Meet Ronald Malfi

We are officially PUMPED! Talking books, meeting authors, thinking about Strangeways brews.... particularly the Gourd Of Thunder.... It's like fall is just a couple of days away and we NEED more horror goodness in our life to get us in the moooooood. The spooky mood! 

If only we had more authors with spine-chilling tales to share....

Oh wait! WE DO have more! Are you ready to meet our second guest for the 2016 lineup of Books, Brews, and Boos? Yes, Kitty! We are so very excited. Oh, the suspense is killing us!! Okay, I can't draw it out any longer... Without further ado... Well, maybe a little ado... Meet RONALD MALFI!! <<Cheers! Applause! Glitter bombs! Everyone is going to need a minute to recover... it's just too exciting!>>

Ronald Malfi is the author of 14 published novels and 7 novellas, as well as a number of short stories. He is the recipient of two Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Benjamin Franklin Award for Popular Fiction, Vincent Preis Award (Germany), the Beverly Hills Book Award, Bram Stoker Award nominee, and was shortlisted for the American Library Association's Years Best in Genre Fiction. The list of recognition alone makes me interested in what people see in his writing (and luckily I've read it myself to know that the awards are well deserved!). 

His most recent novel ,THE NIGHT PARADE, is about a father and his 8-year-old daughter on the run from the government during the final stages of a disease outbreak that has decimated the world.

RED VEIN ARMY had the chance to meet Mr. Malfi at Scares That Care two years in a row. So we already have a tiny inkling of his personality... and we know he will bring great conversation to our panel. Because of this, I was really curious as to what he would say to our interview questions...

Who would you say has had the most influence on your writing?

Ron Malfi: When I was younger, it was most certainly Stephen King. Since then, I've become a huge fan of Peter Straub, Dan Simmons, Robert McCammon. I read a lot outside the genre, too, and have a strong love for the fiction of Ernest Hemingway.

What is your favorite book of the moment?

RM: I just finished reading Paul Tremblay's wonderful Disappearance at Devil's Rock. It was outstanding. 

What was the moment/when did you realize horror was the genre for you?

RM: Probably when people would read my work and comment that it was "horror." I don't think I actively set out to write in that genre--it just sort of happened. Conversely, I've done plenty of writing outside the genre--and in fact, many of my books walk the blurry line between genres--but I've always been naturally attracted to darker fiction.

What is your favorite character/monster you've written and why?

RM: I've got a strong affinity for a number of my protagonists, since there are pieces of me in all of them, but lately it has been for the main character of my current novel, The Night Parade, David Arlen. He's a father who will stop at nothing to prevent harm from coming to his young daughter, even if his actions sometimes make him unlikable. I'm the father of two little girls, so I can certainly relate. He's my current favorite.

Stephen King or HP Lovecraft?

RM: Stephen King.

Would you rather be a vampire with hemophilia or a werewolf with fleas? Why?

RM: I'd rather see them bite each other and turn into some vamp-wolf hybrid...with fleas.

If you could ask any celebrity(living or dead) to help you hide a body, who would you choose and why?

RM: Jimmy Hoffa, because he'd know the perfect dumping spot.

What unusual hobbies/interests do you have that you believe readers 
wouldn't expect from you?

RM: Well, I write music and play in a rock band. It was something I'd done for years, having stopped to pursue my writing, get married, have children. But I'm currently playing again, and it's been a blast. Not sure if that's so unusual, but it's pretty much the only hobby I have time for at the moment.

Ron playing with Veer! You can catch them playing with Sponge in November. 

Come meet Ron THIS FRIDAY, September 23rd at Strangeways Brewing. You can pick up a fancy signed copy of his newest book or pick from some of his other works right  NOW! Follow him on the Book of Faces, the Tweeter,  and also check out his website... ronmalfi.com.

After you've had your spooky fill of books and beer at Books, Brews and Boos... you should consider checking out his band, Veer, in November. They have a pretty cool show coming up! 

We have two more fantastic interviews to share with you. Come back tomorrow and meet D. Alexander Ward!!