Today’s indie author interview is with Ann Fox, a writer of two horror novels. A lifelong writer, she has been crafting stories since her childhood, writing about her interests and drawing from her inspirations in order to create her fictional tales. Be sure to check out her books, follow her on Twitter, and read a rave review of The Cat That Caught the Canary.
About the author and books
Author Name: Ann Fox
Book Titles:
The Cat That Caught the Canary (available in all bookstores online)
After Midnight (available only in Barnes and Nobel in paperback and for Nook)
Genre: Horror
Links to Buy:
The Cat That Caught the Canary
Literature Review: The Cat That Caught the Canary
Book summaries
The Cat That Caught the Canary: Debauchery, show business, a cult, Valium, catitude, a psycho killer actress who preys on young girls that she envies, lusts, and competes with. A novella.
After Midnight: Melanie’s imagination, combined with reality, is a recipe for disaster. After Midnight takes a twist on classic creatures like: trolls, goblins, ghouls, hobgoblins, gremlins, and original monsters. They plan to infest and dominate the world. This novel is a bizarre horror and a very dark fantasy with fast-paced action and some dark humor. It is also a nod to the survival horror genre. Eternal Halloween.
Excerpt from After Midnight
The ghouls’ food would certainly become scarce and they feared the worst. It seemed the ghouls’ fate was to die since there was no getting around this problem. All they were able to do during this crisis was to get as many corpses as they can before the town was built and then stock the leftover corpses into their underground muddy walls.
Even fresh bodies were preserved. With time those fresh bodies would also decay to their liking. This was the temporary ghoul plan. However it was a temporary means to elongate their survival a little while longer. Time was short. Ghouls had to act quickly and come up with a way to survive this catastrophe!
Thus, the ghoul society had a meeting, coordinated by none other than their leader, Giggles. Their animal familiars even paid close attention for they too were VERY concerned.
Giggles tried to calm his fellow ghoul and decreed that Chuckles, Snickers and himself had decided to sacrifice a bit. They would gather as much food as they can and store it in their mud walls underground. Many ghouls might starve however this had to be done. Let the humans build their crummy town then when the time is right, the ghouls shall go to the surface and personally collect new food. Where would they get the new food? The answer? In the homes of the civilians.
The town would grow with every passing day and provisions would be ample…in time. Giggles planned that ghouls would collect as many lives as they could then store those new fresh bodies of Appletown in the walls to decay for food for their survival.
Excerpt from The Cat That Caught the Canary
Pearl had become a complete recluse for herself and her unborn child. Berg was good enough to deliver all the boxes of things she ordered thought catalogs for her. He was even kind enough to use his credit card to make the purchases and she’d reimburse him with cash. Berg. He was the only one she trusted – most likely because he was the only person she needed. Berg fed her, made purchases for her, delivered packages for her.
He did it all. She was pampered indoors. Pearl always had fare skin yet without any sun at all, the bags under her eyes were more apparent. She didn’t appear very healthy. She had a month to go before the baby was born. Those cymbals, chants, flutes, and drums kept her on her toes every night. Pearl gradually reversed night for day. Up all night, sleep all day. Protect her baby from them.
One morning there was a knocking at the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone and freaked. What if it was a neighbor? What if they wanted her baby when it was born? What would they do with little Audrey or Mikey? Drain them of their blood?
Talking Shop
What is the central theme or message of your story? What do you want readers to take away from it?
For my novella, The Cat That Caught the Canary, my message is really how a descent into madness can truly be environmental and show business is beyond cut throat but in my story it literally is. Self-loathing disguised as hatred for others.
After Midnight, a novel, is really an adventure of a young girl looking for answers and sometimes there really is no place like home until you realize you can create the home where the heart is. Also is it better to know or let go? There would be no After Midnight without Pink Floyd’s the Wall album.
How have you promoted your books? What has worked best? What has failed?
I started using social media in March and it really helped me meet other writers and I was gifted tips by them. I also used my pin on twitter to explain what I am pitching. What fails is not so much my fault but when people hear it is disturbing they are turned off but it’s what I do. There’s an audience for everything.
Name a fact or detail about your story that can’t be found within the pages of your book.
The books are not based on me but there are little pieces of me in every character exaggerated to an extreme lol.
What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?
My review enclosed up there by Christopher Zisi.
How active are you in the online writing community? How has this community helped you as a writer?
The writing community really did help me and taught me many things. They also understand the struggle and sometimes our procrastinating ways and needless to say our perfectionist ways. Other writers know that the struggle is real.
How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?
For The Cat That Caught the Canary exactly one month. For After Midnight it has been an evolutionary process since childhood. I just grew it up a little.
How long have you considered yourself a writer? Did you have any formal training, or is it something you learned as you went?
I learned as I went. I’ve been writing since childhood – particularly fan fictions of my favorite video games and the Aliens franchise. My mother – whom Twitter friends know as Maleficent LOL – is a literary English professor so she encouraged the direction she saw I was drawn to.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of all time great writers?
H.P. Lovecraft
Clive Barker
Sylvia Plath
Tennessee Williams
Are your books for sale at any book stores? Have you tried any other methods of selling hard copies in person versus online?
So far no conventions or expose. I do a lot of promoting online and some can be translated into different media I.E. Video Game, Graphic Novel, movie or play so I’ve tried other mediums.
What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed since then?
Naw. LOL. Hope is there the size of a mustard seed for HUGE success but being a storyteller/writer is a dream come true. My first and only sale made me happy. I’m low maintenance when it comes to happiness.
Do you have a writing ritual or any odd habits or superstitions?
Like a madwoman I literally stare at the ceiling as it plays out in my head and the pieces of the puzzle collect LOL. Also I do A LOT of marathon writing. I like to have it done so I don’t have to think about it too long and so I can move on to the next story.
How well do you handle criticism, either while writing, editing, or reviews? Do you ever use that criticism to change your story?
I accept it all if it is said kindly and without Mal-intent and/or mockery. Just don’t fucking insult me LOL.
How do you autograph your books? Do you use a special signature? Write a personalized message? Draw picture? Add stickers or stamps?
Haven’t done that yet. I look forward to meeting the people who enjoyed my work. Whiskey and pills will prepare me for the trolls LOL just kidding-ish LOL
What is the most fun part about writing? The most difficult?
The most fun is that I am doing what I love to do above all things. Difficulties would be trying to get what I have in my head on paper, my madness in ink, using the right words to make it clear. I go through several drafts.
Do you focus on word count, hours spent writing, page count, or another way to measure your daily or weekly progress?
Not at all. It’s always a pleasure to write and I go with it.
“What If” Scenarios
If your book ever becomes a movie, and you get final say over the cast, which actors would you hire to play your characters?
I don’t know for sure. I would hope unknown actors that are great talents can have a shot – especially theater actors.
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
My favorite, Clive Barker.
A wealthy reader buys 100 copies of your book and tells you to hand them out to anyone you wish. Who do you give them to?
Put them all in the local author sections at book stores. That would save me some coins lol.
Your favorite character that you’ve written comes to life for one day. What do you do together for 24 hours?
Definitely Melanie from After Midnight. She’s pretty tempermental but complaining about annoying people would be fun and watching her tell them off would be popcorn worthy lol.
You’re given $10,000 to spend on marketing for your book. How do you spend it?
I would love to go to book fairs, conventions and do book signings. Meeting horror fans and mingling with the greats would be an honor.
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
Be grateful and gracious and humble but move on to the next story. I just love to write. And I’m not in it for fame and fortune. I want to be a respected author who is well-received. I’d even accept underrated.
Buy it!
Buy a copy of The Cat that Caught the Canary here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Pin it!
