Meet Nick DeWolf

Seven... seven... seven...

They say there is power in numbers. I don't know who says it or what they are talking about but I do feel like there is some kind of power here at work. Maybe it's the power of seven highly intelligent writers, specializing in horror or perhaps, how to pull off the perfect crime. I don't know. I think a part of me fears what these seven minds are capable of when locked in a brewery together. Add a portal to hell and a taker of souls?! What were we thinking?!! Well, what's done is done. Books, Brews & Boos is only a few days away. Might as well learn as much as we can about these authors in hopes of finding a weakness... some way to destroy them... before they destroy us.

Seven. Lucky number seven. Do you think you can handle all seven? Only one remains. I believe in you. You lover of horror! You ain't scared! YOU want to find new books to read and cherish! Let's do this! Alright, great pep talk... It's time to learn his weakness understand the mind of the big!... the bad! Nick DeWolf!!!

Sure, he may not look scary now but he's a writer! You can't let your guard down around them. Not to be trusted. Mr. DeWolf is no exception. His debut novel through Fey publishing is FRIGHTFULLY EVER AFTER. If that's not a subliminal warning, I don't know what is... but I'm intrigued. Let's be honest, we all like being scared! Lets learn more:

Tell us about your brand spanking new book.

"Frightfully Ever After" is my debut novel and is available from from Fey Publishing.  It's a bizarre mix up of classic fairy tale tropes and a slow burn crime novel.  Though things start out bubbly and sweet, as the gears begin to turn, the darkness inside the characters slips and in things go from bad to worse to completely horrific.  It's a new spin on urban fantasy that's filled with guns, blood, sex, and monsters.  People get hurt.  People get killed.  People get eaten.  And only the toughest get to live Happily Ever After.

Who would you say has most influenced or inspired your writing?

 My father, Henry Allen, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for over 40 years, who sometimes crafts similes so perfect they make you stop breathing.  He was one of the first writers to use journalism as a medium where one could explore the existential symbolism of humanity.  His writing was fluid and beautiful, it carried pacing and tempo the way great jazz music can.

And my stuff sounds nothing like it.Because I was also really into the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.  Their writing wasn't flowery or symbolic, it was just straight up story telling.  And then this happened.  And then this happened.  And then this happened.  It always progressed forward and never spent time pondering over existence.  I really enjoyed their world building and the descriptiveness during action sequences.  It taught me to keep the reader's heart rate up and make their palms all sweaty.

R.L. Stine or Christopher Pike? 

Edward Gorey

What is your favorite book ... of the moment?

Homebrewing For Dummies. Surprisingly helpful.

If you were on Death Row, what would you choose as your last meal?

Spaghetti with Meatballs and marinara sauce, Cesar Salad with homemade dressing (none of that bottled junk), garlic bread, roasted eggplant Parmesan, a glass of California red wine, a craft beer aged in a cask, and Kraft brand grated Parmesan cheese.

Oh, yes! Their taste seems so... similar.

What was the first horror movie you really loved? That scared you?

The first horror movie I truly loved was "The Gate" - phenomenal practical effects and a crazy story.  Bunch of kids in a house where a gate to Hell opens up in the back yard?  Awesome.

The first that genuinely scared me was a classic - "The Exorcist".  It was not as much the actual film, but the idea that this may have actually happened.  And how personal the film gets with its characters.  "Your mother's in here, Karras" is a terrifying display of how intelligent and manipulative real evil is.

Choose your apocalypse: Zombie, alien or human?

Alien.  If I'm going out, I want it to be by disintegrator beam!

Perhaps, you won't have to wait long.

Now, I'm not saying that Nick DeWolf sounds like a nice guy and we have nothing to worry about but he sounds like a nice guy and has clearly made us drop our guard. I'm looking forward to hearing what he and the six other evil masterminds have to say on our panel at Strangeways Brewery. In fact, I am FLIPPIN' EXCITED! I'm Jessie-Spano-so-excited-and-so-scared! Sure, the authors may have secret ninja assassin mime powers but they have amazing books too! 

If you understandably can't wait, buy the book now. You can also follow Nick DeWolf on the book of many faces here and check him out on amazon. 

See you all in a few days! Maybe we will have more to tell you. Maybe we will tell you about that Red Vein Army and their crazy soul-stealing master, Mr. Scream Freak. Who knows. Until then, stay pretty and prepare.

Meet Neil Cohen

Day 6: Author 6. Still going strong! This might become some new kind of habit... writing stuff... on this bloggity-blog... regularly. Nah! I'll leave the writing to the writers.

Speaking of writers, today is the day we introduce you to someone brave enough to tackle a problem plaguing much of the country: New Jersey. Boils and Ghouls meet Neil Cohen!

*Cheers! Applause! Explosions!* Wow, the excitement has really escalated. Mr. Cohen's debut novel of zombie goodness is EXIT ZERO, and he has two more stories in the works. Since it's a well known fact* that the people of Richmond believe the zombie apocalypse has already started in New Jersey, we are delighted that Neil is bringing his story of "fiction" to our Books, Brews & Boos event! So, lets see what other goodies he has brought us via his questionnaire:

Tell us about your book, EXIT ZERO.

 Exit Zero is on its surface a zombie novel, but it is also an allegory reflecting on today’s political and societal environment.  Exit Zero follows a group of characters as they make their way down the NJ Garden State Parkway during the first 48 hours of the zombie apocalypse.  But it also is a political conspiracy story, pulling in some major news events of the past couple years and creating scenario that would lead to a complete restructuring of the United States.

Who has most influenced or inspired your writing?

Max Brooks of WWZ, but I am also a fan of John Joseph Adams short story anthologies. I really liked Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. I do not have the attention span to read most books. I write like I think.  Fast paced and slightly disjointed.  Short chapters, some with story lines that begin and end on one page.  Get to the point and move on.

R.L. Stine or Christopher Pike?

Who?

I can't.. I can not even... Jackie Chan, who would you choose? You look like a Goosebumps guy. 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Ok, ok... What is your apocalyptic anthem?

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah 

What is your favorite book right now?

Just finished Swan Song.  Was ok, but I would have lopped about 300 pages out of it.

If you were on Death Row, what would you choose as your last meal?

The Warden.

What was the first horror movie you really loved? That really scared you?

The one I can watch over and over again is Shawn of the Dead, but the first one that really scared the piss out of me was Carrie, but I was about 7 years old when I accidentally saw it.

Choose your apocalypse: Zombie, alien, or human?

Zombie of course, but true apocalypse will be human caused. I just want to be around to see the final finale.

Mr. Cohen, is there anything additional you would like to mention?

I am really so appreciative of anyone who reads the book. I never set out to be an author, to write a book or to even read a book. This just happened as I had this storyline in my head and went into a 2 year manic period where all I could do was think about it, talk about it and write about it.  Now that the book is out, and people actually are responding positively to it, it is an absolute amazing feeling.

Awww.... I kind of have the feels! More reason to check out EXIT ZERO before August 14th. I think these answers reinforce how much of a good time will be had by all that attend. Thanks again to Neil Cohen and we look forward to seeing him at Strangeways Brewery for Books, Brews & Boos! If you want to keep up with Neil before you meet him in person, follow him on the book of faces here or visit his website... http://www.exitzerozombie.com/.

We are coming to an end. Only one more author left. Lucky number seven. Tomorrow you meet Nick DeWolf!