What can you tell us about your new release, The Crippling?
The Crippling is the fifth book in the Gretel series, which is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel. I don’t want to say too much for fear of giving away spoilers but I will say that The Crippling is creepier and darker than the previous books in the series and introduces two new villains which are more terrifying than their predecessors.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My grandfather used to tell my brother and me creepy stories when we were little, and he was also an avid reader of novels, so I’d say he was the person who got me into a love of books as a kid. And then I discovered Stephen King when I was probably ten or eleven, and my world changed.
What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?
I guess I’d have to classify the top five somehow, especially if we included nonfiction, and it would take me a week to really sort it out, but I’ll give five novels that would be near the top:
1. The Grapes of Wrath
2. The Road
3. Never Let Me Go
4. Underworld
5. It
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
It would be Cormac McCarthy. He’s 85 and hasn’t released a novel since The Road in 2006. I’ve heard he’s coming out with a new book for like ten years now, so my question would be, ‘What’s taking so long??’ I just don’t want him to pass before giving us one more treasure.
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
Writing is a struggle for me because, though I enjoy the solitude and independence of the process, I’m easily distracted, so it requires a lot of will power for me to stay in the chair. I don’t like that part. But I love the times when the creativity comes and the words flow effortlessly. It doesn’t happen all the time—most of the time it’s work—but when it does, it’s awesome.
What is a typical day like for you?
As I said, if I have an excuse, I’ll avoid the chair, so I need to have my day mapped out by the half-hour. I usually start early, write in increments of about 90 minutes depending on deadlines, other obligations, etc., and then take a break. My goal is to get at least four hours of writing in each day.
What scene in The Crippling was your favorite to write?
I have a character named Anika who is the co-heroine of the novel, and she’s pretty badass. She has a couple of fight scenes that result in her ending people pretty violently. I liked writing those. LOL!
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
When it comes to writing, it’s this: What makes a good book is not what it’s about, it’s how it’s about what it’s about.
I try to keep that point in mind with every scene I write.
Christopher Coleman is the author of the new book The Crippling.
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