AUTHOR INTERVIEW: RICK R. REED

A Visit with Horror Master Rick R. Reed Part Two
Author Interview by A.J. Llewellyn

1. I just ran your name through Who Would Be Your Celebrity Cell Mate and Guess Who you got?



Yep, it’s Pee Wee Herman!!! In one paragraph, please tell me what you would do if Pee Wee begged you to let him suck your toes behind bars.

I love Pee Wee Herman. His show was some of the best TV in forever. I would happily let him suck anything he wanted and would even reciprocate. Anyone as creative and funny as he is would be fun to suck toes with.

2. Geez Rick, that one didn’t even phase you! Lemme just sit in the corner quietly like a good boy while I think up something naughty to ask you and in the meantime…please, do a little shameless self promotion. Give us an excerpt of Dead End Street. BTW, please tell me that house is not real. It is a total creep fest. Where did your cover artist find it?

You’d have to ask the cover artist (Trace Edward Zaber). But isn’t it a great house? It completely lived up to what I imagined. I’m sure it’s a real house somewhere.

Here’s an excerpt from Dead End Street, which is now available from Amazon and directly from the publisher:

Even if all the horrible things that had happened there had never occurred, the house would still look scary. There were solid things one could point to and say: "that's what makes this house look forbidding:" things like the dirty white paint, most of which had cracked and fallen away, revealing the gray and rotting wood beneath.

The windows were empty eye sockets, glimpsing the darkness within, the glass panes long ago succumbing to the wiles of vandals. Pine and Maple trees grew riotously around the house, closing in on it. The steps leading up to the front porch sagged and looked as if the slightest pressure would send them crumbling.

The house's placement, where the woods met the end of Acton Road, gave it a feeling of separateness. Almost as if the house were waiting, there at the entrance to the woods, to suck in the innocent, to make them disappear into its darkness.

Not many people went near the house on Acton Road. Most, in the Ohio River town of Summitville, Pennsylvania, had forgotten what had occurred in the house fifteen years ago. The murders had caused a sensation at the time, but the crimes faded into obscurity, much as the house, once neatly kept and inhabited, faded into rot and disrepair.
***
Not everyone in Summitville had forgotten the house. Over the years, groups of teenagers had tested their mettle by entering the house, searching for bloody handprints on the walls or the chalk outline of a body. There were always one or two who were brave enough—or foolhardy enough—to wander inside, to test the creaking floorboards. These brave souls would often run outside, screaming and laughing, and report back to those less brave, outside and waiting in the shadows, that they had heard a voice telling them to get out, or that they saw a shadow pass along a wall, or simply felt a presence there, watching.

Peter, Marlene, David, Roy and Erin had more of a mission than to merely cross the threshold of the house to see what was inside. The group of five, all eighth graders at East Junior High School, had known each other since they were just little kids, having grown up in the same neighborhood on the hillside not far from the infamous Tuttle house. They too had heard the stories of weird lights flickering on and off in a house that had long ago seen the exit of electricity, or the tales of people who had gone inside, only never to return.

3.That’s a scary little tale, honey! Which leads me to my next question…do you spook yourself writing the stuff you come up with?

Not really. I’m too much like the magician: I’m way too aware of what goes into the trick. But I can make myself laugh and especially cry with certain other parts of my writing.

4. Who is the best, creepy-good horror villain: Jame Gumb, Jigsaw or Chucky and why?

Jaime Gumb…from Silence of the Lambs. He’s scariest because he’s the most real.

5. How do you keep up that relentless pressure in your stories? I mean, it’s difficult to breathe reading them…is it the same when you’re writing it? How do you manage to crank up the heat that way? This leads me to ask, do you do a lot of revision or are you a one-shot guy?

As I said above, that kind of stuff is like a magician’s bag of tricks. If you think I’m gonna sit here and give away my secrets, think again, sweetheart. I do a lot of revising as I write, then again, when the work is finished. But I am not someone who writes the same book over and over again. I think a lot of the organization, plotting, and so on goes on inside my head…or comes from instinct, which I’ve learned very much to trust.

6. I am curious about your writing routine…do you plan things out or are you a panster?

I’m not sure what a panster is. Does it have something to do with Pan, of myth? Then yes, maybe. I plot things out in a very general way. My characters usually end up changing everything, which will make sense to other writers who are reading this. Those who don’t write will likely scratch their heads.

7. I have asked you before about your problem with happy endings. I know you swear you don’t have one but I need to disagree. I just finished reading Riding the El…so I know of whence I speak, my friend. My real question here is about Orientation. A book I loved and not to spoil things for those who haven’t read it, but might we be seeing a sequel some time soon in which Robert finds true love? I’m worried about him…I know he’s fictional…but you know…he’s nice.

Well, many of my stories do have happy endings; that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

AJ: [Laughs himself silly] No, no, go on. I’m listening.

I don’t know if I’ll ever write a sequel to Orientation. I never envisioned it as a series. But we never know where inspiration might lead us… I encourage you to think up your own happy ending for Robert (or to decide if he actually found it…with Jess, his young lesbian friend).

AJ: How can they? She found a potential love interest at the end…with someone else, although I must say I would have been thrilled if she and Robert got together at the end. I’m a hopeless romantic, Rick.
How can they have a happy ending? Well, I think love comes in all forms, shapes and sizes and maybe the most fulfilling love isn’t necessarily one rooted in sexuality.


8. It is for me…maybe I’m not very well adjusted, lol…You recently wrote a very controversial blog about women writing M/M fiction. I know a lot of people had comments but in my opinion you seemed to weight on the side of being against it. How do you feel about that blog now and did you hesitate before posting it?

I don’t think I came down against it at all. My thoughts were that if someone can write a good story, the human elements that link us all are all that’s needed to make it convincing, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. My blog about was just speaking to my curiosity about this trend of straight women writing about male-to-male relationships.

Questioning something doesn’t necessarily equate to being against it. I have written books from a woman’s point of view, a lesbian’s point of view, and beyond, and think I succeeded because I concentrated more on the human bonds that bring us all together, rather than what separates us.

No, I didn’t hesitate before posting it. If I can provoke some thought or emotion with my writing, then I’m doing my job.

9. You provocateur, you! I am not sure if you read my interview with Victor J. Banis, but he said some very interesting things on the subject. I was intrigued when he said that Brokeback Mountain moved him to tears and that a man could never have written it. How do you feel about that?

Victor is a man I consider a friend and I admire him very much. I don’t know that I agree that a man could NEVER have written Brokeback Mountain, although I can understand how someone might posit that a man would never have the sensitivity to write a story like that. But I think some men do have the awareness and sensitivity to write a comparable tale, just as I think some women would not.

10.Do you really think Proposition 8 will get the chop in California?

I hope not. It will be a sad day for a country that prides itself supposedly on freedom and equality if it does.

11.What was your favorite TV show growing up?

That’s easy and probably not too surprising: Dark Shadows. I was crazy about it. I lived between Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH and could get TV stations from both areas, which allowed me to watch it twice a day every day. I had a DS scrapbook and my bedroom was covered with posters of people like Barnabas, Quentin, and Angelique.

12. Since it's Halloween week, I have to ask, who is the sexiest to you: Elvira, Yvonne de Carlo or Jocelyn Wildenstein and why?

They’re all women. And I don’t even know who the last one is.

AJ: She’s the woman who’s had plastic surgery to make her look like a cat.

I suppose I would say Yvonne DeCarlo, if pressed (in the right place).

13.What is the funniest sex scene you ever wrote? Please give us a snippet.

Okay. Here goes:
Her fucking nails were bitten to the cuticle. She could barely swallow. Her eyes wouldn’t stay still. She was ready to scream. One more cold shower and her nipples would burst.

Christ, she needed it! And needed it bad!

All week long all Amelia could think of was sex. Commercials on TV reminded her of it. Her cat, Sprinkles, cleaning herself brought on thoughts of oral ecstasy. Her mother, Helen, grating cheese filled the kitchen with the aroma of sex. Amelia could not imagine why. A shaken bottle of Pepsi overflowing practically caused an orgasm with its suggestiveness of the male climax.

But Helen…damn her! wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace. Mother was having her bedroom painted (pewter gray with maroon trim) and was “bunking” with her daughter. The paint job had lasted longer than anticipated and Amelia needed her privacy.

Needed it desperately.

Now, as Helen left to do some grocery shopping, Amelia was practically shaking with her need. She went to the kitchen, got a bottle of Pepsi and poured its contents down the drain. She held the bottle high. “My darling,” she said, “I love you. Take me…now.”

Amelia hurried into the bedroom, dropping clothes as she went. Flinging herself dramatically on the bed, she lay back, legs spread, bent at the knees. She was already so wet she feared leaving a puddle on the chenille bedspread.

Hugging the Pepsi bottle and then kissing it, she whispered, “Make love to me.” She stuck her tongue in the opening at the top of the bottle and thrust it in and out. She lay the bottle tenderly beside her and took time to run her hands over her naked body, stopping to knead her breasts, twist her tortured nipples until she was sure they would be ripped from her body.

She arched her back with the pleasure of it all, moaning and crying out, “The pause that refreshes.” She flipped over on her stomach and with one hand, squished her pendulous breasts together, wishing they were filled with milk so she could pop them like two red-nosed pimples. With her other hand, she reached back and caressed her buttocks. She slapped her ass, pinched it and inserted her finger deep inside, wiggling it around, deeper and deeper until she felt a soft bowel movement, high up and waiting to emerge. The smell almost made her gag.

At last, she lifted the Pepsi bottle and traced an outline down her body with it. When she reached her sex, she paused for a moment, sexual tension humming in the air like an electric current, then plunged the Pepsi bottle deep inside her. She encountered no resistance, having been wet for days. In fact, the bottle went in all the way and slid immediately from Amelia’s grasp.

She tensed, hearing the door open. “Amelia?” Helen called. “For Christ’s sake, what are your clothes doing all over the living room?”

Amelia reached deep inside her love canal…and felt nothing. The bottle was gone. “And I didn’t even come!” Amelia moaned, frustrated.

Helen poked her head in the door, grinning. “Whaaaat?”

14.If you could be Britney Spears for one hour, what would you do?

Fuck Kevin Federline.

15.ROFL! What books are you working on now and what is coming out soon?

I am working on a new novel that gets back to my gay horror roots: it combines leather, a ghost, a horrific murder, and the redemptive power of love. In the next couple of months, I will have a couple short ebooks coming out from Amber Allure, the GLBT division of Amber Quill Press: VGL Male Seeks Same and Through the Closet Door.

On behalf of the Dark Diva Reviews, I’d like to thank RICK R. REED for coming by again and talking about Halloween which for me will never be the same again! Please check out Rick’s Purchase links:

Dead End Street
e-book: http://amberquill.com/DeadEndStreet.html
Amazon (print): http://www.amazon.com/Dead-End-Street-Rick-Reed/dp/1602729174/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224538461&sr=8-3

How I Became Sexually Irresistible
e-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/SexuallyIrresistible.html

Fugue:
e-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Fugue.html

Orientation:
e-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Orientation.html
Amazon (print): http://www.amazon.com/Orientation-Rick-R-Reed/dp/1602729379/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224538643&sr=1-4

Author Interview: Rick R. Reed

Rick R. Reed: Horror's Dark Master
Author Interview by A.J. Llewellyn

Part One - Part Two tomorrow

1. Rick, welcome back to the Dark Divas! We’re very excited to have you back here. Since your last visit, you’ve had two new books released, Fugue and How to Become Sexually Irresistible (I personally think you’ve got that one nailed!) but I digress. Your newbie Dead End Street looks frightening and creepy. Can you tell me where the inspiration came for the Tuttle House and do you believe in haunted houses?

Thanks for having me, AJ. I’m excited about Dead End Street, and even more excited that it’s coming out around Halloween. Like most inspiration, it’s hard to say where this one came from. The story is about five misfit teenagers who decide to form a Halloween Horror Club and have a contest to tell terrifying stories. The twist is that they tell the stories in the old abandoned Tuttle house, the scene of an infamous murder of almost an entire family fifteen years prior. The house may not be as empty as they think… I guess the inspiration came from growing up in a small Ohio River town much like the one in which the book is set. I grew up in a valley with tree-covered hills all around and lone houses as the tree line were full of possibilities for horror.

I do believe in haunted houses and ghosts. I think the energy of living people can sometimes stick around long after they’re gone physically. At least it’s more fun to think that way.

2. Have you ever seen a ghost or had an ‘other worldly’ encounter?

Yes. Do you want to know more? It happened when I was in college. My girlfriend (who later became my wife…a whole ‘nother story) and I had stayed on campus over a holiday weekend, so the place was fairly deserted. We had just settled down to go to sleep when I heard someone jiggling the doorknob on the bedroom door. Before I could do anything, I looked over and a short young man about my age at the time (20) was walking across the bedroom, toward the bed…naked. This was not sexy by any means. It was terrifying. I shut my eyes and turned toward my girlfriend. When I looked back, he was gone. I got up and checked around the apartment and the door was still locked from the inside. The scariest thing was: my girlfriend and I said nothing to each other until several minutes after this happened. And she saw the exact same thing.

I still wonder if it was a coincidence that the apartment complex I lived in that year was next door to a cemetery.

3. Well, since you bring up the issue of your wife, were you attracted to men at the time or was this something that developed or became more obvious to you over time?

That's a question that probably needs a lot more involved answer than I can give here. I will just say that I was aware of an attraction to men, but it took me a long time to accept it. Acceptance and awareness can often be miles and miles apart.

4. Do you watch scary movies? Since it’s Halloween I need to know and if so, what’s your all time favorite?

I LOVE scary movies! I always have, which is probably why I like to write scary stories. It’s a point of contention between my partner and me because he does not; I usually load up our Netflix queue with horror movies when he goes out of town on business. My all-time favorite horror movie? Do I have to pick just one? No, no, I can’t. Some favorites that immediately come to mind are Carnival of Souls, Psycho, an Asian horror film called Audition (the most disturbing, to me, horror movie I’ve ever seen), The Haunting (the original version), and Night of the Living Dead. I also am absolutely creeped out by Repulsion, an old Roman Polanski film with a very young Catherine Deneuve.

5. Wait…do you mean the Japanese movie Audition…original title Odishan? I remember seeing trailers for that saying “It makes Psycho seem quaint.” What is it about the movie that was so disturbing?

That’s the one! I think the filmmakers manipulate you very well, the movie almost seems like a light romantic comedy at the start, and then the downward plunge into insanity and terror is unrelenting. The idea of using acupuncture needles for torture was a fresh and chilling idea. The anti-heroine (stalker) looks so sweet and innocent, it just makes it all the more shocking that she is so evil and twisted.

6. Did you ever see the Italian horror movie Suspiria? It’s my guilty pleasure. I love Psycho and still find it chilling even after watching I a million times. I interviewed Anthony Perkins many years ago and he told me he couldn’t have a shower without leaving the door open. Do movies or stories affect you that way? Take hold and not let go – apart from Audition, that is?

I have never seen Suspiria. Guess I’ll have to add it to my Netflix queue. Of course, movies and stories affect me very deeply, although I have become a bit jaded when it comes to horror, which is why Audition had such a profound effect.

7. What was the first Halloween costume you had as a kid? What do you remember of your first time out trick or treating? Oh…and what’s your favorite Halloween candy?

Although I’m too chicken to do drag now, I can remember being in first or second grade and dressing up as a little girl (why my parents or no one else thought this was strange is still a puzzle).

AJ: LOL

I wore a blonde wig with pigtails, white dress, patent leather shoes, and even had a little girl’s coat, borrowed from a cousin. At that school, we all went home for lunch. We put on our costumes then and came back to school and sat at different desks from our usual. No one knew who I was!

8. You’d be too chicken to do drag now…is this really true, Rick? Because I’ve seen your MySpace page and you have a lot of photos there…aren’t there a few of the adult Rick in a frock and some nice high heels??? You can trust me with this info…nobody will know oh…I’m forgetting where I am…

No, it’s true. I admire drag queens. I think they’re some of the toughest, bravest men around. And I just do not have their courage.

9. Who or what would you dress up as now if you could be anybody or anything this Halloween?

I’d strip naked, wrap myself in aluminum foil, and go as leftovers.


10. This is where I could make some remarks about the um…other white meat, but I won’t. I grew up in Australia. Halloween did not exist and trick or treating was something I read about in Archie comics…but it’s something I know has changed over the years, right? Weirdoes putting razor blades in candy etc…and now, pedophiles in Maryland are forced to put up pumpkin signs outside their houses saying “No Candy Here” and they have to turn out their porch lights. Is Halloween still Halloween, Rick?

It’s a different world from when I grew up, but I’d like to think that, yes, Halloween is still Halloween. Everything changes over time…Trick or treating was very different, I suspect, from what kids experience nowadays. I grew up in a small town, and we went out after dark and were out for hours. I would come home with a pillowcase full of teeth-rotting treats. My favorite candy? Good and Plenty, honey. I loves me some black licorice.

11. Here’s some licorice…all yours. What was your favorite toy growing up?

Charlie, a stuffed monkey I slept with every night. One night, his ear fell off and I was hysterical. My mother had to get up and stitch it back on immediately.

12. Was he a spooky monkey or a nice monkey? And what happened to him?

He was a very nice monkey and I don’t know what happened to him. The real version is I outgrew him and he went into our basement. He probably was thrown out when my mother sold our house after my father died. Or maybe…he’s still with me. And he’s my muse and inspiration for everything.

13. It’s Halloween and I have to ask…which of the Village People singers do you consider the sexiest/most intriguing?

Well, since I have some history with the leather gear, I suppose the leatherman and I would have some things to talk about (in addition to all things chaps, harnesses, caps; we could also discuss big moustaches, something I also used to have).


14. Tell me about your life in Seattle. All settled in Seattle? (Hey, swell movie title!) And have you found your personal coffee shop yet? How does Lily like living there?

Seattle has been great so far. I love the natural beauty, the political left leaning, and the kind of laid-back energy of the place. I’m still working on making it home, but I’m confident it will become that. I’m much more suited to Seattle than I was to Miami. I have found my favorite personal café and it’s a dangerous place: it’s an organic, vegan friendly doughnut shop (only in Seattle!) near my house called Mighty O. I can walk there and try to limit myself to no more than once a week because I am simply unable to just buy coffee or even one doughnut. Lily is adjusting well. As a Boston Terrier, heat and her snout do not mix well, so I think she’s more comfortable here.

15. A vegan friendly donut? Surely this must taste…gruesome? The Mighty O? That sounds a little bit…naughty, Rick...

Far from gruesome. They’re the best doughnuts ever…moist and cakey. Just biting into one makes me have a mighty O! Talk about your glazed doughnuts!

16. LOL! Do you anticipate many trick or treaters coming by this weekend? What kind of candy will you give them or will you make the little buggers sing for their snacks…you know do tricks?

We live in a very residential area, so I would imagine we’ll have some trick or treaters. I’d love to give them some good Washington apples, but that’s a no-no these days, so I will probably stick with sterile-wrapped mini candy bars. I am not making children do tricks. I save that for adult men.

17. You walked right into that one, mate. What’s the best trick Bruce can ever do for you?

Put up with me.

Please stay tuned tomorrow for more Halloween, Horror and Celebrity Cell Mates with RICK R. REED.

In the meantime, please check out his er...horrifically cool links:

Dead End Streete-book: http://amberquill.com/DeadEndStreet.htmlAmazon (print): http://www.amazon.com/Dead-End-Street-Rick-Reed/dp/1602729174/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224538461&sr=8-3How I Became Sexually Irresistiblee-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/SexuallyIrresistible.htmlFugue:e-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Fugue.htmlOrientation:e-book: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Orientation.htmlAmazon (print): http://www.amazon.com/Orientation-Rick-R-Reed/dp/1602729379/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224538643&sr=1-4

Author Interview: JON MICHAELSEN

FOR THE LOVE OF MEN - Interview By A.J. Llewellyn

1.Hi Jon, welcome to the Divas! When did you start writing M/M fiction and which authors - M/M specifically - appealed to you the most when you started writing your stories?

I have been writing stories as long as I can recall. I began writing M/M fiction sometime in my late teens and wrote my first novel at seventeen. Authors that appealed to me at this age were Patricia Nell Warren and James Kirkwood. In my early twenties, I discovered the writings of Michael Nava, Felice Picano, Armistead Maupin and Andrew Holleran.

2. I am intrigued that you describe yourself as an author whose characters 'just happen to be gay'. Do you see a difference between this and books that state themselves as M/M fiction?

Yes and no. I guess my answer depends on the targeted audience, material or which author. Some of my favorite novels do not contain a single gay character (or perhaps they get the obligatory cameo role), yet I find that I read many stories as if the protagonist is “gay” – so what if he/she has a love interest of the opposite sex! Why limit ourselves, I ask? I’ve been gay as long as I can remember, but it took years of personal growth before I began to speak so candidly about it. I don’t think my sexuality defines who I am – so why should it define my characters?

3. You mention one of my favorite authors Felice Picano as being an influence. I only recently discovered him and was over the moon about a short story of his, The Married Man that I read in an anthology called New York Sex. I could talk to you about him all day but what is it about his work that you particularly admire?

OMG! I discovered Felice Picano about two years ago. He released Like People in History, to date my favorite novel of his. I couldn’t believe that I never came across his titles before. Perhaps because most mainstream bookstores at the time didn’t carry gay-themed titles as much as they do currently, albeit a very limited selection. I searched online and ordered four more titles of his work right away: The Lure, The Book of Lies and Onyx. What intrigues me most about Picano’s writing is his uncanny gift of absorbing the reader into his characters’ lives. You don’t ever want his stories to end! I’m also intrigued by his versatility in his writing; he doesn’t stick with one genre.

4. I must mention something here about your personal life. I know you have been with your lifelong partner for 22 years. Congratulations! How do you sustain a relationship that long in this crazy world?

(Laughs) I’m always amazed when people – even close friends – seem shocked at the number of years I have been with my partner. We got together during the mid-80s and the rage of AIDS was not yet realized by our community, and indeed the world. I’d like to say we met at the right time, the right place, but our introduction was far less dramatic. Sustain, you ask? I think any relationship takes hard work. Our partnership is no different than a marriage between a man and a woman, with exception of obvious legal exclusions.

5. What are the three things you love most about him? Quick…first things off the top of your head…

His loyalty, honesty and enduring love.


6. What is your life like in Atlanta and have you found it to be gay friendly? Do you have a writerly ritual, like a fave coffee shop hangout?

Atlanta is very gay friendly! At least, within the city limits and some of the immediate suburbs. Once you get outside the city, outside the interstate perimeter I-285 (locals called it “OTP” or outside the perimeter), acceptance and tolerance lessens the further away from town one drives, but the boundaries of acceptance keep expanding each year.
My favorite haunt to pound out a few words in my laptop while enjoying a great cup of joe, friendly staff and excellent music is Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse http://www.outwritebooks.com/ which is in the heart of Midtown, the gay mecca of Atlanta. In fact, I wrote scenes from my current e-book, Voyeur, while seated at a favorite table near to the window and glancing out at the tall buildings of Midtown. Outwrite is located at the corners of Tenth and Piedmont, a popular spot that manages to find its way into the pages of several of my stories, including my current work-in-progress; a murder/suspense novel releasing sometime early next year.

7. Have you considered getting married in California and can I come to the wedding??

No and Yes! We’ll wait for marriage to become legal in Georgia before going that route. When that happens - or we move to a state that legalizes marriage between same-sex couples, absolutely!

8. I promise not to embarrass you or spit at anybody, unless they ask me to, of course…Okay Jon, dish. You say you have three monstrous terriers. What are their names and how bad are they, really?

Have you ever owned a terrier?

AJ says: I have a golden retriever. In her puppy days when she chewed everything and tried to kill the cats, I threatened to turn her into a throw rug. The dog understood and has been a Stepford Dog ever since…but do go on…

LOL. Well, we have terrors, er terriers (!), but we love them dearly. You can’t threaten them; they’re up for the challenge! Each is unique in personality and smart as a whip. Their names in order of age are Gracie, Monte and Morgan and they are the of the same breed, Lakeland Terrier. I’m exaggerating some, but any terrier owner will tell you to keep an eye peeled in their direction at all times as they get bored and get into trouble at the drop of a dime.

9. If you were a Disney character, which one would you be, and why?

Hands down, Nemo! I love the ocean and plan to retire hear the water one day. My family lives in Florida. I would love to travel the currents and see the “underworld” like Nemo.


10. Do you read a lot? What books do you enjoy the most?

I read all the time. When I’m not writing or editing my own work, I’m reading and/or reviewing another author’s writing as part of an online writing workshop I’m involved in. I usually read two or three novels simultaneously; one sits in my car, one bedside my bed and another near where I happen to relax for the evening in the house. I love to read! In order to keep the story lines from merging, I’ll try to read different genres. For instance, currently I’m reading Rick R Reed’s psychotic serial killer thriller, IM.

AJ Says: Hold it right there. He is my new favorite author. He scares the pants off me! I loved IM!

Wow, what a thriller! Have you seen the cover of his new release set for October 2008, Dead End Street? OMG! The cover of the novel sends shivers up my spine! I can’t wait to read it. I’m also reading The Mistress and the Mouse by J.J. Giles, an erotic soap-opera that would make hardcore Dallas and Dynasty blush! The third book I’m re-reading at the moment (yes, re-reading since I read all stories prior to publication during creation) is the all male, erotic romance anthology titled, Men, from Loveyoudivine, which includes my story, Voyeur.

11. I have asked other M/M authors this and it continues to enthrall and baffle me. Why do you think so many women have become increasingly drawn to M/M fiction over the last couple of years?

I honestly do not know. No one was more shocked than me to learn that most of the people buying my e-book, Voyeur, are women. That holds true for the recently released print anthology, Men.

12. Can you personally tell if a woman (passing as a man) is writing M/M fic and what is the difference in your mind?

A difficult question to answer. I believe it can depend on the author, perhaps their experience to some degree. There is some m/m fiction where I can peg the difference on the spot, similar to if I tried writing m/f fiction – I don’t have the experience or knowledge in some areas of m/f couplings that would lend credibility to the story. I feel the same holds true in some m/m fiction written by women sometimes. But, I’m often proven wrong. Take Anastasia Rabiyah, for instance. She’s a wonderfully gifted writer who recently released, The Blindfold, another story in the Men anthology. If I’d read the story without knowing the author was a woman, I’d swear a gay guy penned it! Just goes to show, can’t judge the greatness of a novel by the gender of the author alone.

11. What are you working on now and please describe your writing process.

I’m in the editing stages of a murder/suspense novel that should go to my publisher by the end of the year centered on a closeted gay-homicide detective in Atlanta, Georgia; the first in a series. I have at least three novellas in the hopper that I hope to submit before the end of the year, and a selection to be included in Men II, which is set for release in early 2009.
My writing process? Scattered! I work on the story that I’m in the mood for at the moment, what ever jumps forward. I can move back and forth, work on a short-story or my novel based on where my muse takes me. I carry a micro-cassette recorder (remember those?) with me in the car at all times. I’m usually recording scenes, dialog or story ideas while tooling down the highway.

12. I was fascinated to see that on your website, you described Michael Crichton as a literary influence. Is this where you get your 'twisty' inspiration for your books?

Some, yes. Others include Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, M. Night Shamalyan, John Grisham and David Baldacci – and a recent discovery, Max Griffin.

13. I just ran your name through the Vampire Name Generator. It’s pretty cool, actually. This is what came out: The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:
Emperor of Scandanavia
Known in some parts of the world as: Father of The Steely Moon
The Great Archives Record: A child of the Moon Goddess - Cold, determined, but of the light in the night.

Now imagine that you, Steely Moon, have just landed with a thud in Atlanta. Georgia in the gay ‘hood. What one special, unusual vampire trait do you have?

Wow, you’ve put me on the spot! How about, that I can move among the living even during daylight hours, a rarity of my heritage borne centuries ago.

14. Cool Answer…Now, forgetting you’re not single just for a moment, if you could conjure up any outfit and any man in the world you, Steely Moon, wanted for a hot night on the town, what you wear and who would your date be? And how long would it take for you to put out?

Hands down, my date would be Christian Bale. We’d dine at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead in formal tuxedos, before heading out for the evening later in black jeans, dark boots and t-shirts. To “put out”? Depends on when he’s called into action in his bat suit.

15. Oh you have a great sense of humor. I love it!! So, what is next after Men II?

My goal? Lots and lots of writing! Men was just released this month, and before I know it, Men II will be here. I need to finish editing my murder/suspense novel, Pretty Boy Dead, and start on the second book in the series, as well as other projects throughout next year. Also, I have an idea for a ghost story.

16. One final question while I still have you under the harsh spotlight of the interrogator’s death beam…am I the sexiest guy to ever interview you?

Well, of course!!

On behalf of Dark Diva Reviews, I would like to thank Jon Michaelsen for stopping by today…and for being such good fun!!! Find out more about him at:

http://www.jonmichaelsen.com/
www.myspace.com/jonmichaelsen

Order my current e-book
http://tinyurl.com/LYD-Voyeur

Order Men from loveyoudivine
http://tinyurl.com/LYD-MEN

order MEN from Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/MENwhoLOVEmen

http://www.loveyoudivine.com/

Inside the Wondermind of Horror Author RICK R. REED

Author Interview by AJ Llewellyn


1. Rick, you definitely do not write to the comfort level of your readers. There is rarely a happy ending. Sometimes one character gets it, another doesn't. You also bump off major characters. Is this a conscious decision in your work, to flaunt tradition?

Oh, I don't know; I think you'll find a lot of happy endings in my work. It all depends on how you look at things. When I write, I simply like to look at things realistically, so my books are rarely black and white in any sense, they move between the two extremes...and happy endings are one example of what I think of as realism and the shades of gray we find in real life. My stories are very personal and usually driven by my characters, who become very real in my head. So I don't think there's any deliberate attempt to flaunt tradition.

2. When did you start writing? I believe your first published book was in 1991 wasn't it? But what about the actual writing?

I started writing when I was about six years old, when I wrote my first short story. I haven't let up since. I wrote my first play in 4th grade, my first novella in fifth and, by the time I graduated high school, had written two novels and enough short stories to fill an anthology. Of course, I wouldn't share any of that stuff with anyone now! Writing is a constitutional thing with me. Like being gay, it's just who I am...and definitely not a choice!

3. What drew you to horror and whose work in that field do you admire?

I have always been fascinated with the dark side of things. Even as a small child, I preferred horror movies over Disney type stuff (my parents used to let me stay up late on Saturday nights to watch the Chiller Theater double feature out of Pittsburgh). Horror intrigues me because it explores that dark side that I think we all have inside us. I find flawed and even frightening people much more interesting to contemplate. True crime fascinates me and I can quote chapter and verse on most of the twentieth century's most notorious serial killers. I admire in fiction people like Flannery O'Connor (whose work is deliciously horrific), James Purdy, Patricia Highsmith, and Ruth Rendell. Of course, from when I was small, I have been a die-hard Stephen King fan and continue to be so. I used to feel that way about Anne Rice, but now, not so much.

4. Rick, I am very interested to hear you say this about Anne Rice because I loved her books too but could not get through much of Christ, the Lord Out of Egypt. I felt that a lot of what made her books so original was gone. Did you read that book?

No, I started giving up around the time Queen of the Damned came out. It was so long and overblown. I was afraid she was beyond the reach of an editor. When she started putting religion into her books, I just got bored. But the first couple Lestat novels were beautiful…some of the best vampire fiction I think, well, ever.

5. I know you have said your ideas come from different sources but with each successive book, you manage to pinpoint topical issues such as sexual addiction in High Risk, meth amphetamine addiction and gender bias in Orientation. Do you follow the media much? Or are these things you see in your life in general?

I think the inclusion of topical issues is more on a subconscious level because, as I said above, I am fascinated by flawed people and one of my biggest fascinations is of obsession. It really intrigues me to think about people doing things they can't help doing, but do it anyway because their compulsion is so fierce. I will pass on saying how this relates to my own personal life.


6.You are one of the pioneers of GLBT fiction. How has it changed in recent years?

A pioneer? Thanks for making me feel ancient!
(AJ says: I didn’t mean to, I meant it as a compliment!)
Oddly, thanks for making me feel honored. I don't know if I am a pioneer or not, but I do think we have seen a much broader acceptance of GLBT fiction and media lately and that's a good thing, but I think we still have a long way to go. GLBT fiction is still way too marginalized and hard to find. I think the key is finding stories that appeal not to the sexual beings in all of us, but to the human beings in all of us. We all share common bonds and when we find those stories, I think GLBT stories will be much more accessible to a wider audience. I try to write not from a GLBT perspective, but a human one. My character's sexuality is secondary to their humanity.

7. I have noticed on message boards you get a lot of female fans. Why do you think more and more women are becoming drawn to gay fiction?


I have noticed that too. I expected my gay serial killer novel about online hookups to have a very narrow appeal to gay men, but then I get letters from grandmothers telling me they loved it. I think the reason women are drawn to M/M stories is because that, when they are done right, they appeal to common issues people have: love, hope, desire. M/M is just a variation on a theme, and perhaps, a compelling variation.

8. What sort of books do you prefer to read in your own time?


I read mostly fiction, with occasional forays into non-fiction (mostly true crime or histories of disasters--am I cheery or what?). I mentioned some of my favorite authors above, but I do enjoy a good mystery and am even discovering some aspects of science fiction that I like, a genre I never thought I'd enjoy.

9. When you branched out from your usual fare with High Risk, were your publishers and fans receptive?


HIGH RISK is, if I may say so, a thrill ride of a story (I've had more than one person tell me they stayed up all night to finish it or had to read it in one sitting). So I would say that, in general, my publisher and my readers have been receptive. No one has complained about the characters' straight orientation. As I said, I think a good story appeals to anyone, regardless of gender or orientation.

10. Can you please tell me a little about your writing life? Do you write at specific times? Do you commit to a certain number of pages per day?


When I'm writing a novel, I do try to be disciplined about it, because I am my own boss (unlike I am my own wife, which is a whole 'nother story). I usually write first thing in the morning because I am very much a morning person. I usually give myself a goal of 1,000 words per day. It's an easily attainable goal for me and I often write more than that. But on the other hand, if I only write 1,000 words or a little less, I don't beat myself up too badly...and when I do beat myself up badly, I always steer clear of the face.


11. (Laughing) Dead End Street, your new book coming in October looks very, very dark. Do you spook yourself when you are writing? As a reader, your books are harrowing...what do you put yourself through to write them?

Dead End Street is a young adult novel, so while it is horror, in many ways is less dark than my other books. It's the story of five misfit kids who discover an abandoned house in their small town where a family was murdered years ago (and the son went missing) and decide to tell ghost stories in the house over the course of several weeks. Only the house is NOT as abandoned as they might think...and that's where the terror comes in. I can't really say I spook myself. I do get caught up in my characters and what's happening with them, yet I don't have to keep telling myself "it's only a book." I'm the little man behind the curtain...and I know all secrets of what will scare my readers, so I protect myself in that way.

12. You have a prolific output. Do you work on more than one book at a time?

There's no way I could write more than one book at a time! I have a hard enough time keeping everything straight in one book at a time. I just look prolific because 2007 and 2008 have been good years for me getting published. It doesn't necessarily mean everything was written from scratch in that time frame.

13. What are you working on next?

I am contracted to write two ebooks (novellas) for my publisher and need to get those done. One will be a homoerotic take on a very popular fairy tale and the other will be a coming out story about a married, closeted man. After that, I want to write a new full-length novel and will either do a sequel to IM or a new story that's been dancing around in my head about a gay couple, a murder, and a haunted condominium.

14. A haunted condo? I love it! You have been described as the Stephen King of gay horror. As such, I have to ask you, what does your muse look like? He says his muse is an ugly, chubby guy with a beard. What about yours?

I'm afraid I'm more prosaic. I just look in the mirror. He's a tough muse and he's getting old.

15. What are the two things you love most about Lily? And how does she feel about your books?

Lily is, of course, my Boston Terrier. I love the way she snorts like a pig and how she loves to cuddle with my partner and I at night when we all go to bed. She thinks my books are potboilers and not worth the paper they're printed on. But what does she know? She's a dog.

16. You say on your website that you suffered numerous head traumas. Is this true? And if so, what happened and has this influenced the 'twisted' elements in your work?

Yes, it is true. If I shaved my head, I'm afraid it wouldn't be a pretty; it would be a mass of scars from stitches and concussions. What happened: bike riding accidents (as both an adult and a child), a sledding accident where I knocked a STOP sign out of the ground with my head, being hit by a car, falling over the banister in my parents' house and landing on my head, hitting my head on the edge of a coffee table. What else? That's all I can remember. Those injuries probably explain a lot...more than just my twisted stories!

17. You and your partner are allowed to invite anybody to dinner – but they must be dead and/or fictional. Who would you invite and what’s on the menu?

If they’re dead, that would be kind of gross, wouldn’t it? At least I wouldn’t have to worry about what to serve them. I guess the first fictional character that popped into my head was Ignatius O’Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces. He would have bad manners and would complain loudly about whatever I served, but he would make me laugh, and that goes a long way in my book. I suppose, befitting his home town, I would cook him up a mess of red beans and rice with a nice big ham hock and some corn muffins. And we’d have to have lots of beer…and maybe some crayfish…and shrimps.

18. One final question. I just made you God for a day. Quick, you get to change one thing about the world. What will it be?

I’d give the Republicans the same things the Tin Man and the Scarecrow were missing.


On behalf of Dark Divas Reviews, I want to thank Rick for his time and his awesome answers.


Find out more about Rick R. Reed at his website: http://www.rickrreed.com/

and visit his myspace page at www.myspace.com/rickrreed