Saturday, April 26, 2014

A 2nd Interview with Author Justin Macumber

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Welcome back to Up Around the Corner, Justin. Please, please remind the readers a little about yourself and your writing.

Well my name is Justin R. Macumber, and I like to think of myself as a genre-blind writer. I love science fiction, I love fantasy, and I love horror, so those are the sorts of stories I’m going to tell. I wish I could be the sort of author who was known for one specific niche, because I think that gives your “brand” more focus, but I can’t. I want to write it all!


Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve been up to since your interview back in Decemberof 2012?

Writing, writing, and more writing, as well as moving into a new house, and then helping my wife kick cancer in the butt. It’s been…yeah, kinda busy. But that’s what life’s about, right? My latest book, STILL WATER from Gryphonwood Press, marks my third published novel, and this year two anthologies will be coming out that I have stories in. I also have another novel with a different publisher being edited as we speak.
 

What do you find to be the most frustrating aspect of being an author, and what is one of the most positive aspects of being an author?

Definitely the solitude while working on the first draft or two of a novel can be difficult. I start off confident, but it doesn’t take long before self-doubt creeps in and starts ruining all the fun. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to where that doesn’t happen anymore. But as for positive, it’s meeting all the great readers and fellow writers out there. Their love and kindness never cease to humble me.
 

What are several of your favorite movies and why did you enjoy them?

Star Wars, because it took a four-year-old boy and made him into a sci-fi geek. The Matrix, because it was just so damn cool. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, because it dared to tell the truth about pain, and about how pain is okay, perhaps even precious. And Casablanca, because love is timeless, as is loss.
 

What sort of things influence what you write?

Mostly movies and video games. I’m a big movie lover, but I might be an even bigger game player, and both of those mediums constantly feed my subconscious. I know for a fact that none of my novels would have been written had it not been for those influences.
 

Can you tell us about STILL WATER, your most recently published novel?

STILL WATER is about a secluded coal mining town in West Virginia that accidentally awakens an ancient evil buried in the mountains for millions of years. As that evil awakens it affects the town and its people. But, into the story come two people – Kyle and Maya – each from different backgrounds yet brought together to try and stop the ending of the world. Reviewers have been comparing it to Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft, which delights me no end.
 

What writing project are you planning next and what would you hope to accomplish within the next five years?

Up next is TITANS RISE, a prequel to my first Gryphonwood Press novel, HAYWIRE. It is going to tell the story of the original Hezrin invasion into our solar system and the creation of the Titan super soldier program. After that I’m going to write the final novel in my YA urban fantasy trilogy, A KILLING MAGIC. I have a list of books I want to write beyond that, but which one I decide to go with I’m not sure right now.


Is there anything else you’d like to add or say to the readers of Up Around the Corner?

I’d just like to say thank you so much for your time and interest. I’m incredibly proud of STILL WATER, and I hope everyone will give it a read. And if you do, please reach out and let me know what you thought of it.


Thank you, Justin, for taking the time to answer another set of questions here at Up Around the Corner.

For those interested, here are several links where you can learn more about Justin Macumber and his works:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustinRMacumber
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinMacumber
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Justin-R.-Macumber/e/B003L9KDEU/
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