Robert P. Ottone is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winning author from Long Island. He is the author of the novels AMITYVILLE AWAKENS, THE VILE THING WE CREATED, THE TRIANGLE, THERE’S SOMETHING SINISTER IN CENTERFIELD and the collections TEAR ME OPEN: FEARS UNWRAPPED and HER INFERNAL NAME & OTHER NIGHTMARES.
He lives in upstate New York with his wife, where he enjoys cigars, video games, film and a good cocktail. He is represented by Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.
About Amityville Awakens
Two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Robert P. Ottone brings the terror of Amityville back to life with chilling precision in Amityville Awakens.
The Amityville Horror House is demolished, unleashing terror upon the unsuspecting suburban community of North Amityville and its neighboring Village. With the fabled house gone, the two towns begin experiencing an onslaught of unsettling phenomena.
People go missing. A putrid, almost fungal spore-like mold begins festering across lawns. Shadows move and orbs glitter in the night. An unlikely band of characters come together to battle a supernatural nightmare that threatens to tear all of Long Island apart.
Ottone’s inspired, fresh take on the most famous haunted house in the world is a sprawling supernatural tale of evil as it often comes: where you live, where you sleep.
What happens when the most famous haunted house in America is torn down?
What happens when the spirits lurking there are no longer confined within?
What happens when AMITYVILLE AWAKENS?
The interview
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I just find that horror is the best genre for me to work in because you can explore so much. I have this old adage I used to throw around: A family drama is cool and all, but a family drama in a haunted house is better.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
Most definitely. I typically keep my ideas in the Notes app on my phone. Maybe that’s dangerous. I don’t know. I have some emails. I have a 60+ email thread for something that I’m going to be working on soon that I’m extremely excited about.
Do you have a muse?
Fun question! I guess in some ways, I’m my own muse? I find inspiration in my feelings and reaction to things. The way my weird, broken brain works. The way I see things.
It’s like that scene in Donnie Darko when the watery-globular thing comes out of his chest and guides him to stuff. That’s what my muse feels like in some ways.
Are you more of a fan of plot-driven stories or character-driven stories?
Character. I like spending time with character. If I don’t care about your characters, then why would I care if they picked off one by one by the monster? You can have a great villain, but if you don’t have the equally-great hero, then what’s the point?
Fill in the blank: “People will like your book if they like stories about…”
Haunted houses. Small towns. Complicated characters.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
Good lord, no. Get serious. A heavy, clunky bit of loud-ass nonsense? Grow up.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
Run a library. The overhead on bookstores would be too much, and it’s hard enough to get readers in without pandering to the latest beach read nonsense. I’d be heartbroken watching everyone buy Gone Girl when they should be buying The Fisherman. No shade to Gone Girl, obviously.
How do you name your characters?
Oh my god, great question. I have the hardest time with this. I really hate reading stuff that has ridiculous character names. Like, I feel as though every vampire novel has a character named Willow Carpathian Nightfeather or some nonsense and again, it’s like … come on.
In Amityville Awakens, I literally gave everyone an “M” name at first without realizing it. Thankfully, Cherry Weiner, the iconic, cigarette-smoking badass agent caught this when she read it and pointed it out to me.
What is your favorite website that you use to promote your writing?
I like Instagram a whole lot. I have two accounts. One public, where I don’t have much fun, it’s really just promoting the work, and the other, private one, where I do have fun and can be weird and silly.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
As long as the money is green, do whatever you want with it. I think Amityville Awakens would perhaps work best as a series, but honestly, the book is my creation, a filmed version would be the creation of another artist, and I’d be honored by that.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
Myself. I’d love to read one of my books for audiobook narration. I’d really like to go wild with it, to be honest. Voices. Character. All of it.
Do you try to hit a certain page or word count with each writing session?
Because my opportunities to write are so slim, I’m often pent-up when I get behind the keyboard. So, I tend to unleash. I’m good for 2-4 hour stretches of writing, but typically, I can bang out a few thousand words in a sitting.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I enjoy waking up, getting some iced coffee, taking my vitamins, eating something small, and getting to work. I don’t like wasting time. I write on a computer not a laptop.
What are your passions/obsessions outside of writing?
My wife, followed by cigars, cocktails and wine.
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
Absolutely. For this book, I have around thirteen stops I’m doing. I want CLASH (the publisher) to be proud of me and the hard work they put into this book. So, I want to do right by them for taking a chance on me.
Who would you most want to read your book, living or dead?
My dad. He passed in 2019 and didn’t get to see any of my successes occur. I’d sacrifice just about anything to have him read one of my books.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of greatest/inspirational authors?
Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Aickman, William Peter Blatty, Ira Levin
What is your favorite bookish possession?
I have the first-ever published book about the Zodiac killer, Times 17. It is an alarming case of obsession and interpretation that I’ve yet to see matched in writing.
Have you ever mentored another writer with their writing?
Yes! I got to work with the wonderfully talented KD Kulpa as part of the Horror Writers Association’s mentorship program. She’s wonderful. I don’t know how much I helped her, but she’s a fantastic writer.
Is there an idea that a non-writer has pitched to you that you have written or considered writing?
My brother came up with a wonderful idea once and I turned it into a screenplay. It’s a remarkable little zombie film. Nasty, fun, weird.
What is the most unique way that an idea for a piece of writing has come to you.
Probably through Facebook. I don’t want to say more, because it’s something on the horizon for me, in terms of what I’ll be working on down the line.
Are you a big reader? Do you own a large collection of books, or are you more of a borrower?
I have a ton of books, and I support my friends in the writing world, however; these have been writing years of late. I intend to read more going into 2027, but it’s not looking great, beyond reading for research purposes.
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
Never. I wouldn’t want to. I barely want to take a vacation anywhere, let alone take a vacation to write. I’m happy to go down to the basement for a week. I don’t like to travel.
That said, I’m dying to go to Japan and New Zealand, but I worry that I’ll never return. Which might not be a bad thing, depending on how you look at me or the world in general.
What is an annoying thing that a non-writer has assumed about writers or the act of writing?
That I don’t have any ideas. I have endless ideas. I have so many ideas I’ll be rotting in the earth before I ever get them all out.
What I lack is time. I work a full-time job as a teacher. I also teach part-time two nights a week and on Saturdays. I tutor. I do extra help. I write whenever I can.
I don’t need anyone’s ideas, I have my own, thank you very much. And I sure as hell don’t need any AI’s ideas.
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
Great question. I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ve won the Bram Stoker Award twice. That’s a tremendous gift. I don’t have imposter syndrome. But at the same time, I don’t go crazy about anything beyond wanting to make sure my publishers are happy. I guess if people message me and tell me they like my stuff, then that’s fabulous and probably all anyone can ask for.
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