Merry meet all,
I am happy to let you all know that Unveiling Nightmares wants to make my book The Cult of the Spider People the first in their Bone Chillers series. They believe that my book reads like a Goosebumps book. I just love that because I think that is a great compliment! I love the Goosebumps books!
That’s a real compliment! I do enjoy the Goosebumps books by celebrated author R.L Stine.
I have harvested plenty of raspberries, ground cherries and chamomile from my garden. The big harvest is yet to come: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and squash hopefully. My garden is so lush and beautiful. I keep working the tumbler, spinning it and adding more matter to the compost tumbler. I love hearing the tumbler spin. I love watching my garden grow!
In today’s post, we are joined by horror author Todd Zack. He has just released his debut novel with Unveiling Nightmares. So let’s clear the creepy cobwebs and enjoy a cup of coffee while we learn more about him.
Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?
I tend to mash up genres, horror, psychological thriller, noir, detective caper- but, to me, horror provides immediate fission. There’s an expectation baked in to the horror genre (scare me!) that the author has to rise up to with little room for error or half-measures. Horror also, unlike say fantasy or sci-fi, can come across as a very plausible fictional world. Horror is everywhere. It’s too close for comfort right from the get go. As for subgenres, I enjoy slow burning, psychologically aimed material far more than slasher type stuff, but I also like the absurd and the dreamy. Cryptids, lycanthropes. When we’re talking about monsters on film, I far prefer both old-school animatronics and pure cartoon animation to CGI.
Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?
I’m inspired by the works of Ray Bradbury, JG Ballard and Thomas Ligotti, in so far as they inspire me to remain true to myself and my own visions. My biggest direct influence, however, would be the comic writer, Bruce Jones. That he is not widely known outside of the comic world makes his influence that much easier to disguise, but he is the top of the totem pole for me. My penchant for ‘twist’ endings is derived from my love of his work. His story, ‘Jennifer’, is as good as it gets.
Tell me about your writing/ editing process
I generally write one scene per day, which amounts to roughly six to eight hand-written pages. Three hours work. When I edit or redraft something, I write for longer periods. Editing is harder work, but less energy consuming, interestingly.
What inspires you to write horror?
Horror writing is fun writing. There’s an absence of censoriousness to one’s imagination. Unlike with literary fiction, or most other types, you don’t have to ask yourself– would this person r e a l l y do this? Would this person r e a l l y say this? Because, obviously, yes. Of course they would.
What do you love about indie publishing?
Indie publishing bypasses both the PC brigade and the numbers counters. It’s like the cool punk rock club at the edge of town where you can actually network with other passionate people; writers, artists, publishers, designers and readers. The art comes first for most everyone.
Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most? My favorite pure horror films are Creepshow (1982), The Hitcher (1986) and Nightwish (1990). My favorite horror novel is Carrion Comfort (1993) by Dan Simmons, for its scope, its mood and its hybrid styling.
Is there any music that helps you to write?
Rain sounds (medium rainfall) by Alexa.
Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?
Sometime in November of this year I will have two books out with Unveiling Nightmares, ‘Madeline’s Cane’ (out now!) and ‘Night of the Star Demon’. ‘Madeline’s Cane’ is an ambitious, dark psychological thriller set half in the 1990’s, half in the more present day. ‘Night of the Star Demon’ in a far bloodier, occult-themed adventure novella that I would describe as a cross between the movies ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘The Wicker Man’ served with a shot of 151 proof Lovecraft.
Where can readers find you on social media?
They can find me on Twitter (X), Goodreads and Facebook.
https://twitter.com/iamthatami
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18176243.Todd_Zack
