Witches and Pumpkins, Fur and Fangs is a collection of twenty short stories surrounding Halloween, bringing together tales of monsters, goblins, ghosts, witches, and everything scary. What was the inspiration for creating this collection of stories?

I got the idea for this collection after I saw the movie Trick ‘r Treat. I first watched that movie in 2009, which also happened to be the year I started writing for the first time. I remember thinking how amazing it was that the movie (almost) had a little bit of everything in it, and how it all took place in the same town on the same night. I thought to myself how cool it would be if a book or movie literally had EVERYTHING in it. Something like that movie, but on a grander scale. A year later, I wrote Jack of the Lantern. After that, I kept adding stories, always making sure they stood alone on their own, but secretly including Easter eggs that connected them to the others. I took the secondary characters from previous stories and threw them into the spotlight for their own stories. I made sure each one either addressed a different type of monster, or revolved around a different Halloween tradition or legend. Almost every character in the book appears multiple times. ‘Science Make Me Mad’ and ‘Can You See Me’ feature the same mad scientist antagonist. The librarian from ‘Hob Gob’ is a main character in ‘Incorporeal Beings’. Things like that. I encourage anybody reading to try to pay attention to the characters and all the connections, because there’s a lot of them.

What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?

I became an indoctrinated horror enthusiast since I was eleven. I was a child of the 90’s and grew up on late night television specials like Joe Bob Brigg’s Monstervision every Friday and Saturday night. I would catch Sunday afternoon showings of American Werewolf in London and Children of the Corn, complete with commercial breaks, just to find out later that the only parts they really cut out when editing for television was the nudity and cursing. All the scary parts were mostly still intact. I became fascinated with all things scary, and as a teenager I began reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I write other stories in the realm of science fiction or fantasy, but I always end up leaning towards the darker sides of things.

Do you have a favorite story in this collection, and if so, what makes it so appealing to you?

I have a couple. ‘Jack of the Lantern’ has always held a special place in my heart. Not only was it my first to write, it was also my first short story to ever get published.  When I was reading these stories again for this collection, I stopped at ‘Incorporeal Beings’. I remember telling myself, “Wow I actually wrote this. This is pretty damn good.” I like a good ghost story, especially when it becomes clear that the ghosts are a real threat and can actually kill you. That story was a lot of fun to write.

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

I am actively working on a novel entitled I Don’t Want to be a Monster.  Imagine if Dexter was the Wolfman; that’s the basic concept. It’s about a werewolf who targets serial killers, rapists, child molesters, etc. I currently have several interested parties requesting the manuscript, and I’ve been given an early December deadline to complete (it’s almost done!). Hopefully you’ll be seeing that one soon.

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