Welcome back to our new "behind the scenes" segment. Every so often, we'll invite one of our authors to answer the hard questions about their latest work, such as their inspirations, their feelings when writing it, what they liked most and what they felt was most challenging while writing. Next up: prolific author and master of horror Nicholas Paschall. He'll be discussing his new horror novel, The Father of Flesh. He's also a contributing author to our award-winning horror series, Shadows And Teeth, Volume 3.
| Nicholas's Thoughts On: The Father Of Flesh What inspired you to write your book? I've always wanted to be a storyteller, and the Father of Flesh was just an extension of this. The hero isn't a classic one, in fact, none of them are. They're all human, shaped by their own experiences and actions to behave like people who may be a tad touched in the head from their exposure to the occult energies they mess with. I found the challenges of this book to be a non-issue as I was able to overcome them as I was able to enjoy the act of creating a universe that would be home to an ongoing series. What were your feelings while writing it? I enjoyed creating it and taking notes on certain characters who I know will make appearances later on in the series. I find the idea of recurring characters to be a fun idea as they can go from bystanders to allies to villains in the span of a novel, depending wholly on the protagonist's actions. What do you like most about your book? Watching where the protagonist will go with the whole thing! I write him out and give him flaws and humanity, and put him in situations, but watch as he reacts. I smile now as I recall coming up with ways that he'd deal with certain issues in the novel, namely the monks in the mountains, and how he adapts his situation from the bottom of the rung to near the top within the day. What did you find most challenging about writing it? Drawing connecting scenes between climactic ones. I write climactic action sequences before anything else and then write everything in between. Makes me feel safe that the book has enough action and suspense, and that the horror aspects are there to make me happy. The books are more thriller than horror at this point, and I understand that. But I love me some horror, and that's where my heart will be buried at, proverbially of course. About The Author Born and raised in Texas, Nicholas Paschall started his career in writing at an early age, jotting down stories on scraps of paper when he could and saving them to read aloud at lunch to all his friends. The teachers, upon learning this, asked him to stop as the stories weren’t exactly school-friendly, but this only spurred him on to continue his career as a writer. After a stint as a journalist and editor, he started his career as a horror author. It was brought on by reading a book he found dull and listless, which, after lending it to a coworker, he was informed it was terrifying. He thought he could do better, and has been publishing ever since. He’s been published in nineteen different printed anthologies and magazines, served two years as a recurring columnist for Dark Eclipse Magazine, and is a current columnist for The London Horror Society. His work can be found across the web, where he spins new yarns for all to enjoy on a daily basis. Visit him at www.nickronomicon.com. |  Nicholas Paschall  The Father of Flesh  Shadows & Teeth #3 |