Author Meet & Greet

All are welcome here.

Connect with authors through their social media links (if they choose to share them), learn about their writing process, and purchase their works.

The 4 most current interviews are posted here. Older ones may be found under the Archive: Author Meet & Greet on the main page of this blog by the author’s last name.

**Jack Ketchum’s Interview from December 2017 is PINNED at the bottom of this page**

So, without further ado, let’s get to know

Meet & Greet Author:  #218

Jorge Trinchet

Your Name: Jorge Trinchet

Genre(s) of your work: Horror, suspense, mystery.

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

“Noche de Caza” 2022

Bio:

I was born and raised in Spain and moved to the US in 1996. I taught Spanish in College for many years, but I have been teaching at private high school for the last 12 years. Besides writing novels and short stories, I have also made a few short films, TV commercials and written screenplays and movie reviews. I moved to Wichita (Kansas) in 2009, where I live with my wife and two children.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Horror has always been my favorite genre. I am not sure why, but most of the ideas I have are influenced by the movies I watch and the novels I read, which tend to be works of horror.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I have been writing for many years, so it is just part of my routine. It has always been a way to entertain myself, research and focus on something that excites me. So I guess it has changed my life because it keeps me busy in the best possible way.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft are the first names that come to mind. I started reading both when I was about 13 years old and absolutely loved everything they wrote. To this day I am still amazed at their creativity and ability to immerse readers in their stories. I also truly admire Carlos Ruiz Zafؚón for the beauty of his prose and the complexity of his storylines. But there are many others like Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Clive Barker or John Farris.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

To me, audiobooks are just another way to enjoy a story. They are not better or worse than printed books, just different. Reading, listening, watching are all great ways to be transported. I think it is great that now we have all these options so all kinds of audiences can enjoy these works of art.

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I am very new at this and I do not have a lot of experience. But social media seems to be a very powerful and useful tool. Most people use these platforms, and they are quick, cheap, and easy to use.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

It depends on the topic, and the age of the readers. But if we are talking about adults, I do not think that censorship works. All adults should be mature and educated enough to decide for themselves.

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I do not have a problem with them, especially as a father of young children.

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

As I said earlier, I am very new at this. But so far social media and Amazon have been the most efficient.

Where can people find you and your work?

They can find me on Facebook and buy my work on Amazon.com

https://smile.amazon.com/Noche-Caza-Colecci%C3%B3n-TTT_Novela-Spanish/dp/B0B92KY6YQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q561QJGXKG3&keywords=noche+de+caza+jorge+trinchet&qid=1667414592&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjc1IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=noche+de+caza+jorge+trinchet%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1

 

 

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Frank Weiss

Pseudonym: 1X?X3

Genre(s) of your work: Thriller/horror/suspense

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Dark One (October 1st, 2020)

Dead Journal (October 1st, 2021)

UNTITLED: A Collection of Short Stories (October 1st, 2021)

A Girl Named Steph (October 1st, 2022)

{Insert Title Here}: Another Collection of Short Stories (October 1st, 2022)

All of my work is self-published

Bio:

I’ve always enjoyed reading anything that could take me away from reality. I was working a job I hated and felt I was wasting my time, so I thought it was now or never. It was either take a chance and write or look back and wish I did. Now I have three novels, two short story books, and no regrets.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

When I was a teenager my aunt suggested the Stephen King novel Duma Key. I put it off for a year or two. I liked reading zombie and fantasy books. They were the most interesting to me, but I knew I could never write a story like the ones I was reading. Then I finally got around to Duma Key, and the avalanche began. Since then, I’ve read mostly horror because I feel like I can connect with it. I write horror/suspense books because it’s the only genre I’m able to write a full novel.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has changed my life by bringing back that sense of accomplishment. In high school, you’ve got clubs, friends, and sports to keep you busy and happy. College comes around, and you’re invested in your major and meeting new people. After school stops, you look for a job, and one of two things happens. You either find something you like doing, or you find something to do because it pays you. Years passed, and I fell into the group of doing something because it paid me. I got to a point where I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything, and life wasn’t fun. Without getting too in-depth, when I decided to give writing a chance, it turned my frown upside down.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Frank Herbert, Stephen King, Paulo Coelho, and Andy Weir. The reason I put them above others is that they are incredible storytellers. Like I said, when I read, I want to be taken as far away from the “real” world as possible. If you pick up any one of these author’s books, you get lost in the pages. You forget about the problems, drama, and pointless bickering that always seems to be going on, and you’re taken to a place that is far, far away.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I hope audiobooks don’t catch on too much. Maybe they have already, and I’m unaware, but books are meant to be read. You’re supposed to read the words and figure out emotions and images using your brain and the voices it creates because that’s a part of you. When you’re reading, you’re really paying attention. You have to, otherwise, the story can get confusing quickly. If you have trouble reading because it’s boring or because it’s easier to listen, you haven’t found the right book. In short, audiobooks= Boooooo!

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I haven’t found a great marketing tool yet. I don’t know if I’ve found a bad one either. I will say this, social media is huge, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to go. There are a lot of people on it, and it’s very easy to get overlooked. I think narrowing in on your specific audience and starting small is a longer but more beneficial route.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I think warnings and censoring have been taken to the extreme, and it’s way out of control.

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

Being a small business, I sell 100 times better in person.

Where can people find you and your work?

All of my writing is exclusively on my website, WWW.1XHORRORX3.COM. I’m self-published, I made the website, I design the books, I write the books, I edit the books, and I ship the books. The whole business is run through me, so I appreciate it like crazy when someone takes a chance on my work.

Instagram: 1XHORRORX3

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Olivia J. Bennett

Name: Olivia J. Bennett

Genre(s) of your work: young adult, new adult, contemporary, suspense/thriller

Titles/Year of Published Work(s): A Cactus In the Valley, 2017; Casually Homicidal, 2022

Bio: 

Olivia J. Bennett is a writer, artist, educator, and lover of all things cozy and aesthetically pleasing. She graduated from Illinois Central College with an Associate in Arts, and is currently studying to be a high school English teacher. Her debut novel, A Cactus In the Valley, was published when she was a 17-year-old senior in high school. She holds a National Gold Medal in Flash Fiction from Scholastic Art & Writing. When not creating, Olivia can be found baking cookies, binge-watching TV with her partner, or cuddling her two cats.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

There’s just something special about the young adult age group in my opinion, which would also include ages 18-25 too. When you’re a teenager and young adult, everything feels so real and new and exciting. Everything is the most important thing in the world. It’s when you find out who you are, and what you want. I’d also say (at the not-so-ripe age of 22) that my teenage self was unadulterated, in a sense. Young adult is read by people of all ages because I think everyone’s still got an inner teenager that lives on within them. Literature for children has to be, at the bottom line, entertaining whereas adult writing doesn’t necessarily require that. The focus on pure entertainment allows for more creativity, I think.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I certainly hope that audiobooks don’t completely overshadow physical books or even ebooks because I think there’s so much value in actually seeing the words and comprehending them. I think they have their place and are super helpful for students who struggle with reading and busy individuals. Besides, who doesn’t like being read to every once in a while?

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Social media! It can be a double-edged sword because on one hand, it’s a great place to meet authors from all over the country (and world) and a way to expand your audience, creating content that fits a brand. However, it’s easy to let social media suck up all your time. Social media is already over-saturated with people and content, so it’s easy to get lost in all the noise.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Not necessarily, although there are certainly things I won’t read about for the sake of my own brain and my own reading tastes. This ties into my response on trigger and content warnings. I think that writing should be censored for children, especially ones who aren’t in high school yet.

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I fully support trigger/content warnings since the content in my books certainly could be considered “taboo” or at the very least upsetting to some people. I want people to know what they’re getting into when they pick up one of my books, and I want them to be at least a little bit prepared for it. It just seems like the good thing to do, to be mindful of others. I don’t want a negative review because someone’s like “OMG there’s too much cussing in this book” or “I hated all the violence in this book, it made me feel gross.” Like y’all, my two books are about plane crashes and aspiring serial killers, I’m not sure what you thought you were getting into! On the back covers of my books, I include a disclaimer: “Intended for ages 14 and up.” Whenever I give somebody my book for free, like as a beta-reader, early ARC reader, or through a giveaway, I include a list of content warnings.

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

It depends. I usually sell a higher volume of books at events, but over time my books sell a little better through my website or on Amazon.

Where can people find you and your work?

If you’re Central Illinois local, you can find my books at Retrofit Culture and Bobzbay in Bloomington, The Book Nook in Washington and Peoria, and Tails of a Bookworm in Pekin!

Website, which includes signed copies & bookmarks: oliviajthewordshak.wixsite.com/oliviajcreates

Instagram: @olivia.j.creates

Tik Tok: @oliviajcreates

Facebook: @oliviajcreates

Amazon author profile: https://www.amazon.com/Olivia-J-Bennett/e/B077625K5X?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1665940654&sr=8-1

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Eugene C. McLean Jr.

Your Name: Eugene C. McLean Jr

Pseudonym (if you use one): Gene Baker

Genre(s) of your work: Horror

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Lycaeon Legacy Feb 19, 2014

The Journal Of Edwin Hale Nov 18, 2017

Bio:

Eugene C. McLean Jr is a Vietnam Era Veteran, Author (Who sometimes writes under the pseudonym Gene Baker), and Filmmaker who lives with his wife of 38 years in Northwest Florida. Growing up among the forests and swamps of East Texas, his life, experiences, as well as the legends of the area, heavily influence his writing.

He has published two Southern Gothic Horror novels, “The Lycaeon Legacy” and “The Journal Of Edwin Hale”. Eugene has also written several short stories. Three of which, “Loreley”, “Dave, Ingrid, And The Magic Pea”, and “A Place Called Draco” was published in the horror anthology series, “Books Of Horror 1, 2, and 3”.

A Short Film Anthology, through his newly formed production company, Thorn Hill Manor Productions, featuring his hallmark Southern Gothic Horror stories is in the works. It will present his own tales and the adapted works of other Independent Horror Authors.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Growing up, I would watch all the classic horror films on a local late Saturday night show, “Weird”. Then, twice a schoolyear the “Weekly Reader” magazine would sell paperback versions of classic books. I would snatch up the chance to own the likes of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”. I even started writing my own SciFi/Horror stories.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Abuse survivors are some of the most creative people, because we have to be just to become survivors. Writing has helped me deal with a lot of childhood demons and subsequent “Anger Management Issues”.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Bram Stoker, Mary Shelly, Sheridan Le Fanu, Edgar Allen Poe, and even Charles Dickens (The Ghosts of Marley and Christmas Yet To Come in “A Christmas Carol” was scary as Hell). This is because they held up a funhouse mirror to society and used creatures from nightmares for commentary/awareness.

Frances Hodgson Burnett for writing, “The Secret Garden” which is not technically a horror story. I loved the book and the 1949 film. It became the basis for my actual Horror/Drama book, “The Journal Of Edwin Hale”.

John Ajvide Lindqvist for his magnificent work, “Let The Right One In” and so many others.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Somewhere in between. Who knows how technology may develop in the coming decades.

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Good=being a guest or having my stories read on Genre specific Podcasts.

Bad=Facebook and other similar Social Media platforms.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

NO! It defeats the purpose of the kind of stories I write. I fought tooth and nail with my editor to keep “Trigger Warnings” out of my books.

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

See above. People with Triggers shouldn’t read Horror.

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

At events.

Where can people find you and your work?

https://www.amazon.com/Journal-Edwin-Hale-Silver-Thorn-ebook/dp/B077M2HR3F/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+journal+of+edwin+hale&qid=1611368364&sr=8-1

https://www.facebook.com/gene.baker.14855377/

https://www.instagram.com/eugenec.mclean/

https://www.thmp.online/

 

 

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Jack Ketchum

(PINNED – Interviewed in December 2017)

Name: Dallas Mayr

Pseudonym (if you use one): Jack Ketchum

Genre(s) of your work: Horror and Suspense (and the occasional Black Comedy.)

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):  Writing professionally since 1970, first fiction 1976, first novel, OFF SEASON, 1981.

Bio: see my website http://www.jackketchum.net/and add to that, Most Recent Novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF SOULS, written with Lucky McKee and Most Recent Collection, GORILLA IN MY ROOM.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?  

I grew up loving fantasy, and horror is the dark side of fantasy.

How has writing changed/altered your life? The usual perks of self-employment — no punching the time clock, no damn bosses hovering over your desk.  But in addition to that, writing mandates continual periods of self-examination.  You don’t easily get away with lying to yourself on the page.  It requires you to scour your history and your present for your deepest faults and pleasures, to reveal and revel in them, to find the strengths in your life and work from there, reaching outward.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Far too many to list here.  I read all over the place and consequently my favorite writers come from all genres and backgrounds, from Henry Miller to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, from Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard and John D. MacDonald to Thomas Hardy, Philip Roth, Michael Chabon, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Straub and Stephen King.  Why?  Because they’re smart, empathic, courageous.  Because they’re good!

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I wish we had a lot more mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar bookstores.  I seriously miss browsing.

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

The need for empathy and tenderness in the world, that the souls of beasts and humans matter.  And a few hours of just plain fun.

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Depends on the piece.  Some, like THE GIRL NEXT DOOR and RED, are highly personal, others…?  I don’t know where the hell they came from!

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?  

Finishing a piece is almost always easy.  It’s getting started that’s hard.  Getting all your ducks in a row and then having the balls and suspension of disbelief  to say to yourself, this is really going to work.

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I give books a first paragraph test.  If it passes, then a first chapter test.  If it passes that, I’ll almost always finish the book — I can tell from there that I’m going to want to.   If it fails I scuttle it immediately.  Very occasionally, too much repetition will make me dump it.  I don’t want to waste reading-time.  Too much good stuff out there.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nothing should ever be censored.  Everything is worth discussing.  How long a discussion is another matter entirely.

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

 Life’s short.  I don’t bother with peeves.  If I’m bored, I just close the book.

Where can people find you and your work?

Website, see above. I have a list of published works there.   Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/jackketchumofficial/ Twitter, https://twitter.com/jackketchum Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ketchum

What can I say?

I am honored to have snagged a bit of Jack Ketchum’s time, for him to share his thoughts and words with me (and my readers), and for his participation in a blog such as this one. Thank you so much – for the interview as well as your writing. It has and continues to be an inspiration.

Readers, I implore you to look into Jack Ketchum’s work, especially if you are a horror/suspense fan. From the mouth of Stephen King – “Who’s the scariest guy in America? Probably Jack Ketchum.”