Frequently Asked Questions

WHY SELF-PUBLISHING?

It comes off pretty negative, doesn’t it? Read: Couldn’t make it in real life, could you?

I tried the traditional publish route for a few years, but it didn’t work out. I was impatient, I admit. But two things made me decide to take my future in my own hands.

I knew an author from my writers’ group; Earl Merkel, author of Virgins and Martyrs and Final Pandemic, among others. He had the good sport to give KOS a shot, to read it over and let me know what he thought.

I remember coming to the group the week after sending it to him. I was telling myself to settle down, not press him – I even had a short list of things to talk about that didn’t have anything to do with my book.

The second he saw me, he pointed at a stack of papers on his desk and said “This needs to be out there NOW” (Cue choir harmonizing).

The other thing was that I was getting tired of others gauging what I was worth. I’m willing to let the public decide if I’m good enough or not. Thankfully, technology has come to a point where self publishing is more feasible.

(Note I didn’t say “easier”. OY! the effort self-publishing takes!)

WHY VAMPIRES?

Marcus was born from a happy accident. I wrote this book in the 90’s, bringing Achilles into modern times by being (big reveal) a vampire.

oh.

hey.

shock and surprise.

*shrug*

It ended up being a lousy script, mainly because I made the main character SO overpowered it was unrealistic. And being one of my first attempts at a novel didn’t help any.

Years later, I decided to rewrite a scene from the book as a short story for a contest. I came up with a weaker, flawed main character, spiced it up with a realistic back story, added some limitations and Marcus was conceived. I ought to dig that story up and add a page on this site. I never entered the contest, but it was well received at my writers’ group.

YEAH, I GOT A QUESTION; WHY DOES BONG HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS IN THE FIRST BOOK, THEN A BOY AND A GIRL IN THE SECOND?

Um.

You see, uh. It… Its…

Magic!

*runs away*

YOU SAID YOU HATE HORROR. YOU’RE WRITING HORROR. WHAT GIVES?

Well, I don’t hate it. I’m just… hoo boy, here we go. I’m kind of squeamish when it comes to blood.

There, I said it. I write about vampires and I don’t like to think about blood. When I give blood for my annual physical, I can never watch the process. A couple years ago, the nurse asked me to confirm my information, holding up one of the vials. I wanted to scream “THAT’S MINE”, grab it and run out the door, where I’d promptly fall down from lightheadedness.

Seriously, though, my books aren’t horror per se. But I appreciate the structure of many of the stories in the horror genre, as well as how it lends itself to make the stakes feel so much higher. I’ve mulled over the ramifications of the twists of the first and fourth Wishmaster movies. The way Mr. Brooks’ murderous second personality comforted him when he realized his daughter was “just like him”. The way Solomon Kane went back on his vows and reclaimed his role as a murderous cutthroat to save a young girl – all because his vows of peace saw the violent end of a young boy. This feels like the right neighborhood where a man who has been through hell and is trying to find his place can park.

WHERE ARE MARCUS’ PARENTS?

Oh-Ho! That is a very good backstory question!

(Wait, Mr. Cada? Is that you?)

Marcus’ parents aren’t going to be an integral component in the series. Marcus was one of 12 siblings in what is current day Slovakia. One year, his family fell on a few devastating events – crops died off, illness settling among farm animals or family members, that kind of thing. Being one of the smaller, weaker children, Marcus was sold off to a larger plantation for labor. He wasn’t working there for long when he was given a medical “inspection”. Marcus would later learn this was a means to measure his potential growth. After the inspection, he was sold off again to a training grounds of sorts, where he was instructed in basic combat, exercise, and given a proper diet. in seven years, when he’d grown to his full, wide-shouldered potential, he was turned and conscripted into being a foot soldier for a wealthy vampire clan.

Allusions to Marcus’ “father” is another being entirely – and the subject of an upcoming novel.

ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER AUTHORS?

I’m going to cover more in some YouTube videos I’m working on, but I can click out some choice nuggets here.

-Kill all the “lie” words, that is, the words that end with “ly”. As in; quietly, loudly, strongly… Okay, its a pie in the sky goal, because sometimes you just need to get past the idea in order to keep up the rhythm or emotion of the scene. But generally speaking these words come across as weak or lazy. Aspire to get the point across in ways that are sly, slippery and seductive. Its old, but true; show. Don’t tell.

-Read poetry. That is, GOOD poetry. I may get a lot of flak for this, but nobody puts out work like the people living in the 1800’s. Look up “The Fool’s Prayer” by Edward R. Sill and you will catch the shadow of what writing could be. I find reading old poetry can really whet the writing blade.

-Give the bad guy the good lines. As simple as it would make things, the evil ones don’t twirl their moustaches and laugh maniacally. The bad guys in your story have their own history (YouTube on that later). You need to round them out as well. To not give the antagonist a cool quirk or some really good points made does them a disservice and can even turn them into something that makes the reader wonder; “Wow, why hasn’t the hero beaten this chump yet?” Remember, the antagonist reflects the protagonist. Why not make him look good?

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

They come from the quiet. My brain races like a dozen hamsters on crack, and when I hear about some little factoid, or read a juicy turn of phrase, I’ve just thrown a new toy into their play area. Its a struggle, but I will take time out of my sprinting and just… BE. I put down my phone, turn off the television, and listen to the ringing in my ears. Back when my wife was just my girlfriend, I had taken her out to eat. We were talking about genetics, and I had this weird feeling come over me, like I wasn’t alone in my own mind. The closest I can explain it would be like you just KNEW there was somebody in the room at the end of the hall – but not in a bad way.

Think more “Happy Birthday” than *stabby *stabby.

I asked my girl if she could just give me a minute, and I put my head down.

And I let the door open in its own time.

I looked up, and I said, “How does this sound?” I talked out the general outline for a Sci-fi novel that involved aliens, telekinesis, and the subjugation of the human race. Her beautiful eyes grew with each plot arc I formed until she blurted out “How long have you been working on that?”

“About 120 seconds.”

That is an extreme example, but I refer to my process as my Short Order Cook. I’ll ask myself a good question, and I just wait to see what my brain will come up with. When my order is ready, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, or turn off the lawn mower so I can write it down in the little pad of paper I keep nearby.

I guess my ideas need three crucial components; input, silence and patience.