Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He currently spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable. He lives in Massachusetts with his fiancee, his Pomeranian, his over-sized cat, and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him.
Beer?
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
Hi, I’m Pat and I write horror novels, collect obscure action figures, and drink coffee/IPA, though both tend to give me heartburn.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
Aside from collecting said action figures, I’m a big horror movie buff, especially weird, lesser known gems, so I try to fit them in as much as possible. Then there’s the whole reading thing since it’s part of the whole writing thing. I also like to spend time with my fiancée, dog, and cat, and sometimes I even sleep.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
A tie between every Goosebumps and every Bunnicula.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
I’m a metal head. My favorite album of all time is Colors from Between the Buried and Me (BTAM for short). I’ve been listening to them since I was fifteen, when I used to swing around in my chair and participate in lonely mosh pits. Did I say that out loud? I don’t listen to music when I write but I tend to put on some more atmospheric stuff while I edit. Before I start my writing sessions, I like to play guitar for ten minutes or so as sort of palate cleanser and also to pretend I’m a rock star. I never said those personal mosh pit sessions ended.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
My favorite movie (horror or otherwise) of all time is A Nightmare on Elm Street. A generic answer, perhaps, but it’s the one that started it all for me. My parents came of age in the hippy generation and were open to me watching whatever the heck I wanted—within good reason. So when I was a very mature five years of age, they let me watch the first Nightmare film and from then on I’ve been hooked on horror. Wes Craven, however, is not my favorite director. It’s another generic answer but it’s the truth: that title goes to Carpenter for his sheer body of work.
KR: What are you reading now?
I just cracked open Last Days by Adam Nevill. He’s one of the best living horror authors in my humble opinion. There’s a scene in The Ritual (his novel preceding Last Days) that to this day fills me with such dread, I do an involuntary/embarrassing shiver dance. I try not to think of that scene in public.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
Well, I started with King as most folks seem to. Had an old torn and borderline moldy copy of Skeleton Crew that left a lasting impression. In terms of my actual writing style, I’d say I learned the most from Jack Ketchum, John Skipp, Stewart O’Nan, Richard Matheson, and Graham Joyce to name a few.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
On average, I don’t outline but I’ll think about a book for ages (sometimes years) before I sit down to write it so by then, I have some faint idea of where it’s going. The problem is that I then usually take it in an entirely different direction and am left in an existential crisis.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I’ve only had to do real research for two books. The others have been on the lighter side. I tend to write until I need to actually pull up a search engine or interact with a human who knows about the thing I’m attempting to write about. More of a reactive writer than a proactive one. For better or worse (definitely worse).
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
No such thing. I work a full-time day job so I write any time I can fit it in, usually for an hour or so a day. I used to adhere to a strict 1,000-words-per-day schedule but I’m since become more lenient. Seven hundred good words are better than one thousand mediocre ones on any day of the week.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
I’m quite proud of We Came Back. It’s the most personal thing I’ve published yet and all of my royalties are donated to the American Cancer Society on a forever basis.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
To an extent. Anyone who says they don’t is probably lying. But to be honest, they don’t affect me one way or the other. It’s great to see the good ones and the bad ones are just as important but I’d be doing this even if publishing became illegal tomorrow.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
Don’t do this unless you really want to because it involves a lot of hard work and dedication and you’re probably going to drive yourself crazy on more than one occasion. Your life will be much better if you don’t start writing but if that thought of that fills you with sadness, by all means give it a go. TL;DR version: don’t go into this lightly.
KR: What scares you?
The idea that reality is likely paper thin and could come crashing down in a moment’s notice. Also mushrooms. They’re so icky and they grow in the dark.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
I collect vintage horror paperbacks (what have recently been dubbed as “Paperback from Hell”), so I obviously prefer the real deal in that case. But with everything else, I’m perfectly happy with E-books. I used to be adamantly against them but then I started running out of space and I changed my tune quickly.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
Yes, it’s called BONE SAW and is about Liam Carpenter, a recent film school dropout who learns that his favorite movie monster, the Pigfoot, might not just be a man in a latex suit. It’s also got she-demons, blood sacrifices, and is a love story.
KR: What are you working on now?
I’m working on two novels now. The first is a co-written book about sea creatures and pirate cults. The second is my take on a haunted house novel and is by far the most personal thing I’ve written to date. Puts We Came Back to shame.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
My fiancée, my mom, and my dog/cat, who I’d staple together to constitute a single person.
KR: Thank you very much Patrick.
You can follow Patrick on Twitter @PatLacey
You can visit Patrick’s official website here
You can visit Patrick’s author page here
Liam Carpenter spends most of his time above his aunt’s garage, watching obscure horror movies and drinking cheap beer. But this week’s different. This week, things are getting weird. First, there’s his favorite director, Clive Sherman, showing up in town unannounced. Then there’s the string of murders that all seem like something out of Clive’s popular Pigfoot movie monster franchise. Throw in Liam’s mysterious new crush and the cough-syrup-addicted private investigator chasing her down and you might gain somewhat of a clue of what’s going on in Bass Falls lately. And don’t even get him started on she-demons and blood sacrifices. Bone Saw studios is in town and they’re bringing you the bloodiest sequel featuring a pig-human hybrid killing machine you’ve ever seen.
You can buy Bone Saw from Amazon US & Amazon UK
Dreams aren’t just for the sleeping.
After the murder of his wife, Officer Henry Stapleton struggles to move on. He begins experiencing nightmares that seem more like reality. Far beyond simple grieving. Looking for answers, he visits a mysterious new healing center, owned by real estate mogul Paul White. There’s just one problem. The man doesn’t exist. Though his name appears on his properties, there is no evidence of White’s birth, no social security number, no means of tracing whatsoever. Henry begins to believe White is to blame for these visions. And they’re spreading to others.
Joined by his partner George Patrick, the two travel deeper into the collective nightmare infecting Bellview, a once quiet town now in the grasps of unknown evil.
Reality may not be as concrete as Henry Stapleton once thought…
You can buy Practitioners from Amazon US & Amazon UK
Growing up dead.
Melvin Brown sees things that aren’t there. Monsters with tentacles and razor-sharp teeth. Ever the social outcast, he is bullied to the point of suicide. And his hatred of those who did him wrong does not die with him.
One decade after Melvin’s death, something strange is happening to Lynnwood High School’s smartest and most popular students. They begin to act out and spend time at the former high school, now abandoned and said to be haunted. And their numbers grow at an alarming rate.
Is this just a passing fad or are the rumors true? Does Lynnwood really have a teenage cult on their hands?
You can buy We Came Back from Amazon US & Amazon UK
You should defo give Pat’s stuff a go, Gavin. His latest with Matt Hayward is really good!
Will do Adrian. Practitioners and Bone Saw are both on the list.