CHURCHILL:

Hey guys. Well, I'm a 46 year old horror geek that's been writing stories for most of my life. I'm a fan of horror, sci-fi, martial arts, action films, and old Marvel comics, which I incorporate elements of into my writing all the time.

Well, an average day for me is heading off to my day job at my old high school, Jacksonville High School. I used to supervise the all day internal suspension, but this school year I do a little of everything, kinda filling in the cracks? smile. Right after school I head to football practice, where I help coach the freshman team. The evenings are spent having dinner and conversation with my beautiful wife, and depending on the night, either watching some football, or a favorite show like Lost, Burn Notice, Sons of Anarchy, or Life. Occasionally, I get a little writing done too. Usually Monday through Wednesday nights I'm working on my weekly newspaper column, which appears Sundays in the Jacksonville Journal Courier newspaper. Otherwise, I'm working on my current novel, Good Night My Sweet, or a novella I'm revising for publication next year.

CHURCHILL:

For me, the biggest challenge is prioritizing projects. I have so many ideas I want to bring to life, but as a novelist the time investment is such that you can't really afford to make a mistake about which idea to work on for months. As I was finishing up the first draft of my current novel, I was already starting the mental sweepstakes for the next one. It took me most of the summer to decide which idea to pursue, but I've settled that and I'm totally jazzed to get into it. I've learned that it's better for me to let the ideas simmer, then battle it out in the back of my mind until the winner steps forth, than to force the issue, or choose what I think might be the most marketable, or what might be "hot" a couple years down the road, etc. And odds are, if I live long enough, the runner up idea will eventually find itself getting written?smile.

CHURCHILL:

Well, my mom got me started on those old black and white thrillers, then the horror flicks of the seventies such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left, Jaws, The Exorcist, Dawn of the Dead, and Halloween took hold and never let go. Then Stephen King just dotted the i and crossed the t.

CHURCHILL:

Totally, but the stories are better told campfire style? ha ha ha. I will say that one was a classic Halloween graveyard experience, and the other occurred with a group of friends in an old camper. Some of my buddies will never let me forget my classic line, "No spider threw that rock!"

CHURCHILL:

I love the unlimited range and lack of boundaries of horror. Originality is difficult, but it's not hard to twist the every day into something very unsettling. I like forcing readers to see what I want them to see, feel what I want them to feel. I particularly love blending genres, especially horror and action, like in the films Dog Soldiers, Brotherhood of the Wolf, or Grindhouse's Planet Terror. Writing horror or dark fiction is like being the creepy guy who operates the scary ride at the traveling carnival. I really dig that position of controlling the ride, which is the great challenge of entertaining readers.

CHURCHILL:

Honestly, I've never had writer's block, (knocking on wood) and I hope I never do. For me, it all lies in the passion for what you're writing. If you're not stoked as a writer to create, how can you expect readers to get excited about the finished product? My relationship with my writing is about the same as Cartman's relationship with cheesy poofs. I just crave it all the time. I'm a writing junkie.

CHURCHILL:

Well, I got a little lucky. I had a story already written for an anthology that lost its publisher just waiting for a home, and it just happened to be a werewolf story. I grew up a huge comic book fan, and I'd had an idea for a werewolf version of Blade Forever. I just thought it would be cool to have a Batman-like superhero that used his curse to combat other supernatural creatures, but especially other werewolves. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" was born, and a possible novel and screenplay are on my writing "to-do" list.

CHURCHILL:

Well, if you live on L.A. or San Fran, my books are on the shelves of Dark Delicacies in Burbank or Borderland's in San Francisco. Readers can check out my novels and some of the recent anthologies I appear in on Amazon.com. I have two novels: The Dead Shall Inherit The Earth, which is an outer space horror tale involving a group of mercenaries doing a job for the government that goes backed up toilet bad. There's plenty of nightmarish action, and zombies make an appearance during the final quarter of the book. The Blackest Heart is my futuristic nod to High Plains Drifter, The Crow, and Spawn. It's also set in outer space but has a distinct western feel, and I think the collection of villains the resurrected hero is up against is the book's major plus. It's a lot of fun. Both books were written for adults, so expect heavy doses of imaginative violence and sexuality. Also, despite the pulp nature, both books have very strong female characters. That's what happens when you grow up digging Emma Peel of the Avengers, Vasquez from Aliens, and being a fan of Adrienne Barbeau.

Hopefully in 2009 my latest novel Good Night My Sweet, and novella Condemned will be in readers' hands, along with an appearance in an anthology or two.

CHURCHILL:

Well, it's about a superhero werewolf called Lunar, who, as his career is at an end, is trying to track and destroy a pack of werewolves preying on Los Angeles. He has one last chance to destroy them, but a major complication turns his mission into a journey far more personal and perilous than he ever planned on.

CHURCHILL:

Thank you Matt & GST for giving "By The Light of the Silvery Moon" the opportunity to be in such a great anthology; and for me having a chance to reach out to the readers.