This holiday season, I’ve decided to promote some of my writer friends
and ask them some of the same questions that folks ask me. Today’s guest/victim
is:
Alexander S. Brown
First, a little something about Alex.
Alexander S. Brown is a
Mississippi author who was published in 2008 with his first book Traumatized. Reviews for this short story collection were
so favorable that it has been released as a special edition by Pro Se Press. Brown is currently one of the co-editors/coordinators
with the Southern Haunts Anthologies
published by Seventh Star Press. His
horror novel Syrenthia Falls is
represented by Dark Oak Press.
He is also the author of
multiple young adult steampunk stories found in the Dreams of Steam Anthologies, Capes
and Clockwork Anthologies, and the anthology Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells. His more extreme works can be
found in the anthology Luna’s Children
published by Dark Oak Press and State of Horror: Louisiana Vol 1 published by
Charon Coin Press.
Visit Smashwords.com,
Amazon.com, and Barnesandnoble.com to download his monthly short stories known
as Single Shots. These are represented
by Pro Se Press and they are known as stories that will be featured in the
upcoming book The Night the Jack
O’Lantern Went Out.
Do you base your
characters on people you know or know of? Family or celebrities?
It depends on the story.
My character development can be inspired by people I know, strangers I
watch, the news, celebrities, and literary figures.
Do you plot out your stories
or just make it up as you go?
I have tried plotting out stories, but the stories never
turn out the way I planned. The characters
take on a life of their own and I have no other choice but to document their
decisions.
Which of your
characters would you most like to meet in person? Which character of another
author would you want to meet?
I would like to meet Syrenthia from my novel Syrenthia Falls,
she is a gray character that represents the beast hidden in all of us. As a villainess, she is a character that I
hated to love.
From another book, I would like to meet Lestat from Anne
Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. He’s a rock
and roll vampire, who wouldn’t want to get bitten by him?
What is your latest
project/release?
The anthology I composed with Louise Mysers Southern Haunts 3: Magick Beneath the
Moonlight is my most current release.
Southern Haunts: Spirits that
Walk Among Us regarded ghosts, its sequel Devils in the Darkness regarded demons, and this volume regards
occult practices amongst the southern states.
Do you have any
signings or appearances coming up?
I will attend Geekonomicon in Biloxi, MS on December 11,12
and 13 as a special guest.
Who were your
inspirations?
I was inspired by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Edgar Allan
Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft during my teenage years. In my adulthood, I have found inspiration in
Joe Hill, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Scott Sigler, and David Moody.
Do you have a dream
project that you want to write in the future?
My upcoming book The
Night the Jack O’ Lantern Went Out is one of my dream projects. Besides this book, there are other horrors
trapped in my head. I guess you could
say that I have many dreams, or in my case, nightmares.
How much of you is in
your characters?
Since the main characters in my horror stories are villains,
very little of me can be seen. Between
the genres I write, my steampunk characters reflect me most. Two characters who share most of my
personality would be Dr. Xavier Hess (steampunk) and Syrenthia (horror).
Do you prefer writing
short stories or novels? And why?
I enjoy writing short stories as much as I do novels, but I
enjoy them for different reasons. Short
stories allow a minimal amount of time to create. In this small time frame, the author has to
create likable characters, provide a solid setting, and get to the point. In a novel, the author is granted a much
larger scale for world development, character development, and the opportunity
to have a reader become emotionally attached to the characters. The challenge that either task provides is
fun for me.
What are you working
on now?
I am currently editing my first fantasy/horror novel The Looking Glass Creatures which will
be published by Seventh Star Press. For
Pro Se Press I’m finishing Traumatized 2
and will soon have edits complete for The
Night the Jack O’ Lantern Went Out.
I am also building characters for the Syrenthia Falls sequel.
What 3 things do you
feel every aspiring writer should know?
1.
Write because you want to share your story not
because of money.
2.
Write every day and don’t start editing until
your story is complete.
3.
Be a hard critic on yourself, but have enough
confidence in yourself to know your story deserves to be read.
How do you use social
media in regards to your writing?
Social media is extremely important to me. It allows me to connect with not only readers
in my country but the world. My best
advice is to go onto the internet to connect with others, have fun, and don’t
be afraid to engage in conversation.
Remember, when doing this, you have to sell yourself as a person no
differently than you sell yourself as an author. Post updates on your work and your success,
but also post updates in regards to your personal life, and share news that you
find interesting.
Thanks Alex. To find his books, click below:
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