HORROR AUTHOR INTERVIEW : SUZANNE COWLES

Suzanne Cowles was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and now lives in Florida with her husband and dachshund. She graduated from Florida State University in Interior Design and holds a Masters of Fine Art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her twenty year professional career has spanned visual arts, 3D design and graphic arts.


One day her husband dared her to write a sequel screenplay for her favorite movie franchise.  With dedication and determination, ALIEN 5: TRANSFECTION was born in a summer. Enjoying the creative process of writing so much, she challenged herself to conceive an original story, producing SHALLOW BASIN, book one of a planned trilogy series.

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Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I write to entertain the audience, nothing else matters to me. Every detail of the story is visualized in my head and I don’t progress until the plot makes logical sense. Each character speaks and acts naturally. The action moves fast like a movie and every word counts.

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

Horror.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

The Bronte sisters, Clive Barker, C. S. Lewis.

What is your all-time favourite horror novel, and film?

All four “Alien” franchise movies, including the script I wrote for “Alien 5: Transfection”.

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

Hiding under a bed, in a closet or behind a shower curtain … we all know how well that turned out in the movie “Psycho”.

Which fictional character would be you perfect neighbour, and who would be your nightmare neighbour?

Perfect neighbour = Selene the vampire from “Underworld”.

Nightmare neighbour = Hannibal Lecter from “Silence of the Lambs”.

What do you think of the current state of the genre? 

It is experiencing a comeback.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

Great book = Miss Petegrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

Disappointment = Famous author’s sequel who I’ll leave nameless.

How would you describe your writing style?

Poetic, lyrical, more literary than commercial.

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

This is my debut novel and I’m just starting the feedback process.

What’s your favourite food?

Cake.

Who would be on the soundtrack to your life story?

 
Type O’ Negative.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned about writing?

It is very hard work.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Copy editing.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I think of myself as an artist now, instead of a professional.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?        

Books on story creation, editing references, word books, editing software, social media accounts, reams of paper, a wall corkboard for flash cards and an eReader device.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Keep writing.

Who is your favourite character from your book and why?

Witch, Adele Crenshaw (the Antagonist). She is cantankerous and manipulates behind the scenes.

How about your least favourite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

The Mayor of Stray Oaks, Eugene Rousseau, is unethical and has skeletons in his closet. It’s hard to respect someone like that.

Fame, fortune, or respect?

Respect.

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

The opening scene, especially the first sentence.

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

No, each scene is necessary to the story to move the plot along.

For those who haven’t read any of you books, what book of yours do you think best represents your work and why?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It is dark Gothic Horror with a careful choice of words that have a poetic flow.

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

Shallow Basin is my debut novel, book #1 of a trilogy. I am working on the second book, titled: Incipient.

 
What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?

Which “South Park” character are you most like? Cartman.

                   
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