(Note: This is a work of sarcastic questions and true answers.  While the intent is true, the people bugging me are not really my family, except for my sister who finds it amusing to mess with me about it.)

I have been asked many times by my family in the past year about why did I decide to start writing horror fiction.  Why now?  Why do I write about such awful things?  Are you rich yet?  The questions do get tiresome at times, but this is my choice.  Have I doubted my decision to pursue this?  At times, I have.  So lets break this down a little so if those same people who ask questions find this, then they can read this and stop asking.

Why did you start?  Huh, huh, tell me please!-  I started because it was time.  I wrote in the past, but just for giggles.  Mo Con V in 2010 changed that.  My first attempt to write something went over well and someone there even tried to help me sell it at the Friday night after party.  To my dismay, I submitted it and was rejected for violation of the ‘no rape and torture of women’ clause in the submission guidelines.  Should I have read them closer?  I did, but I was told to submit it by the editor, I now think, just because of who was standing next to me trying to sell it.  After then however, I kept going.  I went through about three more rejections before I hit my first acceptance in May 2011.  Since then I have a total of four acceptances and six rejections.  Not bad for my first year and a half.

Why the awful things and all the blood?- My mom likes vampires that sparkle and I like them ripping people’s throats out.  She like them young and hot and I like them ancient and ugly.  Does she read my stuff?  Sometimes, as much as she hates the blood and guts, I am still her son and she wants to support my endeavours.  The real why is because it is just what I like.  If someones hates puppies, do they write a book about them?  No, although I might and have them do horrible things to people.  I grew up on King, Koontz, and Barker.  I have expanded to Keene, Lebbon, Lee, Clegg, Gonzalez, Hill, Little, Clark, Masterton, Garton, Ketchum, and many others.  I know it is cliché, but you write what you know.  If I tried to write a romance novel, the reader would know I don’t know anything about the genre just by how it reads.  I just like the scary stuff, so I stick with that.

Am I rich yet?  All writers are rich…aren’t they?-  If a few dollars here and there or a contributors copy make me rich, then I’m rolling in it.  If having lots of money from my work makes me rich, then I am far from it.  I spoke about this in an earlier blog, but the money is just not there until you can start making the nickel a word pro-rate.  So, I have started working on some stuff for a few pro-rate publications and I have started my young adult trilogy.  It is time to look and reach higher.

Have I doubted?  At first I did, but now I can se my work get better with every word I write.  I know I can do this and I will drive on.

One last note, my first published story “A Winter’s Feast” in the “Undead of Winter” anthology is now up for sale on Amazon and the link on the bib page has been changed to reflect this.

Good day.