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New: Horror Book author Dan Padanova - exklusive interview - READ IT NOW!

INTERVIEW WITH DAN PADAVONA
August 2015

*** DAN PADAVONA ***
Pic © by Dan Padavona

Hello Dan, here are my interview questions for you. Hope you`ll feel comfortable with them. Thanks in advance for answering them. So herewe go:

Please introduce yourself to my readers first!
Dan: My name is Dan Padavona, and I moonlight as a horror author. My regular job is as a government meteorologist. I'm  47 years old, married, and my wife and I have two teenage children.


You are an author writing horror books. So when did you first find out about your love for horror books/horror movies? Well from the media reports I found out that your dad loved reading books too… so maybe you and he shared the same reading-genres?

Dan: I've loved horror movies for as long as I can remember, beginning with the old Universal monster movies (Dracula, The Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon) and eventually moving on to the Hammer Films. The slasher craze began when I was a teenager, and from the moment I saw Halloween, I was hooked. Around the same time, I expanded my love of horror into Stephen King novels.

My father was an avid reader, and though he did enjoy horror, he read a wide range of genres, including non-fiction. I recall sending him King books for gifts, as he enjoyed King's work. He also read the Thomas Harris novels.

What`s so fascinating about the Horror genre?

Dan: Watching and reading horror is a lot like enjoying a thrill ride at amusement park. I get a rush of adrenaline, but I know it's make-believe and all will end well...maybe.


Do you also planned on writing about other topics as well? Or do you want to follow the horror topic in the first instance? And if you planned to write about other things too which topics do you have in mind?

Dan: I actually read more fantasy than I do horror, with my favorite writers being Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, and J.K. Rowling. I have an idea for a fantasy series, but I need to flesh it out before it can become a story. So plan on a healthy mix of fantasy and horror in my writing future.

 

You already wrote some books. Could you tell us something about your previous books before we talk about your newest release? Writing process and getting it out to the world…

Dan: My first novel was Storberry, a classic vampire horror novel, the sort which is hardly ever written these days. It was my belief that there were many horror fans, like me, who wanted a story like Storberry, and based on the positive response, I think it was a good decision.

Legendary indie horror writer J. Thorn and I co-authored Shadow Witch earlier this year, a mix of dark fantasy and horror.

This month, I released the third book in my post-apocalyptic horror/adventure series, Dark Vanishings. Dark Vanishings also has fantasy aspects, especially due to the protagonist.

The majority of new authors choose the self-publishing route these days, and with the relative ease of bringing new novels to e-reader devices, it really is the best move. Even many established authors are leaving traditional publishing to enter the independent market, as we have total creative control over our product and can price our novels according to market trends.



On 21th August 2015 you released your brand new book “Dark Vanishings 3” How long did it take to write it and to release it?

Dark Vanishings 3 took about two months to write the first draft, and maybe another month for rewrites, editing, and formatting. The release itself is quick and easy. Once I upload the digital file to Amazon, the book usually goes on sale within 12 hours, with the print version showing up in a day or two.

The story of Dark Vanishings begins with Tori, a teenage girl who awakens to find herself completely alone in her town. Everyone she knows has mysteriously vanished. She's just trying to survive and wrap her head around the situation when she realizes someone is following her. And the chase begins.

Eventually a community of survivors attempts to rebuild society in their own small way, but all along, the enemy is massing unbeknownst to the survivors.

One thing I really love about Dark Vanishings is that the evil depicted in the story is vulnerable and faces a very real threat from the protagonist. The idea of an all-powerful, unbeatable enemy is a bit tiresome to me. You can't have a true battle between good and evil unless good can stand on its own two feet.


Will there be a forth part of Dark Vanishings in the future? Or do you have other plans which you couldn`t reveal at this point?

The fourth and final book in the Dark Vanishings series is being written right now. I hope to complete the first draft by mid-September so I can release the final novel before Halloween. But I won't know for a while how long this project will truly take to complete.


Have you already done lectures of your books as well? And if do you plan on a little traveling introducing your books to a wider audience as well? Or do you want to introduce your books via internet only? What are your plans concerning this?

Like most independent authors, I struggle daily to gain recognition for my writing. I've done a handful of interviews, but no conventions or lectures as of yet. I doubt I have the name recognition to generate interest. However, there is some talk of having me sign books at a horror convention next summer. If the event comes together, I'll let everyone know through social media.



Have you already thought about releasing your books in other languages as well? Like German language for example?

It's a project for down the road. I certainly appreciate that there are readers in other countries who are interested, but as a one-man author, publisher, and promoter, there is only so much time in the day. So for now, I remain focused on writing the next book and the book after that. But hopefully one day soon there will be enough interest in my writing to justify converting the text to multiple languages.



From what I learned you are working as a meteorologist. So for me that’s really an exciting stuff and I am sure you had to study hard for this. Do you like to share some details on the educations for this job? Do you always dreamt of becoming a meteorologist when you was a kid – or do you want to become something else when you were a little boy?

Dan: I grew up fascinated by thunderstorms and tornadoes, probably drawing initial inspiration from The Wizard of Oz. When I was very young, my father used to tell me about how strong tornadoes were and the incredible things they could do. My mother had traveled to Florida when she was young, so she knew about hurricanes. They instilled in me an interest in meteorology when I was young, though I think both were surprised when I chose to study weather in college.

Meteorology is actually a grueling curriculum, based in physics, math, and chemistry. I took 15 credits of advanced calculus and 8 credits of physics in college as prerequisites for meteorology, and I still get cold sweats when I think about some of the exams.


Have you also thought about writing a book about your dad sometime?

Dan: If I had better relations with the people who now control his intellectual property, I would have offered to finish his autobiography. But that's up to them now. As I understand it, my father had completed about a third of his book prior to his death. If I had his notes, I could probably finish the book in less than two months.

The difficulty is that my parents separated when I was four years old, and after my father moved to California, I rarely saw him, which makes writing a book about his life impossible without access to his notes.


I know that all the people ask you this on an instant basis. Well but my readers and me don`t know it yet. How was it for you personally to grow up with the best metal singer in history there is, was and will be? Do you want to share any inside stories? Hope that is not too private for you. If you don`t want to go into detail we surely respect that! I know all the people love and forever will love your Dad and not just for his music so most of all for the good-hearted person he was.

Dan: He was a terrific singer. I don't claim he was the best, as I feel doing so disrespects so many other talented vocalists. However, he was certainly my favorite singer and always will be.

My parents were often at odds, and I felt caught in the middle. Growing up without a father figure in the house was heartbreaking, and it left me with a lot of anger. My father and I loved each other, but we never properly forged the relationship most fathers and sons have. Maybe we eventually would have, had cancer not taken him away prematurely. I hope to see him again one day, and maybe we can be father and son, as we were meant to be.


Your dad in your own words…

One of the most talented and creative singers in rock history, a true pioneer. He was difficult to work for, as he was a perfectionist, and hence the turnover of band members in Dio was high. But many of them eventually came back, which I feel is a testament to their love for him and the music they created together. The outpouring of love for him when he passed spoke for itself.

I'll miss him for as long as I'm alive, but I believe his music will be relevant long after I'm gone.


Last but not least the floor is yours. Leave a message for all your German fans and for my readers worldwide, please:


Dan: I want to give my deepest thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in my writing. There are so many more stories to tell, and I hope that over the course of my lifetime, I can tell a few which will make a difference in your life. Thank you to everyone for the well wishes and support!

DAN PADANOVA HOMEPAGE

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