Friday, May 14, 2010

Interview with author Brandon Ford

Joining me today is Brandon Ford, author of Crystal Bay, Splattered Beauty, Creeping Shadows, and his newest novel, Pay Phone, which was released on March 10, 2010.

TTBA: First of all, I would like to thank Brandon for joining me today and taking the time for this interview. We have been exchanging tweets and Facebook comments for awhile now. It's nice to be able to chat with you about your professional life.

BF: Well, thank you very much for the wonderful invitation!

TTBA: Your new novel, Pay Phone, was recently released. Congrats! Can you tell us a little about it?

BF: Pay Phone is centered around a New York-based serial killer who uses a nearby pay phone to lure his victims. Watching from his apartment window, he dials the same number night and day, hoping someone will take the bait. One morning, he finds someone who reminds him of a person he shares a very special bond with. In an instant, he becomes obsessed and will stop at nothing to be sure she is his next victim.

TTBA: Was there an inspiration behind the writing of Pay Phone?

BF: For the longest time, I had my own personal obsession with pay phones and would always answer when passing one by. Each and every time, there was an incredibly strange character on the other end of the line and they'd always want something, most of the time being to meet up. It was never a "Oh, I'm sorry, I must've misdialed" situation. They always knew exactly what they were doing. Each time, I'd politely decline and walk away with a story I shared with friends for weeks. I got to thinking about what would happen if there was actually a serial killer on the other end of the line?

TTBA: You are often very funny and witty on Twitter and Facebook. I know you're fond of Chelsea Handler—very funny woman. Do you think you would ever write a comedic novel or perhaps a dark comedy? Any other genre?

BF: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my little rants. Twitter and Facebook have become a way to let out my frustrations and often times my comments are heavy on the sarcasm. There's always a touch of humor in everything I write. Mostly that humor is on the dark side, but it's there nonetheless. I doubt I could ever do a book that was just for laughs. As much as I enjoy reading essayists like Chelsea Handler and David Sedaris, I could never do what they do in a million years. I think it's a hell of a lot harder to make someone laugh than to give them the creeps.

TTBA: I recently reviewed Creeping Shadows (read my review here) , a short novel anthology for which you wrote Merciless. It was based on true events and it was such a visceral and frightening story. Was this a difficult one to write

BF: Again, thanks! There were times when I thought I might've been pushing the envelope a little further than I ought to with Merciless, but I kept the majority of it faithful to the actual case. Nevertheless, there were scenes that were definitely a struggle to conceive. With concepts such as this, I don't see how it could possibly be easy to craft some of the incredibly dark scenes.

TTBA: I read in your bio that you've been writing since you were 8. Wow! Was there anything in particular that sparked the writer's bug in you?

BF: I really don't remember if there was anything specifically that made me want to put pen to paper. All I know is that I got a notebook and just started putting my thoughts down. It continued to evolve from there. Later, I was definitely inspired by the authors I read all through school.

TTBA: Have you been inspired by any particular books or movies? What is your favorite horror novel and/or movie?

BF: I'm definitely a huge fan of '80s classics like The Slumber Party Massacre, Sleepaway Camp, Killer Party, Eyes of a Stranger, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the list goes on. Horror movies have always been a huge inspiration. And then there are authors like R.L. Stine, who inspired me during my formative years with the Fear Street series and books like The Babysitter. These days, Jack Ketchum is one of my biggest inspirations. There are few books that affected me the way The Girl Next Door has. I'm also quite fond of Richard Laymon and I've recently become fond of Joe R. Lansdale. To pick a favorite book or film would be impossible, since there are far too many to choose from.

TTBA: Your bio also states that you like to read in your spare time. What are you currently reading?
Any recommendations for a good read...besides your own books, of course?!

BF: I just finished Joe R. Lansdale's Leather Maiden, which was a very interesting read. And then there was Chelsea Handler's Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang, which is just as hilarious and entertaining as her other books.

TTBA: So...what does Brandon Ford have in store for us next?

BF: Well, I'm always working on something, whether it's a novel or a short story. I'd really like to put out a short story collection some time in the near future. That's a goal I'd really like to reach.

TTBA: Thanks so much Brandon for spending some time with me today. I'm looking forward to reading Pay Phone!

BF: Thanks again for having me!

Visit Brandon:

Read an excerpt from Pay Phone on Brandon's blog, Sleepless Nights.
Author page on Amazon here.
Facebook page
Twitter 

7 comments:

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment. It means so much.

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  1. What a great interview. I'm going to have to check out his work now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonder Man--thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked it!

    Ryan--Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, he's a pretty funny guy...and scary in his writing. I've only read his novella in Creeping Shadows. Haven't had the moula to buy his other books. As soon as I get (in other words, win) an Amazon gift card (*fingers crossed*), I'm going to buy them!

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  3. Great interview. I hope that you are finally better!

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  4. “Pay Phone” sounds like a scary but excellent premise. I would probably never think about answering a payphone (maybe it’s my introverted personality), but I think your experiences are interesting. I would have thought they would all be wrong numbers, but none were. Creepy!

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