Today, I interviewed author Susan Schwartz ,
who has a short story included in a horror anthology Nightmares & Echos: The 2014 GWS Press
Charity Anthology that was just released in both Kindle and print. Enjoy the interview and do check out the
anthology.
1. Tell us
about this anthology your story is in.
The title is “The Sparkling Floor.”
This horror anthology is filled with grisly and gory
tales just in time for Halloween. The anthology contains nine chilling stories
that may have you keeping the lights on at night. It is also a charity
anthology where all the proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Hospital.
2, Tell us I one sentence or two about your short story
in the anthology. Give the title too.
1
] 3. Tell us in one sentence or two about your short story
in the anthology. Give the title too.
The blurb I used for the story was “You thought you
were going in for a simple procedure, but She had other plans.”
4. Can you tell the readers of my blog the motivation
behind writing your story?
Being an OR Nurse, I started wondering one day what
would happen if a surgeon or other team member drove the nurse in the room
absolutely bonkers. The process of writing this story was very cathartic for me
as writers do tend to kill off people that they dislike. It helped me get past
some feelings I was having and move on.
5. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I started out writing fanfiction for TV shows and
getting that posted on different boards back in the 90’s. I started writing
seriously in 2004 where I began with freelance articles and a couple of short
stories.
I joined the Virginia
Writers Club in 2004, and I feel like everything took off from there. It was so
gratifying to work with such helpful writers who taught me more than I will
ever remember.
I remember in 2008 that you challenged me to
NANOWRIMO. I was racking my brain trying to come up with a good story, and I
passed by an old graveyard on the way home. As a result, my first paranormal
novel was born. I am currently trying to finish it as I also have a medical
thriller in the works. I also am trying to publish a Nursing Manual for
beginning nurses. This stemmed from my Masters project in school, and I would
like to make it something that will help future generations of nurses.
6. Tell us about your writing schedule.
Being an OR Nurse, I started wondering one day what
would happen if a surgeon or other team member drove the nurse in the room
absolutely bonkers. The process of writing this story was very cathartic for me
as writers do tend to kill off people that they dislike. It helped me get past
some feelings I was having and move on.
As far as my writing schedule, I grab time when I have
it. I did this when I was taking classes as well. If I had an appointment, I
would take my books with me and use the wait time to study. I do the same with
my writing. I take it with me everywhere I go. At home, I try to spend one to
two hours a day working on my Nursing Manual at present. I am currently looking
at publishers and sending in book proposals. After I finish that, I will get
back to my paranormal romance.
7. Since
you write too, how would you describe the genre in which you do most of your
writing?
The genre I like best
is horror with a twist. I want to lead you down the hallway and then turn and
leave you standing there wondering what happened.
Since I am an OR
Nurse who loves to play in blood and guts, I also tend to add a medical part to
most of my stories.
So put the two
together, and you get Medical Horror. Doesn’t that sound kind of creepy? It is
interesting though, because I think hospital and other medical facilities have
an unknown factor. What is really behind those doors and those masks? Think
about it next time you are in the hospital.
8. What
other genre would you like to write in?
I would love to be
able to write are comedy, plays, and inspirational type stories.
9. Where
do your ideas come from?
I remember one time I
asked you that very same question when I had just started the Writer’s Club. I
think your answer was “From my head.”
I look around me and
see what I can take out of focus to make a good story and then at the end,
refocus it again in a different way. I have several other short stories I have
written that do this. One was set in an antique store, another concerned an old
quilt.
10.
What
was the first scary story or novel or legend that frightened you?
I think my first
horror story was Carrie by Stephen King. I went on to Pet Sematary and Needful
Things, two of my favorites by him, not to mention Night Shift and Everything’s
Eventual.
Another of my
favorite writers is Bentley Little. He is just an awesome horror writer. My
favorites of his are The Policy, The Mailman, The Collection, and The Store.
Like Stephen King, he is simply a genius.
11. Okay, so
you're an author. What do you enjoy reading? Name three good books for people to reads this month (since Halloween is
coming).
I love to read, and I have pretty eclectic tastes. My wonderful hubby
gave me a Kindle, so I get to carry all my books around with me at once. I tend
to read four at one time, so this makes the weight a lot less.
1. I am currently reading The Man Who Became Frankenstein’s Monster by
Robert Daicy. It is about a man who has everything, then loses it.
2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Harkness mixes
historical and present day happenings to tell a story about a new witch coming
into her own.
3. David Baldacci’s King & Maxwell series is simply awesome. It was
also a TV series for one season. I sure wish they would bring it back. (Having
met the fellow, he is another one of my favorite authors.)
4. Medical stories: Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels, Miracles
& Mayhem in the ER by Brent Russell, and the Angels of Mercy Medical series
by CJ Lyon. (I have also met CJ Lyons, and she has a knack for bringing you
right into her story.)
5. I also just finished a couple of series from Rose Pressey. These
were the Charmed series and the Hotel in Honeysuckle series. She is a very
creative writer that really keeps you guessing until the end.
12. Name four
authors you admire and hope to be like.
The two mentioned above for horror, Stephen King and Bentley Little. On
the medical side, I would love to aspire to the heights of Michael Palmer and
Robin Cook. Another author, female this time, is Kathy Reichs who writes the
Bones series. (I met her in Charlottesville
at a book festival, and she was very helpful with some of my questions about
writing.)
13. Plotter or
pantser?
I am probably a little of both. I like to sit back and
think of new ways to entertain, but I also like to give the characters free
rein. I just like to start writing and see where the characters take me,
sometimes they really do take on a life of their own. They never cease to amaze
me sometimes. Sometimes I have to write my ideas down quickly because they are
in the back of my mind prodding me with a new idea.
1 14. Now for fun:
1. Vanilla or chocolate?
Chocolate most definitely, especially the Dark
Chocolate.
1 2. What do you
like the most about Halloween?
Halloween is one of the best holidays for kids I
think. They get to go around and get free candy. What could be better? As I got
older, I loved to hand it out just to see their faces. In addition, I think the
costumes are getting more and more creative each year as well. My favorite
Halloween candy is the Mellowcreme Pumpkins. I get a bag every year.
1 3. If there was
any other job you like to do besides writing, what would it be?
Well, I am a nurse because I love helping others and
being in the health care setting. If I had to choose another job, I would
probably follow in my son’s footsteps and be an actor. I loved doing plays and
shows in school.
4. Favorite
television show?
I have to say anything my son, Timothy, has been in so
far. Haha, I am biased, I know. He has been in episodes of A Haunting, Ice Cold
Killers, and Nightmare Next Door as well as a 30 second commercial and a music
video.
As far as myself, right now my TIVO is recording
Castle, Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, Forever, Scorpion, and Bones. I am also
recording past episodes of Leverage as I am a big fan of Christian Kane.
5. Favorite movie?
I have a couple: Always, A Perfect World, The Da Vinci
Code, and any Star Trek movie.
6. If could go
anywhere in the world or universe, where would that be?
If I could go anywhere, I would just like to travel to
many different places. My hubby and I have started trying to take one trip a
year so far. We have been to Spain,
Italy, and Korea. In November,
we are headed to Australia.
It is fascinating to immerse yourself in different cultures and sample their
wonderful food. So far, Madrid,
Spain has been
my favorite place for eating. The jamon and manchego are simply heavenly.
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7. If you were stuck for a
month in a haunted house alone, what four things would you want and need with
you.
1. My TIVO so I don’t miss any of my shows.
2. Camera for taking pictures of any strange
happenings.
3. Some great reading material to pass the time,
preferably from my favorite authors. In addition, I would take my computer and
spend some time on my own stories. I am sure a haunted house would give me many
creative ideas.
4. A flashlight with plenty of batteries and a fully
charged cell phone.
2014 GWS Press Charity Anthology Book
Blurb:
The 2014 GWS Press Charity Anthology
contains nine stories of horror ranging from the gory to the unsettling. The
collection spans the gamut of terror contributed from a variety of Indie
Writers for the sole purpose of giving something back. All proceeds from this
collection will be donated to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Not only will you
be sampling some awesome horror, but you'll be helping out a good cause.
Susan Schwartz’s Bio:
Susan Schwartz RN, MSN,
MSHA has been an avid writer for around 10 years doing everything
from writing freelance articles to editing manuscripts for other
authors. She is extremely excited to be included in this anthology as she
loves to write horror stories that have a twist at the end. Her alter ego is an
Operating Room Nurse who loves playing in blood and guts and creating tales
from the interesting and weird things she has seen. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and has served as President of the Richmond Chapter in the
past. She also has two novels in the works, a paranormal romance and a medical
thriller. In her spare time, she loves to read, crochet, and travel to such
places as Italy, Spain, and Korea. Feedback can be sent
to Ncc17lu@aol.com.
Find Susan’s Amazon Page at
Also find her on Facebook at
The anthology can be gotten on KINDLE
