Who are you guys, anyway?

Do you want the long answer to that or the short one? The serious answer or the funny answer? Do you mean, who are we personally or professionally? Who were we when we met and started working together nearly 25 years ago or who are we today?

The short, fairly serious answer is that we’re two guys who have been writing, editing and hanging around the fringes of the horror field for more than a quarter of a century. Individually, we’ve published magazines and written novels, short stories, essays, reviews, interviews and a number of other unclassifiable works. Together, we’ve published two anthologies and something called Hellnotes, an electronic newsletter for horror fans and professionals which is still around today, although under different management. And now, after all of that, we’ve decided to team up again – on this Web site you’re viewing.

It’s been almost five years since you passed on the reins of Hellnotes. What have you been up to since then?

We’ll let Paul go first on this one:

I wish I had a glamorous or exciting answer to that. I was undercover in Afghanistan, fighting the war on terror. I was building an America’s Cup racing yacht. I was hiking across China. I was dogsledding across Antarctica. I was climbing the five highest peaks in the world or studying philosophy at Oxford or training to become a champion triathlete.

Alas, the truth is more mundane. I’ve basically been earning a living, raising a family and getting older.That earning a living thing is probably the least exciting part of the answer, but it’s also the part that’s been keeping me busiest. And for those who don’t know, I’m talking about my “day job” as editor of the weekly newspaper here in my small northern Michigan town.

The coolest part of the answer is my family – Erin, my wife of 25 years, and my twin daughters, Ingrid and Amanda, who will be graduating from high school next year.

As for getting older … well, we’ll just leave that one alone.

And now Dave:

I’ve been recovering from Hellnotes. It was an exciting outing that eventually wore me down and invited a step back from publishing, horror, and writing. I’ve had these periods of burnout before, but they’ve always dissipated after time, and that’s what happened this time.

Since Hellnotes, I moved from Northern California to Las Vegas, from mountains to desert, from expansive surroundings to a cubbyhole, from four seasons to one season, from writing to developing websites, from isolation to crowding, from there to here.

Unlike Paul, I haven’t aged a day.

Why did you decide to team up again – on a Web site this time?

Short answer: the time was right.

Are you going to work together again on a writing or editing project?

Undoubtedly. And before you ask, no, there’s nothing specific in the works right now. But when decisions are made, as they surely will be, visitors to this site, readers of our blog and those who sign up for our mailing list will be the first to know.

A few years ago, you guys were talking about collaborating on a big cross-genre novel. Whatever happened to that?

It’s still alive. As to what phase of life it’s in, well, that’s a bit harder to answer. Some projects spring to life full-blown, hitting on all cylinders and rolling full-speed ahead. Others have to germinate for a time. A few weeks, say, or several months. Or three to four years.

What are your specific plans for this site?

Keep watching. We think you’ll be pleased.

Without giving too much away, we can say that there will be lots of goodies for folks who like to read, fun stuff like free short stories and e-serials of longer works. Some of those items might actually be here now, as you’re reading this. More will be coming soon. Keep checking the blog. In fact, while you’re at it, subscribe to the feed so you’ll always know when something new has arrived. And sign up for the mailing list, too. It will be worth it.

Do you have any advice for someone starting out as a writer?

Sure, lots of it … but nothing you haven’t heard or read before, probably from much wiser heads than ours. Read everything. Write every day. There’s no way around either of those requirements. They work hand in hand to make you a better writer, and without them, you might as well give up this particular dream and find another one.

Both of you published small-press magazines. Do you miss it?

Paul: I miss Horrorstruck the way I miss high school. It was a special time in my life, one that played a formative role in who I am now, and one that I generally look back on with great warmth and affection. I enjoy the memories, but I wouldn’t want to go back and do it all over again.

Dave: Well, I don’t miss editing The Horror Show so much that I wish I were still doing it. However, I do look back on the experience fondly, and I’m proud of how a very small, personal magazine was able to grow into a well-respected magazine within the horror genre.

Paul, Why northern Michigan? Isn’t it rather … cold?

Very cold. And remote. Those of us who live here like it that way – although I must admit that shoveling snow eight months of the year and running away from man-eating blackflies the other four months can get a little tiring. Still, it would be hard to leave. Lake Michigan is out my front door, Lake Superior is a 45-minute drive away, and in between are some of the most beautiful forested landscapes you’ll find anywhere in North America. Don’t get me wrong: I’m fond of many different parts of the country. I like the oceans, the mountains and the desert southwest. I even like big cities. I feel as comfortable in Chicago and New York as I do in my own living room. But that’s just for visiting. This is home.

Dave, Why did you move from the mountains of northern California to Las Vegas? And since you’re there, could you tell me the secret for winning at blackjack?

I moved here to live close to my sister. I miss the mountains. I miss the ocean. But I do enjoy the ten months of sunshine. As for blackjack … I love blackjack. And I love playing poker. But I confine myself to small games with a few friends, where I’m lucky if I walk away with five dollars after winning all night.