Q1 Could you please start by introducing yourself to our readers?
A1. I’m Joel McKay, an author by night and city manager by day who lives in Prince George, British Columbia. I have two daughters, a Maine Coon named Daphne, three books to my name and a host of short stories. I typically write horror and dark fantasy.
Q2 What would you say is your strength as an author?
A2. Pace and dialogue. Many reviewers have picked up on the speed at which I keep a story moving, which is purposeful as I’m always trying to write within the style and structure of old school pulp yarns. Dialogue comes naturally to me after years as a journalist – do enough interviews and you become an expert in the way people talk and the back-and-forth of interesting conversation.
Q3 What is your favorite part from your book ‘It Came From the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations’?
A3. My favourite story in the anthology is “The Warrior’s Task” – it’s different than the rest in that it’s a grimdark fantasy and it’s a morally driven story about honour, sacrifice and how even brief relationships can be as deep and meaningful as long ones.
Q4 How do you handle literary criticism?
A4. I laugh.
Q5 What do you like about audiobooks?
A5. It’s a different medium in which to enjoy literature. I enjoy the pace, the cadence, the tone of voice. I particularly love listening to Michael Kramer narrate Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. He has an incredible style and voice.
Q6 How has the experience of writing and publishing a book influenced your perception of yourself?
A6. I don’t think it has. I’ve always written, I’ve been published more times than I can count. It’s just what I do so it doesn’t really affect me in any measurable way.
Q7 What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
A7. Clarity, voice, structure, and conflict.
Q8 What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
A8. I try to be as disciplined as possible and treat it like a job. My mantra is “two sentences a day” – just to keep me at it, it often ends up being a lot more than that.
Q9 What is the significance of the title ‘It Came From the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations’?
A9. It Came From the Trees is the title of the novelette featured in the anthology, the other half of the title describes the dread and unusual nature of each of the remaining stories that form the collection.
Q10 What did you want to be when you grew up?
A10. A novelist. Here we are!
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