Another in our series of GHOST AND GHOULS AND OTHER CREEPY THINGS interviews. For those just joining us, we are crowdfunding three projects on Kickstarter and also taking some time to introduce you to our participating authors, some of whom are new to eSpec. The campaign is nearing the end! Check it out to see how we’re doing, and what awesome stretch goals we are close to unlocking!
Today’s interview is with Allan Burd, contributor to Even in the Grave, edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander.
eSB: Even in the Grave is a collection of ghost stories, without spoilers, can you tell us a bit about your story and how you came up with the idea?
AB: I’ve always been fascinated with plausible, scientific explanations for what’s currently considered paranormal. And as humanity advances, so does our scientific knowledge. I’ll have to just leave it at that.
eSB: What was the greatest challenge you had coming up with an idea that would stand out among the other submissions?
AB: I favor the high concept. I’m glad that was enough for my story to be included amongst this fantastic group of authors. Whether that makes it stand out or not I’ll leave up to the readers.
eSB: Is your story a part of a greater universe stemming from other stories you have written, or does it stand alone? Whichever your answer, can you tell us about what makes that universe unique?
AB: My story was written as a contained chapter (the first) in part of a larger collection of ghost stories that I’m currently writing that all share the same literary sphere.
eSB: Do you foresee writing more stories with this character or in this world? Whichever your answer, why?
AB: Yes, simply because the concept allows for a multitude of twists and turns for me to explore as a writer.
eSB: Have you ever incorporated aspects of your own experiences in your fiction? Tell us about it.
AB: Not really as I mostly write about monsters and aliens, but from a character point of view I do pull things from real life that readers can relate to and implant them into my characters.
eSB: What haunts you as an author?
AB: Low readership 😉 While my work generally gets positive reviews, there are so many stories out there, it’s tough to cut through the clutter. I’ll just keep at it and hopefully keep rising upward so more readers can see.
eSB: Other than horror, what genres do you write in? Tell us something about your other works and what makes those genres different from writing horror.
AB: I actually don’t consider myself a horror writer. My few forays into the horror genre were for charity. I far prefer writing sci-fi, action adventure with monsters, and YA because that’s more where my head is at.
eSB: What is one thing you would share that would surprise your readers?
AB: I wrote a chapter book with my son when he was much younger and put it out there on Amazon. It called The Crazy Invisible Kid vs. The Eye Monster (because who better for someone invisible to lock horns with). It’s cute. I wish more people would check it out.
eSB: What are some of your other works readers can look for?
AB: The Roswell Protocols was my first novel. I wanted to do a realistic take on what would happen if the incident at Roswell repeated itself in our current day and age and what would happen if the ship did NOT crash in the United States. Even though the book was published over a decade ago, it’s still my best seller. My most recent novel is Hellion, a YA romp that features monsters, magic, and mayhem all firmly grounded in the suburbs of fictional Westville. This one I consider my best written.
eSB: What projects of your own do you have coming up?
AB: I have a few more short stories in the pipeline, along with a novel looking for a home, and a few screenplays I’ll be pitching sometime this year.
Allan Burd is a science fiction author hailing from Long Island, New York that loves penning exciting stories about the supernatural and aliens. He also occasionally dabbles in children’s books and short stories. His first novel, The Roswell Protocols, about a second crashed UFO, published in 2009 got the ball rolling and he’s been writing ever since. He is a contributor to The New York State of Fright.
Learn more about Allan Burd:
Website * GoodReads * Amazon * BookBub
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