Meet Mark Edward Hall

I met Mark Edward Hall on, yep, you guessed it- The Masters of Horror Facebook page. I really can't drop shameless plugs for that group often enough. It's a great group of writers, artists and editors who are truly dedicated to the genre of horror. They are a very supportive group as well. But enough about them...on to Mark~

1.)  How long have you been writing ?

Atually I've always been a writer. My first short story was published in 1995. Before that I wrote songs and poetry. My first novel was published in 2003.        

2.)  Do you write full time or do you have a day job?

I write full time.

3.)  Is this your fist published work?

I have four published books, The Lost Village, The Haunting of Sam Cabot, The Holocaust Opera and my new collection, Servants of Darkness, which I just found out is a best selller in Germany. Go figure. I have two new novels coming this year, a thriller entitled Apocalypse Island and an epic horror novel entitled Soul Thief.

4.)  What made you decide to go the Indie route?

Actually three of my books are published by  Damnation Books which is a small press that is getting bigger every day. Servants of Darkness is an indie book and my next two will also be indie simply because I can do as good a job promoting my work as my publisher can, and I get to keep a bigger piece of the pie. I've got nothing against my publisher, they're good people. My decision to go indie is pure economics. We live in a different publishing world than we did just two years ago. Everything has changed.

5.)  I, personally, love short stories. I love to read them and I love to write them. That said, there are certain complexities to writing a short story as opposed to a novel. What do you think is the hardest thing about writing a short story. What's your favorite thing about writing them?

I think the hardest thing about writing a short story is giving it the depth of character needed to bring people to life on the page. Unlike a novel you don't have much room to develope your characters and you'd better make the most of word choice and economy.
My favorite thing about writing short stories  is everything. I love the form, I love the economy, I love that you can tell a complete story in five thousand words or less

6.)  What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?

All the standard stuff, cancer, heart attacks, car accidents, terrorist attacks. I actually don't sit around  worrying about all that but I'm keenly aware of what a dangerous world we live in. Probably why I write the stuff I write. 

7.) What is your writing routine?

I write from about eight in the morning until just after noon, and then I move on with all the other business of my day. Usually I come back in the late afternooon and write or edit for a few more hours.

8.) Have you always been a fan of horror?

Yes, always. I love the genre. But it has to be well written horror.

9.) What other authors inspire you?

Clive Barker, Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Dan Simmons, John Farris. The list could go on and on, but these are a few of my favorites.

10.) What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?

If you're serious about writing then write. If  you're doing it for the money then choose another career. You can make money with it but that's just a bonus. To be good you have to love doing it.

Bio:
Mark Edward Hall is the author of four novels and more than fifty short stories. His first novel, The Lost Village, was recommended for a Bram Stoker award and nominated for a Tombstone award. His short stories have been widely published in magazines and anthologies. He lives in Richmond, Maine with his wife Sheila. 

His Website.
My website contains a link to my blog. I don't do a lot of blogging although I should do more. At the end of the day I find- I'd rather write fiction.

Find Mark on the web at:
Facebook

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

Goodreads

Don't forget to check out my review of Mark's book, Servants of Darkness, over at See Spot Read

♥Stacey