Today, we’re opening up our 2013 edition of author interviews with my buddy,
Rich “R.P.” Steeves, an author you really need to read this year. Rich hails
from Connecticut, the Insurance Capital of the World, where he yearns for
the return of the Hartford Whalers. Rich, great to have you here today.
SS: Tell my readership a little about Misty Johnson: Just how did you dig up
that old fossil?
RPS: I’ll say what I can without violating my non-disclosure agreement. The
last thing I want to do is make her angry. You wouldn’t like her when she’s
angry. She can be tough to like even when she’s not! As for Misty, I was
getting sick of seeing characters who were hundreds of years old and seemed
surprisingly well adjusted to life and society (I am looking at you, Eric from
True Blood). I have grown increasingly grouchy over the years, and I am not
nearly as old as Misty! Anyway, her sidekick, Dru Chance, has quite the
presence on social media, Tweeting up a storm and managing the Misty Johnson,
Supernatural Dick Facebook page. He’s just a schlub from Connecticut, like me,
so we instantly connected. He asked me to be the official chronicler of Misty’s
adventures, and I jumped at the opportunity. She has seen an awful lot in the
last 900 years, and, once you get past her prickly exterior, she is fascinating.
SS: Washington D.C. is Misty’s longtime hang-out. Where do you think she’ll
she up next?
RPS: Well, right now she has a lot of supernatural mischief to clean up
there: Corrupt magic-wielding Senators, a gang war for control of the
Underworld Underworld, a powerful artifact that could tip the balance of power,
and her oldest nemesis. But after that, she will definitely turn her attention
to supernatural mysteries in other parts of the US: Baltimore, New York City,
Chicago, San Diego and Las Vegas are all on her travel agenda. Plus, in her 900
years, she has been all over the world, and I’ll be recounting some of her
adventures in the Caribbean, San Francisco and London.
SS: Let’s talk about your writing mindset: Every author has a different one.
How is your writing day unique?
RPS: I decided a long time ago that I would make it a point to write every
single day (though I try not to be too hard on myself if I miss a day). During
the workweek, I try to squeeze in a half-hour or so of writing at my desk
during lunch. Often this is some light editing or sometimes a dialogue scene.
Then at night I usually sit down on my couch and write for another hour or so
in front of the TV. I don’t listen to music, so the noise of the television
keeps me company. Usually I try to have a game on so I don’t have to pay full
attention. On days off from work, I try to write in bigger gulps, but I break
it up with other activities: reading, cleaning, laundry or Facebooking.
SS: Where did you get your start as a writer?
RPS: When I was in college, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote plays and short
stories and a weekly radio drama for the campus station. But once I started
teaching, the writing kind of fell by the wayside. A few years ago, after a
divorce and a career change, I was a little bit lost. Someone asked me what I
wanted to do more than anything, and I said I wanted to be a writer. He asked
what I was writing, and I just made excuses about not having time, etc. He
said, “I don’t know a lot about writing, but I figure a writer should, you
know, write.” It was a simple statement, but it hit me in the right spot. I
started writing short stories that were published in several literary
magazines, and then, after I’d developed some writing muscles, I started to
write the Misty screenplay. I realized I didn’t know how to sell a screenplay,
so it turned into a book. I found a publisher for it, and I have been writing
ever since!
SS: Let’s get funny: I give you a thousand bucks. The only caveat is that it
doesn’t go to meaningful stuff, like food or keeping the power on. What do you
do with it?
RPS: A good one! In my youth, I probably would have bought some rare comic
books – some early Avengers or FF issues. But now, I think I’d use the money to
travel. I have a lot of friends spread across the country, so I’d book some
plane flights to see them. I’d head to WI, OH and CO, and then swing through
North and South Carolina, probably ending up relaxing on Myrtle Beach or
something.
SS: Which authors do you consider to be your mentors?
RPS: Besides Sean Sweeney? I find “mentor” an interesting term. I have many
influences, certainly, from Ray Bradbury to George R. R. Martin to Jim Butcher
and more. But since I have found a writing community online, I have connected
with authors of various levels of experience. I count some of the authors from
the Wild Cards Consortium: John Jos. Miller, Victor Milan, Melinda M. Snodgrass
and more as mentors. I loved their books as a kid and I interact with them
online a lot. I have also connected with a lot of great small press and
independent authors as well, including Kent Holloway, Candace Bowen, Rick
Nicholls, Sean Ellis, David Wood, Sean Sweeney and more. I also enjoy
collaborating with up and coming writers, and I am working on an anthology with
some exciting new writers like Jim Bellmore, Frank Hart and Laura Critchley. I
hope they can mentor me as much as I can help them!
SS: And finally, what’s on tap for you in 2013?
RPS: I have lots of short stories in upcoming anthologies. My feminist
sci-fi story “Sky” will be coming out in Daughters of Icarus from Pink
Narcissus Press. I also have three stories in the Pulp Obscura line from Pro Se
press, starring classic pulp characters Major Lacy and Amusement, Inc.; The
Griffon; and Lynn Lash, Scientific Detective. I’m also working on stories for
Pro Se anthologies called The Adventures of Moose and Skwirl, Troubletakers;
The Ninth Circle; and High Adventure History. I also have two stories slated
for publication in a Pro Se anthology highlighting the work of Charles
Boeckman. Finally from Pro Se, if all goes well, I have a story in the charity
superhero anthology Strong City, which may be out soon. In the horror genre, I
have a story in the upcoming Rat War anthology from STFU Publishing, and a
fairytale zombie story in an anthology coming out from Undead Press. I have
also contributed two Misty Johnson short stories for a noir anthology from
Ravenwood Press. The third Misty Johnson novel, The Reflecting Pool of Fire is
due out in September, and I am currently shopping around a dystopian sci-fi
novel, working on a Young Adult novel. I am collaborating with R. O. Boras to
release a novella and collection of sci-fi/horror short stories, and I am
editing an anthology for up and coming writers. That’s all I have on tap right
now!
Thanks for stopping by, Rich! And folks, make sure you hit Rich’s website,
www.rpsteeves.com. You’ll be glad you did.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
