So What's Going On?

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.