Amy Grech, author of Rage and Redemption in Alphabet City, was merely one of a few authors I decided to torment over the holidays. I mean, this is not a game, you know? When I say “lie”, you better freaking make sure you do it properly, lest I bring out the chalkboard and rake my nails over it. Amy Grech, however, was a tough cookie to break. I did the chalkboard routine, played Barbie Girl nonstop for hours, and even considered switching to the Troll Lol Lol song, before she finally gave in to my demands. It was a brutal session, but hard work always pays off … 🙂
Check what I got out of Amy Grech for the first of (hopefully) many Wrong Answers Only interviews:
Don’t Make Me Hit The Play Button, Amy Grech
What inspired you to start writing?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been plagued by a cacophony of voices droning on and on. At the tender age of four, I simply started furiously scribbling everything they said with a purple crayon, and ta-da, just like that I became a writer.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Good question…A Professional Haunt. Not a ghost, per se, I’d still be alive, but I’d be a relentless, nag, pestering everyone who crosses my path, an invaluable skill I learned from always listening to the voices in my head.
How do you handle writer’s block?
I handle writer’s block like a boss. I’ll do whatever it takes to thwart writer’s block. Sometimes an intense meditation session does the trick. Other times, I’ll do something I’ve been dreading, like clearing out my sock drawer. When I’m engaged in a mindless task, my mind is free to wander, and my muse perks right up, along with the voices in my head…
How do you develop your plot and characters?
First, I clear my mind, close my eyes, eventually nod off, and wake up and hour or two later. I sit down at my computer and just start typing, full-on stream of consciousness. A plot quickly unfolds with all manner of hooligans wreaking havoc. I’m merely a casual onlooker, doing my best too keep up with the frantic pace of my muse’s devising.
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?
My muse is unrelenting—when I’m in the Zone, that magical place where time ceases to exist for hours on end, I forget to sleep or eat, all for the benefit of my characters. I’m at the mercy of my merciless Id—it wants what it wants, with no regard for the limitations of the human form. While I might be famished and sleep-deprived, I’m extremely prolific.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
The voices in my head never let up. They feed me a steady stream of story ideas. I have no choice but to do their bidding, or suffer unspeakable consequences.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Stephen King. He’s so prolific…It makes you wonder if he ever sleeps.
What is your favorite book?
You mean I can only pick one?!?! Oh, okay. I’d have to say Apple of My Eye. The title says it all. It was my first short story collection, published by the now defunct, Two Backed Books in 2006. It’s the first book I received an advance for, so it will always be near and dear to my heart!
What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
Knowing when to stop was especially difficult, no thanks to those pesky voices in my head. The publisher helped—they requested a firm word count. A lot of stores didn’t make the cut, slashed by an unwavering bottom line.
On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
I’m always writing: If a story idea hits when I’m in the shower, I’ll jot it down on the bathroom wall with soap suds, Then I’ll dry off, throw my PJs on, grab my phone, and snap a picture. If I’m eating and my phone is charging in another room, I’ll spell things out by placing peas in my mashed potatoes. When I’m roaming mean the streets of NYC, I’ll dictate story ideas on my phone for playback later.
About Amy Grech
Amy Grech has sold over 100 stories to various anthologies and magazines including:
A New York State of Fright, Apex Magazine, Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled, Dead Harvest, Deadman’s Tome Campfire Tales Book Two, Expiration Date, Fright Mare, Hell’s Heart, Hell’s Highway, Needle Magazine, Psycho Holiday, Real American Horror, Tales from The Lake Vol. 3, Thriller Magazine, and many others. New Pulp Press published her book of noir stories, Rage and Redemption in Alphabet City.
She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers who lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website: https://www.crimsonscreams.com. Follow Amy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amy_grech.
Rage and Redemption in Alphabet City
You’ll definitely want to read Amy Grech. Her short stories get your attention like a splash of cold water in your face. She delivers gritty profiles of people caught up in the crime and seething anger of the inner city, New York at its most violent. Here you’ll find five dark tales—“Rage and Redemption In Alphabet City,” “.38 Special,” “Cold Comfort,” “Prevention,” and “Hoi Polloi Cannoli”—actually eleven if you count the literary parts. These will convince you Grech is a writer of noir and horror you want to watch.
Rage and Redemption in Alphabet City is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Kobo, and Walmart.
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