Author Andrea Merchak talks to Kendall Reviews.

As far back as she remembers Andrea loved all things horror. She embarked on her journey when she was just a kid, watching iconic-must-see horror movies and devouring one horror classic after the other. All grown up, she initially found an outlet for her creativity through writing, as a freelance journalist. It was her sister who pushed her towards re-discovering her true passion- horror. Andrea went on to combine her love for writing with her love for horror giving us her first book- Bloody Legends.

She also released a special story as part of a Horror Anthology, Death & Pestilence with other horror writers called, Deadly Senses. Meanwhile her debut novel was so well received by readers that it became a series with the release of the exciting prequel to Bloody Legends-Bloody Origin.

Being a lover of all things books she also dabbles in artistic and creative endeavors which enrich the reading process-book covers, book trailers, and book formatting/conversion.

Connecting with her readers helps Andrea make her stories dark and gory and infused with a blend of suspense, mystery and crime. She loves adding a touch of erotic and many of her tales involve a brush with the supernatural. Writing is her greatest joy and Andrea will always find new ways to intrigue and scare the wits out of you.

So, are you ready to be terrified? Look out for Andrea’s recently released Crowley’s Cult – where the past and the present come together in a clash of sinister and bizarre happenings, taking it’s protagonist Zane down a path of sex, murder and violence.

KR: Coffee?

KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?

I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I still live. But I’m not a typical ‘carioca’; I love winter, hate soccer and Carnaval. I have never been married and have no kids. I’m a night person. I’m a dog person. I’m horror addicted. Someone can tell me why it is so hard to talk about ourselves?

KR: What do you like to do when not writing?

I love reading and watching horror TV shows. I read mostly horror (the darker and gorier, the better). Can be sheer terror, suspense, mystery, crime, supernatural, and I also like dark erotica/BDSM. I wish I’d go out more to practice some activities that would keep me fit but, well, it’s not me.

KR: What is your favourite childhood book?

I don’t have a favorite childhood book, at least I can’t remember any. But I do remember having read Agatha Christie a lot on my early teens. I used to try to figure out who the killer was (I’m proud to say that I usually figured it out). Then I found out Stephen King and I was hooked. I was very young then and he made a remarkable impression on me.

KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?

That’s tough. It’s always changing. I’ve been listening to Maroon 5 a lot lately. And no, music doesn’t play any role in my writing.

KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?

This one is much harder to answer. A favorite horror movie? I have tens. Okay, I’ll pick Misery. I loved this book and I think this movie is very close to it. Not to mention the performances of Kathy Bates and James Caan. I watched it many times. I absolutely loved it.

My favorite horror director … should I pick Rob Reiner? Of course not, lol. I’m sorry but I’ll pick two favorites: Dario Argento and Clive Barker. They are the best of the best. Love them both. If one of my books one day turns into a movie or TV show I’d love to know that one of them will direct it. What? Dreaming doesn’t hurt.

KR: What are you reading now?

I’m reading The Man In The Window by C. Dennis Moore. This horror book tells a story of Todd, a young man who moved out on his own to a new town, breaks his leg, and starts to see a man in the window. A man he is the only one who can see. Todd will have to solve the riddle of the man in the window by facing his worst fears before driving insane. I have read about 30% of it so far and I can assure it’s been a fast-paced, dark and creepy journey as the author described.

KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?

I could mention a lot of them, such as H.P. Lovecraft (one of my favorites ever), but I have to pick Stephen King. I started reading King since my early teen years and his writing overwhelmed me. Unusual characters, unexpected endings… he is fantastic! This impression remains with me until today and I always use it as inspiration when I’m writing.

KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?

I have an idea and a plot immediately comes to my mind. Then I take notes of it and afterwards I outline the whole story. Of course, sometimes it change a bit when I’m actually writing the story, but in general, this is my process.

KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I research a lot. I love to use real elements on my stories. They can be there literally or just as a reference but there is always a lot of research. I do most of them before I begin writing, but sometimes I do it during my writing if an idea comes to my mind. For me, researching is crucial to any author. It doesn’t matter how fictional a book is, it is always good to have good real references for it.

KR: Describe your usual writing day?

Oh I know I should have a routine but I hate the idea. I can write 2-3 chapters in a day or not even open the file at all for a few days. Most of the times I like to write the entire chapter. Or at least to have it outlined. But I always settle a deadline so that I can prevent the never-ending writing of the book.

KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?

Yes, I do. Bloody Origin, the prequel to Bloody series. I really love the main character and it was awesome to get back to him.

KR: Do you read your book reviews?

Yes, all of them. I believe reviews are not just to extol our ego but also to help improve our writing. Of course when they praise us, better feels good. It means we have achieved our goal to give the readers what they want to read, and this is an amazing feeling.

KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?

I never thought about being an author before my sister came with the idea. And I am so glad she did it. When I finished writing my first book I could barely believe I had been able to do that. Now I can’t think about doing anything else in my life other than writing. My advice is, don’t let anyone say you are not good enough or writing is only meant to be a hobby. Persevere and never, ever give up. Just keep writing!

KR: What scares you?

I’m afraid to lose my mind, my ability to think. And above of all, lose the people I love and care for.

KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?

E-books. I love having thousands of books available to read anytime, anywhere.

KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?

Crowley’s Cult is a dark horror story with elements of supernatural, erotica and mystery. It tells the story of Zane, a renowned painter, who has his life threatened by an ominous stalker making him and his fiancée to find sanctuary in a centennial building, famous for its macabre background. Zane’s presence unleashes a dark shadow from the past. Then, they find themselves thrown into a world where violent deaths, bizarre rituals, and satanic orgies become their new reality. It contains graphic scenes of violence including murder, vulgar language and explicit sex, so be aware of that before starting to read it.

KR: What are you working on now?

I’m working on book 2 of Bloody series, Bloody Puzzle. Daniel Cooper will be back more evil in an intriguing and elaborated new theme. There will also be new characters, other than his victims, of course, and characters from the previous books. I’m really excited about this new story.

Simultaneously, I’m writing a series of horror short stories that will be part of the book Fragments of Horror that I will publish soon. You can check out one of them, Apocalypse (a final draft version), by subscribing to my list.

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.

Do you know I write horror, right? Well, I love my serial killer so, Daniel Cooper would be there with me.

b) One fictional character from any other book.

Eddie Collins from CSI Eddie Collins series by Andrew Barrett. I love him too.

c) One real life person that is not a family member or friend.

Must be Stephen King. It would be awesome spend some time writing horror stories with him. At least until Daniel killed us all.

KR: Thank you very much Andrea.

You can find out more about Andrea by visiting her blog www.andreamerchak.com

Follow Andrea on Twitter @andiemerchak

Andrea’s author page can be found here

When Zane, a renowned painter, and his fiancée have their lives threatened by a stalker, the couple find sanctuary in a centennial building, famous for its macabre history.

But appearances can be deceptive. Zane’s presence unleashes a dark shadow from the past.

Zane and his fiancée find are thrown into a world of violent deaths, bizarre rituals, and satanic orgies as a group of wealthy people introduce them to a world of bisexual intercourse, an intriguing muse, a maleficent entity, Aleister Crowley, and Lexa, a stunning and bold young woman who jeopardizes the couple’s relationship.

Who are these people?

Will Zane be able to unveil the truth before it’s too late?

You can buy Crowley’s Cult from Amazon US & Amazon UK

A serial killer is born!

BLOODY ORIGIN is the prequel to the Bloody Series, in which Dr. Daniel Cooper, a vicious serial killer, perpetrates the most heinous crimes with a truly morbid creativity.

In this short story, you will learn how Daniel came to understand who he really is, and what it was like for him the first time he killed a person.

Are we really born evil?

Find out here, and get ready to learn how it all began!

You can buy Bloody Origin from Amazon US & Amazon UK

Are you afraid of urban legends? Prepare to be even more scared when they become real!

Dr. Daniel Cooper is a vicious serial killer who finds himself bored with killing only prostitutes and homeless people. In order to indulge his most morbid and sadistic fantasies, he decides he’ll start to perpetrate his crimes by staging famous urban legends.

His insatiable hunger for killing makes him plan every murder with extreme cruelty, to make every death as gruesome and gory as possible.

Is it possible that urban legends could inspire such macabre crimes?

Daniel’s hubris and wit lead him into a dangerous confrontation with two detectives who are investigating the dreadful crimes, and are running out of time to stop the frenzied killing.

How many innocent victims will die before the detectives can figure out who the killer is?

Even the most avid horror reader won’t be able to predict the astonishingly scary conclusion!

You can buy Bloody Legends from Amazon US & Amazon UK

Sands Press collected the top twenty submissions from a short story horror contest and showcased them in “Death & Pestilence”. These stories will have you sitting on the edge of your seat questioning your better judgement as to why you decided to read this book when you were alone.

You can buy Death & Pestilence from Amazon US & Amazon UK