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:

SPOOKED http://www.amazon.com/Spooked-Lori-R-Lopez-ebook/dp/B00HXC5148 

JAR BABY http://www.amazon.com/Jar-Baby-Lori-R-Lopez-ebook/dp/B00G51KFJE

3-Z (FREE) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GD0UH0E

SLEEP OF FOOLS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GLS5SAM

OUT-OF-MIND EXPERIENCES http://www.amazon.com/Out-Of-Mind-Experiences-Thirteen-Tales-ebook/dp/B0072JRUVE PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/Out-Mind-Experiences-Thirteen-Tales/dp/1438216602

DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Chupacabras-Trilogy-Trilogies-ebook/dp/B007KTUZQ8 PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Chupacabras-Trilogies-Lori-Lopez/dp/144951393X

CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES: A SAMPLER OF HORROR http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Covered-Eyes-Sampler-Horror-ebook/dp/B00612RJ6E PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Covered-Eyes-Sampler-Of-Horror/dp/1481001957

POETIC REFLECTIONS: KEEP THE HEART OF A CHILD http://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Reflections-Heart-Child-ebook/dp/B00BFRX3S8 PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/poetic-reflections-keep-heart-child/dp/1451586531

UNLEASHED (FREE) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115698

HEARTBEAT http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-ebook/dp/B006NQHFZI

BEDEVILED http://www.amazon.com/Bedeviled-ebook/dp/B006QESGWI

CREEP http://www.amazon.com/Creep-ebook/dp/B0070OB7D8

FOSSIL http://www.amazon.com/Fossil-ebook/dp/B007MHI718

BLOODPATH http://www.amazon.com/Bloodpath-ebook/dp/B007T25JCG 

MACABRE http://www.amazon.com/Macabre-ebook/dp/B007TYEYOS

MOOD http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Mood-ebook/dp/B007TYL5EA

AN ILL WIND BLOWS by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/An-Ill-Wind-Blows-ebook/dp/B008397NO6 PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Wind-Blows-Lori-Lopez/dp/1484097734

SOME THING by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/Some-Thing-ebook/dp/B0084T2TLW

THE LYCANING by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/The-Lycaning-ebook/dp/B00857522Q

THE WRAITH by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/The-Wraith-ebook/dp/B0084T4HD0

UNNATURAL by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008MQ6XTQ

JUGULAR by Lori R. Lopez http://www.amazon.com/Jugular-ebook/dp/B008R9DHQU

MIND OF LORI R. LOPEZ: THIRTEEN TORMENTOUS TALES http://www.amazon.com/Macabre-Mind-Lori-Lopez-ebook/dp/B0090GMY18 PRINT:http://www.amazon.com/Macabre-Mind-Lori-Lopez-Tormentous/dp/148107976X

MONSTROSITIES http://www.amazon.com/Monstrosities-ebook/dp/B009Y01R40

CEREAL BOX SURPRISE http://www.amazon.com/Cereal-Box-Surprise-ebook/dp/B009YP7RJY

BEYOND THE STUMP http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-The-Stump-ebook/dp/B00ADIF8E2

NUANCE http://www.amazon.com/Nuance-ebook/dp/B00ADIFCOS

NEXT DOOR (FREE) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/258798

HORRENDUS (FREE) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/258797

THE FAIRY FLY http://www.amazon.com/The-Fairy-Fly-ebook/dp/B00CO3NS8M 

PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fairy-Fly-Lori-Lopez/dp/1492843628 THE

MUDPUPPY PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/The-Mudpuppy-Lori-R-Lopez/dp/1489525297

THE FOX TROT PRINT: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fox-Trot-Lori-Lopez/dp/1489527338

THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB (FREE) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DRSI2SY

Click To Purchase Paul DeThroe's Dark Fiction @ Amazon

OMINOUS 13 Dark Fiction Author Interview Series: WILLIAM COOK

Hi William, thanks for agreeing to this interview for my Ominous 13 dark fiction author spotlight series! For starters, let me note that as far as dark fiction, or the macabre, goes, your work is about impressive as it gets: very dark, very creepy. Is it easy for you to get into that kind of vibe to create your dark works?

Thanks Paul – I have always had a morbid fascination with the darker things in life so I am usually in that state of mind anyway. I do use certain techniques to raise the energy/darkness levels when it comes to writing horror. Some things I do to get ideas and the heartbeat racing are to listen to my favorite music while I’m tapping away on the keyboard. I listen to a lot of soundtracks, horror and otherwise. Some of my favorites include the soundtracks to Halloween, Taxi Driver, Maniac (Jay Chattaway), Hannibal etc and other albums from Acanthus, Fantomas, and anything by Danny Elfman and Joel McNeely, to name a few. I have a small study room lined with a lifetime’s collection horror books and related ephemera which certainly helps ‘ set the mood’ so to speak. So I guess it is relatively easy form me to get a dark ‘vibe’ going, although I wish it was as simple to get the motivation to actually write something down.

I read in an interview with you by another dark fiction author, Donald White, where you stated that personal tragedy seemed to lead you in the direction of creating dark fiction. Did it help you find closure at all?

On some level I think that the process of writing is cathartic, if not for any other reason than just getting thoughts and emotion on the page. Personal tragedy does provide grist for the mill, so to speak, but “finding closure” through the act of writing about it does not necessarily happen because one writes about it. Events never happen verbatim in my stories; on some level the event or experience may be retold but usually I prefer to use an analogous situation to relay my personal feelings. I make stories from experiences and that’s all most times, although the event in question to which you refer (murder/suicide of close friends) will become a story/novella at some point in 2014. I feel the need to tell the event from my own perspective and to impart the message within the story, that suicide has no mercy on anyone that survives.

Your recent work, Fresh Fear anthology, ranks #1 Best Horror Anthologies. Congratulations. How do you manage to get so many great authors to collaborate with you on projects such as this?

Thank you. Fresh Fear was my ‘outside’ project for 2013. I have worked in publishing as a sub-editor and a proof-reader in the past and wanted to reinvent myself. I put the anthology together as a labor of love as much as it is/was a career move. I have been a ‘stay at home dad’ for the past five years and have some serious gaps in my CV which have me concerned with the inevitable return to the work force just around the corner. Hopefully it won’t be the last of such projects as I found the whole experience to be challenging and rewarding. Hey, I managed to get stories from the likes of Ramsey Campbell, Jack Dann, Robert Dunbar, JF Gonzalez, Billie Sue Mosiman and one of my personal favorites – the fantastic Charlee Jacob. Admittedly, the stories from Campbell, Dann, Dunbar and Gonzalez are reprints but they are no less powerful examples of the horror genre than the day they were crafted. I approached a lot of the authors mainly through social networking sites like FaceBook and Goodreads etc. I crafted a well thought out introductory letter to let them know what it was I had in mind with the anthology. I designed the cover and used that to solicit stories and interest in the anthology and as a result word of mouth spread and the submissions started rolling in. I sent personal invitations to most of the authors included in Fresh Fear and was very pleased with the response. A number of the authors have been online friends for a number of years, which definitely made it easier; I have only met one of them in person, fellow New Zealander Tim Jones, who is a fine writer and was high on my wish list from day one.

So To me, horror, like sex, is like a universal language. Being a New Zealander, what is the horror culture like there?

Well, New Zealand (NZ) is a small country and is still relatively young compared to the rest of the world. Our literary traditions stem back to England and as a result English literary tradition has steeped most of the work produced here. As far as Horror goes as a genre, film production/movies have the strongest output as part of the horror genre. Most people think of Peter Jackson (Bad Taste, Brain Dead, The Frighteners etc) as New Zealand’s only producer of Horror films but we have other talented directors such as David Blyth (Death Warmed Up, Angel Mine, Wound) and others like Paul Campion, Glenn Standring, and Garth Maxwell to name a few. We don’t have any horror conventions etc – the closest we come is something called Armageddon – which is more of a pop culture convention. The first real Horror novel produced in NZ (in my opinion) was ‘The Scarecrow’ by Ronald Hugh Morrieson, followed closely by Maurice Gee’s ‘Fire Starter.’ More recently we have begun to produce authors who write what would be considered ‘Horror,’ examples include: Paul Mannering, Tim Jones, Paul Haines, Lee Pletzers, Cat Connor, Rocky Wood, Marty Young and Tracie McBride. There are a few fledgling presses set up now who publish ‘Spec fiction,’ which tends to incorporate fantasy, horror, steampunk and dark fiction but none of the subsidiaries of the traditional publishers seem interested in NZ Horror to date.  Most of our Horror writers (myself included) tend to write with an American or English audience in mind so it is quite hard to pin-point a distinctively unique NZ horror perspective or voice. I have recently set up a FB group called New Zealand Horror Writers and hope to setup an accompanying website early 2014. I feel we have enough talented writers of horror here in NZ to start a bit of a groundswell now and to let the world know that the horror genre is alive and well in Aotearoa (indigenous New Zealand).

You seem like a tireless worker, William, with novels, short stories, cover art and poetry to your credit. Which comes first, the story or the accompanying art?

I’m a very visual person and before I ever started writing horror stories I was drawing monsters and skulls. When I write I tend to plot/think in cinematic terms – Blood Related for example was written with a movie in mind. Ie, I wrote it with a view to develop the story as a screenplay eventually. Sometimes when I’m doing a cover design for someone I will go off on a tangent and create something that I’ll attempt to transcribe to the page as a written story. Most of my art is character based and it does help to develop story characters and their various attributes in a visually compelling way (I hope so at least).  But for me the two don’t necessarily go together and I quiet often use the different mediums (art + writing) as a form of relief from each other when things get a bit wrought.

From reading your biography, you’ve worked quite a bit of odd jobs, from making rat poison to working in meat packing. Which was the absolute worst of these?

Oh man, I’ve had a few shitty jobs. Probably the worst one was when I worked for a huge chemical company as a process worker bottling something called Baquashock, which is basically concentrated hydrochloric acid used for cleaning swimming pools. I can remember having to wear a disposable full body suit with gloves and gas mask but having on occasion splashes of the liquid burn the pigment from my skin leaving white marks on my flesh. On Friday nights after work they had a social club and I’d only need two-three beers and I’d be nearly rolling on the floor – the chemicals seemed to enhance the effects of alcohol, which made the job bearable.

You seemed to have done a bit of everything in the macabre horror genre, except movies. Is there a certain work of yours that you feel would translate best into video form?

Yes. I’d love to see Blood Related made into a film one day – as I mentioned above, I wrote it with this view in mind. I am also currently working on an approved novelization of a great New Zealand Horror movie by director David Blyth, called ‘Wound.’

For someone totally unfamiliar with your work, which of your works would be a good starting point to discover the darkest nature of your work?

‘Creep’ is an easy read at about a 10k word count and has received many favorable reviews. I think it’s one of my better works and it also happens to be the first story in an exciting and gritty new psychological thriller series. Here’s the blurb – “Cassandra: Hunter of Darkness, is a hero to the victim and a merciless angel of death to the evil ones. A killer of killers, she strikes fear into the hearts of those who get their kicks off hurting others. Join Cassandra on her quest for justice and revenge as she begins her journey into the dark underbelly of serial murder and takes care of business, as only she knows how.”

Which do you prefer writing: novels, short stories or poetry?

I love writing short stories but I’m looking forward to writing my second novel. I actually started writing poetry seriously before short fiction and I feel that poetry prepared me for prose with a good understanding of cadence, strong imagery, and most importantly an ability to use language/words economically. The novella is my preferred format/word length as it seems to have many positive spin-offs in that if it’s too short it still works as a piece of short fiction and if it’s too long it can easily be worked up to novel length. So next year, I plan on writing at least three novellas and I hope that will result in at least one novel length work.

What are your current projects and what can we expect from William Cook in the future?

I am currently working on the novelization of David Blyth’s movie ‘Wound’ and expect to have that completed (pitch ready) by March 2014.  I’m also halfway through the sequel to ‘Blood Related’ and hope to have that completed mid-2014. I’m also working on a collaborative novel/novella with friend and publisher James Ward Kirk and have a collection of short fiction nearly ready for submission, amongst other things.

If someone wanted to inquire about working with you on a cover project, what is the best way to reach you and even more importantly, what would make you interested?

Come and check out my design website – http://bloodsoakedgraphics.tumblr.com. There you’ll find prices, examples and testimonials from other clients. I am cutting back on my cover designs in 2014 to concentrate on my writing but I’m always interested in interesting projects. My main website has plenty of contact details/links also – http://williamcookwriter.com

Being a single father of three, I can totally respect your role of father to young girls. I often have to flip the switch from creator of darkness to big softy, often at the blink of an eye. Do your girls have any idea what your macabre works are about and do how do you manage to delve in and out of those roles?

No, they’re too young to know what I do although they do comment on my ‘spooky books’ etc. I have two older girls also (25 yr olds) who like reading similar books and seem to respect my obsession with writing and creating horror. I write in the evenings and when my youngest are at school/pre-school so I always keep my work separate from them really. I definitely have two separate realities in that respect.

Thanks for your time, William! It was a great pleasure digging into the mind of a great creator of darkness!!

Website - http://www.williamcookwriter.com/

Blog - http://bloodrelated.wordpress.com/

Twitter - @williamcook666

My Facebook  - Friend Me

Facebook Page - Like My Page

GoodReads - Become a Fan

LinkedIn - Connect With Me

Google+ - Add Me To Your Circle

Click To Purchase Paul DeThroe's Dark Fiction @ Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Paul-DeThroe/e/B0082DAO1W/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

OMINOUS 13 SERIES: Interview with ALEX S. JOHNSON (Bizzaro/Dark Fiction Author, Editor, Publisher)

13 Ominous Questions with Alex S. Johnson

Alex, thanks for appearing on my dark fiction author interview series, Ominous 13! Congratulations are in order for the news of your upcoming novel, Bad Sunset, being published by Chupa Cabra House. What are the details?

Thank you for having me, Paul. Bad Sunset started out as my own take on Western movies, which I've been a lifelong fan of. I love watching Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and other genre veterans doing their thing. There's this kind of monolithic quality to the classic Western--it's so simple, you have good and evil facing each other down in a shootoff, corrupt or nonexistent law enforcement, grotesque villains and stylish heroes, or antiheroes. Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns take those elements to a cartoon place, stylized and fluid, like pop art. The gunfights are slower, the hats are bigger, the action is ritualized to the point of absurdity. With Bad Sunset I took those elements and exaggerated them even further, with a little help from watching Alejandro Jodorowsky's movies like El Topo, which is a completely nonlinear, psychedelic mindfuck of a film--a Western only in a very limited sense, more of a journey through symbolic/ritual space along alchemical lines. I had a lot of fun developing characters like El Brujo, who is a bit of a Jodorowskian trickster figure, this ancient shaman who rides a salamander; the Christo Kid, who is basically a pop culture Jesus turned revenger/gunfighter; his girlfriend, the Contessa Von Pussystein, who is really Satan, as well as various sidekicks and weird minor characters like Jabber Jaws. Bad Sunset is an exploration of all the Western tropes we know and love, with tongue firmly placed in cheek. By total coincidence, it will be released on my birthday, which is Halloween. Couldn't have asked for a better B-Day present!

I met you by chance when an E-zine (The Shwibly Press) you were Editor in Chief for published one of my dark fiction short stories. By the way, thank you for that! What magazines/e-zines have you worked for?

Wow, good question. That would take me all the way back to the depraved 90's. I was a book and movie reviewer for zines like Midnight Zoo, Deathrealm, Carbon 14 and others, then got sidetracked for about a decade into writing music journalism, which eventually led to gigs with Metal Hammer and Metal Maniacs. Originally, I just wanted to write fiction, but my stories kept bouncing back to me, whereas reviews and interviews tended to stick. I did a number of interviews with horror writers I admire such as Ed Lee, Craig Spector, Poppy Z. Brite, Lucy Taylor, Nancy Kilpatrick, then switched gears and began to talk to heavy metal and gothic rock musicians, extreme filmmakers like Joe Christ, anybody who was out there stretching the boundaries. For a period of time I was associated with these publishers in Orlando who put out some very slick-looking publications, and at one point I was given the editorship of an extreme music magazine called Juggernaut. Which devolved in a fairly nasty fight for control that I won't amplify, other than to say, if you're going to put someone in charge of the ship, let them pilot. They had me rewriting stories to cater to people who didn't necessarily understand or appreciate death metal, for example. It was completely the wrong tack to take if you were competing with authoritative zines like Maniacs. The whole point of putting out a niche publication is that you respect the reader's knowledge and background. I was sending the Orlando folks these fresh-from-the-grille interviews with Slayer, for example, which they literally lost! Ooops. What Slayer story, right? The publishers had no clue what they were doing but they wouldn't let me steer the ship. So the whole enterprise sank. Pity.

To be honest, when I first met you I had no idea what ‘Bizarro’ fiction was. Can you give us an idea of what Bizarro is and isn’t?

That's both a good and dangerous question. Good in the sense that the whole distinction between Bizarro and not-Bizarro-but-just-weird is very vexed and political, dangerous for the same reasons. And then again, I am probably the last person you should be looking to for definitive answers on this question. Rules and orthodoxies make my brain bleed, and I get a sense from some quarters of the Bizarro publishing world of this elitist, exclusivist, almost cult-like mentality, where if you aren't 100% completely committed to serving the cause and given the secret handshake and the password then you're out there in the cold. The safe and chickenshit answer is that it depends on who you talk to. There are Bizarro primers available and these will give you a taste for the particular requirements of the premiere Bizarro press, which is located in the Pacific Northwest. Fortunately, with more and more publishers out there expanding the parameters of Bizarro, fewer writers who are intrigued by the subgenre will be excluded from the party, and that can only be positive. I would prefer to define Bizarro proactively and for my own purposes and say it's a radically transgressive blend of genres and styles, from science fiction, horror and fantasy to magical realism, noir, post-writing, postmodernism and everything in between. The kitchen sink of speculative fiction. It will be what writers do in practice that ultimately defines Bizarro, not what one clique or party line says it must be. What does the word suggest to you? What would you like it to be? Which end of the pencil do you do prefer doing business with? I'm all for a writing mode, practice or realm that allows each writer to revise the guidebook themselves; otherwise, you might as well join the Krishna Consciousness folks and chant the chant, or tongue the donut as the case may be.

What drew you into the Bizarro genre?

I've always been intrigued by the cutting edge. I haven't changed that much from the kid who was totally into Andy Warhol and Dali and writers like Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar, and later Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, Pat Cadigan. Not to mention musicians, whether they be classical composers like Bartok and Stravinsky or the Japanese master of Death Jazz, John Zorn, or Keith Richards or Miles Davis. Underground comic books. Midnight movies. Art, writing, music that develops a cult because it responds to the basic impulse we have to explore what is new and exciting--smashing the rules, mixing it up, pushing the conventions all the way and having a good time doing it. I love that high-octane, adrenaline-pumping place where the wages might be madness or death, but at the very least you aren't stuck recycling the same old shit. (Pauses to drink more coffee.) Extremes. When Splatterpunk came along, it felt like exactly where I wanted to be--in the storm center, crashing the party, or whatever hyperbolic metaphor you like. It's the quality of revolt I find in writers from Celine to Dennis Cooper. When I saw a description of Bizarro fiction as being or corresponding to a kind of cartoon-like hyperreality such as found in the movies of David Lynch, for example, I thought 'Beautiful.' With everything I've written up to now, I've been trying to develop my own style and voice, which is a merger of everything I love, from stupid stoner comedies to John Milton to black metal to acid exploitation films to Kit Marlowe. Brent Millis was actually the guy who pushed me in the direction of thinking of my work as Bizarro, but I'm not sure that it fits any genre, or anti-genre. If Surrealism is forbidden in strict Bizarro terms, for example, that leaves me right out. And happily so, I might add. But I tend to doubt that we would have such a thing as hammer-headed wives and guys with eyes growing all over their bodies if it wasn't for, I don't know, Salvador Dali? Again, it depends on who you talk to.

On your Facebook page, you’ve listed Erotica as one of the genres you’ve written in. What have you done in that genre and have you been published in any magazines like Hustler?

My erotica work has been published in anthologies like Master/slave and Noirotica III, Cthulhu Sex and some other places. I would love to be published in magazines like Hustler but haven't managed to crack those markets--yet. Most of my writing has a strong erotic, sexual component because sex is a driving engine for me. I believe the renegade psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich was correct when he said that a civilization that represses the erotic is in big trouble. I don't mean just sexual acts, I mean the attitude of freedom and pride about the body that we can find in Walt Whitman's poetry, for example. Or in classical literature. Deny sex and you deny human reality. That is extremely dangerous. And I'll get off my high horse now, he he!

You sent me an autographed copy of a heavy metal magazine, Hails and Horns, that you contribute to. 

What was the coolest band you personally met in the process of doing that gig?

Motorhead, without a doubt. I have met so many great bands and have wonderful memories, but Lemmy and Company are just the coolest, nicest, funniest, snarkiest people in rock and roll. They're not just a band, they're a phenomenon. A religious experience. All hail!

You have a Master’s Degree in English and have quite a bit of experience editing other people’s work. What advice could you give to an author on what I call the ‘submission game’?

My major piece of advice on this front would be: submit clean copy. Follow manuscript conventions. If an editor asks for a specific document format, font, type size, etc., do it. Know grammar and punctuation. Use a spell check. Get someone who knows what they're doing to go over the manuscript with an exceedingly fine toothed comb. The more professional your presentation, the more likely you'll stay out of the slush pile. Then, don't submit a story in a white heat--let it sit, look at it in the cold light of day, polish it till it gleams. Read everything you can find in the genre you want to write in. Analyze how other writers do it. Take notes. Of course at the end of the process you may still get a rejection slip, but my advice is to make it really, really hard for the editor to dismiss you. And don't be discouraged if you get a lot of rejections. The best writers have gotten them. Sylvia Plath. Hemingway. Stephen King collected hundreds. Now, do I necessarily follow this very sage advice I've just laid down? No, not always. But let's just say that you can't go wrong if you show respect for your craft and your reader and love everything about writing, including the disasters. Maybe especially the disasters.

Growing up in California and witnessing the thrash metal scene from the very beginning must have been an eye opening experience. How does the underground rock/metal scene differ today compared to the glory days of the ‘80’s?

I find a lot of exciting trends in underground rock and metal today, especially when you see young musicians who have grown up internalizing the furthest reaches of the recent past and cut their teeth on Eddie Van Halen, for example, There is a lot going on with hybridity and fusion between and among noise, jazz, metal, ambient sound, trance, techno, etc. I wouldn't say that I witnessed the thrash metal scene in California, other than suddenly becoming aware of bands like Testament and Metallica. I still remember the first time I heard Metallica. They were the fastest, heaviest, crunchiest band ever. But now heavy, fast and crunchy is just the appetizer. There's so much to choose from. On the down side, I hear more bands that play it safe by following trends and just mixing and matching the most successful sounds, and I frankly can't stand the jumper bands, the stop and starters, that kind of thing. And Slipknot sounds like crap to this fortysomething dude. But phases and fads come and go, and there is always Iron Maiden to fall back on, thank the Antichrist!

You have penned quite a bit of poetry in your career. When you write, how much of your work is about personal experiences and how much is just your imagination?

With my poetry, particularly the Death Jazz collection, I would say both, equally. All of my writing is grounded in personal experience, but certain themes tend to rise and get filtered through my imagination, so something that began as an actual incident that happened to me becomes emblematic of a wider experience or understanding...it's hard to talk about without sounding pretentious. I like something that Steve Martin said once in an interview, where he starts with the particular, individual and personal and translates it into a universal context--Martin called it 'the art part.' I think that's true whatever type of writing you do. Also, I love to play around with voices. Some of my poems are written in the voice of another, real person I know well enough to appropriate, or from the point of view of a character I made up. In the end, the work should speak for itself. If it's artful, it will stand alone.

Could you see some of your poems turned into heavy metal lyrics?

I would love to write heavy metal lyrics. Heavy metal is a constant inspiration for me and leaks into everything I write. If anybody is reading this who needs some metal lyrics, let me know! I've been thinking about turning my flash/Lucid Fiction story 'Matador of Mirrors' into an epic prog-metal song. By the same token, some of my poems would make great rap tunes. Music of one kind or another is always implicit in the poetry for sure.

I’ve notice a lot of similarities between the music industry and the publishing industry, from bad contracts to oversaturation of the market. Which do you consider harder to break into, music or writing?

My experiences in the music industry are all second-hand. As for breaking in, it all depends on why you're doing it in the first place. I saw an interview with Iggy Pop where he says it was only in the past 15 or so years that he's had anything like real material success. It's almost impossible to make money in rock and roll, except for a handful of bands. If you don't do it for love, don't do it, that would be my bottom line, bedrock response. Would you rather write something crass and idiotic like 50 Shades of Crap and be wildly successful, or write a story that is true and meaningful and speaks to the actual human condition that a few people buy, but sustains their souls? The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke told a young correspondent to ask himself, from the depths, if he had to write, no matter what. My answer to that question is an unqualified 'Yes.' On the other hand, it would be nice to be able to pay some bills with writing. What other cliches can I commit in this interview? Follow your heart? But I do believe that if you are true to yourself you will be heard, and published, and be recognized for the right reasons. Writing or making music are two of the least likely avenues to riches.

I’ve noticed that you are true blue professional with a huge variety of professional experiences, yet you have been hit hard by the recession. What is your dream job and if someone who reads this blog has an opening that suits your area of expertise, how could they contact you and view your resume?

My dream job would be to teach English Literature at a college or university. I can be contacted through my email, Trolleydogs@aol.com.

Finally, what is on the horizon for Alex S. Johnson, author?

Several things. I'll be co-editing a magazine with Timm Tayshun, the publisher at Chupa Cabra House, finishing up the anthology of heavy metal horror fiction I'm also doing for Chupa--Axes of Evil--and expect to have a new novel out around April of 2014 title Pudding Spooks Apocalypse. I suppose you could call it Bizarro, although I prefer plain old speculative fiction with a big dose of satire. I'm also working on a couple of other books for Jordan Krall and Dynatox Ministries, including a cannibal story. Those are the only semi-definite projects I can talk about right now; who knows, maybe by this time next year I'll be writing paranormal romance--between Jello puppets, of course!

Alex, it was a pleasure interviewing you. I appreciate your time. If there is anything you’d like to add, like links to purchase your work or excerpts, feel free to add them here:

Thank you so much for the interview and your great questions, Paul!

To order The Death Jazz: http://www.amazon.com/The-Death-Jazz-Alex-Johnson/dp/1477619003 

To order The Matador of Mirrors: http://lucidplaypublishing.weebly.com/ 

To order Akashic Shotgun: http://www.amazon.com/Akashic-Shotgun-Alex-S-Johnson/dp/1492331260 

To pre-order Bad Sunset: http://www.chupacabrahouse.com/p/badsunset.html

Click To Purchase Paul DeThroe's Dark Fiction @ Amazon