Interview with author C. Bryan Brown of They are Among Us

How would you describe Alex as a character?

Alex is driven, dedicated to her team and her career. She’s aware she’s sacrificing certain aspects of her life, and while she’s not happy about it, she copes. She’s neither drug-addled nor a boozehound, and I think that sets her apart from some of her male counterparts in other literary works. Alex doesn’t need to be redeemed, and she’s not fighting inner demons as well as outer ones.

Not every person is damaged, and not every character is, either. With Alex, I hope to present a strong, confident woman who is capable, but not perfect. I wanted her to be real and, as the trilogy unfolds, to be profoundly affected by the things that happen. To do that, she needed to start in a decent place, as opposed to some beaten down, tragic point in her life.

How would you describe the villains in this story?

Ambiguous, at best.

The novel starts out with a clear antagonist, but when we actually meet that character in the book, things are definitely not what you think. And as the reader follows that character through the latter half of the story, the reasons why he’s the antagonist are very clear, but some of his motivations are revealed and that should make the reader question whether or not he’s as bad as originally thought.

I tried to make the characters multi-layered enough that the reader walks away from this book asking, “Who are the real villains?” and they continue reading to find out. Maybe it’s who they think it is, maybe it’s not.

Who was your favorite to write about?

This might sound odd, but I didn’t have a favorite character in this book. I enjoyed writing each of the characters for their own reasons, and I’m looking forward to what comes next with each of them.

As a collective, I enjoyed writing the vampire half of the book a bit more. There’s something about writing wanton death and destruction, lack of societal rules, and dealing with a supernatural race that’s appealing.

What makes They are Among us different from other stories you have written?

They Are Among Us has a much larger scope than anything I’ve written before. It’s the first book in a trilogy, and by the end, the world as the characters know it, will be vastly different.

I’ve included far more characters than in any other book, and each one has an impact on the overall story. And as the story continues, I’ll continue to add and subtract characters, as it’s certain not everyone will make it to the end.

Another difference, at least for me, is that They Are Among Us sticks more in the horror genre than most of my longer work. I tend to stray into the realm of urban fantasy quite often, and I didn’t this time. The novels gets darker toward the end, and the second and third books turn out even more lights.

Do you feel there could possibly threats out there such as in your story against humans?

That’s a tricky question to answer. I don’t want to give too much away in regards to the trilogy’s overall plot, so I’ll answer with some generic comments.

No, I don’t believe there are vampires in our world, at least not in the way they’re portrayed in the book. My take is a hybrid of the classic vampire and aspects of the more modern vampires I’ve read/watched in the last decade or so. That said, I definitely think nature will take care of herself in the long run. As it is, we’re seeing fungus that turns insects (ants, spiders, etc) into zombies whose goal it is to infect other insects. I can mention the new dementor wasp, named after Rowling’s soul sucking creatures in the Potterverse. We can talk all day long about poisonous spiders, snakes, and the fact these creatures are prey to something else. Again, nature takes care of herself and to an extent, you can call that an underlying theme in the trilogy.

Right now, there are very real threats to our existence that we can either deal with or ignore, and who knows what sort of creatures/animals/insects/viruses will pop up in the future to challenge the human race as the dominant one on the planet?

There is a lot of procedural work described in this story, how much research have you done to write it?

I’ve done a fair amount of research to date. My first novel, Necromancer, also dealt with characters in law enforcement. I relied on some of that earlier research when writing They Are Among Us.

But the real answer is that I have family members in law enforcement and I’ve picked brains on more than one occasion. I’ve also done extensive reading on equipment and weapons, watched videos of raids and deployments, though no doubt there are going to be mistakes, which are all mine. I tried reaching out to the FBI (you can send them questions via their website), but no dice. I guess they don’t like the idea of mixing it up with vampires.

And, I should add that it helps, too, when dealing with the supernatural because there really isn’t a playbook on how to handle those situations, so I was able to wing more than my fair share of scenarios, which was fun. I figured as long as I didn’t devolve my characters into “stupid cops,” readers would let the little things slide. I know, as a reader, I watch more for out-of-character actions as opposed to whether the flanking position is 100% accurate.

How much of an influence has your wife been in your writing?

My wife is much more motivation than influence. If I’m not utilizing my time well, her foot is the first one I feel, usually before my own. I definitely believe I’m entitled to a day off now and again. She sees things just a bit differently in that regard. Plus, she’s always pushing me out the door to attend events, writing groups, or just to get away from the kids for a few hours at the local Panera. She sacrifices a lot to give me the time I need, and that keeps me on the mental straight and narrow, knowing that if I don’t get this project done or get that project done, there’s someone I’m actually going to disappoint and feel like I’m taking advantage of.

As far as actual influence, though, she’s one of the strongest women I’ve ever known, and I draw on pieces of her personality for every woman I write. Whether it’s the stubborn side, the vengeful side, the mothering side… she’s always there. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What do you fear most when writing?

Sucking, which may be cliché, or not, I don’t know.

Deep down, I know you can’t please every reader and there will be people who dislike your work, but that doesn’t stop me from looking at every word and line. Most of the time, I can control the fear and write and then worry about the suckitude in editing and beta reading phases, but every so often, it catches me and I find myself rewriting the same paragraph for an hour.

Once the work is published, though, I’m good. I don’t mind bad reviews, especially if they’re well thought out and presented logically. A bad review lends credibility, in my opinion, to any creative art, as art is supposed to make you feel something. Otherwise, what’s the point?

What are your future writing plans and will there be more to this story based on the way it ended?

The future for me holds three projects I hope to complete by the end of the year. I’m working on At Dawn They Sleep, which is the second book to this trilogy, so there’s definitely more on the way.

After that, I have deadlines for a young adult fantasy novel and a science fiction / urban fantasy mash-up novel. Both of those will also kick off new trilogies.

Between all that, I hope to keep moving forward with some short story ideas I have kicking around.

Where can readers find out more about you?

I try to be all over the place, but in reality that’s tough to do. I utilize Facebook and Twitter more than my website, but the website is the hub of all things C. Bryan Brown related. Anyone interested can head over tohttp://cbryanbrown.net and stalk me there, plus find the links to my Facebook and Twitter. I have an Instagram, but really, the only pictures I take are of beer bottles as I’m drinking them. Who wants to see that?

Where can They are Among us be bought?

You can pick up a copy of They Are Among Us and all my other work on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, my website (see previous question). They Are Among Us and Necromancer are also available on the Post Mortem Press (my publisher) website, which is http://www.postmortem-press.com.

Interview with Brick Marlin author of Shadow out of the Sky

I had a chance to talk with Brick Marlin author of Shadow out of the Sky. You can see my review of this book here

How did old monster movies play a role in writing Shadow out of the Sky?

Vintage monster flicks really played a role by reflecting on movies such as Children Of The Corn and even Gage character from Pet Cemetery. 

When writing Shadow out of the Sky, did you picture the images that were included with the final publication of this story?

Yes. I pictured the entity as a lurking shadow. When asked to choose the design of the book cover and interior illustrations, I leaned toward the grim reaper, since this entity did hold the title of Death, forcing the world into an apocalypse. I wrote the demonic children with a touch of zombie, the attitude of Damian from The Omen or even the kids in Children of the Corn. The flood of various characters who struggled throughout the tale, fighting for survival, I pictured as southern folk.

When the idea for Shadow out of the Sky came about, how much of personal experience or research did you use?

The only personal experience I used were the development of characters, people I know, each having a southern accent. However, Shro was an exception, being a redneck.  

How would you describe Martha as a character?

Martha may be a petite, quiet lady, but when it comes to her survival in this horrid tale an instinct to fight for her life surfaces.

The story feels dark, yet almost as if you are watching a movie, was that your intention for the reader?

Not really, but I am glad the tale unfolded that way, since the tale is set at night. 

If this became a movie or TV series, who could you envision playing the villain of the story?

I think Eric Roberts would be a good cast for the entity. I have really enjoyed his work, being such a versatile actor in many different movies and television shows. He could possibly bring more characteristics to the creature, more than I may have not realized.

What is the one thing you would want readers to get out of reading Shadow out of the Sky?

I wish for the reader to engage in the horror and enjoy the twists and turns, hoping they will want more once the last page is turned. 

Since this is the beginning of a series, when can readers expect more?

I am hoping the next book will be released this year. I turned in the next installment a few months ago to my publisher. The story takes a different turn, more into the realm of dark science fiction. 

Where can people learn more about you?

Please visit my website www.brickmarlin.com, friend me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.

Where can people purchase Shadow out of the Sky?

You can purchase the book online at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Books-A-Million or, those wishing to buy a signed copy, please email me at brickmarlin@gmail.com.

Review of Shadow out of the Sky-by Brick Marlin

Shadow out of the  Sky

Brick Marlin

Seventh Star Press, LLC

Brick Marlin has written some fantastic work. Yet, I believe this is one of his best works. Shadow out of the Sky, takes place in a small countryside. There are different characters that stories are told of them, each with a twist and each merging into one another.

However, there is a constant source of evil that comes and kills with a striking force; some can't believe what is going on, while others take their stand to fight this drastic entity.

What amazes me is the strength of these characters through all this turmoil. Brick Marlin does a wonderful job of making you feel as if these images you read are real. I of course loved the images that were included in this book. It added to the draw of what you were experiencing.

The villain, the villain became my favorite part of the story. The character was rich with description and history; none in which I would take away as a bad thing, but a total awe inspiring tale of why and vengeance.

I would recommend this book as one that you read during the day; don't turn the lights out.

Author Dana Fredsti of the Ashley Parker Series

If Ashley Parker was not a 'wildcard', how would she have reacted to the outbreak? Short answer?  She'd be dead or a zombie because she was bitten at the beginning of the outbreak.   Longer answer: when first confronted by a zombie picnic crasher while out with her boyfriend, Ash reacts by killing it with a bread knife. Then, when she and her boyfriend realize there are a bunch more zombies heading their way, she keeps a level head, taking charge while said boyfriend freaks out. She's bitten through no fault or mistake on her part, but if she'd made it to safety unscathed, Ash is still the type of person who'd try to do something proactive.  Becoming a wild card didn't change her basic character; it did, however, probably accelerate her natural leadership qualities.   Why do you feel zombies are so popular in fiction these days? Because they don't sparkle.   Okay, sort of serious here now (I say 'sort of' because this question is one gets so many long-winded and painfully serious answers), I think WWZ (the book), the remake of Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead, and a couple other really good zombie books created a perfect storm of quality products for those of us who've been waiting for someone to kick the vampires and werewolves to the wings for a while and let zombies have their chance to shine (but not sparkle).  And yes, I suppose that it might have something to do with zombies being the perfect blank slates on which people can impose their fears. . I could even dip my toe into a slightly deeper portion of the answer pool and add that the polarization of our country between political parties and the "Us versus Them" mentality that's taken hold makes zombies that much more appealing because what better example of "Us versus Them" could you ask for?  And in zombie fiction you have to kill Them in order to survive whereas in real life you can't shoot your neighbor in the head because he has opposing political views.   What do you find more challenging, acting or writing a book? Writing a book wins by a landslide. Yes, acting can be challenging, especially if you've got a really lousy script and don't want to completely suck in whatever the project is... and sometimes it's hard to summon up the necessary emotions (y'know, like Tara Reid when she got her hand bitten off in Sharknado 2), but I personally find it a lot easier than writing.  I love writing, but there are definitely days/weeks/months when it's a love/hate relationship.   In Plague World, the outbreak has spread throughout the world, how likely do you feel a scenario such as in your story could occur in today's world? I really have no clue. I'd like to say it's totally impossible, but given some of the scary diseases lurking in the Amazon and the Congo and other places that until recently were pretty much left alone by modern society, who knows what might happen?  Mankind may be more equipped to handle a pandemic what with modern medicine and all, but we're also better equipped to spread a plague what with our ability to jet from one side of the planet to the other within the space of a day.  And given the antibiotic resistant infections, the talk of a Super Bug, and yeah, I'm pretty sure the various governments have developed some pretty nasty ass biological weapons....  I'd say it's possible we might see a pandemic within our lifetime.  I hope not  (and I am going to go out on a limb and say I don't think the dead are going to reanimate any time soon), but ...  ya never know.   Ashley seems like a tough character, not typical of female characters in horror stories. Where did you come up with the idea for her? Well, first of all, there are a lot more tough female characters emerging in horror, urban fantasy and the paranormal genres than you think.  And more authors are crossing/mixing genres, but you can bet those written by women are generally gonna get the babe in black leather with a tramp stamp on the cover (which tend to scream  half-fae/one quarter dragon/one quarter demon hunter vampire thingee in love with a quarter werewolf/three-quarters merman type of story), which don't always reflect just how far some of these books cross into horror.  That being said, I was contacted by Lori Perkins, then with Ravenous Romance, to develop a series that would be "Buffy, but with zombies. But different. Name her Ashley."  I was told I could take the story and character any way I wanted.  I started writing and Ash's voice pretty much made itself known after the first few pages.  I also like the fact that Ash is not just "tough" in the kick-ass sense of the word, but she's also able to deal with what's thrown at her, make decisions on her feet, and continue to fight without losing her empathy.  And that's a kind of strength that makes her more interesting to me than if she was just all about the ass-kicking.   J.T. is a very likable character. What did you feel it was important to include when writing this character? J.T. is based on a friend of mine (other than the Parkour skills - I added those), who is just as quirky, friendly and manic as the J.T. in my books.  I have to confess that I never sat there and thought about what would be important to include when writing his character. I'm more of an organic writer (grass fed and everything!) than a plotter, so I don't have things mapped out as to 'well, I have a nasty character and now I need someone more likable here to balance things out.'  I knew I wanted someone with mad free-running skills somewhere in the trilogy because seriously, that kind of ability to scale walls and navigate one's surroundings would come in as handy as marksmanship ability as far as staying alive.  So when I decided to include my friend as a character in the books, given his personality and manic energy, he seemed the perfect person to be assigned the parkour skills.   You have two other books in the Ashley Parker series, Plague Nation and Plague Town, will there be any more stories with her in them? I'm in discussion with Titan about the possibility of more Ashley Parker books. There are definitely still more stories I could tell in that world.   Is there any upcoming projects you wish to share with the readers? I'm excited to be included in the fourth V-Wars anthology, edited by Jonathan Maberry.  Not sure what the release date is, but the story has been really fun to write. I've got several other projects in development (outlining, writing the first 50 pages) while waiting to see what happens with Titan, all of them within the horror/urban fantasy/Sci-Fi genres.  We shall see!   Where can people find out more about you? Well, I have a website that's in dire need of updating, but it does have a lot of info about me and my eclectic history:  www.danafredsti.com, and I'm always happy to be meet people via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dana.fredsti.inara.lavey and Twitter.  https://twitter.com/zhadi1 Thanks for taking the time to interview me!

Jennifer Hillier author of The Butcher

What do you figure people are obsessed with learning about serial killers?

Serial killers don't possess the same moral compass that we do, and that’s what makes them both fascinating and terrifying. If you were a fan of DEXTER, you might remember that his adopted father saw Dexter’s tendencies very early in his childhood and made a point to teach him a “code” that he should live by, so that he could exist as a functioning member of society. That’s what made Dexter unique, because most serial killers (real or fictional) will never have that. I think what intrigues people about serial killers is that they can say and do whatever they want without being weighed down by a conscience. They feel no remorse or guilt, and as twisted as that is, I imagine it’s also very freeing.

In The Butcher, you have Matt who realizes someone who is close to him is actually a serial killer. How important do you feel it was to look at the family aspect of the serial killer and not just the victim's perspective?

When writing a thriller starring a serial killer, it’s natural to focus on the victims to an extent. Their fear becomes the readers’ fear, and it helps readers to see what’s happening inside the mind of the villain. But what about the families of the serial killers? They’re victims too, and while they may not always get murdered, they’re forced to live with the aftermath of what their serial-killing relative has done. It's this conflict that drove THE BUTCHER forward. What would Matt do when he realizes his grandfather is a serial killer? Does he turn the old man in? Or does he keep the secret? He has a lot to lose himself if the secret ever comes out. I wanted to explore the answers to these questions.

When working on The Butcher were there specific things you felt needed to be included in learning about this specific type of serial killer?

What makes Edward Shank different from other serial killers is that he’s 80 years old, so the brunt of what I researched had to do with him being elderly. What physical limitations would he have? What was his life like in the retirement home? How would he spend his remaining days? But he was so much fun to write, because at his age, he said whatever he wanted, and did whatever he wanted, which gave me a lot of freedom as a writer.

Some believe that a tendency to be a serial killer is learned and not inherited, do you think based on any research you have done that maybe the case?

I think it’s a combination of both, and I know that’s the easy answer. But I think there are just some people who, no matter how they grew up and no matter what they’ve experienced, will never possess the ability to kill someone else. At the same time, there are people who were raised “normally” who will, no matter what they’ve been taught, hurt others. The rest fall somewhere in between, and have experiences that may bring out their inherited tendencies.

How do you feel The Butcher is different than your previous two books, Freak and Creep?

THE BUTCHER is a standalone, though set in the same Seattle world as CREEP and FREAK. The story is truly villain-centered. Everything stems from Edward, and what he’s done, and what he continues to do. It’s his world, and everybody else revolves around him.

If there was anything you wished readers to get from reading The Butcher what would it be? 

All I hope is that readers are entertained! That’s the only goal I ever have when writing a novel. If I can pull you out of your everyday life and entertain you with a fun story, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. 

Do you have any future writings in the works you can share with readers?

I’m currently working on a new standalone thriller, also set in Seattle, starring a new female villain… but that’s all I can say right now without jinxing myself! 

Where can people find out more about you?

My website: www.jenniferhillier.org

My blog: www. serialkillerfiles.com

Twitter: @JenniferHillier

Facebook: JenniferHillierAuthor