Q: Are
you still writing?
A: Yes. Very slowly. I tried voice recognition
software, but dictating uses a different part of the brain, and changes my
“writing voice.” That means I’ll have to finish my current project by hand. But
if I continue writing past this project, it will be with the speech recognition
software.
Q: Is
that project still Horn Lake?
A: Yes. I’m currently at 140,000 words, but
this novel will be around the size of Spiderstalk. That means there is a long
way to go, and I’m reduced to two fingered typing these days.
Q: I saw
Grandma Lilah mentioned in that snippet earlier. Is Horn Lake a sequel to
Spiderstalk?
A: No. Horn Lake actually takes place a couple
of years before the events in Spiderstalk. It is its own story and no knowledge
of Spiderstalk is necessary to enjoy it. But it also takes place in Cole County,
and therefore shares a couple of supporting characters with Spiderstalk…and one
from a few of my short stories as well. In Horn Lake, Grandma Lilah makes a
couple of appearances, but it’s from the POV of an outsider while she’s playing her role as
“witch woman.” She does make an important contribution to the story.
Q. Who
are these other supporting characters from Spiderstalk?
A. Samual Hitch and Sheriff Wiley Prescott
also make appearances, and MAYBE a younger Maggie. But the bigger role will
actually belong to a character from several of my short stories; Sheriff Les
Patterson.
Q: Fine,
but it’s a monster novel like Spiderstalk, right?
A: No. It’s actually a haunted house/ghost
story, more than anything else.
Q: So,
more like The Shining?
A: Sort of, yet not exactly. Both are horror
novels with big buildings and ghosts, but the similarities start to fade after
that. The nature of the growing threat is different, the nature of the
characters and their conflicts are different, the underlying themes are
different, and the structure of the entire novel is different. But if it is ever considered to be even a
tenth as good as a masterpiece like The Shining, I’ll be happy.
Q: So
you are going to finish this, right?
A: I intend ro. I know it’s taken forever, but
I haven’t given up. I’m still pecking away at the keys. My original goal was to
write at least ten books, and this one would be number eight. Wish me luck.
Q: Good
luck. Are either of those last two books going to be Nightwalk 3?
A: I have no idea. Same rules as always apply…
I will only write a sequel if I come up with a story worthy of the original.
Q: Horn Lake will add ghosts to the zombies, giant spiders, and Lovecraftian
creatures you’ve already written about so far. If you continue writing, what’s
next?
A: I have several projects I’ve started in the
past that had to be set aside as the ones that eventually got published took
over. An Aztec demon, a karmic type of succubus, a vengeful maimed vampire, and
a couple of unique critters can be found among them. Some of them actually have
book covers already made. But I’m not even imagining that far ahead.
Q: So
your plan is to two-finger type another forty or fofty thousand words to finish
this novel, and that’s before editing and revision. Seriously?
A: That’s how I did the past fifty thousand
words, so it CAN be done. It just takes patience. I have two kids and a whole
zoo of pets, so I simply ooze patience. Hang in there.
