FIVE MINUTES WITH DAN PADAVONA

 
I'm a meteorologist with the United States government. I began writing in February 2014 and published my first novel, Storberry, in August of the same year.
 
I live with my wife, our two children, and three dogs in Upstate New York.


Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
 
For as long as I can remember, I've loved music and horror. My musical tastes are pretty eclectic – I listen to everything from Tool to old REM to The Sex Pistols and Enya. My Spotify playlists would make most people label me as insane.
 
I grew up with the old Universal monster movies, graduated to the Hammer films, then came of age during the slasher craze of the late-70s and early-80s. John Carpenter's Halloween probably influenced me as much as any movie from my youth.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Besides spending time with my wife, Terri, I hit the gym four to five times per week, and during the warm season I love to bike and watch college lacrosse. My wife and I both love Renaissance fairs – one of the northeast's best fairs resides in Sterling NY, about a two hour drive from our home – and we're confirmed ice cream nuts.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
Over the last decade I probably read more fantasy than horror, and I'm a big fan of Patrick Rothfuss, JK Rowling, and Terry Brooks. Nobody creates characters as well as Rowling, and Rothfuss is a master storyteller.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?
 
I suppose, to the general public, the term “horror” conjures images of monsters, killers, demons, and blood, and to be perfectly honest, those themes predominate my storytelling. But horror can be “quiet,” as well. Think Straub and Poe. My story, “One Autumn in Kane Grove,” can be defined as quiet and a tad ethereal. Among more recent writers, Chad Lutzke writes intelligent, quiet horror.
 
But I see no reason to break public assumptions. Every horror fans gets something different from the sub-genres they prefer.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?
 
Various stages in our political history have inspired golden ages in horror, including the legendary Godzilla franchise, which was borne out of atomic bomb fears and the destruction of Japanese cities.
 
The 1970s were a terrible economic period: excess unemployment, runaway inflation, stratospheric interest rates, and neither the democrats or republicans had answers in the United States. And out rolled horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Black Christmas, Jaws, Halloween, and many more.
 
Now we have the most toxic political climate of my lifetime. It seems no one can agree on anything, and the media is replete with extremists screaming at one another. It's enough to make you lose faith in humanity.
 
Where will this lead? I sincerely hope creatives won't write to the political climate to too high a degree, as horror also serves as an escape for many of us, but I wouldn't be surprised if bleak, apocalyptic horror themes dominate the next several years.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?

Black Christmas (1974) is the most frightening movie I've ever watched, and in my opinion it is the greatest slasher in horror history. I credit Black Christmas, along with Halloween, for giving me a lifelong love of horror.
 
Jack Ketchum's Hide and Seek greatly affected my storytelling, as did Richard Laymon's Night in the Lonesome October and The Traveling Vampire Show. I love all three books and reread them at least every few years, and I believe my terse writing style was most influenced by Ketchum and Laymon.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
Matthew Brockmeyer's “Kind Nepenthe” rocked me back on my heels. Very bleak and inventive. I'm keeping an eye on Brockmeyer.
 
He's hardly a new commodity, but Paul Tremblay is knocking the ball out of the park with his storytelling. “Head Full of Ghosts” is one of the best horror novels of the last decade.

How would you describe your writing style?
 
My emotional state upon initiating a new writing project drives my writing style. Sometimes I am quite hopeful and Koontz-like, other times somber and horrific. Quilt is an example of the latter.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I try not to look too closely at reviews, as the Internet tends to be a very negative place. Certainly I appreciate the positive reviews I've received from readers, but I pay closest attention to my peers and mentors. The kind words Brian Keene wrote about my novel, “Crawlspace,” will stay with me forever.
 
What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?
 
Believe it or not, kill and stalk scenes are very difficult for me to write, and this is coming from someone who leaves a lot of blood and body parts in his wake. I most enjoy character building and conversation, and find those scenes and chapters to be the easiest to write. Kill scenes require so much attention to detail and pacing. It usually takes me several drafts before I feel good about those scenes.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
 
Never say never, but I have a soft spot for children and would have a hard time murdering a child. For that matter, it would hurt me deeply to kill a dog, too.
 
My wife is a breast cancer survivor, and I've lost friends and family to that disease. Although I've referred to cancer in a few or my works, I don't think I could bring myself to write about someone dying of cancer or a similar disease.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
 
Both, though I try not to go overboard with meaning. Too many names with obvious meanings appear tedious to readers.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? 

I suppose every novel I've enjoyed over the last several years has influenced my style in some small way, though the development is probably too gradual to be noticeable.
 
I owe the most gratitude to my editors, Jack Musci and Chad Lutzke, for building my prose and keeping me on point with my plots.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?
 
A 26-hour day is a must. But since we can't have that, I recommend a quality piece of writing software compatible with multiple platforms. My personal favorite is Scrivener, which runs on my PC, iPad, and iPhone. Perfect if you are standing in line at the store and feel inspired to crank out a quick paragraph. Seriously, I've done this.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?
 
Chad Lutzke bashed me with a mallet until I agreed to trust my readers and “show” instead of “tell.”

Getting your worked noticed is one of the hardest things for a writer to achieve, how have you tried to approach this subject?
 
Oh, dear. If someone figures out how to get noticed, I hope they tell me.
 
I do low-level advertising through Amazon and Bookbub, and I'm pretty active on Twitter and Facebook. Otherwise, I churn out new books with the hope of expanding my small reader base.
 
I've begun submitting to anthologies, as well, and I'll appear at Scares That Care in August.

To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favourite child, and who is your least  favourite to write for and why?
 
I can't say I have a least favorite character to write, but my favorite was Becca from “The Face of Midnight.” Here was a girl who had nothing but found an incredibly inventive way to survive and stay off the streets. I have to tread carefully here, lest I appear unsympathetic to the homeless, who I care deeply for. But Becca's freedom was intoxicating. I would like to write about her again soon.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?
 
The early feedback I received on Quilt is that it surpassed Crawlspace, but Quilt is a novella, whereas Crawlspace is a full novel. I love Crawlspace's characters, and the plot is truly unique. I suppose it remains my favorite.

And are there any that you would like to forget about?

No. I'm proud of every story I've written, but my suspense-horror novel, “Severity,” bombed at the proverbial box office. Those who read it gave Severity strong reviews, but not many people discovered that book.
 
For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your  books do you think best represents your work and why?
 
Crawlspace, The Face of Midnight, and Quilt best represent my style and themes. I'm unabashed about being a back-to-basics horror writer. I rarely get cerebral. My goal is that you enjoy my stories the way you would a late-night horror flick while munching popcorn. I believe all three are frightening, and inventive in their own way, and many readers have told me the stories stuck with them and even provoked a few nightmares.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
Remember Severity, the book nobody read?
“The silence was all wrong, like the sound the night makes when a shadow passes by.”
That line came to me and immediately provoked a smile. Simple and effective.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
 
My last story, “Murray's Pier,” is a post-apocalyptic tale that focuses on two young people trying to survive while living in an ocean-side amusement park. “Murray's Pier” is easily the most emotional story I've ever written. The storyline surprised a lot of people. The story was submitted to an anthology and is unavailable in print, but you can read it on Patreon.
 
I'm currently working on “Camp Slasher,” an homage to the backwoods slashers of the early-80s. The early chapters are available as works-in-progress on Patreon, and I hope to have the novel published before August.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

The worst cliché in horror is that of the female victim, who must ostensibly be rescued by the heroic male.  I'd like to see that cliché skewered with a machete.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?
 
The last great book I read was “Widow's Point,” by Richard and Billy Chizmar. Brilliant, old school ghost horror with a found footage twist. I loved it so much I read it in one sitting. I also got too much Florida sun and ended up with a burn. Thanks, Richard and Billy.
 
I don't like to be negative about other people's books, so instead I'll use this public forum to complain that Patrick Rothfuss still hasn't published book three in the Kingkiller trilogy. Hey, Patrick. While we're alive, okay?

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Would you like a free ice cream cone? Why, yes. Yes, I would.

How far would you go to save a child in need? 

Jadyn is a promising inner-city student. But his community is terrorized by gangs and a series of grisly unsolved murders. 

After the boy stops coming to school, his teacher, Annelise, determines to find out why. Now she is trapped on the wrong side of town, and something evil is stalking her. 

Quilt is the most twisted story yet from Dan Padavona, author of bestseller Crawlspace. Fans of horror movies such as Candyman and Nightmare on Elm Street will especially enjoy the squeamish, psychological horror of Quilt. 

Grab this terrifying dark horror story now!
​
"One of the most exciting writers to burst upon the scene in quite some time." - Brian Keene ​

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