Name: Jason R. Davis
Age: 36
Where are you from: Wenona, IL
Currently Living: Stoughton, WI
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc
Well, I am a father of two wonderful children. When I’m not writing, I’m typically making sure these two hellions are growing up to becoming amazing adults.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
I have just received the final edits for my next novel to approve and have been told that the photographer who has done the cover for my first two novels will again be shooting the cover for the new one. Everything is on time to reach the November release date.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Well, it all started with my parents buying me a typewriter for Christmas. Yes, a typewriter. For the modern writers that is a keyboard you type into without a screen and that the autocorrect never worked properly.
But yes, a typewriter and so I would make use of this fun device by waking up at the torturous hour of four am when my parents would be up preparing themselves for work. I would listen as they talked, abd
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I don’t think I ever considered myself not a writer. For as long as I can remember I had a wild imagination and would create and live in stories. Of course this made a vry frightened child, until I reached a point to channel my own fears into stories to scare other people.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
I had been doing film stuff for ten years and wanted to change. While directing films I was in control of what the viewers saw. I like that in writing books, I open it to allow the reader to see the world through their minds eye.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
I feel that my style tends to be more Stephen King, with building long development into the characters as a plot envelopes them. I love long build ups, slow building of the tension leading up to clataclysmic events.
I am playing with doing a series of books now where I am having to learn how to tell one story in the middle of a larger more epic storyline. I’ve had a few stumbles in doing so, but I am enjoying the nuances of working in these constraints.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
With the series I am currently working on, the series title, “Invisible Spiders” actually came to me before the story. In fact, the original story had nothing to do with spiders and was a completely different beast. It wasn’t until I was on medication and had a really crazy dream about spiders and zombies that the current series was born and everything came together.
Once I had the series title, now it just becomes a way of trying to find different variations of referring to spiders.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There is an overlying theme that I hope readers will grasp, but to give it away before the third book gives away too much to the overall plot.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Outside of the whole, spiders converting people into spiders aspect, I consider my books to be very real. My main character has money issues, struggles to survive, has a son he is trying to raise and a wife he shares his life with. He has something to fight and to live for other than just a general sense to survve.
I write horror. It’s really hard to write horror and keep things “realistic” but If you keep your characters grounded with life, it can be realistic.
I would say the element that I feel is unrealistic in my book is how quickly the government reacts. I think modern issues have proven that they are not the fastest to react to an emergency, but in my series they do have contingency plans in place.
Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Yes. My first book is based of instances that happened with my daughter. And now in “Invisivle Spiders” there is a character based off of me in my college years. I don’t paint myself in the best of light, but I did have fun returning to kind of mock who I was then.
Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephen King has been the largest influence however I feel Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” has really influenced my work lately.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I actually just finished reading “Kitty Goes to War” (don’t judge me) and am inbetween books. I think I am about to start reading “Crossroads of Twilight” by Robert Jordan or “Violet Eyes” by John Everson.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Chris Larson has caught my attention lately. I am looking forward to reading more of his work. I have also just discovered Amelia Cotter so I have been enjoying reading her books.
Fiona: What are your current projects?
Ha, well, how long is this interview? How much time do we have? The second book in my “Invisible Spiders” series is set to release in November. The title on that book is “Caught in the Web” and is a conclusion to certain events that developed in the first book while sets up other elements for the next couple books. I have started to write my fourth novel which is not a part of the “Invisible Spiders” book but is connected to that world with some of the same characters.
Outside of writing, I am organizing two events for 2015. The first is a zombie festival called The Dead Walk Fest. It is a weekend festival at the end of March and featuring films, vendors, a zombie walk, workshops, a dance, and more!
I am also putting together a SciFi Con next year. There are less details about that as we have a long way to go before there are more details. That won’t be until the end of 2015.
I am also putting together four anthologies next year, three horror and one science fiction. More details on those can be found at http://breakingfatepublishing.com
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
My kids are a huge support system for me as well as a lot of my inspiration.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
I see writing as my life. I don’t know if it will ever garner the support to make it a career, but it is my life and is an integral part of it.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Yes and no. There are aspects of the book that I know a lot of the reviewers have issues with, and there are other aspects that people have found too concidental that these events are happening. It bothers me that I did not build up the trust in the reader to realize that these events have meaning. That might have more to do with me being a new author or because I didn’t give a plausible altenative explenation.
So I guess I would say my biggest regret, the thing I would change with my last book, would have been to push to release it later than I did, closer to the release of the second book as much of the second book answers certain questions.
Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Well, I remember writing as far back as I remember my interest in reading. For a long time, I really didn’t care about either, and it wasn’t until I came across a collection of books in my schools library. They were short retellings of the Univeral black and white horror movies. There was “Dracula”, “The Mummy” and “Frankenstein” as well as a few others. They were short, really summarized the books down to nearly no details.
And strangely enough, these were the first books I devoured, and it was near over night that I started writing my own short stories. They were very similar, just minor alterations, but my own spin on them.
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I would be happy too. I have multiple stories of mine available on Wattpad that I have posted, but will be glad to offer up a special story of mine that is only available in print. It is a part of the Dead Walk Anthology and is called, “Black Friday Massacre”
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I need to get better and focus on writing action scenes. I love to build the tension, but I do need to work on that tension break of when everything has turned into chaos, or when the fighting really kicks into high gear.
Thankfully in my next book I should get plenty of practice.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Stephen King and Robert Jordan. Both of them build well thought out and well developed charaters and have wide spread storylines that interweave themselves into a delicate threadwork of fiction.
Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I feel like I need to travel more for them. I’ve traveled all throughout the United States, but feel like I still need to reach out to more people.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Jim Sorfleet of SnS Photo. He does amazing work and as long as he is willing, I hope to always have his work on the cover of my fiction.
Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Editing. This comes down to a technical issue though, as I writing on Mac in Pages and we live in a Microsoft Word World. It seemes like going back and forth to my editor, there are formatting glitches that happen and so with every pass of the edits, there are more issues that I think come just from the file conversions.
Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
My first book, I learned to get into the story faster. So much of that book is setting up the characters. I don’t regret that, especially as those characters are still developing through my books as all my characters live in the same world, so the events of one book effect another book. Though, because I did spend so long of them, the story drags in the beginning.
In my second book, I learned that I can write a story for myself and have it how I want it to be, but don’t be surprised if there are negative reviews from people that don’t see things the way you do. I knew that going into the second book though, and it really was a book written to make me happy. The next book in the series I think will appease the fans.
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t fear writers block. Sometimes it is a gift from your mind. When I’ve been stuck sometimes it would often be with s chapter that if I was to write it right then, it would have been plain. I didn’t want to write it because the thought of writing it bored me. So if I’m not interested in writing it, why would anyone be interested in reading it?
Usually if I give it time, think about it, try to figure out what about the scene is bothering me, eventually the solution will snap into place and this great and creative element just added itself to the chapter.
Remember, while we write to get our readers from the beginning to the end, the most boring way to go is to drive that straight line.
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Just wait. If you think things were bad in book one of “Invisible Spiders”, you haven’t seen anything yet. This book is not for the faint of heart.
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
The summarized version of Dracula.
Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?
Stephen King. I’ve met most my ideals but I haven’t met him yet and have always been a big fan. My only concern is that I would go all fan boy and not be able to control myself. So far, I’ve always kept myself professional, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t stammer a little bit if I was to get a chance to meet him.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?
HERE LIES HARRY DRESDEN, HE DIED DOING THE RIGHT THING
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?
I work out alot and spend time focusing on my two wonderful children.
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Well, let’s see. I enjoy “The Flash,” “Blacklist,” “Marvel: Agents of Shield,” and “Haven” I was a huge fan of “SG-1” as well as “Quantum Leap” but those shows are long past.
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
If I’m not writing, I’m dying.
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?
My main website is http://jasonrdavis.net but in truth, you can keep updated on my projects in a more timely manner at https://www.facebook.com/HAjasondavis/
Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Davis/e/B00JUD7JXE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
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