Q: When did you decide to become a writer?
I’ve always loved to read and writing grew from that. When I was twelve I sent a children’s book to a publisher, it didn’t get picked up surprisingly, but I suppose that would be the moment where I made a conscious decision to write.
Q: What inspired you to create your debut novella, Prisoner of Stewartville?
A year before writing THE PRISONERS OF STEWARTVILLE, I visited the small town where I grew up and was inspired by the memories of the urban legends and ghost stories we told each other as kids. I started writing as soon as we got home.
Q: Will this be part of a series?
My books will hopefully be part of a continuous universe, though each book may not follow the same time line and characters.
Q: How would describe your writing style?
I would describe it as grunge-lit, dark realism, and gritty horror. Poverty, addiction, and despair feature heavily in my stories.
Q: What was the journey like for you as you were writing, editing, and publishing your works?
The journey was overwhelming. Prisoners was the first long fiction I wrote and submitted and it was picked up almost immediately by a small, independent press. I was totally unprepared to promote myself as an author. It’s something I learned a lot of writers struggle with, but it’s a necessary evil and it does get easier with time.
Q: When will this new novella be released and where can readers buy it?
The novella is out now! You can visit Brgids Gate Press for the universal purchase link.
Q: Can you tell us, readers, what your main character is like?
Casey is a seventeen year old boy that lives in Shady Acres trailer park his brother and Nana. He believes the town he lives in is cursed and that makes him feel helpless. When he finds a tunnel in his friend’s basement, that begins to change.
Q: Did you have any difficulties in creating this latest book?
Absolutely. First I struggled with who the main character should be and where the story should begin. Then I struggled with the middle of the book; the building of action and events. The ending was the only part of the book that came to me immediately.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers in your genre?
To keep writing. Let the characters go where they want. Don’t quit if it isn’t selling right away, because on page 40 an idea may come to you where it all falls into place. But you’ll never find it if you quit on page 40.
Q: Would you ever write books in any other genre?
I would love to! Unfortunately, my imagination just goes to the worst-case scenario every time and every book becomes a horror.
Q: What were your favorite moments as a writer when working on your book?
When an idea would come to me out of nowhere and suddenly, I had a fresh burst of inspiration and the words flowed without much struggle. Thats when the muse shows up and you’re just along for the ride.
Q: Where can readers find you and your books?
Just follow this link!
https://brigidsgatepress.com/product/the-prisoners-of-stewartville
Urban Book Reviews 