Q & A with Scott Nicholson AND giveaway

If you haven't read my review of Speed Dating with the Dead then head over and check it out! I was able to interview Scott, and so with out further delay:

BCM: What got you into attending the supernatural conferences?

SN: I'd always been interested in the supernatural, from both a folkloric and spiritual perspective. As a reporter, I went on a ghost hunt with a local paranormal team and became fascinated by the psychology and whatever science there might be in the activity. Instead of forming a group, I decided it would be more fun to bring 100 ghost hunters together in a haunted novel, going in as a social experiment as much as a parapsychology research effort.

BCM: You mention on your site that Speed Dating with the Dead was based on a conference you went to, what happened that spurred this awesome book?

SN: Ghost hunters are a diverse group, and I love hearing perspectives that range from sheer schizophrenia to quantum theory. Of course, I couldn't resist writing the novel Speed Dating with the Dead based on those experiences. The main character Digger Wilson is a slightly cynical guy who blends showmanship with an interest in ghosts, as well as his own flawed past. Group psychology really comes into play during team hunts, especially when strangers are hunting together.

BCM: What got you into writing, was it something you always wanted to do?

SN: I always knew I was going to be a writer when I grew up. I just didn't think it would take me so long to grow up! Actually, I'm still working on that. Though I took a few detours along the way, I was always into some sort of creative endeavor and moving toward this egotistical, all-consuming path called "aspiring writer." I don't think anyone ever gets past "aspiring."

BCM: What would you tell a budding writer?

SN: If you're a real writer, it doesn't make one bit of difference what I tell you. I could give you a list of everything you should do and only half of it would be useful, and neither of us would know which half. You make your own path in this game, you build your own ladders and rainbows, and there are no blueprints. Go for it and never look back.

BCM: What are the benefits of doing electronic books vs hard copies?

SN: There are too many to list if you are either a reader or a writer. Readers presumably get cheap, instant content in an unlimited supply and of endless diversity. Writers get a direct market with readers, instant connections, and a large percentage of the selling price as income. There's no overhead, so those prices should stay low and the money primarily swapped between the reader and the writer and not a thousand different corporations and gatekeepers. On the downside, ebooks don't work too well when you're soaking in the bathtub.


Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, As I Die Lying, Burial to Follow ,and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

Scott is also hosting an awesome giveaway!

To be eligible for the Kindle DX, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. Visit all the blogs on the tour and increase your odds. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm