The Patrick Bowers Files…Need I
say more? Actually, yes I must. The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight, The Bishop, and
The Queen (don't forget the newest, not yet released, The King) are an exhilarating series written by Steven James. I’ve read
the first and have decided to pace myself through the rest. (They’re too good
to rush through.) James is also the author of Opening Moves and
Checkmate (both part of The Patrick Bowers Files); The Jevin
Banks Experience (Placebo and Singularity, yet to be
released); and also Quest for Celestia: A Reimagining of The Pilgrim’s
Progress.
Besides fiction, James is quite known for
writing non-fiction, as well as upholding a blog and a website titled
“Ask The Author.” If you've ever had a question for him, you can e-mail him there
and maybe get an answer from him posted on the site.
Having just met Steven James and recently finished
his book, The Pawn, I was glad to be able to include him into the
Crafting the Creeps through Fiction series.
1) What is your earliest memory of being afraid?
“I'm not sure if this is the earliest memory, but
it's one of the most vivid: When I was about 8 or 9, I watched a story about
Big Foot on TV, and in the movie some people were in the living room and Big
Foot walked across the window behind them. They didn't even see him. Man, that
freaked me out! I'd lie in bed staring out the window expecting Big Foot to
walk by on the other side.”
2) As a writer, do the voices in your head ever
overwhelm you?
“As long as I keep writing, I keep the voices in
my head under control.”
3) What book ending (that you've written) did you
expect the least?
“I'd say the ending to my forthcoming book, Placebo.
I knew some of the criteria I wanted during the climax, but I was quite a ways
into the book before any of it really materialized. It was a good example to me
of how trusting the story eventually leads you to uncover it.”
4) Do you ever worry about pushing the
"horror envelope" too far?
“I guess this is my own little rule of thumb: In
suspense, I try to make someone afraid to look away from the page. I want them
to have so much concern for the characters that they keep reading even if they
feel apprehension. In regard to horror, I think of it as being afraid to look
at the page. So, for example, describing something that would make somebody
nauseous. I try to stay in the realm of the suspense and pull back my writing
if it wanders too far astray.”
If you want to know more about Steven James, or his
many writing projects, you can follow him on any one (or all) of his sites:
Blog: http://stvjames.blogspot.com/
Ask The Author: http://asktheauthor.net/
Facebook: http://asktheauthor.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/sjamesauthor
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