Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why?
A: Hard question, as the endless possibilities made my mind race with the following thoughts: What about a Mogwai? No. It might turn into a Gremlin. What about Alf? No. He might eat the cat. What about the talking worm from Labyrinth? No, evil scientists would try to capture him to run tests and experiments. So, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot handle the moral responsibility of a fantasy pet and must decline but thank you for offering.Q: What type of music best describes your writing?
A: Metal symphony!Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you.
A: I have two desks in two rooms, yet I end up writing in bed on my laptop, which is terrible for my posture and my bad wrist, I know. What can I say? Depressed goth girls love their beds. Perhaps because there is always a pillow to scream into. I’m working on sitting at a desk more often, though (she types from her bed)Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two?
A: I’m often inspired by the drawings of children. Kids are bold and unfiltered when they express themselves, and I think that’s why children’s drawings are the focal point of a lot of horror movie scenes. They don’t worry about how people will respond to their art. They simply draw the world as they see it.Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you?
A: Oh boy. The dreaded ‘J’ word. Job. I’ve had over thirty of those! People like to ask each other, “What do you do?” but very little of what I’ve done to make ends meet has anything to do with who I am. Jobwise, I am a woman of many hats. The only thing that’s a constant in my life is the drive to create. Nothing else holds my attention. I used to think this made me defective, but I’ve learned to appreciate it. Is writing a hobby? No. It’s my whole identity. It’s who I am underneath
the many hats. And it’s likely the only hat that matters in the end.Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting?
A: I write a few times a week. I’m happy to get 500 words, but more is always nice.Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story?
A: It has been a while since I’ve had a new one come out, but July is a big month for me. I have at least three stories coming out in different publications that month. I’m going to celebrate by doing games and giveaways on my page.Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life?
A: Poorly, to be honest! Sometimes I neglect the writing until I must eventually lock myself away and catch up. I wish I was more structured. It’s like Franz Kafka said: “The non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.” I can’t bottle it up. Sometimes I forget that. It’ll come out with fury. Haha.Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences.
A: If you should ever think of Lindsey Goddard and miss her--write a poem, beat a drum, paint a picture, sing a song, count the colors in the garden, or watch the birds in the sky. Because those are the moments that she enjoyed the most. And those are the moments worth living.Q: What project are you most proud of completing?
A: I’m getting ready to release my novel, Ashes of Another Life. It was released in 2016 as a novella, but it has been expanded. I have always loved this story, and it’s even better now. Can’t wait to drop it!Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about?
A: Ohhhhh, just a little thing called WeirdWideWeb.org where we hold writing contests, write blogs, and record a podcast.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book who would you choose and why?
A: My character Tara Jane Brewer from Ashes of Another Life left behind a polygamist cult at the age of fourteen and has a whole new life ahead of her. I’d pick her. Who to write her? A strong female voice such as Catriona Ward, Mercedes M. Yardley, Laurel Hightower, or Caitlin Marceau. I’ve read them all, and it amazes me how they capture the fragile yet enduring human condition.Q: Where can your readers find you on social media?
A: I would LOVE more followers on X! My profile is: X.com/lindseybethgodd
Insta: https://instagram.com/lindseybethgoddard
BlueSky: lindseygoddard.bsky.socialBio: Lindsey Goddard lives in Missouri but wishes she didn't. Her first short story collection, Respect for the Dead, was published through Total Darkness Press in 2011. Her first novella, Ashes of Another Life, was released through Omnium Gatherum Media in 2016 and is slated for release as a full-length novel in 2024. Her fiction has been published by Dark Moon Books, The Sinister Horror Company, ZBF Books, and more. Lindsey Goddard has three short story collections, a poetry book, and runs WeirdWideWeb.org.
I just wanted to give my readers a list of the markets I have been researching for writing stories, so you know I am very serious about writing daily as I have promised to my donators. I want to be loyal to all of you and continue to earn your trust and hopefully, more pledges as the Write-A-Thon continues through July to help disadvantaged authors be able to attend wonderful workshops with great teachers to help them hone their crafts. You can donate to my fundraiser here. So far, I’ve reached 34% of my $500 goal. Please consider helping me reach my goal. If I do, I will up my goal to $700 and see how far I can get. Thank you to everyone that has helped me so far!
I would like to add I have already submitted to thirteen publications this June. 🙂 And I am still planning on starting a novel, a prequel to a short story as well. I will post the short story in its entirety on here for you to read, as it has been published for some time. Have a great writing day!
You might ask why you should consider donating to Clarion West Workshops and here is an informational link about what the foundation is all about and where your donations go.
If you would like to support other writers participating in this year’s Write-A-Thon for Clarion West, there is a list of participants to choose from as well.
Help me raise money for other people to go to Clarion West workshops.
Today I’m researching different types of flowers that could possibly drain people of blood. A witch is going to use the blood to bewitch different types of fountain pens for writers to buy for different purposes. That’s my story idea I’m working on today. Here are a few of the royalty free images I could find. I’m a stickler about royalty free images, so there aren’t many, but these are a few flowers in my witch’s lovely garden:
Bat flowers, which I didn’t even know existed until I started doing my research last night! And now feel I must own IMMEDIATELY! Because … BAT FLOWERS!
Black Bat flower taken on a tropical island.
The black bat flower as opposed to the white one photographed above. I don’t know which is cooler. White or black? You tell me. I WANT BOTH!
Of course, what witch’s blood sucking garden would be complete without the corpse flower, right?
And the innocent violet, which seems innocent, but if you stare at them long enough, they look like tiny faces that could eat you. I never noticed this until I was researching flowers on the internet today, so thanks for that, internet. I now will rest uneasy tonight thinking of all the times I ate the old-fashioned candies my father brought home for me and how they could have their lasting revenge in my witch’s garden. Thanks a lot!
Today started the first day of the Clarion West Write-a-thon 2024. My goal now through July 27th is simply to be writing every day and using this blog to keep all of you updated that have donated to the Write-a-thon to help other creatives take workshops to learn and grow. Maybe, I will start on my next novel as well. So far this month I have submitted to thirteen markets.
Tonight, I wrote a 1000k story called And the Sun No Longer Shone. It’s about a little bee who is one of the last from its hive to survive a terrible meteor blast. It wanders out into the world in search of nectar alone and weak. Its usual field where it fed has become choked with orange/brown dust and the flowers are only opening for a few hours in the morning after dawn. The nectar tastes dirty and rancid. The poor little bee travels further than it ever traveled before and comes upon a house in the middle of this wasteland, after passing through the field it used to gather nectar from, which is completely destroyed. It is so feeble and hungry, but it makes it inside. The family has perished at the supper table. The bee is hopeful though because it finds there are flowers inside the house, but soon discovers they are only flowers made of Legos, so it goes to ask the other bee where there is some nectar, but the bee is also made of Legos. The poor little bee is very confused by the plastic flowers and the plastic bee. It cannot understand why humans would create such things when there are real flowers and real bees in the world. “Are they not doing a good job?” it wonders. And then he curls up and dies.
Yes, this is a very depressing story, but the call for the story is how we interact in our natural world with the world we have created around us. I don’t think we always create things that are healthy for us even though we have the skills to do so. Legos are an awesome kids’ toy, but I use something we all love to show how we live in a world of blended reality between real and created nature. I also might submit this story for another call on how we seek out interactions and try to form bonds between us.
Insects are fascinating. People think they are tiny aliens, but I think they are tiny villages filled with tiny people. As a child I used to enjoy watching them for hours and gathering information from how they interacted with one another. I knew they had souls, and I would get very upset whenever anyone treated them as any less than living beings with feelings. I still feel drawn to them. They often play a large part in my stories. In fact, For the Sake of Brigid, found on Amazon, has bees as some of the main characters. At Godless.com it is on sale as an eBook right now for $0.99. Make sure to watch out for more insect stories from me because I am sure I’m not done writing about my fascinating bug friends.
Here is my fundraising page, if you would like to donate. I’m 38% there. Thank you to all my donors. I’m raising $500 for Clarion West this summer.
Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why? A: Fenrir. A wolf massive enough that it can be used as a sofa and ridden like a horse. What’s not to love?
Q: What type of music best describes your writing? A: Emo. Melodramatic and maybe a little immature, but fun and full of energy.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why its special to you? A: My writing space is comfortable and filled with a lot of things that inspire me, but one of my favourite things is my vintage banker’s lamp. I inherited it from my grandmother, who was also a writer. There’s a tiny smiley-face sticker on it that she put there to remind herself to be positive.
Q: What is your favourite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two? A: I don’t have a specific piece of art that has inspired any specific stories, but I’ve always loved the work of Roy Lichtenstein, and his pop art-inspired paintings are inspiring to my approach to writing in general. Lichtenstein recreated the look of pages from romance comics, down to doing cross-hatching or using dots rather than filling a space with colour, remaking what society considers trash as high art by turning it into an oil painting in an art museum. The pulp art made for mass consumption can be seen as high art with a higher message, depending on how you look at it. I always tell people my dream is to write something like RoboCop: absolute B-movie fun and a vicious indictment of capitalism at the same time.
Q: If you didn’t write full time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you? A: Writing is definitely my dream job, but it’s not my day job. I actually work as a production scientist for a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting? A: Terry Pratchett said he wrote 400 words a day, so I like to make that my baseline.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story? A: I like to light a candle and pour one out for Dionysus.
Q: How do you balance your writing life with your outside life? A: Every time I think I have it figured out; all my habits completely fall apart. I go through periods of setting aside an hour or two a day to write in the evening, once I’m done with work but before dinner, and I manage to keep it up for a few months, only to lose discipline for a few weeks. But I think those few weeks of relaxation are necessary. Writers need to gather experiences in order to write things that feel true and vivid.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences. A: “C believed in radical empathy, striving to understand everyone’s point of view, even and especially the ones she disagreed with. At the same time, she feared it was impossible to ever fully understand any other human. Hopefully, the afterlife is the place of deep, peaceful understanding that she always sought.”
Q: What project are you most proud of completing? A: Right now, I’m most proud of working on a recent 48 Hour Film Project, a competition where you have 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film with a team. There were a lot of tough challenges that I’m not used to – writing a screenplay, not prose, working within a very small budget, and using an unexpected genre – but our short film was completed and submitted on time.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about? A: There’s no release date yet, but I’m excited for the coming release of my novella, Thyrst Festival. It’s a survival horror story about being trapped on a private island for a luxury music festival that has gone horribly wrong – because the organizers are vampires.
Q: Who is your favourite character from any of your stories and why? If you had a chance to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why? A: One of my favourite characters I’ve written was from a short mystery story, Inspector DeSordre. I’ve always loved the type of fussy, meticulous detective characters like Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc, but I wrote DeSordre to be a messy slob as a fun subversion on the trope. I think Ruth Ware could write a really good mystery for him to solve.
Q: Where can your readers find you on social media? A: @Sealenz on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, and links to all my published stories are at https://linktr.ee/sealenz
Bio: C Lenz is a writer, scientist, and odd little thing. Her stories have been published by Metaphorosis, the NoSleep Podcast, and Fairfield MicroScribes, among others, and her novella Thyrst Festival will be released November 15th, 2024. (Her published stories can be found at https://linktr.ee/sealenz ) She lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with her wife Zoey.
Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why? A: Probably that black hole thing from The Cipher by Kathe Koja. If you haven’t read that book, it’s about this strange black hole that appears in a storage closet that the main character and his girlfriend discover. When the main guy sticks in his hand, it mutates. They get this crazy, nearly sexual obsession with it. It’s a trip of a book. I think it’s described as the funhole and it makes everyone obsessed and violent in the neighborhood. I pick that because it would help me make friends.
Q: What makes you unique as an author? A: I think on a superficial level, I’ve really taken ergodic techniques into all of my layouts. When I first started writing, which was when I was 12, I did things the standard way which is what 99% of books in fiction do. Starting with 2023’s By The Ocean, I started implementing unique formatting into my writing. I learned how to use InDesign for layouts to give me more customization options because I wanted to really reward people for buying my work and produce a product that is unlike anything else on the market. When you flip through By The Ocean, you’ll see that the beginning of every chapter has reverse colored text and a distorted version of the cover to produce this sort of damaged media effect. This effect grows with each chapter. I also used spiral shaped text and text in the shapes of waves. I don’t do it so overbearingly that it’s a pain to read, but enough so that when I really want to put emphasis on a passage, the reader really gets drawn to it. I guess like most people, I was really impressed with House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It’s not supposed to be a gimmick to replace good writing, I just think it adds a certain flavor that can’t be found in many other places in a meaningful place.
In terms of writing, I think I’ve found the balance between writing horror that is horrific and things that actually have a really important message. My current project, which is called When Bad Dogs Do Good Things, is really inspired by splatterpunk but one major criticism that splatterpunk gets I think unfairly is that it is senselessly violent. In the case of that story, it’s one of the most horrific and violent things I’ve ever written, but it has a really important narrative about the male savior complex, narcissm, and misogyny. I think it also touches on a societal issue where we are very focused on self improvement without accountability as to how we treat others. That’s not to say that mental issues or trauma is anybody’s fault, but it certainly is your responsibility to make sure you don’t use it as a crutch to treat the people around you like garbage.
I also jump genres a lot. Weeping of the Caverns, which I published at 15, is an almost fantasy horror epic. Grey Skies, which came out when I was 15, is surreal allegorical horror akin to David Lynch or Silent Hill. The Vampire of Koln is a historical fiction slasher set in World War 2 where each chapter has a different main character to really capture that “war is hell” perspective.” My fourth novel, which i put out last year, is a very depressing drama called By the Ocean and that’s about a man going on drug fueled death binge.
Q: What type of music best describes your writing? A: I’d probably say something intense and full of tempo changes like Dillinger Escape Plan or maybe something super weird like Mr. Bungle. For my darker stuff, I’d say noisier metal like Whores or Knocked Loose which is full of vitriol and chaos. I love music that is chaotic and doesn’t ever stop to let you feel comfortable.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you. A: Maybe I’m crazy but I don’t have a set writing space. I’ve written stuff while using voice to text on my phone notes in the shower, I’ve written stuff after I’ve tucked my toddler in on my phone, I’ve written on my laptop at a nice big wooden desk in the middle of the day, and I’ve even stayed late after work at my office to write. I have memories of being in Atlanta and being on the 26th story looking over the city and writing a chapter on a $200 ThinkPad. That being said, I prefer writing in the dark and/or with colored lights, not as much in the daytime.
Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two? A: David Lynch’s Lost Highway and Eraserhead have both had a tremendous impact. When I was in high school, I remember having a blast with friends trying to discover the meaning behind the films. While I could never dream of creating something as ambiguous and inaccessible as a Lynchian piece, I enjoy leaving breadcrumbs in the narrative that aren’t actually immediately answered, the kind that you really notice upon re-reads. I can’t compare myself talent wise to Lynch but I’ve always appreciated how he sort of rewards the fans that watch all of his works and re reads them
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you? A: Writing is more than a hobby for me but definitely not a career. I work a job full time (in addition to being a 23-year-old parent) that allows me to be social and creative. I would go crazy if I only wrote.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting? A: This alternates from project to project. In 2019 when I was in school and before COVID, I wrote 200 words every day. In the Summer of 2020, I did 600 a day. I write less frequently now but I’ve become more of a fan of the writing sprint: where I’ll take thirty minutes or so and write as many words as possible. It usually helps me get out of sections I’m stuck in.
My policy is that I generally write as many words as I need to while maintaining a certain quality. There’s no answer to this. I wrote Something Wrong with Max in three sittings in entirety. I wrote New York Onions in one sitting. I probably took 30 sittings to write When Bad Dogs Do Good Things. The smallest session probably generated about 200 words, the largest around 7,000.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story? A: Usually by telling every person on the face of the earth.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life? A: Because I piss excellence, I have no problem doing this. I could write in my sleep. When I’m demotivated, I have a really good support system of friends and family who always remind me that I matter. That’s why when I put out a book, there’s always a lot of people thanked in the beginning sections.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences. A: William Becker was proud father who ran every step that he walked. Sometimes he wrote books. He’s thankful for his family and friends.
Q: What project are you most proud of completing? A: I’m proud of them all. I’m proud of writing and editing Weeping of the Caverns when I was 14 and publishing it when I was 15. I’m proud of publishing Grey Skies while I was applying for college and had just turned 18. I’m proud of publishing The Vampire of Köln while I was 22 and dealing with a crazy court battle while working my first months of my career job. I’m proud of publishing By the Ocean just seven months after The Vampire of Köln when I had just turned 23. I’m proud of coming up with the concept of Something’s Wrong with Max on New Years Eve of 2023, then having it written, edited, and accepted for publication by the 10th of January in 2024. Maybe my most impressive nonrealized achievement so far is what will be my fifth full length novel, An Act of God. I came up with the original concept when I was 13 back in 2014. For the massive scale of the novel, I didn’t feel ready to put pen to paper, so I spent the next five years until mid 2019 just jotting down ideas that stuck.
I wrote 200 words a day of the novel until late 2020 roughly, when I was 19 about to turn 20 and found out I’d be a father. I started writing again in December of that year and January of 2021 until at the end of that month, when I was driving home one night, a man threw himself in front of my car while I was going 50 miles an hour. This put a wrench in the writing plans. My daughter was born in April of 2021. I put the finishing touches on the final draft of the story in June and May of that year. Now it’s 2024. I’m about to start heavily editing with a goal of release in November or December, 10 years after the inception of the story.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about? A: in addition to An Act of God, I’m working with a publisher to put out When Bad Dogs Do Good Things in August and September. It’s a novella that’s about 20,000 words long and heavily inspired by splatterpunk punk legends like Judith Sonnet, Daniel J Volpe, and Aron Beauregard. It’s about a misanthropic depressed incel who finds himself taken by the most violent night of his life. It’s sexual, drug-fueled, and uncomfortable beyond words.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why? A: My recency bias tells me about the protagonist from When Bad Dogs Do Good Things. He hates himself and is perpetually lonely, but that comes with a sense of black humor and disdain for the world that really makes the character shine. He’s not written to be a shining example of a good person but he represents a lot of the worst tendencies in people. He’s constantly miserable and he was a blast to write. I’m sure we’ve all met someone like him.
Q: Where can your readers find you on social media? A: @TheWilliamBecker on TikTok and Instagram.
Bio: William Becker is an author of transgressive, provocative, and dark novels with roots in the horror genre. He has been writing horror stories since he was 12, with his first book, “Weeping of The Caverns” published just a month after he turned 15. His work is frequently influenced by the universe of Silent Hill, the surrealism of David Lynch, and most importantly, subverting expectations.
While still a figure in the indie-author underground, his accolades are numerous, from “New York Onions” being published twice in Atlantis Creative Magazine and featured by Wattpad, to the film adaptation of “For We Are Many” playing in festivals across the globe, to “The Egg” being prominently featured on the Written in Red Podcast.
After his second full length, Grey Skies, was released in 2019, he became a staff writer for the Seahawk, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he won the “outstanding rookie” award in 2020. What followed during the Covid-19 pandemic were a series of free short stories on his website, including the “romance” with elements of social-critique in the form of “Seventh Circle,” the surreal-body-horror of “The Egg,” the brutal take on suicide of “For We Are Many” and the realities of heroin addiction in “The Soil of God.”
2022 and 2023 saw the film production of “For We Are Many,” a productive internship at NBC WECT-6, as well as the release of his third and fourth novels, “The Vampire of Köln” and “By the Ocean.”
William currently lives in Boone, North Carolina with his family and his daughter, Valentina, whose favorite show alternates between “Paw Patrol” and “Rubble & Crew.” He works in marketing for a newspaper that has been publishing without interruption since 1888.
Image credits: The Soil of God – Silas Ayers, By the Ocean – Silas Ayers, The Vampire of Koln, Silas Ayers, Grey Skies – William Becker, Weeping of the Caverns, William Becker, Something’s Wrong with Max – Silas Ayers, New York Onions – William Becker
Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why? A: A ky’un. They’re house pets, like miniature Komodo dragons, and vicious. Little savages.
Q: What type of music best describes your writing? A: That depends on what I’m writing. For edgier works, it’s usually something like heavy metal, or other types of music with a driving beat. For those that aren’t so edgy, softer orchestral works, like Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you. A: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s special. At least I don’t think of it as a special space. It’s just my office. But it’s a single room with a door, and when I’m in there writing, the world could blow up and I wouldn’t notice as long as the electricity and internet stayed on. If they don’t, yeah. The world is gonna have problems with me.
Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two? A: Interesting question, because I honestly can’t say that any work of art has inspired a story, even though I’m an art collector. I’ve never looked at my pieces that way. I admire them for their beauty and the emotions they evoke in me. Maybe I’ll try it!
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you? A: Having had a day job for over 30 years and recently transitioning to full-time writing, I can’t imagine having a day job again. I can’t even imagine what I’d do. I suppose I could say a day job that doesn’t require heavy thinking.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting? A: I don’t have a schedule. Might be a good idea for me to create one. I’m usually on my computer doing various things, and when an idea strikes me, I just pull up the manuscript and write. Now that I think about it, yeah, a schedule is a good idea. As for word count, I have no idea. I stopped doing that ages ago. Giving myself a set number makes me anxious, like it’s some kind of test, and if I don’t make the count, I get demerits. And honestly, I don’t pay attention to word count, period. It takes as many words as it takes to tell the story. My books usually top out in the 100,000 range. But if the story tells itself in 80,000, that’s what it’ll be.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story? A: I don’t. There’s a sense of satisfaction, of course. But I don’t celebrate, like having a glass of wine or taking in a movie. I suppose I celebrate by maybe taking a nap, reading another author’s work, and then starting the next project.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life? A: Outside life? What’s that? Really, I’m more than a bit of a recluse. I can interact with people if a have to, and even come off as well-balanced and sane. But I don’t want to. I simply prefer being alone.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences. A: Roxanne Bland was a fugitive from reality. In death, reality believes it has caught up to her, but it hasn’t. Roxanne is far beyond reality’s clutches now.
Q: What project are you most proud of completing? A:The Underground, because it was my first book. I was sure I could write a novel, but hadn’t a clue how to go about it until my first editor took me under his wing. I learn something new every time I write a book, but this one’s special because it was the vehicle that took me into a whole new world. And you know what? I think I’ll stay.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about?” A: At present, I’m writing Liberation, the 3rd book in The Underground series, which dadgummit, I’m going to publish by the end of this year! (I said that last year, too). After that, it’ll be Homeward, the 4th and last book in that series. I’m not through with that universe, but I’m eyeing taking a break from it and work on other projects that are now titles of a folder with nothing in them.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why? A: Honestly, I don’t have a favorite. I can see myself hanging out with any one or all of them. As for another author, I don’t think I would. My characters are facets of my personality, and unless the author could get into my head, I don’t think they could do it justice. And I do not recommend said author getting into my head. It’s a dangerous neighborhood in there.
Q: Where can your readers find you on social media? A: Lots of places.
ROXANNE BLAND has been a fugitive from reality for as long as she can remember. Defying the laws of physics at every turn, she is now No. 1 on the Albert Einstein Bureau of Enforcement’s Most Wanted list. The Underground Series is the fictional memoir of her life on the lam (so far).
Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why? A: I’ve always conceptualized frogs and amphibians as avatars of the unconscious (or, the dream world) because they exist in two entirely different mediums, land and water. They are, by nature, a surreal creature. I’m often moved by surrealist literature and movies and art. So, I’d probably have a large, well-dressed frog as my pet, or power animal.
Q: What type of music best describes your writing? A: Punk rock and violins.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you. A: I write in my bedroom with the window shade drawn, rather than open. I need to write lying down in bed because my back bothers me when sitting for long spells. There’s otherwise nothing special or mandatory about my writing space. I could just as easily write in an anonymous South Dakota motel room.
Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two? A: ‘Christine’s Word’ by Andrew Wyeth has always had an eerie charm. I think some of the best visual art of the 20th Century and forward is found is to be found in genre films; Noir, horror, westerns. B-movies are a treasure trove of spectacular visual art. Moody sets and bizarre lighting.
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you? A: Writing for me is a hobby and a job- one of several jobs.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting? A: I begin something- a story or a novel- when I feel like it, which is to say when it feels ready. When I’m revising something that’s already been drafted, I stick to a schedule, usually two to three hours of uninterrupted writing a day.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story? A: Smile and give myself a pat on the back.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life? A: Carefully.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences. A: You came to a graveyard alone? Bad idea. Turn around.
Q: What project are you most proud of completing? A: The last book, ‘Madeline’s Cane’, which will be released soon by Unveiling Nightmares, took me close to five years to compose. It’s very much the book I wanted it to be and intended it to be and a writer can’t ask for much more than that.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about? A: For fans of psychological thrillers, dark romance and crime, check out my novel, ‘Madeline’s Cane’. For fans of pure, action-packed horror with a Lovecraftian motif (or the films ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘The Wicker Man’ and ‘The Hitcher’), check out my novella, ‘Night of the Star Demon’, also by Unveiling Nightmares.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why? A: Boss Man Frank from ‘Madeline’s Cane’, and Miss Thing from ‘Night of the Star Demon’. Both are secondary characters in their respective books and bring great energy and comedic relief to the otherwise intense and harrowing proceedings. Another writer to carry them forward? Marisha Pessl (author of ‘Night Film’) might do a good job of it because she has a history of handling dark, quirky, enigmatic characters of a similar age quite well. And Bret Easton Ellis as well, for the same reason.
Bio: Todd Zack is a social worker, writer, and musician living in southwest Florida. His journalism and fiction pieces have appeared in Thrasher Magazine, Red Fez, Crimson Streets and numerous genre anthologies. His first novel, ‘Madeline’s Cane’ and novella, ‘Night of the Star Demon’ will soon be released by Unveiling Nightmares. He is a lifelong skateboarder, compulsive traveler, trivia nerd, coffee fiend, and co-founder of the alternative rock bands, Tape Recorder 3 and Pank Dux. Look for him on Goodreads and Twitter.
Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why? A: Dragon, I have always been fascinated with their power and strength. They’re gorgeous creatures but I also believe they are not only fantasy. They existed 100s of years ago and have even had sightings of them in other countries. No one can convince me they’re not real. LOL
Q: What type of music best describes your writing? A: My husband says country because Anna is always alone (lol). I would say maybe Metal but not heavy metal. Anna is a cold-blooded killer and does not take shit from anyone. She’s fearless.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you. A: Well, I actually don’t have a writing space. I just set up my laptop in the living room in front of the tv and my iPad so I can text my co-author on my current project, Thomas Stewart, the author of my favorite clown book at the moment (Survivors Account of the Depraved Fun House).
Q: What is your favorite piece of visual art that has inspired a story or two? A: American Mary movie actress is full on Anna in Lady in white and troubled. The way she carries herself, looks even. Only thing is anna has green eyes.
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be? Is writing a hobby for you? A: Writing is just a hobby for me to help get my mind off any stress or whatever is going on in life that has me worried. I am currently a full-time college student and I’m getting my Radiology ARRT degree. I graduate in October with my NCT which is the intro/ bottom level to radiology. Im hoping to get my foot in the door and start working while I finish school.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many words do you write in a sitting? A: I don’t have one, I just write when I’m feeling inspired or like my head is too busy. Its helped me a lot with keeping busy. I never set goals in writing because I feel like I wouldn’t write a good story or a good flowing story if I set word count goals. I think I would just be trying to meet a word count and not focusing on the story. The people that write 1k or more words in one sitting are inspiring though and I wish my mind worked that way.
Q: How do you celebrate publishing a new story? A: Usually just text my best friends about it and get excited with them. (Thomas Stewart and Joc.). Both of them have been a huge impact on me and helped me to continue this journey even when I wanted to give up.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life? A: I have no clue honestly, I’m always busy with school and I’m a stay-at-home mom. I write when my mind lets me, and I make the time if needed.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences. A: Dallis is a very accepting person; she wasn’t always like that but as she got older and grew up her ideals and views grew with her. She would never let anyone be depressed around her due to her always wanting to make sure no one ever felt lonely or hurt the way she has.
Q: What project are you most proud of completing? A: Troubled by dal r was the first book I published on my own, but I’ve got to say Lady in White is my prized possession. I did it right that time and had an editor with Shadow and Quill and R.D Baker helped me with formatting the book for E readers.
Q: Do you have any projects you would like to tell your readers about? A: Beauty Killed the Beast by Dal R and Thomas Stewart. My current work in progress and book 3 to the revenge trilogy and the last book I will probably ever publish. Maybe but who knows? There’s not a release date yet due to me always being busy and Thomas has been swamped with work. We work on it when we can and aren’t rushing it. I hope the readers enjoy the ending we give to Anna. There will be a new character introduced as well named Tom as her love interest and rose as an ex vengeful wife of one of Anna’s victims in lady in white.
Q: Who is your favorite character from any of your stories and why? If you had to choose a popular author to continue writing this character in another book, who would you choose and why? A: Anna, of course. I wrote her as my escape and to get revenge on the men that have hurt me. Each man in lady in white is inspired by them. If I got to choose a horror author to continue this series, I feel Stuart Bray or Lauren Biel would be amazing at doing it justice. Those are 2 of my favs.
Q: Where can your readers find you on social media? A: TikTok: dallisj1205 Facebook: dal r author page
Bio: I’m a 29-year-old married stay-at-home mom and in school for radiology in Houston Tx. I have a 3-year-old son who will be 4 soon and is the light of my life. I don’t have many hobbies but what I do have is writing and the books that I read.
Work in progress:
Beauty Killed The Beast by Dal R and Thomas Stewart
She Writes Fast 
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