HORROR INTERVIEW 5 MINUTES WITH JOHN KOHLBRENNER

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I have worked in the films industry for 11 years. During that time I have written a number of short stories and scripts, but never did anything with them because I was too busy with sound FX editing and doing music. Later I became a stay at home dad raising my daughter. I Enjoy working at home so much that I decided I should try my hand at earning an income with writing, and now I have my book.

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

Horror is the best term. That is the purpose of a scary story to install horror. The other terms sound like sugar coating a nightmare.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Joe Hill

What are you reading now?

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

How would you describe your writing style?

Right to the point, dialog driven, I won’t bore you with endless descriptions or a character’s thoughts that wander.

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

My work days comprise of sitting behind my computer from 9 to 5 typing away at the story. I do write my first draft in a notebook in script form first. This gets the story out faster and gives me a guide for what to type, even when I don’t feel motivated.

What’s your favourite food?

Ice cream, I know it is bad for you.

What’s your favourite album?

Roller by Goblin. Great mood music for writing.

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

Do plenty of research before getting into writing. Writing a book is the easiest part of being an author, it’s the sales part that is the real killer.

Fame and fortune, or respect?

I’ll take any of the above. The point of writing a book is to have an impact on others, those three options are sure signs that it is working.

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

One Dark Halloween Night – It’s my first novel and something I am not embarrassed to show to others.

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

One Dark Halloween Night is a tale of ultimate Halloween horror, full of nightmares, mysteries, suspense, action, and a whole lot of monsters. I’ve tried encompassing all the aspects of Halloween in my book and deliver a real entertaining read. For such a major holiday there aren’t any real definitive Halloween stories out there. You could say it’s The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, but it reads like a kid’s history lesson on the holiday. Or John Carpenter’s Halloween which is just a serial killer movie. So there is a void out there needing to be filled. Christmas has several stores that does that, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, etc. I hope my novel will fill that void. As for what’s next you have to read my book to find out.

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"The ultimate Halloween adventure." - Professor Grimmgraves..

From a distance, the town of Autumnville never seemed quite right - the area being picturesque while at the same time haunting. It was a quiet, peaceful place to live, but there was a strange feeling that permeated the town and its people as Halloween approached. An eerie feeling that descended upon Autumnville, and no one knew why... until now.

Jason Myers, a 12-year-old boy who enjoyed all things monsters, discovers through a mysterious Halloween blog that monsters may be very real. On the blog is a video of a witch flying on a broom sighting. While showing it to his three best friends, they come to the horrible realization that it was filmed in the very town they live in.

The four friends will have to face a host of ghosts, witches, scarecrows, and other terrifying nightmares that have invaded Autumnville for a dark and sinister purpose. The boys will have many terrifying encounters and ultimately uncover the real secret behind Halloween. But Jason is not completely helpless, for he has the unwanted aid of a monstrous ally, and of course, Jason's own incredible secret!

A suspenseful story for 12 year olds to adults.