Men in Horror: TONY TREMBLAY

Tony Tremblay

(Though I am on Facebook as Tony Tremblay I do use a pen name, T.T. Zuma for all of my reviews in Horror World and other review venues, and for all of my fiction).

1.     When did you start writing horror? 

I wrote my first horror story when I was 12. It was called, Spiders Ate My Face. My father read it, and he hated it. I was so dejected I didn’t write another until high school, when I was 17. My English teacher asked the class to write a comedic short story, I tried but couldn’t, so I handed in a horror tale about a man that got sucked into a painting and drowned.  The teacher gave me an A. I waited until my mid-fifties before I tried my hand at it again. I was very fortunate that Nanci Kalanta from Horror World took a look at it, enjoyed it, and decided to publish it.  

2.     Have you written in any other genre? 

Yes, I have published a crime story and I have another one written that I have to get around to submitting.  

3.     What makes you uncomfortable? 

Hardcore horror.  However, when it is fairly accessible, like the way James Wrath White, Monica O’Rourke, and John Everson do it for instance, the quality of the story usually wins out and I can get past the gore. But even then there are times I have to put the story down.  

4.     Does your family read your work?

My brothers and sisters, my in-laws, and my son do enjoy my work.  My wife has never read one of my stories.  She is a born again Christian and believes that my stories are influenced by the devil and that I’m going to hell (other than that one issue we have a great marriage by the way).  

5.     Does your writing make you uneasy?

It does.  I lie awake sometimes at night wondering if my wife is right.  

6.     Who would you say you write like?

I’m not sure.  I have been primarily influenced by two horror writers, Tom Piccrilli and Steve Vernon.  Their styles may not be obvious in my work, but everything I write has their mark on it from story structure to atmosphere.   

7.     Who are your favourite authors?

James A. Moore currently tops the list.  Christopher Golden, Gary Braunbeck, Robert Dunbar, Sandy DeLuca, Tim Curran, Chet Williamson, Bentley Little, John Everson, Thomas Sullivan, Gene O’Neil, Greg Gifune, Ray Garton, and Elizabeth Massie have been favorites for years.  Authors that are new (or new to me) that I’ve enjoyed include, Bracken Macleod, Jon Bassoff, Janet Holden, and Rose Blackthorn.  I know I’m leaving some great author’s out so please don’t consider this list complete.  

8.     Who influences you as a writer?

As I mentioned, Tom Piccirilli and Steve Vernon are the primary influences, but I also have a love of all those horror novels that were released in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the good and the bad ones. They took themselves seriously, but not too seriously, and with few exceptions, the scares were visceral without resorting to hardcore gore. It’s a formula I try to follow in my longer work. 

9. Do you remember what your first horror book was that you read?

 No question, it was The Bible, The Old Testament to be exact.  Those stories were brutal. 

10.  How old were you?

 I believe I was around 10 years old when I started reading it. 

11.  Is there any subject you will not touch as an author?

 Pedophilia and rape scenes. I will reference them, but any action happens off the page and it will not be explicit.

12.  What was the best advice you were given as a writer?

 Join a writers group. It has given me invaluable insight on plotting, structure, and most importantly, editing. I would be lost without the feedback and help I receive from my writing group. 

13.  If you had to start all over again, what would you do different?

 My degree is in Mechanical Engineering, this didn’t leave a lot of room for non-technical electives.  If I could, I would have researched what elective writing courses were available at the time, and then sign up for every one of them and skip the Fluid Dynamics courses.  

14.  How many books do you read a year?

 An average of 100 books.  I review about half as many for Horror World.

15.  Do you write every day?

 I try to. 

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You can follow Tony Tremblay on Facebook and as T.T. Zuma in Horror World at http://horrorworld.org/msgboards/viewforum.php?f=2

Thank you very much!  I am very honored that you asked me to participate!

Men in Horror: LEE ALLEN HOWARD

Blog Questions - Men Writers in Horror Month

Lee Allen Howard

1.  When did you start writing horror?

I wrote my first story on ruled tablet paper in second grade. (I would have started sooner, but I didn’t know how to print yet.) My teacher passed it on to the elementary school principal, who read it at a meeting of the local Lions Club, of which my father was a member. As president of the chapter, Principal Sprunger fined my father a dime because “the preacher’s son wrote such a sordid tale full of skeletons, witches, and blood.” That was 45 years ago.

In third grade I wrote stories on three-ring notebook paper, binding them with construction paper covers. One memorable piece, titled “Eyeballs Only,” was about a mad scientist who turns into a monster that goes on a rampage to pluck people’s eyes out and eat them. They pop when you chew them, you know.

2.  Have you written in any other genre?

A few years back I wrote a pseudonymous erotic gay romance that did fairly well. But I usually haunt the shadier literary neighborhoods: dark fantasy, paranormal (The Sixth Seed), supernatural crime (Desperate Spirits and Death Perception), dark crime (“Mama Said,” my most popular short), and psychological thrillers (Call of the Piss Fairy).

3.  What makes you uncomfortable?

Underwear that I’ve mistakenly run through the clothes dryer.

4.  Does your family read your work?

A few cousins have read my books and stories. My father the pastor has hasn’t. My saintly mother, who has read little besides recipes, crocheting and sewing instructions, and children’s Sunday school lessons, read Death Perception. She remarked, “That was a good story, but did you have to use all those bad words?” I told her, “Bad characters say bad things.” God bless her.

5.  Does your writing make you uneasy?

Sometimes it does, but as a writer, I must honor the inspiration, tell the story, and remain true to my characters. The abuse scene in “Mama Said” always haunted me. The evil sexuality in “How I Was Cured of Naïveté” (in Desperate Spirits) disturbed me. And the entire concept and execution of the idea of a bedwetting cat-skinner jonesing to shave women with electric trimmers made me squirm all the way through. Please, Mom, never read Call of the Piss Fairy…

6.  Who would you say you write like?

Some have compared my style to Stephen King’s, but there’s no one writer that I emulate. I hope my style and voice are uniquely mine, but that’s hard to judge from this side of the keyboard.

7.  Who are your favourite authors?

I loved early King. Others include Thomas Tryon, Patrick McGrath (Asylum is a favorite), Cormac McCarthy, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Trent Zelazny, Dustin LaValley, Stephanie M. Wytovich.

8.  Who influences you as a writer?

My favorite authors above, of course. Basically anything I read that strikes a creative chord. I’m also inspired by news stories, television shows, and movies—whatever sparks my idea-generator or impresses me with writing skill or visual style. More recently, Joyce Carol Oates’ Zombie (1995), Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me (1952), and Barbie Wilde’s The Venus Complex (2012) gave me the crazy guts to write Call of the Piss Fairy.

9. Do you remember what your first horror book was that you read?

A fond memory from elementary school was running home with the little pulp flier that Teacher handed out periodically, the one that listed books with an order form on back. How to spend my 35 cents…? One of my first and favorite reads bought that way was the humorous and horrific How to Care for Your Monster (1970) by the late Norman Bridwell, better known for Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Later, Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (1944) greatly influenced me, as well as Thomas Tryon’s The Other (1972) and James Herbert’s The Rats (1974), all of which I read when I was about 13. I deal with some of the classic tropes in my collection Night Monsters.

10.  How old were you?

I was probably started in third grade, but I really got into reading horror as an adolescent.

11.  Is there any subject you will not touch as an author?

Apparently not. “Mama Said” and “How I Was Cured of Naïveté” deal with child sexual abuse. Call of the Piss Fairy introduces 26-year-old bedwetter Russell Pisarek, who grew up different from other young men because his vicious mother punished him for wetting by shaving his head. After being betrayed by his girlfriend, he took out his frustration by skinning neighborhood cats. Now fixated on paying women back, Russell fantasizes about finding just the right girl—so he can shave her bald. Armed with a military fighting knife, things go from bad to worse.

Sick stuff, but any subject needs to be treated thoughtfully and responsibly, and and I feel I’ve achieved that in my writing, although some might say the stories in Severed Relations are purely for cheap, blood-sticky thrills. I can’t argue.

12.  What was the best advice you were given as a writer?

“There are no magic formulas. Do your best, continue learning, and keep trying.” I can’t attribute that quote because I just made it up, but that’s the gist.

13.  If you had to start all over again, what would you do different?

I would study the craft of fiction writing more seriously much sooner in life. I tried for 20 years before I really understood what a story was. It took me another decade to hone my mechanics. However, in the process, I became a better writer and a fantastic editor and publisher: Thou Shalt Not….

14.  How many books do you read a year?

It varies from year to year, but I read an average of 30 books a year, and this includes fiction and non-fiction. I typically read at least an hour a day (more in the winter, less in the summer).

15.  Do you write every day?

I do write daily, although I don’t write fiction every day unless I’m working on a project. I’ve been a technical writer for the software industry since 1985 (some consider this qualifies as horror fiction). I also write non-fiction, do freelance editing, serve as a publishing consultant, and blog regularly.

Besides being a writer, I’m also a Spiritualist minister, channeler, and psychic medium, providing intuitive counsel for writers and other human beings.

Please provide Amazon, Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, Blog Links

Lee Allen Howard’s Amazon author page:  http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Allen-Howard/e/B004U7773C/

Twitter: @LeeAllenHoward

Facebook:  Lee Allen Howard, author

Writer’s site:  http://leeallenhoward.com

Editing site:  http://wordsmithereens.net

Metaphysical blog:  http://building-the-bridge.com

YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4nqffbXM6bkDKoFR6wTBw

Men in Horror: KENNETH GOLDMAN

From Ken Goldman  ("What I Said To Richie Was..."  for Expiration Date)

1.When did you start writing horror? 

            It happened by accident. I was taking a creative writing course back in the early '90's and wrote a horror tale called "PANDEMIC" for a homework assignment.  The instructor asked me if I copied the story!  It was a non-credit adult course, so I told her I would have had no sane reason to copy the story. She told me that with a little polishing I could probably get it published,  but at the time I had no idea how to do that.  I got a copy of The Writers Guide and found a contest,  The Rod Serling 2nd Annual Memorial Writing Contest, soI sent the story in.  Months later I got a phone call that I had come in second place. I was floored,  but I figured, hell I can do this.  Turned out I could. That was 750 published stories ago!  Thank you, Rod.

2.   Have you written in any other genre?

          I've written some Fantasy tales, a little sci-fi,  some humor pieces too,  and I've managed to sell them.  But horror for some reason comes easy to me.  I've tried writing Romance tales but they

          always wind up drifting into horror --- much like my own love life.

3.  What makes you uncomfortable?

          I hate (hate!) getting needles,  whether flu shots or when I'm giving blood.  Back when I was a high school teacher there was a blood drive at our school. The deal was that the first advisory  that got

          100% of its students to donate blood would get a pizza party.  I told the kids I would be the first in line if we got the 100%, and sure enough we did.  So there I was,  number one in line in front of

           dozens of kids,  and I'm rolling up my sleeve  like a big shot hero.  Well,  not quite.  The needle went in, and I fainted dead out on the floor.  But we got the pizza!

4.  Does your family read your work?

          My family and friends hate horror,  so I have to practically tie them in a chair to read my stuff.  My brother is a professional writer himself,  and he reads some of my stories if I ask nicely.  He actually

          arranged a book signing for my first novel, OF A FEATHER.

5.  Does your writing make you uneasy?

        Not for the reason that you may think.  I get uneasy when I put a lot of work into a story, because I worry that it won't sell.  I've been very lucky because almost everything I've written has been accepted

        somewhere. I'm hoping I can stay on that roll because I'm currently working on a new novel, and I'm putting a lot of time and energy into it. I'm hoping to have it done by the summer. Then comes the

        fun task of getting the damned thing published. Until it happens, THAT makes me uneasy!

6.  Who would you say you write like?

        I'm told I have a very visual style, almost like you're watching a movie.  Maybe that's the Stephen King influence, but I don't like being compared to him because there already IS a Stephen King, 

        and he's pretty good.  My biography profiles sometimes mention that I look forward to the day when King and I are called to the dais for some horror award, and someone in the audience asks "Who is that

        guy standing next to Ken Goldman?"  Just a little fantasy of mine!

7.  Who are your favourite authors?

        Okay,  Stephen King, of course.  That's required by law for a horror writer.  But I like a lot of the small/independent press writers too; in my opinion, some of them are as good as the pros. I also read

        a lot of biographies and autobiographies,  and I'm a sucker for the humor of Dave Barry,  Woody Allen,  and George Carlin.  I've read almost everything they've written.  As  a former English teacher I like the

        classic  American  writers too, especially  Poe, Hawthorne,  Steinbeck, and Fitzgerald.  I don't think I ever had a class in which  I didn't teach Ray Bradbury's stories. The man's imagination was limitless.

8.  Who influences you as a writer?

       As a film buff I'm probably as influenced by movies or t.v. as I am from books. I loved Rod Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE and the way he hid socially significant messages in his stories.  Alfred Hitchcock's

       films were masterpieces,  and PSYCHO probably was the film that influenced  my writing the most.  (I love going for the twist you don't see coming.)  The old EC comics like Tales From The Crypt were an

       enormous influence on me. There's this ghoulish sense of macabre humor in those old comics I try to create in my own tales.  It's like the roller coaster that scares hell out of you,  but you love it!

9. Do you remember what your first horror book was that you read?

       It wasn't really horror,  but I remember  William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES.  I was really moved by the theme of man's potential to revert to his violent nature when the law

      isn't around to curb that impulse.  It's still a scary concept to me because it's so real and so accurate. (So, of course, that book went on my reading list when I became a teacher.)

10.  How old were you?

       I was a pimply fifteen year old, and I still remember Piggy's head being smashed by the rock, his head splitting open, and him falling into the ocean.  Sorry for the spoiler.

11.  Is there any subject you will not touch as an author?

      Nope.  It's the politically incorrect subjects that make you squirm the most, right?

12.  What was the best advice you were given as a writer?

       Writing is really rewriting.  Your first draft is just the beginning.  Be your own worst critic, because your mom and your friends won't be honest with you if your writing stinks.

13.  If you had to start all over again, what would you do different?

        I would have started writing (with the purpose to publish) a lot earlier.  Until the early '90's most of the writing I did, I did for myself with no intent whatsoever for anyone else to read it.

14.  How many books do you read a year?

        I do most of my reading during the summer months.  I hit the beach with my trusty Kindle and read all day.  During the winter months I focus mostly on my writing, although I'll read a book or two every few

        weeks.

15.  Do you write every day?

        Most days, yes. I reread whatever new story I've written,  then rewrite what I've written, then I write something new.

Please provide Amazon, Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, Blog Links

Facebook Page :

 http://www.facebook.com/kenneth.goldman1

Linkedin Page :

 http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=tab_pro

Amazon.com Page :

http://www.amazon.com/Kenneth-C.-Goldman/e/B004QVWTTE

Goodreads Page :

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6154308.Ken_Goldman

OF A FEATHER Amazon.com Page :

                                                                                  http://www.amazon.com/Of-A-Feather-Ken-Goldman/dp/0957010362