I’m delighted to welcome Nick Sullivan to Kendall Reviews. Nick was recommended to me by author Chris (The Nightmare Room) Sorensen after I posted on Twitter that I was looking for some decent Creature Feature books to read. Just seeing the title, Zombie Bigfoot, I was sold, after reading the synopsis the book moved straight to the top of my TBR pile, it sounded exactly the kind of book I needed to be reading. I’m currently half way through ZBF and it’s everything I wanted it to be. Well written, decent set pieces, creatures that you connect with and a tongue set very firmly in cheek. Zombie Bigfoot is fun with a capital F! Look for my review soon.
I grab a couple of beers for Nick and myself…
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
I’m an actor who moved to New York City from Tennessee. About twenty years ago I began narrating audiobooks, recording over four hundred titles in my time. I started on reel-to-reel! After reading so many authors across so many genres, I decided to try my hand at writing. “Zombie Bigfoot” was my first novel and I’ve got a second one coming out in May.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
I love scuba diving—I try to go somewhere every year. I’m also still active in acting and narration. I recently had the opportunity to record a pair of Robert McCammon novels and that was an absolute blast. I also love my television gigs—played a West Virginia sheriff on Law & Order SVU recently. I’m also a huge fan of craft beer… but if I list that as a “hobby” it might indicate a problem…
I'll be appearing on tonight's episode "Intent" on Law & Order: SVU, NBC at 9pm. Also appearing… my mustache. Be sure to tune in to see it in all its glory. @NBCSVU #SVU19 pic.twitter.com/QerZMGioRI
— Nick Sullivan (@NicktheSullivan) December 6, 2017
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
LOL… oh, you won’t believe this one. The Stand. I was on vacation with my family in Barbados and we had this little bungalow (apparently John Cleese had just vacated it!) and it had a little “leave-a-book/take-a-book” library. And there was a hardback of “The Stand”, the British printing—with a somewhat medieval art-looking picture of a man and a crow-headed humanoid battling with swords. I think that cover is in the US now, but at the time I think it was unique to the UK version. I had NO idea what I was getting into but I read that whole book during the vacation week. I don’t think my parents realized what I was reading.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
Sergeant Pepper’s. It’s just masterful. I enjoy playing music when I write and will frequently change it up if it doesn’t match the mood. I’ve also been known to put on thunderstorm ambience when writing horror… or ocean ambience for my new book.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
It’s really hard to beat Romero and Night of the Living Dead. That man started a movement and that movie still stands up. I met the “They’re coming to get you, Barbaraaaaaa…” guy last year.
KR: What are you reading now?
Today I’m “reading” (narrating) Enduring Charity by Wayne Stinnett. Action adventure on the high seas with some twisted individuals creating problems for the protagonists. Loving it! Recently I read The Nightmare Room by a fellow author/narrator, Chris Sorenson. Gave me chills! I’ve sometimes thought I’ve heard something while… well, I’m getting into spoilers, so I’ll shut up now. Can’t wait to hear his recording of it.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
King pops into my mind first, and it’s a pretty loud pop. But honestly, there have been so many authors I’ve narrated for that inspired me (and several that encouraged me after they read some of what I’d written). Also, I’d be remiss not to mention that there have been a few books that have inspired me in a different way: “THIS got published?? I can do better than this!”
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
Early days for me, but a combination of both. I usually have an inciting incident in mind and I’ll write that chapter free-flowing. Then I go back and create a detailed outline. I certainly don’t always stick to it, but I like to have a road map. I’ve got a meticulous nature and I admire the “seat-of-your-pants” way some can write, but I think it’s not for me.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I do a large amount of research, but I like to do it as I go and as ideas come into my head. I supposed I do a lot of preliminary research as I create the outline, but I do even more during the writing process.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
Because I’m still acting in theater/tv/film and narrating two or three books a month, my writing schedule is frequently interrupted… but when I’m on a roll I get up very early, have my coffee and listen to the radio while working on emails and marketing… then I turn everything off and sit down to write. I’ll usually go from 10am until 7pm, with a lunch break here and there. I go to bed looking forward to waking up early and diving back in.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
I do! I know a lot of people who don’t, but I find book reviews tend to have valuable insights, even when they’re negative. For instance, one of my lower reviews for ZBF, a three star, said “Needs more horror.” I laughed at that and thought “what is he talking about… it’s a Zombie Bigfoot, how could you think that would be a deep dive into the macabre… but then I realized it IS categorized as “Horror” and that means different things to different people. So, because of that review that I poopooed, I’ve now tweaked a few descriptions, trying to make it clear that it’s a creature feature… horror comedy… action-adventure horror. Not The Exorcist.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
Do it do it do it do it. No, that’s glib, let’s see… I’m still a fledgling author so maybe I’m in touch with this question. I’d say, when you are starting out, force yourself to have at least four days in a row where you do little else. There’s something that happens when you do that.
KR: What scares you?
Something that isn’t facing you… turning slowly… and its face is…
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
Paperback.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
Zombie Bigfoot is a Horror Comedy Creature Feature with Action Adventure elements… see what I did there?
It was a screenplay that I had written back in 2012 and I decided to novelize it in 2016. The novel turned out better than I could have hoped for and now the screenplay needs a complete overhaul. It starts slow and then spirals into madness—I’ve been told it inspires “binge-reading”—and one fellow who bought it on audiobook said “It’s like Netflix for my ear!” Dang, did he not put that review on Audible? I’m glad we had this interview, I need to track him down. Anyway, ZBF (which is what I called it for years) is creature feature mayhem with a wild cast of characters. People who love the “Walking Dead” will find little in the way of bleak, apocalyptic visions in its pages. But if you like Sam Raimi, or movies like “Lake Placid”, this might be for you!
KR: What are you working on now?
And now for something completely different. I’m an avid scuba diver and have been all over the Caribbean. Deep Shadow is action adventure set in the tropics… some Clancy-esque elements in there as well. I told you, I have had a broad range of influences with my twenty years of narration. The book lands May 1.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
You can choose…
a) One fictional character from your writing.
Russ Cloud, from Zombie Bigfoot. His survivalist skills would come in handy!
b) One fictional character from any other book.
let’s go with Gandalf… If we get sick of the island, I imagine he can find some little moth to whisper to and get us out of there.
c) One real life person that is not a family member or friend.
I’ll go with Tina Fey. She’s hot, and funny as hell. You need to keep your spirits up!
KR: Thank you very much Nick.
Just a quick note for your readers, Zombie Bigfoot will by 99 cents on Amazon from May 1 to May 7. Also, it is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. PLUS, I’ve got the audiobook Whispersynced to the Audible audio, so if you buy the Kindle version, you can get the audiobook for only a couple bucks (instead of the $20 it costs by itself) http://zombiebigfoot.com
Also on sale for 99 cents that same week, my new novel Deep Shadow. Not a zombie or Sasquatch in sight but it if you’re into action-adventure/thriller/suspense, it’s a roller coaster ride in the Caribbean! http://deepnovels.com/deepshadow
You can follow Nick on Twitter @nickthesullivan
To find out more about Nick please visit his official website www.nicksullivan.net
Please visit Nick’s author page here
To visit Nick’s Goodreads page please click here
You can find Nick via Facebook here
The truth is out there…and it will eat your face.
“Bigfoot is real.” That’s what primatologist Dr. Sarah Bishop’s father told her before his academic disgrace and untimely death.
Now Sarah is eager to restore her father’s good name. Survival show host Russ Cloud is just as eager to boost his plummeting ratings. They’ll both have a shot at redemption when they find themselves hired by eccentric billionaire Cameron Carson. After a series of his publicity stunts end in spectacular failure, Carson has a plan to redeem his tarnished image: capture a live Sasquatch.
Sarah and Russ join an expedition with an eclectic crew: an Afrikaner safari hunter, a ‘roided out former wrestling star, a Shoshone master tracker full of surprises, a heavily tattooed Russian warrior woman, a pair of wise-cracking nerds, and a cute gum-chewing intern with some hidden skills. Will they find Bigfoot?
There’s something in the woods…but it’s not what they’re expecting.
You can read my review for Zombie Bigfoot here
To buy Zombie Bigfoot, visit: http://zombiebigfoot.com Amazon UK or Amazon US
In the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, something lethal is on the move.
Scuba divers travel from all over the world to visit the little island of Bonaire, with its crystal-clear waters and a host of beautiful marine life. After three years in the “Diver’s Paradise”, divemaster Boone Fischer thought he’d seen it all; but on a routine afternoon dive, he spots something that will turn his tranquil life upside down.
From the arid shores of the ABC Islands to the tropical jungles of Venezuela—from the ocean depths of the Southern Caribbean, to the lush islands of the Northern Leewards, Deep Shadow takes Boone and the reader on an action-packed adventure filled with danger and suspense.
To buy Deep Shadow, visit: http://deepnovels.com/deepshadow Amazon UK or Amazon US
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