Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our spotlight on Jeremy “Remy” Flagg, who will be at our 65 James Street store with Scott Goudsward for our Zombies and Superheroes event on Saturday, March 12, from 3:00-6:00 PM. Another friend of ours from the New England Horror Writers, Jeremy is a high school graphic design and marketing teacher in a suburban Massachusetts High School. Originally someone who hated reading, comic books, science fiction, and fantasy turned him around and inspired him to write the type of books that can inspire readers with their adventure and relatability. His first book, Suburban Zombie High, draws on his high school experience with humor, while his latest book goes back to his comic book roots. Nighthawks, The Children of Nostradamus Part 1, is the story of how a group of people with extraordinary abilities, driven by a psychic’s ramblings, have to determine how much of their humanity they are willing to sacrifice to save the future.
For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you write? What can readers expect from Nighthawks, The Children of Nostradamus Part 1?
I’m a big fan of fast paced novels, and this is no different. Where I’ve become known for sarcasm and witty puns, this book is a more serious, darker, world not so different than our own. The sarcasm is still in the characters, and the entire novel only takes place over a couple days. There are comic book elements sewn into the fabric of Nighthawks and will make geeks happy. It’ll remind them of a time they read comics and rooted for the superheroes but now with an adult perspective.
What character did you love or hate the most while writing? And why?
Eleanor Valentine plays a very small roll on the page but a huge piece of the plot. She’s the first character you meet on line one and I loved her the moment she was created. She reminds me of my great grandmother, sweet and caring but with a bit of an edge. Her ability to see time in a non-linear fashion changes her perspective on the world. Her ability to know her own fate gives her certain serene calmness. She became such a favorite that I’ve already developed and written two novels featuring her. Apparently my memories of my great grandmother made her quite the bad ass.
What draws you to the particular genre or style that you write? What do you think draws readers to these kinds of books?
I hated reading as a kid. Not kind of, but horribly repulsed by the idea of reading. This goes so far back I was slow to learn reading as a kid. Then my mom introduced me to comic books. I learned to read and my vocab included things like, “BAMF,” “telepathy,” and “WHAM.” Comic books were my escape, and later I would transition to fantasy and science fiction. Comic books have been the backbone of my world for so long that I have included this into my own writing. I used to write comics as a kid, and this is my adult self remembering what it was like to be that kid opening his first Marvel comic.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
I’m expecting to finish the sequel to Nighthawks at the end of March and hoping to have it out by the end of the summer. I also have a prequel to the series that isn’t too far from being finished. Early in June I’m expecting the final novel in my YA friendly Suburban Zombie High School trilogy to come out.
Where can people find your work? (Besides ABSW ;)–though they should totally check here first!)
People find me on Amazon via Jeremy Flagg or you can check out my website at www.remyflagg.com.
How can we follow your work, share your awesomeness, or otherwise stalk you in a totally non-creepy way?
For more information about what I’m working on, you can always check out my blog at www.remyflagg.com or join my newsletter atwww.remyflagg.com/news/ where I talk about geek things (ie comics, science fiction, geek culture) and about my books and what is coming up. You can also check out my Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/writeremyflagg
Thank you for joining us, Jeremy, and we look forward to seeing you at the store on March 12, from 3:00-6:00 PM for Zombies and Superheroes!
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 