"Jimmy" Short Story Review/ Interview

Hello World.

I finally have some free time. It has been a crazy week and it is shaping up to be a busy weekend as well. Before I have zero time, I wanted to post this funny as heck Interview I did with Edward Owen. Please read below for the review of his short story "Jimmy" and the interview below it.

The Short Story “Jimmy” by Edward Owen is set in the late 2070’s. “The desire to stay young and beautiful had pushed medical science to keep up with the demand. When plastic surgery was no longer enough, bio and genetic engineering had stepped in to fill the need.” Here is where Jimmy comes in, a human hired to exterminate Beverly Hills of all these mutated zombies. Little does Jimmy know that the creatures running through the sewers and old abandoned buildings may not be what they seem. Edward has written a great story that captures the reader’s attention at once. Jimmy has a great inner monologue that keeps you laughing and wanting more. It has action and a very unexpected ending, so if you are into futuristic and sometimes gory stories, then this is the one for you. You can read it at http://storiesbyedwardowen.com/shortstories.aspx


INTERVIEW

Hi Edward! (@storiesbyedward) Glad you could come chat with me shortly. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?


I'm still working a day job, so I'm a writer, not an author (authors get paid, writers struggle). I started writing when I was a kid, probably because my mom read to me all the time. I had an imaginary friend when I was a kid (we're having coffee together this weekend!) so there was a lot going on in my brain, all the time. I probably got the writing bug in college. I had to write some fiction pieces for one of my English classes. One assignment was the chapter of a novel. I ended up with about four or five chapters. I still have the notes and may go back to finish it eventually. Two years ago I finished a 150K word horror novel and decided to make a serious effort at getting published. As you can imagine, well, did I tell you I'm still working a day job? I keep learning and writing and editing.

I have three or four projects going all the time (ADD strikes again) but I am making some progress. My wife and I live with our three sons in Southern California and I work in Los Angeles. I have a very offbeat sense of humor and literally no filter between my brain and my mouth (fingers). I constantly tell people to read the warning label. If I offend someone, I just give them a coupon for a 10% discount on their own sense of humor. I figure it's the least I can do.


2. What got you into writing?

I have always loved to read and I think that transferred over to writing. I would go to the library and check out four or five paperbacks and have them all read before they were due. I read a lot of science fiction and horror. Sort of explains a lot, doesn't it?


3. What is your favorite genre to write?

Horror is definitely my favorite. It is a great escape and allows me to take out any frustrations from the day on my characters. I'm not talking Edgar Allen Poe "Telltale Heart", I'm talking Stephen King with a migraine, on hold with the phone company (No, I'm not that good, yet, but you have to have goals). Really graphic, really scary and really sexual. The kind of stuff that makes you want to rinse your eyeballs with bleach. My current WIP is YA sci-fi, my second great love. My favorite authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, J.R.R. Tolkein, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clark and Isaac Asimov (pure genius, that one).


4. Have you had anything published and if not, are you trying to get published at the moment?

I have two eBooks on Amazon Kindle. One is a sort of analytical/philosophical discussion about wisdom and intelligence and the other is a book of inspirational sayings that I wrote myself. Very off genre for me, but they each served a purpose. I will be doing the indie pub thing this fall. I have two novels that will be the start of two different series. That's just how my brain works, all over the place, all the time.


5. What else, other than stalk me on Twitter, do you do during the day? Do you have a routine?

I am up at 2:30 am during the week as I start work at 5:30 and have an hour commute. If I get moving early, I try to write or catch up on email, Twitter, etc. before I leave. I write on my lunch break and in the evenings, if I have time. Most of my writing is done early in the morning on weekends when the house is quiet. I can knock out 5-6k words between Saturday and Sunday(if I stay off Twitter, yes I'm addicted and there is no 12 step program to help me.)

My youngest son is a senior in high school, so much of my evening time is spent helping him with homework. He has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. He needs help with writing, so I just type his homework. He is an awesome kid and designs all my book covers. Next year he will be attending a design school to become a professional graphic artist.

On Saturday afternoon I attend a writers' critique group. This has, without a doubt, been the best thing I have done to improve my writing. We give each other honest and constructive criticism about our work. Everyone is very nice and no one gets their feelings hurt (mine are bullet proof anyway).


6. What kind of advice would you share with someone just starting in the writing business?

Find a good day job that pays the bills and doesn't require too much of your brain power. Then, write in your spare time, join a writing group, take classes and READ A LOT! If you didn't read as a kid, you have a lot of catching up to do. Writing is a learned skill, like anything else. The creative part is more difficult to learn, just like sports or anything else, some people are born with a certain talent. If you don't have that part, the struggle will be greater. It doesn't mean you can't write, but maybe fiction won't be your niche. Write about what you know. If you grow flowers, write a blog about flower gardening. I think about the horrible things that I would like to happen to people who annoy me, so I write horror. (Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me to write about you when I'm angry.)


7. Let us know where we can find your work, so we can stalk you as well.

First, I have two books on Amazon Kindle: The Pocket Philosopher (inspirational quotes) and Tomatoes in the Fruit Salad (wisdom, knowledge and how to tell the difference). I have some short stories and excerpts on my website, www.storiesbyedwardowen.com and several articles on Helium.com. The piece, "Adventures in Home Improvement: The Kitchen" has been rated #1 for four years in a row. I wrote a serialized short story called "The Game" (about poker) It is on www.edwardowen.wordpress.com. You have to look for it in the archives. The blog title is Nightmares and Body Parts... yes because I write horror, but my last entry was about my 3 boys, "Please Don't Feed the Bears". I told you, I have ADD...SQUIRREL! now what was I talking about?

Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!
Thank you Edward for stopping by and for ALWAYS making me laugh! You are the best :)

Xoxo