Featured Interview With Matt Wanicur
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am originally from Philadelphia, PA, and have just recently moved to sunny Windermere, FL! I am minutes to Disney World (and you can find me at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios weekly!)
I currently have an eleven year-old finicky tuxedo cat (Midnight), and share a year and a half old kooky chihuahua (Walter). I live in a house with three dogs, four sugar gliders, and my cat of course!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing very young, my first memory of it was at the age of eight, when my short story “A Dog’s Kiss” won an award at my elementary school. I recall coming into school and seeing it posted up on an enormous board. It was quite thrilling for an eight year-old!
After that I spent as much time reading as I could. “Green Eggs & Ham” and “Alice in Wonderland” were put aside for more adult fair such as “The Lord of the Rings” and comic books (Daredevil is still my favorite comic).
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Alfred Bester, Argue C. Clarke, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Joe Hill, Ray Bradbury, Thomas Harris, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Mark Frost, and Chuck Hogan (just to name a few).
Horror has and will always be my favorite genre in any medium. H.P. Lovecraft truly paved the way for the genre, and should never be forgotten. I absolutely am infatuated with trying to instill fear into my readers. The same fear that the truly prodigious horror novelists instill in me.
I am inspired by not only by my favorite authors, but artists such as H.R. Giger (Giger’s Alien is tattooed n my forearm for a reason).
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a novella titled “Blood Harbor”. I am obsessed with the original “The Twilight Zone”, and was determined to come up with a premise that fit into that vein. I thought of a charming couple, living their unmarred existence, lying in bed together. Then I imagined a S.W.A.T team bursting into their home and arresting the husband, for her murder. I built that into what ended up being a grandiose story that will sustain for multiple books out of that one thought.
“The Colorado Kid” and “Phantoms” ended up being considerable influences on me while writing it. I love the idea of the idyllic, perfect town being thrown into chaos. The Lost Colony of Roanoke ended up being my ultimate goal.
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