DETHROE'S DARK FICTION BLOG: OMINOUS 13: LORI R. LOPEZ, DARK FICTION AUTHOR

Hi Lori, thanks for being so kind as to be interviewed for OMINOUS 13 DARK FICTION SPOTLIGHT SERIES. Let’s get right to it. In a recent interview you did with Uvi Poznansky, you stated that to you, writing is similar to painting with words. One of my favorite writers is JRR Tolkien. His writing is so colorful, reading it becomes like watching a film. What writer(s) do you think best incorporates this type of artistic prose?

Thank you for inviting me, Paul. Words are very important to me. I do enjoy reading prose that evokes images as strongly as a painting or a film. Poetry is that way, and I write that too. I enjoy reading literature that makes you stop in awe of a line, and I hope that my writing does that for readers. Some of the authors I enjoy for their style are Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, William Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Victor Hugo, Andre Norton. Also Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Doctor Seuss had a fun way with words. There are more, but these stand out in my mind.

Your writings don’t seem to fit into one particular genre. As a reader, are you much the same, or do you prefer one particular genre best?

I’ve read quite a variety. I used to read Science Fiction growing up, along with Horror and Fantasy. I would read animal stories and poetry, classic adventures, plays, screenplays. Sometimes Nonfiction. As an author I do the same, a variety of genres, sometimes separately but often combined. I also like to write for different ages, but mostly I write for twelve through adult since I don’t use explicit language or content. A few are more intense, more violent. There are children’s books. I kind of do it all.

Do you prefer writing poetry, novels or short stories?

Oh gosh, that’s a tough question! I don’t think I prefer any one over the others. I love to write them all. They each have their qualities. And some say my prose is rather poetic, or my poetry rather like my prose. I do at times tell stories in my verse. I like the depth of a novel, the chance to really get into the plot and characters, but I also enjoy being able to tell a tale faster, more concisely in a short story. And my stories usually have a good bit of depth. My characters are well defined, whether in a story or novel. You feel you know them; some of them may stay with you for a while.

Your charitable work with Tumaini Girls Rescue Center (Safe House) in Siaya, Kenya is extremely admirable. What can you tell us about that organization and what prompted you to become involved?

My sons and I have been active in doing what we can for years with causes, from animal rights and conservation to children and abuse survivors. So far we cannot do anything major, but small gestures do make a difference. On Facebook I met a couple of the people who are helping the Tumaini shelter and a community library in Saiya, Moses Akwiri Okoth and Brenda Bee (Kemunto). They are the admirable ones, two amazing individuals who devote their time and efforts to helping others. I’ve tried to spread the word for them, both on Facebook and Twitter. When I learned they needed books for the library, my sons and I sent ten of our books, the nine I had in print and my son Rafael’s volume of verse. My son Noél helped them set up a Paypal account to receive contributions. Their community has a lot of issues to deal with, including attacks against females. They are in great need of donations and whatever support people can give, even just sharing about their cause. And a wonderful thing they do each year is to participate in an event called WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES, where local men wear red high-heels to march for one mile. It’s to raise awareness of the assaults on women and children. I think it’s terrific. They’ve had to postpone it this year, however, due to lack of funds. They are involved with another organization to make colorful dresses, The Pixel Project, which is aimed at ending violence against women.

Contact Brenda Kemunto at vgirlskenya@gmail.com for information.

Books can be mailed to:

Saiya Community Library

c/o Pauline Caroline Oduk.

P.O BOX 1702(00100)

Nairobi Kenya

You seem to be a hat aficionado, something I can relate to, for sure. Tell us about your love for stylish headwear?

Ha ha, yes, I love hats. I have my entire life. My mother wouldn’t let me wear cool ones like cowboy hats because they were “for boys”. So of course I wear fedoras, top hats, any manner of short and wide brims, berets, and all sorts of caps. My collection is growing. It’s part of who I am. One of my favorite groups on Facebook is for hat-lovers.

Your author bio lists you as, “an author, poet, artist, actress, songwriter, musician and activist for conservation, children and animal rights.” Obviously, you possess a very creative mind. Who do you credit for inspiring you as a youngster to expand your talents in the direction you have taken them?

My mind is “brimming” (hat pun) with imagination. I have so many ideas and projects, I go nuts trying to catch up with them all. Since I was a small child I was determined that I would become a writer and artist and actress and poet and musician . . . Nobody told me to think that way. I was simply always very ambitious. Just like when I became a vegetarian at age fifteen. Nobody in my family was one. Nobody I knew was, either. I was considered strange, but it didn’t bother me. I’ve never been normal.

I did have an uncle who was an artist, although not professionally; another uncle who was an architect and musician. My mother had wanted to be an artist herself yet didn’t pursue it. I’m sure they influenced me somewhat. But they didn’t really encourage me that I can remember. No doubt I was inspired by hearing fairytales and Nursery Rhymes, then reading beloved stories. Watching movies and television, listening to music, seeing artwork. I started drawing and writing poems quite young. I was often on the stage in Grades Four and Five, performing skits I had written. And I was a natural drummer, then played Percussion in Band. I later taught myself guitar to write songs.

Being from Wisconsin, I can imagine a lot of long, cold, winter nights spent developing your imagination. What inspired the ‘macabre’ side of your creative development?

It just happened. My first favorite book was WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, and it had monsters. I loved it! I also loved FRANKENSTEIN, first the movies and then the book. I recall seeing Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS with my brother at night as a kid. Wow! A little older I would stay up late and watch Elvira host horror films. I loved the creepy humor of THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE MUNSTERS. Those were new shows when I was growing up. I would beg my mom to buy me magazines like FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. She wasn’t very enthusiastic about my interests. She wanted me to be a nice little girl, wear dresses and play with dolls. That totally wasn’t me!

You describe yourself as having an overactive imagination. I can relate to that. I kind of go crazy when circumstances prevent me from releasing my imagination through creativity. Do you ever feel that kind of restlessness and absolute need to create?

Oh yes, all the time! My head is swimming with ideas. Sometimes I’ll get ideas for different things at once in a flood. I can’t write that fast. I lose a lot of ideas if I can’t write them down because my memory is bad. I have to be creative. I need to write. I can easily get caught up in my work and forget about eating or drinking anything. Even when I’m doing something else creative like art, I miss writing. It’s hard for me to not be writing something.

You have some creative projects going on with your kids. I think that is priceless! Can you share a little about that?

Thank you! We formed a creative company called Fairy Fly Entertainment, named after one of my books. We make a great team because we all have the same talents, but each of us is most passionate about one particular field. With me it’s literature. For my oldest son Noél, it’s music. And for Rafael, it’s acting and film. We have a blast working together on projects. So far we’ve released a few author readings on YouTube under Fairy Fly Entertainment and a book trailer for DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS under Trilllogic. Noél composed the musical scores and Rafael did graphics as well as the filming for my readings. We did vocals for the Chupacabras song, and the lyrics were from my novel. They’ve helped me with tech stuff for publishing my books, and they’ve been incredibly supportive, as I have tried to be for them since they were little.

Is your visual art available to the public?

I did some painting in the past. I am primarily doing artwork at this point on the computer for my book covers and illustrations. I probably won’t have time or the interest to do paintings to sell. But I have been giving away free signed prints of illustrations at book fairs and conventions.

How extensive is your acting experience and how far would you like to see that side of your creative personality grow?

As I mentioned, I did a lot of performing on stages at school as a kid, and I competed in Forensics Playacting as a high-school Freshman for a two-person drama. The judges raved and we would have gone to State instead of the Varsity Team, but my partner broke his ankle and couldn’t do the scenes. That was my last real chance to act. Life got in the way of my dreams for quite awhile. I supported my sons with their dreams and interests. I helped my ex-husband with his goals and waited for my turn. I even helped my sons prepare for auditions when they started to get involved with acting. They began performing as dancers when they were young. I based the main characters in my novel DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS on them, in fact. And I first wrote the story as a screenplay for my sons. We made many trips to Hollywood. I wanted to give them the opportunities, encouragement and support I didn’t have as a kid. Then we had to stop due to lack of funds and time. Noél became involved with science fair projects, competing at the international level in Ninth Grade, going to State a few times, winning a national award. We are finally ready to get back into acting again, along with music, after a series of setbacks and delays. I started self-publishing in 2008 and have been releasing books each year. Rafael released one book so far and has a number of literary and film projects he’s working on. Noél has been starting to compose music.

Your novel, An Ill Wind Blows, has been quite celebrated, winning awards and pushing up the charts. What about that story has enabled it to connect with readers in such a rewarding fashion?

It isn’t actually up the charts, ha ha. I’m still not known that well. But it has won a couple of awards so far. I think it’s a special story, and a very fun adventure. It’s about facing your fears and believing in yourself. An evil storm swallows some quirky characters who find themselves in a stormworld. Dark Fantasy and plenty of humor, as well as horror-style creatures. Readers have enjoyed the novel. I hope more will find it.

What can we expect from Lori R. Lopez in the future?

I have so many projects to finish! I’m hoping to publish my next horror collection soon, a Halloween-themed novel, my next two poetry collections, more poetry columns, a collection of my artwork, more children’s books, more stories, a graphic novel, and some sequels. I would like to do all of that this year. But I must find time for music and acting, so that will slow me down. Not that I write or draw fast. I don’t.

Here are some of my links . . .

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

http://www.amazon.com/author/lorirlopez

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE

http://www.facebook.com/lorirlopez.author

WEBSITE

http://fairyflyentertainment.com

POETRY COLUMN

http://fairyflyentertainment.com/category/category/poetic-reflections

Books by Lori R. Lopez: