Meet Glen Krisch

I met Glen through email. He'd read a review I wrote for Ania Ahlborn's book, Seed, and liked the review. You can read that review here in case you missed it. Glen asked if I'd like to review his book, Where Darkness Dwells, and you know me and free books, so of course I said yes. It wasn't until after that, that I learned what a well established author Glen actually was. You can read my review of Where Darkness Dwells over at See Spot Read. Then come on back and chat with Glen.

1.) How long have you been writing novels?

I started my first novel in high school, but wrote about 100 pages before I lost momentum. In college I created an independent study for novel writing. I was able to work on a novel while getting college credit. How cool is that? After college, I honed my skills on short stories for a few years before diving back into novels.


2.) Do you write full time? If not, what is your day job?

It would be a dream come true if I could write and edit full time. Some day, Stacey, some day! In mean time, I work a menial warehouse job. It pays the bills and allows time for my mind time to wander.


3.) Is this your first published novel?

Where Darkness Dwells is my second novel. My first novel, The Nightmare Within, is also available in all ebook formats.

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

After losing three years to what I thought was a publishing deal, I decided to publish The Nightmare Within on my own. I'd been a longtime fan of JA Konrath and Scott Nicholson (both their novels and blogs), so it just made sense. I went into much longer detail in a blog entry of my own. If anyone wishes to read about the beginnings of my indie journey, that entry is here.

5.) How did you come up with the idea for Where Darkness Dwells?

About five years ago, even though the economy was clicking on all cylinders, I had the wild idea that it would soon go down the toilet (imagine that!). I became fascinated with the Great Depression, and so I started researching the topic. Once I opened that can of worms, I came across other topics that pulled me in: hobos, the civil war and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1851, old mining towns and small family farms, etc. The more I investigated, the more layers I added to my burgeoning plot. Somehow it all came together. At least that's what readers have told me so far.

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

The only thing that really scares me these days is the death of a loved one. I tend to try to control everything in my life, but that's something that is totally out of my hands.


I wouldn't call it exactly agoraphobia, but I tend to be rather antisocial. Weeks or months can go by without me realizing I haven't been out in public except for going to work and the grocery store. I'm uncomfortable around people in general, even family and friends. I guess being a hermit works well with my chosen profession.

7.) What is your writing routine?

My day job takes me away from writing three days of the week. The other four days, I try to get in a long stretch at the keyboard after I drop off our two oldest kids at school. We have a two-month old at home, so if the baby says I can't write at a given time, I pretty much have to listen to his whims.

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

I'm a horror fan, but not necessarily a fan of typical horror tropes. I like to read and write dark fiction that reveals the frailty of humanity that is in us all. Even the most innocent person has shades of gray. If there are zombies or the apocalypse in a story, fine, but the characters better be strong, life-like creations or I'll pass. There are too many good books to allow myself to get bogged down in a thin plot with cardboard characters.

9.) What other authors inspire you?

This list is long and always changing and expanding, but these names are entrenched in my list of favorite authors:
Stephen King
Tim Lebbon
Gary Braunbeck
Dan Simmons
Tom Piccirilli
Joe Lansdale
Cormac McCarthy
Greg Gifune
Robert McCammon

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

Learn what makes a good sentence and then string a bunch of them together. If you can't make your words sing, or at least get them to hum in tune for a bar or two, perhaps writing isn't your destiny. To make them sing, study other writers who make it work. Read, write, edit. Repeat as often as humanly possible.

BIO:

I have written three novels: The Nightmare Within, Where Darkness Dwells, and Nothing Lasting. My short fiction has appeared in publications across three continents for the last decade. Dog Horn Publishing (U.K.) will publish my story collection debut in 2011. I am also an editor for Morrigan Books. As a freelance editor, I have worked on books by Tim Lebbon and Lawrence Block, among others.


I enjoy speaking with other readers & writers. Feel free to drop by:
http://glenkrisch.wordpress.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4525598.Glen_Krisch
http://www.facebook.com/glen.krisch

I hope you all enjoyed my chat with Glen as much as I did.
♥Stacey