Tell us a bit about your most recent work.
My most recent release is called Rabenhaus. It's a gothic horror that mixes elements of Poe and Lovecraft. The story centers around a plague doctor that is called to the titular village where a mysterious plague is ravaging the area. He's not alone though as a secretive group of doctors spirits away the sick and dead into the surrounding forest.
What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?
Small-town horror and conspiracies of silence that exist in those communities have been a theme that started cropping up in my work most recently. A distrust of authority has been present from my very first novel. Given the climate of the last few decades, I can't imagine where that comes from. Lately, I've also been exploring loss and grief in my writings, but none of those works have been published yet.
What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?
I learned I lacked any talent for drawing. As a lover of comic books, I wanted to tell stories in that medium. When I was 12, I wrote short stories to help me deal with those feelings of pre-pubescent helplessness. It was comforting to have a world where I controlled everything.
What inspires you to write?
I keep thinking of interesting "what ifs" to flesh out into entertaining (I hope) scenarios.
What of your works has meant the most to you?
The Winston & Baum Steampunk Adventure series means the most to me. It really resonated with my dad, and I've been able to reach a much younger audience because of their content than I can with my horror works. Although those younger readers have grown up and picked up the rest of my books.
If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?
A work I'd like to revisit one day is my first novel, Friedkin's Curse. I've learned so much as an author and developed my skills that I think I could make it a more engaging story.
What writers have influenced your style and technique?
Robert E. Howard, Brian Keene, and Larry Correia have all impacted my style and technique in various aspects.
Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or is it a science continuum?" Why?
It depends on the genre. I think literary and historical fiction straddle the fence between art and science. My writing is more art, just because I tend to free-form stories more than outline. I do quick notes on world-building aspects that are going to impact the story and once in a blue moon character notes.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Revising. I'm sure it's a common answer, but it's true. I have the hardest time switching hats from creator to editor.
How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?
I think a lot of my writer friends help me become a better writer. We often get together and discuss different projects, but also how we are approaching current works, which helps expand the way I think of stories. I hope that my input is as valuable to them.
What does literary success look like to you?
It's a shifting spectrum. When I started, success was seeing people cosplay my characters. Now, since I reached that milestone, it's earning a livable wage on my writing.
Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?
My next novel debuting this summer is Ossuary of Ghuls, a sequel to Citadel of the Cyclops.
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