Stuart West agreed, a bit reluctantly,
to submit to an interview. He recently used an old-fashioned grilling technique
to get me to admit something very personal in an interview for his blog. If
you're curious as to what secret I shared, please visit Stuart's Blog – Twisted
Tales from Tornado Alley.
What I've learned is that
Stuart is not only a master interrogator. His books are funny, irreverent, and
yet brilliantly written. He has a deep understanding of teenage angst and
portrays it with sensitivity.
YR: Stuart, thanks for the interview and for agreeing to make it
reciprocal.
SRW: (Grousing…) I guess,
Yolanda. Not like a had a choice in the matter…
YR: Tell the readers about each of your books: Secret Society, Zombie
Rapture, Tex, the Witch Boy, and Bad Day in a Banana Hammock.
SRW: Gotta couple of hours. I’ll
try to be brief and painless…
Secret Society is a serial
killer thriller with a dark vein of humor coursing through its unhealthy veins.
It involves Leon, a serial killer who only targets abusers, going toe to toe
with an evil, mysterious corporation that funds serial killers. Things don’t go
well. It’s the first in a proposed trilogy. The second should be out early in
2016.
Zombie Rapture was my twist on
the ol’ zombie tale. My protagonist, Hunter, has fallen in love with one of his
high school classmates. Problem is, the world turns topsy-turvy. Most of the
population has died and they think it’s the rapture on earth. Of course they
want to “save” the few living by killing them. All Hunter wants to do is find
Jordan, the love of his life, who’s now missing. Again, it’s a suspense
thriller (not really a zombie book) with lots of humor and Buffy-like snark.
Tex, The Witch Boy is the
first of a quartet of YA paranormal, murder mystery, comedy, suspense, romance,
high school issues books. Whew. I think there’s a kitchen sink in there
somewhere, too.
Finally, Bad Day in a BananaHammock is my first straight-up comedy. It’s a murder mystery (practically a
cozy…sorta) about a vapid male stripper who wakes up with no memory of the
preceding night, no clothes. And next to a dead man. He turns to his sister, an
ex security specialist and eight months pregnant, for help in proving his
innocence. And above all, to prove he’s heterosexual. Available now!
SRW: By being bored out of my mind and sitting on
the “husband bench” at a store waiting for my wife to wrap up her shopping. I
started studying the rest of the bench’s male occupants and wondered…what if
two of them were there to meet for nefarious purposes? The opening chapter
introduces my protagonist and antagonist (two very different types of serial
killers) meeting at the mall. The book took off from there.
YR: You've written about murder, serial killers, zombies, and witches
– and in each one, there's a bit of romance (well, sex). How important is a romantic entanglement to
the plot of your stories? BTW, I think you handled each scene brilliantly.
Kudos Mr. Stuart.
SRW: You’re putting me on the spot here, Yolanda! Okay, okay, I
admit it…there’s a bit of romance in all of my books. What can I say? It’s
universal, everyone’s experienced it. I believe it grounds my protagonists in
situations that otherwise may not be all that relatable. To make a reader care
about your characters (whether they be serial killers, witches, zombie hunters,
what have you), they have to relate.
YR: I have a tendency to take scenes from my own life to add the
believability of my characters and the settings. Do you? Does writing what you
know interfere or help while writing? Is research part of your writing process
or do you just wing it?
SRW: Whenever my wife and I are out, I listen in on
conversations. I like to think of it as research. She calls it eavesdropping.
Whatever. But yes, I do take parts of my life and lob them into my crazy plots.
The Tex series is based in part on my high school experiences and my
daughter’s. Except, of course, for the murders, witchcraft and ghosts. Oh! And
you’ll be glad to know I’m not a serial killer.
But I do kind of wing my
books. Once I get the characters laid out, they pretty much dictate where the
story goes.
YR: I enjoyed the Secret Society; it was totally irreverent and
entertaining. Zombie Rapture was a unique take on the genre, and you definitely
left it open for more books in the series, but Tex, The Witch Boy had a message
about bullying and you've written a series around Tex. What about this series
was important to you?
SRW: Every horrific bullying
incident in Tex, the Witch Boy happened to either myself or a friend of mine
from high school. I think it contains a very strong anti-bullying message and I
wanted to relay that in a hopefully non-preachy and entertaining format.
The
second book, Tex and the Gangs of Suburbia is based on a true story that
happened at my old alma mater several years back. It deals with suburban gangs
and identity. Finally, the third book, Tex and the God Squad is “ripped from
today’s headlines!” and the villains are a thinly disguised Westboro Baptist
Church. Themes include homosexuality and religion.
Finally, the last book,
Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl, revolves around drugs and teen suicide.
Whew. I
know they don’t sound fun, but I really tried to make them so!
YR: Your settings are all in Kansas, are you a Kansas native? Does
writing about Kansas win you readers and recognition?
SRW: You write what you know.
Sigh. Lifelong inhabitant of Kansas (at least I live in a KC metro suburb). Not
that I wouldn’t mind leaving this dang state behind me in my rearview mirror
some day! Somewhere warm, preferably. As far as Kansas based tales gaining me
readers and recognition? Are you kidding me?
Most people are still stuck in
“Toto” jokes! I actually went to college with a Venezuelan native who thought
we still had cowboys and Indians running around blasting people. Pardnuh!
YR: Zombie Rapture was an enjoyable story, and Hunter's Grandpa my
favorite character, although Scout also made points for her bravery. I'm
curious though, were you afraid you might piss off a few readers with all the
'rapture' talk? I mean being politically correct seems important today.
SRW: Yep, I loved the
characters in Zombie Rapture, too. As far as being politically incorrect? I
figured the book might tweak a few noses, but, hey! Controversy’s good! Besides,
I think I was fair (as I am in Tex and the God Squad) to all beliefs. (Kinda.)
YR: I enjoy each of your books but especially your novella Bad Day ina Banana Hammock. I particularly liked the very pregnant but badass Zora, my
kind of gal. The story was funny, very believable. I also loved learning that
this story came about because of a dare. I wrote my first zombie story based on
a dare. Please dish.
SRW: Banana Hammock was
something different for me; also the easiest thing I’ve written. I liked the
results so much, I’m considering a series. Yes, it was written as a dare. I was
kicking around stupid ideas with a writer friend of mine. I thought, “What
if…what if my hero’s the stupidest hero ever? How about…a vain male stripper?
And he wakes up next to a naked dead guy! And all he cares about is proving
he’s not gay!” My friend said, “I dare you!” Like you, I couldn’t resist the
dare.
Only thing was I soon realized
the guy couldn’t carry the whole book alone.
Hence the birth of Zora, his
gun-slinging, bad-ass, mega-pregnant sister. Who, by the way, is proving to be
quite the early fan favorite!
YR: Do you write for your pleasure or for the readers? Did you choose
the genre or did it choose you?
SRW: I write the kind of books
I’d like to read. If the readers join me, awesome! As far as genres, I’m all
over the board. I intend on writing all of ‘em at some point. (Even have an
idea for a romantic comedy…just don’t tell anyone. Wait!...)
YR: I see that you've published three books a year for the last three
years, very impressive. You blog and I'm assuming, participate in social media.
I know you hate the typical interview questions, but would you be willing to
give us some insight into your writing habits. Share a few secrets; give us
less prolific writers some words of inspiration.
SRW: First, I drink heavily.
Then procrastinate. No, not really. I mean, the second part. Or wait…
Let me start over. There’s no
secret, other than I’m committed. And it helps my wife let me retire early.
Couldn’t handle the corporate world any longer. In return, I cook, clean,
provide (ahem) arm candy. But I do force myself to write five days a week. Even
if what I turn out is crap. But that’s what revisions are for. The hardest part
for me, by the way, revisions. I can knock out a first draft in 1/3 the time it
takes to revise.
YR: What's next on your agenda, do you have any more stories coming
out after a dare.
SRW: Up next on my agenda?
Rule the world. After that? Keep writing. No more dares. But I have many
projects lined up. Haven’t told anyone this yet, but I just contracted for a
children’s picture book: Don’t Put Gum in the Fish-Bowl.
Next year should see
the release of Demon with a Comb-Over (a darkly comical horror tale about a
stand-up comedian who heckles a very angry demon); a prequel tale about the
demon’s history, The Book of Kobal; and a thriller entitled Dread and Breakfast
(the less said about the plot twists, the better). Also, be on the look-out for
the second Secret Society book and a sequel to Bad Day in a Banana Hammock.
Finally, I’ve recently released Ghosts of Gannaway, a sprawling
decades-spanning historical ghost tale. This sucker was heavily researched and
took forever…not doing that again!
Oh! I have an idea for a new
YA series, too.
YR: Okay, okay, you're a prolific writer. We got it! But this has been the longest interview to date, folks have to get back to watching funny animal videos! Still, Thank you, for taking time away from your writing to share with us.
Well readers, take your pick,
Stuart West has quite a library of books, and they're all entertaining,
humorous, and skillfully written.
I dare you.
LINKS:
Stuart R. West Twitter:
@StuartRWest
