Glenn Rolfe is an author from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King, Ronald Malfi, Jack Ketchum, and many others. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
I’m a father, husband, music lover, reader, and horror writer. I have a very hard time being serious.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
Hanging with the wife and kids. Outside of that, listening to music or reading. With my kids being the ages they are, writing really takes up a small percentage of my days. And that’s just fine by me. My boy is 5. He sucks up a lot of my time and energy, but I gladly give it to him. There’s a song that says, “It won’t be like this for long”. When I remember my girls at his age and look at him, that line really tears at my heart. I love writing, but it can’t compete with my kiddos.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
The first three books in the Bunnicula series. I just got totally lost in those books. I made sure to read them to my kids, and they really love them now, too.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
When I think of writing and influence, I go to Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town. The first larger piece I sold to a a company was my novella, ABRAM’S BRIDGE. I was challenged to write a ghost story for my writing group. I had that album on in my headphones and the line came on “tell ‘em there’s a darkness out ‘neath Abram’s Bridge….” and a light bulb went on. I set out to shed some light on that darkness under the bridge. So in that case, one of my all-time favorites had a direct impact.
Other favorite records of mine are GN’R’s Appetite For Destruction and Rancid’s Life Won’t Wait.
I listen to all kinds of music. I always have it on in the background or in my headphones while I’m writing.
KR: Do you have a favourite horror movie/director?
Favorite horror movie is Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And since I also Love Eaten Alive, ‘Salem’s Lot, and Poltergeist, I ‘d say Tobe Hooper was probably my favorite horror director.
KR: What are you reading now?
Current reads are: Hunter Shea’s CREATURE, Stephen King’s DOCTOR SLEEP and MR. MERCEDES. I’m starting PRACTITIONERS by Matt Hayward and Patrick Lacey next.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
I’d say Stephen King, Brian Keene, Bentley Little, Richard Laymon, and Jack Ketchum. That’s my Mount Rushmore of horror writers.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
Never a plot, never an outline. I just get a scene and go, and from there it’s an adventure for me that I hope turns out well. Not that I would never outline, I just don’t know how to do it. I’d like to try it someday.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I never know what my book is gonna be, so any research I do is in while the book is in-process. I feel most comfortable writing things I know about or think I know about, I do research if I feel I really need more depth on subject. Most of my stories are pretty quick, even my short novels. I try to keep things that slow the story down to a minimum.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
Don’t have one of those yet, but when I find a spare hour or so to sit down, I like to have a coffee, a candle going, and some music- with or without words. My son starts school full-time in the fall. I’ll have three mornings per week to write, so I’ll probably develop a routine then.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
I get warm fuzzy feelings about Abram’s Bridge and my short story, “Jackie Boy” (a story about a boy that eats rats guts) and “The Rooster” (about my brother who passed away). I’m really excited about two of my current projects, too. My new novel, THE WINDOW, and my sequel to my novel, BLOOD AND RAIN.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
Yeah, I know I shouldn’t, but it’s part of my promotions, so I have to do it. Good, bad, they all mean that someone sat down and read your work, so that’s a win every time.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
That’s a big question that I could go on and on about. Really, make sure you read as much as you can. When you read something you like, the way a writer described something or the way they use dialog, notate it somewhere, notebook, notes in your cell, wherever. When you read a book that didn’t work for you, remember what it was that you didn’t like and make sure not to make those mistakes in your story or book. That’s a good start.
KR: What scares you?
Anything bad happening to my family is the big one. Also spiders, scorpions, deadly snakes, being lost in the woods, diseases, being stranded at sea, doctors, giving blood, drowning, The Exorcist (movie), and Zelda from the Pet Semetary movie.
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
Mass Market Paperback. That’s just the perfect size, plus it smells good.
KR: Can you tell me about your latest release please?
My new novel, THE WINDOW, comes out September 28th. It’s a personal book. It deals with inadequacies. Personal weaknesses. There’s drinking, rage, anxiety, impotence, dealing with failures (marriage, work, etc) and there’s also a coming-of-age aspect where the kids are just kids dealing with their own issues and not finding the adult problems as big as the adults do . As a parent, it’s funny how you can be down on yourself and your kids will smile and love you and remind you it’s not as bad as it seems. Well, I created these demons that seek out people that are feeling this way. They prey upon them, feed on them, and ultimately, are using them to escape their own prison. In this one, the son needs to save his father, but will he be too late? Pre-orders are open now. This one will be eBook only, until I decide otherwise ( I may or may not have a special edition in the works-stay tuned).
KR: What are you working on now?
THE WINDOW is in final revisions, then edits. After that, I’m diving back into Jade Lake for my forthcoming sequel to my novel, BECOMING. (Due in late December).
I’m also hard at work with my own publishing company, Alien Agenda Publishing. We put out two books this summer, THE BEAST OF BRENTON WOODS by Jackson R. Thomas, and THE NIGHTCRAWLER by Mick Ridgewell (with SKINNER by David Bernstein up next). Follow us on Twitter @Alien_Pub
I’m not gonna be a big publisher, I just like putting together books and helping get some of these great stories out there for others to enjoy. It’s been a challenge and one I hope to keep going. I have two books scheduled for next year, PARADISE, MAINE form Jackson R. Thomas and SURVIVE WITH ME, a charity anthology featuring authors that I worked with at Samhain Publishing prior to it sinking. So far we have Mick Ridgewell, Aaron Dries, Somer Canon, myself, and more to come. I’m aiming for summer 2019 for that one.
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.
Lee Buhl, the urbdan shaman from my Haunted Halls book and connected stories. You never know what kind of forces you’ll come up against on an island.
b) One fictional character from any other book.
The guy from The Martian, Mark Watney. That dude is brilliant. We would definitely find a way to survive.
c) One real life person that is not a family member or friend.
No family or friends? Can I bring Katy Perry? She can sing me to sleep since I won’t have my Walkman.
KR: Thank you very much Glenn.
You can follow Glenn on Twitter @GRolfeHorror
Glenn Rolfe universal amazon link: here
Universal pre-order link for THE WINDOW: here
Please visit the Alien Agenda Publishing website: here
What kind of demons await you tonight?
For Richie, life’s constant cheap shots are adding up. When he finds something is watching him, he never dreamed that it would show him everything he ever wanted.
When his son, James, comes to stay for the last month of summer, the changes in his father’s behavior come to the forefront. What is his father doing staring into the window in the middle of the night?
Was the fiery spark in the dark real? Or is Jame’s imagination getting the best of him?
Summer’s almost over.
And life is about to change.
Will James be able to save his father? Or is it already too late?
The Window holds the answers…and the key.
You can buy The Window from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Something ancient has wormed its way up from the earth….
A change has come today.
After Michele Cote’s best friend disappears, no one believes her story about the thing responsible for his abduction. Forced to figure out the mystery for herself, Michele encounters terror she has never known, and witnesses the impossible.
When other members of the community begin to change or vanish, Sheriff Shane Davis must look beyond reason in order to stop the evil seeping into this small town. With help from an unlikely source, Sheriff Davis will come face-to-face with the truth.
You can’t destroy what you don’t understand. For the small town of Avalon, Maine, the future is about change…for better or worse.
You can buy Becoming from Amazon UK & Amazon US
The light of a full moon reveals many secrets. Gilson Creek, Maine. A safe, rural community. Summer is here. School is out and the warm waters of Emerson Lake await. But one man’s terrible secret will unleash a nightmare straight off the silver screen. Under the full moon, a night of terror and death re-awakens horrors long sleeping. Sheriff Joe Fischer, a man fighting for the safety of his daughter, his sanity and his community, must confront the sins of his past. Can Sheriff Fischer set Gilson Creek free from the beast hiding in its shadows, or will a small town die under a curse it can’t even comprehend? One night can-and will-change everything.
You can buy Blood And Rain from Amazon UK
There is a darkness in this town, and it’s buried beneath Abram’s Bridge.
When Li’l Ron meets Sweet Kate under Abram’s Bridge he is mesmerized. And when he realizes this beautiful girl is a ghost, it frightens him, but also draws him to her. Curiosity and a drive to make things right lead Li’l Ron into a tangle of small-town secrets involving his own father and other members of this otherwise quiet community. Bit by bit, he will uncover the truth about Sweet Kate, a story of heartbreak, violence…and fear.
You can buy Abram’s Bridge from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Looks like I found a new author to try. And thanks for the fun and entertaining Q&A!