Hi all!
Please help me welcome Author Shelby
Patrick. Her new book, The Golden Horn is now available on www.Amazon.com.
Shelby
Patrick, born and raised in southeastern Michigan, grew up watching classic
horror movies of the great Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing.
She turned her love of horror into the written word during her senior year in
high school when she was introduced to her first writing class. She spent a great
deal of time attempting to perfect her writing and researching markets. Nine
years later, her dream became reality. She had her first short story published
in a literary magazine. That same year, she also had an article published on
the art of self-defense in Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated.
Shelby has published various articles throughout the Internet and created several e-books that are currently in circulation.
Not only does she work avidly with thrillers, but she continues to work with her other favorite genres: Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is currently working on a supernatural novel involving a serial killer.
Shelby was the founder of the now-defunct Michigan Horror Writers and the editor for several newsletters. Besides writing and dreaming, her other interests include martial arts, animals, and astronomy.
Shelby has published various articles throughout the Internet and created several e-books that are currently in circulation.
Not only does she work avidly with thrillers, but she continues to work with her other favorite genres: Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is currently working on a supernatural novel involving a serial killer.
Shelby was the founder of the now-defunct Michigan Horror Writers and the editor for several newsletters. Besides writing and dreaming, her other interests include martial arts, animals, and astronomy.
Author Q&A
1.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background, and what led
you to become a writer?
Well,
I was first introduced to writing back in high school. I was short a class and
the only one that sounded even remotely interesting was the creative writing
class. The teacher pushed us past our limits. She gave out a variety of
assignments -- script for a play, magazine, short stories, children's book,
etc. I didn't think I had a creative bone in my body and had to ask family
members for help. It really surprised me when it came to the writing part. For
a class I felt I was forced into, I actually had fun. Who knew that writing
could be so enjoyable? Anyway, I aced the class and was hooked on the written
word ever since.
2. What
was it like to have your first thing published?
I was
in Heaven. I never thought I could actually become a published writer. I had
gotten so many rejections before that I had almost given up. Then one day, it
happened. I got the ACCEPTED letter. Oh my God, it gave me such a high. But
that was so long ago. I really haven't had a whole lot published, just a few
tidbits here and there, but every time I do, my head spins for days and I walk
around with this huge, silly grin on my face that drives my family crazy.
3. Do you
prefer the short story to the novel?
Both
are very different. In a short story, you only have a short amount of time to
introduce your characters, throw them into the action, and come up with a
climax. You don't have a chance to develop a real relationship with those
characters and it's a lot harder for the reader to get involved.
I
don't enjoy the short story as much as the novel, but that's probably because
with the novel, the writer spends a great deal of time with it and gets to know
the characters. The novel gives the author more time to develop those
characters. It can take place over many days, weeks, or even span centuries.
You can take your time here and provide a real setting for the reader to get
lost in.
4. Who
was your favorite author growing up and who are your favorites today?
When I
was younger, Stephen King was my idol. I couldn't get enough of his stuff. I
also liked William W. Johnstone's devil books and other horror authors like
Stephen Gresham and Dean Koontz. I also read a lot of Elizabeth Scarborough's,
Christoper Stasheff's, and Terry Brooks' fantasy and some Piers Anthony. In
high school, my sister shoved some sappy romance novels on me from authors like
Nora Roberts and Catherine Coulter. I only enjoyed those if they were
historical ones.
I'm
also a fan of comic books and superheroes. Wolverine, Batman, Spiderman, Iron
Man, and especially Daredevil. A few years ago I went out of my way to locate
an old issue of The Blue Beetle in good condition for my dad, who had been a
fan of this comic as a kid.
Today,
my tastes have grown more sophisticated than just being a Stephen King fan. I
have branched out and instead of just liking horror, my new faves are
thrillers: Kay Hooper, Iris Johanssen, Tami Hoag.
5. Tell
us what your new book, The
Fear Within, is all about.
This
is my first fiction book to be published. It's a short story collection.
Twenty-five of my most horrifying tales, twenty-six if you count the 100-word
flash fiction story at the front of the book. My editor actually gave me the
idea for the cover art. He asked me if all my stories have to deal with death
and he said he was waiting for the happy Shelby Patrick story to show up. So I
picked the grim reaper pointing to the reader and since the stories are horror,
FEAR seemed the best option for the title. After all, who isn't afraid of
death?
Three
of the stories are science fiction -- mutants, aliens, and super computers. The
other stories all deal with things that could terrify anyone, such as ghosts,
being trapped in a dark elevator during a power outage, surviving a virus that
turns ordinary people murderously insane, demons that thrive on stealing human
souls, and well . . . you'll just have to get the book and read what else is
inside. Can't be giving away all my secrets, now can I?
6. What
was the toughest thing about writing this book?
Putting
it all together. I had written each story separately through the years and
after it was all added to one collection, I realized how similar each story
was. I used the same character names in different stories, the characters
pretty much all spoke the same, the settings hadn't changed much.
When
you write a short story collection, each story needs to be able to stand on its
own. Every character should have his or her own voice. No one wants to read a
collection if everyone sounds like the same person.
7. Do you
have any plans for a novel?
I'm
glad you asked. Novels are much more fun to write. I have several of them
waiting in the queue, as a matter of fact. So far only one of them has been
professionally edited and is awaiting its day in the spotlight. It's a
supernatural thriller entitled When
Angels Sing. There's an excerpt from this novel at the end of my short
story collection. Hopefully, it will be out by the end of 2010.
8. And
the big question of the day is, where do you get your ideas from?
The
story fairy brings them. Yep, she flies in my window late at night and whispers
ideas into my ear while I'm sleeping. She especially likes when I make cute
little cut-out cookies shaped like butterflies.
No, really,
it's true!
Well,
not all my stories come that way. Take Dead
Lines for example. I used to
deliver newspapers late at night and had to go inside darkened buildings where
my imagination took flight. So one night I imagined dead people sitting in
those dark offices, their soulless eyes staring at me as I passed their doors. It
creeped me out. After I had left the building, I drove down this one street and
someone had put out a garbage bag by their curb. My tired mind wondered what
would happen if that hadn't been garbage but instead was someone's decapitated
head. Wow, right? Well,it gets even trickier. I turned the corner and there was
this giant black truck sitting in a driveway. I had never seen that truck
before, but what caught my attention was the license plate. It said DEATH. I
kid you not! The idea for Dead
Lines started to form and
when I heard this Billy Squier song on the radio, two words from it stuck in my
head: DEAD LINES. Voila! I had my story, came home, wrote it in a couple of
hours, sent it off to a magazine, and got my first horror story published.
9. Of all
the stories you have written, which one is your favorite and why?
E-fection
was cool and so was Alien on Board. I love my manly heroes.
But
those aren't my absolute favorites.
My
first love of any genre is and always will be fantasy. I wrote a novel awhile
back, which I haven't had edited yet or hasn't been published. It's my all-time
favorite story. I just love a good adventure -- magic, dragons, swordsmen. One
day soon that story will join my published collection.
10. If you
could share one tip with the beginning writer, what would it be?
Don't
quit your day job just yet.
No,
seriously. Writing and getting published are two different things. It's not a
job for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of hard work and focus and you
have to be prepared for brutal critiques or rejections. It takes time and a lot
of gray hairs, but if you are serious, and stick with it, you can become a
published author.
Check out Shelby's other books:
Check out Shelby's website: www.shelbypatrick.com. Visit her, check out the website and buy a book. Let's thank her for joining us today!
Keep Writing!
Jodie Pierce
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