FIVE MINUTES WITH DEV JARRETT

Dev Jarrett is a recovering Redneck.  Not quite sure why anyone would want to recover form being one of those.  Dev, is also one of those special guys that we should all be thankful for, having served in the army for over 18 years, Dev has my deepest gratitude for doing something I couldn't.  

've been blown up by insurgents in Afghanistan, I've eaten baby chickens still inside their eggshells and barbecued python in the Philippines, and I've thrown darts and played poker with a one-armed bar owner in An-Jong-Ni, Korea.  My family and I have lived all over the place, and we're currently stationed in the Washington, DC area.

        When I'm not out fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, he writeste, and is particularly proud of Dolly,his first novel, due to be published by Bad Moon Books in the Fall of 2013. His  second finished novel, Hell or High Water, looks like it will be  his  first published novel as it will be published by Blood Bound Books in late Spring/early Summer of 2013. 

         He also has  a standalone novella available from Sam's Dot Publishing.  It's called Family Tradition, and no, it's got nothing to do with the Hank Williams, Jr. song (but if someone wants to purchase the movie rights, I think that'd make one hell of a good addition to the soundtrack.  Just sayin'.).  It's actually a charming little story about a family of north Georgia cannibals.

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Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a writer, a father of five, a husband, and a soldier in the US Army.  I’ve been all over the world as a soldier, but home, currently, is Virginia.  I was raised in Georgia, and my redneck latency usually only becomes obvious after a couple of beers unlocks my southern accent.  That said, I do drive a beat up old pickup truck, I own a gun, and I ALWAYS carry a pocketknife.

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

Horror, unequivocally.  When one of my neighbors read my novella Family Tradition, she confronted me afterwards.  “It gave me nightmares for a week!” she cried.  I could only smile and say, “Good.”

Who are some of your favourite authors?

That’s a huge list, and they’re not all horror authors.  In horror, my favorites are Stephen King and his kid, as well as Robert R. McCammon, Jack Ketchum, and Peter Straub.  Neil Gaiman, even though much of his work is not exactly “horror.” 

What are you reading now?

The Year of the Storm, by John Mantooth.

 Which book do you wish you had written?

I wish I could say I’d written The Shining.  It works on so many different levels.

If you could use any other author’s creation in your own work, who or what would you use?

Like all authors, I’ve borrowed ideas.  One story of mine was described as “channelling H.P. Lovecraft through a Raymond Chandler filter.”  But using actual objects or characters from someone else?  No.  I never want my readers to say, “Meh.  We’ve been there, done that.”

Describe typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

My actual writing usually takes place after everyone else in the house has gone to sleep. I plug in the laptop and power it up, plug in the earbuds and randomize the playlist, then write.  I read over the last few paragraphs to get my bearings, then I roll the mind-movie and try to transcribe everything from it.  Nothing really unusual, but the words always come more easily with loud rock music.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

Right now, that would have to be Loveless, simply because it’s the first novel that’s gone from its start (in my head) all the way to the finish line (it’ll be released by Blood Bound Books on July 21st).  In truth, I love all my creations, even though some of them may be fundamentally flawed.  Some will go into the trunk and never see the light of day again, but I’m still proud of them.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned with regards to your writing?

Even though most of the story should be in place in the first draft, rewriting is essential.  Sometimes you don’t even know what’s missing until you read the finished first draft.  When I started out, I had a bad tendency to skim over a first draft and say, “This is good as is!  I’ll send it out right now!”  Unsurprisingly, that led to many rejections, but I eventually came to realize that all those guys who extol the virtues of rewriting are right.  I forced myself to rewrite, and suddenly, I started getting more acceptance letters.

What do you like to do to relax?

Other than writing, I spend a lot of time outdoors with my wife and kids.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Loveless, due out from Bad Moon on July 21st, is a southern gothic.  It’s a ghost story that takes place on a Georgia lake, where the spirit of a murdered woman threatens an entire town in her quest for vengeance.

Currently, I’m working on a book with a working title of Casualties.  It’s about a lot of things, including elemental evil spirits, PTSD, and the bonds of family.