Grinning Skull Press has just released the an anthology from The Horror Writers of Maine, Northern Frights. The book was edited by David Price, and features an intro by Holly Newstein Hautala. I have a story in it, and am thrilled to be in a book with so many friends, including both of my Tuesday Mayhem Society Cohorts, Peter Dudar and April Hawks. I asked co-contributor Angi Shearstone a few questions.
What inspired your story?
I have some characters in my current large WIP, and had a general idea of their background. I wanted to develop the details of how they first met and plant the seeds of the relationship that followed.
What are you working on now?
A few things! That current large WIP – BloodDreams, a vampire story that kicks off in the 1977 punk scene (a few hundred years after my Northern Frights story). I’ve got the first book mostly settled, and am trying to write out the rest of the first story arc, which I think is two more books. The books started as a conversion from comic book scripts that I wrote, when I decided to put the comic on hold and try writing it all as prose. That’s why I’m not quite sure how many books it should be. Prose gives more opportunity to explore tangents & subplots, whereas comics you have to keep in mind the “budget” of pages & how much stuff one page can handle. I have a time travel story that’s almost done with its ugly first draft stage, and that’s starting to look like 10,000 words despite my plans and best efforts to keep it under 8,000. And I have a ghost story floating around in my head (ha!). I’m hoping to nail that and submit it to the New England Horror Writers anthology.
What are your thoughts on Maine?
Maine is fascinating and has a unique flavor for its part of New England. I especially love Portland, where some good friends live. I haven’t experienced much beyond that yet!
What are your top 5 favorite books?
Ah! This is kinda hard, because after the first two, it’s a mash of things that are about tied. Comics are easier, I’ll include those. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) Good Omens (Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett Mur Lafferty’s Afterlife series (Heaven, Hell, etc…) The Harry Potter Series (JK Rowling) The Parasol Protectorate Series (Gail Carriger) Comics: Hellblazer Preacher Transmetropolitan Planetary The Books of Magic
Tell us a bit about your background.
I’m an artist who likes to tell stories. I started with a BFA in Illustration, and 10 years later got my MFA in Sequential Art (comic books!). My storytelling preferences turned me towards books & prose, though, starting about 4 years ago. Right now I’m happy to keep art and stories separate. I sell fine art and get illustration & graphic design commissions.
Favorite quote?
“A painting is never finished, it simply stops in interesting places…” (Paul Gardner) The same probably holds true for books & stories!!
I’m also fond of things like “perfect is the enemy of the good / done” / “done is the engine for more.”
General:
https://twitter.com/punk_vampires
http://www.creativityandcats.com/
Project
http://blooddreams.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BloodDreamsStory/
http://twitter.com/blood_dreams
Author
https://www.facebook.com/Angi.Shearstone.Author/
https://twitter.com/angi_shearstone
Artist
http://www.angishearstone.com/
http://www.paintedcomics.com/
http://shearstonecreative.weebly.com/
Morgan Sylvia 