Joshua Marsella is a writer from Maine. He grew up loving horror movies from a young age which later evolved into reading horror novels. His love has only grown over the years and now he writes his own horror stories. His debut horror novella SCRATCHES was self-published in May of 2020 and quickly made a splash in the indie horror community. He continues to work on more content to give people goosebumps.
Scratches
A mother and son with a strained relationship inherit a house following the sudden death of a family member with a violent past. When the son moves his bedroom into the basement he starts to experience unexplainable and terrifying phenomena. After he uncovers a dark secret concealed within the house, they quickly learn that some truths are better left a mystery.
Can they overcome their differences in order to survive or will the darkness overcome them both?
Kendall Reviews: Coffee?
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
Joshua Marsella: I was born and raised in Maine and have lived here all my life. I am married and have two young boys, a cat and a dog. I served in the US Army straight out high school in 2002 and did a year in Iraq. After that I worked many different types of jobs before I decided to go back to school in 2010 and earned my Bachelor’s degree in mental health in 2016. I am a music lover and started collecting vinyl records in 2007. I also play guitar, piano and drums. I am a stay-at-home dad and take care of my sons while my wife works full-time.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
JM: Most of my free-time consists of reading. I also enjoy watching movies, gardening, cooking, playing music, playing video games, and goofing around with my kids.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
JM: The Goosebumps books were my favorite.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
JM: That’s tough. If I had to pick one it would be Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
JM: Either The Lost Boys or Hereditary. No favorite director.
KR: What are you reading now?
JM: I am currently reading A Long December by Richard Chizmar, listening to Swan Song by Richard McCammon on Audible and beta reading Tome by Ross Jeffery.
KR: What was the last great book you read?
JM: Blood and Rain by Glenn Rolfe was excellent. Felt like Salem’s Lot with werewolves.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
JM: Hardback or paperback. I recently bought a Kindle which isn’t too bad.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
JM: Stephen King and RIchard Chizmar.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
JM: So far I just go where the idea takes me. I start with a simple idea then just start writing. Sometimes I have no idea where ideas come from and they’re just there in the story.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
JM: Depending on the story. I wrote a short story about a ghost ship in the 1800’s and I had to do a lot of research on old ships, the location, clothing, language etc. My WIP takes place during the Vietnam War so I’ve been researching Vietnam, the equipment the troops used, Vietnamese culture, etc. It all depends on the story itself. I don’t like getting dates wrong and I try hard to make sure things make sense.
KR: How would you describe your writing style?
JM: Raw, Americana, gritty and easy to read.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
JM: I only write when I am feeling up to the task. It’s a strange sort of urge I feel in my gut and when I get that feeling, I have to make sure I get something down on paper. It’s difficult being a stay-at-home dad because I am only able to write when my kids are sleeping at night or when they occasionally take a nap. When I do get the chance to write, I try to get down as much as I can.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
JM: I really love the short story I recently wrote and submitted for an anthology of Maine horror writers. It’s called The Ghost Ship of Chesapeake Bay. It’s very different from my debut novella and I feel my writing was greatly improved for that story.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
JM: Unfortunately, being so new to the writing world, I am obsessed with reading my reviews and checking my ratings. I am hoping it will become less relevant to me as I get more work out there but I try and think of the reviews as constructive criticism that can help me improve my craft.
KR: How do you think you’ve developed as an author?
JM: The more I write, the less afraid I am of taking risks. I am not afraid of my work being hated as I was when I wrote my first story. It’s not possible to please everyone but there are always people out there that will love my stories and want to read more.
KR: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received regarding your writing?
JM: Cut back on the adverbs.
KR: What scares you?
JM: Something bad happening to my sons and clowns.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
JM: My debut horror novella SCRATCHES was self-published in May this year. It is my first and only published work so far. I started writing it in February and was anxious to get it out to the world, so I self-published it. Looking back I would have taken more time to work on it and fix many of the typos and formatting mistakes I noticed once it was published.
KR: What are you working on now?
JM: I am currently working on a prequel to SCRATCHES which follows the antagonist and his tour in Vietnam. I am also planning a sequel at some point with short stories in between that I hope to eventually put into an anthology.
KR: You find yourself on a desert island, which three people would you wish to be deserted with you and why?
- From my book: I would choose Connor because he is a horror fanatic like myself.
- From another book: I would choose Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series because he is a survivor.
- One real-life person that is not a family or a friend: Willem Dafoe because he just seems like a really nice and genuine guy.
KR: Thank you very much Joshua.
Scratches
A mother and son with a strained relationship inherit a house following the sudden death of a family member with a violent past. When the son moves his bedroom into the basement he starts to experience unexplainable and terrifying phenomena. After he uncovers a dark secret concealed within the house, they quickly learn that some truths are better left a mystery.
Can they overcome their differences in order to survive or will the darkness overcome them both?
You can buy Scratches from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Joshua Marsella
Joshua Marsella is a writer from Maine. He grew up loving horror movies from a young age which later evolved into reading horror novels. His love has only grown over the years and now he writes his own horror stories. His debut horror novella SCRATCHES was self-published in May of 2020 and quickly made a splash in the indie horror community. He continues to work on more content to give people goosebumps.
You can follow Joshua on Twitter @JoshuaMarsella
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