J.M. NORTHUP's BLOG

Saturday, July 26, 2014

A PRISONER WITHIN is only 99 cents!!!

Kindle Edition Is Only 99¢ until July 31, 2014!


A PRISONER WITHIN is on sale for only 99¢ through Kindle Countdown Deals!!

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How far would you go to defend yourself... from your own mother?


Tiffany is a seventeen year old girl who’s caught in a battle for existence. As she tries to claim rights to her own life and mind, her abusive mother struggles to maintain control. Pouring her hatred for the world onto her daughter, Tiffany suffers under her mother’s guise of concern as her mother convinces everyone that Tiffany’s wounds are self-inflicted. 

Fighting to prove she's not mentally unstable and seeking escape from her mother’s tyranny, Tiffany must make the ultimate choice as to who lives and who dies. Is her redemption and vindication worth the price of her soul?

Get your copy of Creativia #author, J.M. Northup's #suspense #thriller today!!
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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Paul Fleming in my Interview Chair

A New Creativia Author Is Born!


Paul Fleming is funny, friendly, and fascinating!
His intellect and quick wit make him a riot!  It is always a pleasure to talk to him and he never ceases to make me laugh!
Paul's warmth and honesty make him approachable and real.  Despite the fact that we live an ocean a part, connected by cyber means, I can say that he is truly my friend!
Paul is inventive and creative.  He is quite a character, but one you will love and never be able to forget!
Reading the interview I did with him, I am sure you will agree!


My Interview with Paul Fleming
·         First off, I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to interview you!  As I do in all my interviews, I will begin by asking you to describe yourself in your own words.
o   Hi Julie, I’ll knock the ball back into your court with a big thank you for taking the time to ask the questions. I just hope the answers make some sense….to someone!
o   I live in Liverpool with my long suffering and tolerant partner Amanda, together with our two girls, Xsara and Lauren. As Amanda works full time and is enjoying success in her career, I elected to remain at home to ‘keep the home fires burning’ and run around after our daughters – which is a full time occupation in itself!
o   I don’t think I’ve ever really grown up, a fact Amanda would attest to in the claim she has 3 children at home(!) and I have no plans to do so in the near or far future. Never grow up, it’s a trap!
·         My first questions have to do with your name.  You are both Paul Fleming and Paul J Fleming, correct?  Does this get confusing and if so, why do you have the two distinctions?  Also, there are other authors and poets throughout history with your same name, has this made things harder for you do you think; why or why not?
o   My full name is Paul John Fleming, so I use Paul J Fleming as my author name on my books, as I have done throughout my life in a myriad of circumstances. The omission of the J in some areas was not intentional, nor an effort to create dual personae. On occasion it was an omission on my part unintentionally, but in the case of Amazon I published my first title to Create Space and then it was ported over to Kindle, somewhere along the line the J disappeared and my Kindle simply showed ‘Paul Fleming’. I’ve since edited things to put the initial back in there, but it’s really that simple.
o   In terms of other authors bearing the same name from history, I think that it’s not had much bearing on myself for the most part, as the most prominent I have come across is a German poet, who has his own statue! Not a competitor in my own field of scribbling, so I think I’ll let him off ;-)
·         How did you become an author?  Who influenced you, personally and professionally? 
o   I have always scribbled small bits of stories, random paragraphs of adventure or even a few lines of very amateur poetry from time to time, but purely for my own amusement and not for wider consumption. It was just a way to relax. Let the mind wander and put some words to paper, which I really never looked at again after they were composed, usually ending up crumpled up in the bin.
o   I did quite a lot of game mastering, which is running role playing games and describing settings, interactions and conflicts to groups of players. The topics varied from horror/suspense to outer space and back again, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thing is, there were other GM’s who would have A4 folders stuffed with notes and encounters as well as characters the players would interact with. I was never that organized (and still lack that skill!) as I would just turn up with a load of dice and a few rulebooks. I may have scribbled a few notes of interesting things I might include, but most of it was random on the spur of the moment from the top of my head stuff. I did quite enjoy that as players did some random and unexpected stuff, which could prove testing to deal with and provide a good response to. So the games were fun for them, as well as me!
o   However my time to role-play dwindled as I ran a property management business, looking after houses for students who came to study in Liverpool.
Then life threw one of its unpleasant curve balls. My mum passed away late in 2012, which was a devastating blow in our lives.  That really made a change for me. Not in grief, as I had to remain composed to help my Dad, as well as being there for my eldest daughter, who had just lost her best friend in the whole world.
o   I found that sitting and writing out adventures was a way for me to escape from the reality as it presented itself, especially in quiet moments alone, when my mind would wander towards recent events, so to be off in a far flung universe, running along corridors ahead of murderous mutants was just the ticket!  It was a way for me to cope with things, to keep myself rational and able to help others. Yes, I did put off the grieving process until much later, but I did what was necessary and helped everyone through.
o   Then it changed from being an escape from grief to being something I actually enjoyed doing as entertainment. I enjoyed writing the stories than sitting being spoon fed in front of the television and I still do!
o   I write these stories for my amusement and am still rather in awe that other people like them too. As I continue with the expanding setting, I hope that my entertainment continues to entertain others too!
·         Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?  Has one particular writer or story stuck with you over the years or have they changed as you have grown and matured?
o   May sound a bit offbeat, but Terrance Dicks, Malcolm Hulke and other numerous writers who crafted many Doctor Who stories which appeared both on the television and in book form. When I was much younger I would gobble through books at a crazy rate, mostly Doctor Who as the local library had a very good shelf for Science Fiction, which was quite fully stocked with those titles.
o   Obviously I can point to the likes of Pratchett, Asimov and Niven too as authors who have weaved fantastic tales which lead readers along on wonderous journeys – one which still comes to mind now is the Mote in Gods Eye. Vibrant descriptions and dialogue just enveloped me as I read through it, not wanting to give into tiredness and sleep for missing some of the action!!
o   I think as I have grown a little older, I have widened out a bit in my reading, but just like in music, where people will say they like one genre or another, I am more ‘What sounds good!’, not subscribing to just one type. It’s the same with books, I don’t mind if it’s Barker, Niven, King or an author who is more of the Indie list – if the story intrigues me, I’ll read it. I don’t read it just for the author on the cover!
·         You are a Science Fiction writer.  What lead you to this genre and do you intend to write in any other genres; why or why not?  Does your reading preference differ from your preferred writing genre?
o   Would you believe I started out writing horror? However, the story matter dealt quite intensely with death and the afterlife, which really was too close to real life for me to continue with it after the events of late 2012. Thus, Science Fiction came to the fore as ‘Ray Guns and Rocket-ships’ was as far from reality as I could put my mind in those idle moments. That then evolved into the ‘Tales from the 23rd Century’, which really was meant to be akin to 50’s pulp sci-fi with fantastical tales of the future, rocket-ships and intrepid pilots plying the space lanes. It’s taking on its own shape and form as it evolves in my mind, so I’m just running along with it, trying to keep up.
o   I do plan to return to that original story at some point, if the inhabitants of the 23rd Century will let me do so at some point, but for now they’re all running around in my head getting into all sorts of scrapes and foiling dastardly plots, so I think it will be a while before I can switch genres.
o   I wouldn’t go near writing romance, unless it was a feature within one of my existing storylines. To just go all out and put together a complex relationship novella is just not my cup of tea, so there’s one I’ll steer clear of.
o   The thing is that I write in the setting I enjoy, so quite obviously science fiction features heavily, but on the other hand, I do enjoy Poe, Lovecraft and other masters of the craft such as Barker and King too – hence, my inkling to put something into written form in the horror genre too at some point.
·         Which of your books do you personally enjoy the most?  Which was the most fun for you to write? 
o   All of them! The thing is that they are snapshots of moments in time within the setting of the 23rd Century in a constantly evolving and expanding environment. I really did enjoy Children of Earth and was so absorbed in enjoying the adventure as it unfolded that I ran the risk of it never coming to a conclusion. That was the difficult part, trying to wrap it up. Then the smaller adventure in Hijacked took over with new characters, but now it’s back to the original crew for their next adventure, whilst another few characters run through their paces in the second Chronicles outing. The whole setting is one constantly evolving story, split into bite-size ‘episodes’ if you want to think of it like that, with smaller webisodes adding some additional background detail and flavour.
·         Do you ever get “writer’s block” and if so, how do you combat it?  What is your writing regiment, if any?  Do you have any quirky tendencies that you’d like to share?
o   Oh yes! There are times when I can sit and type out the story for hours, the whole adventure playing out in my mind as I type furiously, but then a distraction occurs and breaks the ‘spell’, after which that little window in my mind onto the adventures seems to be closed off and then it’s time to look up from the keyboard and sample the world outside!
o   Other times I can sit down with free time away from my real world chores and that little window just stubbornly refuses to budge, denying me insight into their activities. It can be frustrating, but then there’s always the dog to walk or household stuff to be done, sometimes whilst doing these then window just pops open and those adventures start again.
o   Sometimes I might turn my attention to the ‘other’ title, or maybe just scribble ideas for future stories. If I concentrate on the ‘problem’, it remains a problem. If I look away and do other things, most of the time the solution just pops up.
o   I am not saying this is all the time. I have had instance to re-read chapters, which have led me in a certain path of writing, and realised I created the problem with the text I have written. Thus I ‘re-imagine’ earlier text and alternative avenues to explore – this may lead to entire paragraphs or even chapters biting the dust, but if it gets the flow going again, it’s more than worth it.
o   Here’s a little secret – between you and me? There was originally a fourth member of the Erstwhile crew. His story was interwoven and certain elements relied upon his skills, but he began to prove himself to be problematic towards the end. Everything else was working, but he was just being damned awkward and I had to go through the entire story to evaluate his worth. In the end, I reworked it and he was removed, which cured the problems I was experiencing with him later on in the story and (I think) made it flow much more smoothly.  He wasn’t cast out into that cold, dark wilderness of ‘darlings’ who have to be killed off. No, no, no! He’s still about, just not quite there yet! ;-)
o   In terms of regimen? My youngest daughter is 3 and at pre-school, so I try to deliver her there and then return to type out a few hours of text before going to collect her, resulting in 4 mornings a week – but as I said, I have to be in the right frame of mind and the window needs to be open.
·         Is there anything you would have done differently in your writing career, if given the chance?
o   Started writing the books much sooner. Now, I say that, but then again, the environment around publishing has changed so dramatically to allow authors such as myself to reach out to the audience, as opposed to hitting the rejection wall of the large publishing houses.
·         You just recently signed on with the independent publisher, Creativia?  How did this new relationship forge?  Have you been with any other publishers and if so, how is Creativia different?
o   I was approached by Miika, which quite honestly took me utterly by surprise.  I never imagined any publisher coming anywhere near me until I had a proven track record of sold books out there in the wild.  Yes, I did approach the offer of Creativia perusing my manuscript with great skepticism at first, but resultant intensive probing of the all-knowing Google simply threw up good vibe after good vibe about this organization.  I even approached Eileen and Mike, who are existing Creativia authors, to ask them about their experiences only to receive further glowing praise.
o   Having only self-published before, I have no experience of other publishers, but am wise enough to do my ‘mouse-work’ and read many tales of warning and woe – as well as those encouraging tales of success too!
o   It’s early days yet, but I can certainly say that the warmth of reception into the ‘Creativia Fold’ with friendly chat and support of my fellow authors – as well as the highly amusing group postings, which have provided much entertainment! – has me looking forward to a very successful ongoing relationship!
o   Just have to note that Creativia wanted to proof my manuscript for me, with layout suggestions too. I thought it would take a while, but the response was lightning fast, which did impress me!
·         Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
o   Quite seriously? Still here at this keyboard, typing out the latest line in adventures!!
o   I’m doing something I love, something I enjoy, and now that I have the help and support from the team at Creativia, I don’t see a reason why I won’t be doing this with great glee 5 years from now! J
·         Thank you so much for your time today!  I look forward to getting to know you and your work better!  Cheers!

o   No problem Julie! Once again I thank you for your time to pose the questions and hope I didn’t ramble on too much…. I can’t hear any snoring so that’s a good sign at least!!
Best wishes, Paul J Fleming
J

Monday, July 21, 2014

My Interview with Carole Gill

Author and Humanitarian


Carole Gill is more than just my colleague
and fellow author with the independent publisher, Creativia.
Carole is one of my dear friends!
Carole is a very kind and loving person.  She has a great sense of humor and a generous spirit!  She is very modest and as you can tell from her interview, she is rather shy, preferring to speak about her work more than herself.
Carole is a very talented and creative writer.  She is an inspiration and I wish her all the success in the world!

My Interview with Carole Gill
·         First off, I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to interview you!  As I do in all my interviews, I will begin by asking you to describe yourself in your own words.
o   I am an idealist.  I wish I could make the world over.  I push myself sometimes too much, I think.  I work harder than I ever did and I’m much older!  Why didn’t I do it earlier, when I was younger?
·         You often describe your writing as “dark” and even your personal blog (http://carolegillauthor.blogspot.co.uk/) has a warning before you enter into the website.  Can you tell us more about your writing and why you feel this is necessary?
o   Yes! The warning! Well, goodness, I thought better safe than sorry! I often put excerpts up from my novels! Don’t want to be sent to my room by Google Blogger!
o   To answer your question, I have always been pretty serious by nature, even as a child. I started to write the most morbid poems and essays (remember Wynona Ryder in “Beetlejuice”? That’s what I was like).  But really, if you think about the world we live in—war, crime—the holocaust—and more recent ones as well—now known as ethnic cleansing atrocities. There’s animal abuse—child abuse, domestic abuse as well.  Hey! There’s evil and suffering in the world. You know it, I know it. I worry about it and wonder why there’s so much horror; that gets me writing.
o   And really, since I do write horror I tend to write dark stuff. I see the darkness.  My first marriage, I often say is the reason I write horror. To a great extent it’s true. This is a blog post I did about it.
o   You may have already seen this post, Julie, but I always show it because I remember the first short story I did (after years and years of not writing) was about a monstrous marriage.  I wrote it on Valentine’s Day 2008 btw.  It has been published.
·         You are known as a vampire specialist when it comes to your writing.  What do you think of that?  How did you get introduced to vampires and what makes you love them so much?  Why do you prefer them as the basis of your novels?
o   I actually only became interested in vampires through the Coppola film (1992); Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I knew I had to write about them one day and I have been. In fact The Fourth Bride (of Dracula), book 4 in the Blackstone Series was entirely inspired by Coppola’s film.
o   I read a lot of Anne Rice after it.  I was particularly impressed with her characterization. Her vampires have emotions, regret—they are thinking, intelligent beings.
o   That’s the basis of my vampires. They suffer through no fault of their own. Whether they are created or raised up—they subsist on blood. They vary from being to being. Some are more evil than others, some try not to be evil at all but they all feed on blood which doesn’t make them boy or girl scouts.
o   I have a four novel series out, The Blackstone Vampires. It is historically based horror.  My vampires exist throughout time. Their individual stories are recounted in the series.
o   I’ve started a new series and that book will appear shortly. Book 1 is entitled, “Justine into the Blood”.
Here’s a post I did about it recently
http://www.skelat.com/blog/book-news-and-historical-horror
o   I just want to see vampires portrayed as being capable of evil, but also, as complex beings – that’s my mission.
o   Ironically, although I am planning the second book in the new series (Blood and Passion series), I have already begun a novel not about vampires!  But about murderous miscreants traveling along in their circus bus.  I hope to have it finished before too long!
·         Horror is your preferred genre for writing.  Is this also your preferred genre when you are reading a book?  Does your successful writing career in horror and your extensive knowledge about vampires change how you read books in these topics and if so, why do you think that is or isn’t?
o   I’m open to any sort of book that looks interesting. I like reading horror, but I also love suspense—I think the most amazing villain of all time has to be Hannibal Lecter. The novels by Thomas Harris are brilliant!
o   I also love a good ghost story. I’m still (at heart) the youngster who wants to be scared.  Susan Hills’ “The Woman in Black” blew my socks off!
o   Most of all if a book can scare me—that’s the one I want to read!
·         Who most influenced you to as a writer?  How did you get started as an author? 
o   I wrote my first short story when I was eight. Yup, sci-fi. My parents were huge sci-fi fans and it was only natural!
o   I wrote a lot from then into my twenties and then one tragedy after another struck and that disastrous marriage took me away from it. After that marriage, I cared for my mother, who was totally disabled by that time. I cared for her, on my own, for the last 12 years of her life. When she died—I went back to writing.
o   I was fortunate enough to attend a local writer’s workshop near where I lived in Lancaster. It was run by a most amazing and talented man, Clive Hopwood, who is an author and playwright himself.  He encouraged me to try everything. I did.
o   I wrote a radio play for the BBC, which wasn’t aired, but I wrote it!
o   I was selected by North West Playwrights of England for further development, which was very exciting and worthwhile. Dialogue is my favorite thing to write as a result.
o   I wrote short stories and a couple of books, which I know now were awful! I had loads of rejections, but just plodded on.
o   I met my husband a few years later. John gave me the opportunity, in 2008, to write full time; to go for it!  It was very hard financially, but I had the time at last, and had my first novel published in 2011. Since then, I have written four more.  I honestly don’t know how people write that work full time.  They are amazing!
·         Is there anything you would have done differently in your writing career, if given the chance?
o   Not really. You learn as you go. I did, I learned so much. I have a far more realistic attitude about success and failure—I am more relaxed about everything than I was and it’s better!
·         If I’m not mistaken, you have had various publishers in the past, correct?  What did you like and dislike about them?  How did you come to the decision to sign on with the independent publisher, Creativia?  How do they differ from the other publishers you’ve been with?
o   The first novel, The House on Blackstone Moor, was published by another publisher, who has since closed (just as well, too). I was pleased at first, as I felt my work was genuinely appreciated.  But then there were issues—like our work was not marketed on Amazon - I have no idea why, but when I got to understand things, I wasn’t happy about it.  Reports didn’t come in either. In fact, at one point, there was no communication at all!  This publisher could not be reached anywhere!  I had enough, sought legal advice, which turned out to be costly. I wanted to get away and I wanted to do it legally.
o   I did. I self-published for one year, then I had the good luck to hear from Miika Hannila of Creativia. Creativia was fairly new and what he had to say sounded great. What a difference. There wasn’t anything I found off putting or worrying.  It wasn’t long before I signed. And I am happy I did. Very happy!
o   Just a note here: The House on Blackstone Moor was completely revised and published by Creativia, the other novels, as well.
·         What can your readers expect to see from you next?
o   Well, these lunatic circus folk in a full-length novel. My murderous midgets are back, and joining them are a fat lady and demon clowns. You might not want to turn your back on the midgets or the clowns,--especially the clowns and the fat lady because they are cannibals.
o   After that comes book 2 in The Blood and Passion Series.  The venue will take the reader to the 1920’s and beyond. There’s darkness, but a lot of romance as well. I’m lining up some great characters—vampires and sorcerers among them! Just stay tuned.
·         Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
o   Next five, hmm—more books, more writing. Hopefully people will be wanting to read them. I don’t have huge expectations. I just try to focus on what I’m doing and make certain I keep enjoying it.
·         Do you have other passions in life outside of your love for literature? 
o   Animals! I think everyone on Facebook knows that! If I won the lottery, I would buy a farm, and have a sanctuary, and a huge dog and cat rescue. I’d employ staff, too. We don’t have hi-kill shelters in the UK, but sadly, not every animal makes it out of the pound—I’d like to see that stop.
o   I support a rescue locally that board dogs out of their own pocket when their stay is over at their rescue. They run out of room all the time, but they pay to keep those animals alive. I wish I could give more, but I do what I can.
·         Thank you so much for your time today!  I wish you much success, my friend – you deserve it!  Also, congratulations on your bestselling accomplishment with your horror anthology, HOUSE OF HORRORS!
o   Fingers crossed, it lasts at bit. That gave me the idea for the book I just started!
o   Maybe I’ll have a contest about a title!

Julie, I thank you so much for interviewing me. You are a very talented writer and I am so pleased you wanted to do this with me. Thank you!


Sunday, July 20, 2014

An Author Interview with Joseph Mulak

Canadian Author and Father

Joseph Mulak is a Canadian author with the independent publisher, Creativia.  He has many titles that make up his fascinating body of work!  Joseph's latest novel is his first book with Creativiaentitled "FLUSHED"
I wanted to introduce you to the new Creativist joining our publishing family, so I decided to interview him.  Of course, Joseph was very kind and readily made time for me to meet with him.  He is a delightful person and he had me just a giggling!
I am sure he'll delight you too!

My Interview with Joseph Mulak
·         First off, I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to interview you!  As I do in all my interviews, I will begin by asking you to describe yourself in your own words.
o   I never know how to answer this question. I'm 34 years old, I have 4 kids. I'm Canadian and live in a small city about 4 hours North of Toronto. I'm divorced and have been in a relationship with my girlfriend for a little over a year now.
o   I'm the author of the story collection, Haunted Whispers and the ebook, Little Angels. Both in the horror genre. I've also written a novel, Flushed, which is a love story and I still don't believe I actually wrote it.
·         I read that you began writing at the age of 15 years old.  What prompted you to set pen to paper?  Most young men that age don’t have the desire to accomplish such a feat.
o   I was always a bit of a loner as a kid and reading was always my way of dealing with that. Especially in my teens. Writing pretty much stemmed from that love of reading. Plus I was making some money at it since some of the other kids paid me to write short stories for them for our high-school English class. That was my first income as a writer.
·         I read that you were introduced to Stephen King’s writing by you mom; is your mom a big fan of the horror genre?  Did your mother’s interest in that genre have anything to do with you pursuing that platform for storytelling?
o   Part of the reason I mention that it was my mother who introduced me to Stephen King was because she is the last person you would expect to have done so. Mom hates horror. At the time, I was reading Hardy Boys mystery books and Mom ended up at some book sale that was raising money for our local literacy council (mom was the president at the time). She comes home with this Stephen King book and hands it to me, saying, "Since you like mysteries, I got you this book. I think he writes mystery."
·         What was the first book you read from Stephen King?  Which of his books made the biggest impact on you?  Has that changed at all?  I mean, does the book that most influenced you at that tender age still affect you in the same profound manner?
o   The first of King's novels I read was The Dead Zone. That was the one my mother had given me. It's not my favorite of his books, but I think that one in particular had a huge impact on me. First of all, it jumpstarted my love of the horror genre. Second, my first attempt at a novel, when I was about 15 or so, was basically a rip-off of that book.
o   The only thing that has changed regarding Stephen King is that I haven't read any of his books since high-school. I got into other writers I enjoyed and poor Stephen kind of got kicked to the curb. I have bought his two latest books though (Doctor Sleep and Mr. Mercedes) and plan to read them very soon.
·         I am assuming that Stephen King is one of you favorite authors.  Of course, you know what they say about assuming, right?  LOL J  So, I am inclined to ask who your favorite author is and what your favorite book is and why?
o   I always have a hard time answering the favorite author/book question. My favorite anything tends to change with my mood.
o   Two authors I was introduced to by a local librarian, who noticed I was checking out book after book by King, are Ramsey Campbell and Graham Masterton. Both are power houses in the horror genre and I've been reading their stuff since my teens. So if pressed to choose a favorite, I would probably have to say it's a tie between those two.
o   Honorable mentions would be Ed Lee, Brian Keene, John Everson, Jonathan Janz, James Herbert, Poe, Lovecraft, and so many others I could name, but there isn't nearly enough room.
o   Favorite book is Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read that book in high-school and have reread it a couple of times as adult. I love that book.
·         I also read that you are straying from your horror roots and branching out into other genre styles.  What can we expect from you in the future?  Does this change in genre have anything to do with your decision to move from short stories to a full novel?
o   No, it has nothing to do with short stories or novels. The book I just finished is almost novel length. It's about 50,000 words and it's a zombie novel. I never think in terms of genre when I write. I just write what comes to mind. For the most part, horror has always been the label my work fits into.
o   The novel Flushed isn't my first time out writing outside the horror genre. The story "A Tad Bit Ghostly" (from my collection Haunted Whispers) is more of a detective comedy than anything else. It has supernatural elements to it, but I feel it's a far cry from being horrific. I ended the book with it in the hope that it would leave people feeling a little better than they do after reading the other stories, which are pretty dark in tone.
o   Flushed is just a story that needed to be written. It's very autobiographical in some ways, and I just had some emotions that I needed to get out. I never actually thought I'd published it and I was originally planning to put it out under a pen name, but Graham Masterton pointed out how many of his books are from different genres (horror, thriller, drama, sex instruction) and all published under his own name. So I took his advice and did the same with this one.
o   As for the future? I have no idea. I'm back to writing horror right now. I mentioned I just finished writing a zombie book. My beta readers are looking at it right now and then I'll send it to the publisher once I make some final changes. In the meantime, I'm working on a 30,000 word novella, also in the horror genre, that I'm very excited about. This one is going to be more creepy than violent and it's being written for a specific publisher that I've been wanting to work with for years, so I'm hoping this might be my foot in the door. After that, one more novella, then it's back to work on another horror novel that I've been planning for a few years now.
·         What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in life?
o   My kids. I have four kids ranging from 13 to 9 years old. They are the most important thing in my life.
·         How many books do you have published so far and of them, which would you say is your favorite and way?   Does the answer to very question change if you are asked which project did you enjoy writing the most and if so why?
o   I have 2 actual book-length books. The novel Flushed and my story collection, Haunted Whispers. I also have a 10,000 word story available as an ebook called Little Angels. I can't pick a favorite. Everything I write is a part of me in some way and they're all important to me for one reason or another.
o   In terms of the enjoyment while writing, "A Tad Bit Ghostly" maybe. That story was just one joke after another. Same thing with a zombie short story called "Cognitive" (published in the charity anthology Dark Light). I like writing the comedy/horror stuff because I make myself laugh as I write them. Tad Spanner, my P.I. in "A Tad Bit Ghostly" is a character I'd like to revisit in the near future. I already have an idea for a novel-length work starring good ol' Tad.
·         Is there anything you would have done differently in your writing career, if given the chance?
o   Absolutely. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have self-published. I'm not good at it because I'm terrible at marketing myself. I'm going to be using a publisher for all my future work so that I can get some help with that side of it.
·         How did you come to the decision to sign on with the independent publisher, Creativia? 
o   Another author, Carole Gill. I noticed her books were being published by Creativia, so I signed on with them after she told me how much she loved working with them.
·         Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
o   I see myself doing exactly what I'm doing now. Raising my kids, working my day job, and writing every chance I get. Hopefully I'll have a few more books out by then.
·         Do you have other passions in life outside of your love for literature?
o   Not too many. My favorite thing to do, when I have the time, is sit in a coffee shop with a good book. That's my "me time."  I like to walk. I spend two hours walking to work most mornings and it gives me a chance to listen to audiobooks and work out the kinks in whatever writing project I've got on the go. I also enjoy movies. My girlfriend, Alicia, and I spend most of our nights cuddling on the couch watching horror movies.
·         Thank you so much for your time today!  I look forward to seeing more of your great work and to reading your full-length novel!  I wish you much success!
o   Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

Other work by Joseph Mulak

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