 |
| This pic is from the 2016 Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror Contributors. |
Hello, everyone! Allow me to introduce the Gentleman who wrote the Foreward for this year's Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror Anthology: A. J. Brown! His answers will appear in red.
1) Is this your first year participating in the LGoH?
No. This is actually my second. I was in the 2016 as one of the Gentlemen of Horror and I had the pleasure of writing the forward for LGoH.
2) If so, tell us what drew you to this anthology.
That’s easy. Jennifer Miller drew me to it. Originally, I was supposed to appear in one of the editions a few years ago—2010, I believe. Things kind of fell through and I really wanted to give it another shot. I followed Jennifer’s post on social media and we talked from time to time, just about stuff, in general, and writing. Then I asked her if there were any available slots in any of the upcoming releases. Turns out, there was a spot in the 2016 version and I jumped on it. It was a wonderful experience. A lot of work, but it was so much fun putting working on it.
3) If you’ve written for previous LGoH anthologies, list the story titles and years.
2016—Crisps Noise
4) What is your preferred genre?
I write mostly dark stuff, so I’m going to say horror, but with a realistic slant.
5) What other titles do you have published?
Oh man, I’ve had over 175 short stories published over the years, but I have several books out and I’ll see if I can get them in the right order here. Along the Splintered Path (a short story collection), Southern Bones (a short story collection), Cory’s Way (novel), A Stitch of Madness (short story collection), Dredging Up Memories (Novel), Ball Four (a short story collection about baseball), All We See is the End (a collaboration with the immensely talented M.F. Wahl), and The Forgetful Man’s Disease (a novella) Whew!
6) Where do you get your ideas?
Real life. Most of my stories have a realistic slant to it (even the horror ones). I find the best stories are often found all around me. They just need to be told.
7) Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both. Starting a new story is always energizing and exciting. Finishing the story is also a thrilling feeling. The exhausting part is when a story doesn’t seem to want to end.
8) Do you write for yourself or your audience?
Myself. Stephen King said in his book On Writing, the writer is the story’s first reader. With that in mind, I write every story as if I am going along for the ride. I want to be just as moved as the readers are when they read one of my stories. If I’m not moved in some way, then how do I expect the readers to be moved?
9) What other authors are you friends with and how do they help you become a better writer?
I think I have more author friends than I have other friends. There are a handful that help me when I’m struggling or who have taught me a lot as I have gone along. Fran Friel is at the top of the list. As is Justin Dunne, Lisa Vasquez, M.F. Wahl, and John Miller is the most fascinating author I have ever met.
10) What was the hardest scene to write?
I wrote a scene in a book I have not put out yet where a teenaged boy dies brutally. It was the one scene I have written that almost made me quit writing all together.
11) Do you Google yourself?
I do when I am trying to see if any of my books have been reviewed, but other than that, no.
12) Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Ha! Yes! There are a lot of hidden things in my stories that if a certain person or certain people read them, they would be like, ‘Hey, I know what he is talking about here, or where this could have happened.’
13) Do you have any little known facts you’d care to reveal to us now?
I’m deaf in my left ear, but you probably want something juicy. To that, I can only say, the really good stuff needs to remain a secret!
~*~*~
A. J., thank you so much for allowing me to interview you. It's great getting to know authors!
People can find A. J. Brown at these places:
Facebook author page.
Facebook fan page.
Amazon author page.
Blog
Have a great rest of your week, everyone!
No comments:
Post a Comment