ENEMIES OF THE CROSS - Greg Mitchell - Free Book

Welcome, Greg. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I love writing about monsters. I think they’re such powerful symbols for our everyday fears and struggles. Contrary to what many might think of a “horror” writer, I don’t like to be scared. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I write scary stories as a way of controlling the things in my life that are beyond my control. The nightly news is terrifying. Werewolves are fun. It’s fantasy, it’s an escape. Yeah, on the surface it looks dark because you’re dealing with monsters and death and whatnot, but at the end of the day, you can close that book or shut off that movie. It’s safely contained in the story and it’s a nice, accessible way to conquer your fear. Then you can carry that small amount of courage as you return to a world that seems to be slipping further into madness with each passing day.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Probably the day I got married to Meghan. Since I was little, all I had really wanted was to find my true love and start a life together, so meeting her and marrying her was a dream come true. I felt invincible that day. She rocks.

How has being published changed your life?

Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed my life a whole lot, I’d say. I’ve met a lot of new writer peers, so that’s been a blessing. But it’s not like anyone recognizes me on the street, and the money’s not pouring in. I still have a 9-5 day job and still worry about bills and still go eat at McDonald’s. It’s certainly not glamorous, but then again, I never expected it to be. The important thing to me has always been about finding that outlet to get my stories to people. I think the biggest change is within, as I feel fulfilled that The Coming Evil Trilogy is being told. I feel a real peace in that.

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading my good friend Ed Erdelac’s book Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter. It’s a “weird western”, and I’m really loving it. Ed’s got a great personable style and he does so much research into the period, you feel like you’re there. I’d say he’s gone a long way to inspire me to try my hand at a weird western one day.

What is your current work in progress?

At the moment, I’m working through my first (and quite possibly my last!) non-fiction effort—a timeline chronicling the stories of the Back to the Future franchise. It’s entirely unofficial—meaning it wasn’t commissioned by the actual rights holder—and it’s a lot of hard work. On the fiction side, I’m working on a couple pet projects, but nothing I’m prepared to announce just yet. As for the third and final installment in The Coming Evil Trilogy—it’s finished! I’ve turned it in to the editor and we’ll be working through the edits on that sometime in the fall. It’s going to be epic. Brace yourselves for a thrilling ride.

What would be your dream vacation?

Oh, I’m totally a homebody. Any vacation is a dream to me if I’ve got a comfy hotel room and free cable. I enjoyed Universal Studios an awful lot, though. I’d like to return there.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’m fond of the small town setting. Not only is it a horror movie staple, but I actually live in a small town, right here in the buckle of the Bible belt. I know about blue collar workers, and your word still meaning something, and sealing deals with handshakes. It’s a very safe environment—which is why I think it’s so much fun to drop a ravenous monster into all of that and watch the fireworks.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I suppose the “normal” response is to choose someone powerful or wizened in order to learn from their greatness. Or maybe a favorite author or actor so that you can somehow gain a clearer understanding of them as people. But I think if I’m going to spend an evening with someone, it’s someone I want to pal around with. So, on that note, I’d have to say it’s a toss up between “Fonzie” actor Henry Winkler, professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy taking long drives in the country, by myself, listening to classic horror themes. Nothing like passing by old forgotten shacks to the sounds of the Dark Shadows opening music to soothe my soul. Beyond that, I love vegging out and watching movies. It’s nice to turn my brain off for awhile and just be entertained.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I have very defined and predictable cycles. I am absolutely not one of these writers who write every single day. I’ve tried that, and nothing good comes from it. Just a bunch of frustration, wasted time, and ruination. I only write when the mood comes over me. But it’s a very definite mood. It’s not a “Meh, I’d like to write today.” I wait and let it build until I can’t not write. When it’s nearly bursting out of me, then I sit down and crank out pages upon pages. I write all night, forgoing sleep, food, and personal relationships. That’ll last for maybe a week, maybe two. Then pure exhaustion follows and I am dried up. I got nothing left. I get a little depressed and worried that “I’ll never write again!”, and I struggle trying to find the ideas or, better yet, the words. The ideas are always there, but my ability to string together a cohesive and descriptive sentence is not. It then becomes a waiting game, waiting to—as I put it—catch that next wave. That dry spell, though, is rough. Sometimes I handle it well. I fill my time with family, fun, and friends. But sometimes I start to get the itch to write and I can’t. Not yet. The wave hasn’t fully developed yet. So patience is my most difficult writing obstacle. And, what can you do to overcome it, but wait and trust that it’ll come when it’s ready?

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

I usually say “be true to yourself”, but today I’m going to add “Don’t be afraid of critique.” Since getting published, I’ve met so many young authors trying to get in the door and they’re convinced they’ve got everything going for them. They think their story is stunningly unique yet insanely marketable (which I’m beginning to think is an oxymoron) and that their craft is perfection incarnate. I believe everyone has room for improvement, including me, yet I don’t fault them for writing like amateurs. But that attitude that you’re The Next Big Thing and anyone who doesn’t “get” you is just outdated is a killer. There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. You’ve got to be teachable in this business. Yes, you need to stick to your guns and be true to your vision—but you’ve got to be open to listening to others. Maybe they have good ideas. Maybe when they say your writing needs work, it does. Especially if these are people in the position to give you a job. It’s humbling and painful and nobody likes to hear that they’re not as good as Ole Joe over there, but you have to endure it, keep working at it, and try again.

Tell us about the featured book.

Enemies of the Cross is the sequel to last year’s The Strange Man, and is the second act of The Coming Evil Trilogy. It picks up three months later and deals with the aftermath of the climatic confrontation at the end of the first book. This time, the story switches to Jeff Weldon, a burnt-out pastor trying to find answers as to what happened to his brother (Dras, the hero of the first book) and uncover the truth about the demonic Strange Man and what he has planned for their town of Greensboro. Jeff’s going to discover more than a few dark secrets and do battle with his own personal demons in the process. Whereas the first one was sort of a summer blockbuster roller-coaster kind of narrative, this one is a much more intense, introspective work.

Please give us the first page of the book.

PROLOGUE

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision . . .

—Philippians 3:2

The emergency room doors slapped open as workers rushed Dras Weldon in on a stretcher. Paramedics hovered over him, their faces a picture of cold determination. At their sides, Jeff Weldon, his wife Isabella, and Dras’s best friend Rosalyn Myers hurried along, covered in Dras’s blood and their faces stained by dried tears.

“It’s going to be OK,” Jeff whispered to his fallen brother. “It’s going to be OK. I’m right here.”

Despite his reassuring tone, Jeff held himself in contempt. Why didn’t I do anything to help him? I saw it coming.

Last Saturday, when Jeff spotted the rolling clouds of the storm that threatened to consume Greensboro, he had an uneasy suspicion that bad times were coming on horseback. When he read about Lindsey McCormick’s disappearance the following day, his anxiety grew. He didn’t know how, but her disappearance was a part of the terrible pull he felt in the pit of his stomach as he watched the strange storm from inside the safety of his home. The winds and the rain had wrought their damage and retreated into the darkness, but he could not shake the mood that some great evil lingered.

“Give us some room!” the paramedics shouted at Jeff and the others.

A tall blond nurse who answered to the name of Jill stood behind the front desk, her eyes wide. The paramedics stared at her impatiently as she struggled with the horrible sight.

“Where?” a member of the emergency team shouted at her, bringing her out of her stupor.

Stuttering, she pointed down the hall. “D-Doctor Brown will meet you in Room 107.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m easy to find! Head on over to my blog at www.thecomingevil.blogspot.com  and there I’ll be. On the site you’ll find links to my social networking pages, as well as handy links to all my works. I hope everybody stops by!


Thank you, Greg, for the interesting interview.


Readers, here is a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Enemies of the Cross (The Coming Evil)


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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THE STRANGE MAN - Greg Mitchell - Free Book

I didn't know Greg Mitchell until the authors who all write fiction for Charisma House started a blog together. You can check us out at http://justthewritecharisma.blogspot.com/ I'm pleased to feature him with his latest book.

Welcome, Greg.Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Depends on the character, I suppose. In The Strange Man, I pretty much split myself right down the middle between my two brother characters. Dras is very much my light side. He’s childlike, gets excited about seeing a copy of an old horror movie on DVD at the $5 bin at Wal-Mart. He likes to read comics and fantasize about who would win in a fight between the Hulk and the Wolf Man. His older brother, Jeff, though, is my “more mature” side. He’s all about responsibility, duty, taking care of his family. But he’s also got a mean streak, he gets stressed out, takes himself too seriously. Combined, I think they make a pretty accurate depiction of me. The characters that I surround them with, though, I try to make as different from me as I can. I really enjoy creating characters—many times with completely opposing views on life, God, etc—and getting in their heads. I like to see the world through their eyes for awhile.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

What, writing “Christian Horror” isn’t quirky enough for you?

You have a point there. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I don’t know if, even now, I really consider myself “a writer”. I guess when I hear “writer”, I think “novelist”, and I’m not sure that’s who I am—though I write novels. Really, I just want to tell stories. Since I was a kid, I wanted to draw comic books or be a Disney animator (back when they had those and didn’t just program a computer to do it). Understand that I’m a better artist than your average fifth grader, but I’m no pro, so I realized I was severely limited as to the kinds of stories I could tell as an artist. After high school, I set my sights on filmmaking and telling stories that way, but I didn’t have the money to film my own independent movies, so I turned to writing prose. But, really prose is just another avenue to tell the stories I want to tell. Eventually I’d like to break into movies and comics, as well.

One of my grandsons, who is in his 20s, is drawing a graphic novel with a couple of friends. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I rarely read to relax. Since I stare at words on a page all the time, I kind of get sick of looking at them and would much rather watch a movie to unwind. The kinds of books I do read are largely media tie-in fiction. I love reading Star Wars novels and finding out “what happened next” after the film saga ended. I read a lot of tie-in material based on my favorite shows. I don’t think those writers get as much credit as they deserve. Coming from personal experience, it’s very rewarding to play in another creator’s sandbox, and it’s a unique challenge trying to tell a story that adheres to their “rules”, but also make something unique to yourself as an author. Outside of tie-in, I like to read fun monster books. No Catcher in the Rye for me. I’m not looking for Hemingway or high literature. I want something fun, fast, and cool.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

That’s the million dollar question right there! And my answer is “Not very well”. I’ve got a regular 8-5 job, married with two kids under the age of 5, a mortgage, about three novels I’m writing (not including The Strange Man and its two sequels), two non-fiction books I’m contributing to, short stories for anthologies, comic book scripts, movie scripts—and I’m always looking for more work. My writing “process” begins between 7-9 at night, and I’ll sometimes write until 1 or 2 in the morning, then it’s off to bed, wake up at 7 and head to work. In the movies, they often paint writers as being secluded in this rustic cabin. They’ll go outside on the porch, watch the sunrise, sip a cup of coffee, then sit at their computer and think brilliant thoughts all day. In reality, I’m typing off sentences in between racing back to the bathroom to give my oldest daughter a bath. Thank God I have a very understanding wife who goes into “single mom mode” when I’m really concentrating, but I don’t want to put that on her anymore than I have to. She didn’t sign on for that and that’s not the kind of married life I wanted. That’s not the kind of dad I wanted to be. So, it’s a lot of writing a paragraph, pausing for a wrestling match with my kids, writing two sentences, stopping to read a Bible story for the night, another page or two, writing during lunch hours, etc etc. It took me ten years to see The Strange Man published, but I’m very thankful for that time. In those ten years, I finished the entire trilogy—more or less—so, those books are nearly ready to go and don’t require a lot of work. I shudder to think if I had an eight month deadline to write a novel from scratch to completion. I think a padded room would be in my future.

So far, I haven't had eight months for a deadline for my novels, but my next contracted series, I will have. I'm looking forward to the added time. How do you choose your characters’ names?

For the most part, since The Coming Evil Trilogy takes place in Small Town, USA, I really strive for as normal, “blue collar” names as I can. Hank, Earl, Dane, Jeff. The only character name that really stands out is Dras (pronounced “drAHz”), but that’s the point. He’s an odd duck in his town. He’s strange. So, he needs a strange name. I heard a character named “Dras”—though it was spelled “Droz”—in a movie called PCU many years ago. I guess that name subconsciously stuck with me as being really interesting and cool. Some people really don’t like Dras’ name, ha ha. It confuses a lot of people. One reviewer took off a star on her review partly because she didn’t like his name, which I thought was awesome. If you’ve read the book, that’s totally the sort of thing that would happen to Dras :p

I love it when that kind of thing happens. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

In my personal life, getting married. Meeting Meghan, falling in love, getting married—that’s what I’d wanted my whole life more than this silly writing thing. Being with her gave me so much confidence in myself and opened up my whole world. I started writing before I met her, but I really don’t think I would have had the confidence in myself to do anything about it until she came into my life. Not to mention, we’ve got two beautiful girls now and that part of my life is great. The hectic stuff comes from the writing. On the professional side, while I’m immensely ecstatic to finally see The Coming Evil series going to print, as that’s my baby, I’m actually really proud of contributing a piece of short fiction to the Star Wars mythology. I wrote the backstory for some random starship seen in the background of a deleted scene of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It’s a completely obscure accomplishment, but Star Wars is timeless and that mythology will carry on for my children, my grandchildren, and my great grandchildren to enjoy. Knowing that I have a part in that tapestry—however small—is very rewarding.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Something that flies. Or maybe just a velociraptor. That’d be pretty boss. Ever since I saw Jurassic Park, I deduced that velociraptors are pretty awesome.

What is your favorite food?

A bowl of chili from Steak ‘N’ Shake. Unfortunately, the nearest franchise is an hour away, but it’s worth the drive. Maybe I should start a contest where people can get a signed copy of The Strange Man if they send me cans of Steak ‘N’ Shake chili. Mmmmm . . .

You might get a lot of takers for that. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Oh, there are a thousand things that I’m still working on as a writer. I am nowhere near the writer I should be, or could be, so I’m constantly growing, relearning things, and sometimes just out and out failing. That aside, the biggest roadblock is just time. Finding the time and energy to write all the stories I’ve got inside me. And I haven’t overcome that yet. That’s a day-by-day, minute-by-minute process. When I finally press on and see something finished, it’s very rewarding.

I don't think I will ever stop learning more about writing and honing my craft. Tell us about the featured book.

The Strange Man is the first book in The Coming Evil Trilogy. It tells the story of Dras Weldon, an unemployed “fanboy” who loves his comic books and monster movies. He professes to be a Christian, but spiritual things are the last thing on his mind. During a terrible storm, a demon known as “the Strange Man,” that has been testing the boundaries of the town of Greensboro for years, finally makes his move. Once inside the town, the demon meets Rosalyn Myers and desires her for his own. Rosalyn, however, is Dras’ best friend, and now Dras realizes that all the things he heard in the Bible that he never put much stock in are real and he’s the only one who can save his friend from the monster. The Strange Man is designed to be a fun, scary, Saturday B-movie. Lots of monsters and excitement. There’s danger and thrills and laughs. But, it’s also about sharing one’s faith. About putting aside your fears, your insecurities, and sharing a faith you’re passionate about. The book doesn’t scrimp on monsters, but it doesn’t shy away from talking about God, Jesus, or Scripture, either. That turns some people off—even some Christians—but, to me, in a book about rediscovering your faith and overcoming hell’s worst monsters to share that, I felt it was the whole point.

I agree with you. Please give us the first page of the book.

I’ll do you one better! My publisher, Realms Fiction, has made the entire prologue free to read on their website! http://www.charismahouse.com/images/stories/pdfs/thestrangeman.pdf

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Feel free to stop by my blog—www.thecomingevil.blogspot.com. There you can find my MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter profiles. Plus, I’ve got book trailers and original fiction based in The Coming Evil Trilogy to read for free. It’s a good way to get to know the characters and, so far, all the stories are set before The Strange Man, so nothing will be spoiled if you’ve yet to read the book.

What fun to have you drop by, Greg. You'll have to come again when each of the other books release.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com