Blog Ring of Power--Robert Gray

Today on the Blog Ring of Power, Robert Gray is here to tell us about his current work. You can find the rest of his interview at these links:

About You
The Writing Life
The Creative Process
Words of Wisdom

Tell us about your new book and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?
My latest book is EVE HALLOWS AND THE BOOK OF SHIVERS, which is the third book in the Nightmare Series.  It's currently available at all the usual places.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Deciding which parts to leave out.  I think the last book clocked in at over 125,000 words in the first draft.  The final version came in at around 75,000.   What's important to me, especially when writing for younger audiences, is keeping the story moving fast.  Finding the line between boring my readers and confusing them is always tricky for me, because I'm too close to the story.  It’s part of the reason why I rely on my beta readers.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
For the third book in the series, I enjoyed writing the scenes that take place on a lightning-fueled train called Frankentrain.  Eve, the main character, and her friends use this train to travel across the country, and I had a lot of fun writing those parts.  I also enjoyed the research for those scenes.  I got to take a tour of an old steam train museum and ride a few of the trains.  I also visited all the stops that Eve and her friends make along the way.

 
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Most of the messages in this series cover things like being the outcast and the power of family and friends.   If you find those messages, great.  If not, there are plenty of monsters to keep readers entertained.

Tell us about your book’s cover – where did the design come from and what was the design process like? 
Scott Findlay designed the cover of SHIVERS.  Basically he asked me what I wanted, and I said I want this train that runs on lighting and there’s this girl named Eve who should be driving the train, and maybe a monster with a human face and a spider body should be in there, too.  He pretty much took it from there.  And he did an amazing job.





Robert Gray is a writer.  If that job description doesn't impress you, how about fantasy writer?  Too general?  Well, he doesn't get insulted if you call him a horror writer.  If horror's not your thing, then scratch out horror and replace it with suspense.  And for the kiddies, you can slap on a YA or MG in front of that title.

Gray lives in Bushkill, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.

Blog:
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Goodreads author page:
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Amazon Author Page:

So far, Eve's summer vacation has been uneventful, but when her grandparents—traveling all the way from the monster world known as Gravesville—appear at her doorstep, she learns that the URNS Director has gone missing. Worse, a new director, bent on destroying humans, has taken over URNS. Eve and her family are no longer safe in the human world, and as they race to escape this new threat, Eve stumbles into a trap, which forces her back to Gravesville along with her family and friends. But once there, everything goes adorably wrong, and her best chance to get out of this mess is to seek out The Book of Shivers and the elusive author Sedrick Creach—the only creature who knows the secrets of the Nightmare Books. Unfortunately for Eve, searching for Sedrick and the next book in the series will reveal uncomfortable details about her own murky past. Once again, Eve and her friends find themselves on an incredible adventure—one that involves underground battles with bloodthirsty creatures, a lightning-fueled train, and some unexpected new allies. Hilarious and bone-chilling, this third book continues the story of an unlikely hero trying to save not one, but two worlds … This time around, though, Eve's not sure she can even save herself.

Goodreads:

Amazon:

BarnesandNoble:

Is your book in print, ebook or both?  Both, though the ebook is currently only available at Amazon.