Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Joshua Chaplinsky
Book Title: The Last of the Giant Fire Lizards
Released: 10/29/24
Genre: Fictional/satirical crime
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Letters to the Purple Satin Killer”?
Chaplinsky: LTTPSK started life as a short story. The inspiration behind it was a combination of wanting a publication credit in Thuglit magazine, and the Netflix Docuseries Making a Murderer. Specifically inmate correspondence and the unlikely friendship/romances that result. The inspiration to turn the story into a novel was a selfish one. I'd hit a wall in my current WIP and thought expanding Letters would be a quick and easy way to get a new book finished and out in the world. Boy was I wrong. But it was worth the effort.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Chaplinsky: I'm just trying to write the type of books I like to read—dark, weird, and (hopefully) inventive. "Accessibly experimental" is what I'm going for. It's up to the reader to decide whether I'm successful or not.
If "Letters to the Purple Satin Killer" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Chaplinsky: A movie adaptation of LTTPSK would present a unique challenge due to the epistolary format and the fact that we never see/hear from the titular character. In my opinion, the way to go would be the faux documentary format, interviews supplanting letters. You would only see the killer, Jonas Williker, in photos and short news clips. I would cast an unknown. For the film to really work, I would cast unknowns across the board.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Chaplinsky: Depends. Sometimes I try and power through. If I'm having "big picture" issues, usually a shower or a long walk is where I solve most of those problems. A lot of times the answer comes to me when I'm not actively trying to think about it.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Chaplinsky: Oof. Learn to discern the difference between bad advice and good. More specifically, learn how to determine what advice works for you, and toss the rest.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Chaplinsky: It's so hard to pick just ONE. Generally I'd say the horror genre, but when I think about my favorite books, they are usually hybrids. For favorite author I'd probably say Steve Erickson, his novel Zeroville being one of my favorites. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I'll stop myself there, otherwise I'd just keep going.
What are you working on next?
Chaplinsky: The aforementioned work in progress I put aside to write LTTPSK. I'd describe it as a Lynchian horror novel about how trauma reverberates backwards and forwards through time. I've busted through the wall and things are going well.
Want to Learn More about “Letters to the Purple Satin Killer”?
Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, & TikTok at @jaceycockrobin. More info at joshuachaplinsky.com
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
review