I recently proofread Mischiefmakers this late summer. I really enjoyed the story, a mix of horror and fantasy, with some religious undertones, and liked working with Maasi to perfect his book. Below is our interview.
Me--Where did you get the
idea for Mischiefmakers?
Maasi-- Initially I started
writing during my hiatus from podiatry school 95-96. I starting writing a
book about growing up in Essex County NJ. Then my inspiration came the
Winter of 95, I was stuck in traffic during a snow storm in Newark NJ.
Sitting there I saw an abandoned building and imagined a very vivid scene.
Realizing how much I liked scary movies, I went home and started to write,
65,000 words 5 months later Mischiefmakers was born…
Me-- Who are your
favorite characters in your book and why?
Maasi-- My favorite character
would be any new evil entity I created to cause havoc within a scene. I
have so much fun creating them. They become my favorite until I created
the next…. Therefore I have many favorite characters in Mischiefmakers.
Me--What themes does
your book present?
Maasi-- Psychological horror/
thriller. Evil, visible or not is always around
Me-- How many books do
you have in this series?
Maasi-- This is a revised
edition of my original 2001 edition. This is the first book in this
series.
Me-- What makes you
choose to write fantasy?
Maasi-- Simply, I love
the boundless imagination you can have with fantasy / horror/ thrillers…
I like scaring people.
Me-- What authors
influence your writing?
Maasi-- Gary Bradner,
Dean Koontz and Stephen King
Me--Why do you think
fantasy books are so popular?
Maasi-- The creativity, you
can create your own world and invite your readers into a dark realm of mystery
and suspense.
Me-- How many books
have you written?
Maasi-- This is my first
novel, second printing, I started a couple of others years ago but never
finished. I plan to start another thriller in the spring of 2014
Me--Where do you see
the fantasy book market 10 years from now?
Maasi--I see lots more
writers in this genre due to the recent burst of these types of TV shows,
"walking dead", "true blood", "Dracula", "American
horror story" etc... Society loves these creepy scary stories. Writers will
rush to write the next best horror/thriller in the hopes of getting a TV deal.
Me--What makes Mischiefmakers different from other fantasy books?
Maasi--Mischiefmakers if written in the present tense.
This is highly unusual, most are written in the past tense. I did this to place
the reader directly into the story. I want the reader to feel the emotion just
as the character at the same moment. That makes Mischiefmakers different than
other thrillers.
BIO:
Maasi J. Smith, DPM, received his
Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University's School of Podiatric
Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also a proud graduate of Hampton
University, a historically black college located in Virginia.
Currently, Dr. Smith is a
Podiatric Surgeon, who also serves as the Chief of Podiatry for Urban
Health Initiatives. In addition, he is a medical contributor to Fox 29's,
"Good Day Philadelphia" show and the "Ten O' Clock
News." He has appeared locally on both, CBS-TV and NBC-10, as well.
Dr. Smith is a frequent guest on a number of radio programs, including the
"Tom Joyner Morning show."
He had lectured nationally and even
created his own foot-care product line back in 2010.
Dr. Smith is the author of,
"Mischiefmakers," a spine-tingling tale of sheer, horror, that is now
in its second printing. This revised edition is his first novel.
He presently resides in
the Garden State with his family.
MischiefmakersBook.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mischiefmakers-October-2013-second-edition/703545962992777
twitter is DrMaasi
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