The house, and the island, are completely fabricated.
However, the idea to make a haunted house – on a haunted island – came from
sitting on beaches in the Bronx, of all places, and
seeing these little islands with dilapidated structures. These houses were once
residential areas, some housed hospitals, asylums and even a potter’s field.
Very intriguing and creepy stuff. If I ever decide to become an Urban Explorer,
I’ve vowed to explore those islands. I named the island, and colonial mansion,
Ormsby after Alan Ormsby, who was the main character in the early 70s zombie
movie, Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead
Things. In that movie, an acting troupe visits a fog shrouded island to
raise the dead, with regrettable consequences. The concept of being stranded on
an island, without communication, surrounded by something paranormal and
potentially evil was what drove me to write Island
of the Forbidden. It’s all about isolation in the face of your deepest
fears.
A lot of your books deal with the paranormal—Forest
of Shadows, Sinister Entity, The
Waiting, Island of the Forbidden. When did the subject
first interest you and when did you think “Hey, I’m going to write a novel
dealing with it?
I have always been a fan of the strange and paranormal. As a
kid, I was raised on scary movies, comic books and tales from my grandmother
who was a local psychic who made tables rise from the floor and spoke with the
dead. Thanks to In Search Of, I was
hooked on true stories of ghosts and monsters at a very young age. When my wife
and I were married in the early 90’s, we moved into our current house. It
didn’t take long to realize we were not alone in the house. For twenty years,
we’ve had an extra member of the family who comes and goes as he pleases. When
I sat down to write my first full length horror novel, I knew I had to
incorporate all of the things that had thrilled and frightened me, as well as
the strange situation I was currently living in.
Some authors stick to writing the same kind of book, like
gore-filled or action-packed or sci fi oriented horror or atmospheric, etc. It
seems you like to write in different areas of horror—sci fi based horror,
atmospheric, gory and action-packed. Is there one area you enjoy writing about
the most or is tackling the gamut more to your liking?
I haven’t even gotten started with all of the different
story types I want to explore. One of the wonderful things about Samhain is
that our editor, Don D’Auria, lets us explore and experiment – as long as the
story is solid and the scares are real. Right now, I’m flexing my cryptid
muscles. Those books (Swamp Monster Massacre, The Montauk Massacre and the
upcoming Dover Demon) tend to mix monster horror with lots of action. I seem to
be in my element when I combine the two. But after writing a book like that, I
like to try my hand at something else, kind of like cleansing the palate. I’ve
noticed that you’re writing style is very similar. I love the range of stories
that your books uncover. It’s a blessing to have editors who are there to
support your wild imagination.
Let’s change it up a little. What do you like to do when you
aren’t writing?
I read – a lot! I’ve always been a big reader, and even more
so now. You’d think with having to find time to write, along with a crazy day
job, there would be less time to read. But I realized long ago, if you just
turn the TV off, you have plenty of time to do everything. I spend a lot of
time with my family. My girls are teens now, so they dig a lot of the crazy
stuff I dig. And there’s learning to drive, going to concerts, finding every
hibachi joint in the state of New York.
I’m never at a loss for things to do. I’ll rest plenty when I’m in a nursing
home.
Okay, back to the craft. Do you have a writing routine and
if so what’s it like?
When I’m working on a book, I try to write every day, even
if it’s a stolen moment at lunch or in my car. As long as the words keep
coming, I’m happy. On weekdays, I write at night, after work and dinner and
shooting the breeze with my family. On weekends, I get up early and do a few
hours. When I finish a book, I step away from it for a week, then dive into
editing. The key is to keep moving, like a literary shark, and to always finish
what you started. You have to learn to step away from a manuscript and declare
it done, then send it off to your editor.
Besides writing horror, is there another genre you’d like to
write about, or have you?
The very first book I wrote was a romantic comedy, followed
by a very dark comedy. So yes, I definitely have a tendency towards humor. I
plan to try my hand at another comedy very soon. I’m also going to try my hand
at literary fiction and see how that goes.
Will the New York Mets make the
playoffs this year? (Be honest)
Oh man, you had to ask that. The
Nationals just made themselves a monster with their winter acquisitions. I
think if everything goes right, the Mets could make the wild card. But odds
are, this will be a great year to watch with marked improvement but no October
ball. If they get another big bat after the 2015 season, and all of those young
arms stay healthy, they will win it all in 2016.
Until then, I’m a lifelong
Seahawks fan, so I’m thoroughly enjoying their run to the Super Bowl. I hope
they kick the Pats in their deflated balls.
Writing influences?
It goes without saying, Stephen King. He was the man who
taught me to love grown up horror. Hemingway taught me to keep it short and
tight. Elmore Leonard gave me dialogue without being surrounded by extraneous
nonsense. Every book I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way – showing me
what to do and what not to do.
Name your 3 favorite horror movies.
The Haunting
Alien
Dawn of the Dead
What’s the hardest part about writing?
The writing itself, even the editing, is wonderful. I love
the process of spinning a big old yarn and working on it until it’s fit for
human consumption. It’s all the other stuff around it that can get a little
nutty. Authors have to handle the majority of marketing their work. If you’re
not careful, you can get sucked into the big black hole of marketing, chomping
away at time better spent writing. If you want your books to be front and
center, you have a hell of a lot of work to do. I thank God every day for my
publicist Erin at Hook of a Book Media. Her incredible efforts allow me the
time to work on that next book.
The easiest part?
The first draft. Sure, there are moments where you stop and
say, “This is crap. What the heck have I done???” The working writer knows how
to push through that. There are so many endorphin rushes when you work on the
first draft. I love it.
Can you talk a little about your upcoming release Tortures
of the Damned? (It looks awesome!)
Tortures is a post apocalyptic novel set in Yonkers,
NY. I take a nice, innocent family, and
drag them into the end of the world, exploring how normal people evolve in an
abnormal world. The theme of that book is knowledge. When the bombs hit, all
communication is lost. No one knows what happened, who did it, why, or how
encompassing the devastation is. In a world where we’re all plugged in and
connected 24/7, what do we do when that plug is pulled?
And of course, I add some of my signature mayhem to the mix.
If the world goes to hell the way I wrote it, please let me be at ground zero.
Any advice for aspiring or new writers?
Three simple things : read until your eyes are sore, write
until your fingers are cramped, and type The End.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you so much for letting me hijack your blog. I’m a huge fan of your work and lucky to call you Samhain brother. If anyone wants to learn more about my work, watch my video podcast Monster Men or just kill time reading all of my Bigfoot articles, swing on by my blog and chain at www.huntershea.com.
Thank you so much for letting me hijack your blog. I’m a huge fan of your work and lucky to call you Samhain brother. If anyone wants to learn more about my work, watch my video podcast Monster Men or just kill time reading all of my Bigfoot articles, swing on by my blog and chain at www.huntershea.com.
Island of the Forbidden by Hunter Shea continues the story of
Jessica Bockman, the ghost-hunting heroine
who has appeared in Forest of Shadows, The Graveyard Speaks and Sinister
Entity, all published by Samhain Horror.
To
read more about the series and Jessica Bockman, read Hunter’s recent article.
Island of the Forbidden
Synopsis
Sometimes, the dead are best
left in peace.
Jessica Backman has
been called to help a strange family living on a haunted island in Charleston
Harbor. Ormsby Island was the site of a brutal massacre two decades ago, and
now the mysterious Harper family needs someone to exorcise the ghosts that
still call it home. The phantoms of over one hundred children cannot rest.
But something far
more insidious is living on the island. When the living and the dead guard
their true intentions, how can Jessica discover just what sort of evil lurks on
Ormsby Island? And why is Jessica the only one who can plumb its dark depths?
Giveaway
Enter to win one of
five Hunter Shea books being given away! Two signed copies of Montauk Monster,
one signed copy of Sinister Entity, and two e-books of choice of his titles are
up for grabs! One book to each winner, given in order of random drawing. Enter
to win at the Rafflecopter link. Must use valid email that winners can be
contacted by. Print books are U.S. residents only. Contest ends Feb. 28, 2015.
Any questions, contact Erin Al-Mehairi, Publicist, at hookofabook@hotmail.com.
Direct Link:
Code:
Purchase Links
GoodReads:
Amazon:
Samhain
Horror:
Barnes and
Noble:
Raves
for Hunter Shea
Forest
of Shadows
"A frightening,
gripping story that left me too frightened to sleep with the lights off. This
novel scared the hell out of me and it is definitely a creepy ghost story I
won't soon forget." --Night Owl Reviews
Sinister
Entity
"This is the real
deal. The fear is palpable. Horror novels don't get much better than
this." --Literal
Remains
". . .Culminates in
a climactic showdown between human and spirit that keeps you glued to the
pages!" --Horror
Novel Reviews
Evil
Eternal
"Hunter Shea has
crafted another knockout. At turns epic and intimate, both savage and elegant.
. .a harrowing, blood-soaked nightmare." --Jonathan Janz, author of The Sorrows
Swamp
Monster Massacre
"If you're craving
an old-school creature-feature that has excessive gore. . .B-horror movie fans
rejoice, Hunter Shea is here to bring you the ultimate tale of terror!" --Horror Novel Reviews
Hunter
Shea, Biography
Hunter Shea is the author
of paranormal and horror novels Forest of Shadows,
Swamp Monster Massacre, Evil Eternal, Sinister Entity, HellHole and Island of the Forbidden, which
are all published by Samhain Horror.
The June 3, 2014 release
of his horrifying thriller Montauk Monster was published by Kensington/Pinnacle. His second
Kensington novel, Tortures of the Damned,
will be published later this year.
He has also written a
short story to be read prior to Sinister Entity,
called The Graveyard Speaks (it’s free, go download!), and a book of stories
called Asylum Scrawls.
His work has appeared in
numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales, and the
upcoming anthology, Shocklines : Fresh
Voices in Terror. His obsession with all things horrific has led
him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists, and
other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on.
He is also half of the
two men show, Monster Men, which is a video podcast that takes a fun look at
the world of horror. You can read about his latest travails and communicate
with him at www.huntershea.com, on Twitter @HunterShea1, Facebook fan page at
Hunter Shea or the Monster Men 13 channel on YouTube.
.jpg)
