I'm in a condo in Largo, Florida now. A few years back I was in a condo in Bowling Green, Ohio. The master bedroom was a beautiful loft with double windows on a landing near the top of the stairs.

When we moved in my wife voiced her desire that our bedroom be on the first floor. It took me about that long to claim the loft bedroom as my writing/video game room. My claim stuck. It was more shocking was that she left the decorating to a horror writer.

I had gargoyles, hanging plants, dark pictures, it was a scary place, but scary was my comfort zone.

Two of our granddaughters, about 9 and 11 were visiting and staying the night. At some point during their visit I was in my room writing (okay, fine. I was playing video games). The girls were on the landing playing quietly under the double windows on the very threshold to my dark kingdom.

Their visit came to an end and we drove them home. We dropped them off, waived to their mom and dad and pulled away. We hadn't gone very far when Mary looked over at me and said she had something to tell me. I had to swear that I would never speak of it again. Her promise had been given to the girls. I crossed my heart and swore that the secret she was about to divulge would never cross my lips.

With my promise secured she proceeded to explain that the girls had been on the landing under the double windows playing a made up game. In this game they were protecting the world from some horror named Grandpa Evil.

I had a good laughed! I loved it. I wanted to use it, but my promise had been made. Shortly thereafter my imagination rewarded me for my integrity and ScaryBob was born.

Now that we've been properly introduced I want to explain how and what I write.

I mentioned my imagination… apparently the off button on the imagination pump malfunctioned and I got a triple dose. It runs 24/7 and never takes a vacation. Reading is a bit of a challenge because it's always looking over my shoulder, weighing the plot, explaining here and there that it would have said it differently or pointing out a missed opportunity.

I write because my imagination has the business end of a .38 pressed to my temple, explaining that it's either my fingers or my brains on the keyboard. Yeah, it's a little like being enslaved by an alien ghost intent on serving up the creeps, the willies, the heebie-jeebies, readers sleeping with the lights on.

There is a very entertaining up-side to this possession. I begin a story with little more than a basic concept and a few concept relevant characters. I turn everything over to Mr. Spooky residing between my ears and wait. It's like I'm taking a road trip from New York to L.A and I know where I'm going, but I don't know which roads I'm taking. I discover the route through short film clips prepared by my imagination. As a writer I simply show the reader what I've being shown. I never know the ending except in the most general terms. The bad guy gets it. I don't know how or where until it's revealed to me.

I've come to believe that the entire story is already written and stored somewhere in my subconscious mind. Occasionally while writing I take a misstep. When it happens I get introduced to a healthy dose of writer's block. I've learned to go back, find the misstep and correct it. After that the creative flow returns. Spooky, huh.

So, now you know who I am and how I write. Permit me to explain what I write.

I don't write horror, I write paranormal thrillers. Horror has a tendency to be plot driven with only enough character development for the reader to understand who the zombies are eating. A paranormal thriller, on the other hand is character driven with the unspeakable lurking in the shadows. Some readers taking certain scenes of mine out of context might have cause to dispute my claim that I don't write horror, but I stand by it. I don't write horror, I don't write horror, I don't write horror (said while clicking the heels of blood splattered boots together three times).

I won't deny that I plant a tiny seed of horror deep inside the reader's heart, almost subliminally at the very beginning. After that the reader gets a cast of characters offering an emotional bond. If a reader doesn't accept the emotional bond the stories will be intriguing, but not necessarily scary. A reader accepting the bond will be terrified.

I'm a writer. Ask your questions.
I'm the author of Devil Glass and The Bookseller. Ask your questions.
No comments beyond those limits.