Greg Stumbo interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

My name Is Greg Stumbo, and I write books. Some are funny, some are scary. Raven Tale Publishing seems to think that I can make them money by reorganizing letters, so I take 26 letters and make a mess, call it a book, and people enjoy it. As long as people keep buying them, I'll keep writing them. Otherwise, I'm just a normal guy who does normal things. Authors aren't magical beings. We're just people with overactive imaginations that found a way to share without getting funny looks in the grocery store.

When did your love of books begin?

Like most writers, as a kid. Most of us have boks shoved in our faces and some of us take it as an invitation to new worlds at an early age. Truthfully, Dr. Suess has probably been the start for more writers than any other person in history, and I think that's just amazing!

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

The first time I thought about being an author was at 16. I was reading a series, and had reached a point where the author had started "phoning it in". I stopped mid book and tossed it away saying "I can write better than this!" So, then I tried. I soon realized that I actually couldn't. Years later I started writing again and decided that I enjoyed it. It still wasn't good, though. I kept writing short stories with plots and characters that spoke to me, and with every little step, I got better at saying what I wanted to say in the fashion that I wanted it said. Eventually, on a dark day in May-wait, it may have been a sultry evening in September, unless it was that cold night in December... Whatever time it was, I reached a point to where I threw out all of the rules about writing. Every single one. I sat down, cracked my knuckles and said "let's have some fun!" That was the moment that I became an author. How have you found the process for becoming an author? I can't answer this question that way that most people would want me to. The truth is that I got really lucky. I had the right book at the right time with the right publisher. I know that I'm supposed to talk about perseverance and rejections and not giving up, but I only queried a few agents before finding my publisher. I did get a couple of rejections, which were very nice and professional - I would still gladly do business with them. But I have loved the entire process. That may be because I understand that I write fiction for entertainment. Just because it's a published book doesn't mean that it's "literature". So, having the right mindset has likely kept this whole thing fun. My sixth book is being published soon, and I have yet to have any experience that I haven't been happy with!

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Don't do it-I don't want the competition! Not really. If you have the drive to get stories out there, then you most certainly need to share them. There are two things that I will offer for them to think about, though. First, you need to find someone who is willing to tell you which parts of your writing are garbage. We all have weak spots, and being polite about them doesn't help to fix them. It's better to hear it from someone you like than an Amazon review. Second, there's no money in publishing a book. I mean, yes, it's a business venture where the goal is to make money, but the chances of selling hundreds of thousands of copies of a single first time novel is sitting with unicorns and winning lottery tickets. If you're going to do this, be prepared to keep doing it. Authors make their living off of their catalog, not a single book. Remember- Stephen King had several books written before Carrie got published.

Tell us about your book/books:

I never intended to be a horror writer. I wrote a zombie comedy that turned into a series because it was just that much fun! People can't wait to see what trouble those guys get into next, because most of it is realistically self inflicted. So, if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, these are your books. But, I also enjoy Sci-Fi. So, I was able to write a Sci-Fi- Horror with Alice in Wonderland. That was probably the most fun I've ever had writing! That comes out in the next few weeks, I think. I was also given the opportunity to write with an amazingly talented author on a psychological horror, and we had so much fun that we're going to be starting an unrelated series later this year Here's the summary of what's out there right now:

Generation Zed Books 1-4: A zombie comedy series that's "the most fun you can have at the end of the world" (actual review quote) Start with the ironically titled first book "Dead Serious"

A Mutilated Mind: A parasomnia horror that follows a guy living in the rust belt, trying to have a normal life when the bodies start stacking. Co-written with Jeff Crawford

Crossover (coming very soon): When a cargo ship's Artificial Intelligence gets its hands on a copy of Alice in Wonderland, general nonsense turns deadly.

Other projects in process, but I'm not mentioning them until the publisher has them ;)

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I absolutely love the comradery of authors. We're a strange breed. Especially us horror authors. Unlike other industries, most of us know that we aren't in competition, so we do our best to lift each other up.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Hello readers! That's the polite thing to say first. Then I would probably say (well, actually, I am saying), I love you guys! The fact that you enjoy the crazy little worlds that I build and the poor hapless characters that stumble through them, keeps me motivated to keep doing it. Also, the reviews and ratings and social media support that you have shown me is AMAZING! When you promote authors to other people, that gets our work to more people, which gets our publishers wanting us to more. It's a fun symbiotic relationship - the more you support us by enjoying and sharing, the more we can give to you to enjoy!

Where can people connect with you?

Peeps can find me in the usual haunts, FB IG, TW. They can find my books on Amazon or Goodreads, or on Raven Tale's website. But, if they look for me on Google, they might get the attorney general of Kentucky, so don't be confused - just add "books" after my name and I'll pop up.