BIO

Award-winning author Brandon Massey lives near Atlanta with his wife, where he is at work on his next novel. Visit him online at www.brandonmassey.com.

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INTERVIEW

August 28, 2009

Brandon Massey is the author of 11 books, which range in genre from short stories and suspense thrillers to horror and supernatural fiction. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Massey discusses what separates his latest thriller, CORNERED, from his previous efforts and elaborates on one of the recurring themes of his work. He also explains why he chose to return to his "day" job, names his personal and professional influences, and reveals the most difficult aspect of his writing process.

Bookreporter.com: I read CORNERED in one sitting. One reason was the characters --- Corey Webb and the Reverend Otis Trice particularly resonated with me. Webb is a guy who was facing a future in Detroit that few of us would like to imagine. Thanks to the intervention of two people --- his Grandmother Louise and Reverend Otis --- as well as his own hard work and fortitude, he rises above his past and grabs a hold of the ring, acquiring a beautiful family and successful business. Within a few pages of the beginning of CORNERED, it all threatens to come crashing down when a past secret catches up with him and threatens his family and business. This story --- and Webb himself --- rang so true that when I finished reading the book, I could almost see him standing there in the room. Is this a true story, somewhat changed and thinly disguised, that you heard about? Or did it spring entirely from your imagination? And if the latter, how did it come about?
 
Brandon Massey: Thanks for the wonderful feedback. I really wanted this book to have a true-to-life feel, so your comments are quite gratifying.
 
I have to confess, though, that the story leaped entirely from my imagination. I've never been in Corey's situation (thank goodness). However, like most of us, I certainly know how it feels to see mistakes I've made in the past come back to haunt me in the present. Such experiences can serve as the seeds of compelling fiction.
 
Further, most of my stories deal with families in jeopardy. A family is the fundamental unit of a person's life; it shapes how we view the world, and the values that we hold dear. By placing someone's family in danger, you can push them to the limit…which, of course, makes a suspenseful read.
 
BRC: I also was impressed with Reverend Otis. He only makes a couple of appearances in CORNERED, but his presence seems to hover, just out of sight, on each and every page throughout the book. He was obviously meant to be an important figure in Webb’s life. How difficult was it to limit him to minor character status, in terms of his actual presence here, yet have him resonate to the extent that he does throughout the book?
 
BM: I wanted Otis to be a part of the story because I sensed that Corey needed a father figure, at some point in his life. When Corey was younger, Otis helped him shape his values and develop his aspirations. His influence was vital to Corey turning his life around.
 
At the same time, I felt that Reverend Otis would have more impact if he were onstage for only brief, memorable moments.
 
BRC: One of the most striking passages for me concerned Reverend Otis counseling Webb about the importance of forgiveness and absolution. I underlined his words in the book and later wrote them down. What inspired that passage for you? Is there a Reverend Otis in your life?
 
BM: A longtime family friend is the pastor of a small church here in Georgia. He has a particular knack for delivering quotable, highly meaningful messages during ordinary conversation. Although he and Reverend Otis are not exactly alike, he was certainly my inspiration for the character.
 
BRC: Leon Sharpe, the character from Webb’s past, and Billy, Leon’s partner, are as frightening a pair as one is liable to encounter in fiction. Sharpe, in particular, transforms CORNERED to some extent into a brilliant cautionary tale about the long-term evil of bad companions. Billy, on the other hand, is the living embodiment of the reason why you should never talk to strangers. How did you go about developing those two bad actors?
 
BM: I think Leon and Billy are the classic criminal pair that we've seen before in fiction: one guy is a quick-witted psychopath, the "brains" of the duo; the other is physically intimidating --- "the brawn" --- if you will, and completely controlled by his smarter, manipulative accomplice. I wanted to put my own spin on these conventional bad guy characters.
 
Leon Sharpe, in particular, was fun to write. He's a guy who's been a criminal for virtually his entire life, but he has tremendous intelligence that could have taken him quite far if he had chosen a legit career path. I've personally known several guys just like him. Most of us probably do, which is what makes him so believable. 
 
BRC: The book’s pacing kept me reading. It was perfect, from Leon unexpectedly showing up to the climactic --- and very satisfying --- ending where a long-delayed justice is finally served up. Did you plot and outline CORNERED before you started writing? Or did you just start writing it with only a vague idea as to where you were going?
 
BM: I did create an outline for this book because I was on a tight deadline. I like to know where I'm headed when I sit down to write. But I do give myself the freedom to veer away from the outline, if inspiration strikes.
 
BRC: If the evil of bad companions is one of the themes, so is the benevolent influence of good people. Who has influenced you in your life, and in your writing? Are there any authors who have influenced your work or your career, either personally or professionally?
 
BM: In my personal life, my grandfather was a powerful influence on me. He was more like my father than a grandparent. Although he passed on almost 20 years ago, his influence lives on in my life. He was a decent, honorable man, generous to a fault. I was fortunate to have him as a role model when I was younger.
 
Professionally, I owe a lot to Dean Koontz. Beyond the considerable influence of his amazing body of work, Dean actually read a draft of my first novel, years ago, and was kind enough to give me some insightful feedback that I'm convinced saved me at least 10 years of trial and error. I've never forgotten his generosity.
 
BRC: What, if anything, did you do differently while writing CORNERED? Did you think of it as being your strongest work while you were writing it? And which, of all of your novels and short stories, do you consider to be your favorite?
 
BM: I think CORNERED is definitely the most fast-paced book that I've ever written. It's the one book where I made a focused effort to really keep my foot on the accelerator from page one to the very end. I want people to read the book in one sitting (which you did!).
 
I don't have any particular favorite book of mine, though. I love all of them, for different reasons.
 
BRC: You are almost equally as well known for your short stories as you are for your novels. Do you prefer writing one over the other? What are the advantages and disadvantages between writing a short story or novella, and a longer work?
 
BM: I enjoy both short stories and novels equally, although I think short stories can be harder to write. A short story requires a really strong central idea, or it doesn't work. But you can write an entire novel based on just a few decent ideas (not that I recommend this!) and your character development and pacing can carry the day.
 
The main downside to writing short stories is that the paying market for them has almost completely dried up. Readers are geared toward the longer works, which I think is unfortunate, because short stories offer a lot of value when done well.
 
BRC: Have you ever considered writing an ongoing series? And are there any characters from either your past novels or short fiction who you would like to revisit in a future work?
 
BM: I've considered writing a sequel to DARK CORNER, my second novel. It's a thriller about vampires in the South, and has a number of colorful characters that might work in a series format. And of course, readers seem to love vampires these days, too. We'll see what the future brings.
 
BRC: If you weren’t writing for a living, what do you think you would be doing?
 
BM: Actually, I don't write for a living any more. I was a full-time writer for five years, and it was fulfilling, but I missed the social interaction that comes with a regular day job. So I went back into my IT career.
 
The funny thing is that my day job is highly technical --- I think of it as a "left brain" job. But when I'm writing, I get to use my creative side, my "right brain," if you will. It's a very satisfying approach for me.
 
BRC: A number of our readers are also writers. How did you begin your career? Is there anything you did at the beginning that you now wish you had done differently? And is there anything you did that you are now, in hindsight, extremely pleased that you did?
 
BM: I started out by self-publishing my first novel, THUNDERLAND. Through luck and sheer hard work, I managed to sell a few thousand copies and attract the attention of a large publisher.
 
In hindsight, though, I think I probably spent too much time writing and revising my first book. I mean, I spent literally 10 years on that book. Even though I eventually published it, I think my time would have been better spent working on other novels.
 
I bring this up because I think it's a common mistake for writers to get bogged down in one project. I've met people who've been working on the same book for years. Eventually, they run out of steam, and never finish it.
 
It's better to set a firm deadline, finish the manuscript on time, and move on to the next one. That way, you build momentum, get work circulating in the market, and you keep learning.
 
As far as something that I'm pleased I did? I married the right woman. A supportive spouse can help you survive all of the trials and tribulations you'll undoubtedly experience in your writing career.
 
BRC: What sort of writing schedule do you maintain? Do you find it difficult to stick to a daily routine, or is it easy for you? And how has your schedule differed, if at all, since you first started writing?
 
BM: I like to get in two solid hours of writing before I leave for the office. Sometimes (if my brain has any juice left by the end of the day), I'll work in the evenings. And then I manage to carve out several hours on weekends, too.
 
Ironically, even when I was writing full-time, I probably spent the same amount of time at the keyboard as I do now. I wouldn't say that it's difficult. It's really a matter of establishing a realistic routine, developing the habit. By the time you reach that point, if you don't do your daily writing, you feel as if you're out of sync.
 
BRC: Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, how do you work through it? And how do you keep coming up with new ideas?
 
BM: I've never had writer's block. I have enough ideas to keep me busy for at least the next 10 years. If I want new ideas, it's as easy as walking down the street.
 
Ideas are everywhere. Getting ideas is easy. Execution --- turning an idea into a strong story --- is the hard part.
 
BRC: Most writers are also voracious readers. What books have you read in the past year that you would like to recommend to our readers?
 
BM: I highly recommend the Tennyson Hardwick books, a mystery-suspense series developed by Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes. Highly entertaining, well-written novels.
 
BRC: Since you just published CORNERED, it might seem a little early to ask, but what can we look forward to from Brandon Massey next?
 
BM: I'm a little superstitious in that I don't like to discuss works-in-progress. But let's just say that I've got something brewing that will hopefully be published next year.


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INTERVIEW

July 25, 2008

Though established as an author and editor of horror and supernatural fiction, Brandon Massey tries his hand at traditional thrillers with his latest release, DON'T EVER TELL. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Massey explains why he chose to experiment with a new genre and describes what event in his own life partly inspired the plot of his current book. He also shares details about the real island off the coast of Georgia after which his fictional setting is modeled, weighs the pros and cons of writing novels over short stories, and discusses his future career goals and plans to continue penning suspense thrillers.

Bookreporter.com: The plot of DON'T EVER TELL involves an ex-cop, imprisoned for the attempted murder of his wife, who escapes and goes after her. She, in turn, has a new life and husband in another city. What inspired this story?

Brandon Massey: At the time I conceived the story, I had recently married, much like Joshua, Rachel's new husband in the book. (No, my wife has never been married to a psychotic ex-cop, thank God!) But I started thinking: what if a guy marries the woman of his dreams, the love of his life, and then finds out that she's kept major secrets from him? What would he do? Would he leave her, or stay? And on the flip side, what would she do once she realizes that her hidden past has begun to unravel? Would she tell him the truth, or not?

I've often found that major life events provide an excellent springboard for fiction. Birth, marriage, divorce, death, relocating to a new city...life-changing circumstances such as these are rich with potential conflict that you can spin into a compelling story.

BRC: DON'T EVER TELL is a different type of novel for you. Most of your previous work --- both of your own novels and the original anthologies you have edited --- has been in the horror and supernatural genres. While still firmly rooted in the thriller genre, DON'T EVER TELL is very much of this world. What made you decide to change direction in your writing?

BM: After writing four novels and numerous pieces of short fiction that explored the conventions of horror and the supernatural --- ghosts, haunted houses, vampires, psychic talents, werewolves and so forth --- I was itching to try something new. To write a story that could really happen, something chilling, yet utterly authentic.

The thing about supernatural threats --- let's take vampires, for example --- is that most of us don't really believe that they exist. When we read a vampire novel, we have to suspend our disbelief, to an extreme degree, in order to become fully immersed in the story. That's all fine and good, I enjoy suspending my disbelief as much as the next guy... but I get a special thrill when I read a book that takes place in the real world, peopled with characters I recognize, who face truly plausible dangers. Such stories, if done well, can linger in the mind long after you've turned the last page. I wanted to tackle the challenge of writing such a novel.

BRC: The conclusion of DON'T EVER TELL --- which is really electrifying, by the way --- is set on Hyde Island, a fictional barrier island off the coast of Georgia. It seemed as if you modeled Hyde Island as an opposing image of Jekyll Island, and I really enjoyed the very subtle way that you changed Jekyll Island to adapt to your purposes. Did we catch the joke, and was there any particular catalyst that caused you to do this?

BM: Yes, I deliberately named it Hyde Island as a little play on Jekyll Island, but what I created is actually closely modeled on Sapelo Island, another barrier island off the Georgia coast, which happens to have a prominent Gullah culture --- the Gullahs being the blacks who worked the barrier island plantations during slavery times and remained there after Emancipation, using the isolation to keep much of their original West African culture, language and customs intact. I'd long been interested in Gullah culture (it's very similar to Geechee, a group located on the barrier islands of South Carolina) and wanted to incorporate it into a book.

BRC: We all have different types of friends who fulfill different purposes for us. The implicit differences --- and similarities --- among Joshua's friends made for one of the more enjoyable sub-contexts of the book. Did you use any of your own friends as models for Joshua's in DON'T EVER TELL or share with us how you created these characters?

BM: I didn't use any of my friends specifically or deliberately, but I suspect every character I've ever created is an amalgam of individuals I've encountered at various times in my life. For this book, I worked to create characters who would serve meaningful roles in the story, and hopefully be colorful and interesting as well.

BRC: How does the final book differ from your first draft? Were there any significant character or plot changes?

BM: The pace of the published novel moves a lot more rapidly than it did in the first draft. That's an element that's key to a thriller, in my opinion --- a swift pace. It's difficult to achieve that effect in a first draft, which necessitates rewriting.

I also worked to deepen the character development by adding brief yet poignant flashbacks of Rachel's "previous" life. I think it gave the story more resonance.

Of course, I made probably a million other changes in regard to the prose: little details of dialogue, description, character and so on. Good writing, as writers often say, is all about rewriting.

BRC: How did you come to develop an affinity for writing, and reading? Did you have a model in your family, or at your schools?

BM: I was raised in a household where reading was strongly encouraged. My mom kept books everywhere. I fell into reading at an early age, found that I actually enjoyed English classes in school, and it grew from there. I didn't personally know any writers, in my family or otherwise. All I knew was that I loved reading, loved listening to the elders in my family tell colorful stories about "the good old days," and felt very comfortable expressing myself via the written word.

By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I decided that I wanted to pursue writing as a career.

BRC: What led you to writing, and editing, as a vocation?

BM: The writing grew naturally out of my lifelong love of reading, language and stories. Probably the editing, too, actually. I think a good editor is able to recognize quality writing, and this kind of insight comes only from extensive exposure to fiction, good and bad.

BRC: There was a cinematic viewpoint to DON'T EVER TELL that was very intriguing. I could almost see it, reel by reel, in my head while I was reading it. Did you perhaps originally conceive the book as a film project as you were writing it?

BM: I'm pleased that you found the book to be cinematic, but I never conceived of it as a film project, in any formal sense. Quite honestly, with every story I write, I see it unfolding as a movie in my imagination. I often ask myself when writing how this play out if it were a film. And I try to bring that same visual orientation to my prose.

BRC: In addition to several full-length novels, including DON'T EVER TELL, you have also written a number of short stories collected in TWISTED TALES, and edited Dark Dreams, three volumes of original horror short stories. Which do you prefer --- writing short stories or novels? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? And will you be editing any additional volumes of Dark Dreams?

BM: Personally, I prefer novels. By mere virtue of their length, they give me an opportunity to fully explore the characters, the theme, the background. Short stories are fun and challenging, but they are... well, short. Everything is greatly compressed.

With that said, most ideas are best suited to one form. Not every idea can or should be developed into a novel, and vice versa.

I don't plan on editing any more Dark Dreams anthologies. We've done three, all of which were well received and of which I'm quite proud. I think we'll leave it at that.

BRC: One of the hardest things about writing for a living, whether part time or full time, is adhering to a work schedule. What sort of schedule do you have? Do you follow a similar schedule when you are editing an anthology?

BM: My schedule changes constantly based on the work that needs to be done --- and how much time I have to do it! But generally, when I'm writing a novel, I aim to work at a consistent pace, which for me means putting in four to six hours a day of intense writing, at least five days a week.

The editing of the anthologies was much easier. We had an open call for submissions for each book, so I would spend a couple of hours each evening reading the stories that had come in, setting aside those that failed to grab me in the first few pages --- this weeded out most of them. When I came across a gem of a story, I would read it over a few times, making notes to send to the author, but as a rule I selected only those stories that were in pretty solid shape from the beginning. In that regard, I suppose I was much like the editors at publishing companies these days. Note to aspiring writers reading this: make sure your story is as close to perfect as possible before you send it out the door!

BRC: What authors, of any genre, have influenced you? Who were the first authors you enjoyed as a child, and later?

BM: Some of the earliest authors I recall enjoying were Dr. Seuss (okay, I'm going way back!) and books like WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak, and Madeline L'Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME. In my teen years, I was a big fan of the Dungeons & Dragons Dragonlance series, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Peter Straub, Clive Barker --- lots of horror and suspense. I remember those years with so much nostalgia --- discovering those authors' works was like entering a new world, and had a strong influence on my work.

These days, my reading is all across the board, but some of my favorites are Walter Mosley, F. Paul Wilson, James Lee Burke and Tananarive Due.

BRC: What would you be doing if you were not writing?

BM: I would probably be an entrepreneur of some kind. My family is full of business owners --- my grandfather had a pretty successful courier firm, back in the day --- and I imagine that the entrepreneurial bug would have bitten me by now.

BRC: What goals for your writing career have you achieved thus far? And what milestones do you want to reach in the future?

BM: My initial career goal was simply to publish a novel with a mainstream publisher. I achieved that goal a few years ago, after years of rejections. With that done, the next goal was to write full-time and do it without starving to death! I've been doing that for four years now, and with luck, and a wife who believes in my work --- and who also happens to have a successful career in Corporate America --- we've managed to avoid starvation.

As far as future milestones I want to reach: How about hitting the New York Times bestseller list? (What writer doesn't want to do that, right?) Actually, I'm already living my dream, earning a living doing something I've wanted to do since I was a teenager. I'd just love to continue developing my skills and gaining new readers.

BRC: What books have you read recently that you would want to recommend to our readers?

BM: BLOOD COLONY by Tananarive Due is an outstanding read --- the third installment in her Immortals series. On my to-be-read pile I have books by Daniel Silva, Stephen L. Carter and Robert Crais.

BRC: What are you working on now? Will you continue to work in the thriller genre, as opposed to the horror and supernatural genres, in the future?

BM: I do plan to keep writing suspense thrillers. I recently completed another thriller that hopefully will see print next summer, and I'm currently kicking around ideas for the next one.

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