Interview with dark fiction author Shelly Campbell

Dark fiction author Shelly Campbell chats with me about her new horror sci-fi, Seed. It’s book three in her Dark Walker series.

During her virtual tour, Shelly will be giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
At a young age, Shelly Campbell wanted to be an air show pilot or a pirate, possibly a dragon and definitely a writer and artist. She’s piloted a Cessna 172 through spins and stalls and sailed up the east coast on a tall ship barque—mostly without projectile vomiting. In the end, Shelly found writing and drawing dragons to be so much easier on the stomach. Shelly writes speculative fiction ranging from grimdark fantasy, to sci-fi and horror. She’d love to hear from you.

Welcome, Shelly. What inspired you to write this book?
My publisher was expecting a trilogy, so that deadline was pretty inspiring! I’m kidding. My publisher is lovely to work with and lets me work at my own pace. Seed, book 3 in the Dark Walkertrilogy is the finale in a series that all started with a short story prompt: ‘There is a locked door and your character finds the key. What’s behind the door?’

Of course, as is my nature, I wanted to explore the idea that there might be terrible, unexplainable things behind the door. David, our main character, is a quiet kid in a huge family. He’s a teenager too. Both of those things can lead to a person feeling invisible, so I took it a step further and made David physically start to become invisible. When he opens this door, and terrible things from another dimension start trying to find a way onto his side wanting to devour his family and the rest of his world, David feels particularly helpless because the people he’s trying to save can’t see or hear his warnings. Everything escalates from there.

The whole series is a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt forgotten, invisible, and to those who have felt a darkness brush up against them that felt too big to triumph over. You are not alone. We’re fighting with you. Quiet people can save the world too.

Excerpt from Seed:
Heaviness blankets me. A childish part of me wanted to hang onto the idea that I was an instrumental part of saving the universe. More than that though, I’d hoped that Cory slipped me his wedding ring so he could save me. For a single stupid moment, I thought this was about me. Why do I keep doing this? Falling for the idea that people care about me for who I am and not what I can do for them? The only people who loved me like that are my family, and I can’t ever reach them again without inadvertently siccing the darkness on them. I take a deep, hollow breath before asking, “What do you want, Cory?”

What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m currently working on book 3 in my Sol Survivor series. It’s a YA solar flare post apocalypse set in near future Canada with a main character who has ADHD. If that sounds up your alley, you can check out book 1 Knowledge Itself or book 2 Madness of People.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Realistically, once I got my debut novel published and was holding in my hands as reviews from readers I didn’t know started to pop up online. Let’s ignore the fact that I found a diary from when I was eight-years old that confidently stated that I was going to be a writer when I grew up. I suppose some part of me knew way back then.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full time. I teach safety courses for a living, stuff like First Aid and H2S Alive for mostly oilfield related companies. The first aid comes in handy for writing occasionally because I’m well-versed in what shock looks like, and how people realistically respond to all sorts of injuries.

I am an introvert.

Standing me in front of a class full of adult learners whose employer is forcing them to attend requires that I have enough energy to be engaging enough for all of us to survive the day without dying of boredom. It also requires that I need some downtime between instructing courses to recharge and get in some NO-PEOPLING-PLEASE time. I fit in writing on my recharge days between gardening and ferrying kids to sports.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have a lovely writing desk with a beautiful retro/typewriter keyboard that is truly divine to type on. Said writing desk is surrounded by resource books and inspiring art. It has a window with a lovely sunny view. Yet, I tend to completely ignore it and write with my laptop on my lap in a comfy recliner in my living room amidst all my household chaos. I guess I’m like the kid who likes the cardboard box more than the gift contained within!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An author (or a dragon, or an air show pilot or sometimes—a hermit in the woods. Still considering that last one seriously.)

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’d love for readers to share something with me! What is your favourite read right now? What project are you in the midst of that you are proud or excited about? I’d love to hear all about it.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. I truly appreciate the chance to meet new readers and have them discover my books. Means a lot.

Links:
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