Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Kerry Alan Denney aka The Reality Bender
Book Title: Stalking Gideon Cain
Released: 05/21/21
Genre: Thriller/mystery/suspense
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Stalking Gideon Cain”?
Denney: I love being asked this question. After my previous novel Beyond the Vale, an adventure-thriller set in the afterlife of a man who spent a lifetime making mistakes that brought him to soul-crushing ruin and left him with no choice but to figure out how to redeem himself, I was chomping at the bit to try my hand at writing a straight-up psychological thriller. My first six published novels all contain elements of the fantastic, each one a speculative fiction crossover between horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the supernatural. I wanted to challenge myself with a story in which no possibility of deus ex machina existed, where the protagonists survive and redeem themselves using only their wits and their personal strengths with no chance of being saved by unearthly or otherworldly entities or devices.
One day a few years ago I was sitting around at my best friend’s house by beautiful Lake Allatoona chatting with my ex-wife, with whom I am still good friends. She told me she recently had a dream that she thought would make a great idea for a novel—if properly done, of course. In her dream, I suddenly started meeting characters from my stories in real life. Some of them were my villains, and they started stalking me and trying to kill me. I loved the concept, was instantly inspired, and ran with it. The story began creating itself in my head right away, and I started writing it the very next day. And the rest, as they say, is history.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Denney: My main protagonist is a wildly successful author of several bestselling psychological thrillers, all featuring deadly femme fatales who become vengeful vigilantes. I wanted him to have a pseudonym that was at least slightly daunting, with somewhat negative connotations. I instantly came up with “Cain” because of the biblical son of Adam and Eve who kills his brother Abel. Shortly thereafter I thought of Gideon simply because it sounded wicked to me. I wanted to make him of Irish descent, as I am (consider my name; can’t get much more Irish than that). I quickly chose Brendan as his first name. I needed him to have an obnoxious hyphenated surname that he wouldn’t dare use as an official author name and that would force him to go with a pseudonym. After a little research, I came up with Callahan-McCallum. In the story, Brendan laughingly tells his father that he had to use his publisher’s invented name because there wasn’t room to fit his full real name on the spines of his novels.
For my main female protagonist, I easily and quickly chose Rebecca because urban slang defines that name as an irresistibly attractive and highly intelligent woman, desired by both men and women. My badass sisters Callie and Shirley Wayne, themselves also secretly vigilantes for justice, came to me almost without thought. I used Wayne as their surname in honor of the famous fictional character Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman. For my fourth kickass female protagonist (yes, I have four!), a private detective with a specialty of finding people who don’t want to be found, I chose Randy, a first name that can be either male or female (for reasons which will become obvious when you read Stalking Gideon Cain).
For my primary villain I chose Gaston Dumont, a mainly French name, in honor of the famous Gaston Leroux, author of The Phantom of the Opera.
I also had a total blast creating the extremely cheesy titles of Brendan’s (Gideon Cain’s) fictional novels. That was a hoot, and I still laugh about it sometimes.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Denney: About me? Nothing more than that I wish to thank each and every reader who takes or has taken a chance on me by reading my various works. In today’s world of a near-infinite selection of published writers, I am honored (and thrilled and delighted!) that readers take the time to enter my mind by reading my stories.
My writing process: For me, writing is analogous to being an artist or a musician—which I also am, a veteran recording and performing guitarist of thirty years. No talent can ever be fully mastered, and practice will never make perfect. Mortal humans can never achieve perfection, as we are all flawed in some way. But we can certainly aspire to constantly improve our craft, and I consider that a worthy challenge. I relish the opportunity. So I practice, practice, practice and write, write, write, and then write some more. If I pay attention (sometimes I actually do!), I learn as I go. And if I do my job right and well, then I achieve my primary goal, which is to thrill, delight, and entertain my audience as so many talented writers have done for me.
One more important thing about my works, somewhat of a Spoiler Alert: I like and prefer for the “good guys” to win—and win magnificently whenever possible—in both my own works and the books I read. You can pretty much expect that to happen in my stories and novels, although victory is often achieved through great and selfless sacrifice. Sometimes we lose friends and family along our journey, as I have. I try to reflect that hard reality in my writing, but redemption and triumph are major components of all my works. If I want to see the “bad guys” win, I’ll just turn on the damn news. Readers are smart, so you decide what you like or love (or dislike or hate, if that’s the case) about my writing endeavors. I welcome all opinions, positive or negative, and often learn from the opinions of the most discerning readers. Thank you all for that priceless feedback!
And yes, you will likely quickly determine that I am a big-time dog lover. We humans can all stand to learn so much from their unconditional love and guileless devotion. My life is only complete with a constant canine companion at my side. Dogs have taught me so many invaluable lessons about how to live my life in a way that honors my fellow humans, and shows me how to be a better person. Dogs make me pay attention, for which I will always be grateful.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Denney: I generally use either a sledgehammer, grenade launcher, high-yield explosives, or a combination of the three. Seriously, though: I seldom suffer from writer’s block, as my head is always filled to overflowing with story ideas, plot concepts, and colorful characters. In fact, if I don’t let them out by transcribing them onto the written page, my head will explode.
On the rare occasions that I do get “stuck” so to speak, I engage in any of a number of varied writing exercises. Some of those exercises include but are not limited to: observing a location (usually a favorite) in real life and describing it; observing real people in real-life situations, describing them as I see them, and creating a fictional conversation between two or more of them; limiting myself by creating a piece of flash fiction to hone my craft and inspire me to get back on my work-in-progress; writing about dogs, especially by trying to write from their unique perspective and with their various personalities.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Denney: With endless thanks to other writers and editors who have shared priceless advice with me, write, write, write, and keep on writing—and read, read, read too, like it’s food for your soul and you can’t get enough of it. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from other favorite writers of your genre(s), and even sometimes from writers outside of your genre. Study and observe real people in real life and learn how to emulate or at least realistically simulate those various characteristics and idiosyncrasies in your writing. Acquire beta readers and genuinely listen to what they have to say, and learn from it. Study favorite passages from writing that you thoroughly enjoyed, especially those parts where you were so mesmerized or captivated that time stood still and you vanished from the real world and lived “in the story” alongside the characters, and then figure out how those writers accomplished that magic.
And by all means, feel free to share and adopt what I call my “Triple P Writing Philosophy”: Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance. We can never have enough or too much of all three of those invaluable qualities. When life or the results of your writing kick you in the teeth, get up, brush yourself off, and jump back in the saddle with guns blazing. Remain undaunted by the hard knocks life throws at you.
If "Stalking Gideon Cain” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Denney: My work adapted into a movie? How amazingly cool would that be?!?! Even if the script writers and/or producers and directors ruin or mangle my story in the end—as they often do when adapting books into movies, with some rare exceptions—the exposure for me and my writing will be priceless. Regardless of whether it becomes a blockbuster, a classic, a cult favorite, or disappears into obscurity, an expanded readership will likely be the end result—as it so often has been for many other aspiring writers.
As for the cast from a real-world selection, that’s something I rarely think about, if ever. Unlike our society of rampant celebrity worshippers, I consider actors and actresses to be nothing more or less than people just like you and me . . . because they are, regardless of their often overinflated opinions of themselves. I think only of the fictional characters, and not of who represented them, although I do notice when someone does a particularly good job.
Whether the actors and actresses are popular or unknown, how well they do their jobs is paramount to the movie’s success. In fact, it should be noted that actors only do what they’re told to do via the writing and directing. No matter how talented an actor or actress may be, if the script stinks, they’re screwed, ha ha.
Just please God, no more Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, or Johnny Depp. I like them all because they’re all talented, but jeez, enough already for crying out loud.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Denney: My favorite genre has always been and likely always will be anything with elements of the fantastic in it. Paranormal, supernatural, horror, fantasy, science fiction, almost all speculative fiction: I eat that stuff like double fudge brownies and chocolate chip cookies, especially real-world contemporary fiction in those genres. From my childhood reading of the complete catalog of the incomparable Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator of Tarzan, among many others) to the fabulous pulp fiction works of Kenneth Robeson (creator of Doc Savage and The Avenger) to the famous stories of Maxwell Grant (creator of The Shadow) to others too numerous to mention, I was hooked, and spent endless hours devouring the fantastical stories, worlds, and characters they created. My tastes have matured and refined as I matured, but I do so love the crazy stuff.
Favorite book? After having read thousands of books in my lifetime, selecting a favorite is as easy as elbowing myself in the teeth. However, if I was forced to choose just one, it would be Watchers by Dean Koontz. I love Einstein, Travis, and Nora! Since its publication in the 80s, I’ve read it nine times now, and never get tired of it. If I live long enough, I will likely read it several more times before I retire to that great library in the sky. I have so many more well-loved favorites that I could spend all morning, afternoon, and evening listing them and still keep going, but I’ll stop here with just three more additions: Swan Song by Robert McCammon, The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers (what an amazing imagination that man has!), and From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz (Junior Cain is, in my opinion, the most despicable and colorful villain/antagonist ever created, among a fine cast of equally colorful protagonists).
Which brings me to my favorite author, an easier choice—although I have so many other favorites I’d love to list, but won’t for the sake of respect for your readers’ valuable time: Dean Koontz, the best of the speculative fiction authors I’ve read. Although he’s written a few clunkers, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and devoured most of his works with great joy, exuberance, and enthusiasm. He creates the most realistic and likable protagonists and the most vile antagonists, and writes with a grand sense of compassion, mercy, and kindness while exploring humanity’s most despicable traits along with the indomitability of the human spirit. And—as I previously mentioned—you can pretty much count on the good guys winning regardless of the sacrifices they often must make to achieve that victory.
Readers and reviewers have often compared my works to the best of Dean Koontz, and of Stephen King as well (another of my faves, although he has written a lot of garbage, too). You can read those reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, among other sites, and I hope you do. Although I prefer for readers to think of me and my works as unique and incomparable, I realize that making comparisons is in our nature, and I’m honored and proud to be compared to those two superb authors. Who wouldn’t be?
What are you working on next?
Denney: I never discuss particulars about my works-in-progress, not because I’m superstitious (I’m not) and am afraid I may “jinx” them, but rather because I prefer to keep them in my head until I splash them across the pages. In that way, I believe I keep them more pure and untainted without borrowing from the ideas of other readers and writers. On the other hand, I love my beta readers, and listen very carefully to what they have to say because they’re perceptive and discerning as well as brutally frank (I wouldn’t have it any other way).
All I’m willing to share about my two current works-in-progress is that one is a tribute—in my own style—to the famous Creature Feature movies and books that I grew up on. The other is a study of the best and the worst of humanity in an intense and radically violent adventure that explores humankind’s ineradicable treachery and ruthless cruelty right alongside the ultimate triumph of the invincible human spirit. Kindness, mercy, compassion, and grace hand in hand with wickedness, selfishness, and an all-too-human evil. Can’t have one without the other.
Thank you Heather for your review and this interview, and thank you all for indulging in my loquacious madness. I hope you’ll check out my works, and happy reading to all!
Learn More About the Author and Stalking Gideon Cain here:
Kerry Alan Denney aka The Reality Bender author/ fan page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KerryAlanDenneyTheRealityBender
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kerry-Alan-Denney/e/B00K378HHS
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8187822.Kerry_Alan_Denney
Follow Kerry on Twitter (@KerryDenney): https://twitter.com/KerryDenney
Send Kerry a friend request on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.a.denney
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