Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect follows a half-human, half-warlock carnival clown who works for demonic entities and is trying to plan a Summer Solstice Celebration. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

When I first sat down to write Jigglyspot, my goal was to write a story that paid homage to the pulp horror genre as well as extreme horror, including the old grindhouse movies in the 1970s and B-rated slasher films in the 1980s. It had to be over the top in its gore, and even more in its psychologically scathing component while also laugh out loud funny. But the story required more depth to it, more suspense, and more intrigue. Hence, let’s tie in the Jeffrey Epstein debacle, treachery, and downright evil. Then couple it with the most outlandish conspiracy theories and you’ve got yourself one damn good book. Plus, it had to be a thriller, so why not add a cast of immoral characters to the fold to drive the narrative forward? But I also wanted to feature the most dire and evil depths that any human can come into contact with: the destruction of innocence.

The Jeffrey Epstein arrest was a big part of achieving the final goal. Let’s be honest for a moment, the amount of politicians-on both sides of the aisle-and celebrities that were a part of Epstein’s decades of debauchery and pedophilia should be the center stage story and the biggest of our lifetime. Instead, it was swept under the rug as our country was brainwashed with a political rhetoric that has completely torn our country apart. And these are the same people who are currently in charge of our country. It’s a very sad state of the world and pretty disgusting if you think about it. But instead of everyone coming together to protect our children, we’re all battling and ripping each other’s throats out in a political death match that has come to the point that we’re on the brink of a second civil war. Most citizens would rather keep their head in the sand than have to admit their political heroes are corrupt. And that corruption has been going on for a very long time, with the same political actors sitting center stage through it all.

I’ve been a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist for close to twenty years, specializing in treating PTSD and trauma. In that time, I’ve had more than my share of patients who were victimized by the human trafficking industry, or what I refer to as today’s slave trade. When you serve this specific population, you hear a lot about the trade, especially all those little intricacies that come along with what happens during the victimization and how people are manipulated into it. Also, more than a few of my patients over the years were victims of satanic worship and satanic pedophilia. And yes, Satanism is not just reserved for evil people running amok in swamps, but also includes the rich and powerful. I also found it disheartening how the people involved with Jeffrey Epstein were covered up and thrown out the door, never to be revealed to the public. It’s a pretty tragic event in human history. And the press gave it no credence, covering the story in maybe two minute clips and then off to the next shiny object to dangle in front of their audience’s eyes.

Jim Morrison-lead singer of The Doors-said it the best, with his quote: “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” And that was in the 1960s. Considering the same group of elite people control all the news organizations, I’d say we’re pretty screwed every time we turn on the news, no matter what news channel we’re watching. It’s all a controlled narrative, which is why you don’t see reporters causing an upheaval over the Epstein case. And, even if you do, it’s gone in a flash. Knowing all the above, I included those points in the narrative as a part of the conspiracy and manipulation that Jigglyspot and his demons cast over their human victims and the reasons why they hold such a contempt for humanity.

When I heard about the conspiracy theory that the elite were Satanists, aliens, or monsters posing as humans, I went with it in the story. This is why Jigglyspot is told through the point of view of aliens and demons and not humanity-for the most part at least, although the humans in the story align with the notion of humanity’s whitewashed brain. If you think about it, if you were a demon discovering the human population, what would your opinion be?

I believe the very last chapter in Jigglyspot sums up the entire book into a perfect conclusion. But you’ll just have to read it to understand what I’m getting at.

We should celebrate our differences and not be at each other’s throats. As I tell my patients, get off social media and turn off the news for 30 days and, without a doubt, you’ll see just how bright your future has become. And then-maybe-you’ll break through the bubble of brainwashing that consists on a large scale across social media and come to the conclusion to, at the very least, be courteous to your neighbor.

When creating Jigglyspot, did you have a plan for development and character traits or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?

Jigglyspot is the accumulation of several personalities and real people I’ve known throughout my life. His shit-eating grin and short stature are one along with the drug dealing, while the white spot on his head and his claim to be half-warlock came from another. Of course, his devious and meticulous nature was always a part of his original character, along with his contempt for humanity, which was conjured from just about every drug dealer and con artist I’ve come across. But those characteristics were just the beginning and served their purpose as the foundation for Jigglyspot’s character.

However, Jigglyspot’s evolution developed organically as the story was written. Using his foundation as a springboard to his development-most specifically his abandonment by his grandmother and the fact that he was an orphan, an orphan raised by a species of brutal aliens who dress as clowns from outer space but an orphan just the same-that provided Jigglyspot with a bit of a backstory that lent to his development, including shining a spotlight on his vulnerability that was exploited during the story. I believe our weaknesses and vulnerabilities are what make us uniquely human.

In the story, Jigglyspot is confronted with his vulnerability and conflicted with his loyalty to his friends against his devious nature and serving the demonic entities who have been his most loyal mainstay during his lifetime, always feeding his personal interests and stroking his arrogance. Who would Jigglyspot be without his demons and overlords who foster every evil impulse in that large brain of his, while allowing Jiggly’s contempt for humanity to be satisfied with a swipe of his trusted weapon of choice, Mr. Scalpel? The murderous, torturous acts he inflicts on the humans he comes into contact with never come with a consequence. No consequence because his overlords rule the world from behind the shadows. And when there is no consequence, evil runs rampant.

Jiggly’s conflict also developed organically, and because there was a consequence to his actions, his struggle to maintain his devious nature while also being loyal to his friends shined that spotlight on his vulnerability, creating the conflict within the main character. As with most of my characters, I enjoy watching them develop through the story. All I do is provide the background and they take it from there. I find this is the best method for the story to remain engaging, because if I don’t know what the character is going to do, I’m often surprised with the outcome, and if I’m surprised the reader is too and that makes for great fiction.

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

It’s always been that fine line between the light and the dark and how easy it is to cross that line into what is evil, dark, and menacing. The question always exists: how far do you need to push someone before they fall over the edge into madness? They either get swallowed whole by it or dive in and come out filthy on the other end.

Our interest in the darkness is simply our intrigue over what lurks within us. It’s the classic battle between good and evil, or the yin and yang, with the victor being the one who is fed the most. We all have darkness inside of us, but whether that darkness takes center stage, overcoming and consuming the light, depends on our choices, actions, and thoughts. And once we’ve started down that path, it consumes the light that exists within. It is the enlightened being who accepts the darkness, using it for drive, ambition, passion, and focus, while choosing to live in the light through courtesy, empathy, and compassion, understanding that the purpose of life is to evolve while the meaning is simply just to live. We’re here to breathe oxygen and make choices. Start making good ones.

Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?

Jigglyspot is a part of a larger universe of stories with the same themes-demons manipulating human beings. It’s a series of stand-alone novels under an umbrella titled Beyond the Chamber Door. Although each installment features independent stories, they all take place in the same universe and are uniquely connected. The first book in the series is a collection of novellas, titled Twisted Tales of Deceit. I wrote Twisted Tales of Deceit with inspiration from books and authors like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Faust, Poe, and Lovecraft. The featured story, Knickerbocker, is a reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with a modern day twist: all the characters are recovering drug addicts employed at the prestigious Sleepy Hollow private school. The second book, Presenting the Marriage of Kelli Anne and Gerri Denemer, is a dark love story featuring a portal into the past and a narrative that is heart wrenching and inspiring. Books like The Devil and Tom Walker, The Devil and Daniel Webster, and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, were the inspiration behind the story.

The third book is the psychological and gothic horror story, Golem. I consider Golem to be my monster book, like Frankenstein, or Dracula, to name a few. It’s an ode to the classic horror style. Golem also serves as the greater set up for Jigglyspot and all upcoming books within the same universe. I plan to re-release the first two books under one title and will then include Golem and Jigglyspot as a part of the series prior to the next book’s publication, which is tentatively titled, The Sleepy Hollow Incident, a novel that I am currently writing. The Sleepy Hollow Incident combines the styles of Golem and Jigglyspot while adding a new twist to the series. It’s what I consider my Jekyll and Hyde novel. After that, there is at least one more book in the series that will feature all the villains from the series, including Golem and Jigglyspot in what I refer to as an epic horror novel, inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Dante’s Inferno. Also, a big nod to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser.

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