I, Monster follows a boy born into poverty, abuse, and neglect who is shaped by these experiences into a predator that aims to not only silence those in the concentration camp, but also erase their existence. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I had done extensive research on the Nazi SS and their rise to power for a nonfiction book when I was still a professor. I had always wanted to know how could a person commit such acts of terror, document that terror, and still function as a human being? That is when I got the idea of following some of the prominent SS figures and charting their course. I had found that a number of them were outcasts, bullied, and considered on the fringe socially.

So, I used my extensive psychology background and created Hans, who grew up in the post-World War 1 era and the punitive Treaty of Versailles, where hardship, deep resentment of the West, poverty, and political instability thrived. That was the fuel; now all you needed was a spark. Enter the National Socialist German Workers Party, a.k.a. the Nazis, and you have Hans.

What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?

I believe that the human condition is a source of endless fiction because life is full of contradictions, struggles, and the intense desire to do or have something. Yet, at the same time, much of life is routine—we work, eat meals, sleep, and get up to do it all over again. Fiction allows me to reveal the strangeness that lurks beneath the ordinary. This offers me the ability to remind readers that life is stranger and more fragile than it appears.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

It was probably the overarching theme that embodies the “monster” within an otherwise rational man. The novel makes the unsettling point that “monstrosity” is not an external force—it already exists within the human condition, just waiting for the right circumstances and choices to call it forth.

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

My next book is actually a love story, Framed in Love, that is steeped in fantasy and explores the psychological condition of “How far will you go, and what are you willing to do to keep that love alive?” In a world where love can be bound by spell and sacrifice, a devoted lover discovers that devotion has no bottom, and is preserving love worth losing everything that makes a person human?

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