There have been many that influenced me but the most important I would have to say is Ray Bradbury. In fact, he makes an appearance in one of the stories in this collection. Bradbury’s love of writing and his child-like wonder about the world and space and humanity’s future inspires me in ways no other author has.

Carmenn Alexander King Kocznur – 17 November 2021

The Back Flap

Part I – Science-Fiction
A lonely space miner with the antidote for a plague sweeping the galaxy must reach the last outpost-world before humanity becomes extinct. An alien creature experiences a terrifying vision of impending doom for her species. The cosmos sing a collective lament for a weeping star.

Part II – Speculative
A newly engaged couple are horrified to learn nuclear war is on the horizon. Two outlaws and a talking coyote encounter a mysterious stranger in tatters. A boy runs through the dark woods slaying monsters. A young girl in dystopian Hamilton meets an otherworldly entity at her window. A man is haunted by the memories of an old friend. In a small rural town, the dead have come back to life.

Part III – Horror
A little girl sets out on a mission to rescue her pet owl while a serial killer is loose in the area. A deranged killer writes a letter to the father of one of his victims.

Part IV – Audio Drama
In 1946 Romania, an heiress sees visions of disaster and the imminent subversion of the monarchy by the Soviets.

About the book

What is the book about?

This is a collection of short stories I have written over the years. Some have seen publication, some have not. They are surreal stories, ranging from sci-fi to horror and everything in between.

When did you start writing the book?

Well, much of the material had already been written some years ago, but it wasn’t until sometime in late September that I had decided to put it all together. My local city, Hamilton, was scheduled to have its very first Book Crawl in October and I wanted to have something tangible to put into the hands of curious readers. So, I went through my files, found what I thought was in good enough shape (or at the very least, wouldn’t require extensive revisions) and assembled it in a collection.

How long did it take you to write it?

Roughly three weeks, staying up until all hours of the morning typing away, rewriting large chunks that didn’t work for whatever reason, all the while subsisting on strong Italian coffee brewed in my trusty moka pot. By the end of it I had felt like a zombie.

Where did you get the idea from?

The ideas for the stories came from all kinds of places. The titular story, Amidst The Heavens, came about as a result of a writing exercise from a course I had taken in 2008. The final story, an audio drama, came about as a prompt on mythological characters. But mostly the ideas came from everyday life, especially out of boredom or during sleepless nights when my brain refused to quit.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I would say the revisions, under so tight a time crunch, were the most difficult. In many instances the stories had to be completely butchered and reassembled again in order to work. Even the ones that had been published in other mediums I found to be either too short (due to the word limit), or not fleshed out enough as I had originally intended.

What came easily?

Having a foundation of short stories to build this book from was probably the easiest part, relative to everything else about the project.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Both, certainly. There are some who are creations of my mind and others who are reincarnations of people I know or used to know. I think that’s typical of most authors. Many of our characters aren’t entirely from us. We are often inspired by the people we meet and tend to borrow their characteristics or their faces for these wonderful characters we spill out in ink on the page.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

There have been many that influenced me but the most important I would have to say is Ray Bradbury. In fact, he makes an appearance in one of the stories in this collection. Bradbury’s love of writing and his child-like wonder about the world and space and humanity’s future inspires me in ways no other author has. Alice Munro is a close tie with Bradbury, for me. It’s been said of her that she is the “master of the contemporary short story” and I think that’s quite accurate. If I can write a short story half as good as Munro or Bradbury, I could die happy. In addition to these two, Stephen King certainly makes the list, as does Ernest Hemingway. Both of these authors had short stories that, in my opinion, are far superior to even their most acclaimed novels. Jules Verne was another favorite of mine growing up, as was Edgar Allen Poe and H. G. Wells. I devoured anything Wells and Poe that I could get my hands on.

Do you have a target reader?

My target audience would be readers of short stories, sci-fi and horror, readers of surreal literature, I suppose. But even if you’re not typically into that sort of thing, I still think you’d find the stories in this collection at least mildly interesting.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I do! I’ll typically write a story first in longhand with various colored pens. The different colors help me distinguish parts of the story that need revision, or cut entirely, etc. Then I’ll type it all out in Microsoft Word, print it out, mark it up in those same multi-colored pens, rewrite additional material in longhand either in the margins or on separate sheets of paper, re-type the edited and added stuff into Word, and essentially repeat the process until I feel the story is done.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I don’t normally outline. I just let the muse take me where it wills. If I’m really stuck on a plot point (as has happened more than once on this novel I’ve been working on) then I’ll write out a detailed outline. I’ll ignore it 9 times out of 10, but it still gives me a sense of structure and guidance.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I usually wait until I’m finished before I take the literary knife to my darlings’ throats.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Not this time. I was the professional editor, since there was such a time crunch to get this book ready for October.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Oh yes. Everything from classical music to 80s rock, movie soundtracks, eclectic instrumentals, synth tracks—it depends on the story I’m writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Not this time. My second story collection will absolutely be pitched to agents.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Definitely a particular event, namely Hamilton’s October Book Crawl. For that reason alone I decided to self-publish this collection and I hope to get it into the hands of many local readers as well as readers abroad.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I had help from a friend with the book cover. My original cover was okay, but nothing to write home about. My friend offered to help me out and make it pop better.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Absolutely winging it. I have none of the plans at all. Lol.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

My only advice in this area is to go for it. There is a lot that goes into carrying it all yourself, not only the writing but the editing, marketing, and so forth. But if you believe in what you’re doing, don’t let the doubts hold you back. On a more practical level, I’m going to go against the grain here when I say don’t quit your day job to pursue your dreams. Your job’s income will help turn the dream into a feasible goal (unless you have a rich uncle that’s just passed away and left you all his millions, in which case to hell with the job).

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Waterford, Ontario, a little southwestern town out in the middle of nowhere.

Where do you live now?

I live in Hamilton, Ontario, a place I had been to many times as a child when visiting family. I’ve been here so much throughout my life that Hamilton feels like a second hometown.

What would you like readers to know about you?

That I love writing stories and I love my espresso.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on what was supposed to be my debut novel, but I suppose will now be either my second or third book. It’s a psychological thriller with a dash of horror. I’m very excited about it.

End of Interview:

For more from Carmenn Alexander King Kocznur follow his Facebook page as well as on Instagram and Twitter.

Get your copy of Amidst the Heavens from Amazon US or Amazon UK.