What is the book about? At the book's core is a story of grief and loss. However, in this case, the grief and loss are wrapped around a heavy curtain of the supernatural and blood--lots of blood. Thirty-seven miners disappear in a mineshaft called Hellweg's Keep. Kendra Omen's job is to find them. Something doesn't want her to, and it will do anything to thwart her, including exploit her grief. What are the underlying themes? Grief and loss, relationships, mysteries, and how all these things are affected by a greedy supernatural power. Did you base your characters on anyone you knew? Kendra Omen's character is based off a high school classmate who was an FBI agent before an early retirement. Yes, she knows.
Who influenced you most in the writing of the book? I'd just finished reading The Luminous Dead and wanted to write something claustrophobic and broody. This is what we got. Is there any advice you can give someone starting to write? Keep your butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard. Also, when not doing that, read. Read profusely. Where did you write the book? I wrote the first half in a two-week period in which my company shutdown for 2-weeks due to Covid. The second half was written slower, somewhere on the Mississippi river. Did you write in silence, or to any particular music? I always write either in silence or with TV on in the background.
However, I edit listening to hard rock music through decent headphones. Did you find it hard to write? Or harder to edit your own work? Both have their difficulties and upsides, but I enjoy editing and turning the raw manuscript into a book. Therefore, I probably find editing a bit easier than the initial slog. What was it like to be edited by someone else? The first time was with Kenneth W. Cain. It was eye-opening but oh so rewarding. He made me a better writer--much better--and I owe him a debt of gratitude. Now, I get to work with the editor who I have looked up to my entire career in Don D'Auria and am looking forward to it.
What are you writing now? I'm currently editing a manuscript called To Cut a Man and writing a manuscript called Six-20-Ten. To Cut a Man should be ready for submission quite soon. The other will be sometime later in the year.