Our Interview with Jeff Glaze!

                                

                                                      Bio

An author, artist and web designer, I tell stories that pull the reader into alternate worlds. Born in Niles, Ohio and attended Mineral Ridge HS. Lived in large cities across the US and have had more various types of jobs than most people can imagine.

I settled in Atlanta in 1985 and it has been home to me since. I currently enjoy my life here with my wife and editor, Susan, our 2 dogs Harley and Jake, our parrot JoJo, and an aquarium full of fish.

                                                  Bio provided by author's site

It was our pleasure to get an opportunity to interview Jeff and find out more about him and how he came to this point in his life of being an author. On his site they show the amazing process of how they came up with the cover for his book. It really is quite fascinating! Get comfortable and please give a warm welcome to Jeff!

1. What makes for a good hook in your stories? Where does your inspiration come from? I like a good twist ending. Setting up a vision in the reader’s mind, then throwing something at them they totally did not expect. I believe that makes the story more fun and gives my reader that wow factor they are looking for in true escapism. My inspiration comes from thinking about ordinary things and situations and looking for the other side of it, the side that people rarely confront.

2. Are you an organized writer? Do you do things like take notes and make lists of characters? Or do you free write and work it out as you go? I don’t use outlines. I do make a list of characters as they are introduced into the story. Places used are also documented in case they are revisited. I tend to write where the story takes me. I used an outline for The Spirit Box for a while but eventually gave up on it when my story led me in a different direction.

3. What is your normal writing day like? Do you write when you are inspired or do you have a schedule? In the morning I write only 25 minutes a day on my way to the day job on the commuter train. I also have begun writing at night for The Horror Challenge, a new Facebook page where my readers challenge me to write stories about everyday objects. I am trying to write a story a day.

4. Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to write? The book that inspired me to write was called John Dies at The End. It was over the top craziness and showed me that a story does not have to dwell within any rules or boundaries. It freed my imagination to really write a interesting and intense tale. I do have many other favorite authors.

5. It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is there any part of it you don’t like? I don’t like the work it takes to promote, often many more hours a day than I spend on writing. I love my fans and without that effort, no one would know who I am. I think if you queried other writers, the promotion would be the biggest complaint.

6. Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading right now?I read on the train after work on my way home. I am currently reading a book by Jonathan Maberry.

7. How did you get into this writing style of horror/fiction? Is there personal life experience in the writing?My life experiences play a role in regard to having experienced things that most people might never encounter. It showed me the total unpredictability of people and that everyone has a secret to tell.

8. Your books have been published with Amazon.com, Does this mean you see the publishing industry headed this way?For too long, the gatekeepers of the publishing world were people who only let things through that they liked. As in the music industry, the model of publishing is changing to a market where the public can decide what they want to read, not what someone tells them they can. It has opened a door for someone like me who writes stories that are out of the mainstream for my genre. Traditional publishing has already died, the victim is just a ghost trapped in this world until they finally realize their fate.

9. Do you have any online sites where others can read more of your writings? I put a lot on Facebook, but I do have a website www.jhglaze.com where there is some background on my books. My new project, The Horror Challenge on Facebook will be a large collection of stories in a short period of time.

10. Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of stories do you plan to write next? I am writing the third installment in The Paranormal Adventures of John Hazard series called Send No Angel. I am also writing a daily series of short stories for The Horror Challenge. When book 3 is complete, I already have the story for book 4 in my head as well as a series of longer short stories. I will be writing for years to come with material I have waiting in the wings. All of my stories will be based in some type of fantasy, be it paranormal, horror, or thrillers.

11. Who would be your first choice to play John Hazard from your book "The Spirit Box (John Hazard book 1)"? I have seen many actors who could play him. One might be Sam Worthington, whom I have seen in a lot of movies lately.

12. If you could meet anyone from any time who would it be and what would be your first question? I would like to meet my father’s father. My grandfather died when I was 2 years old so I never knew him. I would ask him what his life was like working in the coal mines and how he dealt with that day after day.