Hunter Shea’s “The Waiting” Blog Tour: Book Worm Interview, Review & Giveaway
Two weeks ago I brought you a review of Hunter Shea’s The Waiting, a book which I absolutely adored. This week, I have the pleasure of bringing you a special interview, which includes a couple of questions from my readers, and giveaway as part of Shea's The Waiting Blog Tour…
What is it that draws you to the horror genre?
I’ve been a horror fan ever since I was a little kid. We’re talking real little kid. My family used to go to the drive-in just about every week, and I’d peek over the seats to watch movies like The Exorcist, Jaws, Last House on the Left, along with a ton of horrible B movie biker flicks. I love monsters and the tension that creeping dread brings. Now I get to deliver the shivers!
You use your writing to create a sense of fear for your readers. What’s your biggest fear?
When I was a kid growing up in New York, I was terrified of people breaking into our house. In my mind, they weren’t just going to rob us. Oh no, if they made it inside, things were going to get much, much worse (thank you, Last House on the Left). Every strange sound at night put me on high alert. Now that I’m well past being a kid, I worry about my wife and kids. I fear for their health and safety. It’s not unique, but it’s something I face every day.
You seem to have a particular fondness for the spirit world. What do you think in particular intrigues you about it?
Out of all the scares that the horror genre brings, the concept of ghosts and the afterlife is the one aspect that has real life implications. If ghosts are real, and there are thousands of years of interactions to build a strong hypothesis upon, then it naturally implies that there is life after death. Considering how fleeting our moments here on this realm, I think it’s of profound importance to explore what happens when we die. Right now, no one knows for sure, so it frightens us. I hope that somewhere down the line, the unknown becomes everyday fact, and we reconcile our fear of death. In a perfect world, we’ll never lose our loved ones if we learn how to interact with them once they’ve moved on.
Was there anything you found particularly challenging in writing “The Waiting?”
I’m not lying when I tell you this was the hardest thing I’ve ever written. Thank God it was a novella. I don’t think I could have pushed myself through to make it novel length. You see, the problem is, the crux of the story is about a man whose wife lay dying and the absolute hopelessness and terror he’s filled with day after day. While I wrote The Waiting, my own wife was clinging to life, battling an unknown infection that was resistant to every drug the doctors threw at her. The similarities between the real story I was trying to put down and the real lurking tragedy that was hanging over me made it exceedingly difficult. Every sentence was a mirror into my own life. The good news is, my wife pulled through and is still recovering from a 2 year illness.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I just love to tell a good, tight, taut story. My motto has always been – All killer and no filler! I love creating new ways to make people sleep with the light on. And readers can also get a sense that I love writing action sequences. It’s not a Hunter Shea book unless everything goes to hell – sometimes literally. The fact that I get to do this for multiple publishers is an honor I could never have dreamed of living.
What kind of environment do you find most conducive to your writing?
When I started writing, I had a specific place in my house and used certain music to get me in the mood. That was back when I had all the time in the world to work on my book, because there were no editors clamoring for it. Now, I’ll write anywhere. Of course, I have my home office, where I’m typing these answers. But I do a ton of writing in my kitchen, amidst bowls of fruit with the washing machine barreling away behind me. When I want to plow through 5 thousand words or more in a day, I’ll hit the library so there are no distractions. I’ve written in my car, airports, hotels, parks, on the beach, back porches, you name it. When I’m working, I write every day and I’m not picky about my surroundings. I just need to get the words from my head to my fingertips.
What is it that you hope readers take away from your books?
First and foremost, I hope I leave them with a scene or two that really creeps them out, or makes them say, “Holy cow! That’s insane!” I also hope they see that I truly love and respect the genre. The world is a varied and strange place. No matter how smart we think we are, we’re cavemen compared to the generations to come. The fears of today may become the ho-hum of tomorrow. Each book is a record of the collective psyche and what makes it run for the hills.
In addition to writing, you also have a podcast, Monster Men, with Jack Campisi. What do you enjoy most about doing the podcast and how would you describe it to those who aren’t familiar with it?
Jack and I sit at a table and discuss a certain topic each episode, from great vampire movies to Bigfoot and what to watch on Netflix if you crave original horror. We take a very lighthearted approach to dark topics. We’re just a couple of huge horror groupies who were exposed to everything the genre has had to offer since the Universal Monster days. Our job is to show everyone that you can have a laugh while tip-toeing through the graveyard. We’re expanding the scope of the show this year, with interviews with writers, directors, famous cryptozoologists and more. Stay tuned. Aaarrrrgggghhh!
Is there anything in particular that you would like potential new readers or viewers to know?
If you dig horror like I do, there’s a Hunter Shea book for you. In just the past couple of years, I’ve delved into ghosts, demons, cryptids, killers, you name it. I love it all, and I love writing about it all. What makes The Waiting so unique is that it’s the first book I’ve written based on actual events. While you read it, keep telling yourself, “This really happened.” The haunting depicted in the book still goes on to this day, and it hasn’t gotten any less unnerving.
I hope you all enjoyed the conversation with Hunter Shea as much as I did. Shea is an incredible talented writer, definitely one of the best horror writers I’ve come across in recent years. Be sure to pick up your copy of his incredible book “The Waiting,” along with other titles from Hunter Shea. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
Book Worm Review: The Waiting by Hunter Shea
During our recent trip to Cincinnati I was introduced the the incredible authors published by the Cincinnati publishing company Samhain. A couple of weeks ago I brought you a review of books by a couple of these authors. This week, I’d like to introduce you to another of the fantastic Samhain authors, Hunter Shea.
“The Waiting” is the most recent release by Hunter Shea. In this wonderfully suspenseful book, newlywed Cassandra Pagano collapses from incredible abdominal pain during her wedding reception. Following surgery Cassandra lies in a coma-like state, occasionally awakening but not reacting or responding to her loved ones. Her husband, Brian, takes her home, hoping the being in their new house where they planned to build their life together will speed up her recovery process. With the help of a nurse and his new mother-in-law, Brian struggles to maintain hope as Cassandra’s condition does not improve.
While they deal with Cassandra’s life and death struggle, they begin to come aware of something else lurking inside the house. Objects get moved, they hear the unmistakable sounds of movement in the house, whispered voices in the dark. Then Brian sees him, the phantom little boy who prowls the hallways. With each appearance, Cassandra’s condition seems to worsen. Her life support machines seem to go off each time the boy appears in her room. The questions overwhelm them: who is the boy, what does he want with Cassandra? Is he there to help her or does he want her to join him in his spectral afterlife?
This is an incredibly well-written tale that will keep you edged in suspense. As Cassandra drifts in a world of pain, its the emotional struggle of her husband Brian as he tries to cope with his new wife’s illness and the strange happenings around him. Shea’s characters are intriguing and the suspense and emotions so realistic you’ll find yourself feeling the stress, anger and terror right along with them. The atmosphere of the book works extremely well to create a sense of fear and anticipation. ”The Waiting” is an ideal read for you fans of ghost stories out there. I highly recommend this book and am personally looking forward to reading more from him. Head on over to www.samhainhorror.com for this and other books by Hunter Shea. You can also follow him on twitter @huntershea1.
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