Jonathan Maberry Interviewed

Jonathan Maberry holding his book while eating
 a presumably real human brain.

If you like creepy stories than Jonathan Maberry is your man. I think he's the first New York Times Best Seller I've had on my blog so I'm honored to have him here! When I was a teenager there was very little (I can't think of a single book) YA horror to read, so I'm thrilled to no end that there are so many people like Jonathan writing these stories now! He also writes a lot for the comic/graphic novel crowd which makes him extra awesome in my book. Since he's so awesome Jonathan is the first person I'm interviewing in this new format!

Jonathan's book "Rot & Ruin" is in development to be made into a film (that's what I call living the dream)! His book "Fall of Night" (book 2 of the In the Dead of Night Series) is now available on Amazon here. "Code Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel" (Sequel to Patient Zero) is available here. I could write a novel on all the things he has available now to read so be sure to check out his website to learn more: http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/

----

DANI: Why write for a young audience?

JONATHAN MABERRY: I write the novels I would read. When I was a teenager books were intensely important for me. They helped me believe in possibilities, and for a kid growing up in a violent low-income neighborhood and in an abusive household, I had to believe that there was a way out. I read stories about kids overcoming all sorts of challenges, and that cultivated my optimism. And the books were escape hatches from the real world. So, as an adult, I like to write stories about kids who face impossible odds and rise to the challenge of confronting those odds. I also want to write the stories that a kid like me would have read.




DANI: What's in the briefcase?

JONATHAN MABERRY: My office is portable, so in my briefcase I have my laptop(MacBook Pro); my iPod (with ten zillions sons arranged into a couple of hundred playlists);various chargers; my calendars for this year and next; lots of business cards; Sharpies for book signings (black for novels; bronze and silver for signing comic book covers); a folder with notes for whatever my current project is (this usually includes articles torn from science magazines); the latest issue of VARIETY; a power bar (must have some kind of chocolate); packets of Vitamin-C powder; a thing of hand sanitizer; tissues; earbuds; abou a millions mechanical pencils and pens; and a notebook for when I want to go old-school.


Finish these thoughts:

DANI: My favorite show...

JONATHAN MABERRY: The Walking Dead is my favorite, but I have The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, Modern Family and The Newsroom on DVR.


DANI: I obsess over...

JONATHAN MABERRY: Books. I usually have half of dozen of them in various stages of being read. In print, on audio, on my eReader. I must have my books. I don’t ever want to have to reach too far to be able to read something.


DANI: My current book....

JONATHAN MABERRY: Current one reading? I’m working my way through Joe Hill’s LOCKE & KEY graphic novel series. Current one I’m writing is BITS & PIECES, a collection of short stories and novellas set in the world of my ROT & RUIN series. I’m also working on the scripts for issue #11 of V-WARS and issue #5 of ROT & RUIN for IDW comics.

DANI: What's special about your work?

JONATHAN MABERRY: I don’t do cheap shots. When something dramatic happens in one of my novels, there’s always a good reason. That’s as true for action scenes as it is for love scenes and death scenes.

DANI: What is your ultimate goal in life?

JONATHAN MABERRY: To do what I love and for my family and me to be happy. Luckily I’m already in that grove.

------

Follow Jonathan:

Website & Blog: www.jonathanmaberry.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jonathanmaberry
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/jonathanmaberry
PROUD Member of The Liars Club: http://liarsclubphilly.com
IMDB http://www.imdb.me/jonathanmaberry

The ROT & RUIN series- Simon & Schuster
ROT & RUIN -now in development for film!
THE JOE LEDGER THRILLERS- now in development by Lone Tree Entertainment!
FALL OF NIGHT -coming soon from St. Martin's Griffin
X-FILES: a series of all-new anthologies coming soon from IDW Publishing
V-WARS: IDW -anthology and comics; now in development for TV