Author David Rhodes
TEM- The Arts and Entertainment Magazine has had many great writers step forward and contribute their work so that our readers would revel in the experience of their written words. One such author is David Rhodes, whom we have savored several of his short stories that he presented us with in the last few months. David, tell us what triggered you into writing our favorite genre of fiction.
DR- I have to say, it started when I was a child, and was exposed to several different horror movies in Louisiana. From then on I have always lived with nightmares. With the new books and films, I became quite fascinated. From Godzilla and onward. Instead of playing sports, in my youth I did nothing but read. A stack of books a week, and down to the library for more.
TAEM- Please tell our readers about your first novel, ‘The Ritual’, and the theme behind it.
DR- I had just purchased my first PC, and my wife at the time said, “Write a book!” The rest just came to me – Lucas Cain, the book, and what he had of total power, while the book itself was weakening him. It was never meant for him. If I tell you more, then the readers will understand too much….it touches on absolute power and the consequences that can come with it.
TAEM- Who are the main protagonists in this story, and tell us about these characters and the time period the story evolved in?
DR- A man is searching for his sister, who was on her way back to college. She crashes her car, thereby discovers the small town of Oak Junction. The people of the town, including the sheriff, are already under the spell of Cain. Only a few, pure of heart, are not, but it is impossible to leave the town. Her brother takes on the task of finding her and escaping.
TAEM- Your second work, ‘Risen’, followed soon after. Please describe this novel.
DR- With Risen my style was changing – more articulate, changing into a much better style of writing. I lived next door to a cemetery, and I thought: What a wonderful idea. So I wrote the entire history of the Ramsey family into the book, and in the meantime, had a young child that used to live there forced back because of strange goings on. He is grown now, and has to face his past. So you will find a lot of this in the book. Once run by a family of morticians, only one remains, and he has many secrets.
TAEM- How was this related to your earlier work in style?
DR- With any writer, the more you write your style tends to change. I was writing and working a full time job, so most of my writing was in the middle of the night. I would write, and then go for walks, sometimes around 3a.m. I would return and write more until around 5. I wrote both books with the intent of having a lot of history. The readers have commented on that.
Author David Rhodes
TAEM- Soon thereafter you wrote the anthology titled ‘Door 13’. Tell us what this is comprised of.
DR- Door 13 is old stories and new stories, so I threw all in the pot to come up with 13 different tales, a few split into parts – the reader can read one part early on and the second later in the book. I managed to put together a great anthology using all the old and new I had, and it turned out great. It is formatted in a style that readers like.
TAEM- From your anthology you wrote ‘A Season of Drake’. Please describe this work and the theme behind it.
DR- A Season Of Drake is the Gem of Door 13, and I plan on publishing it as a novella. It is the one and only vampire tale I have written, and I have mentioned before, I will let you read it, and that is it. It turned out so long, I decided ‘why not’? It will make a fine novella.
TAEM- David, of all the writers that you have read who would you say inspired you the most?
DR- I would say Stephen King and Peter Straub. I love ghost stories! King, I believe, is a great story teller, and also likes to return to the past to strengthen his characters, while Straub writes wonderful ghost stories.
TAEM- We understand that you also wrote a second edition of ‘The Ritual’ back in 2005. Why was that?
DR- In 2003 I published The Ritual. The publisher, which I shall not name, did a horrible job. There are about 30 signed copies floating around the world, even someone trying to sell one for about $80.00 on Amazon. I decided to go through the entire novel, and clean it up. New cover and everything came with it! A lot of revising, editing, and I had my second edition, that I am totally pleased with.
TAEM- We found out that you are working on a new novel, ‘Dark Asylum’, as well as another anthology titled ‘From the Shadows’. When will these be completed, so that our readership can delve into them.
DR- Yes, I am writing Dark Asylum, but that you’ll have to read. I do post bits of it on FB, and From the Shadows. Just follow on FB with my friend Michael Shorde. All the info you can find on my sight, and I only hope to give readers a good read.
TAEM- Where can our readers presently find your work and who is the publisher?
DR-Strategic Book publicists’ did Risen and E-Bookstand did my first. Excellent work.
Your readers can contact any time – alien9989@yahoo.com Read all you want! The best place for excerpts is Writerdavidrhodes.com.
TAEM- David, we want to thank you for the time that you have spent with us so that our legions of fans could learn more about you. Your stories have certainly kept them glued to our magazine. We wish you much luck with your present endeavors and we hope to hear more from you in the near future.
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