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The 7Q Interview: Rick R. Reed

AUTHOR BIO

Rick R. Reed is the award-winning author of more than 40 books, spanning horror, mystery, thriller, and romance. His work has been translated into French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Russian. He lives in Palm Springs, CA, where he is forever at work on another novel.

QUESTIONS

#1. Looking back, what’s one fiction book that you feel truly made an impact on your writing? Do you still gravitate towards that author?

#1. Wow. I’m never notreading a book (or sometimes two). When I finish one, there’s another waiting in line. That’s been true, honestly, since I was a kid. I point this out not to brag, but because that’s a very hard question. Singling out a single book? I just can’t do it. Here’s a short list of what came to mind first:

In a Shallow Grave by James Purdy

Carrie by Stephen King

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

A Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell)

Found in the Street by Patricia Highsmith

All of these authors were very influential and all of them have other books at least as good as the ones mentioned above.

#2. How do you feel about the use of sub-genres in the industry? How do you describe your work overall?

#2. Oh, I’m all for anything that helps a reader find a book. As someone who’s often combined love story and horror or love story and psychological suspense, I love seeing the pairings that sub-genres allow.

#3. What about your writing process do you think is unique or quirky? What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received?

#3. I don’t know how unique it is, but I always, always, always write early in the morning (my best time of day) and I limit myself to around 1,000 words per day—an easy bar for me to reach and one I usually surpass but if I only come close, I still feel I’ve put in a good day’s work. That word count allows me to write a novel in four months or less and is also not so tiring that I feel I’m not producing good work.

#4. How does music and media factor into your writing? Do you feel it plays as much an inspirational role as literature?

#4. Pop culture and music to set a time or a place or define a character? If that’s what you mean, I do that often. It creates a kind of universality. If you’re asking about listening to music or some other form of media as I write—no, never. I like to be alone in my home office with silence. No, I need to be alone and in silence to create.

#5. As an author, how much do you engage in social media? Do you feel it is more for your own entertainment, or for marketing and networking?

#5. Social media, for me, is primarily a way of connecting with readers. I look at my brand as myself, so I very much make a conscious effort to make my tweets and posts about things otherthan my writing, so people can get to know me as a person first. And then, when that personannounces he has a new book out or has gotten a good review or something, it’s part of the mix of my life. I do Twitter, Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Instagram and I do those not because I think they’re the most effective, but because I enjoy the interactions the most there. All of my social media is a mix of friends, family, and readers.

And, just in case anyone’s wondering where to find me on social media:

#6. Where do you see the future of horror fiction heading? In turn, what changes would you love to see, either socially or technologically?

#6. Horror, for me, has always been a very deep dive into the human psyche. It’s universal—we all experience fear and vulnerability. We all fear losing what matters most—life, love, loved ones—and those things resonate with people who wade into the dark waters of horror fiction. The best horror writers, people like Stephen King and Jack Ketchum, realize that horror lurks not in the most fantastic premises and people, but in the most ordinary, which is why a lot of the horror I write brings ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. And I love playing around with real life horror the most—serial killers and other monsters that are among us every day.

#7. What can you tell us about any forthcoming projects? What titles would you like to promote now?

#7. Once upon a time, I got my start as a published writer in the lauded horror line from Dell, Abyss. My first two novels, OBSESSED and PENANCE, were part of the line, which Stephen King praised and put me in the esteemed company of folks like Kathe Koje, Melanie Tem, Brian Hodge, and Poppy Z. Brite. Those books went out of print (they were published before such things as ebooks and POD), but now I’m happy to say that small press Untreed Reads has brought both OBSESSED and PENANCE out in ebook and, just recently, handsome trade paperback editions with awesome covers.

BUY Obsessed:

BUY Penance:

You can find my other horror novels at DSP Publications here: (Third Eye, A Demon Inside, IM, and A Face Without a Heart—A Modern-day Retelling of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY): https://www.dsppublications.com/books/searchresults?q=rick+r.+reed

AUTHOR PIC

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