Author Interview

​Spotlight Interview with Kathy Dinisi found on FB page UnTold Thoughts.
 
Good evening Hugh, I would like to first thank you for allowing us to do an interview and spotlight on you. We are both excited to have you with us today.
I want to thank you and Laura for interviewing me. You for one have been of immense help in showing me how an author can navigate around the internet.
 
 
What made you want to write?
It was something I had always had interest in. It was simply a matter of finding a genre I was interested in and then allowing my imagination to take over. I had written a book prior to my foray into the zombie genre. It was horrible. I deleted it. I did learn something from that disaster though.
 
 
 What made you write in the Zombie genre?
 I use the Zombie Apocalypse as a metaphor for the problems that are occurring in society. It is also a genre I am interested in. I have been heavily influenced by the Resident Evil movie series, and of course George Romero. I also have been influenced by such cutting-edge authors such as Bobby Adair and TW Piperbrook. Many of my readers have commented that while my books are not gruesome, they are sometimes scared by them. When I ask why, they tell me the situations I describe seem like they are happening now. When I hear that, I know I have succeeded.
 
Did you ever think readers would like your books as much as they do?
I was pleasantly surprised to find that my books have been well received. I mean you always think your writing is pretty good, but I do enjoy hearing from readers and even discussing my books with readers.
How do you react to criticism?
It really depends how the criticism is given. If it is constructive, that’s of tremendous value to me. If it’s “this book sucks, I have never read such trash”, I can do without that. I had a fan/friend who worked as a copy editor before she retired. She took the time to send me a copy of my first book with her suggested corrections. This was valuable to me as while I had people check my first book for spelling and grammar, but it’s not the same as working with an editor. I found that out when working with my editors on The Trek to Elysium Chronicles: Volume 2: Survival Guide and The Incident. My fan’s constructive criticism combined with my newly acquired knowledge from my editors gave me the push I needed to rewrite my first book. I did not change the story, but really cleaned it up and did things to it like adding more dialogue.
What advice would you give people who have never written or are still fairly new?
It’s a brutally tough field and unless you are very fortunate, don’t quit your day job. I would tell people to do what I did. Come up with a plan for a story, in other words, have some idea where you want the story to go. Then sit down and write it. Don’t be afraid to use other people’s ideas when they will work in your story. I like to involve my friends when I write. I discuss the story line with them and quite often by talking to my friends, I can see where I am going wrong or going right.
 
The more you write, the better you will get. When you are as fortunate as I have been to work with a publishing house, you won’t believe what you will learn. It was for that reason, I rewrote my 1st book, The Trek to Elysium Chronicles: Volume 1: A Zombie Apocalyptic Tale and now a 2nd Edition of that book exists. There is really a learning curve in writing.
 
What’s next in your writing career? Do you plan on sticking with the zombie genre or are you going to venture out and write about other scary, horrific creatures?
My last book was “The Incident.” It is a Zombie Apocalypse book with crossover into espionage. I am currently working on the final book in The Trek to Elysium Chronicles: Volume 3: End Game. I am hoping to have that finished in a few months. I am also making a foray into the detective story genre. The name of that book for now is “Miller Rixey: Caesar’s Medallion.” That book has a long way to go. I also am planning a sequel to The Incident. I am not sure of the release date on that.


What’s your snack of choice when you are writing?
I write about 90% of my stories in longhand while I am eating out. I guess that would make my snack of choice, hamburgers. I also write a lot at my local Barnes & Noble, so that means coffee and bagels. When I am writing at home, it has to be Fritos and either Diet Mountain Dew or Diet Doctor Pepper.
 
 
Last but not least, what do you do when you’re not writing about the flesh-eating zombies?
I operate my own law firm. I also am an avid reader, movie goer, and coin collector. I hold the rank of Diamond Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League. I also root for the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and the New England Patriots.
 
Thank you, Hugh, for joining us today. I can’t wait to read more from you!
Once again, thanks for the interview, Kathy.