Kel Fulgham

Kel Fulgham found his love for writing at a very young age, and has been writing poetry and short stories for several years. He has developed a special affinity for horror and science fiction stories, and loves to mix the two whenever possible. He admits that his darkest dreams provide his inspiration, but he hopes his readers enjoy his books and not experience his nightmares.

Hi Kel, please tell everyone a little about yourself.

Kel: I was born in New York and lived on Long Island and in the Bronx as a child. Growing up in New York is a very unique experience in and of itself, and just being there can spark your creativity and set your imagination free. I moved to Maine at the same time NYC was attacked (I was still in NY at the time) and have been here ever since. I love to write and work in the technology field.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?

Kel: Hmm. The writing bug must have gotten to me pretty young because I have always loved putting pen to paper. These days it’s more putting fingertips to keys but the passion is the same. I like to write fiction, and I usually stay in the paranormal realm. I write a lot of horror, sci-fi, and a little romance (although you can tell from my writing I do like a good love story). I try to focus on the human experience when met with something that falls outside of the explainable.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish?

Kel: I want most of all to invoke emotion. When someone picks up a book to read, they are looking for an escape. Ok, when I read a book, I know it’s good when I can put it down and think about it – when I find myself asking questions about it. When I get mad or sad reading about one of the characters getting hurt. I love when people come back to me and tell me “How could you kill her?” or “Don’t you dare kill his character off!” It means they’re invested, and that’s what all authors really want.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Is it part of a series or stand-alone?

Kel: Sadist II: The Duppy King is the continuation of the Sadist series. Sadist: The Rise introduced us to Cal Johnson, a pretty normal introverted kid growing up in the Bronx in the early 1970’s. He grew up in the projects and went to school like so many other kids. As he was getting ready to turn ten years old, he was mugged by a bunch of boys that went to his school, and spent six years in a coma. When he finally came out of it, he was a teenager but still had the mentality of a nine-year-old. On top of that, he finds out that when he falls asleep, people die. He falls in love with a neighbor girl, and when she is hurt, he lets his inner demon out. The Duppy King explains more about the entity within and resolves the storyline.

What’s the hook for the book?

Kel: Well I don’t know if there is a hook, per se. The mind is still for the most part “The undiscovered country” and scientists are just cracking the surface of what controls what in the brain. In theory, our real potential lies within the still unexplored portions of the brain. Science is moving toward unlocking those regions and possibly the very key to our existence.

How do you develop characters? Setting?

Kel: Well, from experience. No, I don’t have an inner demon killing people. But I grew up in NY in those projects. I saw a lot of violence as a kid.

Who’s the most unusual/most likeable character?

Kel: I think the Sadist is by far the most unusual character. I do like Cal and Maria.

Do you have specific techniques to help you maintain the course of the plot?

Kel: Well I get on my treadmill and while I am running sometimes things come to me. Usually if I’m stuck on something, if I think it through within the first five minutes on the treadmill I can break through it. It’s really quite bizarre. I do write outlines too but the book takes on a life of its own and sometimes I find myself rewriting an outline three or four times. Sometimes I don’t even know how things will go until the words are there.

Do you have a specific writing style? Preferred POV?

Kel: I guess I usually write either first or third person. I don’t have a specific writing style other than my own. I try not to get overly wordy, because every word should bring the reader deeper into the story and not just meet a quota.

Share the best review (or a portion) that you’ve ever had.

Kel: There was one gentleman who read Sadist: The Rise and said to me on Facebook that my presentation of the Bronx made him feel like he was there. Another person told me that Sadist II: The Duppy King invoked strong emotion from her. To be honest, I love all my reviews. Keep them coming!

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

Kel: My Facebook pages:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sadist-The-Rise/121505234574103

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sadist-II-The-Duppy-King/247715771929006

And of course my Twitter Page @KelFulgham.

Ian Kidd

Ian Kidd is a freelance writer, published author and qualified editor and proofreader. He has also ghostwritten fiction and non-fiction e-books, served as script/dialogue editor on two proposed horror feature film scripts for director Aleksandr Sokolyn, and had a short comic skit shortlisted for inclusion in the 2012 Sydney Fringe Festival.

Please tell us  little about yourself, Ian.

I grew up in South Yorkshire, England, before emigrating to South Australia at the age of sixteen. I have written everything from non-fiction ebooks to published short fiction, and served as script editor on two proposed horror feature film scripts for an LA based director. In terms of fiction I have written more than a hundred e-books, most of which will become available to purchase via Amazon over the coming weeks and months. The “Ian’s Gang” series will be available in ongoing separate installments and then anthology versions that collect together the most recent releases (normally around six).

I still live in South Australia, where I work as a freelance writer.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre?

Ian: The writing bug bit when I was just a child, and it was in the science fiction/horror genre even back then. I became quite notorious for writing these little horror stories which the teachers would get me to read out to class in junior school. I can’t help but think that nowadays they’d be more likely to be calling in the child psychologists than doing that!

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish?

Ian: I think my goals when I started writing were pretty much the same as they are now – which is just to write the kind of stories that I would enjoy reading, and hopefully therefore other people would too.

Briefly tell us about your latest book.

Ian: My latest book is Bloodlust, which was published in mid July 2012 by Andrews UK Ltd’s House of Erotica Books division. It’s something of a departure for me being an erotic horror, which is not a genre I’ve written before, but I enjoyed it so much, and it turned out so well, that I’m already going back to it again.

What’s the hook for the book?

Ian: It’s a pretty saucy piece about a lesbian vampire who enjoys seducing and murdering young women. I think if I read a description for a book like that, I’d be hooked right off lol!

Who’s the most likeable character?

Ian: Well, it’s funny, but I think the most likeable character is one who I originally didn’t give much thought to when planning the piece – Evan, who is the best friend of Lucy, the girl who’s targeted by the lesbian bloodsucker. Evan turned out to be so much fun, and so unwavering in her devotion to Lucy, that she became a much bigger part of the story,and I really started to like her and root for her.

Do you have any specific techniques to help you maintain the course of the plot?

Ian: Honestly, no! With only a few exceptions (namely a couple of novel-length Ian’s Gang stories which were so complex and involved I had to have a game plan or I would have got lost) I don’t generally like to plan too much. I like to have a general idea of where a story is headed, but if you over-plan I think it limits the possibilities that you can uncover with plot and characters while actually writing it.

Share the best review you’ve ever had?

Ian: Getting any reviews has been a struggle, as it is for many authors when they’re starting out, but I literally just got my first review this morning for The Bad Ian, the first in my “Ian’s Gang” series:

Really fun, self-aware short with an abundance of witty dialogue and creative storytelling, and style akin to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It should definitely please sci-fi enthusiasts.

Needless to say, I was pretty chuffed with that!

What are your current projects?

Ian: Well, the “Ian’s Gang” series continues apace, with around two new e-books being published per week, largely because it is going to take quite a while to catch up (in terms of publication) with what’s already been written. I have also just had another erotic horror novella called Whisper In Your Ear accepted, again by Andrews UK Ltd’s House of Erotica Books division, so that should hopefully show up in the next month or so as well.

Where can folks learn more about your books?

Ian: People can keep up with my latest books by visiting my Twitter account at http://twitter.com/codyw1or my blog at http://ianrobertkidd.wordpress.com