December 2015

Q & A with Eric J. Guignard

1. Can you tell us a little what your story, "O Shades, My Woe," is about?

The story is about the vengeful effects of a great wrong, brought about by a dark chapter in the legends of King Arthur.

2. How did you come up with the idea?

I was reading classic Arthurian tales and came upon an incident in which he had all the children in the kingdom put to death who were born on May Day, as it was prophesized by Merlin one of them would be his downfall. The murdered children's parents wept and grieved, yet Arthur never gave reason nor apology for his actions. Of course the prophesized child survives though, digression aside, my first thought was that noble King Arthur was actually quite the monster!

And I thought, "Surely, there must be some recourse..."

3. What is your inspiration for writing as a whole?

Dreams (both night and day), news and current affairs, conversations with people, personal observations of the world, and playing the "What If?" game.

4. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm a lifelong resident of southern California, in the eastern suburbs and outskirts of Los Angeles county. Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, I'm a technical writer and college professor, and I stumble home each day to a wife, children, cats, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. In addition to writing, I hike, study entomology (insects) and genealogy (family history); spend time with my family; woodwork in my garage; and read, read, read.

5. Where can listeners find more of your work?

My website: http://ericjguignard.com
Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3410564.Eric_J_Guignard
Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004QJ1YTC

6. Any new work we should keep an eye out for?

I'm about 90,000 words into a dark fantasy/historical fiction novel following a 1930s depression-era hobo who rides the rails across America, discovering the underlying meaning of the written Hobo language. This will be my first full-length novel and titled, "Crossbuck 'Bo" (accepting major NY Publishers' offers now!).

Also, as a short story writer, I'm regularly working on smaller projects, both in the creation of stories, but also in the promotion of presses I work with.

Recent publications include: Black Static Magazine, #47; Nightscript Anthology Volume 1; Buzzy Magazine; and The Best of Horror Library: Volumes 1-5

7. (And just for Juli's curiosity: What are you reading now?)

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014 (edited by Paula Guran)
Grunt Life by Weston Ochse
Paradise Sky by Joe R. Lansdale
Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer
And many, many children's books to my son...

~~~~~

Editor's Note: If you enjoyed this story, you might be interested in reading the whole anthology, Ain't Superstitious, with many more great stories. It's available on Amazon and Smashwords.

Please support our creators!