Annie's Book Stop of Worcester

Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our spotlight on John M. McIlveen! McIlveen has been a friend to the bookstore and New England Horror Writers for many years, as well as wonderfully chilling and disturbing author. He will be joining us with NEHW during our Small Business Saturday “All Your Fears in One Basket” event on November 29.

Author of Inflictions and Jerks and Other Tales from A Perfect Man, John has had more than fifty stories, poems, and articles published in several anthologies and magazines (including 21st Century Dead, The Monster’s Corner, Epitaphs, From the Borderlands) and other such places like Buzzymag.com and Metromoms.com.

He is the father to five daughters, an Electrical and Mechanical Designer and the O&M/MEP Coordinator at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory and he lives in Marlborough, MA with the best woman ever. He has an affinity for black licorice, whoopie pies, and good tequila (please remember this). Stay tuned for his first novel Hannahwhere. He well into his second and third novels, Gone North and Corruption.

For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you write? What can readers expect from [newest release/spotlighted release]?

JMM: Jim Moore sums it up nicely in his afterword for my new collection, Inflictions (see what I did there?)

“McIlveen paints with a broad palette of colors, and he blends them and highlights them with a master’s touch. Tragedy and comedy, vengeance and salvation, hope and horror, the absurd and the sublime, all skillfully worked into the same pages and presented here for our enjoyment.” – James A. Moore, Author of The Seven Forges series

What is your favorite part of being a writer? Of the whole writing and publishing process?

JMM: Oh, the places you’ll go, the people you’ll meet.

What do you think has been your greatest lesson in the journey thus far?

JMM: The lesson, don’t hurry too much, and don’t take everything to heart. No matter how good your writing is (or you may think it is), somebody, somewhere won’t like it.

What piece of advice would you want to share with other writers?

JMM: Don’t try to emulate any other writer, no matter how much you admire-love-lust them. Use your own voice, it’s in there. If we want to read King, Irving, or Atwood, we’ll buy their books.

What piece of advice would you want to share with other writers?

JMM: Edit, so you don’t repeat yourself. ^

What question do you wish interviewers would ask you, and what would the answer be?

JMM: Can I give you a million dollars. The answer would be “Yes”

What else can we expect from you in the near future?

JMM: Novels Hannnahwhere, Gone North, and Corruption. I have a number of short stories coming out, too.

What is/are your passions when you’re not writing? How do you make time for your non-writing hobbies/things you love?

JMM: I like yard work (yeah, you read that right).

What are some of your writing-related hobbies, crafts, addictions?

JMM: Books!

What does your writing space look like? What do you need to have around you while writing or editing?

JMM: I have no specific writing space. I have a desk in the solarium which most would think is a perfect writer’s haven, but I never write there. The den couch is where I’m most comfortable writing.

While you’re writing, do you prefer music, silence, other? Please elaborate!

JMM: Hard to believe, but I do my best writing with background noise of family, TV, or a football game. There’s a comfort of having loved ones around.

Writers very often have furry or feathered or otherwise non-human companions to “help” them through their work. Do you? What do you have? How do they “help” (or, “not-help”) with your writing?

JMM: Nope. Allergic to most critters.

What do you consider the most challenging part of the writing process? And how do you overcome that?

JMM: Time, definitely. Nearly everything I have written thus far, has been churned out during lunch breaks, or the small patches of freedom between work, home-keeping, child-raising, and all the other demands that take precedence.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned, thus far, in your writing career?

JMM: Write for the love of writing; the end product will be better.

Are there any groups, clubs, or organizations that you would recommend to other writers that have helped you in your career?

JMM: NECON!!

(ABSW adds: Necon rocks! Here is more information about this wonderful writing conference from this link.)

Where can people find your work? (Besides ABSW ;)–though they should totally check here first!)

JMM: Amazon, of course, and there are links to all my work at http://Johnmcilveen.com

How can we follow your work, share your awesomeness, or otherwise stalk you in a totally non-creepy way?

JMM: johnmcilveen.com, Facebook, Twitter, or you can stalk me in a totally creepy way.

Thank you so much for the interview, John! We look forward to seeing you on Small Business Saturday with the New England Horror Writers!