Hi Jeff!
Thanks for taking time to come share a little bit about yourself with the Fallen Angel Readers.
According to your extremely humorous website www.jeffstrand.com, you have led a very interesting life. Can you tell us what brought you to writing?

Did my website really say that? I apologize for that vicious lie. Like many writers, my life is remarkably uninteresting, because I spend so much of it writing about interesting things happening to make-believe people! I've wanted to be a writer for literally as long as I can remember (although I often can't remember earlier than last month) so there was nothing that brought me into it...I've just always wanted to do it.

Do you think writer’s organizations are beneficial to writers both unpubbed and pubbed? Is there one you would recommend most for those who feel they might write a genre as unique as your own?

I would strongly encourage a new writer to join an organization like the Horror Writers Association and volunteer to help out. This is a great way to make contacts in the industry. But I would also encourage a new writer to at all costs avoid the politics, the flamewars, and all of the energy-sucking nonsense that goes on in your typical writer's organization; it's a waste of time that could be much better spent writing. I'm currently only a member of one organization (EPIC) and I don't follow what's going on there anymore, so I can't really recommend a specific group.

Please tell us about your latest release, I believe, and please correct me if I am wrong it is the third in your Andrew Mayhem series, CASKET FOR SALE (Only used once)?

Yep, that's it. This time out, Andrew Mayhem has finally learned from his previous mistakes. He's a responsible human being (he even has a real job!). And he's going on a nice little camping trip with his wife, kids, and best friend. They refuse to take a shortcut. They heed the warning of the crazy old man at the convenience store. And things still go completely to hell. Poor guy.
Most importantly, this book features a pug named Joe in a supporting (but dialogue-free) role.

How about a small bit of information on your chapbook with Nick Cato, TWO TWISTED NUTS?

Ah, yes. Two Twisted Nuts: A Chapbook of Testicular Terror. It's a pair of funny horror stories ("Mr. Sensitive" by me, "Ball Breaker" by Nick) relating to the theme of very, very bad things happening to testicles. Readers seem to be getting a kick out of it.

On your website www.jeffstrand.com I see that you have several books, anthologies, and shorts available and in the pipeline. Are there any your would specifically like to talk about?

My next project is Socially Awkward Moments With An Aspiring Lunatic, a chapbook to be published by Biting Dog Press. That one is an incredibly demented story (even for me), limited to 125 copies, with freaky artwork by Keith Minnion. Biting Dog Press does really good work with their chapbooks, so I'm very excited about this one.

Along with Nick Cato, I'm the featured author in the September issue of Wicked Karnival magazine. It'll have an interview and contain my short story "The Three Little Pigs," a gory, nasty version of the porcine classic.

My short story "The Socket" will appear in Deathgrip: Exit Laughing, an anthology coming in November from Hellbound Books. Readers who have problems with eyeballs being damaged should probably skip that one.

I've got "Them Old West Mutations," a tender tale about giant cockroaches, appearing in Trip the Light Horrific.

And I'm thrilled that my comedy novels How to Rescue a Dead Princess and Elrod McBugle on the Loose will be reprinted in trade paperback, from Mundania Press and Hard Shell Word Factory, respectively.

What are your plans for future projects? Only what is listed on your site? Anything you can talk with us about? Give us a sneak peek?

I have a pair of novels, Pressure and The Sinister Mr. Corpse, that aren't currently contracted for publication. The small press has been great to me, but right now I'm actively trying to break into mass market, so I'm seeking an agent for these works. I'm also starting a new thriller/comedy series, the first installment of which will be called Anything Dangerous. And I'm working on other stuff that I can't talk about yet! (Actually, I probably could, but it's more fun to pretend that it's all a great big secret.)

How do readers find out more about you and your books?

They can continue reading this interview, or they can bounce on over to my Seriously Whacked website.

How can the readers contact you?

Several ways. They can e-mail me at JeffStrand@aol.com, or post on my message board at http://horrorworld.org/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewforum.php?f=9, or post comments on my blog at http://www.livejournal.com/users/jeffstrand/. Or they can try sending brainwaves. Whatever works.

Have you received feedback from any readers yet that just blew your mind?

I don't get much weird fan mail...I think the whackos go after the people who are writing vampire novels. I guess what surprises (and thrills) me the most is when I hear from romance-reading little old ladies who've never read a horror novel in their life, but who tried out something like Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary) because they heard it was funny, and were surprised by how much they enjoyed it.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader or reviewer?

Horror-Web did a review of my novel Casket For Sale (Only Used Once) that said "For five hours I was Jeff Strand's bitch, and I loved every moment of it." That was truly a great review moment. I later met the reviewer in person at a horror convention, but didn't have the nerve to call her my bitch.

How much of your personality and life experiences do you put into your writing?

Personality? Lots. Life experiences? Almost none. I make it all up.

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

I don't really have an average time. I tend to juggle projects, and also write to deadline, so the book takes as long as I'm given to write it. Pressure took four years, but of course that wasn't anywhere near four years of solid writing...it spent most of that time on the back burner. I kept coming back to it, but didn't actually finish it until an agent read the first 100 pages and expressed an interest in reading the rest. I really need to have somebody cracking the whip. Somebody mean.

How did you become involved in so many anthologies? Are you friends with the other authors?

In most cases I just followed regular ol' submission guidelines. Deathgrip: Exit Laughing was sort of interesting because I sent Walt Hicks at Hellbound Books a story the day the anthology opened, but it got lost in cyberspace. A few months later, he personally contacted me and asked if I'd send him something. So I sent him back the same story and he bought it! I did a regular submission to Trip the Light Horrific, but after editor Nancy A. Jackson accepted my story, she asked me to write the introduction to the book.

Because I go to conventions and participate in message boards, I usually know some of the authors in any given anthology. However, I've only been invited into one anthology where I was friends with the editor beforehand...and that bastard ended up rejecting my story! Screw you, R.J., you reprehensible wanker!

Have you worked on any collaborative stories?

Not many. If you exclude a couple of unreadable round-robin tales that I participated in a few years ago (and excluding them is an excellent idea) the only collaboration I've completed is a short story with Mark McLaughlin, author of the collections Hell is Where the Heart Is and Slime After Slime. That came about after a review in Cemetery Dance magazine said that Mark and I should battle for the throne of horror's supreme satirist. I forwarded him the comment and told him that I was going to kick his ass; he suggested that we collaborate instead.
Romance author Michele Bardsley and I have completed a proposal for a romantic horror comedy. We've written the first four chapters, and I promise you, this is going to be one doozy of a fun, entertaining story!
And I'm going to be working on a novella with James Newman, who wrote the highly acclaimed thriller Midnight Rain and should really have higher standards. We're only in the brainstorming phase right now, but this is going to be one messed-up story, ladies and gentlemen.

What is your writing routine?

I tend to work in short bursts of energy and there's no real routine. The amount of writing I get done in any given day is directly proportional to how many days I have left until the manuscript is due.

What do you do to relax and recharge from a long day?

Shear sheep. See how long I can balance almonds on my tongue. Tell knock-knock jokes to people who don't like knock-knock jokes. Write Broadway musicals. Staple things. Cluck my tongue at the declining moral standards in this country. Make fun of people named "Dorky McGoober." Eat things that were never meant to be eaten in ways that nobody was ever meant to eat. Sing badly. Sing worse. Listen to heavy metal albums for backwards messages like "Skoob dnarts ffej fo stol yub." And make weird smoothies.

Can you share with us where do your ideas come from?

Probably not.

What kind of research do you do? How much do you think is necessary?

I do as little research as humanly possible! It all depends on the book. The Andrew Mayhem series doesn't require all that much research, especially since it's written in first person by a narrator who isn't necessarily the most perceptive guy in the world. For Mandibles I did quite a bit of ant research. The ants in the book don't behave like regular ants, but the lead character is an entomologist, so I needed to get the facts straight so that he could say "Golly, these ants aren't behaving like regular ants!"

Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

I live in Florida with my wife, Lynne Hansen, who writes young adult horror novels. I've got a young sister who is in the Air Force and who buys all of my books, although she's getting a little bit sick of buying new editions of Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary). I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing, which oddly enough didn't make publishers march up to my doorstep with bags of money.

What are some of your favorite things to do?

I love going to writing conventions, and I love going to film festivals. I also like road trips, camping, computer games, goofing around on the Internet, and (of course) reading. And I like to obsess over the show Survivor when it's on the air.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Robert R. McCammon, F. Paul Wilson, Dave Barry, Jack Ketchum, Christopher Moore, David Prill, David Martin, and Richard Laymon.

Among your own books, have you a favorite?

This question makes me uncomfortable because I think of my books as if they were my children. And it reminds me of when my mother used to say "You know, Jeff, I sure like you better than your sister" and my sister would scream "No! That's not true!" and I would laugh and go "Nyahh, nyahh, Mom likes me best!" and we'd lock my sister under the sink and go off to Dairy Queen without her. Ah, such good times...

Favorite hero or heroine?

Of mine? I hate to pick the obvious response, but I will anyway: Andrew Mayhem. My favorite hero created by somebody who isn't me is Indiana Jones.

What book for you has been the easiest to write?

Unquestionably Out of Whack. That baby flew.

What are the elements of a great comedy and/or horror novel for you?

Great characters. If the characters aren't interesting, you can have an apocalyptic battle with the earth cracking open and hordes of glowing demons spilling out to devour the populace and the reader won't much care. But if the reader is really involved with the characters, you can have nail-biting suspense about whether or not your hero is going to step in a pile of dog crap. Same with humor. In general (there are exceptions) the more we relate to the characters, the funnier they are.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

The royalty checks. They're so adorable when they're tiny!
Actually, it's the fan mail. There aren't many things more enjoyable than hearing from a reader who really liked your work and took the time to let you know.

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Wallowing in misery.

Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Buy a timer, then write one minute for every minute you spend on message boards, in chat rooms, and doing e-mail. (Of course, I don't follow this advice, and I really should.) And just keep at it. It's okay if it takes a long time to get published, and it's okay to write a lot of bad stuff before you start writing good stuff. Though I'm not universally opposed to self/subsidy publishing, far too often you see authors breaking into print with what should be their "practice" books. Just keep writing and keep submitting.

What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?

"Would you hurry up and endorse this $10,000,000 check, dammit?"

Thank you

Thanks for letting me babble!

Interviewed by: Izzy