Featured Interview With Daniel P. Coffman
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, where I would meet my future wife, author Brenda Weis Coffman. We lived in Pittsburgh for nearly ten years, then in six states over six years, before settling here in northwest Kansas. We’ve gone rural once again.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I read voraciously from as early as I can remember. There were always books in our home growing up, and weekly trips to the library as well. I was writing short stories, comic strips and keeping a journal from the age of seven, although it was never taken seriously. In eighth grade, an English teacher took an interest in the assignments I handed in, praising my work and giving me helpful pointers, as well as constructive criticism. From then on, my confidence in my writing only grew. I plan on dedicating my next book to that teacher, wherever he is now.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I tend to find different “favorites”, in authors, movies, music and television, so that’s a trick question. Currently, and for many years now, I find Stephen King to be my favorite. Others include Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, (early) Clive Barker, and I’ve recently discovered Donna Tartt.
As a kid, I read sci-fi exclusively. My late teens saw me delving into fantasy. Lately, it’s horror. I’ve always loved drama throughout the years, as long as it’s well written.
My wife inspires me to write and gives me the confidence to do so, and knows when to tell me “no” when reading over my first drafts. The authors I named above, especially King, inspire me with his style and character-driven stories.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s a mixture of science fiction and horror. It begins with the “end of the world”; aliens descend from the skies and wipe out nearly every human life. It’s a story about the survivors, their struggles, and their reaction t an offer of salvation from a very unlikely source. I don’t want to say much more than that, other than it has taken up over a year of my time and I’m STILL typing up the first draft from my notes. It looks to clock in at around 125,000 words before edits.
My previous book, which is also my first published novel, is “Four From Below”. It is a collection of four horror tales, the first a novella followed by three short stories. Each involve an ordinary person faced with the supernatural. They are dark stories with heavy themes. Some readers found them upsetting, but I don’t see a problem with that…
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