Keith Ferrario: Monster! Part One

Dear Readers: In my on-going series on other authors, today I welcome Keith Ferrario. upcoming Gabriel's Horn author writing in the horror genre.

I will present his interview over the next three days.  My experience with horror is limited, but while my instinctive reaction is to think of slasher movies and say I don't like the genre, I often find that when I read it, it's a much wider field than I (and I'm guessing many) realize and I often do like it.  Years ago, for instance, I did a review of Kat Yares's collection of short horror stories.  I found they were really more like The Twilight Zone short stories.

I have read most of Monster and was really enjoying it.  (It was only a matter of too many other duties and demands and deadlines that pulled me away.)

Keith was previously published at Samhain and is in the process of moving his four titles to Gabriel's Horn.  So, on to the beginning of my interview with Keith! 

1. Tell us what got you started in writing. What got you interested in the horror genre in particular?

As far back as I can remember I’ve always enjoyed the horror genre in all its forms—movies, TV shows, comics, short stories, books. I especially loved a good monster movie—there was nothing better than watching the old Universal monsters (The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, etc.), though watching any monster movie was simply fantastic. 

I remember the exact event that started me on the writing path. It was a late-night viewing of the movie The Brain That Wouldn’t Die when I was in the fourth grade. Unfortunately, I fell asleep on the couch and missed most of the movie. I was so disappointed in the morning that I began to write my own version to see how it would turn out. From that point on I wanted to write my own stories.

2. That's a great story!  I'm curious how far you got in that process!  Tell us about your first publishing experience.  It's a little different from many authors!

When I first started writing, I thought all you did was write a book, send it to a publisher, and it gets published. Sounds pretty naïve when I say it out loud. But that’s exactly what happened. I wrote my first book Deadly Friend, sent it to Leisure Books, and the next thing I knew I received a phone call from their chief editor.

3. That is an experience most authors would envy!  What have you done to hone your writing skills?  Classes, critique groups, workshops?

It may sound odd, but in school, including college, I didn’t take a single class in creative writing (school always seem to zap the enjoyment out of anything). So, when I began writing novels, I knew I had a bit of catching up to do. I bought several (i.e. a lot) of books on writing and read them cover to cover (well, most of them). I also took three Adult Extension classes on novel writing at the University of Minnesota and a couple of classes at The Loft (a local writing community/organization). But that was years ago. These days, I hone my writing skills just by writing. Like anything else practice makes perfect.

4. I'm very much in agreement that doing a thing is usually the best way to improve!  Reading good books is also pretty important!  Tell us about your book Monster, and the inspiration behind it.

The initial spark for the idea that led to Monster came during a forty-eight-hour classic (pre-1960) monster movie binge. Watching those old classics, I couldn’t help noticing that the less humanoid the creatures were, the more they were just mindless killing machines. It occurred to me, what if those monsters weren’t mindless, but sentient, even intelligent. Later, as I thought about it more, I expanded the idea to include that, like their human counterparts, over time the creatures could learn the difference between right and wrong and that they could even develop a conscience.

So for my story I picked a form which would be the least humanoid—a shapeless mass. But, I wanted my creature to be from our natural world—not from outer space, not from another dimension, and not conjured up by science or magic. Then I thought: Antarctica—perfect—once tropical, now a frozen wasteland—the perfect place to have a creature exist and thrive in the past, but now trapped (under the ice) and isolated from modern man.

Thank you, Keith!  Stay tuned for Part II in the next day or two!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Keith Ferrario grew up in Duluth, Minnesota where he developed his love of horror, which goes back as far as he can remember. Watching Shock Theater and Creature Features on late Friday nights, he became a fan of Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr, and Vincent Price. Shows like Dark Shadows, The Outer Limits, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker and comics like Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror pushed him farther down this dark path. After receiving his BA Degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, he moved down to the Twin Cities of Minnesota and began his career as a computer programmer. Now as a horror novelist, he gets to craft his own stories of monsters and things that go bump in the night.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adam Hayes pilots a small team to a remote Antarctic research station. Their mission: to investigate the loss of communications. Once there, the group of five find the station deserted, the radio smashed, and several strange piles of empty clothing. Forced to stay the night by a blinding snowstorm, they set out to solve the mystery of the missing crew. Eventually they will learn the horrifying truth—the station is not empty after all, and something unimaginable, dug up from the deep ice, roams the complex. Now they must fight for their lives against a cunning, thinking monster—and those who would unleash this terror on the rest of the world.

You can stay up to date with Keith's upcoming books via his page at Gabriel's Horn: Keith Ferrario

When is The Battle is O'er coming out?  READ HERE.

If you are interested in having Scotland through the Eyes of the Author presented to your group, please contact me at editors@gabrielshornpress.com 

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Interested in writing?  Would you like to take some classes?
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