At long last, my short story collection is nearly ready to be sent to the folks at NECON EBooks. My goal is this Friday, December 28. Afterwards, a nice tall drink to celebrate.

Speaking of which, what’s your favorite celebration beverage?

This is part of the blog meme going around called “The Next Big Thing.” Authors are blogging answers to ten quick questions, then tagging other authors they think readers should know about. The whole idea is to create a network through social media, drawing new readers through blog readerships, etc.

1) What is the title of your next book/work?

My next book is my first short story collection, FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR, a collection of previously published short stories, new stories, and a wraparound story that ties everything together.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?

I wanted to do something different than just a short story collection, so I decided to include a wraparound story to make the collection also work like a novel.

3) What genre does your book/work fall under?

It definitely falls unde the horror genre.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

My dream cast: I could see Amanda Seyfriend playing Erin, Ryan Gosling as Keith, Liam Neeson as Rod Mason, Richard Jenkins as Fritz, and Jeremy Renner as Lan Gan.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A twenty-something couple crosses paths with a secret race of supernatural beings who target them for their plans of world domination.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR will be published by NECON EBooks as an EBook.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Since this is both a short story collection and a narrative, it followed an unconventional schedule. The published stories in this collection were all published between 1998–2001, and the new stories and wraparound story were written years later. So, you could say this collection was years in the making!

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don’t have any specific books in mind to which I would compare FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The old Amicus anthology horror movies inspired me to write this collection, films like DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965), ASYLUM (1972), and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971), to name a few, movies that told short horror stories but also included a wraparound story which held the movie together.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

The character of Rod Mason, an actor turned teacher, was inspired in part by LOST IN SPACE actor Mark Goddard, who followed his acting career by working as a Special Education teacher in Massachusetts. The character of Rod Mason is a horror movie actor who followed his career as an English teacher.