C. Derick Miller Interview
Welcome to Ink & Magick. I'm your friendly neighborhood witch. What kind of spell can I get for you (or your character) today?
Do you have anything to help lengthen fingers? I'm learning to play guitar, and it's proving to be rather difficult! I swear it's for my fingers!!!
Uhhhh...how about finger stretches? So you wrote a book? Tell me abou tit.
Toby Liberman is nearing the end of his rope. After a fateful confrontation with his wife’s lover, he is chased into the woods only to be discovered by an unidentifiable creature. He is attacked and rendered unconscious. Upon waking at the scene of a gruesome triple homicide, Toby is arrested as the sole suspect and thrown into a jail cell with a strange man that knows way too much about his predicament. The stranger reveals to Toby that he now possesses the curse of the werewolf. Using his new-found strength to flee his captors, Toby begins to discover that things are not what they seem in the sleepy town of Twin Oaks, TX. Now hunted by law enforcement, as well as the town’s gun toting civilians, Toby seeks vengeance against his false accusers and embarks upon a quest to clear his name once and for all.
Excerpt:
The hot, searing puncture of the animal’s teeth pierced deep within the flesh of Toby’s left arm, and he screamed in pain. Then, as quickly as it had started, the attack stopped.
Looking up with fearful eyes, Toby saw the animal staring at him with what seemed to be a sense of calm satisfaction. With another howl of ear-piercing terror, it took one last look at him and disappeared into the shadows of the forest beyond.
He laid back in shock and panic. Clutching his arm as it gushed entire pints of blood onto the wet leaves, Toby began to slip out of consciousness. The sound of rainfall and chirping crickets filled his fading senses.
Without warning, a bolt of energy shot throughout his body, cramping his muscles with unprecedented, excruciating tension that stretched from his toes to the tips of his longest hairs. Again, he screamed in unimaginable pain and then lost consciousness. The change was instantaneous.
Yay! Werewolves! Tell us about your werewolves. Full moon? Bitten vs born? All that.
I've always been a huge fan of werewolf lore and films! I was actually married to Lon Cheney Jr.'s great niece for a while. I promise that wasn't a planned move on my part! My werewolves are less horror and more hero (or villain depending on what your intentions are. You can't have light without the dark!) Their transformations are controlled by emotion and both born and bitten appear in this work. I discuss the 'classes' in the sequel (Far From Home), which just came out December 6.
So more folklore and less Hollywood pop culture. Excellent! Which one of your characters surprised you?
The main character, Toby, was the main focus in the beginning, but his teenage daughter Katie, was much more fun to write. I have three daughters of my own, so I had tons of material to choose from! Her wit and bravery take center stage as the novel progresses.
Love seeing those strong female characters! Who is your favorite (or least favorite) character and why?
My favorite character in A Taste Of Home is the villain, Jessie McGee. He's a Sheriff who lives a hidden double life. Growing up, my favorite characters were always villains, and it followed me into adulthood. Darth Vader, Tom Riddle, Scar from The Lion King, Jason Voorhees...I cheer for the bad guy a lot! I wish books and films would flesh out the antagonists more! Sure, he may look scary and act scary, but what caused him or her to be this way? That bit of information is always the more frightening part. Especially when you can relate to it.
I agree! Also, villians have the best Disney songs. I'm just saying. If you could time-travel, would you travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go, and why would you choose that time period?
The past. I can barely stand our present so I fear what's to come in the future! I'm an Army veteran and a Texan who's in love with New York City. I've been there 45 times in 5 years! I would travel back to September 11th, 2001 and pull some fire alarms that morning to get people out of the buildings. I have the time travel dream all the time and that is where I always go. I know it's not a literary answer but...maybe it is. Maybe it's the story yet to be written or destined to be written a dozen times by the time I get around to it.
But the historical implications...changing history is a dangerous business...Haven't you seen movies? I'm certain many people would be interested in an alternative history if 9/11 had been averted though. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Write reviews!!! I'm a freelance A&E journalist with my own column in a few North Texas newspapers and magazines. I review books and music shows! It is the best 'thank you' an artist can get. Whether it's good or bad, write a review! If it's good, it makes others want to read it. If it's bad, it helps the artist perfect their skills! Book reviews are right up there with a soldier's letter from home. It only takes a minute to make a difference on Amazon or Goodreads.
Well said. What can we expect from you next?
Far From Home is the sequel to A Taste Of Home and it released from Black Rose Writing on December 6th, 2018! After that, my short story, 'Hell Paso' releases in the Death's Head Press anthology titled ...And Hell Followed in January 2019. I'm also four chapters away from completing a dark fiction demon hunting novel titled Extinguished. All of this and I hope to gain momentum with the guitar. I'm tired of other bands singing my lyrics. 44 isn't too old to be a rock star, is it?
Keep the dream alive, my friend!
C. Derick Miller is a dark fiction author, freelance A&E journalist, poet, ordained minister, and ASCAP songwriter born in the town of Greenville, Texas. A seasoned paranormal investigator and traveler for the art industry, his influences include Hunter S. Thompson, Kevin Smith, Shawn Mullins, and Del James. He is currently signed with Black Rose Writing, Death’s Head Press, and is an Arts and Entertainment Contributor for The Greenville Herald Banner and Greenville Life Magazine. Chad is also an active member of the International Thriller Writers organization.
Connect with Chad on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
Get your copy of A Taste of Home on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.