StanleyWheeler

 Author Interview with

Eric Shapiro

Author of RED DENNIS

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

 

The title I'm out here pushing is my first novel, RED DENNIS. It's out from Independent Legions Publishing as of March, 2020. It's about a guy who's caught in a quasi-metoo scenario in his small town and ends up lashing out with violence.

 

 

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

 

I started wondering what it would take for me to snap. And I was depressed when I wrote it. I'd just stepped away from many years in the ghostwriting business to embrace running a local newspaper with my wife. I technically should have felt relieved and renewed, but I crashed; it was a heavy transition, and I felt like I didn't know myself. From the void came this psychotic character. I was wondering if I'd lost my mind, and I worked it all out through the novel. (P.S. – I'm feeling better now!)

 

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

 

Yes, through the ghostwriting, I've written in virtually every genre imaginable. Under my own name, it's generally dark fiction, spanning suspense, sci-fi, and horror. But I also released my first nonfiction book in 2020, a guide for helping writers stop procrastinating called ASS PLUS SEAT.

 

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

 

I like to think that it's super fast and absorbing, to the point where you don't want to miss a single sentence.

 

 

 Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

 

I was diagnosed with OCD and ADD when I was 19 years old, so there's a strong recurring theme of madness. I'm also virtually certain that I'm bipolar, but I've opted out of getting diagnoses for now; I think it's all one thing for me (OCD/ADD/bipolar). I think these traits come through not only in terms of my content, but in terms of the rhythm, tempo, and texture.

 

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

 

I promise it's not nearly as dark and grim as I'm making it seem! Neither me or my work. There's also a sweetness and a humor, and I'm pretty harmless and easy to deal with.

 

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

 

One hundred percent Eric Bogosian, who's known for his plays including TALK RADIO and SUBURBIA but has put out 3 stellar novels. All highly entertaining while being authentically artful and literary.

 

 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

 

My friend and collaborator Mike Buckley recently told me he thinks the “gateway” is LOVE & ZOMBIES. He could be right. That one's fast, funny, ridiculous, and transgressive. If you can't make it through that gate, it's probably not worth trying to come in.

 

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

 

Meeting my ghostwriting partner Mike McKown in 2002 set me up for a 16-year adventure running a business and working with thousands of clients. It burned me out and I often complained, but it was a successful endeavor that taught me a ton about writing and business. I got way over 10,000 hours of experience as a writer. And I'm pretty sure I knew Mike in a past life. Also, when my wife founded our local paper The Milpitas Beat and recruited me to help her run it, that changed everything. Big readership, exciting publication, incredible journey so far (2.5 years in).

 

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

 

I wish people would ask more questions in general, as it's the ideal conversation starter, but in answer to your question: “How do you make yourself cry while writing?” I do that all the time and post pictures of myself in tears on my private Instagram. It's a very intricate aesthetic impulse that I could talk about for hours.

 

 

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

 

“Relax. It's all part of the plan.” Not sure if that's from somewhere; probably is; it's a little bit generic. But I do maintain optimistically that we're in the hands of a giant, benevolent intelligence that's working everything out for us, as arduous as the life experience often seems.

Here's the link to Eric's Amazon Author Page

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Back to me and my writing. Remember, this is my blog.

Writing the sequel to this trilogy:

I've made a sudden deviation from the outline -- a detour into TOTALLY AWESOME which provides solutions to some issues I had not previously been able to work out, and also promises to make the third act ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. It has also given me a subtitle for the first book. I had intended to give it the rather lame title of In the Course (which isn't really lame if you understand the a reason for that title) but now I may add the subtitle: Promise of Carnage and Flame -- which is entirely appropriate for, you know, the whole dragons in America premise that is an important ingredient in the adrenaline rush that fuels this series. The subtitle may even supplant the planned title.

I also received another 5 star review for Clamorous Harbingers this week from a reader who has completed the trilogy. I'm confident that that particular reviewer did not stay up until 2 in the morning finishing the book as another fan told me that he did.

If you haven't picked up your copies yet, now's a good time. Here's the link.