time this is posted my short story ‘The Envoy’s Blessing’ should be out in the world. You’ll find it in Terrace V: Penitent’s Gold, edited by Sarah L. Pratt and Rob Bose at The Seventh Terrace. It’s the second anthology of theirs I’ve been a part of, the first being Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Coffin Hop Press, 2018). They’re great folks to work with. ‘The Envoy’s Blessing’ is sort of my first stab at a cosmic horror story, or at least that’s what I was going for. It’s set in the same world as my novel The Nightshade Cabal, but at the opposite end of the country with totally different characters. The protagonist, Nathaniel Garaven, is an American Civil War veteran who has spent the last fifteen years traveling the continent searching for the root of evil in the world, the corruptive influence that compels men to commit atrocities upon one another. It’s very much its own thing; you don’t need to have read my novel to understand this story. I’ll definitely be writing about Garaven again, and I kind of grossed myself out writing one particularly gnarly scene in this piece!

Upcoming Releases

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?

Chris: My greatest nemesis in life seems to be time itself, in that there simply aren’t enough hours in a day nor days in each week. My power would be the ability to slow or suspend time just to give me a chance to get caught up on… well, everything. I’ll borrow a superhero name from one of my favorite Project Pitchfork songs… I am the Timekiller.

Fantastic! Thank you so much for doing this Chris!

To find more of Chris’ work – check the links!

Website: http://www.cpcwrites.com

Twiter: twitter.com/cpcwrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15556775.Chris_Patrick_Carolan

Heelllooooo!

Another fun one today with an author whom I constantly see trying to find new and fun ways to get readers to come and visit her worlds! Her Tik Tok content is fun and her work has been described as ‘must-read.’ Please, welcome Katherine today!

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

Katherine: My writing is sporadic at best. Trying to find time between a demanding full-time job, taking care of an 1890’s home, and spending time with friends and family means that I unfortunately don’t have a set schedule carved out. I do have one day per week (Thursday) that I try to dedicate to writerly things (whether it’s editing, writing, designing marketing materials, or scheduling events.
When I am writing, I tend to write best in the morning. Something about getting out of bed with a fresh cup of coffee and morning sun just puts me in the right mood. On a rare Sunday afternoon or evening, I can get work done, too. I don’t set word counts. I try to get as much done as humanly possible when I am able to sit down and write. My opportunities to do so are few and far between.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Katherine: I’d want whoever I invited to be comfortable with my method of writing as well as be able to make sure I didn’t disturb them for whatever their process is. But I also believe in the idea that some of that retreat should be spent with some like-minded people, people you can learn from and have a good time with when we’re not working. Also: I’m so shy I’d be terrified to even ask anyone to come. I think I’d be in good company with Gemma Amor, Nicole Eigener,, and Villimey Mist. All of them are phenomenal writers and good people.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Katherine: In August and October, I released two short stories in the Wild Oblivion series called ORCHARDS and Hallowed Oblivion. ORCHARDS is a series of drabbles, poems, and prose set against stark black and white photography that chronicles the descent of Brody Aritza’s ghost after death.
Hallowed Oblivion is about a park ranger, Hank, who is sent to search for lost hikers on Halloween night in the White Mountains along with a volunteer, Gerard. When they find the campsite in ruins, Hank discovers they are not alone in the woods. There’s something else out there, something hungry for the souls of the lost and it’s got them in its sights.
Both of these are quick reads within the Wild Oblivion universe and serve as satisfying bite-sized horror stories for a reader looking for something short and harrowing.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Katherine: I’m going with Victor Frankenstein on this. Though I do love vampires, I have no desire to become one. And really the only danger posed from Frankenstein’s house is that somewhere he’s got a monster he’s creating that might come to life the night I’m staying there. Also: maybe not. He might just be sewing limbs together in his observatory, chilling and not bothering anyone. I could see having a decent evening there, learning a little bit about the human condition over some wine. As long as there’s no lightning storm, things should be A-okay.

Excellent choice!

Thanks again, Katherine for doing this!

To find more of her work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Silva/e/B004W4P690

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatherineSilva_

Super fun one today! I’m a big fan of our 3Q’s guest. She delivers some fantastic dark poetry, some bleak fiction and makes me smile and laugh with her fun Tik Tok/IG videos!

Please do welcome Jessica McHugh!

Steve:  What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Jessica: It’s changed a lot over the years and varies depending on what project I’m focusing on. If I’m working on fiction, I’ll typically work in the evenings after I get off from my day job. If I have the day off, I’ll devote most of my day to creating. I especially love writing and making blackout poetry in bars, so I might head out for happy hour and allow the beer and boisterous surroundings to inspire me. I don’t tend to have a starting/ending time. It’s usually just writing ’til I can’t writes no more! And unless I’m doing something like nanowrimo, I don’t focus on word count. I’d rather focus on making my words count. If I’m working on blackout poetry, my productivity depends on what stage I’m in. If I’m finding/writing poems, I can do that anywhere, anytime, and will as much as possible. If I’m in the art portion, I need to have all my supplies, so it’s a little more difficult to carve out time. But if you live in my hometown, you know it’s not strange to see me stomping down the street with my big briefcase of art supplies to work on poetry at a pub.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Jessica: This is incredibly tough because there are so many amazing authors with whom I’d love to run away to a writing retreat. 3 just isn’t enough! But since the questionnaire is forcing me…Stephanie Wytovich, Gemma Amor, & Danger Slater. Then I’d break the rules and invite 12 more!

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

Jessica: In September, Ghoulish Books released the start to my bonkers horror series, The Gardening Guidebooks Trilogy. The first book “Rabbits in the Garden” follows 13-year-old Avery Norton as she’s accused of murder and incarcerated in Taunton Asylum in the late 1950s. Grappling with her overbearing–and allegedly homicidal–mother Faye, and being separated from her first love, Paul, Avery is forced to question her own innocence at every turn, which leads to a familial showdown that continues in the 1975 cult horror sequel, “Hares in the Hedgerow” due to be released on November 15th. The sequel has some fun new characters as well, including the enigmatic Mother Agnes and her spiritual family, the Choir of the Lamb, as well as an intriguing new kind of therapist attuned to Avery’s specific malady.
If you dig intense, sometimes disturbing, stories of family drama/trauma with shocking twists and turns that span decades, you will probably dig the mad adventure that is the Gardening Guidebooks Trilogy.

https://perpetualpublishing.com/product/hares-in-the-hedgerow/

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Jessica: I’m going with Dracula, despite the many hot Victor Frankensteins that have been presented to me over the years, cuz I weirdly think I could handle an evening with a dude who turns living people into undead people, rather than a dude who dreams of turning pieces of dead people into one living person. But I might change my mind if Victor looks like James McAvoy. I’d overlook many icky things for a James McAvoy Frankenstein.

Ha! Great answer, and just for you, I found this fanart made over on Deviant Art by amywestern of James McAvoy as a vampire knight!

Thank you so much, Jessica! And best of luck with your launch!

To find more of her work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-McHugh/e/B003NUKAA4/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theJessMcHugh

Website: https://mchughniverse.com/

Fun one today friends! You may notice the green 3Q’s logo – cuz I like switching things up and don’t want a bajillion of the same color!

Also a fun one as we have an author whose work I really enjoy and he’s a fellow Canuck!

Please, do welcome J-F. Dubeau!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
J-F: When I’m in the weeds of a project, trying to get that first draft down, I aim to write about 1500 words in a day. Often I’ll do more, depending on how interesting the scene I’m working on is. I have a rule of thumb that, if I didn’t enjoy writing a particular portion, I’ll revisit it later. Usually, if something wasn’t interesting to write, it won’t be interesting to read either.
As for ritual, I don’t have any worth speaking of. I’ve trained myself to write almost anywhere and anytime. I do have certain preferences – coffee shops, while a cliché, are great for writing. A constant carrousel of people, accessible food and drink, etc. – but the fewer obstacles and requirements between me and my writing, the better. Knowing how finicky I can get with rituals, if I were to need my favorite desk, and my favorite chair, and that one brand of tea I like, and exactly the right amount of rain, and only during the hours of twilight? I’d never get anything done.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?
J-F: That’s a tricky question. It depends on the author. I like to think that, under such circumstances, I would do my best to respect what that author would have wanted. Not everything I write is something I want the world to read. I know that there’s this thing about popular artists that the world is entitled to their work, but I disagree with that. Intent is everything in art, and if an author wrote something they did not intend to publish, I would want to abide by that intent. The same way if I concluded that this was work meant for an audience. In that case, I would gladly share it.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
J-F: I’ve got three things worth mentioning.
1. I have a short story titled The Ozymandias Crucible coming out this October as part of the Fear Forge anthology, published by Horrorsmith Publishing. Each story in the anthology is themed around the concept of a ‘forge’. What they are, what they create, etc. The book has a gorgeous cover by the talented Francois Vaillancourt.
2. Song of the Sandman is the latest book I’ve published, though that was a year ago if I’m not mistaken.
3. Anyone wanting a sample of my writing for free can go listen to Achewillow. It’s a fiction podcast I write and is narrated and produced by the astounding Amy Frost. It’s a cozy horror story about witches, coffee, demons and baking, in a small town on the border between Quebec and Vermont. We’ve got five seasons done so far and it’s available on any podcasting platform.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your super power?
J-F: I’m not very skilled at fantasizing about myself that way. I’ve always healed pretty fast, so I guess I’d have a healing factor. Otherwise I’d probably just be known as Annoying Sasquatch Man. Tall, hairy, terrifying and likely fiction. I could see myself opening doors for people and helping old ladies cross the street. Just the absolute most Canadian of super heroes, but in the least glamorous way.

Ha! That’s a great choice and maybe a comic book you’ll need to write!

Thanks again, J-F!

To find more of his work;

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J-F-Dubeau/e/B00PLWKQRY/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jfdubeau

Website: http://www.jfdubeau.com/

Really fun 3Q’s today – and in a way – it’s a double bonus 3Q’s! You see, today’s guest is none other than Michael Kelly. Michael is not only a talented and revered writer, but he’s also one of the driving forces behind Undertow Publications! So, as a thanks to Undertow always being kind to me – I’ll also be sharing some of the Undertow books YOU MUST READ HERE!

Michael has always been kind, supportive and encouraging and I’m very excited to have him join me today! Please, welcome Michael!

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

Michael: Ah, alas, my writing has been mostly on the back-burner since I took Undertow Publications full-time in 2018. I have penned some stories in the interval, and this year I managed 5 new stories that all sold fairly quickly, and have already appeared, or soon will, this year. Even when I was writing more frequently I was always a slow writer. So, 5 stories in a year is a win for me.

When I’m writing, I have no set time each day. It’s mostly when I can fit it in between other daily activities, chores, and my publishing endeavours. 10 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

I do have a word count I try to achieve. And it’s a simple one – just 100 words. And I set it at 100 words because I can achieve that. More often than not, I can then do another 100 words, and so on. That’s the method that works for me. I’m also a huge proponent of Scott Meredith’s ‘make the first draft as good as you can’ method. So I edit as I go along. That is, before I start my next writing session I will read the whole draft and then edit and tweak. Then I do my words for the day. The next day I read the whole thing again and edit and then write. Generally, this produces a near-to-final draft, for me.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Michael: Well, of course, being a publisher I’d definitely share it – assuming that was the author’s intent. That’s why we all start, isn’t it? To share our creative endeavours. “Hey, I made this thing.” Or “Hey, I published this thing. Please have a look.” Readers complete the circle. You write the thing. You publish the thing. People read the thing. It never feels fully finished til it’s out there.

 

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

Michael: Two things! That’s cheeky of me, I know. I just had two short stories published within a week of each other – “Swim the Darkness” at The Dark, and “Something Borrowed” at Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Why read them? Oh, that’s a tough one. I’m never good at plugging my own work. If you like your horror stories smaller, and quieter perhaps give one (or both) of them a read. I’ve had several lovely e-mails from readers about both stories.

Swim the Darkness

https://www.3lobedmag.com/issue36/3lbe36_story4.html

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Michael: Gah! What to choose? This is rather boring, perhaps, but I’d be “The Freeze,” with the ability to stop the flow of time. That way I’d be able to catch up on all the things I’m behind on.

Excellent choice, and its interesting to see how many people have chosen something to do with slowing down time! Thank you once again, Michael!

To find more of his work and the Undertow releases, check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UndertowPubs

Website: https://undertowpublications.com/

I love the variety of guests I’ve managed to get on 3Q’s. It’s been fun seeing how everyone develops their stories and creates their characters. It’s also been fun seeing their answers for the ‘fun’ questions, because let’s face it – a lot of interviews remain dead serious. I’m not a journalist, not a serious person and love making people laugh!

Which brings us to today’s awesome guest – Lindy Ryan. Lindy has her hands in a lot of different things going on at the moment – HWA stuff, movie stuff, book stuff and anthology stuff. Yesterday, a new anthology she’s curated arrived – Into the Forest – which boasts a stunning TOC.

Please welcome Lindy!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Lindy: I think the only consistent writing habit I have is total inconsistency. I do tend to do my best writing late at night or first thing in the morning, when there are few distractions and I can really get my head in the game. Oddly enough, I find that I do my best writing (and self-editing) usually sitting square in the middle of my bed or on a large stretch of open carpet and as offline as possible. I consider 1,000 words/day is a decent baseline, though I strive for a good 3k before I feel totally good about leaving my desk.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Lindy: How do I answer this without leaving out so many amazing friends and peers in the horror industry? I’ll go with some horror pioneers then and invite Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allan Poe, because wouldn’t that be a fun group to have in one room?! I’d ask Mary about how she stuffed it to Percy and Lord Byron that fateful weekend, listen in tearful agony to Oscar talk about his time as a prisoner due to “indecency”, witness firsthand Poe’s melancholy and irritability. I think it would be utterly fascinating.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Lindy: A women-in-horror anthology, INTO THE FOREST: Tales of the Baba Yaga is upcoming on November 8th. As the editor, I am so immensely proud of this anthology, and of the women who’ve joined voices to explore the intersection of womanhood and wildness in such raw, moving stories. Being raised by a Russian ex-pat, I grew up with stories of Baba Yaga, and it’s been such a pleasure putting together these stories inspired by this woman, this witch, who lives deep in the woods in her chicken-legged hut and tempests. Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, R. J. Joseph, Christina Henry and so many others have braved fierce female territory in INTO THE FOREST and whether it’s fairy tale, folklore, horror, or fantasy, there is something for every reader in this anthology.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Lindy: I am going directly to Dracula’s castle. Victor was such a jerk—who’d want to dine with that guy? Now his monster, absolutely.

Excellent choice! And it is always best to avoid jerks at dinner!

Thank you again, Lindy!

To find more of her work, follow the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lindy-Ryan/e/B08DZX7Q2G

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindyryanwrites

Website: http://www.lindymillerryan.com/

I don’t really know how long it’s been now, but it feels like forever that Priscilla Bettis and I connected and it has been fantastic seeing her put out awesome work. She’s also been a devoted follower of my website/blog and even though my WordPress site is being a jerk – she still takes the time read and comment on almost every single post I have – even when I can’t sometimes see them and/or reply to them!

I’m so excited to have Priscilla here today as she celebrates her newest release!

Welcome Priscilla!

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

Priscilla: The hubster and I get up at 4:50 in the morning. In the summer I jog right away before it’s hot, and it gets dang hot in Texas. Then I write afterwards. In the winter I write in the morning’s dark silence before the sun comes up, and then I go out for a jog.

Exercise is an important part of my creative process. Blood gets a-flowing through my gray matter which helps me think more clearly. I gotta keep my eye out for rattlesnakes and wild boar (seriously), but I let my mind wander through my WIP, and I often come up with new associations and fun plot twists.

I’m a slow writer, but I’m a careful writer, too, and try to make each paragraph the best I can get it. So 300 words may be all I put down for the day. My record is 10,000 in one day, but afterwards my brain was as fried as a Twinkie at the state fair.

Having said that, yes, I do know how to buckle down when needed to meet a deadline with daily word count goals and all that. Plus I’m also working on drafting faster. I’m interested to see what I can do in 2023!

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Priscilla: I totally keep it for myself. I figure if it were the author’s intended final version, it would have already gone to the publisher. And since the kids apparently don’t want it…

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

Priscilla: Dog Meat is a literary, dystopian, horror novella about one man’s struggle against the dog meat trade. Needless to say, Dog Meat is disturbing. It is not for delicate readers. I just hope my story honors the dogs caught in this real-life nightmare and salutes the heroes working to save the dogs.

Why should people read it? If I can raise people’s awareness of the dog meat trade, maybe they’ll be willing to join the fight to change government policies and rescue dogs destined for slaughter.

Steve: Bonus Question! And you loved this previous one so much, I made sure to ask you it! Did you have a favorite wrestler as a kid?

Priscilla: Mr. T all the way! He’s still my favorite because he’s the ideal role model, always striving to improve himself. He went from actor to wrestler to boxer (to actor again) to writer to flashy celeb speaker to Aaron’s Furniture spokesmodel to humble humanitarian (who forever shed his gold in the wake of Katrina) to WWE Hall-of-Famer. What will he do next?!

That is a great choice!

Thank you again so much Priscilla, for your support and for coming and doing this!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Priscilla-Bettis/e/B08R97Z63M

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PriscillaBettis

Website: https://priscillabettisauthor.com/

Title: The Dunnie

Author: Keith Thomas

Release date: October 31st, 2022

Firstly – huge thank you to Keith Thomas, Night Platform Book Company and Netgalley for the digital ARC!

Ok, I’m so very confused.

About a few things actually.

But – A) Keith Thomas. Director of The Vigil, Firestarter and most recently an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities wrote this. B) LOOK AT THAT COVER!! I actually messaged Trevor Henderson to ask if he did it (he didn’t) but even he was raving about it. C) This novella is so amazing YET I’M NOT SEEING ANYONE RAVING ABOUT IT!

So, I’m confused.

I’ve heard of the Dunnie before – in a mythology book we got for my son – where it takes the shape of a horse to trick a rider into riding it, only for the horse to ride into the water, drowning the rider and eating them after. I wasn’t sure if that was what we would be getting here, but I didn’t care. I was hooked and intrigued when I read the synopsis – a grandfather in the grips of dementia has a secret within the house. Sign me up.

What I liked: The story follows Asher, a teenaged boy who is struggling at school following the death of his father. His mother takes him with her to his grandpa’s, there to let him know he needs to move into an extended living home as his dementia is progressing and it’s no longer safe for him to live on his own. What they don’t know, is that he made a deal many years ago, and now the results of that deal has grown, and is hungry.

Thomas does a phenomenal job with Asher’s character, at once a kid who you root for and want to see him succeed, but also seeing how he’s holding onto his imagination and not letting the world entirely get to him. This novella had elements that made me feel like I was reading a Gaiman book, or something the Henson Company was producing. The pacing and quick, snappy chapters worked incredibly well to pull this reader along and there wasn’t a moment where the tension wasn’t subtly being increased.

The ending was really well done and I was so excited to see in the afterword that there will be more coming in this world. Thomas really knocked this one out of the park. I’m not sure if this started as a Screenplay and was adapted or how it came to be but this read very cinematically and the locations we got worked perfectly, especially when we were dealing with the character known as Goat.

What I didn’t like:  I personally loved everything about this one. So, if I stick to my format/formula of how I lay my reviews out, I think the only thing some folks reading this might not like, is that it is a novella, so some moments and events do come and go quickly. I loved how it read and flowed, but some readers may wish for expansion in some spots.

Why you should buy this: At the moment this appears to be a ebook only, so for paperback lovers, you’ll need to wait. For those who read digitally, this novella has shades of Adam Nevill, Tim Lebbon and Laurel Hightower thrown in. It rips along, our characters are really well done and the relationship between Asher and Pa was really a joy to see how it ebbed and flowed, especially through moments when Pa’s dementia reared up.

This was an outstanding read – one I’ve already added to my ‘Best-Of’ list I have – and I hope more and more people discover this one. Now, I wait for Keith’s next release!

5/5

Super excited for today’s 3Q’s guest!

Hunter Shea is a prolific author and fantastic supporter. If you’re looking for crazy creature fiction and people trying to stay alive – look no further! Hunter’s work runs the gamut from emotional to straight up brutal!

Please, do welcome Hunter!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Hunter: It’s basically all over the place now. For years, I had a job where I got in early and left early and would write after dinner for an hour or so. Now, on weekdays, it’s sometimes in the early morning, sometimes at night. It all depends on what’s going on that day. On weekends, who knows. I’ve learned I don’t like writing in the morning so much, so I try to wait until the afternoon. My goal is always a thousand words. But I no longer beat myself up when I miss days entirely or only get, say, 300 words down. The whole idea is to just keep moving forward. I haven’t missed a deadline yet!

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Hunter: Wow, that’s a tough one. Since you didn’t specify living or dead, I’ll mix them up. First would be Ernest Hemingway, the man who reinvented the way fiction is written in America. When I started writing, I tried my damnedest to emulate his style – keep it lean and mean. Plus, he’d be a hell of a fun drinking partner while we party the night away on the island. That man had some stories. Next, I’d bring along Kinky Friedman, the Texas crooner and mystery writer who appreciates a cigar as much as I do. His books have brought so much joy to my life. They’re just plain irreverent and fun. And they are the embodiment of the man himself. I could listen to him talk all day. Finally, I guess I should add a horror writer into the mix. It would have to be Bentley Little. Not just because I’m a huge fan of his work. Also because he’s so reclusive. I’d give anything to have a chance to get to know him and talk about the craft. Man, that would be one hell of an island retreat. When can we make this happen?

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Hunter: My latest is called To The Devil, A Cryptid, and it’s a hell of a monster romp. Set in Texas, where even the cryptids are bigger, it’s a tale of Satanists, scary legends, bloodthirsty beasts, talking blobs, rioting mobs, grisly deaths, mass destruction, possession, the foibles of fate, paranormal TV, love, lust, friendship, carnage, and the love of a good taco after a night of calling a demon from the pits of hell. Yep, I think that explains it all. It’s published through Severed Press and available in paperback and ebook.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Hunter: This is too easy. I’m no fan of Dracula. He can go suck it where the sun DOES shine. I’m absolutely going to hang with Victor Frankenstein. The man was a genius, though a bit mad. Sounds like a lot of my friends now. I think we’d get along swimmingly. And maybe I could teach his monster not to drown little girls and avoid angry mobs.

Excellent choice! Thank you so much Hunter!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/huntershea1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Shea/e/B007RMLXAA

Website: https://huntershea.com/

You know what’s been cool about these 3Q’s? Not only seeing so many people discover new-to-them authors, but I’ve also been fortunate to have a few publicists reach out to me and get some of their clients involved – which means some new-to-me authors as well! Jay Hartlove is one such author. His track record looks fantastic and the synopsis’ of the books all sound really amazing. I sadly haven’t yet got to reading any of his work – but I will be rectifying that here at some point!

Do, please welcome, Jay!

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

Jay: I joke that my muse is called “Eleven.” After I finish the evening’s affairs, and my family have all retreated to their own corners to wind down, I sit down to write, usually around eleven o’clock. If she doesn’t show up, and I can’t get into the flow, then I go to bed and get some sleep. If Eleven does show up, and I get into the zone, I will write obliviously until I pass out on the keyboard around 2 or 3 am. So if I have a good night writing, I have a bad day at work the next day.

I don’t have any rituals other than getting back into my characters’ headspace. If I have done my job, I the writer disappear when the reader reads the words. It really is the characters’ story. It’s told through their eyes, their emotions, their reactions. I know where I want the story to go, but to put words to paper, I need to let the characters speak. I know I’m in the zone once I can hear them. In theatrical terms, I “method act”. I get inside their heads and let them speak.

I do most of my writing in my home office, surrounded by my favorite bits of inspiration. There are awards, sculptures, paintings, and theatrical props (I am also a playwright and director). My window faces my back deck and garden, which is very green and calming. I collect ideas all the time, so I often have a notebook with me. I am a firm believer that thinking about your writing is writing. You write what you know, and any decisions you make about a story add to the knowledge you will draw from to write the story. I don’t use word count targets, but I do find the time to work on my current project every day, whether it is actual writing or research (which includes making decisions).

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

Jay: I’m going to go old school here: Larry Niven’s Known Space series. I write with a lot of big ideas. I love to take stories places that the reader does not expect, with sympathetic villains, heroes with very dark pasts, and lots of plot twists. I tend to turn victims into heroes. Larry Niven has a knack for combining big ideas with a wry sense of humor, and an eye to the absurd. I’d love the chance to poke fun at human nature while also playing with big ideas, especially in that fascinating universe.

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

Jay: The Insane God is a Young Adult LGBTQ science fiction thriller about a transgender girl who finds herself in the middle of a war caused by meteorites that transform people into followers of two ancient enemy gods. One fills you with blind hate and the other with blind love. Kirkus Reviews called it “Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Stand.” The story hinges on radical acceptance of unwanted change, and our heroine, who has been through significant changes, turns out to be the only one, among her elders, who can keep up with the rapid and terrifying changes the meteorites bring. Why should people read it? David Brin endorsed it. Cosmic horror, mental illness, civil war, and LGBTQ representation. You do like rollercoasters, right?

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

Jay: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. He showed me how to write science fiction thrillers, and I’m still at it!

Such an amazing book! Thank you so much Jay!

To find more of his work – check the links!

Website: https://www.jaywrites.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayhartlove

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Hartlove/e/B00ALFXRZY