Chris is an author of horror fiction, nonfiction, and some other stuff he wouldn’t want his parents to read. His short fiction has appeared in various small-press publications such as IMPALER, BLACK MOON, MALEFICA, THE SWAMP, and VIVID. For 4 years, he wrote the column, Fiendish Endeavors, for the Horror Writers Association monthly newsletter. His e-book shorts, CLOWNING AROUND and THE LAST CHORD, can be found at the usual online venues. In October 2018, his novella, MISTER JACK, received rave reviews from various horror fiction blogsites. The sequel, NIGHT OF THE PUMPKIN GOD, is tentatively due October 2019. And he’s hard at work polishing his sci-fi horror novel, THE RAVENING. Expect to hear more from him in the future. Chris resides in central Florida with his wife and kids, and cute but demanding cat, Maggie. His web presence, among the usual social media outlets, is at horrorgasms.blogspot.com.
Roseblood
Monsters aren’t born…they’re made!
After her parents are senselessly and brutally murdered, a young girl is left for dead. But she is reborn with a frightening power, one that she is only beginning to fully grasp.
Those unfortunate enough to meet her can become seduced and entranced by her beauty. Those who may take advantage of her will soon live to regret it. And there will be blood…and death.
Told in three parts over three decades, the mysterious and deadly young woman known as Rose is nearly unforgettable as she is beautiful and seductive. But beware you don’t cross her path…it may be your last!
KR: Coffee?
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
Well, I’m 51, married with three step-kids, and have worked in the retail book business for well over twenty years. While the retail landscape has certainly changed, people still love coming to bookstores. And current challenges aside, I still enjoy interacting with my customers and recommending books by authors that I love.
In the late 90s, I published my first horror short story in a little rag of a horror magazine like most of us did back then and several other stories following that milestone in various similar small press publications. Recently, I’ve self-published four e-books, with the last two also available in trade paperback.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
Love to read, obviously, and enjoy swimming in the summer when the pool is warm enough. I’m an avid fan of NFL football (go Steelers!), enjoy cooking, and the occasional whiskey. My cat, Maggie, and I like our afternoon naps!
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
Oddly, I wasn’t a huge reader as a kid but loved the Three Investigators series for juveniles. As a teen, I got bitten by the book bug when I discovered the Men’s action-adventure serials like Mack Bolan, etc. Devoured those and the spinoffs, and the novels by Jerry Ahern. I started writing my own similar stories. Loved the old Ace Books Conan novels, too. Then in 1987, I picked up PET SEMETARY by Stephen King and the rest is history…
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
Given my age, I’m a big fan of 80s music from pop to hard rock. My all-time favorite band and album is RIO by Duran Duran.
While I’ve had music or the tv on before as background noise, I’ve recently enjoyed playing classical music while I write. I like it. Speaking of music playing a role, while not directly, I’ve created a soundtrack list of songs for my latest book, ROSEBLOOD. Mostly 80s stuff, since the story opens up in 1980. It was fun!
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
Oh yes, first and foremost, George Romero. And then John Carpenter. Both are legends. Love what Jordan Peele has been doing lately, too.
KR: What are you reading now?
DOLL FACE by Tim Curran. It’s outstanding and I’ll read anything he’s published. One of my favorites!
KR: What was the last great book you read?
Wow, I’m tempted to say whatever the last Stephen King book that came out was, being such a fanboy, but probably DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL’S ROCK by Paul Tremblay. Or definitely THE DARK GAME by Jonathan Janz. I was a latecomer to BIRD BOX (even though I read it before it hit Netflix as a movie), but wow…so damn good! Josh Malerman is so talented. All three of those authors should be required reading for horror fiction fans.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
I prefer print books, but sometimes stuff I want to read is either only available in digital or more easily obtainable.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
Stephen King, the one and only, but others have and continue to inspire me.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
Early on, I outlined. But I’ve found the much more organic approach works best for me. I do take notes but nothing too extensive. I let the story tell itself and most of the time it works.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Depends on the story or book. With my latest release, I did research on south Florida and specifically the Miami area, and also, Cuban history, Castro, and the revolution. I’ll sometimes start writing and research as I go along.
KR: How would you describe your writing style?
Meat and potatoes, or as King once said, he compared his writing to a Big Mac and fries. Always kind of dug that.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
Whenever I can, but because I work a full-time job with a schedule that’s different every week, usually the mornings or afternoons.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
My current WIP, the follow-up to MISTER JACK, has been a blast. It’s titled NIGHT OF THE PUMPKIN GOD. If you mean short story, I’ve written a few in the past couple years that I really loved. One is “Lizard Kingdom” and the other is “The Caretaker of Blood Manor,” both written for horror anthologies. The former was accepted, the latter hasn’t gotten a response yet.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
Not really that much, except book blog site reviews.
KR: How do you think you’ve developed as an author?
I’ve gotten much more patient and certainly learned to embrace the process, especially revision. And my editor, Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, who I’ve worked with for the past three or four years now, is awesome and has helped me become a better writer.
KR: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received regarding your writing?
I’ve been very lucky to have a few great mentors and friends over the years. But none have told me I suck at this, please stop, so there’s that.
KR: What scares you?
Real life horror. And the Paranormal Activity movies freak me the hell out.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
Absolutely! So my own publishing imprint, Horrorgasms Press, has released ROSEBLOOD, a horror novella available in e-book on Amazon and bn.com, and exclusively in trade paperback on bn.com. I’m very proud of this latest self-publishing effort, with the help and guidance of my amazing editor Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, who’s simply awesome to work with, and Rebecca of atrtinks, the wonderfully talented artist who’s done all my book covers, and did a fantastic job designing the paperback back cover. Highly recommend them both!
KR: What are you working on now?
Right now I’m finishing up the follow-up to MISTER JACK, which is called NIGHT OF THE PUMPKIN GOD, which I’ll self-publish this fall, and after that I’m going to take a little break from self-publishing, and this summer my sole focus with be polishing my sci-fi horror novel, THE RAVENING, which I want to submit to a few small press horror publishers.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
You can choose…
- One fictional character from your writing.
Chris: Probably the protagonist from THE RAVENING named Kyle because he’s a former military guy who works at a Florida island beach resort. He’d know what to do, fish, hunt, survive.
- One fictional character from any other book.
Chris: Brian Keene’s Amish paranormal troubleshooter Levi would be pretty cool to hang with on a deserted island…you know, in case any supernatural beasties were lurking about.
- One real-life person that is not a family member or friend.
Chris: Stephen King, of course! But I don’t know if I’d want to do that to him because we’d end up starving and most likely try to hunt down and go all cannibal on not another…
KR: Thank you very much Chris.
Chris Kosarich
You can find out more about Chris via his official website www.horrorgasms.blogspot.com
You can follow Chris on Twitter @CKosarich
Roseblood
Monsters aren’t born…they’re made!
After her parents are senselessly and brutally murdered, a young girl is left for dead. But she is reborn with a frightening power, one that she is only beginning to fully grasp.
Those unfortunate enough to meet her can become seduced and entranced by her beauty. Those who may take advantage of her will soon live to regret it. And there will be blood…and death.
Told in three parts over three decades, the mysterious and deadly young woman known as Rose is nearly unforgettable as she is beautiful and seductive. But beware you don’t cross her path…it may be your last!
You can buy Roseblood from Barnes & Noble, Amazon UK & Amazon US
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