Friday 4 January 2013

An Interview With Jonathan Maberry Author of countless horror books


Jonathan Maberry Interview

 

First let’s get to know you, Jonathan Maberry is an author, he is the multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Ghost Road Blues, These are part of a trilogy called the pine deep trilogy a series of supernatural books. He has also worked on one of my favourite Marvel heroes Wolverine.

Here’s a little about him, He has also written zombie apocalypse books Rot and Ruin, Dust & Decay also few others involving my favourite genre zombies and bio weapons.

I have here a few questions Jonathan has graciously agreed to answer for my blog.

 

Q. Hi Jonathan, first off how are you these days?

 

A. I’m doing great. My career is going very well, my family is happy and health and I get to play inside my imagination all day long. That’s a pretty good definition of ‘happiness’.

 

Q. Secondly how long have you been writing for?

 

A. I made my first professional sale In 1978 –it was a how-to article for BLACK BELT Magazine. I sold my first book in 1991, JUDO AND YOU, as a textbook for a class at Temple University. I sold my first mass-market nonfiction book, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER’S FIELD GUIDE TO THE UNDEAD, in 2000. Then in 2005 I switched to fiction and sold GHOST ROAD BLUES. I’m now writing my fifteenth novel.

 

Q. Please tell us a little about all your series’ of books please Jon a little overview to let us know about each one

 

A. I started off with a series of vampire novels called THE PINE DEEP TRILOGY (GHOST ROAD BLUES, DEAD MAN’S SONG and BAD MOON RISING). In that series an ancient vampire settles in a rural Pennsylvania town and begins creating an army of the undead.

 

My second series is an on-going one featuring Joe Ledger, a former Baltimore cop recruited by a secret government organization that opposes terrorists who have exotic bioweapons. The first book was PATIENT ZERO, and it continued with THE DRAGON FACTORY, THE KING OF PLAGUES, ASSASSIN’S CODE and (coming in March), CODE ZERO. There are also several short stories, some of which have been collected into an audio book called JOE LEDGER: THE MISSING FILES.

 

Last year I published what I thought was a standalone novel, DEAD OF NIGHT, a zombie thriller. But the demand from readers was so strong that my publisher asked me to write at least one more book. The second in the series will be called FALL OF NIGHT, and will be released in 2014.

 

I also have a series of post-apocalyptic zombie novels for teens. The first book, ROT & RUIN, has won over twenty awards around the country. It was followed by DUST & DECAY (winner of the Bram Stoker Award), FLESH & BONE and FIRE & ASH (due out 9/2013).

 

And I just sold the first two books of a new mystery-thriller series for older teens featuring Dylan Quinn, the son of bodyguard parents.  The first in the series will be called WATCH OVER ME and will be released in 2014.

 

Next I have a few questions from my co-writer on this blog Jonathan:

 

Q. when did you realise you wanted to write horror?

 

A.  I wrote several nonfiction books on the folklore and legends of the supernatural. That made me look around for novels that were based on folkloric versions of monsters, but I had a hard time finding any. So…I wrote one, and that became my first novel, GHOST ROAD BLUES.  But I’ve always loved the horror genre and have been reading it since I was a kid.

 

Q. And one more, in overcrowded genres how do you keep things fresh?

A. It’s the job of a writer –or indeed of any creative person—to find new ways to tell stories. It doesn’t matter if that’s in fiction, music, dance or whatever.  For me, I explore how the elements of these stories would affect me on a personal level. Everyone is an individual, and therefore all experiences are unique. That’s my launching pad.

 

Back to me now:

 

Q. Jon there’s a lot of Indie writers out there that cater to a very specific crowd of readers now I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing one such man James Cook, how do you feel about these?

 

A.  I’m a supporter of anyone and every writer who finds an audience and that doesn’t change if it’s a micro-press indie writer or a New York Times mega-bestseller.

 

Q. What influences if any have had an impact on your work?

 

A. My lifelong study of the martial arts has greatly influenced my writing. I have become a much disciplined person, and that discipline allows me to write every day, efficiently, creatively, and successfully.

 

Q. What information do you think you can give anyone who hasn’t read or would sway them onto reading your books?

 

A. My stories are not about monsters. They are about people who confront monsters. That appeals to a lot of people because it’s not exploitive.  Also, I’m a smartass, so there’s a lot of humour in my fiction. I don’t take myself too seriously, and my characters reflect and often share my goofy sense of humour.

 

Q. How popular do you think literature is in the world at moment, as in popular, less popular or on the come back? In my views thanks to kindle/E-readers it’s making a come back

 

A.  With so much attention being given to digital publishing and e-readers of all kinds (Nook, Kindle, iPad, etc.), I think it’s made reading a ‘thing’ again.  Social media has created many forums for people to do everything from Tweet about books they like, blog about their reading preferences, join Facebook pages for their favourite authors, and even track their page-by-page progress on Goodreads. As a culture, we’re reading again. That’s a damn good thing.

 

Q. Do you have a favourite book or series of books if so what is it?

 

A. I have favourite book series in so many genres that we could be here all day. But there are three series that I will always put at the top of my lists of ‘best all-time series’.  James Lee Burke’s ‘Dave Robicheaux’ mystery novels, set in contemporary southern Louisiana. Burke’s world is rich, ornate, recherché, elegant, violent, funny and even a little mystical at times.  Burke gets my vote for the best living author.  Second would be the ‘Travis McGee’ novels by the late and very much missed John D. MacDonald. Although the books are a bit dated now in terms of politics, social observation and the battle of the sexes (the series began in the 1960s), McGee is the model for the tough, intellectual, reluctant hero. I’ve recently bought all twenty-one of them on audio and have been listening to the while on book tour. My third favourite series is The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. Politics, superb fantasy world-building, excellent character development, and lots of action. Runners up for my favourite series include Michael Moorcock’s ‘Dancers at the End of Time’, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, and (believe it or not), Joe McKinney’s zombie series, Dick Francis’ British racing novels.  I know…you didn’t see that one coming, did you?

 

Q. I am currently trying my hand at writing I find it hard to concentrate on it for any long amount of time though, cooking, eating, something else catching my interest. So I write it bit by bit on a blog, how do you stay focused or what are your tricks for sustained and successful writing?

 

A. First, don’t publish works on a blog that you later intend to sell. Publication on the web constitutes ‘first publication’ or ‘first edition’ in many cases, and it can lose you a deal. However, as far as writing when you either don’t have much time or haven’t yet cultivated the pro writer’s knack of going long stretches on a regular basis, then here are some suggestions. First, write every day. No exceptions. I don’t care if you’ve just had total knee replacement –as soon as the anaesthesia wears off, grab a pen and paper and write. I say this because that’s exactly what I did.  Also, take one project and write it to completion before writing something else. Completion tends to validate and also recharge your creative batteries. And, reward yourself. Every day that you write, put a little bit of money in a card. A quid, say. When that project is completed, then use that money ONLY for fun.  The thing that happens is that on a subconscious level you begin to equate writing with reward, and that builds enthusiasm. I started doing that when I was in college. I still do it.

 

Some fun questions now Jonathan if you would

 

Q. Do you have a Zombie Apocalypse plan?

 

A. Yes. I know where to go (local food distribution warehouse). I am trained in First Aid, I’m a 6’4” 8th degree black belt and I’m very good with a sword. I will get my wife and my friends to safety.  Oh, and if there is one of those whiney guys in our group, I’m going to pitch him out into the zoms. Idiots, cowards, laggards and fools form no part of my survival plan.

 

Q. What are your favourite horror films/or series?

 

A. This one could take all night, so I’ll give you a very short version. Favourite zombie films –in order—the unrated director’s cut of Zack Snyder’s remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD is my all-time favourite. Runner up is the Romero DAWN. Favourite American TV zombie show is THE WALKING DEAD, without question; but my second favourite is an overlooked and underrated BBC miniseries called DEAD SET. Brilliant.

 

For non-zombies: favourite werewolf film: DOG SOLDIERS.  Favourite vampire film: NEAR DARK, written by Eric Red. Favourite ghost story is THE HAUNTING (the original BW).

 

Q. Aside from the obvious what are your favourite classic monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, Wolfman?

 

A. I was always a Hammer Films fan. I loved Peter Cushing as Van Helsing and as Dr. Frankenstein. My favourite giant monster is, and will always be, Godzilla.

 

Q. What is your favourite non horror works, films TV etc.

 

A. My favourites are fickle. All time favourite TV show is FRIENDS. Favourite recent shows include BREAKING BAD, JUSTIFIED, WILFRED, REVOLUTION, EPISODES, DEXTER, HOMELAND and GAME OF THRONES.

 

Q. I believe out of the major horror icons or even apocalypse settings that the zombie isn’t too far off in reality with all the chemicals and other types of ways zombies can be created isn’t it just an accident waiting to happen, what’s your views?

 

A. We won’t create dead flesh-eating monsters, even though some of the science is there and the rest could be tweaked given enough money for research…which no one will. However, rage viruses like that in Romero’s original THE CRAZIES (and the remake) or like the one in 28 DAYS LATER ---that’s a lot more likely. Scarily so.

 

Q. On that note what is that your favourite zombie reanimation way or do you like/prefer any of the following and what are your views, God/Supernatural, Chemical, Radiation, Voodoo or Extra-Terrestrial?

 

A. I don’t see any supernatural revival happening, so that doesn’t work for me. I’d be more afraid of something cooked up in a lab. Viruses as delivery systems for gene therapy. That sort of thing taking a wrong turn.

 

 

 

Finally Jonathan

 

Q. Where do see your series’ and writing going in the future, as in more follow up new ideas also any film or TV series plans?

 

A. My next series of teen novels will have no science fiction nor supernatural elements. It’ll focus more on real-world horrors like school shootings, bullying, drug uses, teen suicide and other issues. The first book, WATCH OVER ME, is due out in September 2014.

 

As for my adult fiction…I’m still writing the Joe Ledger thrillers and having wicked fun there. I’m currently writing CODE ZERO, the sixth in that series. I’m also slated to write FALL OF NIGHT, the sequel to DEAD OF NIGHT, my bestselling zombie novel from 2012. And I’ve got a slew of short stories coming out in all kinds of genres: Steampunk, ghosts, mysteries, an Oz story, a Cthulhu story, another of my Sam Hunter –werewolf P.I. stories, and some adventure fantasy.

 

And is there anything else you would like to say to your readers and viewers of this blog?

 

Sure…come follow me on @jonathanmaberry or on Facebook www.facebook.com/jonathanmaberry

 

 

 

 

Thank you Jonathan for doing this Interview and giving your dedicated readers a little more insight into one of their favourite authors and what’s going on in their world at the moment

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