Interview with ARMAND ROSAMILIA

Introduce yourself and your credits.

Armand Rosamilia, a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida. I'm into horror, heavy metal, zombies and steampunk. I have over 40 releases to date and hope to keep adding to them and people keep buying and reading my work.

When did you start writing and how long was it before you were published?

I started writing when I was eleven or twelve, but it was all rubbish. I got semi-serious in my early twenties and had a short story or two published, but

not for any real money. I started my own mag, Black Moon Magazine, in the mid-90's and it lasted a few issues and a few years.

Tell us about your latest book and what inspired it.

My very latest work is actually not a zombie book. "Bones. Death. Cenote" is a three-story release set in South America, featuring an unnamed reporter who finds himself

in strange and occult settings. The first story I wrote with him was featured in the Skeletal Remains anthology,and then I wrote the next two because I thought he had

more to say about his adventures.

 What genre do you write in, if any? How do you feel about the genre, the future of it, and the authors in it?

I write horror (mostly). Most of my latest books are in the zombie subgenre, and I've written non-fiction heavy metal books, a thriller/horror novella... I try to simply

write and then classify it later. I think horror is a strong but smaller community, and their are some outstanding authors putting out quality books in it, and the fanbase for horror is great. Fans of zombie stories are a small but rabid group as well.

What/who do you read for pleasure?

I read three or four books a week via my Kindle. I have to read at least an hour before I can sleep, sometimes two. I read horror, but I will read anything that sounds interesting. Right now I'm reading the four books released by a local author, Tim Baker, and loving them so far. It's a thriller set in St. Augustine, Florida (where, coincidentally, my "Dying Days" zombie books are set), and his writing is topnotch. I hope he puts out more of these thrillride releases.

Is writing pleasure or work for you?

Pleasure. To read along as a character does something unexpected or tells you what they want to do is amazing. When the story is flowing, and you finish that chapter, and can't wait to start the next one and see what happens is pure joy.

If you had to exchange your writing life with another writer, who would that writer be and why?

I wish I was as prolific as Scott Nicholson, and had the respect he garnered over the years. People consider him a horror writer, but he is so much more. he dabbles

in and out of genres (sometimes within the samestory!) that it's hard to pigeonhole him into one thing. And he's a great writer, always willing to help others with

writing, answers questions, and seems like a great guy. I hope to meet him someday and personally thank him for all he's done for me, whether he knows it or not. I'm such a fanboy, lol...

 How do your friends and family cope knowing you have such dark thoughts?

They're used to me. One of the first times Kim and I dated we were standing on this balcony overlooking Daytona Beach, the waves crashing and kids playing in the surf, blue skies and sailboats... in my mind, creatures were creeping from the water and ripping people apart. She thought I was nuts when I told her, and wasn't surprised when a scene like that showed up in a zombie story a couple years later.

How supportive is your spouse and your family?

Supportive within reason. I have a very addictive personality, so when I jump into something it's 110% and I don't care about anything else. When I'm writing I want to be left alone. Completely. I can be a jerk at times (most times) and it's trying for others in my life. I have kids, and I know I sometimes ignore them when I'm in the zone for six straight hours. It's stressful, plus I hate doing housework, so I get yelled at a lot like I'm on of the kids.

What inspires you? Or triggers a story idea?

Anything and everything. I could be reading a story about satanists and an idea will pop up about a motorcycle gang for no reason. I file the thought in my head and if it was good enough it will come back to me later. People in line in Walmart make me laugh and give me some good characters. I'll tell Kim all the time that these people will be in the next zombie book.

 What has been the most difficult/painful/surreal story to write, and why?

Years ago I wrote an unpublished short story based on my uncle Armand. He was my father's brother, and made some mistakes in his life. He was a Vietnam Veteran and got hooked on drugs and was an alcoholic who left his family and moved to Las Vegas, where he lived for years as a pit boss in a casino until he died. I wrote a story about him as he died that night and one of his Vietnam buddies was there as a ghost to walk him through his life. It was emotional. I wrote it for me and never to be published, but it is a great story.

How do you see the story in your mind as it's created? Is it like making a plan, seeing a mental movie, or do you just write down what the voices in your head tell you?

When it's working, I see it like a movie and it flows. Sometimes a certain look to it, like a scene, will emerge. Then I know I'm onto something.

Now that traditional publishing vs digital publishing has taken really different turns lately, how do you feel about authors going the small press or traditonal publishing route over the digital route? Indie or Traditional for you or both and why?

I think each author has their own goals, and we all now have the means to do it, which is great. I've never been one of those writers who wanted a huge contract, book tours, awards, and all that. Call me stupid, but I just wanted to write. Digital publishing gave me the means to release my work, when I wanted, how I wanted, and let people judge my work and see if they wanted to read more of it. So far, most people want to read more of it. But authors who sign with traditional publishers are following their dreams and their own paths, and I applaud them.

What's the best book you ever read?

As a kid (eleven or twelve) Phantoms from Dean Koontz scared me, especially the beginning. As I got older, an author named Phil Rickman (Curfew, December, Candlenight) was amazing. I just started talking on goodreads to another person who was a huge Rickman fan, and that was neat.

 Who are your influences in literature?        

I grew up on Koontz (not King too much), R.E. Howard, and a ton of dog-eared paperback horror books my mom read and let me read.

Do you feel traditional publishing may become a niche? Is digital publishing going to reach a bubble stage that could burst, much to the detriment of authors?

There's always a ceiling. With the changes in the last year and a half, who knows what the next year or even six months will have for us? Amazon could pull out a completely new game-changer again. I don't think traditional publishing will ever go away, but it needs to change to survive. So far I don't see it.

 What is your education and job, other than writing?

High school diploma, did amazing on my SAT's and then... nothing. I wasted my intelligence, I was a slacker who just got by instead of getting straight A's and doing something. I had a change to go to Seton Hall University but opted for the easier community college instead. I got bored and dropped out, never to return. Instead I took a twenty year journey into the horrors of retail. My last job was as a retail store manager. When that ended in September 2011 I decided to take a serious shot at writing full-time. So far it's the best job I ever had, but it doesn't pay as much!

 Do you ever, like Truman Capote confessed doing, take from real life, friends, and family situations or characters to use in your fiction? If so, do you tell them or keep it secret?

I take and let them know. I've written several people into the "Dying Days" series, I even have an indigogo setup right now where, for a donation to me, you become a character in the next book. I think it's fun, it helps with fresh ideas, and people get a kick out of seeing themselves in these situations.

Do you belong to any writer's organizations? If so, which ones, and how do you feel about professional organizations?

I belong to a loose collective known as Florida Horror Writers. We don't have meetings, dues or anything, we just help one another out on facebook, if anyone has a book signing, or stuff like that. Jeff Strand, Richard Lee Byers, and Bruce Boston are the better-known members. We used to gather at Florida conventions just to chat, but never organized. Hopefully this summer something can get put together, even a picnic and we can all sit and chat.

Do you think networking on social sites has helped your career and sales?

Tremendously. Twitter has been a great thing for me, with so many readers retweeting my posts and my blog (http://armandrosamilia.com) getting hits all day. Facebook is fun but it's more casual, so I tend to meet people there and if they really want to buy a book or learn more about me, I push them to Twitter or the blog.

What is the hardest thing you've ever had to do concerning your work as a writer?

I had a publisher like my novel but want a complete change in the second act of it. He wanted a rewrite in five days. 25,000 words. I did it but it wasn't fun with such

a crazy deadline. And the book is still sitting on his desk four months later.

What/who do you read for pleasure?

I read anything and everything I can get my hands on. I'm a big believer in reading other indie author's works and reviewing it and helping the community grow.

I love pointing out new author's I've found and helping them out, and hoping they do the same.

 Writing fiction is important to all authors, but how much does it mean to you? If there were no outlets for fiction of any kind, how would that feel? If for some reason you could not write anymore, what would you do instead?

Writing is a huge part of my life. I get antsy when I'm not writing or at least jotting down notes. I can't imagine not writing. I always have several ideas and stories in my head at the same time, and need to get them out.

What three things should our world have that would make it a better place?

More book readers, more tolerance/less racism, and everyone should have a pair of comfortable shoes.

DYING DAYS by Armand Rosamilia

BONES. DEATH. CENOTE.

HIGHWAY TO HELL

INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH M. LANE

Introduce yourself and your credits.

I’m a speculative fiction author with nine published books and several short stories in multiple genres (dystopia, allegory, horror, erotic horror, and space opera). I have a Bachelor’s degree in English, having graduated Magna Cum Laude in UNLV’s largest graduating class to date.

When did you start writing and how long was it before you were published?

I started writing at the tender age of eight, making numerous failed attempts at publication throughout my youth. I wrote my first novel when I was in my early teens, although that manuscript has long been lost. I finally made my small-press publishing debut in 2008 with a couple of anthology short stories, and sold my first novel soon thereafter.

Tell us about your latest book and what inspired it.

Finding Poe is the result of a couple of factors that came into play at just the right time. I had recently finished reading Foe, by J. M. Coetzee, which is a retelling of a famous novel through the point of view of a character who never made it into the original book. I had also finished reading several Edgar Allan Poe works and had done some research on Poe’s mysterious death and “The Lighthouse,” the short story he never had the chance to finish, when the muses suddenly hit me with the question: What if an unwritten character from “The Lighthouse” retold the story from her point of view?

What genre do you write in, if any? How do you feel about the genre, the future of it, and the authors in it?

I write a wide range of speculative fiction, my favorites being dystopia and horror. I think the future looks positive for both. While dystopia has suffered a lull over the past decades, with some authors even attempting to reinvent the genre (with happy endings—ugh!), I do think the time has come for it to find its place back—in its original form—in the forefront. The success of dystopia comes about when enough of the population is ready to address the social and political issues that have been weighing them down for far too long, and I think people are ready to pull their heads out of the sand and face their current issues head-on. As far as horror is concerned, I think it’s been going strong for decades and, based on some of the most recent works I’ve read, the genre is being upheld by some really great talent.

What/who do you read for pleasure?

I do all of my reading for review these days, so pleasure reading only comes when I’m fortunate enough to be reviewing a talented author. With that said, I’ve been fortunate enough to come across some amazing works.

Is writing pleasure or work for you?

Both. Writing is like air to me; without it, I think I’d die. At the same time, it’s not always a cakewalk and sometimes it takes a good amount of motivation and discipline to get through a given scene or draft. Editing is the hardest, and it’s definitely the most tedious part of the process. Luckily, I’m a perfectionist, so there is that drive to continue pushing through that part of it even if it isn’t so pleasant.

If you had to exchange your writing life with another writer, who would that writer be and why?

I wouldn’t trade any aspect of my life for anyone else’s, no matter how successful they were. I’ve been through enough to know that no one’s life is perfect, and even with my minimal success, I love being me and I love the books I’ve written. I wouldn’t trade any of that for all the success in the world.

How do your friends and family cope knowing you have such dark or unusual thoughts?

My husband knows it’s just a part of my being a writer, and he’s gotten to the point where nothing I write surprises him anymore. He has come to understand that being haunted by muses, sometimes very dark and disturbing muses, is part of what I do—part of who I am—and he is very encouraging of my need and desire to release what those muses demand through the written word. Most of the rest of my family would rather not know just how dark my thoughts can get.

How supportive is your spouse and/or your family?

My husband is the most supportive person I’ve ever known—and he’s probably also my biggest fan. I have a few family members who are supportive of what I do, but most of them are awful, awful people who would rather see me fail than succeed, regardless of my endeavors. I jokingly call myself the Meg (Family Guy) of my family; there’s really no rhyme or reason to my family’s seeming need to a) single me out and b) be the antithesis of support, but I’ve gotten to the point where it just doesn’t matter anymore. Some people are just a**holes, and I happen to be related to several of them. On the positive, they helped me to develop a very thick skin, and for that, I’m grateful.

What inspires you? Or triggers a story idea?

A story can come from anywhere. It can come from a word, the envisioning of a character, or even an ambiance. Muses nearly always surround me, each of them fighting over the others to get their story told. Life inspires me, as do dreams, nightmares, and even personal fantasies. The key is finding a balance between all of those and moving between enough projects at any given time to keep the ideas fresh and exciting enough to see them each through to completion.

What has been the most difficult/painful/surreal story to write, and why?

Off and on, I have worked on my own narrative nonfiction, which is a painful retelling of my childhood and young adult life. It is a work that I will not likely publish for many years, as revisiting many parts of my past has been difficult and I don’t think I’ll be able to find the eloquence necessary to tell it right until a few more of my scars have healed. I grew up with an absent adopted father, a sociopathic mother, and a family that punished me for . . . well, for being me. In my young adult life, I went from one bad relationship to the next, one of which left me with a cracked skull, head-to-toe bruises, and many emotional scars. It is a story that I do feel the need to share, but it has been painful to revisit the misery that led up to the joy that is my current life.

How do you see the story in your mind as it's created? Is it like making a plan, seeing a mental movie, or do you just write down what the voices in your head tell you?

It definitely comes as a movie that plays within my mind’s eye. I see every detail, and sometimes it is all I can do to keep up with the visuals given to me by the muses as I attempt to relay them in simple words.

Now that traditional publishing vs. digital publishing have taken really different turns lately, how do you feel about authors going the small press or traditional publishing route over the digital route? Indie or Traditional for you or both and why?

I’m all for the Indie route. While I got my start in (and am very supportive of) small press, I think there are so many talented authors who have self-published that I can’t help but see them as the future in publishing. I’ve personally found an amazing support network within the Indie community, incredibly talented people who know what they’re doing and have decided to take complete charge of their publishing future. These people are willing to peer edit, recommend cover artists, and do everything in their power to assist their fellow Indie writer in his or her road to success. They have taken the power away from the gatekeepers of generations past, and I’m very proud to be a part of that.

What's the best book you ever read?

This is a tough one, as I’ve read many amazing books that deserve mention; however, while it’s completely out of my preferred genre, the best book I’ve ever read has likely been The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, by Louise Erdrich. It’s just brilliant.

Who are your influences in literature?

Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, H.G. Wells, George Orwell, Isaac Asimov, Olaf Stapledon, Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Virginia Woolf, Joseph Conrad, Franz Kafka, and Roald Dahl immediately come to mind, although I know there are many others I wish I had room to mention.

Do you feel traditional publishing may become a niche?

I do. With so many options available to authors these days, I really do believe that the Big Six will be a phantom of the past, and that their books will have no notable advantage over the many amazing books now being published by the best of the best Indie authors.

Do you ever, like Truman Capote confessed doing, take from real life, friends, and family situations or characters to use in your fiction? If so, do you tell them or keep it secret?

While I don’t think any author can keep from incorporating some aspects to his or her collective experiences into the fictional realm, I do try to refrain from meshing personal history with my fiction. Someday, I will finish my autobiography. . . .

Do you think networking on social sites has helped your career and sales?

Social networking may not have had a significant impact on my sales, but it has had a definite impact on my sense of community. For once in my life, I feel as though I belong somewhere. It is an amazing feeling.

Writing fiction is important to all authors, but how much does it mean to you? If there were no outlets for fiction of any kind, how would that feel? If for some reason you could not write anymore, what would you do instead?

I would wither away and die. While I do find some creative outlet in singing, drawing, and painting, writing is what keeps me going. It is my reason for getting up in the morning, for reviewing others, and for staying connected to the rest of the world. Without my writing, I would eventually cease to exist.

What three things should our world have that would make it a better place?

Empathy across the board would solve just about every ill in our world. If others could find it in themselves just to care about their fellow human being—and their fellow animal—our world might be nearly perfect. It pains me that there are so many people in this world, even in my own country, who are starving, abused, and alone; it is just as upsetting to me that there are countless animals who must suffer, or even die an early and unnecessary death, just as much because not enough people care about their plight. Better education would improve our world dramatically. There are plenty of smart people out there, but without the direction and critical thinking that comes with formal education, that intelligence goes to waste. Finally, greater religious tolerance would make an incredible difference in our world. Far too many people allow themselves to view the world though the narrow lens of their particular religious beliefs, which encourages segregation, judgment, and ignorance. If humanity could see the similarities between us all rather than focus on our differences, we might actually see something that resembles peace.

What is the question you wish an interviewer would ask you? What is it you'd like to say that no one has asked about?

Q. What is something you’ve never before shared in an author interview?

A. Ever since my ex cracked my skull, I have had a condition called synesthesia. In my case, I “see” loud and unexpected sounds. Most sounds take on the appearance of a sudden flash of light, typically black and white and similar in appearance to a checkerboard, but every sound has its own unique pattern—and it appears on the side I most dominantly hear it. Some sounds show in color, and some show in unusual patterns, but they all come and go as quickly as the sound itself presents. At this point in my life, I have become accustomed this strange mesh of sight and sound and would feel somewhat lost without it.

World-Mart by Leigh M. Lane

Finding Poe by Leigh M. Lane

Leigh M. Lane's Kindle Store