The Horror Show with Brian Keene (and Dave Thomas) Episode 122, which features an interview with me that was recorded a few weeks ago, is now available for download!  We discussed many things, including personal influences, my debut novel THE BETRAYED, my story entry for CLICKERS FOREVER, and my hockey obsession.  Although I was nervous as hell initially, I quickly settled in and had a blast being questioned by two of my absolute favorite authors: Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni.  A big thank you to all three of them for having me.  I hope you enjoy!

Hey, everyone!  Hope you guys/gals are doing OK out there.  Just a quick update on where I’m at in my personal and writing life.

Things have been a little hectic for me over the last few months.  My wife and I have decided to move from Indiana (where I’ve lived most of my life, sans the two years I attended college in Atlanta, Georgia) to Pennsylvania (where my wife is originally from, and where the two of us met).  The plan is for her to leave and start her new job next month, and I’ll be staying behind to prep and sell the house.  I hope the process won’t take but a few months, but you never know…

I’m nervous as hell about the move.  But the writer in me is excited.  I’m not blessed with the ability to sit and hang with other writers on a regular basis, to talk shop and bounce ideas off one another, and in turn I feel it hurts my writing and my drive.  Writing is already a very solitary exercise, but to be nearly void of author kinship can be detrimental to your creativity.  Every time I’m able to visit my writer friends in PA I get a renewed sense of inspiration and desire to create and better my work.  It forces me to want to climb the hill and get to where I want to be.  I know there are better things for me out East.  I know now that I’ll have more opportunities to grow my readership and attend signings and conventions (since most of the writing-centric gatherings are out that way).

Where does that lead my writing at the moment?  Unfortunately I haven’t been able to write much at all lately.  House repairs and traveling have taken up much of my free time, and I haven’t been able to produce like I would like to.  What I can tell you is that I recently had a short story accepted for the J.F. Gonzalez tribute anthology CLICKERS FOREVER.  I’m really proud of it.  I was nervous as hell to write in someone else’s world, especially someone as influential to my own writing as Gonzalez was.  The story is titled “For You, Anything” and it’s set in the world of his 2009 novel PRIMITIVE.  It’s due out from Thunderstorm Books some time later in the year.

I’m also about five thousand words into novella I’m calling ONE FOR THE ROAD.  I’m really excited to get back to work on it soon, as it is a story I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time.  I imagine that it will be around twenty thousand words by the end.  it’s probably the closest I’ll ever come to writing in the bizarro genre.

After that?  A few more short stories and then onto novel number 2 (working title: Ocean Front View).

Alright, everyone.  Gotta go.  Katie and I are leaving for a trip to Pennsylvania tomorrow to visit friends and family, with a quick stop in Louisville to see Dave Chappelle live (another check mark on the bucket list).  Gotta recharge those creativity batteries.  And I’m also recording an interview on a very well known podcast this weekend as well, which I’m incredibly excited and nervous about.

See you soon!