ℚ Night Terrors: Nightlife [Collection] - Matthew Quinn Martin

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Matthew Quinn Martin to talk about Nightlife: Night Terrors (6 July 2015, Pocket Star), a Horror collection.

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

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A big welcome to Matthew Quinn Martin.  Thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for Nightlife?

"Nightlife: Night Terrors is an omnibus that collects my first novel, Nightlife along with the related novella Hazardous Material (both of which have been previously published by Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster) along with the newly released sequel As The Worm Turns.  So there wasn’t so much an “inspiration” as a desire to see what was next in store for the characters."

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

"I think most authors inject a certain amount of themselves into their work.  It’s kind of unavoidable.  But different writers do it in different ways.  Some characters (ahem…Hank Chinaski, for example) are thinly disguised stand-ins for the writer.   I don’t have any characters like that, per se, but a lot of my experiences and general outlook are spread out across the cast of my books (and this often includes the minor and bit players)."

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

"I actually don’t know who the artist is, and while I was offered “input” on the cover, the concept and execution was entirely up to the nice people at Simon & Schuster.  That said, my only input was (on all three covers) “I love it! I love it! I LOVE IT!!!”

Interesting side note, they sent me the cover for NIGHTLIFE: AS THE WORM TURNS (which is the same cover as the NIGHTLIFE: NIGHT TERRORS omnibus collection) before anyone had seen my first draft…and wouldn’t you know it, but there’s a scene in the book that’s eerily similar to the cover."

:-)  Nice one!

Why should we read Nightlife and what sets it apart from the rest? 

"I’ve never been good at tooting my own horn so I’ll just quote a couple of the reviews from Nightlife (which is the first novel of the collection).

From Bibliosanctum: “I don’t think I’ve read anything like it.”

From Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks: “The vampires Matthew creates are like nothing I’ve ever read before.”

And from internationally best-selling author Jason Starr: “One of the most original takes on the vampire novel I have ever read.”"

I love vampires and cannot wait to read your take on them!

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

"I made a very conscious effort to make sure that every “chain” (store, restaurant, gas station, etc.) was one that had gone bankrupt in “our” universe and no longer exists.  So you get the characters ducking into places like Caldor and Jamesway, or referencing Beefsteak Charlie’s.

This started out as just a bit of fun for me…but I think it ultimately reinforces the idea that the reality in the Nightlife series is different than our own."

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

"There are some scary/gory parts.  Plus there’s a fair amount of violence and darkness.  But I think the cover does a pretty good job of broadcasting that.  I will say that the Nightlife series is not for people who like their vampires sparkly and/or tortured and romantic.  In fact, it’s not for people who like their vampires to follow the Bram Stoker template at all.  With these books, I wanted to find a new mechanism to explain what was behind the myths (and others, as the series progresses).  The series is for people open to experiencing something different."

OK... and now I want to read it even more... and not just Hazardous Materials that I am scheduled to review... I need to read all three... in order.  Now.

If you could / wished to turn Nightlife into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"This might sound like the height of arrogance, but I’d be the one to write the script and I’d try to hang on to directing duties as long as possible if it were to become a movie (or the position of showrunner if a television series).

I worked in film and TV for a long time, and while I admire a lot of directors out there, I’ve learned the hard way what happens when a writer surrenders control of a project (…my own experience with the movie Slingshot was not a pleasant one).

As for actors, locations, etc…again, as someone with an entrenched “show business” mindset, it’s hard to think about these things without tying them to budget/funding.  The right attachment can get a project greenlit…but who is “hot” can change as fast as a weathervane in a tornado.

All of that aside, my top pick for Jack Jackson at the moment would be Lee Pace.  I loved him in The Fall (my favourite film of that decade) and he’s doing fine work on AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire (which is the best show on television on right now…provided it hasn’t gotten cancelled by the time this interview runs).  Aden Young is flying a bit under the radar, but he’s fantastic on Rectify.  Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum would all be good picks too. There are a lot of talented actors out there…but I would want anyone playing Jack to possess the ability to portray a vulnerability that he keeps buried, and that’s not an easy trick to pull off.

I really liked Ruth Negga’s turn in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and she’s top of my list for Beth right now.   I can’t wait to see what she does with Tulip in Preacher.  Amanda Seyfried would also do the character justice, I think.  Might be fun to see Emma Watson take a crack at it.  She’s certainly got the chops to pull it off.  And, now that I think about it, it might be fun to see Lea Michele break out of that “the-new-Barbara-Streisand” box everyone has put her in with a role like Beth.

And Idris Elba would make a great Ross (…but then again, he’d make a great anything).  He’s imposing and dead funny when he wants to be.  Isaiah Washington’s a good pick too.  He’s due for a comeback."

Not arrogant at all, I would call it a very wise choice - no one knows your story and characters better than you... and we have all seen how book adaptations generally turn out.
I really like your thinking when it comes to the actors.   The Fall as gone on my to-watch list as I am not familiar with it.  I am also quite behind on my TV series (I have not watched TV for quite a long time...) but if Halt and Catch Fire is as good as you say, they will definitely cancel it!
[Having just checked, a third series has not yet been commissioned and there are grumbles about the ratings for the season two finale which aired on 2 August...]

What do you like to write and read about?  Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I’ve written in various genres.  I guess I’m getting a bit more focused on stories that have a “weird” aspect to them these days…but that’s still a pretty big chunk of geography to chart. As for reading habits…those are all over the place.  There are very few genres I don’t enjoy and/or learn from."

What is your writing process?

"I like to develop a line of inquiry into something that’s occupying my mind.  Then I set down that landscape, create a set of characters, and let them explore it.  I used to be much more focused on outlining and plotting (which I’ve always considered part of the writing itself), but lately I’ve been working more instinctually."

What is in store next?

"I don’t like to talk too much about work that’s “still cooking.”  I will say that I’m taking a break from the Nightlife series for a bit to focus on a couple of stand-alone books that I’m writing in tandem (one straight psychological horror, one with more fantastic elements).  Also, my writing partner, Libby Cudmore (whose own amazing début The Big Rewind is out in February from William Morrow) and I are putting the finishing touches on a YA novel that we hope to shop soon."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you (this could be absolutely anything!)?  Could you please provide us with a picture of you with them / it?

"The cat with me in the pic is named Spackle…he just turned 15 this summer and is a big fan of trying to eat cookies and/or escape outside."

Hi Spackle!  He is gorgeous (and a naughty boy!).  Apologies for the late posting today, but one of my fur-babies (she was 18 yrs old) passed away in my arms late this morning and I have been a little off kilter... We wish you all the best for the rest of the tour and I look forward to reading Nightlife.

Nightlife: Night Terrors (Collection) 
available NOW!

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