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๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป. ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ญ๐๐.๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฐ.
It’s the era of drive-ins, arcade-halls,and the video nasty.
Three-hundred years ago the town’s founders, desperate to protect their families and their lands from the hardships and horrors of the old world, struck a bargain with something beyond their understanding.
Now, while the residents celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with slasher screenings, trick or treating, and fire-lit woodland parties, the dark and terrible power that the town’s forefathers once called upon has returned. It’s come to claim what’s owed.
๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ค๐ง๐จ. ๐ฝ๐ค๐ก๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐จ. ๐ฝ๐ก๐ค๐ฌ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ.
๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐ค๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐ก, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ง๐ช๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐.
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Q&A
When and where do you prefer to write?
I put together an office a few years back, but the truth is that I rarely use it for its intended purpose. I usually find myself working in bed, with my laptop propped on my legs and a warm coffee by my side. On the few occasions when the sun is shining here in Scotland, I enjoy hiking to quiet, secluded areas along the coast and doing my work there. I find those sessions very inspiring. Something about working in nature really appeals to me. Crazy as it sounds, I feel like Iโm being watched over when I work outside.
Do you need peace and quiet when you are writing?
I do, yeah. I know a lot of authors who write to music. I wish I could, as music is a real passion of mine, but I just canโt get with it. My focus shifts to the music every time. Iโm the type of writer who shuts out humanity when I work. Any voice will distract me, speaking or singing.
I do enjoy different forms of ambience when I work, though. Like I said, being outside and isolated is always a kick, and I love working during rainfall. I used to write with old classic horror movies playing low in the background, and that was a lot of fun, but these days Iโm all about the rain, the storm. If thereโs no rain in the sky, Iโll play some nature tracks (thunderstorms, ocean waves, howling winds) in the background when I work. They help settle my mind into the story.
If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
Thatโs a great question, and a tough one to answer. There are lots of writers, alive and dead, whom I consider idols/inspirations, and that I would love to cook something up with. Richard Laymon, Jonathan Maberry, James Herbert, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack Ketchum all spring immediately to mind. But if I had to settle on one and one alone, it would be Stephen King. I love the man as a man, and think heโd be an absolute blast to work with, and Iโm simply a huge fan of his work. I can read anything he writes and take great pleasure in it. His characters sing and thereโs always genuine humanity in his work. Sadness, compassion, an understanding of the human condition in all its folly and grandeur.
Say someone asks if they can use your name in a book. Would you rather be the ‘good one’ or the ‘bad one’?
Make me the bad guy. If youโre going to have my namesake in there, make him a bastard.
Who would you like/have liked to interview?
In literary terms? Richard Laymon for sure. He was taken way too soon and thereโs so little in-depth info on the man. Not enough for me by a long shot. Iโd love to know about his approach to the craft. His minimalist approach to writing was a huge influence on my earlier works, including Blackhaven. I was amazed at how much he could say with so little. It was fresh as hell when he was releasing his books and itโs fresh as hell now. He was the first writer I ever read in the horror genre who worked in that way and remains the best.
Where can I find you when you are reading?
Under a tree, in bed, in a pub, on the beach, in the tub. Thereโs always a book nearby. Besides just loving storytelling, I genuinely believe reading is the greatest tool in a writerโs kit.
Where can I find you when you are not writing/reading?
Same places, though usually with a glass of wine in my hand.
What goes through your mind when you hold your new book in your hands for the first time?
Love, pride, terror, and an all-encompassing sense of the surreal.
How do you come up with a title for your book?
It usually involves wine, and relaxation. Iโll let my mind wander, with the story in mind, and write down everything that pops up. It can be tough, battling between what will best represent the book and its themes, and what is eye-catching or minimal enough to pull in new readers. Eventually itโll reveal itself. Itโs usually the simpler title that Iโll go with. Short and sharp often wins the day.
With Blackhaven, there was some collaboration there. The final decision was given to me for the book, but suggestions were made, some that I dug and others not so much. Sumaira Wilson from Spellbound Books was the first to suggest I simply title the book after the town in which itโs set. It was originally titled Devilโs Day, which I loved but which didnโt make a whole lot of sense outside of me thinking I was a clever boy. Anyway, when she suggested โBlackhavenโ it clicked. The town is a character in the book, perhaps the most important character, so it was the name the book deserved and needed. Sometimes you get so close to the project that the lines become blurry. Outside perspectives can really bring things back into focus. Do it your way, but donโt get bogged down in ego.
How do you pick a cover for your book?
I design them myself. I used to sketch out the concepts and have designers bring them to life for me, but thatโs been changing. My background is in the arts, but the technology got away from me. My tools were pencils, brushes, oils, gouache. Iโm now teaching myself how to use the modern tools to get the job done. Like I said, I keep as open as I can to suggestions, but I also think the vision a writer has for the story will often extend to how itโs presented to the world. Itโs all part of the wholeโฆ the story, the artworkโฆ itโs all important to the vibe. Why stop at typing โThe Endโ if you donโt have to?
Now that Iโm working with a publishing house, thereโs a lot more back and forth, but luckily those I work with are as open as I could hope for, trust my instincts, and every bit as eager as I am to see the work shine. The collaborative process is incredibly fun when youโre rolling with the cool kids.
Thank you, Kyle M. Scott and Zooloo’s Book Tours
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About the author
Author Kyle M. Scott originally hails from Bellshill, Scotland. He now lives in the coastal town of Largs with his long-suffering partner, their young son, and a cat that he’s convinced is plotting his demise. His novels and collections, including Dark Island, A Better Life, and The Club, have been roundly acclaimed by readers and critics alike, delighting fans of authentic, full-blooded horror with real bite.
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Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.scott.9026/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyle_m_scott_horror_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KyleMartinScott
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Book Link
B for Bookreview 