Interview by Devan Sagliani
Thanks for agreeing to do the interview with us James. Do us a favor and tell Bookie Monster readers a little bit about yourself.
Your Blood Soaked series from Permuted Press is getting a
lot of attention. From fan reviews alone on Amazon it's clear you've found a
loyal fan base. For those who don't know about it yet, how would you describe
the series?
I once had a review that
characterized the first book as being “too funny”. That’s probably a great
place to start.
My “Blood Soaked” series is
heavily influenced by British sci-fi and horror. That means you’re likely to
have gore, something funny, and then your heartstrings plucked in the same
paragraph. I am a snarky person, so you can be sure that my writing reflects my
personality. I’m also an unrepentant geek and blade-snob.
The books themselves follow
Frank Stewart, freelance zombie exterminator, and his unusually successful
post-apocalyptic community, as they cope with sentient zombies. The reanimated
corpses remember who they were before they died— revived optimized for hunting
and combat—and they just don’t care.
Everything begins to go sideways
for Frank when the military botches an attack on a large, organized, zombie
group. Being practical, the revived government contractors move to an area they
know very well, Arlington, Virginia, a reasonable walk from the neighborhood
where Frank lives. They discover, pretty quickly, that the world isn’t big
enough for peaceful coexistence… especially when one of Frank’s friends has
something they need.
What kinds of challenges did you face when you were writing
the series? What kind of research did you do when you were working on your
novel?
The challenges I faced, mostly,
were of my own creation. I was in denial about “Blood Soaked and Contagious”
being a novel until I hit about 60k words. The story I told myself is that I’m
not an author; I’m just messing around because creating the Man Scythe (Frank’s
go-to weapon in the books) costs far too much to make.
So, I wandered into e-publishing
unprepared, assuming that it was a grand experiment, and not a money-making
enterprise where normal people become a profit center for titanic corporations.
I won’t belabor the point, just Google my name, plus “Amazon Royalties”. I learned important things, the hard way,
right out of the gate. (Always read the contracts you sign COMPLETELY.)
As far as research, I didn’t do
anything unusual until I started writing “Blood Soaked and Invaded”. That’s
when I began poking around websites for information about “top secret
government facilities” as potential backdrops for the action.
Give us a few of your favorite quotes from your newest book
Blood Soaked and Invaded
“How
about that, honey? Our baby knows you already and she wants to come see you!”
Mara looked down and nudged the baby with her foot. “Go give Daddy some love,
sweetie cakes! I’ll be there in a minute, after I feed this false friend his
man parts.”
“Snerk,”
the newborn cackled and bounded across the grass like a squirrel playing “Lawn
Dolphin”.
Do you feel that the Blood Soaked series has a specific
message for readers and if so what is it?
Life is like a box of
chocolates… No, seriously… Every time I read that question, it becomes harder
to answer. Your family/family of choice/community are vital to your survival
and the experience of being human. Laughter and love help us retain our
humanity in the face of tragedy and horror. If I have messages to deliver, I
think those two are good ones.
What's the hardest part about writing?
The hardest thing about writing
is common to many things in our lives: the stories we tell ourselves about the
value of what we do. Writing is seldom about monetary success, and we’re geared
to accept money as the measure of success, validity, or authenticity. Whether
or not you ever see a dime from your writing: you are a writer. Even if you
never publish, you are still an author.
Value your craft, and value your
place as a craftsperson among craftspeople.
What are some of the techniques you use to get past writer's
block? Do you have a process for getting up and writing? What does it involve?
Taking a walk, or changing
venue… those are the things that seem to work for me. I’ve also found that
writing “ahead” in your storyline is useful, or putting the project down and
doing something else. When I’m really stuck, I talk it out with a friend.
In the short time I've been your friend on Facebook I've
seen you post a lot about weapons. What would you chose to fight your way out
of a zombie attack?
Given no choice but to fight, I would like to have a few thousand rounds of ammo, a FN F2000 5.56mm bullpup, or a P90. I wouldn’t mind a naginata, and an assortment of closer-combat blades, as well.Um… grenades, too.
Who are your favorite writers? Whose writing do you feel
influenced you the most as you developed your own voice?
Robert Heinlein. Spider
Robinson. CJ Cherryh. Jim Butcher. Mario Acevedo. I think my writing voice is
in the Richard Kadrey/Jim Butcher/Mario Acevedo spectrum.
What was it like getting picked up by Permuted Press? Can
you share with us a little bit about the process of going from an indie writer
to getting a publisher?
I wasn’t looking for a publisher
when I was contacted by Permuted Press, but they were someone I’d been
considering querying in the future. I did a little research, loved what I
learned, and signed on.
Honestly, Devan, I’m still
fumbling through the emotions surrounding being picked up by Permuted. I didn’t
expect to be here, and tried really hard not to dream about seeing my work in
print. Yet, here I am. It is cognitive dissonance, a sense of accomplishment,
happiness, and a lingering feeling of having stepped out of the Tardis in an
alternate universe.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers who want to
see themselves published one day?
DO NOT STOP. If you love it,
keep doing it. There is no such thing as failure if everything is a learning
experience. Ask questions with curiosity, and explore everything that looks
interesting.
Do you have any plans to write in a different genre in the
future?
Yes! I have an urban fantasy
manuscript that I’m planning to shop after it has been edited. I’m still going
around on the title, though.
What's next for you?
Well, I send the manuscript for
the latest book in the “Blood Soaked” series to the publisher this morning. So,
sometime in the near future, “Blood Soaked and Gone” will be available! (I may
have started writing a fourth book in the series, too.)
Also, Audible is producing audio
books for “Blood Soaked and Contagious” and “Blood Soaked and Gone”. I think
they’ll be available later this year or early next.
How do fans reach you?
Other www.olddominionbladesmiths.org