Author Interview With Brian Kittrell

When did you decide that you want to be a writer?

I can't really say that I made the decision to be a writer; it was more of an impulsive act than an actual decision. Late in 2009, I started writing The Dying Times after reading another horror/zombie novel. When I was finished, I thought to myself that I could probably write a good story in the zombie genre. I found by reading reviews of many zombie apocalypse books that many of them were of a poor quality, so I set out to see if I could do any better. I wrote under a hundred pages and put it down. About a year later, I picked it back up and finished it, and, soon, it will be in the public eye.

What was the first story you've written? (short story, novel, published or not)?

Of course, this is the first real novel that I've written, but I wrote short stories in the past, too. The first memorable short story that I wrote was inspired by Misery by Stephen King, but it was never published. That was a thirty page story, and I still don't know what ever became of it.

What is your favorite book and who is your favorite author?

Even though I write horror personally, one of my favorite authors is Robert Jordan for his work on The Wheel of Time series. I thought about writing fantasy, but I wanted to start out with something more familiar, and zombie horror is closer to my heart. I feel that the genre really needs good books to flesh it out, so to speak. It deserves to be taken seriously, and I think that I am as good as anyone to help make that happen.

If you could do a collaboration, name a writer/s you want to work with?

To be perfectly honest, I would prefer to work with an unknown author if I were to collaborate. It's a lot easier to get down to earth with someone who hasn't become famous yet. It would make working with them a great deal easier.

Given the chance to make a book a movie, what book would it be?

I've been told by several reviewers that The Dying Times would make a great movie. One of my reviewer stated in their review that, “...if this book were a movie, I'd be the first in line to buy my ticket.” On to Hollywood!

When you are not writing, what do you do?

When I'm not writing, I'm doing my best to be the best father I can be to a beautiful baby girl, and the best husband I can for a beautiful wife. Either that, or I'm at my day job answering 911 calls and trying to make a difference.

What is your writing habit?

My writing habit is to sit still for a few moments and ask myself, “Can I write tonight?” Sometimes, the answer is 'No'. If the answer is 'Yes', then I tend to crank out twenty to thirty pages at a time unless I have a large number of distractions. So, I can finish a book in a good two to three weeks pre-editing and pre-proofreading. The first book took much longer since I failed to have confidence in myself for the first third of the writing.

Morning or night person?

I am certainly a night person. I try not to rise before 10:00 AM, and if it's later than that, all the better. I work nights and write at nights, and I've always been more nocturnal in nature. I don't think I've had that meal that people call 'breakfast' in quite some time.

The Dying Times: Nadene's Story is the first book of a series, can you tell us about the other books without giving spoilers?

As of this interview, the first book is complete and about to make its way to the printers. The second book is finished, as well, and the third book is at around a hundred pages. The second book takes a look at the apocalypse from the eyes of a U.S. Military soldier who has a view of the entire event from behind the scenes. The third book is about a man convicted of murder who now must survive in the destroyed, zombie-infested landscape. There will be between five and seven books in the series, and I plan to have the entire series written by the middle of 2011. I won't reveal anything past the third book at this time, but I can say that the first three are survivor stories, each one as a different point of view from different groups of survivors, and everything comes together in the fourth book and beyond.

If someone asks you to describe your series in 10 words, what would you say?

I would say, “A definitive series of character pieces in the zombie apocalypse.” The Survivor Chronicles is all about the people involved and the story they have to tell.

BUY this first book in the series HERE. Book 2 comes out in February!

Visit Brian's site Late Nite Books for more information! I've got this series on my "To Read" list! Thanks Brian!