Kevin Strange (and book giveaway!!)

Hey there! Welcome back to Author Interview Corner. I’ve got another book giveaway for you guys. Not one, but TWO lucky winners will receive a paperback copy of A Very StrangeHouse Christmas.

This collection includes a story by yours truly and is published by the incomparable STRANGEHOUSE BOOKS. Also featuring a story by Kevin Strange (who we will get to know better in a minute), this book puts a whole new spin on Christmas. Here are the contest rules:

It’s very simple! All you have to do is ‘like’ or comment on this post, and your name will be entered in the random drawing. Two lucky winners will get a book. Easy, huh? It’s my way of saying, “Happy Holidays to you!” But I should warn you… this anthology is not for the faint of heart! 🙂

Hi, Kevin. Thanks for joining us.

Thanks for having me! It still amazes me, after all these years, that people still give a shit what I have to say. Haha

When it comes to horror fiction, you prefer hardcore/ bizarro. What draws you to this genre?

I’ve always been drawn to extreme stories. I grew up on the splatter punks, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Ed Lee. I was reading that shit at 16, started working at a porn shop at 19. I’ve just always been drawn to extreme violence and sexuality. My favorite horror movies as a kid were Evil Dead 2 and Dead Alive. The more blood, gore, and gross out gags the better. So as a creator, I very rarely find enjoyment in nuance and implied violence. The Hardcore horror (formerly Splatterpunk) and Bizarro genres allow me to ramp up the levels of violence and sex to the nth degree without losing my audience in the process. They love reading my crazy shit as much as I love writing it.

Your novelette, The Humans Under The Bed, is narrated from a very different perspective. I love the idea behind it. Please tell us about this story. Where can we find it?

I got the idea in my head to flip the roles of the classic fear children have of monsters hiding under their beds. I came up with a reality where humans created a super computer that turned on them and used their greatest fear against them: monsters. Now, hundreds of years later, monsters rule the planet and have normal day jobs, own homes and raise families, only now, the little monster kids have a fear of their own: humans.

I wanted to write it from a child’s perspective, but still include the ultra violent action I’m known for, so what it ended up becoming was a sort of children’s story for adults. Sort of like the movie The Gate, or Little Monsters. Child protagonists, but stories far too mature for a child audience.

I like to promote my anthology releases through StrangeHouse like bands promote new albums. I present a novella-length story as a stand alone paperback and kindle release a few months in advance of the actual anthology like a band releases a single. In this case, THE HUMANS UNDER THE BED is a part of the STRANGE FUCKING STORIES anthology that will be made available in January 2014.

In addition to the paperback and kindle release, THUTB is also being presented as a serial for free on my blog on Goodreads (goodreads.com/kevinstrange). This week is actually the final installment in the 5 part series.

In addition to writing, you are an editor at StrangeHouse Books. What is the most rewarding part of running a publishing house?

Sean Ferrari is our head editor, I co-own it with him and write for it, run the business side of it, but the guy who molds the books into what they are is definitely Sean. I couldn’t edit my way out of a wet napkin. Haha

The most rewarding part about running the thing is allowing the authors who write for us and the artists who draw covers for us to exercise their creativity and get the chance to have their voices heard in the very, very cluttered environment of small press horror fiction.

As an author, SHB allows me to create a vision for my books and execute that vision without compromise. I am a very independent creator. I don’t like publishers, or anyone else for that matter, mucking around with release dates and promotion for my projects. I want to handle them from concept to release, myself. (I’m trying to overcome this, and branch out to a wider audience through other publishers, but letting go of my babies is hard to do…)

The most challenging part?

The most challenging part is juggling all of the egos, including my own. We separated from one of our founders and a dude we hired as business manager this year, mostly over petty ego crap. We separated from a couple of authors this year as well, far in advance of their contract expiration dates. It’s very difficult to juggle all of those egos involved so that everyone is happy with the resulting transformation from un-edited manuscript to completed book. I deal with authors and artists every single day at all hours of the day and night and, I’d like to think at least, I’m getting better at it. The current roster here at SHB, both behind the scenes and the creative guys in the front are happy with the job I’m doing, so that’s something of a landmark. haha

StrangeHouse Books has a huge catalog with so many interesting titles. How long have you been publishing?

We started publishing in early 2012 with the release of our first anthology, STRANGE SEX. We really didn’t know what we were doing, but right out of the gate we knew we wanted to publish around 12 titles per year to start. We didn’t quite get that far, but we have managed to consistently release titles every single quarter since then. I believe 2014 will be the first year we actually reach 12 releases.

Are you currently open for submissions?

We are currently open until February 1st 2014 for Hardcore Horror novels 55,000 to 85,000 words in length. We released a ton of great bizarro fiction in 2013. Titles like, ALIEN SMUT PEDDLERS FROM THE FUTURE, DAMNATION 101, DINNER AT THE VOMITROPOLIS, STRANGE VS LOVECRAFT, McHUMANS and more.

We’d like to focus on some really visceral, extreme horror titles next year. We’ve already got some Bizarro and Lovecraftian titles slated for release, and of course we’re open to more of that, but we’re primarily looking for extreme horror stuff. Contact Sean @ strangehousesubmissions@gmail.com or visit our submissions page at www.strangehousebooks.com/submissions for more details.

You write everything from articles to short stories to novels. Can you tell us a little bit about the titles you have available?

I wrote and directed movies for years back in the early 2000s, so I have a pretty extensive resume. I am 100% devoted to my fiction now, though. My books available through SHB are:

ROBAMAPOCALYPSE, the story of a cyborg Barack Obama ruling over the only city left on the planet after the zombie apocalypse.

VAMPIRE GUTS IN NUKE TOWN, another post apocalyptic tale. This time it’s vampires that have decimated our civilization, real nasty, feral, giant bat-like creatures. It’s up to one man, Guts, who has a very unusual mutant power to put an end to the vampire menace, before they wipe out the last vestige of humanity.

THE LAST GIG ON PLANET EARTH is my short story collection. This one is much more sinister horror and Lovecraftian menace than the over-the-top extreme gore shit I typically write. It’s for horror fans who want their horror quiet and terrifying.

COTTON CANDY is a short novella about cannibal were-teddy bear orgies. I’ll leave it at that.

McHUMANS is my newest novella and, you guessed it, focuses on a post apocalyptic world. This one is a straight Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos story concerning the Aqua-pocalypse. Cthulhu has flooded the planet and dragged the few humans left alive down to the watery depths to work in fast food type restaurants and serve their fellow humans to their tentacly masters. One brave and stupid young man, Ricky, decides to try to poison the food and kill Cthulhu… with disastrous results.

StrangeHouse Books is a powerhouse of promotion. In 2013, you had a table at several horror conventions in an attempt to sell books and spread the word. What is your favorite part about attending cons? Any plans for 2014?

I think we did around 12 shows this year. Over the summer I worked my day job Monday through Thursday and then travel to cons from Friday to Sunday for 3 months straight. I think I went 91 days without a day off. I’m a road dog, this is what I do. I get in people’s faces and sell them books. I don’t understand how anyone expects to be successful any other way. We sell a ton of books on Kindle, but most of those digital fans started off buying books from us at shows. The horror convention circuit is our home. It’s where SHB was born and it’s where we thrive.

My favorite part of shows is meeting the fans, watching them evolve from casual buyers into hardcore SHB StrangeHeads. We’ve hit all the major midwest cities three or four times now over the last few years and it’s amazing to see how many people’s eyes light up when they see our table and run over to chat, hang out for a bit and buy the new releases. It’s been an amazing journey.

Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

In ten years, I’d like to have a catalog of 200 plus titles. I’d like to be on the road full time doing conventions without having to bother with a day job, and I’d like to be a very successful, self-sustained author with dozens of books under my belt. Maybe I’ll make another movie, maybe I won’t. I’d like to write a comic book and a play, two of the only mediums I’ve yet to explore as a writer.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Stay humble. Check your ego at the door. New writers are the WORST! Especially in the age of instant gratification and social media, most brand new writers expect their first manuscript to be picked up by the very first publishing house they send it to within the first 30 minutes of sending the email. When three months go by and they finally get a rejection letter, they take to social media and bitch about it, sometimes getting as dramatic as saying they’ve been blacklisted by the press and almost always badmouthing them in some way.

Stop that shit. Be open to criticism, be patient. Write. A lot. All the time. For YEARS. Years doesn’t mean months. It doesn’t mean you’re a seasoned veteran after getting published in three obscure anthologies in 9 months. It means write for a very, very long time and be open to absolutely every piece of advice or criticism you receive. Befriend successful authors on social media, watch them work, talk to them, ask them questions, celebrate their successes with them.

I rejected a guy this year because I felt that his manuscript was rushed and conformed to the word count rather than the scope of the story. I rejected him, but I encouraged him to write his story out to novel length and gave him some suggestions for over-arching story lines that I felt were interesting in the short story, but could be great if explored at novel-length.

This guy did the right thing. He didn’t get pissed at me. He sat down and wrote the fucking book. He’s given me updates as time has gone on and is busting his ass to flesh out his great ideas. In the end, he might not get a contract from me, but he’ll have a great book on his hands that wouldn’t have been written had he gotten all pissed at me and told me to fuck myself.

Be humble. That’s the best advice any new writer can take.

Where can we find you on the web?

I’m all over the place:
www.strangehousebooks.com
facebook.com/kevinstrange
facebook.com/strangehousebooks
twitter.com/kevinthestrange
goodreads.com/kevinstrange

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Lisa Morton

*AIR HORN* Hello, readers. This week I’m a little giddy. Why? Because I’m super excited to present my interview with Lisa Morton. So let’s can the intro and get to the good stuff, shall we?

“Monsters Of L.A.” was a fantastic collection, a must-read for any horror fan. You cast the spotlight on a different monster with each story. To me, this demonstrates your range as a writer and simultaneously proves your love for the genre. What motivated you to write this book?

First off – thank you for those kind words, Lindsey! I’d been considering putting together a collection for a while, and when I started looking at stories I wanted to include – I already had the urban legend and slasher stories, for example – I started to realize how often I wrote about my hometown, Los Angeles. I knew then I wanted the collection to be all about Los Angeles, almost like a mosaic novel, and since Hollywood has created our visualizations of most of our classic monsters, the “monsters” part was an obvious addition.

What I love about your stories is the subtle horror of the human condition–handicaps, deformities, drug addiction, gender identity issues, homosexuality. You present people who society might refer to as “different” and allow us to view the world through their eyes. Are you inspired by the downtrodden, by the victims of prejudice? Or does it simply make for a compelling tale?

I’ve known so many interesting people in all walks of life, and I wanted the collection to reflect as much of that as possible (especially given the wide range of social classes and cultures here in Southern California). I knew the basis for my homeless vet in “Frankenstein”, my wannabee actor in “Kaiju”, my creepy studio head in “The Urban Legend”, and the preoccupied young mother in “The Creature”. And I’m really the protagonist in several of these stories, at different points in my life – I was a searching undergrad at UCLA (as in “The Urban Legend”), I was (briefly, thank goodness) the directionless person stumbling across strange geography in my “Slasher” story, and I’ve been the “Invisible Woman” reporting smashed cars and burglarized stores to apathetic police.

One thing I’m not sure I can ever write authentically about is someone in a small town. I’m a lifelong big city girl and I know that small towns have a very different dynamic. Fortunately there are plenty of other fine genre authors tearing into small towns!

I see your new book “Trick Or Treat: A History Of Halloween” is available for pre-order. It’s no secret that you’re obsessed with Halloween. You’ve been referred to as an “aficionado” on the subject, having already released “The Halloween Encyclopedia”. Please, tell us about the new book. What draws you to this holiday?

I always loved Halloween, of course – I was one of those kids who worked on my costumes for months in advance, and as that rare little girl who loved monsters, I preferred werewolves and walking dead to princesses and ballerinas. But I kind of fell into being a Halloween expert by accident: Back in the early 2000s, I’d just finished doing a film book for McFarland, and they asked me if I’d like to do another book. Well, they’d just published The Christmas Encyclopedia, so almost on a whim I proposed The Halloween Encyclopedia, and it took off from there. Fortunately I’m someone who loves research (I would probably have been a great academic!), and I amassed so much information just researching that first book that it spun off into more books.

One of the great things about Halloween is that it keeps transforming, so even when you think you’ve surely discovered everything about the holiday’s history, it’s changing right in front of you and there’s a new wealth of information. While working on Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, for example, I was astonished to discover how the global popularity of Halloween had exploded in just the last five years. Places as diverse as Ukraine, South Africa and China are now celebrating the festival, something unheard of just a decade ago. It really is constantly fascinating to me.

Your story “Sparks Fly Upward”, which appeared in the anthology: The Living Dead, addressed the sensitive topic of abortion. I’m dying to know: have you had any negative feedback from this story?

Some, but fortunately it’s been far outweighed by the positive response. There was one I saw recently somewhere that repeated over and over, “I don’t have any strong personal views on abortion, but THIS –“ I will freely admit that I loved that response!

Do you enjoy writing on a theme, or do you find it restrictive?

I enjoy it. I like the challenge of addressing some subject or worldview I would never have come up with on my own. Editor Stephen Jones gave me two whoppers for his The Mammoth Book of Zombie Apocalypse volumes: For the first one I had to write from the point-of-view of the ultimate zombie movie geek, and for the second I had to be a general in a zombie-human war. I don’t mind telling you that I’m neither an expert on zombie movies nor military history, and I had a great time researching both. For the former, I watched zombie movies galore and read studies on zombie cinema and asked more knowledgeable friends about obscure zombie movies; for the latter, I discovered that WikiLeaks had posted hundreds of military reports from the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I pored over those things at length. I’m pleased with how both works turned out, and hope readers will get a sense of authenticity from them as well.

The majority of your fiction has been in the form of short stories, with a few longer works along the way. Do you have a preference for short stories over novels? Or is their abundance in your bibliography simply the result of novels taking longer to write?

For years I thought writing a novel was surely an impossible task. I started my career as a screenwriter, and the average feature film screenplay is shorter than most novellas; then for years I wrote nothing but short fiction and non-fiction.

Now that I’ve written three novels, I’ll offer another explanation: Novels are a harder sell! With short fiction, editors come to me and I do all the deals myself, but for novels my agent has to shop them and even with him in there fighting for me, response times are forever and there are more writers competing for fewer slots. And for me personally, self-publishing is just not the answer. I tried it with one novella (Wild Girls) and I wasn’t happy with the resulting sales figures. Novels are too much work for me to be content with having a small readership for them.

“The Lucid Dreaming” and “The Castle Of Los Angeles” are two of your longer works, both of which won a Bram Stoker award. Can you tell us a little bit about each book? What is it about these books, in your opinion, that brought home the Stoker award?

The Lucid Dreaming was my first longer work, and it’s a novella about a young woman, Spike, who is a paranoid schizophrenic who finds herself the sanest one left after a viral outbreak leaves everyone else wandering in a permanent hypnagogic state. Spike is full of attitude, and a lot of readers really responded to that, especially women. Too often in horror women are reduced to victims, so I think Spike was a welcome change.

The Castle of Los Angeles was my first published novel (although the second of the three I’ve completed), and again, I think a lot of readers responded to a strong female protagonist. Castle was also frequently autobiographical – it’s based on a lot of time I spent working in small theater, and my lead, Beth, is a writer and director in that arena – and I think readers also enjoyed stepping into that peculiar little arena.

I’m also interested in hearing about “The Samhanach”, which was–no doubt–inspired by your love for Halloween. What’s the storyline of this novella?

The Samhanach is indeed based on a tidbit I stumbled across in my Halloween research – it was little more than a mention of a shapeshifting Scottish bogie that stole children, but the idea of putting something like that into a contemporary suburban Halloween setting really intrigued me. It’s set on a contemporary Halloween night in a suburban neighborhood as a single mother, Merran, finds that her family was cursed by this creature centuries ago, and when it appears to steal her young daughter, Merran pursues the Samhanach into a dimension where legends are real and dreams are reality. My goal was to provide a sort of fictional overview of the history of Halloween (Merran comes into possession of a journal that describes her family’s Halloween celebrations going back hundreds of years), and to talk about the murky subconscious realm where a lot of these notions spring from, and it was tremendous fun to write.

What are you working on at the moment?

This will undoubtedly surprise absolutely no one: Another Halloween novella. This is one of the most unusual things I’ve written, though: The lead character is a Halloween expert named Lisa Morton who is brought in to consult when certain new discoveries about Samhain, the ancient Celtic holiday that was precursor to Halloween, come to light and change everything we think we know about Halloween’s origins. It’s called Summer’s End and will be coming out from JournalStone in 2013.

I’ll also have a novella coming out for this Halloween from Bad Moon Books: I wanted Hell Manor to get away from the nostalgic, trick-or-treat aspects of Halloween that seem to provide the basis for most Halloween fiction, so it’s about the modern haunted attractions industry, and pits a professional trickster against the real (supernatural) thing. It even throws in a bit of noir, which is another genre I love.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

I’d like to mention another book I had come out earlier this year that I’m very proud of: Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times, co-written with Rocky Wood and illustrated by Greg Chapman. It’s a graphic novel about the history of the witch persecutions in Europe and America, and (thanks largely to Greg’s amazing talents) I think it’s a real feast for the eyes. We’ve also been tremendously gratified by both the reviews and by teachers telling us they’ve been using it to teach students about discrimination, which is surely one of the best compliments an author can ask for.

Where can we find you on the web?

I’m at http://www.lisamorton.com, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.morton.165, where you might find me posting about everything from new book announcements to Exorcist lunchboxes and silly stories from my day job as an overworked used bookseller.

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