SHARKS! Chatting with Robert Pruneda

Your horror novel Devil’s Nightmare begins with a double homicide (parents), which is soon linked to a horrific crime scene at a nearby cemetery.  The only witness is a young boy.  YIKES!  How did you come up with this idea?

Horror and fantasy are my two favorite genres, so I guess it’s kind of natural for some twisted idea to pop in my head while daydreaming or getting ready for work. The story in of itself was actually inspired and very loosely based on a personal experience (no, I’m not moonlighting as an axe-wielding psychopath; at least that what my therapist tells me) from when I was a child. I had an encounter with what I can only describe as a demon manifestation after playing with a Ouija board by myself on several occasions, which turns out is a big no-no. I woke up late at night and felt something pressing against my chest. I couldn’t breath and then I saw a shadowy figure floating above me. I then saw the demon eyes appear from within the silhouette. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t breath. Tears flowed down my eyes as I continued to stare at the evil above me as more pressure was applied to my chest. Finally, I was able to breath and I screamed like I’ve never yelled before in my life. My parents came rushing into my room. I was told I was just having a nightmare, but I knew better. I have never touched a Ouija board ever since then. I have also never been more scared than I was that night.

How did you feel as you wrote such a disturbing – but gripping – tale?

There were certain scenes that were difficult to write, which gave me chills, but because I enjoy reading horror and watching horror flicks on television, it wasn’t that big of an issue with me. A couple of scenes were toned down, though, because they were a bit too graphic even for me. The novel is still a chilling tale and it was very fun to write late at night.

Your protagonist Detective Aaron Sanders is the cop we’d all want to call if we were in trouble.  How did you create this character?

Devil’s Nightmare is written from Detective Sanders’ perspective, so I pretty much tried to put myself in his shoes in every situation that he found himself in, and since I wrote about ninety percent of the manuscript without an outline I was able to almost experience the thrilling adventure with my main character. It was extremely enjoyable to write in this way because I really didn’t know how Detective Sanders was going to solve this case or what was going to happen at the end. It was a risky and unconventional way of writing, but I think it worked, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I really got to know Detective Aaron Sanders throughout the whole process of writing Devil’s Nightmare.

Is there a little bit of you in him?

Yeah, I guess you could say that. People that know me personally could probably point some things out, but for the most part, Detective Aaron Sanders is a unique individual.

Will we be seeing Detective Sanders in a new tale someday?

After some thought and a couple of requests to do so, I have decided that I have enjoyed my author-character relationship with Detective Aaron Sanders so much that he will in fact show up in at least two more future stories.

You don’t just write horror stories.  You also have “Victory Lane: The Chronicles: Pursuit of a Dream”, plus some short stories.  How easy or how difficult is it for you to switch between styles of writing?  Between genres?

I wrote Pursuit of a Dream in third person and actually began writing Devil’s Nightmare in third person, but I just couldn’t get into the story in that perspective. Something just wasn’t right. That’s when I switched to first person, which I never thought I would ever write in. It turns out that first person is quickly becoming my favorite style to write in for many reasons, particular in the horror, mystery and thriller genres, which Devil’s Nightmare falls into. Regarding switching genres I don’t find it terribly difficult as long as I’m not trying to write two stories at once, which I may actually be doing this year. I plan on writing sequels to both of my novels, so that could get interesting. We may have a race car driver that ends up fighting for his life in some end of the world situation or maybe Detective Sanders has a midlife crisis and changes careers to become a race car driver. Who knows? 

You are currently working on book two in the Victory Lane series.  What can you tell us about it?  When do you expect to be finished?

I plan on finishing the first draft this summer and will shoot for a release somewhere towards the end of the racing season this fall. That’s the plan, but we’ll see how things go. I’m also planning on working on a sequel to Devil’s Nightmare and will be co-writing a murder mystery novella with an author friend of mine. That’s three projects in one year, so refer to my answer to Question 3 for a nice cocktail of writing scenarios. Oh, and I will somehow need to fit work and other life events in there somehow. Chances are one of the projects will probably get pushed into 2014. 

Your writing ranges from horrific crime to auto racing, which makes me think your reading tastes are likely quite varied.  Name two or three authors whose books you can’t wait to read.

Stephen King is my all-time favorite author, so he’s always near the top of my “to read” list; I’ll be reading Under the Dome next. I’m also looking forward to beginning Michael R. Hicks’ In Her Name sci-fi fantasy novels and Bitter Harvest, sequel to Season of the Harvest, which I absolutely loved reading! The sequel to Jack Albrecht Jr. and Ashley Delay’s Osric’s Wand fantasy series is also marked as a definite read. There are so many other talented authors that I’ve come to know over the past year or so, most of them Indies, I could spend paragraph after paragraph writing about.

The online world for authors is very diverse and very supportive, and the opportunity to interact with fellow writers is limitless.  What have you learned from an author whom you’ve only met in Cyberland?

I think the first thing I’ve learned is that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to writing and publishing. I’ve built some amazing relationships with a lot of authors through social media and let me tell you the most difficult thing I dealt with when I first started taking my writing more seriously was reading all those articles about what I should and shouldn’t be doing as an author. It was overwhelming! What is the best form of marketing? How many words should a novel be? Should I use Amazon KDP Select or would being exclusive to Amazon alienate other readers? There are gazillion opinions out there about pricing strategies. There are a myriad of ideas about advertising and whether you should pay to market your books or find other alternatives. There a ton of “experts” out there that will tell you should listen to them or it will be the death of your writing career. I’m obviously being sarcastic there and that is not to say that writing blogs are in fact helpful, but what I’ve learned from connecting with other authors in the writing community is that we are all unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. Sometimes we need to just forget about all of those details for a little while and just write!  

This may seem a banal question, but every writer is different.  What is your writing routine?  Place?  Paper and pen or laptop?  Whatever you feel like, or a fixed number of words per day?  Time of day?

I tend to do most of my writing during the “graveyard hours” late at night. I find for me personally writing during the day is near impossible for me even though I am self-employed and work from home with a pretty flexible schedule. However, there are just too many distractions during the day that keep me from being able to focus on writing, particularly environmental distractions that I can’t control, such as the neighbourhood dogs barking which then trigger my dogs to start barking.

I write at a desk in the corner of my bedroom (I don’t have an actual office yet) and typically play instrumental music which helps to relax and clear my mind. I sometimes use my laptop, but I usually lean back on my leather chair with my desktop ergonomic keyboard resting on my lap as I transfer my thoughts to the computer screen.

Regarding a fixed number of words, I participate in #WIP500 which is basically a goal of writing 500 words per day that is related to a current work in progress, which can include blogs specific to the work and, of course, the manuscript itself. I’m not as disciplined as I would like to be, but it does help me stay on track. I too am a work in progress.

JD Salinger was notoriously protective of his work.  He prevented others from doing anything at all with The Catcher in the Rye.  Now that he’s gone, I expect someday there will be works that build on or play on Holden Caulfield’s story.  Someday, when I’m reasonably certain I won’t get sued, I would love to write a follow up to To Kill a Mockingbird.  There’s got to be a novel out there - either a stand alone, or a series - that you wish you could write the sequel for or or or that you’d like to write a parody of.  What is it?

Hmm. I never actually thought of that, by now that you mention it, I think it would be fun to write a sequel to Cell by Stephen King. I absolutely loved this book and when I finished reading it I wanted more! Of course, I would get sued if I tried, so Mr. King, if you’re reading this (yeah, right!) how about a continuation to Cell? Heck a novella. Epilogue. Something. That’s one thing I love about Stephen King. Every time I finish one of his books, I’m so lost in the story that I am disappointed that it ended.

What would you do for creative fulfillment if you couldn’t write?  If you didn’t have a story to tell?

If I couldn’t write (God forbid!), then I would probably turn to music. I love the sound of the piano, so I would probably choose that instrument to fulfill my creative needs. Heck, it’s something that I probably will take on anyway because I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the piano.

The last question is a bit of a freebie: What is the one question you wish I had asked you, but didn’t? Now go ahead and ask and answer that question.

Boxers or briefs? Just kidding! 

Now I get to talk to myself, which isn’t all that unfamiliar. Hmm. What question should I ask? Okay, here comes the shameless self promotion…

Why should readers flock over to their favorite e-book retailers and grab a copy of Devil’s Nightmare?

That’s an excellent question, Rob! I’ll answer that with some unedited blurbs from those who have read advanced copies of Devil’s Nightmare and reviews on Amazon . . .

"What can I say about Devil's Nightmare . . . other than I LOVED it! It's very intriguing and keeps you turning the pages."

"Pruneda did a very good job of keeping things in order and moving smoothly along. This is a good story! The language was real and worked in the context of the story."

"If you like Stephen King, then you'll love Devil's Nightmare by Robert Pruneda."

“I was hooked at the prologue; then it's fast pace proceeded to yank me through one heck of a scary thrill ride!”

“It was like John Saul and James Patterson had a baby . . .  with a dash of DeMille, I might add! Absolutely get this book!” 

Be sure to subscribe to Robert “Sharky” Pruneda’s official website at www.SharkbaitWrites.com and claim your copy of Devil’s Nightmare by clicking through to these fine retailers:

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

     
    Follow Robert on Twitter  @SharkbaitWrites

Tah-dah! Interview with author Wendy Potocki!!!!!!

Author and all-round busy gal: Wendy Potocki!

1.       Your first novel, The White Lady Murders, came out in 2007.  What is the most significant thing you’ve learned as an author since then?

Oh, my gosh, so much!  One of the most important things I’ve learned is to tell the story no matter what. As a writer, you are an advocate and hold a sacred responsibility to your characters to tell their story. That means you must write down their words and follow the tale where they take it, and not where you want it to go. It adds for excitement, authenticity, and gives a truer feel. It also generally guarantees that the story will not be predictable since people very rarely are.

Then there’s the marketing and selling—the other side of the writing coin. I’ve had to learn all that through networking on the web. It was mind blowing how much I didn’t know, but I learned and am still learning. This leads me to one other very significant thing that I’ve learned which is that an author has to be open to learning if they hope to succeed. While isolation is one of those things that is necessary to write the story, after that, it’s all networking and social media. So be open to the support that’s out there. It’s pure gold.

  

2.       Tell me about your current projects “ZaSo” and “The Virgin”.

ZaSo is a Gothic tale about murders, monsters, and an ancient evil. Set in the late 1800s, it concerns a young protagonist that tries to escape from a monster lurking in the walls of his family’s Bostonian manor. Terrorizing his youth, he holds out hope that his emergence to manhood will set him free.   

The Virgin is a tale of a young theology student. Only wanting to pursue the dream of becoming a youth counselor, her work ethic lands her into hot water. Taking a job at an old mansion, she meets Ernst Rudolph, a persnickety agnostic. Determined to earn enough to pay for her next semester of college, she stays on, brushing the barbed witticisms directed at her calling aside. Hired to watch the old estate while he travels for the holidays, she’s more than certain she can ride out his surly demeanor until departure time. Two fraternity boys help distract and pass the time. Intrigued by her virginity, they begin vying for her affection. Not sure if they’re driven by true love, or the need to claim her innocence as a prize, she tepidly advances, soon learning mysteries about them—and the estate she’s guarding. In trying to untangle the truth, she becomes enmeshed in solving a puzzle where relying on the wrong person can get you killed.

The Virgin is guaranteed to scare off any young person from ever taking a summer job again!

 

3.       In “The Man with the Blue Hat’ you have a character named Sadie, the town drunk.  What was it like creating that character?

Well, I’m one of those writers who believe they have a muse. Therefore, I don’t create characters, they’re more or less born … or introduced to me vis-a-vis my muse. In fact, I don’t start writing until I know my main character’s background, likes, dislikes, and temperament. For instance, I know they love wearing blue, but wouldn’t be caught dead in purple. I also wait until I hear them speaking dialogue, or am given key narrative by my muse. In this way, I’m much more a court reporter taking things down than strategically plotting things out. In the Horns of September, I was given the first chapter of the book, the last chapter of the book, and then a chapter smack dab in the middle! I sat staring at the three disparate sections wondering what the heck went in between.

Sadie was very easy. While a minor character, she is pivotal in revealing key pieces of the plot. Her backstory filled in like a champagne tower at a wedding. Once the bottle was uncorked, it just spilled down filling in all the glasses. Old Sadie has had quite a life, and in the short time we spent together, I came to be quite fond of her. She’s a grand old gal and I enjoyed the time spent with her. I would like to say here that she had her positive and negative qualities, and stress that it’s important that even a minor character be fleshed out to this extent. In other words, as in acting, there are no small characters, only lazy writers!   

4.       What is it that draws you to writing horror?

I suppose the lack of restraints and options available. I can make the stories larger than life and even give actual form to emotions. In other words, if I want jealousy to not only be an emotion, but a monster that lives in the woods, I can do that. It makes for a more apocalyptic feel to the morality tale that I’m attempting to tell.

There’s another reason that’s much more basic. You see, I feel very skittish about writing bad things down that could actually happen. By that I mean, if I wrote about an actual flesh-and-blood serial killer targeting women or children, I would feel just terrible about detailing what this psycho was doing to them. Horror allows me to distance the character from reality. In making the murderer a ghoul, it right away takes the chains off around my arms in writing all the gruesome details because it’s not real … it can’t be real … and will never be real! So it really is a mechanism and device that I use to keep my own sensibilities and morality at bay. If a writer pries their nose too much into the pot that’s boiling, they can exert an influence that is injurious to what is developing. If that happens, they begin to paint everything in the same brush and inject too much of their own personal views into the action. So watch the pot, give it a stir, but let it brew. 

  

5.       Who were some of your literary influences?

Two of my biggest influences were television writers, Rod Serling and Stirling Silliphant. They rocked my world! Loved the Twilight Zone so much growing up. I was amazed at how much tension could be generated by simple dialogue. And Stirling Silliphant’s work was nothing short of brilliant. His stories were complex, his characters painted in such depth, and his dialogue very compelling. If I was watching a story, there was no doubt it was Stirling Sillipant that wrote it.

In terms of a more strict definition, my biggest early influence was The Black Stallion series written by William Farley. I must have read that first book about a thousand times! The meeting of the horse on the ship, the fevered attempts to ride him when on the island, and the bond that was forged—all culminating in that race! Oh, gosh, it’s still exciting for me! Loved that story! So well-written, it captured my imagination and still does.

Growing up I was also heavily influenced by Jack London, Agatha Christie (yes, I love mysteries!), Jane Austen, and Hermann Hesse. Love Hesse’s work so much. Steppenwolf was just so, so, so unexpected. Then there is The Stranger by Albert Camus. Loved it so much, although I had an entirely different interpretation of the ending. There’s also Jean-Paul Sartre, Joyce Carol Oates, Mary Shelley, the Brontes, and the Master of Horror, Mr. Stephen King. Salem’s Lot was the ultimate for me! I bought it and could not put it down. I sat up all night reading through it, and it’s a pretty big book. Kept hearing scrapings at the window, and imagined hands underneath the couch. What a great, inspired piece of writing!

6.       If an aspiring writer asked you for one – just one – piece of advice, what would you say?

I’d tell them to write! Don’t stop, don’t get deterred, just write as much as you can. It’s a craft that gets better with age, and how many things can you say that about? Don’t get discouraged in the beginning that nobody cares or doesn’t want to read what you have to say. It’s very normal and part of the process. The exceptions to that rule are just that—exceptions. Writing is by its nature just a lot of work done alone. It takes concentration, determination, and, yes, ideas! You need time to find your voice and your audience, so just chill a moment. Enjoy the silence. It’s there for a purpose. It gives you time to collect your thoughts and become who you’re meant to be. Write. Hone your craft. You’ll be a better person for it, and a better writer.

                                                                              

7.       Did you plan all along for Adduné to be a series (trilogy)?

Absolutely! The story came to me in three parts! Plus the whole tale is so sweeping that it would have had to be a 4,000 page book. Try lugging that with you on vacation.

While I always have a beginning and ending for every story begun, everything that happens in between is a complete surprise. This mammoth undertaking was no different. I’m almost finished editing The House of Cards, the second in the series. When writing it, I was just about finished when there was this twist that occurred. It had me laughing so hard. Never saw it coming and didn’t plan on it, but it sure is there! It still cracks me up, and, of course, makes perfect sense! I mean, when bad things happen, don’t the most crazy, outrageous things come out of the blue and bop you in the head? It’s like the universe is sticking its tongue out at you, and telling you that you can now consider yourself a human piñata. It was that kind of moment. The kind where you’re dressed up for an interview, and a pigeon takes aim. No avoiding it, it was bound to happen, and it is not good luck.  

The series is wonderful to write, and I hope to read. I’m trying very hard to make each part ratchet up the adventure, suspense, and horror so that it builds. With only Part III. The Reckoning left to write, it’s quite a thrill to be coming to putting the finishing touches on the saga. Of course, the ending is what I’ve been eager to get to all along. I love the ending! I wouldn’t even bother writing the book if I didn’t, so stay tuned for something that I hope will knock your socks off and bring tears to your eyes.

 8.       If a magic Hollywood fairy came along and said that an A-list film producer was going to make a movie of one (just one!) of your books, which would you choose and why?

Oh, it’s so hard to choose! Blast that magic Hollywood fairy for not offering me more wishes! Well, if I had to pick one I’d say Adduné for the reasons mentioned above.  So many wonderful characters, not to mention one that has made herself quite at home. She’s one of these runaway characters that we writers experience now and again. Was supposed to be this minor character, but when she entered stage right, she never left! Tried to shoo her off, but she’s so much fun—just delicious to write. I never know what she’s going to say or do. And, yes, that plot twist that I spoke about earlier had to do with her.

Then there’s Miranda, Peter, Tiffany, Reginald, Bonnie, Wilkins, Beatrice and Willie Figgs, Victor and Elizabeth Rodriguez, Tatiana, Dagmar, Xavier, Carlos, Alejandro, Raoul, Stroker, and the mysterious red egg! Love them all (well, most of them) and would love to see them on the screen, battling it out.

Another reason is that I already have the theme song. It’s Silent Lucidity by Queensryche. I would insist on using it, and would have it written into the contract that it had to be used as the theme for the series. Used it in the trailer for Part I. The Vampire’s Game as it perfectly sets the mood. So I’m ready if that Magic Fairy wants to bestow that wish on me!  

9.       How do you come up with your titles?  Is it just an accident that colours are mentioned in the titles of two of your books?

No, not an accident, and there’s actually three where I’ve done this. I have one entitled Black Adagio. Black Adagio is not yet published as it’s in the process of being edited. Actually, this topic of using colors in writing came up on Facebook. Pat Bertram, a wonderful author, started a discussion in which she asked if writers were using colors in more ways than just for a description. I posted that colors, smells, and other peripheral occurrences were very important to me and my stories. Since I had been writing The House of Cards at the time, I used it as an example. There’s a part in it where a main character changes. She sees a color and is swept away by it. It symbolizes her fall, and the altering of her personality. Love that particular chapter and it’s not unusual for me to do this at all.

I want people to be able to be in the heads of my characters. I want them to feel as if they’re standing beside them, smelling their scent, feeling the texture of their clothing. I want them present at the scenes of their crimes, and to be yelling at potential victims to get out of the house when endangered. Colors, tastes, and odors are important in delivering the atmosphere so I use these invaluable tools to help convey the story, and to give insight into a character. I feel that writing is one of the most comprehensive ways to intimately know someone inside and out. At the end of reading one of my books, that’s how I want the reader to feel. As if they’ve completely understood my characters, even if they don’t agree with some of the things they’ve done.

10.   Authors seem to either love or hate writing dialogue.  What are your thoughts on this?

I love writing dialogue! Why? Because I don’t write it!

As stated above, I have a muse. Therefore, when it comes to dialogue, I sit back and let my characters thrash it out. I turn into a glorified court reporter, taking it all down, and trying not to interfere. In writing my first screenplay, I learned that lesson. There was a particularly wicked character that I just plain hated—still do! What a scoundrel! Possessing absolutely no redeeming qualities, I wanted him dead. In one section of the action, he was behaving very peckishly towards a character that I did love. He persisted, getting on my nerves something fierce. To top it off, in the middle of the scene, he insisted on explaining himself! Horrified, I told him nobody wanted to hear his feeble excuses and to shut up. He answered, insisting that he would have his say. I was absolutely furious at this loathsome creature and retorted, “Not if I kill you off, you won’t!” He replied, “Well, if you do that, you won’t have a script, will you?” Since I couldn’t argue with that logic, I acquiesced, telling him to make it quick before I changed my mind.

Other than that incident, I could sit and let my characters talk for hours. I cry when they’re sad, and laugh when they crack jokes, but I’m always entertained by their antics. They surprise, delight, and sometimes thoroughly disgust and frustrate me, but they never fail to fascinate.

11.   Last question is a bit of a freebie: What is the one question you wish I had asked you but didn’t?  Now go ahead and ask & answer it!

This is a tough one. I guess it would relate to how you keep going when it seems your work is not being accepted the way you believe it should. And I suppose my answer would be based on a message delivered in a PBS special on Julie Taymor. It was in an interview done by Bill Moyers. Ms. Taymor related a story about witnessing a group of Balinese dancers dancing outside. They were in the woods and ostensibly not performing for an audience. She didn’t understand why anyone would do that. She had a background in the theater, and as far as she was concerned one needed an audience to put on a show. In asking why, an epiphany struck her. Sweeping in with the moment of clarity came the understanding, and the reason why these dancers were dancing. It was because they were dancing for God.

I was deeply moved by this sentiment, and humbled. We sometimes do things for money, for power, for control, or for revenge in hopes of getting back at those that belittled us in some way. Sometimes it’s done in the pursuit of happiness we’re sure we’ll find at the end of a rainbow, or to receive compliments about how wonderful someone thinks we can write. The truth is to lose yourself, and submit to a greater power. I suppose it’s why I give credit to my muse and refuse to consider that I alone could create, could perform, could generate such ideas without a powerful force allowing me the privilege of living out my dreams. So always Dance for God. That is reason enough to keep going.

Learn more about Wendy on her AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE.

Follow Wendy on Twitter @WPotocki