Dead Dreams

Once again, I found myself this week in the dreaded dentist's chair, the Hell-on-earth that keeps inching closer, closer, with each passing day. What did I do to deserve this Hades? Well, nothing, I'm just taking good care of my teeth and getting them cleaned. But still, this sucks! They want to clean them every three months now! And over twenty X-rays? Screw that!

Then I got to thinking about the girl who cleaned my teeth. I'm sure when she was growing up, she didn't want to be scraping molars for a living. No, she wanted to be an actress, or a singer, or a ballerina. I know when I grew up, I wanted to be a professional baseball player . . . until I found out I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. I wound up a basketball star in grade school. We won a couple of championships, I won best defensive player, I toasted the camera with a burger instead of a drink and we had some laughs. That all ended in jr. high though, when I didn't make the team. When I turned twelve, I became a metalhead and wanted to be a heavy metal star, so, when I grew up, I worked dead-end jobs for twenty-one years while trying to put together a band. Most of them weren't serious. I finally found a group of guys who had their shit together, but I played too fucking fast for heavy metal, and I was too wicked for a Cornerstone band. I ended up finding out I was meant to play death metal when I was pushing thirty, and no one wanted to put together a band with someone that old. All those bands I listen to put out their first album when they were eighteen.

So, I figured, instead of complaining about being all bloody-mouthed, the least I could do was be nice and give her a smile, even though I don't like to grin. I may be crazy, but I thought it was the right thing to do.

On Shredding

I'm going to revert to music again for this blog. Something happened during my last practice this week that I must share. For all of you who need a regular blog fix about writing, my new Web site is up, and it's ten times better than the last. Go here: http://arbraun.com.

I'm always a bit rusty when I get back to the guitar. After taking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off to do payback critiques, read agent blogs and clean the apartment (yes, the work never stops around here), I have to fight through practice Monday, and, sometimes Tuesday. By Wednesday I'm usually sounding pretty righteous. By Thursday I'm shredding, just all over the thing.

But it was never like this.

I always warm up with simple heavy metal tunes, either something I wrote or a cover, usually "Bad Boy Boogie" by AC/DC. I get sick of warming up, but, if one doesn't, one can get arthritis. Somehow, Thursday night, the regular warm-up wouldn't do. I guess you could say I had a musical epiphany.

We musicians have all had them, those nights where we just killed. But this. . . .

The only way I can describe it is that my talent possessed me. It dove right in, and I was on autopilot, glad to give it the wheel. I played one-handed lead guitar--no big surprise, I do that a lot--but this was . . . symphonic. By the time I got to my death metal set, it seemed too easy. I had to jazz it up. I'd been looking for the proper segue for my newest song, and boy did I get it. My head was moving back and forth like Jimi Hendrix on acid. I haven't heard anything like this since Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. I know this sounds cliche, but it was spiritual.

I wonder if it's because I haven't been listening to bands that much lately. I mean, I do, needing to get my fix, but not as much as usual. I don't want to rip other bands off, even subconsciously, when writing songs.

I hope this happens more often.

The Super Monster Friends

"Sir," the serial killer made up as a clown said as he strained his eyes looking into the monitor.

Dracula, the handsome vampire, turned his airbrushed, Maybelline-covered face his way. "Yes, Jack?"

"We have an unidentifyable monster heading toward the castle."

Dracula snapped his head Zombie's way. "What are the coordinates?"

"He's fifteen kilometers from the castle, master," Zombie gurgled.

"What?"

Ghost flew in. "He said fifteen kilometers, sir," he whispered.

Dracula frowned. "What say?"

"FIFTEEN KILOMETERS!" Jack cried.

"Oh. okay. What are his dimensions?"

Jack fixed his squinty eyes back on the live feed on the screen. "He seems to be . . . an . . . original monster, sir."

Dracula shook his head. "Bleh. Well. Ahem."

Zombie asked, "Should we destroy him?"

"Of course. He's one of those first-timers, probably thought up by that pesky A. R. Braunschweiger character."

"Drat! I'm so sick of that guy! Why doesn't he sell out like the rest of the authors who've been rehasing us?"

The Super Monster Friends screamed as missles hit the castle, setting them on fire and burning them into oblivion.

"Reload more missles," A. R. Braun spoke in his microphone to his original monster's headset. "There are always more rehashed monsters popping up everyday."

A. R.'s Interview with Shells Walter

I met Shells Walter when I reviewed her novel, Dead Practices, for Niteblade magazine and then added her on Facebook. She started writing at eleven, poetry at first. Shy by nature, Shells put together her poetry as a diary, mostly dark poems. She frightened her school, who thought she was a threat, a mark of every great horror author! She forged on with her writing after reading her first story by Edgar Allen Poe at the same age.

Fascinated with horror, it became an addiction. Later, she got into writing science fiction and other genres.

Now she writes stories, flashes, micros, screenplays, plays, novels and novellas. She also freelances for a living.

Her interest in learning more about Jack the Ripper has found her in many a site and adventure.

Shells has a few novellas coming soon, and she doesn't plan on ever slowing down.

A.R.: Hi Shells. Thanks for being my guest. I know you’ve just released Dead Practices, a humorous zombie novel. I love humor in horror, by the way. Can you tell those that haven’t perused it a little about the book?

S. W.: Thank you for having me. I could not agree more. I love the scary things in horror, things that challenge me, but I do love the humor in horror as well. A sarcastic character will grab my attention every time.

Dead Practices is about a lawyer, not just any lawyer but a zombie lawyer or more a 'Zombie Citizen.' His name is Jerrod. Jerrod falls apart at times, rides a Harley and does lawyerly things, like taking on clients and defending them; however, one of his clients breaks free from jail with a horde of zombies that he converts back to the attack and eat types. What happens next is an adventure that involves the President, Jerrod and his cop friend Rusty who also is a Zombie Citizen and a lot of super-glue which, that part, I won't give away (laughs).

It is available on sonar4publications.com as an e-book and print, on Amazon as Kindle and print and also several online retailers.

A. R.: Is this your first novel, and are there plans for more books? Where are you going as far as content?

S. W.: This is my first zombie book. I wrote this as a standalone book, however, I do love the Jerrod character and did leave it open for more books pertaining to him. Content wise there normally is some sarcasm in any book I do. It just seems to float into it. I do write some gory things, bizarre things at times too, and those may or may not include humor. As for things not pertaining to Jerrod, I have some ideas in the works. One I am currently working on is based on a short story of mine called Tooth Decay involving vampires and zombies competing for humans. It is a novella collaboration involving three novellas, one human side, one vampire and one zombie side with Matt Nord and Jessica Weiss coming from Wicked East Press sometime in the future.

A. R.: What books/short stories/authors influenced you, and why?

S. W.: There are several horror authors that have influenced me, at times really too many to list. As for books, many, but I think Catcher in the Rye was one of the most influential. It depicts a person dealing with society in a way that is all their own. Edgar Allan Poe and Lovecraft have influenced me in ways that help me get past my shyness when I was young and troubles that had been ahead. They have also given me the desire to go beyond the scope or wall that has horror writers saying this can't work or it should not be in horror and write, jumping through that wall or stereotypes.

A. R.: What are your favorite horror movies, and what do you think about the state of the macabre flick today?

S. W.: My favorite series are the Hellraiser films, the Evil Dead trilogy, Hostel I & II, zombie flicks and the Saw films. I also love the classic films as well and with those there are way too many to count. What I want to see with any horror movies today is something new. I'm growing tired of the remakes of certain films. I would love to see more new screenplays instead of adapting from books all the time. I think with horror there are so much people can do with it and they are focused on redoing something that worked a long time ago and might not today.

A.R.: Great answer! I love Evil Dead 1 & 2 and both Hostel films. What are your thoughts on Print on Demand and e-books taking over?

S. W.: I don't mind e-books, though I'm a print type of gal. As for Print on Demand, I see nothing wrong with it, especially in regards to small publishers, independent publishers who don't have the money for costs in printing and possibly distribution. It allows authors to get their work out there in ways that weren't accessible a long time ago.

E-books are the future in so many cases. With little devices coming and going, it allows people to read on the go wherever they are. I am hoping they don't take over totally. I still love having a book in my hand where I can turn the page myself and feel it in my fingertips.

A.R.: How many hours a day do you write? What education did you acquire for this work?

S. W.: I don't believe in setting a certain amount of time a day to write. For me it is when the moment strikes. If I try to force it out at times it will be the worst writing I have ever done. I know this works for some people to have a schedule, with me it really depends. For freelance work of course I will focus on a schedule and if I have a deadline creatively, I will as well, but for me it has to do with a feeling, an urge to write.

Education wise I have taken creative writing classes and I have a B.A. in a different area of study that has helped my writing immensely. I just lived in society and for most that is tons of education not acquired in schooling.

A. R.: Did you go the agent route, sign with a publisher or self-publish?

S. W.: When Dead Practices came out I was with a publisher. I don't currently have an agent but am looking for one and we will see how that goes.

A. R.: Are you a crafter (must get paid for your stories) or are you an artist (does it for the love of the genre)?

S. W.: I believe I am both. I think it depends on the content, theme, or publishing venture I am looking at. I love the genre no matter what and do have some of my work in the 'for the love markets.' For me I look at several factors and where my writing may fit the best at.

A. R.: Will you ever podcast your stories or write a graphic novel?

S. W: That is something I am thinking about in the future to podcast my stories. The market seems to be pretty new yet and it is an avenue where people can download stuff at their leisure and I really love the old type radio atmosphere that can come with podcasts. As for a graphic novel, someday I hope to get one of my stories there. I do love to write comic scripts, I am an artist, but feel there are better artists out there and if someone wanted to work with me on the graphic novel adaptation of one of my stories I would love it.

A. R.: What do you envision for the future of horror?

S. W.: Zombies. Zombies are making a huge impact on the world of horror these days and mainstream is picking up on it. The only hope is that they don't wear it down and suddenly zombies are not as grand for horror as they used to be. I also see a trend forming with bringing back classic monsters. I'm just afraid that being Hollywood and mainstream publishing as it, it will forget what horror was meant to be, being scared, having fun at it and wanting to have that happen again.

A. R.: What is your Web site address and blog addie so we can check out your work?

S. W.: People can find more about me on my website which includes a blog at www.shellswalter.com. I am also on Facebook.

A. R.'s Interview with Sammi Cox

I met Sammi on Facebook, of all places, and have found her to be a good writing buddy, 10/4. She's also the editor of the House of Horror e-zine and a horror author in her own right. Sammi lives in the U.K. with her two children. She's dating artist Darren James, whom she's also buildig a career with. Also known as S. E., she gave up writing for a while to focus on a singing career and also worked part time in cabaret. Awesome! Her stories have been published in Pandora's Imagination, Pill Hill Press, Elements of Horror anthology, Flashes in the Dark and more. She's also the author of many novels. Everyone welcome Sammi!

A.R.: Hi Sammi. Thanks for being my guest. I know you’re the editor of House of Horror. What is an ideal submission, in your opinion, and have you ever received one?

S. C.: Hi A.R. and thank you so much for inviting me to do this interview. I don't think of a submission as ideal, because being a horror e-zine, the word "horror" is open to a wide range of different types of stories. I know I have my favorites and I have read some excellent stories that sometimes make me feel honored to have them in House of Horror because in my opinion they are most definitely pro-rate stories and of course I tell them that. So I guess as long as a submission follows the guidelines and I really enjoy it and think my readers will enjoy it then it’s a winner for me.


A. R.: Tell us a little about the books you have coming out, and where you're going as far as content.

S. C.: Wow, well right now we have a lot going on which is making me have to put certain things on hiatus until I am all caught up. We have just released Stitched Up and also A Pint of Bloody Fiction. Those are on sale right now from the House of Horror Bookshop for £9.99 and £6.99 which are both inclusive of shipping. I am at the minute working on The Duel Anthology. This is a book made up of all the stories that were used in The Writers Duel that was held in The Dungeon for the Last three months. The book is split up into rounds and shows the duelers and their real names, the winner and of course the battling stories. This is now available for pre-order at £10.99 from House of Horror and will be widely available everywhere else in around two weeks time. Also I am beginning to put together the HOH Best of 2010. I am choosing stories from issue #8 onward to appear in the anthology and will soon be notifying the writers, artists and photographers etc. Unfortunately, unlike last year, there is no monetary payment for this antho’ but for every book they themselves buy or every book bought quoting a contributors name, said contributor will receive $5 every time. So I guess in a way, the better HOH does, the better the author does. I am hoping that this will be a big incentive for the writers and that everyone wins in the long run.


A. R.: What books/short stories/authors influenced you, and why?

S. C.: You know what, I don't really let other stories/authors etc. influence me as I end up writing just like they do or doing stories based on that. I hate it when I hear other people doing that because to me, it isn't very original. It is so hard to be original these days and trying to be like someone else just makes it even harder. Of course I have certain writers that I read over and over—Christopher Pike, Stephen King and just recently Linwood Barclay. Barclay’s ability to set up a scene and then take you on a 400 page ride of chills and thrills is remarkable. You have no idea where you're going in his books and I like that about it. It keeps me reading. I read his 420 book, Too Close to Home, in three days—I just couldn't put it down.



A. R.: What are your favorite horror movies, and what do you think about the state of the macabre flick today?

S. C.: I think my favorite horror movies would have to be classics like Psycho, The Birds, Carrie, and some of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I do enjoy present day horror films but for some reason they are becoming more and more predictable. And with all the special effects and money budget movie makers have these days, it leaves nothing to the imagination. I think in the case of the old classics, sometimes what you didn't see frightened you more because they left it open for the watcher to imagine and think about long after the film had finished. These days it’s just thrust into your face and once you have seen it, it’s gone - nothing to really think about. Of course, I am not bashing all present day horror flicks because I have still enjoyed quite a few and will continue to catch as many of them as I can when they come out. This week, Darren is taking me to see The Last Exorcism. I just hope that it lives up to all the hype. I think over done hype can sometimes kill a movie.


A.R.: What are your thoughts on Print on Demand and e-books taking over?

S. C.: Especially in the UK, it is very hard for British authors to get a step on the ladder that will take them to the top and I think small press publishers and indie publishing allows the little people to shine. With e-books, I really don't think that they will ever truly take over. Not everyone has the money to buy the equipment to read them on or even a computer and especially at the prices they are advertised at. I love the smell of a brand new book, I love being able to touch the pages and read it in obscure places such as the bath. I wouldn't take my laptop or mobile phone in the bath me so I sure as hell wouldn't take an e-reader with me and I think quite a few people think along those lines too.

A.R.: How many hours a day do you write? What education did you acquire for this work?

S. C.: I write up to eight hours a day, sometimes more. But at the minute with House of Horror becoming more and more popular, I seem to spend more time answering emails, filing contracts, reading through several piles of slush and formatting and editing anthologies and on top of that trying to advertise. I haven't really written many short stories. When I get time to write it’s usually on my several unfinished novels. I acquired no education in this field other than having a gcse and A level in English Literature. The rest is just learning through others. I have the ability to edit someone else’s work but when it comes to my own I struggle a lot.


A. R.: Are you going the agent route, or will you sign with a publisher or self-publish?

S. C.: I plan to eventually seek representation for my fourth novel but all of my other books have been self published and I am not afraid to say that. I have a decent following and steady sales and as I said earlier, it’s very hard for British authors at the minute especially in the horror field.


A. R.: Are you a crafter (must get paid for your stories) or are you an artist (does it for the love of the genre)?

S. C.: I guess I am a mixture of both. Primarily I am a crafter. I get paid for my short stories and of course my short story collections, novel and anthologies. But I also love the craft and love to see my work in print and also online and be able to link to for friends and family to see. House of Horror ezine is for the love and I am most appreciative of those who allow me to use their stories for free. I do try and give back to other free ‘zines as much as I can.


A. R.: Will you ever podcast your stories or write a graphic novel?

S. C: I am not sure about podcasting my stories. I used to do an audio section for stories under 1,000 words for House of Horror and that was because I can read about 1,000 words without getting tongue tied and even that still takes me a good few tries to do it. My stories are usually between 2,000-5,000 words long and I think I would get very frustrated. As for a graphic novel, my boyfriend Darren James is an artist. You can find his work on Deviantart under the name Dyce-Bastion or you can just Google that name and find him. He and I talked about doing one together once we have finished all of our commitments. He at the moment has been writing his book for 13 years and has almost finished the final draft of book one out of about 6 I think. And I also have two novels already in the works and all the work I do with House of Horror. Right at the minute no, but possibly in the near future, so watch this space.


A. R.: What is your Web site and blog address so we can check out your work?

S. C.: The website address is www.houseofhorror.org.uk. Please check out the open calls we have and maybe have a look around my house. The blog is updated with news and all the interviews and reviews we do. Also if you sign up with HOH you will receive a monthly newsletter just announcing what we have going on so readers can keep up to date with everything.

Thank you again AR. I must rush now for there is a man hanging upside down in my basement and my stomach is rumbling.... happy nightmares everyone!

www.myspace.com/secox

A. R.'s Interview with Jordan Krall

Week two of my interview series comes crashing in on ya with bizarro author, Jordan Krall. He writes bizarro, horror, and crime fiction. His work has been praised by Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, and Carlton Mellick III.

A. R.: Hi Jordan. Thanks for being my guest. A lot of horror fans, including me, don’t know anything about bizarro fiction. What separates bizarro from straight-up horror?

J. K.: Not all bizarro is horror. Bizarro fiction in general means fiction that is weird to the max. Think the literary equivalent of cult movies. There’s bizarro humor, bizarro SF, bizarro horror, bizarro westerns, bizarro fantasy, etc. As far as bizarro horror vs. the traditional kind, bizarro horror is a lot weirder. You’ll get strange characters, plots, and settings that you just won’t see in your average horror story. You will get the unexpected.


A. R.: I love cult movies! By the way, how was the Horrorfind convention? You know I’m dying to hear about that. Explain to those who don’t know what Horrorfind is.

J. K.: This was my first trip to Horrorfind. It’s a weekend convention that is mostly based around actors and directors in the genre but this year they had more writers such as Brian Keene, Joe Lansdale and Jack Ketchum. It was a pretty cool event. The bizarro authors that attended were a part of the BIZARRO POWER HOUR which was sixty minutes of craziness. It was me along with Andersen Prunty, William Pauley III, and Eric Mays. Greg Hall (of the Funky Werepig) also joined us. The reading went really well except for two dumb assholes getting offended at my use of the word “flesh-pistol”! Anyway, other than meeting some fans and selling books, we also drank a lot and made fun of people.

A. R.: Tell us a little about the books you have coming out or if one of your books just came out, and where you're going as far as content.

J. K.: My most recent book was KING SCRATCH. It’s a really twisted crime fiction story involving human flesh moonshine, Abe Lincoln, car crashes, and squid. I also just had a chapbook published called BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD. I co-wrote it with Ash Lomen. It’s a SF story that takes place both in space and in a sleazy grindhouse theater. As far as content, so far each of my books has been pretty different from the last one. I have similar themes and imagery but the subgenre differs. My next book is TENTACLE DEATH TRIP which Eraserhead Press is publishing. It’s a post-apocalyptic novel, sort of like Mad Max meets the Cthulhu mythos. Cars, tentacles, violence, tentacles, and more tentacles.


A. R.: What books/short stories/authors influenced you, and why?

J. K.: From an early age, H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard were both big influences. As I got to high school, I also got into J.G. Ballard (mostly his novel CRASH) as well as William Burroughs. Then came Elmore Leonard, Thomas Ligotti, and Edward Lee which have all had a big effect on me as an adult writer. Elmore Leonard has influenced me mostly in terms of the actual writing and structure. Most writers should look at how he writes dialogue.

A. R.: I love Lovecraft, Edward Lee and Elmore Leonard! What are your favorite macabre movies, and what do you think about the state of the macabre flick today?

J. K.: I’ve been a horror fan since I was a child. Some of my favorites include Psycho, Messiah of Evil, Halloween, Halloween 3, Videodrome, Suspiria, Video Violence, New York Ripper, Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive, Vacancy, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and a lot of other Italian horror/giallo films. Today’s horror movies are hit and miss for me. There are too many shitty straight-to-dvd movies being made that makes it so difficult to find something good. The horror flicks that hit theaters are usually disappointments.

A.R.: I agree. What are your thoughts on Print on Demand and e-books taking over?

J. K.: Print-on-demand is cool for people who want to start a small publishing business but it also gives people with no talent or work ethic the chance to clog the internet with their crappy books. E-books are okay but I don’t read them that much and personally, I think it’s just a way of big publishers to be able to make more money without having to dish out the cash to print actual books. I’m hoping it’s a fad that’ll just fizzle out. As a reader, I’d much rather have something tangible to show for my money. As a writer, I want something physical I can show off to people who come to my house.

A.R.: Do you write full-time or do you have a full-time job? What education did you acquire for this work?

J. K.: I have a full-time job as a teacher. I have a degree in Elementary Ed and certifications in Special Ed and History. I’m about midway through grad school so I’m hoping to get my Masters relatively soon.

A. R.: Did you sign with a publisher or self-publish?

J. K.: I signed with a publisher. I mostly work with Eraserhead Press but have also worked with Black Rainbows Press and Bucket O’ Guts Press.


A. R.: Are you a crafter (must get paid for your stories) or are you an artist (does it for the love of the genre)?

J. K.: I guess a little of both. It depends on who is accepting my story. If it’s a small anthology, I might be a little less concerned about payment. I do love the genre and don’t let the financial part get in the way. Of course, maybe I think that way because I do it as a side job so I’m not relying on the cash my writing brings in.

A. R.: Will you ever podcast your stories or write a graphic novel?

J. K.: I’m pretty inept technically so someone would have to do the podcast for me. As far as a graphic novel, I am writing a weird little comic strip with David W. Barbee. If someone else offered to draw a graphic novel for one of my stories (FISTFUL OF FEET would make a great graphic novel as would PIECEMEAL JUNE) I would definitely do it. So anyone interested should get in touch with me!

A. R.: Inept technically here as well. What do you envision for the future of the bizarro genre, as far as getting the word out to the people who aren’t familiar with it?

J. K.: It’ll get bigger and bigger. I envision there will be bizarro conventions all over the country (right now it’s only in Portland once a year) and then all over the world. People will refer to it as a genre just as often as they mention horror or SF. You will see celebrities showing interest in bizarro, too. You’ll see movie adaptations.

A. R.: What is your Web site and blog address so we can check out your work?

J. K.: My main site: http://www.filmynoir.com
My blog which is updated more often: http://jordankrall.wordpress.com

JORDAN KRALL BIBLIOGRAPHY

PIECEMEAL JUNE / Novella / Eraserhead Press / 2008

THE BIZARRO STARTER KIT BLUE (anthology) / story “The Longheads” / Bizarro Books / 2008

SQUID PULP BLUES / Novella Collection / Eraserhead Press / 2008

FURNITURE FANGS (zine) / story “Taboric Light Beer” / D.I.Y. zine / 2009

THE MAGAZINE OF BIZARRO FICTION Issue 1 (mag) / story “The Pistol Burps” / Bizarro Books / 2009

FISTFUL OF FEET / Novel / Eraserhead Press / 2009

THE MAGAZINE OF BIZARRO FICTION Issue 2 (mag) / article “The Weird, Weird West” / Bizarro Books / 2009

KING SCRATCH / Novella / Black Rainbows Press / 2010

BLOW UP THE OUTSIDE WORLD (co-written with Ash Lomen) / Chapbook / Bucket O’ Guts Press / 2010

A. R.'s Interview with Ty Schwamberger

I'm kicking off my interview series with horror and bizarro authors with a fellow horror author. Bloodlusters, meet Ty Schwamberger. He's had several short stories published online and in paper, and his first novel came out in 2008. One of his short stories, "Cake Batter," was optioned for a short movie and came out in 2010. A part-time faculty member at the University of Akron, he pens the monthly column, "Ty-ing Up the Genre" for Hellnotes.com and the quarterly column, "Guidance from the Dark Scribe," for Morpheus Tales magazine. Several anthologies and a novella are soon to come.

A.R.: Hi Ty. Thanks for being my guest. I know you write horror, but tell us a little about what kind of stories you pen, what you like to write about the most and where your short stories have been published. Congratulations on "Liquid Courage" in Shroud 9, by the way.

T.S.: Thank you for having me.

When someone asks me what sort of stuff I write; I normally respond with 'horror'. Although in reality I'd say half of my stories are suspense and the other half what I would consider straight-up horror. I enjoy writing about anything from a crazied person, the human psyche, creatures, new twists on classic monsters, and even adding in some scifi in one of my most recent penned short stories (this was more an experiment more than anything - though I think the story came out ok).

As far as my short stories prior to 'Liquid Courage' in Shroud Magazine #9; I was published on some ezines (which in my opinion shouldn't be overlooked by an beginning writer) and in some independent print mags. I do have a few flash stories coming out in anthologies at the end of this year, as well.

All other short stories (as of right now) will be published in forthcoming short story collections.




A.R.: I hear you have seven books coming out in the next year and a half. Tell us a little about that, what your first book is about and where you're going as far as content.

T.S.: I do have one novel that came out in 2008 - which is now out of print. You are correct; I do have seven books coming out in the next year and a half (as of this interview I have actually agreed in principle to an eighth book, but can't announce it until I've signed on the dotted line). The books which I've already signed contracts on are as follows: Fem Fangs (anthology - co-editor, end of this month), For After Midnight (short story collection, 4th Q 2010), Dark Things II (anthology - editor - 1st Q 2011), Twisted Tales from the Torchlight Inn (3-novella collection by Myself, Dean Harrison and Thomas A. Erb - February 2011), Relics & Remains (anthology - editor - March 2011), On Dark, Lonely Nights (short story collection, 1st Q 2012), Dinin' (novella - 1st Q 2012).

You can actually read more about each forthcoming book via various links on my website at: http://tyschwamberger.com

A.R.: What books/short stories/authors influenced you, and why?

T.S.: My favorite author is, Richard Laymon. I have all but 1 of his books (excluding chapbooks and magazines) and absolutely love his writing style. In fact, I've had more than a few people tell me that my writing style is similiar to his. This definitely isn't by design and I can only hope to ever be as half as good as he was. There are several other current authors that I absolutely love to read, as well, but I think that is better left unsaid.

As far as Laymon; I've always enjoyed how he can take such a common situation and turn it into something off-the-wall or macabre. His style is simple, yet effective, and can scare the ever-living hell out of you. It's perfect!

A.R.: Great answer! I love Laymon. What are your favorite horror movies, and what do you think about the state of the horror flick today?

T.S.: I grew up watching the slasher films (Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc) of the 80s. My favorite is definitely the original Friday the 13th movies. Though I don't particularly like the remakes of some of the 80s films, I think the horror movie industry (including some kick ass B-movies) is really pumping out some great stuff, today. I try to watch as many as I can get my grubby little hands on.

A.R.: What are your thoughts on Print on Demand and e-books taking over? I heard Dorchester Publishing has gone all e-books, which includes their Leisure Horror imprint.

T.S.: Listen. I remember two and a half years ago when I started writing (yes, believe it or not, I've only been doing this that short of time - if you couldn't tell from the number of books I have coming out over a relatively short period of time - I like to go balls-out when it's something I love to do); POD was taboo as all get-out. But, now...oh, now...the majority of small presses do it, along with some major publishers. From a business standpoint; how can someone say that isn't the way to go? Hell. You don't have to print thousands of books that you aren't even sure are going to sell and can instead just print them as they are ordered. This DOESN'T in any way diminish the quality of the fiction contained inside the covers (for the 'quality' presses, of course), but helps control overhead and therefore help these great companies not go by the wayside just because the economy of this country is in the dumps.

As far as e-books...some of my future stuff will be coming out in e-book form (though, every title WILL be in print, as well). I can't say I'm absolutely sold on the idea of reading an e-book, since I do write and read my stuff and others that I'm editing for on a 'screen' already, but I will say that tons of people are jumping on the idea of ereaders and such and can help the beginning writer (just as ezines) get in front of a large audience to showcase their stuff.

A.R.: Do you write full-time or do you have a full-time job? What education did you acquire for this work?

T.S.: I graduated from college in 2000 with a BA in History of all things. My degree basically means I can't, unless I would have gone onto graduate school, find a job in my major. For the past 8 years, I've worked for a few companies doing accounting-type work. I actually got asked recently in another interview; how in the world do I still have to work a 'day job' (as I call it) with all the stuff I have coming out. My answer is always; it's not as easy as some people think to be able to make enough writing to do it full-time. Writing full-time is my ultimate goal, and if things keep going as they are now, I hope to be able to do so in the next 5 years. That's if the stress of working full-time and keeping up my current output of material doesn't give me a brain hemorage first...

A.R.: Did you go the agent route, sign with a publisher or self-publish?

T.S.: I've never gone the self-publishing route. Although, if you have a dedicated following like Brain Keene, for example, I think it can work for you. Maybe one day...I don't know.

At this point, and I can say with some authority for the future, I will never sign with an agent. I do think that agents can be beneficial, but I actually enjoy the business side of writing just as much as the putting the words on the page part. All of the stuff I already have out there, and more specifically the future material, I have signed exclusively with a variety of publishers on my own accord.

A.R.: Are you a crafter (must get paid for your stories) or are you an artist (does it for the love of horror)?

T.S.: I consider myself a storyteller. I guess this would technically fall under the 'artist' category. And although I currently do a few things that are unpaid (which I'm not going to tell), I'm at a point now where I need to get paid for the work I do. Bascially, I'm just too damn busy for anything new going forward for which I'm not eventually going to see some sort of monetary compensation coming in.

A.R.: Clive Barker said "Horror is just a sticky-label," that writing a great story is what's most important. Your thoughts on this?

T.S.: How can anyone argue with a master of horror such as Clive Barker, ya know? I definitely can't. I think if you consider yourself a horror writer, which I do, you'll end up bringing in some sort of horrific material into some part of the story - whether it was your intention when you started the thing or not.

A.R.: Will you ever podcast your stories or write a graphic novel?

T.S.: Podcast - At this point, no. Perhaps in the future if the right situation comes along.

Graphic Novel - I would love to jump into this arena and have tried a few times. Graphic novels are really freakin' hot right now and I think it would be great fun to adapt something I've already written into pictures and dialog bubbles or create something new to format the story strictly for the use as a graphic novel.

Thank you, Ty, for your hard work at furthering the horror genre! I wish you much success!

http://tyschwamberger.com