Author Interview Questions:
Admin: What are some of the things you are particularly proud of achieving throughout your career?
To give a brief resume, I did very well at university studies, graduating from my first degree with distinction and commencing on post graduate study. This led to TWO Masters Degrees, one from the University of New South Wales, with a research project on H.P. Lovecraft, and the second from the University of New England with a thesis on fairy tale motifs in literature.
During my working life I have created computerized databases, served in libraries, volunteered as a counselor, run children’s sporting programmes, provided language support and reading recovery assistance at schools, preschools and kindergartens. Somewhere along the line, I became my own small business, specializing in literacy and numeracy tuition, with the occasional speech development support role included.
I have also devoted myself to writing.
Admin: Have you won any writing awards?
Awards are outside of my control and I find it is best to concentrate on doing the best I can, and allow recognition to develop naturally.
In 2001 I was surprised that something I had written was published in a Christian periodical, The Record, and recognized with a “Hindson Award” for feature article.
It has been a long time between drinks, but in 2019, an anthology I had contributed to, Monsters (Edited by Dean Kershaw, Black Hare Press), recieved a member recomendation.
Admin: Do you belong to any groups that have helped spur your career as a writer?
I have a historical connection with the Gargoyle club in Sydney, which remains a source of inspiration to this day. I also belong to the Poetry Soup online community of poets. In recent times, I have joined the Australian Fairy Tale Association, where I find I am back among associates from the Folk federation of SA. There have also been online noticeboards that have given me valuable referrals and support. I used to check Kboards almost daily.
Admin: You have mentioned Christian and horror as two genres in which you write. Aren’t these incompatible?
It certainly does represent a conflict of interest. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” NKJV
This means that Christians should focus on the good and try to cultivate beautiful minds. On the other hand, it is hard to ignore the fact that Christians believe the world is in the middle of a battle between good and evil.
Revelation 12:7: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought…So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” NKJV
Many of the concerns of horror deal with the problem of sin, man’s sinful nature, the question of what happens after death, and the end of the world as we know it. These are also concerns found in the bible, and especially the book of Revelation, which outlines an exciting apocalyptic scenario of supernatural messengers (including the four horsemen of Revelation 6), plagues (Rev 15), and the final judgement (Revelation 20).
Another theme of fantasy and horror is prophecy, which often centres around a promised leader who will arise from a forgotten line of nobility. This mirrors the prophecies of the Bible that point to the role of Christ.
Isiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” NKJV
Literary messianic figures certainly revive echoes of the role of Christ in the Christian psyche. Should we revile these as “false christs” (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22)? My answer would be No. False christs and false prophets are said “to deceive, if possible, even the elect” and a work of fiction has no intention of claiming its characters, although they may be appealing and entertaining, are real.
It is difficult to be both a Christian and a horror writer, but those are a few of the reasons I am drawn to the genre. I attempt to write even horror with an ethical focus, and while I may point out the results of sin, I hope that I do not glorify them!
I once wrote an article called "Christians and Creativity" in which I attempted to pen an apologetic of fiction writing. It is stored online at Andrew's University. (“Christians and creativity”, published in The Record, Ed. Nathan Brown, Signs Publishing Company, February 3 2007, pp.10-11, https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/Record_SPD/2007/2007_02_03.pdf)
Admin: Is all your writing fiction?
By no means! I have also written non-fiction and poetry. In addition, a nativity play I wrote was produced by Holy Trinity Hampstead Lutheran church in 2010. This was advertised and described as "A re-enactment of the Nativity story, traditionally told in the form of a play, with live animals!" It was also recorded on DVD and available in very limited numbers.
(See the newsletter of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. "What's on", in Pen2Paper, Dec/Jan/Feb 2011, Volume 16, Issue 6: http://www.cityofpae.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/P2P_DecJanFeb_issue6.pdf)
Admin: What are some of the things you have written in 2019?
“'The Cats': An Environmental Ditty" (as by Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer) Lovecraft Annual 13 (Edited by S.T. Joshi, Hippocamus Press, New York, 2019), pp.69-74 “The Vampire - Need”, Spectral Realms, (Ed S.T. Joshi) Hippocampus Press, SR, No. 11, September 2019 p. 38 “Flashback”, “Radiation Sickness”, “The Black Hole”, “The Duel”, and “The Takeover” , Worlds (Dark Drabbles #1), (Ed. Dean Kershaw), Black Hare Press, June 2019 “Pride”, “Prisoner”, “Seraphin”, “Shepherding”, and “The Temptress”, Angels (Dark Drabbles #2), (Ed. Dean Kershaw), Black Hare Press, July 2019 “Manchine”, “Spider Alert”, “The Slime Monster”, “The Waygrim”, and “You”, Monsters (Dark Drabbles #3), (Ed. Dean Kershaw) Black Hare Press, August 2019 (The anthology has received a HWA nomination!!!!) “Beyond Death”, “Beyond Murder”, “Beyond Proof”, “Beyond the Grave”, and “Beyond War”, Beyond (Dark Drabbles #4), (Ed. Dean Kershaw) Black Hare Press, September 2019 “Appearances”, “Cold Case”, “The Backpacker Murders”, “The Smuggler”, and “Three Suspects”, Unravel (Dark Drabbles #5), (ed. Dean Kershaw), Black Hare Press, October 2019 “Angela Lazza 28, Mommy Blogger”, Storming Area 51: Survivor Stories, (Ed. Ben Thomas & Dean Kershaw ), Black Hare Press, October 2019 “Island of Zombies”, 100 Word Zombie Bites: An Undead Drabbles Anthology, (Ed. Valerie Lioudis) Reanimated Writers Press, October 2019 “All Hallow’s Eve”, Scary Snippets: Halloween Edition, (Ed. N. M. Brown), Suicide House Publishing, October 2019
Apocalypse by BHP and two Christmas horror anthologies are still to come!
Admin: What do you plan to write next?
I am not sure. I have a few ideas. Poetry, anthology submissions, a full length zombie novel would be fun - if I can develop something that is a little different. Zombies go well with humour I think, although my sense of humour is more subtle than slapstick.