INTERVIEW: 5 Minutes With Jeremy Terry

Today Jeremy Terry pops in for a chat.  Jeremy Terry is the author of several short stories appearing in upcoming anthologies. Dreams of the Dead,  is his first published novel, though it is one of the first stories he wrote. He lives in the Florida Panhandle with his wife, three sons, and Great Dane named Max.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

My name is Jeremy Terry and I will be thirty years old in a few weeks. My “day job” is in public service where I was actually called a hero for helping a co-worker during an altercation once. I’ve been writing short stories and novels since I was fifteen, though I started writing and drawing comic books much younger than that. You can follow me on the web at www.facebook.com/jeremyterrywrites

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

I prefer the term Horror. It’s the one I’ve always heard growing up and it’s the genre I fell in love with.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

I read a fairly wide variety of authors. Some of my favourites are Nicholas Sparks, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Michael Crichton, and the incomparable Ray Bradbury.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading World War Z by Max Brooks in paperback and Too Late to Call Texas by Trent Zelazny on my kindle. Too Late to Call Texas is a brilliant novel in the vein of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men.

Which book do you wish you had written?

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It’s a truly wonderful tale friendship and growing up. His prose is poetry, beauty in the written word.

If you could use any other author’s creation in your own work, who or what would you use?

I think it would have to be Derry, Maine from Stephen King’s works. It has such a rich back story developed in It and Dreamcatcher and other works.

Describe typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

I spend a lot of time writing while I’m doing something else. I carry a pen and notebook paper with me and write when I have a spare second or two. I must admit I’m a slow writer. A good day’s production is about 1,500 to 2,000 words. Unusual habits? Does listening to John Mayer while I write count?

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

I’d have to say Dreams of the Dead. It was the first real book I ever wrote and it’s stayed alive in my mind through five or six rewrites. It is the proof to me that dreams do come true.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned with regards to your writing?

Patience and humility. I might think a story is great and a publisher think differently. You’ve got to learn to brush off failure and keep moving forward.

What do you like to do to relax?

I like to relax with a good movie. I also enjoy playing my guitar and singing. Makes me happy.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Well, Dreams of the Dead is an apocalyptic horror novel in the veins of “The Walking Dead” only with vampires and a werewolf thrown in the mix for good measure. It revolves around a group of teenagers as they fight for survival in the aftermath of the outbreak. It really focuses on the themes of brotherhood and friendship in the face of hopelessness. I’m very proud of it. I am currently hard at work on the sequel to Dreams entitled Dreams of the Dead: Awakening. It’s coming along nicely. Also, look for my short story “Autumn’s gift” appearing in the anthology “Nightscapes Volume One” from Nightscape Press coming out the last week in February and for my novelette “Mirror, Mirror” due out later this year from SSTpublications.