Today's Dark Dozen interview is with author Tim Meyer. His story, MECHANICAL ANIMALS, will be part of the DARK DISASTERS anthology.
Learn more about Tim below and check out his books!
Enjoy!
When did you know you wanted to become an author?
Probably from the time I started reading Goosebumps books in the early 90s. I spent my childhood writing short horror stories, doodling comic books, and failing to write a novel.
If you had three sentences to pitch your work to a new reader, what is your pitch?
Horror or dark fantasy stories that border on the weird and bizarre. Usually involving familial relationships. Sometimes there are dinosaurs.
What is your favorite thing about being in the Horror industry?
I don’t know if I have a favorite thing about the industry itself – I just love writing horror stories and connecting with readers who love to read them. That keeps me high on horror.
What’s the one thing that scares you the most in this world and have you ever written about it? Losing my wife or kid is definitely the thing that scares me the most – most of my stories incorporate this theme in some fashion.
Tell us about a scene in one of your stories or someone else’s that you would not want to be stuck in, and why? Name the book and author, if not you.
Oh wow – pretty much any scene from an Edward Lee novel. He does some crazy, unimaginable stuff to his characters. If you’re a character in an Ed Lee novel, things probably aren’t going to end well for you. This is to say, you should read an Ed Lee novel and find out what I’m talking about.
Darkest or most disturbing horror movie ever watched:
Tough one! I’ll go MARTYRS because it has been on my mind lately. Just a sick, sick movie on almost every level. I love it, though.
Darkest or most disturbing horror novel ever read:
Gonna have to go with Jack Ketchum’s THE GIRL NEXT DOOR for the obvious reasons. If you’re reading this interview, then you will likely know why.
Darkest/ Worst Way to Die:
I mean, the darkest way to die is probably something like having your guts sucked out through your bumhole like in that Chuck Palahniuk story, but realistically-speaking – I would not want to drown. That just seems awful. But is there any good way to die?
If you had one hour to speak to any living author, who would it be and why?
Going with the obvious choice and only because he’s largely responsible for shaping how I approach horror and writing – Stephen King. It’s a boring answer, I know. But it’s true! I’d love to talk shop with him.
What has been one of the proudest moments of your writing journey?
Hmm. Before I started getting published, I submitted my first novel, ENLIGHTENMENT, to a horror novel competition run by a popular small press. It actually placed in the Top Ten. That inspired me and encouraged me to keep writing. It got me believing I could actually do this thing.
Who are you outside of being an author? What makes you tick other than the worlds and stories you create?
Spending a lot of time with my family, hanging out with my autistic son (autism is a huge part of my life), watching movies, playing video games, reading books, playing sports – basketball, mostly – and drinking craft beers! Trying to cut back on that last one, but it’s pumpkin ale season, my weakness!
What is a piece of advice that you WISH someone had given you early in your career?
I wish someone would have sat me down and told me to be more patient with publishing. To spend more time sharpening my skills and to write more short stories with the intent of submitting them. I started out writing novels first, and I always wonder what my writing life would look like if I spent more time writing shorter fiction earlier on. But everyone’s path is different, and sometimes you just have to go with what feels right at the time. I still don’t have any regrets with how things turned out.
Tim's Bio:
Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He’s the author of more than fifteen novels, including Malignant Summer, The Switch House, Dead Daughters, Limbs, and many other titles. When he's not working on the next book, he's usually hanging out with his wife and son, shooting around on the basketball court, playing video games, or messing with a new screenplay. He bleeds coffee and IPAs. His newest novel is Lacuna’s Point, out now through DarkLit Press.
You can learn more about his books at timmeyerwrites.com.
DARK DISASTERS ORDERING INFORMATION:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/post/special-announcement-2023-dark-dozen-limited-edition-cover-reveal
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