On this stop of the Devil's Nightmare Halloween Blog Tour, celebrating
the release of the second novel in the Devil's
Nightmare series: Devil's Nightmare
Premonitions (which I highly recommend to any fan of the horror genre),
author Robert Pruneda sits down with me for an interview to discuss the series,
his inspirations, and writing in general.
1. Tell everyone a little about yourself. What
are your hobbies and interests outside of writing?
I’m from south Texas and working towards living the dream
of becoming a full-time novelist. That first step was making the decision to
leave the traditional workforce. I spent the last few years working from home
as a small business administrative support specialist. During that time I’ve
also written two horror novels, Devil’s Nightmare and Devil’s Nightmare:
Premonitions. When I’m not taking care of my administrative duties or working
on my next novel, I’m either reading, watching TV, or hanging out with my
gaming buddies playing online on the PlayStation 4.
2. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
I didn’t start to seriously think of being an author until 2001 or 2002. This was after I lost my job and had difficulty finding work. I decided to tackle a pet project that had considered doing for a while. I had a lengthy time of unemployment and working part-time jobs here and there, so I figured with so much extra time on my hands I followed through and wrote the 488-page behemoth that is Pursuit of a Dream. I self-published my debut novel in 2004 through a vanity press (rookie mistake, I know). Having a printed copy of a novel I spent three years writing felt like a huge accomplishment. I started a short career in the newspaper industry shortly after publishing that novel.
3. What is the hardest part about being a
writer?
Marketing by far. Writing is the fun part. Finding readers is the hardest thing to do, especially for a new undiscovered author swimming in a sea of hundreds of thousands of other hatchlings hoping to find readers. It takes a lot of hard work, belief in yourself, patience, and perseverance. Some people think you can write a novel, hit the publish button, and then just sick back and collect the royalties. After writing three novels, one of which has been moderately successful on Amazon, I know that writing is just a small part of the publishing game. The rest has to do with running a business. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, learning from your mistakes (and boy I’ve made plenty), and building a platform. Social media is where I’ve connected with a good percentage of my readership. It is also where I have met other authors, both traditionally and independently published. Finding the right balance between marketing and can be a tricky thing. Finding the right balance between social media and marketing is the tricky part. I’ve discovered that you can get away with self-promotion if you spend more time being yourself and engaging you’re your followers on social media than only saying, “Buy my book.” Nobody likes a spammer.
4. For anyone who hasn’t read the Devil’s
Nightmare books, tell them a little bit about them.
Devil’s Nightmare
is technically marketed in the horror genre, but it is more of cocktail of
horror, thriller, suspense, and cop drama, with occult and supernatural
elements mixed in. I wrote the first book from the perspective of Detective
Aaron Sanders, while the sequel is in third person. Here are the blurbs for
each book:
Devil’s
Nightmare
Detective Aaron
Sanders' abilities and fortitude are put to the test when he investigates a
brutal double-homicide where a boy's parents are found mutilated inside their
home. The boy is the only witness to the crime and his clothes are stained with
his parents' blood. His clothes are also tainted with the blood of other
victims from a separate and even more horrific crime scene at a nearby
cemetery. All of the victims appear to have been killed in the same manner and
the boy knows the true identity of the evil responsible for the multiple
deaths, but he is unwilling to talk. No one would believe him. A threat on the
boy's life and a disturbing nightmare causes Detective Sanders to question his
beliefs and his own sanity. This investigation ultimately leads Sanders in a
fight to save himself and the life of an orphaned boy from an unimaginable evil
that is spawned from the curse of the devil's nightmare.
Devil’s
Nightmare: Premonitions
Sequel to the
Amazon bestselling horror Devil's Nightmare, Robert Pruneda brings fans of the
first novel another horrific thriller full of twists, chills, and a shocking
conclusion. Two years have passed since Aaron Sanders retired from the Austin
Police Department after what the media has called The Saint Hedwig Massacre. He
moves his family out of the capital city to start a new life as a small town
cop in Lost Maples, Texas, where the population count is updated more often
than the murder rate. That bit of reputation is about to change when Aaron is
once again caught in the middle of a mysterious investigation that has an eerie
familiarity. This time, however, he is certain what is responsible for the
violent deaths . . . Or is he?
Evil knows no
boundaries, and it is up to Aaron to figure out how to protect the residents of
his community, and his family, from becoming its next victims.
5. Where did you get the idea for Devil’s
Nightmare and Devil’s Nightmare Premonitions?
Devil’s Nightmare is very loosely based on an incident I
experienced when I was a kid regarding playing (and getting obsessed) with a
Ouija board by myself. As a child, I believed an evil spirit haunted me or it
could have just been a figment of my imagination stemmed from a terrifying dream.
I woke up from a nightmare one evening and felt something pressing down on my
chest, which made it difficult for me to breath. I saw something hovering above
me with a pair of sinister amber eyes. I tried to move, but this force kept me
down. I lay there frozen in bed, starring at this demon. I was finally able to
scream in terror. Moments later, my parents burst into my bedroom and turned on
the light. The silhouette with the hideous eyes disappeared. I told my parents
what I saw, and of course, they didn’t believe me; it was just a nightmare.
Maybe it was. Maybe I imagined it all. Perhaps it wasn’t real. I know one thing
that is undeniable . . . I’ve never felt more scared in my life.
And I’ve never touched a Ouija board ever since.
6. What authors have inspired you the most?
Stephen King on the traditional side and Michael R.
Hicks from the independent publishing side. Reading “The King of Horror’s”
book On
Writing gave me the inspiration needed to write horror. Michael Hicks is a
great example of an independently published author who worked tirelessly at
pursuing his dream of writing for a living while working a full-time job. He
now has written about a dozen best-selling novels and is living his dream. He
is down to earth who does not let success get to his head. Over the past few years,
he has also become a great friend (and mentor) who has given me sound advice
that has saved me from a few major headaches.
7. Have you always had an interest in the
horror genre? What other genres do you
like to read and write?
Yes. Horror has always been my favorite genre, both in
print and on film. I also enjoy reading fantasy, thrillers, and have recently
started reading science fiction. I also enjoy reading Christian fiction,
particularly novels written by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.
8. Some people take a walk, others bang their
heads against a wall. How do you handle writer’s block?
After banging my head against the wall, I typically step away from my current project and work on something else. I may also read a book in the same genre.
After banging my head against the wall, I typically step away from my current project and work on something else. I may also read a book in the same genre.
9. How much alike are you and your
protagonist, Aaron Sanders? Is his character based on anyone you knew/know?
Aaron isn’t based on anyone specific, but he does carry some of my traits (both good and bad) . . . and of course, he’s also a classic car enthusiast like me. I’ve actually been criticized for this, which I find amusing.
10. What can we expect in the future for the
Devil’s Nightmare series?
Without giving any spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read one
or both of the books, I can say that you should expect more surprises. I plan
to continue the series where Book 2 left off and also plan on exploring the
past in another book, which may end up as more of a spin off than an actual
prequel.
11. If the Devil’s Nightmare books were made
into movies, who do you envision playing the main characters?
This question also came up during the “The Next Thing Blog Hop” in 2012
while I was writing Devil’s Nightmare. Here is the cast I chose then:
Detective Aaron Sanders . . . Christian Slater
Cody Sumner . . . C.J. Adams
Chief David Hernandez . . . Nestor Serrano
Donald Luther . . . Robert David Hall
Maria Jimenez . . . Jennifer Lopez
Samantha Jimenez . . . Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Detective Steven Riley . . . Drew Roy
Jackson Smith . . . Liam James
Robert Smith . . . Nicholas Lea
Dr. Jerome Hadley . . . Gary Oldman
Father Henry Marwick . . . Ben Kingsley
Joseph Michaels . . . Spencer List
Pamela Houston . . . Queen Latifa
12. Do you find that you base your characters
on real life people, or are they entirely fictional?
All the characters in Devil’s Nightmare are entirely fictional, but there are a few characters in my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream that were inspired by real people. There are also a few people that have inspired some ideas for a few future characters, but that’s only natural, right?
13. Do you have any writing essentials (i.e.
music, silence, coffee)?
Not really. I don’t have any writing rituals or
anything that I absolutely must have or do in order to get the creative juices
flowing, but I do find that coffee and music can help, but the music must not
have lyrics. I can’t write to music with lyrics because my A.D.D. kicks in.
14. What made you decide to write horror
novels?
I decided to try writing horror after reading On Writing by Stephen King. I love to read and watch horror, so it only made sense for me to write in my favorite genre. I had a lot of fun writing the first two Devil’s Nightmare novels, so I think I have found my niche genre.
15. What is one of the first things you remember
writing? Do you still have it?
The very first thing I wrote (and drew) was a military
sci-fi/horror comic called Katie vs. The
Amoeba. It was one of those Godzilla style stories. Katie is a giant snake
and The Amoeba is a giant monster that has the ability to regenerate. I was
just a kid, so never mind the fact that an amoeba is a tiny microscopic
organism. I still have the comic buried in a box somewhere. Hopefully, I’ll
find it someday, so I can share it with my readers.
16. Do you have any advice for those wanting to
take the plunge and begin writing?
First you need to decide why you want to write. Are you considering this as a potential career or are you doing this as a hobby. Making this distinction is very important because if you are seriously considering writing as a profession, be prepared for a long and difficult road where you are required to make sacrifices. Most importantly, don’t give up, because it is very easy to get discouraged. Focus on your love of the craft instead of sales or whether or not people like your work and you’ll have a lot less headaches. It’s easier said than done, but you need to enjoy writing or else what’s the point, right? If your decision to write is revolved around making money, then you are writing for the wrong reason. Can you make money in this profession? Absolutely! However, I think the most important thing to focus on as a writer is improving your craft and enjoying the process. If you make money doing it, then that’s just an added bonus.
17. Who are your favorite authors and what are
your favorite books?
The list is long, but here is what I’ve come up with off the top of my head . . .
Favorite authors: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael
Crichton, Steve Alten, Michael R. Hicks, Lorna Suzuki, Frank Peretti, Ted
Dekker, Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins, C.S. Lewis, Margaret Weiss, Tracy
Hickman, and R.A. Salvatore are just a few.
Favorite books: Devil’s Nightmare (of course), It,
Cell, Needful Things, Jurassic Park, Whispers, Prey, Disclosure, Meg, Extinct,
Season of the Harvest, A Warrior’s Tale, The Oath, Thr3e, Left Behind, The
Chronicles of Narnia, and the list could go on.
18. If you could be any character in any book,
who would you be and why?
I would have to say Jonas Taylor from Steve Alten’s Meg. Jonas Taylor is the lead character of this novel about a giant prehistoric shark (the megalodon) that is supposed to be extinct. Jonas Taylor is the only survivor during a top-secret dive in the Mariana Trench where Taylor discovers the giant relative of the great white shark. Nobody believes Jonas, of course. It was a very fun novel for me to read, since I have a fascination of sharks, especially the megalodon. So, living the life of Jonas Taylor would be exciting.
For Fun:
Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi
Laptop or Pen and paper?
Laptop
The Walking Dead or Game of
Thrones?
Yes. To
ask me to choose between the two is just plain evil.
Day or Night?
Night,
because it’s when I write best.
Outline or let it flow?
Let it
flow.
Favorite color?
Red, Black, and Blue (equally)
Favorite food?
Pizza.
Duh!
Cats or Dogs?
Dogs
BIO
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is author of the Amazon Kindle
bestselling horror novel Devil's Nightmare and contemporary family motor sports
drama Pursuit of a Dream (Victory Lane: The Chronicles). He lives in south
Texas and has called the Lone Star State his home all of his life. Pruneda is
also very active in social media and an avid gamer who can often be found
fighting side-by-side with his friends on his favorite first-person shooter . .
. but he prefers survival horror.
Connect with Robert Pruneda:
Official Website: http://SharkbaitWrites.com
The Devil's Nightmare series is available at Amazon.com at the links provided below:
Devil's Nightmare Devil's Nightmare Premonitions
Devil's Nightmare Devil's Nightmare Premonitions
