Here’s a new interview I just did to celebrate Halloween for the big time blog For the Love of Books. There’s also a review and a book giveaway!

1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a novelist who lives in St. Paul, MN. I love many fiction genres: horror, fantasy, sci-fi, literary, classic, etc. With every book I write, I try to challenge myself in a new way and find something new to mine in the genre(s) I’m writing in. I have a day job at the University of MN. I like going to rock shows, running outside all year long, watching too much TV, standup comedy, playing gin rummy in taprooms with my girlfriend, drinking coffee, and right now I’m really into Skyrim on my old XBOX 360. You can’t cover everything, but I like to think I’m enjoying life as much as I can before I die.

2. What makes your heart beat faster?

Going on blind dates! Ha. I also hate going to the mall when it’s busy and everybody’s a little crazy. When I’m at the mall, humanity seems like it’s ready to tear itself apart…

3. Which horror monster do you fear the most?

Freddy Krueger. He’s just waiting for you to fall asleep! What’s scarier than not being able to go to sleep?

4. If the zombie apocalypse would happen today, what would you do?

I’ve thought about this way too much. If I was at home in my apartment, I’d lock the front door (obvs), somehow cover up all the windows, and fill the bathtub with water in case the water stops running. Then I’d start drinking whiskey and wait for the scraping sounds to begin…

5. What’s your favorite scary movie?

This is a tough, tough question. The People Under the Stairs scared the HELL out of me when I first saw it. So did Event Horizon and Candyman. I also really love the John Carpenter version of The Thing (1982) but winner-takes-all is probably Aliens (1986). That movie is just a terrifying good time.

6. What’s your worst nightmare?

A world where the United States has destroyed its national parks for a temporary profit that benefits only a few wealthy demon-men.

7. If your book was made into a movie, who would play the lead characters and why?

The lead characters in The Town Built on Sorrow are all teenagers and I’m not really up on my famous teen actors. I’d hope they’d actually be raw, relatively unknown young actors who could convey their emotions with force, like the young actors in Stranger Things. I also thought the cast of young actors in the new version of IT did a great job.

8. What inspired you to write scary stories?

I like to see how freaked out I can make both myself and my reader feel-it’s fun for me because I’m a madman.

9. If you’d go to a Halloween party what would your costume be?This year I went as Mike Nelson, the 2nd host from Mystery Science Theater 3000. I love that show-it was created right here in the Twin Cities.10. What can we expect from you in the future?