Joseph Nassise Interview
THM: Joe, you've been quoted as saying, "Horror is much broader than the average individual understands." Could you explain this concept?
JN: I'm certainly generalizing a bit here, but I think it's safe to say that most people equate horror novels with horror films. And not just any horror films, but more than likely the slasher films of the eighties and nineties. The Halloweens. The Friday the Thirteenths. The Freddy Kruger films. The truth is, horror fiction as it exists today is far more varied than that, covering a greater range of subjects and styles than most people realize.
To me, horror is anything that evokes a feeling of dread or fear. This means that many books that are not marketed as horror certainly have some horrific elements to them. Conversely, it also means that horror novels have a tremendous amount of room to live and breathe in and equating them with the dull and many times plotless slasher films of the last two decades doesn't give them the credit they deserve.
Certainly horror has its share of gore and guts, but it also has the lyrical symphony that are the writings of people like Peter Straub and Caitlin Kiernan, the evocative descriptions of Glen Hirschberg and Thomas Liggotti, the action and adventure of Tim Lebbon and Chris Golden. And I could go on in this vein for hours. A few years ago Alice Seibold won the Bram Stoker Award, one of horror fictions two highest literary honors, for her novel THE LOVELY BONES, in which a dead girl narrates the disintegration of her family following her rape and murder. Aside from the fact that the book is narrated by a ghost, there isn't a single element of the supernatural in the entire work, yet it was clearly seen as horror by the members of the organization for the feelings that it evokes.
I think it behooves horror writers everywhere to fight against the stereotype. I usually ask people to put aside their preconceived notions and take a walk with me down the road for a bit, just past that last stoplight, where the light dims and the shadows start to gather, to see what we might discover there for ourselves.
THM: Aside from remakes and sequels to the old slasher films, we are seeing a resurgence of the horror genre in major films being released. What do you attribute the rise in interest to?
JN: Horror films tend to be cyclical; though I'm not sure I could tell you why. We had a number of them a few years ago, then the pendulum swung away from us, and now we're back in the middle of another mini-surge. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between the public's interest in horror films and the public's interest in horror literature.
THM: There certainly does seem to be a difference between the two mediums. From 2001 until 2005 you served as president of the Horror Writers Association following such well-known writers as Lumley and Koontz. How did you wind up in the position?
JN: After spending a year in the ranks of the organization, I wanted to volunteer my time and energy to help it grow and improve. I had given considerable thought to running for the vice president's position and had prepared a platform from which to do so. However, just before the deadline to declare your candidacy, I noted that the president's race was uncontested - no one was running against the incumbent president David Niall Wilson - while the VP race had several contenders. As a former political science major, I really hate to see elections with only one candidate and so at the last minute decided to run for president.
THM: Was there a particular direction that you took the organization during your years at the helm?
JN: The primary focus of my administration was to turn the HWA back toward a more professional course as a writer's organization. We worked on a variety of topics during my tenure, including tightening our entrance criteria, revamping our awards process, and focusing on improving the way the organization was perceived by both the public and the publishing industry.
THM: Among our readers are a number of published authors as well as a larger number who are trying to break into the field. Like many writers they are often interested in learning about another writer's philosophy on the craft. What would you tell them about your own writing?
JN: I'd tell them to first focus on the story and worry about publication later. Take the time to learn their craft - artisans don't become master craftsman in a day and neither do writers. It takes time, energy, and effort and nothing can replace those three things. Writing is hard and often unglamorous but can be extremely rewarding, so if you truly love it you need to stick with it through the hard times as well as the good.
THM: And as writers know there certainly are good times and bad. What was your first published work?
JN: My first published work was a novel, actually. RIVERWATCH was first published as a trade paperback by a small press and then was picked up by Pocket Books as a mass market original after it was nominated for both the International Horror Guild Award and the Bram Stoker Award in 2002.
THM: That's quite interesting - there certainly seems to be a growing trend among the bigger publishing houses to pick up books published by smaller presses and even some self-published works.
Joe, from the first book in the Templar Chronicles series, it is clear that you have an understanding of the Order and its history. Where did your interest in th eTemplars stem from?
JN: I've always been fascinated by the odd or the unusual and the Templars are no exception. You've got this small, militant order that grows exponentially over a very short period of time, building enormous wealth and power from practically nothing. What started out as a few guys who'd vowed to guard the route from the Holy Land to Europe balloons into this immensely powerful order, so powerful that the King of France and the Pope conspire together to destroy it. To make things even more interesting, it turns out the Order is too smart for them. They get wind of the plot and they scatter, taking their treasure fleet with them, and they disappear into the pages of history, leaving behind myth, legend, and rumor.
That type of background is just ripe for playing a game of "what if?" What if the Order was still around today? What if they still had an impact on events across the world? What if humanity needed a guardian against the forces of darkness? Once you start asking questions like that, you can go on for hours. And that's just what I did in creating the world my modern Templars inhabit.
THM: Where there any sources in particular that you used for background research for the book.
JN: I've read a lot of Templar works over the years and most of the material was simply pulled from that investment. A few recent reads (or rereads) include DUNGEON FIRE & SWORD by John J. Robinson and THE LOST TREASURE OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR by Steven Sora. I also did a good deal of research into military and paramilitary units, to give the modern Order a sense of authenticity when it came to military tactics and weaponry.
THM: The paramilitary aspect, certainly shines through and the idea to update the Templars to a modern military unit is an intriguing one. What led up to putting a modern face on a medieval order?
JN: I wanted the average reader to be able to relate to what was happening, to be comfortable with the setting. Bringing the Templars into a modern setting was easier for me than bringing my readers back in the other direction.
THM: That an interesting approach. In our review of your book, we referred to it as a cross between the finest in modern horror and a Mack Bolan novel.
We've certainly addressed the militaristic aspect of the novel, what of the horror angle? Although the mystery of the Templars does lend itself well to a supernatural story, it is a connection that has not been made often in the past.
What made you decide to cross the bridge between the Templars and the supernatural?
JN: Two of my fields of interest are faith and the supernatural. Some would even say the former is tied to the later. With regard to the Templar Chronicles, I had a military unit steeped in religion and faith that needed an enemy. Elements of the supernatural were, for me, the only logical answer.
THM: In the novel, that supernatural element certainly shines through in the main character - Cade Williams. I'm sure those who have read the book have formed an impression of who Cade Williams is, but who is he to you?
JN: Cade's a guy who's tormented by the fact that he failed at that very moment when it counted most. The fact that no normal human being could have predicated what was about to happen or stopped it once it began is irrelevant to Cade; in his eyes, he failed to protect his wife and has yet to forgive himself for that. Everything he does is measured against that thought and he is determined never to be found wanting again.
THM: Is Williams or any of the other characters in Heretic based on characters form the past?
JD: No, they're just amalgams of people I've known or how I've felt at different times in my life.
THM: Now that the first book is doing well what are the plans for the rest of the series?
JN: The first three books in the series (HERETIC, A SCREAM OF ANGELS, and THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS) have been picked up by publishers in Germany and Russia and will see publication in both countries in 2007. I've just turned in SCREAM and have begun work on THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS, which I hope to have finished by winter's end.
THM: That's a bit unusual that the foreign language versions are being published before the English versions. When can we expect the English editions?
JN: With regard to the English language editions, it's another story. I have, unfortunately, been orphaned over at Pocket Books as my editor has moved on to another publishing house, switching from working on novels to full color coffee table books. This leaves me in the unenviable position of no longer having an in-house cheerleader to push the continuation of the series and so my agent and I will be looking for a new publisher to continue with the second and third books for the English language market.
There is also a potential fourth book that I have planned, called A TEAR IN THE SKY, which I would also like to do, but that's dependent on how books two and three perform.
THM: Well I think those who have read the first book will be disappointed to read this -- Hopefully we won't have to learn German or Russian to read the next installments.
I know that in today's publishing world everything is geared entirely on sales figures.
And in that vein -- recently Heretic was released as a podcast.
Were the publishers not afraid that if people could hear the book for free that they would be less inclined to purchase it - thus affecting sales figures?
JN: Actually, Pocket Books was very excited about the idea of podcasting HERETIC as it was a unique way to reach a new group of potential readers. Works previously released online have only increased hard copy sales in the long run and so we anticipated the same thing would happen with the podcast.
THM: What has the response been like to the audio adaptation?
JN: We've received a terrific response. We're about two thirds of the way through the book now, with more than 18,000 listeners in 68 countries. My initial goal had been to introduce the series to 10,000 new listeners and we've certainly broken that goal. Obviously, the hope is that enjoyment of the podcast will lead to additional sales on book two, A SCREAM OF ANGELS.
THM: And hopefully an English version of the book in 2007!
Joe, going back to Heretic, I read that a UK firm recently picked up the rights to turn the book into a comic book. How did this come about?
JN: I'd been shopping a proposal for a Templar Chronicles comic series for a few months and made some contacts with Harry Markos, the man behind Markosia Comics. Harry was enthused by the proposal and that was enough to get us into further discussions. In the end, we agreed to do a four issue mini-series with writer Chuck Satterlee adapting the novel and artist Loren Meyer handling the artwork. I'm very pleased by what I've seen so far and look forward to the next few issues.
THM: Well as a long time comic geek, I look forward to reading it when it comes out. So, when can we expect the comic adaptation to be ready?
JN: Artwork on the first issue has just been completed and work on the second issue is underway. My understanding is that we hope to feature the first issue in PREVIEWS in the spring.
THM: In addition to writing horror fiction, you've also done work in the role-playing game industry and comics. Tell us a bit about these other two mediums.
JN: I've done several previous projects in the role-playing game industry (my favorite being my work on the Seventh Seal, a game set in a post Revelation world combining faith and the supernatural -- which is obviously a common theme in my work.) More recently, I've begun doing a good deal of comic related work. Unfortunately, I can't talk about any of it yet except in general terms.
THM: I certainly understood the need to keep projects that are in the works under lock and key and hope you'll share it with us, when more can be said.
JN: I'm working on a lot of things, most of which I unfortunately can't talk about yet in any detail. In general, I'm hard at work on:
A new kind of "graphic novel" that deals with topics similar to those I touch on in my Templar Chronicles series. The artwork I've seen to date is spectacular and I've very happy with the prose/script work I've done to go along with it so far.
A comic book series developed by a major media figure, which I have the honor of scripting.
Book three of the Chronicles, THE OTHER SIDE OF DARKNESS.
A new novel called EYES TO SEE, about a man who gives up his sight in order to see through the eyes of ghosts in an effort to find his missing daughter. This has yet to find a publisher but I'm confident it will do so once we start sending the proposal around.
THM: Joe, I heard that you also have some web site stuff coming up. Are you at liberty to unwrap that one yet?
JN: Along with being a writer, I'm also a life and creativity coach. I've recently re-launched my website with a new design and some additional content. If you're a creative person who's interested in taking your art to the next level of success, drop by and take a look around. You can find me at www.xtremelifecoaching.com.
THM: Sounds interesting and I'm sure many readers will take a look - and of course there is your own personal web site?
JN: Yes, if you're interested in learning more about the Templar Chronicles or my writing in general, you can find information about all my recent work at www.josephnassise.com.
THM: Well Joe, it's been great talking to you and we keep our fingers crossed on the English version of book two.