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INTERVIEWS:
From MIXED BAG #8:
CINDY SILBERBLATT, WEBMISTRESS of
Mysterious Strands
conducted by Sharida Rizzuto
Q) How did you become involved with
Sisters in Crime?
I joined SinC in 1994 after talking to the then Chesapeake Chapter president. I met her at the 1994 Malice Domestic Conference in Bethesda, MD. When I found out that it was open to readers as well as writers I joined right away.
Q) When and how did you develop an interest in the mystery genre?
My parents were avid readers and mysteries were always available around the house. My father liked Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, Agatha Christie, and Ian Fleming. My mother read EarleStanley Gardner, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Daphne DuMaurier. I started with Sherlock Holmes injunior high and then moved to Perry Mason and anything else I could get my hands on. I majored in English in college, so I read lots of classic and current fiction, too. But, around 1986 I just decided that there were as the saying goes, "too many mysteries, too little time," and went to mysteries exclusively.
Q) What are some of your favorite mystery novels? Favorite authors?
The Thin Man, any of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, and all of the Sherlock Holmes series (for the classics). My three favorite authors are Anne Perry, Sue Grafton, and John Sandford, and there are so many first-time authors every year that have the potential to become my favorites.
Q) Do you think the current mystery market is thriving?
I think mysteries are soothing like comfort food, especially the continuing series characters. Youcan escape with them, return to them time after time, and each time the problem is solved with most of the loose ends tied up. I think more authors are latching onto this need in people and are jumping onto the mystery bandwagon.
Q) Why did you go on-line with a mystery website?
It started as my own set of bookmarks. It was a way of keeping track of the sites that I wanted to visit. Then I saw it as a way to share my interest with others who might have the same interest. I see it also as a way to let others know about a book or an author that I think they should try.
Q) Tell our readers about some of your selection of links.
The links are divided by interests. Television is another of my hobbies, so I wanted to feature sites that tell you about mystery based TV programs. I also wanted to include sites that could be used by others for research into the genre or to help writers find information. I'm always looking for new authors to add to the links.
Q) What type of mystery websites would you like to see on the net?
I like the ones that center on a particular type of mystery and those that list mysteries by topic or locale.
Q) What type of response do you receive from people viewing your website?
I've had a limited, but very positive response. Most of those who've
emailed me have said I give them a great starting place to find what they're
looking for. My best response was from a junior high school student
who used my site to help her research a paper on the mystery.
She also asked me some questions to include in her paper. That was
fun!
Q) How do you plan to update your site in the future?
I would like to start doing more reviews--maybe weekly, feature an author each month (or week),and also reviews of mystery TV shows.
Mysterious Strands
can be reached at--
http://www.idsonline.com/userweb/cwilson/mystery.htm
From MIXED BAG #8:
XANDER MELLISH,WEBMISTRESS of XANDER
MELLISH
conducted by Sharida Rizzuto
Q) What made you decide to create your on-line
zine?
It was the successor to a project in which I put my stories up in poster form, on lamp posts, in pizza parlours and laundromats--wherever people had a couple of moments to read. After Rudy Giuliani became mayor of New York, the streets were kept much cleaner, and my posters kept getting taken down. That was just as the Internet was coming into its own. I taught myself basicHTML from a book, and put up a site.
Q) Have you ever had any experience with print zines prior to going on-line?
My day job is in journalism, so a lot of experience with newspapers.
Q) How difficult was it to create your site?
At the beginning, very difficult. I have no programming background, and I remember literally pounding my fists on the floor with frustration. Now, it's a lot easier, but I don't bother with high-tech stuff like Java. The site is intentionally very simple so it will be easy for everyone to download. The focus of the site should be on the stories, not high-tech gizmos.
Q) What type of submissions do you seek? And, how often do you change the material on your site?
I change the material once a month, on the first of the month. Since the site serves to showcase my work, I seek submissions mostly in the form of reader feedback. Readers have also translated the site into several different languages--for example, the new Hebrew version which went online in June.
Q) Has the response to your site been mostly positive?
Yes, but not entirely, and I like it that way. The reader feedback contains some highly critical comments. Having been a journalist so long, I'm pretty thick- skinned about criticism. I actually find it helpful--if a lot of people are saying the same thing about a piece, I really consider whether they might be right.
Q) Do you think you will expand your site in the future or perhaps create another site with a different publication? And, how long do you think you will remain on-line?
The site has expanded a lot as it goes along--it's got archives all the
way back to 1996! I have to keep asking my ISP for more storage space.
I've thought of creating other sites--for example, I'd like to do a
fan site for my favorite choreographer, Christopher Wheldon. He's only
25 and a big web person, so I think he might like it.
I couldn't say when I'd no longer want to be online! I like the idea
of my site being a historical thing, being online forever.
Q) Does your site mostly appeal only to New Yorkers?
No, most of my readers are from other places. New Yorkers are too busy to web surf!
Q) Have you made any good contacts on the net (to exchange ideas, etc.) with other publishers or contributors?
I've made a lot of good friends on the net, and even managed to score
a few dates!
And the "Web Writers In the Flesh" reading series--which featured only Internet
writers--was arranged almost entirely through e-mail, and was very successful.
Some of the readers I had neverseen in person until they turned up for the
event!
Q) What are some of your favorite on-line zines?
I like The Onion (http://www.theonion.com)--it's published out of Wisconsin, which is where I'm from. Also, Web Del Sol (http://www.webdelsol.com).
Q) What do you do when you aren't working on your zine?
I'm a financial journalist by trade, which is something I enjoy, but do
strictly for the money.
Also, I have to write the stories before I put them up, and that takes a
lot of time and effort!
Q) How do you think on-line zines will change in the future?
They'll change as the technology develops. The Internet now is like movies were 100 years ago--just beginning to find its own style.
Q) What advice would you like to give to aspiring writers seeking publication on-line?
Put up your own site--design it yourself, and fumble around until you find a style that is uniquely your own. And design it for the pleasure of your readers, not your own ego. Nobody but you wants to see a picture of your cat!
Xander Mellish can be visited at
http://www.interport.com/~xmel
To see her photo go to http://www.interport.com/~xmel/whois.html
From
MIXED BAG
#8:
WILLA of WILLA'S JOURNAL
conducted by Sharida Rizzuto
Q) What motivated you to create
your on-line journal?
When I discovered the web I really wanted to have a website of my own, and I wanted to think of some kind of format that would force me to update it on a regular basis, not just make a static page that would stay the same from day to day. So I hit on the idea of a daily journal which would somewhat mirror the journals that I had kept for a number of years--a daily journal, a dream journal, and a journal of the books I had read.
Q) Has the response been mostly positive?
Absolutely. I have had almost no negative reaction at all. I receive lots of mail from readers and it's almost always positive.
Q) How difficult was it for you to create your site? Technically?
I'm always growing and learning. I taught myself everything I know about web page design, mostly from reading books and from researching things on the web. It certainly hasn't been easy, but I've been motivated by wanting to do a good job and wanting to put up a quality product. I hope to do web design as a full time job soon, so I've had a good reason to learn how to do it well.
Q) What type of readers enjoy your journal?
All kinds. I think the majority of my readers are women, but there are quite a few men as well. And all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens. I think the appeal of my journal is pretty widespread.
Q) Has your journal inspired any readers to start their own journal?
I have had quite a large number of readers write that they have been inspired to start (or re-start) writing journals of their own, both online and privately. In fact, that's quite a common response, as you can see from reading the Guestbook entries.
Q) What are your future plans for the journal? Any major changes?
Nope. I plan to keep doing what I'm doing, at least for the foreseeable future. It seems to work, and people like it, and I still enjoy it, so I can see no reason to change.
Q) What are some of your favorite on-line zines?
I don't really read any of them.
Q) How do you think on-line zines will change in the future?
No idea.
Q) What advice would you like to give aspiring writers?
Write. That's the only way you can get better. Just like anything else, it takes practice. And write for an audience. Feedback lets you know whether you're doing something that other people will want to write. You can't always tell yourself. Obviously, people like different things and you won't always please everyone, but writing for an audience is certainly one way to find out if you have what it takes to write. And the web is a wonderful place for that--the ultimate place to self-publish. For little or no money, anyone who has something to say can say it and let the world know about it.
Q) What do you do when you aren't working on your journal?
I work full time as a legal assistant for a large corporation, although I just quit that job to devote myself to looking for a job in web design, and to start doing some freelance web design work on my own. I'm married, no children, I spend quite a bit of time gardening and reading, and writing other things besides the journal. I'm working on a series of articles about my adventures as I look for work in a new field, and I'm also working on collecting some my essays for publication.
To visit Willa's Journal (photos included)
go to
http://www.willa.com
From NIGHTSHADE
#1
&
REALM OF THE VAMPIRE
#21:
INTERVIEW withWEBMASTER,
DEREK of LORD RUTHVEN
conducted by Lucinda
MacGregor
Q)
How did you develop your interest in vampires and Lord
Byron?
Well, I have always been fascinated with monsters, but it took me a while
to appreciate vampires in particular. But I can pinpoint exactly when
it was late one night at a friend's house, watching "The
Lost Boys." I love that movie to this day, even though it has
many detractors. My interest in Lord Ruthven (and consequently, Lord
Byron) stems from my interest in vampires. I find it interesting how
the image of the vampire has changed from antiquity to present day. The
modern vampire of literature seems to bear more in common with the
incubus/succubus than the bestial vampires of the dark ages.
Q) What inspired you to create your website and how difficult was it to put it together?
I looked on the Internet and couldn't find many resources on Lord Ruthven.
I thought that it was a shame because, while there are many sites about
Anne Rice or Dracula, there were only a handful of sites that dealt with
the character responsible for the modern vampire archetype. I've always
been a "give credit where it's due" kind of person.
Also, I got really sick of people who acted as if the vampires people actually
believed it bore a resemblance to Lestat or "Vampire: The Masquerade."
I felt that if more people knew about Lord Ruthven, then they would
gain insight into how the current image of the vampire developed instead
of sniping at me because I told them that "Clan Toreador" didn't exist.
The site wasn't very hard to create and put together.
Q) What is the background on Lord Byron and the "Lord Ruthven" story?
Lord Byron had begun a story but never finished it. Some time later, his former friend John Polidori decided to finish the story, but he used Byron as the model for the villain, Lord Ruthven. When the completed story, now entitled "The Vampyre," was published, it was a great success because everyone believed it to have been written by Byron. Of course, it wasn't and the situation caused a great deal of distress to both Polidori and Byron.
Q) What other works of literary vampire fiction would you recommend?
I am--very--picky about the vampire fiction that I like. It has
to be different in some way to keep me entertained. Now, I don't want
everything I read to rewrite the rules every time, but
"Forever Knight" fan fiction with the names changed
to create a "whole new universe" just doesn't appeal to me. And don't
even get me started on vampire "bad girl" comics . . .
So what do I like? I like older works like
"Carmilla," since those tales define the modern
vampire. I am interested in the goth scene, so the newer works I enjoy
tend to draw from that aesthetic. I am a really big fan of Nancy A. Collins,
and I also like Poppy Z. Brite to a degree. I also enjoy Laurell K.
Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series. I loved
Anne Rice's first three "Vampire Chronicles," but
I really, really hate her imitators. There are exceptions, but they
are rare. For a complete change of pace, I recommend Christopher Moore's
delightful Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love
Story.
I sometimes enjoy historical vampire novels. I have found Kim Newman's
"Anno Dracula" series
to be consistently fun and inventive. I thought that Chelsea Quinn
Yarbro's Hotel Transylvania was entertaining,
and I also enjoyed Tom Holland's Lord of the
Dead (a.k.a. The Vampyre in
Europe). Fans of Lord Ruthven, in particular, are encouraged
to seek out the latter novel.
I enjoy vampire movies, but as with literature, the bad far outweigh the
good or even passable. I am sick of the
"slap-fangs-on-someone-we-have-instant-vampire- movie" many low-budget film
makers have made. I have recently rediscovered the great old Hammer
films, which in many ways have never been equaled.
Q) What are some of your favorite Lord Byron or vampire websites on the net?
The best general interest vampire site is Pathway to Darkness
(http://www.pathwaytodarkness.com).
Another great site is graFIXer's Draculeum
(http://www.rz.tu-ilmenau.de/~rossmann/),
which receives my highest recommendation. The best Lord Byron page
that I have found is located at
(http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8916/byron.html).
Q) What future plans do you have for your website?
The Lord Ruthven page is a static site. I put it up to educate people,
but past that I don't think there is a whole lot more that I can do with
it. I may give it a design overhaul when I get the time.
I am currently designing a website devoted to werewolves, a subject that
has very little exposure on the Internet.
Q) Any other comments you would care to make regarding your website or vampires in general?
I have many comments concerning vampires--unfortunately, most of them
are not very nice. But it's important to note that my often virulent
criticism comes from my deep love for the subject and respect for the writers
who I feel "get it."
The most deplorable trend in current vampire fiction is what I call "Vampire
Lite." This trend is typified by the numerous works where the vampires
are depicted as misunderstood nice guys (sometimes with "evil," fanatical
vampire hunters stalking them). A vampire completely divorced from
the darkness is nothing more than a superhero with an aversion to sunlight
and a drinking problem. To me, even the most virtuous vampire needs
a dangerous side if he or she is going to stay entertaining. A
thinly-disguised romance novel hero with fangs is boring.
It sounds harsh, but I think that popularity is oftentimes the undoing of
the vampire. I remember the vampire boom of the mid-90's, and how the
handful of good works were swallowed by an outpouring of dross that choked
the genre. I suffered severe burnout.
In conclusion, if you write a piece of fiction (or make a film) concerning
vampires, do it because you love the subject. Not because it's trendy,
not because it will make you money. Do it because you respect the subject
matter.
Thanks for talking to us about your website and your serious interest in
vampires. It's nice to see a site devoted to the literary vampire
aficionado instead of the modern day goth-vampire genre. There's much
too much of that already available.
To visit the Lord Ruthven website go
to:
http://gothic.vei.net/lordruthven/ruthven.htm
From NIGHTSHADE
#1:
INTERVIEW with CAROL ANNE DAVIS,
AUTHOR of SHROUDED
conducted by Sharida Rizzuto
Q) How did you develop your interest
in writing, and when did you first know you should become a writer?
I started composing short stories as soon as I physically learned to write. At school I was called The Master Storyteller. I won prizes for composition and was given special aptitude tests. But I grew up in a home without books and without writing paper, in which I was expected to take a factory job and then become a wife. I just wasn't raised with the belief that I could do anything else professionally. I worked as an office junior, a postal clerk, a dental nurse and various other things before going on to college and then to university as a mature student. I didn't write for publication until I was twenty-six or twenty-seven.
Q) How difficult was it to establish yourself as a writer (as compared to the U.S.), and what other books, etc., have you written?
It wasn't difficult to establish myself as a writer in the magazine world.
I mean, I had lots of rejections but each month I'd also have some
successes. Sometimes this was just readers, letters, prizes or these
readers' slots where you write a page about your health success story, something
like that. Later I sold short stories and features to womens', teenage,
literary, horror and erotic magazines. I also worked as a book reviewer
and a writing tutor and wrote part of a writing correspondence course.
But trying to get a mainstream book published was hell. There
were when I virtually gave up and just concentrated on short pieces of writing.
Shrouded was written when I was thirty
and was finally published when I was thirty-five. The problem is that
it's easier for big publishers not to take a chance with a relative unknown.
They'd rather bring out an inferior book by a name than publish a better
book by a newer author.
Gradually I realized that only smaller independent publishers were giving
newer writers a fair chance. I then sent the book to The Do-Not Press
and they accepted it within a month.
Q) Having experienced such difficulties, how do you think it influenced your writing?
I suspect that the isolation I felt during these formative years is what gave me the ability to write. I had no one to share most of my experiences with so turned almost every thought inwards. Moving from a working class background into the middle class world of the university probably helped me to see the bigger picture, which is invaluable in writing terms. Many writers only write about--say--a working class subculture or about middle class values. I've been able to observe both, though I fit into neither camp. I feel privileged that I can write for a living (albeit a very underpaid one). It makes me feel that I can share my thoughts and ideas rather than just doing repetitive manual work for cash.
Q) How has the market for magazine writing changed during the time you became familiar with it?
Most of the early markets I had articles published in were weekly alternative reads which have now folded--Spare Rib and Everywoman are the two feminist titles which spring to mind. Many of the literary outlets I had fiction in have also folded--Tees Valley Writer and Scottish Child. So have the teenage titles I once provided short stories for regularly such as Jackie, Loving and Catch. The British market now supports many more up market glossy monthly magazines but few of them will give the fledgling writer a start.
Q) Have you written for only UK publications?
Until recently I'd only written for the UK but after I set my website up I was approached by editors from various countries. As a result, I gave an interview to a Hungarian journalist and had a noir short story accepted by an Italian anthology. I also had a short article in Alaska People magazine (both Internet and print version) and have interviews forthcoming in two American crime magazines. My chapbook, Expiry Date, was published by the New York publisher Dark Raptor Press in May 1998 and premiered at the World Horror Convention in Phoenix, Arizona in the States.
Q) How long does it take for you
to develop a book idea, do the research, and complete it? Then, how
long does it take the publisher to print it and have it distributed? How
does it compare with the U.S.?
I think it took me about five months to research and write
Shrouded, but I was also tutoring most days
in order to survive financially. The Do-Not Press brought it out within five
months of acceptance. That's unusually quick, though I've known friends
wait a year to eighteen months for publication of a book. When it came to
distribution, Shrouded was widely available
throughout the U.K. within two weeks of publication. Six months later
it was on sale in the United States. (Sorry, I've no idea how this
compares to US publishing.)
Q) What advice would you give aspiring
writers in their attempts to develop their writing skills and locate
publishers?
Read, read and read again. The best writers are usually the most voracious readers. And have a life outside of your writing, at least for the first few years. When it comes to finding suitable publishers there's no easy answer--the conglomerates tend to ignore new voices whilst the smaller ones are often desperately overworked and cannot afford to pay you a living wage. I know that some writers view writing competitions with great suspicion but that they are a way for a writer to get used to meeting deadlines and if you win they do bring in some much-needed cash.
Q) What research was needed for Shrouded?
I read masses of material on death and the little that I could find on necr-phil-a (this should confuse any search engine spider--wouldn't want to get listed with websites for that subject) before writing Shrouded. I also went into the mortuary and interviewed a funeral director about how a corpse is prepared for viewing before that last lonely trip to the grave. I saw round the Preparation Room where the bodies are washed and injected with preservatives and their orifices plugged. I was also given copies of all the documentation which surrounds death. For example, the funeral directors have to know if the deceased is wearing a pacemaker. If so it has to be removed in case it explodes in the fierce heat of the crematorium. I also contacted a Marine Institute to verify the aquatic information I planned to include in Shrouded and I set up an aquarium plus two smaller tanks.
Q) Considering that researching can be difficult, do you recommend that aspiring writers stick with what they know and save writing projects requiring research until they have acquired more experience?
I think you have to do a bit of both. Yes, write about what you know, but it doesn't always mold itself into fully functional short stories. You often have to add a subplot, which is where research comes in. The Internet makes such research much easier though it's costly for we Brits as we are charged for local telephone calls.
Q) Have you done many book tours? Do you enjoy them and why?
I've been asked to give signings and appear at writing conferences but I haven't actually been asked to undertake a book tour. I suspect I'd find it daunting as I'm somewhat shy. I hated having my photograph taken for interviews at first but I've now grown used to it. But I feel that it's the words and ideas that should be of interest, not the writer herself.
Q) What are your impressions of the current horror markets?
There are still horror novels being produced, but the publishers aren't calling them horror. They are being marketed as dark crime thrillers, or as noir literary books. Sadly, the few books that do appear under horror's aegis often look sadly dated with black backgrounds and grinning skulls. Horror is often the footstep behind you on a deserted street or the sudden billowing of the curtains. It's a cheap shot to visually portray fear in crass skeletons-and-zombies terms.
Q) Since you have some experience with the Internet, how do you think the Internet will influence writers and publishing?
The Internet has already given many new writers a voice, though after reading some of them you wish that they'd remained silent! Seriously, it will mean that anyone with access to webspace will be able to produce a vehicle to make their fiction known. After that, it's really up to the publishers to contact new talent, though it's my experience that they rarely take a chance on a new novelist.
Q) Do you have a new novel planned? What about other projects?
My next novel, Safe As Homes, is under consideration at a publisher. It's about a s-xual (lets hope the search engine doesn't spider this, put this site on a list of nasty sites and then the "powers that be" don't come knocking at the door! it's just a matter of time and one can't be sure nowadays where the Gestapo is lurking--what happened to our free speech anyway??) sadist who customizes a derelict outhouse and abducts women and keeps them there. His wife wrongly suspects that he's having an affair and starts track him down. She innocently thinks that she'll confront him and his mistress and save her marriage, and has no insight into the horror she's about to face. I've also recently finished a noir story collection. It's a mixture of new dark stories and those which have previously been placed in competitions or published in magazines. I'm also writing various short stories that I've been asked for from magazines. And I'm interested in writing another chapbook as I had fun writing Expiry Date for Dark Raptor Press.
Q) What response has your book received from readers?
I thought that the moral majority might have been shocked, but the response has been really positive. Shrouded received masses of good reviews (excerpts of some are on my website) and a couple of very bad ones. I was wounded by the bad ones but all of my writing friends told me that virtually every book that's published receives some bad reviews. Several readers wrote or emailed me to say that they'd read Shrouded virtually one sitting as they couldn't wait to see what happened next. You are alone when you write a book, and so few publishers seem to read unsolicited manuscripts that it remains a lonely and sometimes almost impossible journey. It's uplifting when complete strangers like your work and care enough to contact you. It makes it all worthwhile.
Visit Ms. Davis' website at
http://www.tellitlikeitis.demon.co.uk
From REALM OF THE VAMPIRE #3:
INTERVIEW with POPPY Z. BRITE
conducted by Sharida
Rizzuto
Q) When did you first realize that
you wanted to become a writer and why did you decide to concentrate on the
horror genre?
I've been writing since I can remember, submitting stuff for publication since I was twelve. I sold my first story at eighteen, several more in the next five years, my first novel at twenty-three. I didn't consciously decide to become a horror writer, though I have always loved reading horror. I happened to make my first sale to a horror magazine, and the genre seemed receptive to the work I wanted to do.
Q) How difficult was it to begin writing, complete your work, and find a publisher?
The first two were things I had no choice about; writing and completing my work has always been instinctive to me. The difficulty of finding an agent and a publisher was eased in part by the kindness and help of other writers who liked my work, including Brian Hodge, Dan Simmons, and Harlan Ellison.
Q) What inspires you to write about vampires?
Nothing anymore, and I'm not sure what ever did.
Lost Souls is the only vampire story
I've written or intend to write. I am proud of it, but I feel I have
said all I have to say about them.
I've often wondered why I chose to make my first novel a vampire story. I
certainly don't regret it, but I was never especially fascinated with them
before I started the book, though I liked them. I think it was because
I was interested in and involved with the Gothic subculture at the time--the
music, the clothes and makeup, the affinity for graveyards, the bloodletting.
That was what I wanted to write about, and vampires are an essential
icon of that culture. Those kids are beautiful, alienated, at once
craving wild experience and romanticizing death. Is it any wonder they
identify with vampires?
Also, I have edited Love In Vein, an anthology
of erotic vampire stories published by Harper Prism. (NOTE: Since this
interview was conducted we have learned that a second anthology with the
same name is available.)
Q) Do you think people (as readers) in New Orleans are receptive to vampire fiction?
Local newspapers and bookstores have certainly been kind to me. The store people tell me both my novels sell well. (NOTE: Since this interview was conducted a collection of short stories, Wormwood, has been released). As far as I can tell, they seem to like vampire fiction as well as any other kind. I have a strong gay readership, too, which I cherish.
Q) Since you're living in New Orleans, do you think the locale will play an ever-increasing role in your writing? How about the strong local influence of voodoo?
New Orleans is my hometown. I lived here until I was six, visited
a lot, and returned to live in early 1993. So it has always been important
to me, but living in the French Quarter certainly gives me a different
perspective. Some of my earliest memories are of wandering around the
Quarter with my parents.
I've written some short stories with a voodoo element, but I don't have plans
for any novels concerning it.
I've felt like writing non-supernatural fiction lately. But I never
know what I'm going to do next. And I certainly don't rule out going
to see the Chicken Man for a bit of gris-gris when necessary.
Q) How do vampire enthusiasts respond to your books?
They either seem to love them or consider them utter heresy. Some were disappointed that Drawing Blood, my second novel, wasn't a vampire book, and that I won't be writing any sequels to Lost Souls. Too bad; I have little interst in readers who only want to read one kind of book. But there seems to be a cool vampiric underground scene, and I appreciate the word-of-mouth publicity they have given me.
Q) Do you think vampire fiction and the horror genre, in general, will always have a loyal following?
Sure seems that way. Doomsayers keep trumpeting The Death of Horror, and it keeps refusing to lie down and die decently.
Q) Do vampire readers often attempt to compare you to Anne Rice or Nancy Collins since all three of you have used New Orleans as a setting for vampire tales?
I've heard such comparisons, but they mean little to me, as I am fairly unfamiliar with both writers. I've read and enjoyed Collins' short stories, but none of her novels yet; and I haven't read Rice at all. For me, New Orleans was one of the places I had to work with; it's my hometown, and I have written all sorts of fiction set there. But it does seem like a natural place for vampires. It has everything they could want: wild parties and pickup spots, beautiful graveyards, all colors and flavors of people. And a natural disposal site: the Mississippi River. After a corpse has been floating in that toxic soup for a few days, who's going to look for two little holes in its neck?
Q) What horror writers have you always enjoyed? How have they influenced you?
I cut my teeth on Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Peter Straub,
Harlan Ellison, William S. Burroughs, Ramsey Campbell, Dylan Thomas, and
Sylvia Plath. Some of my most recent favorites are Dennis Cooper, Kathe
Koja, and Thomas Ligotti. For the record, my favorite vampire novel
is Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin. I love its lush settings and
beautiful writing, and applaud the fact that its vampiric and its human
characters are equally complex and interesting.
When I find a writer whose use of language, I admire, I read their work over
and over. Sometimes I read the dictionary.
Q) Do you think the horror genre will become more widely accepted in the future?
Not necessarily, but I think the lines between genres will become more blurred. There's already a lot of crossover.
Q) As a horror writer, what do you think frightens and entertains readers the most?
I've never felt capable of frightening a reader. I admire writers
who can, but I never thought I could write scary fiction. When it dawned
on me that I could write disturbing fiction, I realized I could be
a horror writer.
I follow my obsessions, start with my characters, and let them tell the stories
they have to tell. I'm glad it turns out to entertain the reader or
provokes a strong emotional reaction.
As for what frightens me: mundane things, same as most writers,
I think--especially horror writers. If a big spooky hotel was all that
scared Stephen King, The Shining,
wouldn't be such a disturbing book. Its real terrors are the fragility
of family, the descent into madness, the inevitability of hurting those you
love. But the hotel and its various tricks are really scary too, because
most horror writers are pussies about bodily harm and the supernatural. I
don't trust ones who like rollercoasters or claim not to believe in ghosts.
If you want to know what grosses me out, it's centipedes and mucus.
BIO:
Poppy Z. Brite was born in 1967, spent her early years growing up in New
Orleans and since then has lived all over the South. She returned to
her hometown where she presently resides. Poppy has worked as a gourmet candy
maker, a cook, a mouse caretaker, an artist's model, and an exoric dancer.
Her earliest short stories appeared in
The Horror Show starting in 1985.
Since then he stories have been published in
Borderlands, Women
Of Darkness 2, Dead End:
City Limits, Still
Dead, Borderlands 3,
Gauntlet, Year's Best
Fantasy And Horror 5 and
6, Best New Horror
2, 3,
4, and
5, The Definitive
Best Of The Horror Show, Young
Blood, and Book Of The Dead 3
plus many more.
Poppy's first novel, Lost Souls, was published
by Delacorte Abyss in 1992. It was a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate,
and was nominated for a Lambda Award and A Stoker Award for best first novel.
Since then foreign rights were sold to several European countries.
The paperback edition was published in 1993.
Her second novel, Drawing Blood, was published
by Abyss in 1993. A limited edition has been published by Borderlands
Press. Dell purchased the paperback rights and foreign rights went
to Great Britain.
Love In Vein, an anthology of erotic vampire
stories, was published by Harper Prism in 1994.
Wormwood, a collection of horror stories
was published by Abyss in 1995. Exquisite
Corpse, a horror novel about two cannibal-necrophile serial killers
on a murder spree down in New Orleans, was published by Simon & Schuster
in 1996. The latest novel just published in '98 is entitled,
The Crow: The Lazarus
Heart. It's available in trade paperback. It's
set in New Orleans. Poppy also had a role in
"John Five," an erotic film directed by
Georgia artist, Jim Herbert (he previously directed some videos for the band,
R. E. M.).
From SEASCAPES #1:
INTERVIEW with a PIRATE LADY: CINDY
VALLAR
conducted by Lucinda MacGregor
Q) How did you develop your interest
in pirates?
While in college, I began researching Jean Laffite, a gentleman privateer who played an instrumental role in the Battle of New Orleans. He led a group of pirates, privateers, and smugglers based at Barataria, a three-day journey from New Orleans by pirogue through the bayous of Louisiana. To lend authenticity to my story, I needed to gain knowledge of pirates and how they operated.
When I decided to write full-time, I had to acquire publishing credits to demonstrate my writing abilities and my ability to meet deadlines. Suite101.com was looking for editors to write columns on a variety of topics. I submitted an application to write a monthly column on the history of maritime piracy entitled Pirates and Privateers (http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/pirates). They hired me and in March 2000 my first article, “Jean Laffite, Enigma and Legend,” debuted. (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pirates/33757)
Q) What is your background in writing? How does it relate to your interest in pirates and history?
My initial attempts at writing began in high school where I wrote poetry whenever I got bored in class. The literary magazine published one poem and two others later appeared in collegiate anthologies while I was a senior at Towson University. In college, I watched a television show where Walt Disney introduced Jean Laffite. His description of this enigmatic gentleman intrigued me enough to research Laffite’s life and eventually led me to work on a novel about him.
Marriage and my career as a school librarian put that novel on hold until I began working in a school for severely emotionally challenged teenagers. To relieve the stress I resumed working on the Laffite novel, but the story and characters wouldn’t gel, so I started another manuscript. In 2002 NovelBooks, Inc. (http://www.novelbooksinc.com/) published my debut novel, THE SCOTTISH THISTLE.
Historical events are the main focus of my novels, but I intertwine them with love stories. THE SCOTTISH THISTLE tells the story of Scotland’s Rising of 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie attempted to regain the British throne for the Royal House of Stuart. Forced to wed, Rory MacGregor and Duncan Cameron participate in the Rising in different ways while combating prejudice and intrigue that threaten to destroy their tenuous marriage. THE REBEL AND THE SPY, my current work-in-progress, centers on Jean Laffite and the Baratarians during the War of 1812. Alexine, Laffite’s younger sister, tangles with Lucas, the cousin of William Claiborne, the Governor of Louisiana who’s keen on destroying the Laffites.
Q) How did your profession as a librarian come into play with your interests?
Being a librarian allows me to explore any topic that interests me anytime I want. It gives me an edge in doing research because of my training in how to do effective searches for information. I also know how to evaluate resources as to their accuracy and reliability.
Q) Why did you become a writer? How difficult was it breaking into the field of writing?
I’ve been fairly lucky in breaking into the field of writing, but it does require work. In part my success stems from choosing not to follow traditional paths (such as getting an agent and trying to get published by a traditional publisher). When applying to become a Suite Editor, I chose a topic that’s difficult to find reliable information on a subject, but also one familiar to people of all ages. I believe writing Pirates and Privateers established my reputation as an author and allowed me to amass my initial reader base, which I then used to promote my other writings.
That’s not to say I haven’t encountered roadblocks and pitfalls along the way. I have, but I learned from my mistakes and tried again. I don’t quit. I’ve made friends and contacts around the world and they help me spread the word about what I write. I also read about how to promote and treat my writing as a business, because once your first novel’s published, its success or failure depends on you.
Q) You have an outstanding website. It is extremely informative, entertaining, and well designed. What motivated you to develop your website (particularly the area devoted to pirates)?
Web sites are a promotional tool for authors. As I worked to develop Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com), I realized I had a variety of information to offer readers and writers besides just promoting what I write. Some of those items, such as the bibliographies and favorite research links, stem from my twenty years of library work.
The pirate section of my web site (http://www.cindyvallar.com/pirates.html) consisted originally of links to my column at Suite101.com. When they encountered financial problems, there was a chance that all my work would disappear. Since I knew how valuable the information was for readers and visitors, I decided to create a mirror site within my own web site where people can access the same information found at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/pirates). One difference between the two sites is that it’s easier for me to keep my own pages up-to-date than for me to check every article I’ve written at Suite101.com. Also, I include more graphics than you’ll find at Pirates & Privateers. My most recent article, however, is only accessible at Suite101.com.
While maintaining a duplicate set of everything found at Pirates & Privateers requires extra time and effort, it allows me to include items not permissible at Suite101.com. Now that I review pirate books, I keep the more involved reviews at Suite101.com and link to them at Thistles & Pirates. This allows visitors to use both resources.
Q) What has the response been to your website, and what are your future plans for the site?
Response to my web site is positive and almost everyone finds something to interest him or her, such as the photographs that compliment my book or the pirate articles. When people write me about the web site, I add their comments to my reviews.
I don’t really have set plans for the future of my web site. I add to it as I find items I think would interest others. Eventually, I will add to the Jean Laffite pages once that book is published. I’ll develop other pages that compliment future books as needed. In fact, the page on Historical Fiction vs. History (http://www.cindyvallar.com/histfic.html) is a recent addition and stems from the passage Andrew M. Greeley wrote in the afterword of one of his novels that I read.
Q) Do you think pirate fiction will always be popular and why? What is their popularity compared to other types of fiction?
Pirate fiction allows readers to step away from the societal restraints we encounter in our everyday lives. The thrill and adventure appeal to us without requiring us to relinquish our safety nets. I explore this further in an article entitled “The Lure of Piracy – Reality vs. Romanticism.” (http://www.cindyvallar.com/romanticism.html)
I can’t say how their popularity compares to other fiction. I believe what a person reads is subjective and depends on his or her tastes and life experiences. It also depends on what publishers believe the public wants, even if it’s not a true indicator of what people like to read.
Q) What time in history was pirate activity at its peak, and what was the impact on history?
The peak of pirate activity came during the first three decades of the eighteenth century. This period is known as the Golden Age of Piracy. When you think of pirates, these are the ones that come to mind. They include Blackbeard, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and many more. The ultimate impact on history is that their raids on maritime commerce eventually led nations to enact laws that outlawed piracy and privateering. Although piracy remains a problem even today, it no longer garners the attention it did in the past. If you’d like to know more about pirates of this era, my columns in March and April will highlight the pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Q) How much historical material is available about pirates? How does it help with writing historical fiction?
A lot of historical information is available on pirates, but it’s not always accurate. Primary accounts of trials provide the best resource for factual information, as do other first-hand accounts by pirates and their victims. These, however, are rare. The more one reads about pirates, the more one acquires a general understanding of what piracy entails. You also learn who and what are the best resources to consult for background and details.
Q) Who were some of the most notable pirates, how did they choose that life, and what were their motivations?
Blackbeard, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Cheng I Sao, L’Ollonais, and William Kidd are just a few notable pirates. Those portrayed in novels and films are perhaps the better known.
Pirates became pirates for many reasons. Some sought the promise of wealth. Some had no choice – either join or die. Many began their maritime careers as privateers, respectable mariners who preyed on enemy commerce during war, or naval personnel. When the war ended, however, they lost their means of legal livelihood, leaving them the choice of turning outlaw or starving to death. Some escaped the harsh brutality of serving in the navy or under the command of sadistic sea captains.
Piracy allotted them freedoms they didn’t have in regular society. They were their own bosses. They looked out for their own. In essence they were the forerunners of a democratic society. They instituted an early form of health insurance.
Q) What books have you written about pirates?
I’m currently working on THE REBEL AND THE SPY, a novel about Jean Laffite and the War of 1812.
Q) What books projects are you working on and will they include pirates?
See above.
Q) Who are some of the popular writers of pirates in fiction and nonfiction?
I’m not necessarily familiar with the most popular writers of fictional pirates as I read more factual books than novels. The ones listed here are from my collection of pirate books. If you’d like a more comprehensive list of pirate books in English, I recommend a visit to Larry Voyer’s Piratical Bibliography (http://voyer.crosswinds.net/).
FICTION
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Angel in the Rigging by Erika Nau
The Sweet Trade by Elizabeth Garrett
Dead Man’s Chest by Roger L. Johnson
The Witch from the Sea by Lisa Jensen
The Deadly Lady of Madagascar by Frank G. Slaughter
Captain Mary, Buccaneer by Jacqueline Church Simonds
Blackbirder by James L. Nelson
The Buccaneers by Iain Lawrence
NON-FICTION
Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly
Bold in Her Breeches edited by Jo Stanley
A General History of the Pyrates by Daniel Defoe (sometimes listed as Captain Johnson)
Dangerous Waters by John S. Burnett
Jolly Roger with an Uzi by Jack A. Gottschalk and Brian P. Flanagan
Pirate by Richard Platt
The Pirate Hunter by Richard Zacks
The History of Pirates by Angus Konstam
Pirates: Terror on the High Seas from the Caribbean to the South China Sea
Pirates and Privateers of the Caribbean by Jenifer Marx
Q) How frequently has the giant sea monster or the mermaid been used in pirate tales?
I don’t know how often these appear in pirate tales. They are very common in maritime tales, though. The pirate fiction I read tends to portray pirates in a more historically accurate vein, so these aren’t present in them.
Q) How realistic or romanticized are the portrayals of pirates in film and literature?
The early depictions of pirates in literature didn’t glamorize pirates. They were cruel villains. The myth of piracy and the romanticism began in the early 1800s when Lord Byron’s “Corsair” became a wronged hero who had Robin Hood characteristics. Sabatini’s Captain Blood made them romantic heroes. Most pirate films tend toward romanticized portrayals and often lack historical accuracy. If you’d like to read a more in-depth look at this aspect of piracy, read my article “The Lure of Piracy,” which I mentioned in a previous answer.
Q) What are some of the most notable battles involving pirates?
I suppose the most notable is the one that ended with Blackbeard’s beheading, but pirates didn’t operate in this manner. Their successes came when they swooped down on unsuspecting prey, raided the ship, and then left as quickly as they appeared. The battle scenes depicted in pirate films rarely happened. Pirates wanted the ship and its cargo. To participate in battles endangered what they sought so they were more apt not to fire unless given no other choice.
Q) How structurally sound were the pirate ships? Do any of these ships still exist? What about replicas?
How sound they were depended on their age and how well kept they were. If ships weren’t careened often, then they became slow and their hulls rotted. I’m not aware of any pirate ship from the past that exists intact today, although several shipwrecks have been found. The most notable are “The Whydah,” which was Black Sam Bellamy’s ship, and “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” Blackbeard’s flagship. Some pirate re-enactors have acquired wooden sailing ships that have become “pirate” ships, but I don’t have firsthand knowledge of these. You’d probably learn more about replicas by visiting No Quarter Given (http://www.noquartergiven.net/).
Q) What important pirate treasures have been discovered and where?
I’m not aware of any pirate treasures having been discovered unless you count the remains of “The Whydah” and “Queen Anne’s Revenge.” The artifacts uncovered are “treasures” themselves, but of a historical nature rather than a monetary one. Buried treasure is more a myth than a reality. Most pirates squandered the money they acquired.
Q) Discuss some of your interests outside of pirates such as books you have written, and your writer's critiquing service.
THE SCOTTISH THISTLE is the only published novel I’ve written. In addition to working on THE REBEL AND THE SPY, I’m currently researching a book set in western Kansas during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
When I’m not working on my novels, I write articles for my piracy column. I also have two newsletters for my readers – one devoted to my writing in general and the other specifically to pirates. Occasionally I also write articles on the craft of writing and researching. I review historical novels, pirate books, and history books for several venues. I teach online courses about piracy and Scottish history and culture. I also maintain my web site, Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com).
I spent many years editing student papers, newspaper articles, and yearbook copy while I was a librarian. I’ve also participated in critique groups. Using my education and acquired knowledge, I applied to Wings Press as a copyeditor and editor of their historical and contemporary romances and romantic suspense novels. After critiquing novels for several friends and other authors, I decided to open my own critique service (http://www.cindyvallar.com/critiques.html) where I offer to copyedit, edit, or critique novels for authors.
I critique the first chapter of a work for free so potential clients see how I work and what I look for when I critique their novels. A copyedit of a work means I check grammar, punctuation, spelling, and search for logic errors. I charge $3 per each 1000 words for this service. A full edit/critique includes a copyedit but also covers what works vs. what doesn’t, where to flesh out scenes and characters, where to delete too much information, etc. I charge $6 per each 1000 words for a critique.
While my expertise lies in historical novels, I’ve critiqued fantasy and contemporary stories as well as non-fiction. Some of the books I’ve edited have gone on to win awards. I include recommendations from other authors on my web page for potential clients.
Q) What advice would you give to any wannabe writer of pirate tales?
Do your research. Check and double-check your facts. Never let history interfere with the story. Never stop dreaming!
--
Cindy Vallar
Editor of Pirates and Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracy
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/pirates
E-mail: piratelady@cindyvallar.com - Thistles & Pirates:
http://www.cindyvallar.com/
From NIGHTSHADE #1:
INTERVIEW with Kealan-Patrick Burke, AUTHOR of RAVENOUS GHOSTS and other works
conducted by Jason Brannon
Kealan-Patrick Burke was born in Ireland but now lives in Ohio.
He is a prolific writer. His short stories have been published
in a variety of zines: Alternate
Realities, Alternate Species,
Dark Moon Rising,
Deviant Minds, Quantum
Muse, Rogue Worlds,
The Place of Reason,
Wicked Hollow, and many others. He
also had stories published in various anthologies:
Brimstone Turnpike,
Fangoria's Frightful Fiction,
Fresh Blood, Midnight
Rose, Quietly Now,
Scatter, Taverns of
the Dead, The Book of Final
Flesh, The Fear Within,
The Night Has Teeth,
Vicious Shivers, etc. Burke has a
short collection, Ravenous Ghosts, recently
published. He has served as editor of
Sinisteria and edited the
Hour of Pain anthology.
Shadowland --
http://groups.msn.com/Shadowland
Jason Brannon is another prolific writer. His stories have
been published in Black Petals,
Bloody Muse, Dark
Realms, Electric Wine,
The Edge: Tales of Suspense,
The Witching Hour,
Twilight Showcase, and many more. His
stories have been included in the anthology Space Stations
and Graveyards. Five Days on the Banks of
the Acheron and Puzzles in
Flesh are Brannon's short story collections and
Rusty Nails is his first novel. He also
edits The Haunted (online).
Brannon lives in Mississippi.
The Official Website of Jason Brannon --
http://www.angelfire.com/rant/puzzles/
Q) You are both a talented writer and editor. Which one is more satisfying--cranking out a great new story or finding out that one of your personal heroes is willing to contribute a story to your anthology? Also, do you see yourself gravitating more toward one or the other in the future?
I think there's a different kind of satisfaction associated with both posts. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't doing cartwheels when Charles L. Grant (who is my literary idol) agreed to do a story for Taverns of the Dead, or that did even more daring acrobatics when the story actually arrived in my inbox but I engaged in a similar ritual this morning when I finished revisions on my latest short story. The first short story in a long while, actually. So, I think there are different pleasures and different disappointments with both. Whereas a writer has to deal with rejection, an editor has the unenviable task of dealing out that rejection, chasing publishers for money etc. Both jobs can be heartbreaking.
If it came down to choosing between writing and editing, writing would no-contest. I am a writer, first and foremost. To be honest, I can't remember how the hell I got into this editing gig in the first place.
Q) You've got a new short story collection coming out soon called Ravenous Ghosts. What can you tell us about the book? Are there any background stories associated with any of the stories contained within that might be of interest?
The book sports a stunning cover by popular artist Mike Bohatch, a foreword by Jack Cady (another hero of mine) and an afterward by Gary Braunbeck. It gathers together fourteen of my best stories from the past three years, and two more written especially for the book. 3F Publishing (http://www.3fpublishing.com) will be releasing the book over the next couple of weeks (all going well.)
There are anecdotes to accompany the stories within the book itself. I've always been a fan of short story collections which feature the author's thoughts on the story, so it was only natural that I should do something similar. There are some funny stories in there, and some not-so-funny. For example, one of the stories was written as a long but well-meaning insult (is there such a thing?) to a magazine which appeared to be confused as to the type of genre they wanted submissions to be in. To my surprise, the magazine promptly bought the story. If only all such insults were as well received.
Q) What is the craziest e-mail you've ever gotten from a fan?
I received an e-mail from a German reader back in 2001, who confessed his love for "the story about the snake who talks and the cat with one eye." He wanted my permission to post the story on his website. I might have given it to him if I had known what on earth he was referring to.
Q) According to a lot of people in the horror genre, you're considered to be one of the high-profile guys in the "up-and-coming" ranks. Where do you see yourself in five years?
To be honest I don't see myself as "up-and-coming." With a market as narrow as horror/dark fantasy is these days, I think anyone who persists in writing in it for more than a year is probably considered "up-and-coming." I'm just thrilled to be able to put together books I want to see out there. Not only that, but to be able to consort with your childhood heroes is a little bit magical too.
When I start getting invites to Random House anthologies or my grocery list gets optioned by HBO, maybe then I'll consider myself up-and-coming.
Q) I saw on the Dark Vesper site where the Malevolent Music anthology is now defunct. What happened to that particular project?
That's a long and ugly story that I'll wait to tell you over a beer sometime. Suffice it to say, I was sad to have to put Malevolent Music to sleep, but one of the things you have to learn, and learn quickly if you want to be any kind of editor, is that promises don't mean jack-shit and there is no such thing as a sure thing.
Q) You write and edit full-time. Describe what a typical work day is like for those of us who still hit the 9 to 5.
Well, I get up at dawn, cycle 4-5 miles. Have breakfast. Check e-mail. Write from 9-11. If I have a copy-editing project going (I copy-edit for various publishing houses and writers -- it's my bread-and-butter) that will take up the next few hours. At about 3, I work on whatever anthology I'm running, make calls, faxes, etc. 5-7 is a blur (writing, editing.). 8 onwards is family time.
Q) What is your proudest moment as a writer?
Yikes, that's a tough one. I could name anything from writing my very first story when I was eight years old to getting my first story published (Writings magazine in Ireland, 1990), or having my mother read one of my stories and giving me a great blurb ("Stephen King has nothing on you, boy") right when I needed it. There are too many to mention. Every time I finish a story, I'm proud of myself. Every time a story is published and read, and appreciated, I'm proud of myself as a writer. Every time something I wrote scares my wife, I'm proud to be a horror writer.
Q) How about naming a few guilty pleasures (books, movies, music) that we might not typically associate with a horror writer?
Books? I went through a phase when all I could read
were John Grisham, Phillip Margolin and Scott Turow novels. My all-time
favorite novel, however, is To Kill a
Mockingbird. A close second would be
The Grapes of Wrath.
Movies? Hmm. One of my favorite movies is Disney's
"The Emperor's New Groove." I think I've watched it about a dozen times.
I have rather a weakness for Disney movies. Can't wait to see
"Treasure Planet."
Music? I'm a hard rock fan. I like Korn, Puddle
of Mudd, Soundgarden etc. Nothing guilty to admit about that except
maybe that I listen to a bit of Nora Jones on the side. (blush)
Q) Let's assume that I'm just getting introduced to the horror genre. Who should I read in your opinion? Give us a Horror 101 primer.
Horrorwise: Peter Straub's Ghost Story, King's Salem's Lot, anything by Bradbury, Matheson, Arthur Machen, M. R. James, Bloch or Leiber. Also, just because you wish to write horror does not mean you should read horror exclusively. I would encourage newcomers to read the classics in every genre and not to confine their tastes to the dark stuff. As I mentioned above, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a tremendous book. More recently, Andre Dubois's House of Sand and Fog is an exercise in literary brilliance. If you want to be a writer, genre is unimportant as far as reading goes at least. There are valuable tricks and lessons to be found in the pages of (ugh) romance novels, thrillers, comedies, mysteries, dramas. Well, maybe not romance (kidding).
MORE TO COME!