ℚ Beneath: Eldritch City Shorts [1] - Robin Heggelund Hansen

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Robin Heggelund Hansen to talk about his horror / mystery short story, Beneath (20 March 2015, Robin Heggelund Hansen, 15 pages); bookone of the Eldritch City Shorts series.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Review | Giveaway & Tour Stops

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What was the inspiration for Beneath?

"I have this, some would say bad, habit of imagining the worst case scenario of any given situation. It isn’t a requirement that these scenarios are plausible. Sometimes, I let my imagination run wild.   My brother had been thinking out loud about buying a cabin when I came up with the idea for ‘Beneath’.  I had been reading «The Completed Works of H.P. Lovecraft» at the time, and the idea of a family trip to the cabin gone horribly wrong came easy.  With it came the idea of a city, sort of like Lovecraft’s Arkham, where stories like this weren’t unheard of."

How much of yourself is reflected in this tale, and how?

"I think the two first characters in the book each represent a particular version of me.  The main character doesn’t talk much, and spends his time thinking about a given problem most of the time.  Deputy Swanson is talkative, understanding and can be generous.  Depending on the company, time of day and whether or not the stars are right, I take on one of these personas."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover.  Can you tell us about your cover for Beneath, and for the Eldritch City Shorts - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover for my books are illustrated by Alessandro Battan, who is a comic book artist.  I was tired of covers that are mainly text and a simple image.  I wanted a cover that adds to the story by giving the reader a glimpse of how I view the main characters and the world they are in. Alessandro is one of few artists who manage to draw the mental image I have in my head, and the results are fantastic."

Why should we read the Eldritch City Shorts series and what sets it apart from the rest?

"‘Beneath’ and ‘The Account of Matthew Brighton’ are short stories that stand on their own.  They have a sense of horror and mystery in them, which I personally think are the most interesting stories to read.  Most of all, these two books are wonderful introductions to the world of Eldritch City, and they certainly won’t be the last."

Can you tell us something quirky about Beneath, its story and characters?

"There is a traumatized teenage boy in the story named Howard Phillips.  The character is named after H.P. Lovecraft whose stories served as an inspiration to Eldritch City.  Howard Phillips was also supposed to be the main character of the story, but I thought a nameless character character would be better for reader immersion."

Who would you recommend Beneath to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend the book to adult mystery fans.  I wouldn’t recommend the book to people who are scared easily, or people who don’t need another reason to hate the woods."

If you could / wished to turn the Eldritch City Shorts into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"It would’ve been cool to turn Eldritch City into a movie with separate stories that takes place in the same place, at around the same time.  Sort of like Sin City.  My preferred director for this hypothetical movie would be Guillermo del Toro, and there would have to be room for an actor like John Noble in it as well.  It would be fun if the main character from ‘The Account of Matthew Brighton’, which is the second and latest instalment of the Eldritch City Shorts, was acted by Michael Sheen."

OK - so I love all of them... Del Toro... and Michael Sheen - he is such a chameleon.
What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"The short stories of Eldritch City are my first published works, but I don’t imagine I will write anything outside of this genre for some time. I have ideas for a sci-fi series of books, but I’m going to finish the ideas I have for Eldritch City first, and that is still going to take some time."

What is your writing process?

"Quite simple. I get an idea out of nowhere, then I spend the time I can spare on writing it down. While writing I listen to sounds of rain and some dark ambience, and read the words aloud as I type. It’s easier to concentrate that way."

What is in store next?

"The original idea was to write six short stories and a novel. The idea was that they would all be stand alone stories, so one could start reading them in any order. They will all have Eldritch City in common though, and will at times refer to past events. All the stories have been thought out, so it’s really only a matter of writing them. There has been a small change of plan though, as the third short story turned out to be large enough for a novel. Hopefully I’ll have it done before christmas. "

Beneath - available NOW!

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