Q) What's Your 1st novel about? Who's the publisher and when will it be available?
Internet Message is a new-age Vampire novel about a lonely college student who likes to play on the Internet late at night, kind of a hobby she uses to distract herself from closing her eyes, only to end up in a vicious nightmare.
When she finally meets up with one of her favorite male instant messengers, she is entranced by his charms, not knowing that he is a vampire sent by her deceased mother to fulfill her destiny and destroy the people close to her.
It will be available sometime this year through Publish America.
Q) What or whom are some of your influences?
I honestly can't say I have any influences. I just enjoy writing. I guess if I had an influence it would be the Grim Reaper, because he brings death and that's what I enjoy writing about.
Q) Are you currently working on anything new?
I have a few short stories in the works and my second novel "Gloomy" is in progress. I plan to follow that up with "The Bloody Luck League" and possibly compose a book of short stories.
Q) Has the Internet helped your career? If so how, and do you have a website where fans can get the skinny on your writing?
That's a big yes. The Internet is where I get most of my info, have met some great authors and I use it to submit my work. Stephaniesimpsonwoods.com will be up soon, but right now people can check out my work at hometown.aol.com/lilypadleaper3
Q) What books, authors, and films do you find personally scary or disturbing?
I'm a tough person to scare, but John Saul and Steven King still freak me out a bit. I find new authors more terrifying. I'm not saying that because I am one, but they bring a freshness to the genre and they seem less afraid of being warped and graphic.
Film-wise, I love John Carpenter. Horror films today seem to be made for everyone and this makes them cheesy and they end up lacking the true element of horror. But John Carpenter stays true to his horror fans.
Q) Do you prefer writing on novel length works or short stories? Why?
Novel length works. Short stories are fun to write, but with novels I get really involved with my characters. A book I'm writing becomes my baby and writing a short story is like baby sitting.
Q) What's worse, writing a book or reviewing one?
Hmm... worse? I actually enjoy both. If I didn't like writing books, I wouldn't bother. I love reading and if a book is shit, oh well, I learned something from it. I enjoy doing reviews because what I say could help out another author or piss them off. The submission process for writing a book is a bitch compared to submitting a review, but I can't stick either in the "worse" category.
Q) What do you see in your future as a writer?
I see my self in gold teeth big pimpin' a nice caddy one day, maybe a few houses like John Saul and pulling a Steven King-like cameo in one of my book's films. Not really. I see myself slaving away on a keyboard with my mind spilling over onto it for quite sometime until anything happens. There are so many writers out there right now and I'm just one of them trying to sell a book.
Q) Any last rites, I mean words, you'd like to leave anyone reading this?
Sure. If you like to read some horrific fresh meat check out my book reviews over at Castle Dracula.
You will find a lot of great info on some of the new writers in the genre.
Last, thanks for interviewing me and be prepared for a good, lusty scare when Internet Message comes out.
