The Molossus of Old Man Moyer follows an ex-con hearse driver who encounters a mythical dog, the Molossus, one night, taking him on a thrilling journey into the darkness. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The Molossus of Old Man Moyer is a story I started developing about 20 years ago. I wanted to make a story that could use a common event and turn it into a horrifying experience. That’s when I started to wonder, how can I make walking a dog that horrific event? That’s when I came upon the idea of a dog that looks old but is much older than what is possible. It first started as 200 year old dog, then while I was at it, I changed it to a dog that’s over 2,000 years old. As a bonus, I added magical powers, that the dog would grant the owner a life of luxury but in trade for the promise of a violent death. That setup a kind of Sword of Damocles situation that I found interesting. Then I discovered a list of instinct dog breeds where I found that one great dog breed was called the Molossus that went extinct in 1815 after first being discovered by none other than Alexander the Great. The last little touch was how to frame the story. So, I picked a profession that I first heard on a radio blog about a body transport and the sights, sounds, and smells of such a challenging and high-turnover job. This put the Molossus in the path of a hearse on a country road. That is when all the elements came together, and after that, the writing of the story came together pretty quickly with all the pieces in place.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

Old Man Moyer was the most fun. Most of his appearance is practically all dialogue as he pontificates about his life and history. I had a fun time with the Old Man. I didn’t really have a challenge with any of the characters as they came to me pretty fluid, and they all found their voice pretty easy.

The Molossus of Old Man Moyer delivers the drama so well that it flirts with the grimdark genre. Was it your intention to give the story a darker tone?

Absolutely, the story was always meant to be dark, as dark as I could get it. Beyond just what is spoken and the actions of the characters, I did load it up with dark elements: a hearse called the Deathmobile, psychics, dead bodies, paranormal, ghosts. And all of this fell into place in all formats, including the audiobook, in time for a Halloween release, which was perfect.

What is the next book you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I am currently working on the sequel to The Molossus of Old Man Moyer, which is really a prequel and will be one of two sequel/prequels anticipated within the next year.

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