MSM 1- Main Street Magazine "Blogging It!"

Simon Clark

Mini-Bio

Born, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed by the Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.

Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stocking, office work, and scripting video promos.

He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.

Are there any secret novels hidden away in your attic that may or may not see the light of day?

In my teens I wrote a horror novel called HOBSCROSS. That definitely will never see the light of day! But it was personally satisfying to complete it and finally in the early hours of one summer’s morning type 'The End'. Even though the novel will never be published it did prove to me I had the tenacity to write 80,000 words.

What authors do you like to read?

My all-time favourites are Arthur Machen and William Hope Hodgson; they have that extra ingredient that transports their work to some other realm. Also, I'd include Dylan Thomas, John Wyndham, Paul Finch, Mark Samuels, Shirley Jackson, Paul Kane, Gary McMahon, Stan Barstow, Stephen King; the list goes on. And on. Being a writer means that I read a lot of authors to analyse their technique, which can distract me from the story. Lately, I've been studying the likes of HP Lovecraft and Joseph Conrad. Often it's worth reading and re-reading a few paragraphs of a story and unravelling the mechanics of it all.

What is your favourite book?

Paul Ferris's biography of Dylan Thomas. I can read that book every year and still be fascinated and moved by it.

What is your real guilty secret favourite book?

Leo Walmsley's PARADISE CREEK. It's an autobiography about a man living in a hut up a Cornish creek where he tinkers with engines and spends a lot of time fishing. I don't like tinkering with engines or fishing but the book is strangely soothing. I take it with me to read in airports.

What can we see from your in the future?

I'm currently finishing one novel: GHOSTMONSTER, and then I'm just about to start WHITBY VAMPYRRHIC. My Vampyrrhic series features vampire-like creatures from Viking mythology -- the readers' response to the series has been amazing. People have even asked for story locations so they can visit them.

What is THE MIDNIGHT MAN about in no more than 30 words?

Part fact, part fiction it features Vincent Van Gogh, murder, madness and ghosts. THE MIDNIGHT MAN blog can be found here. There's also a short film, too.

What's the strangest fan request or gift you have had?

Nothing weird or troubling. I sometimes get asked for signed photographs, which is flattering as it is surprising.

What is your daily writing routine, if you have one?

I keep office hours, working from around nine until five. Sometimes work creeps into weekends, too.

What advice would you give the great unpublished out there, who wish to follow in your exalted footsteps?

Exalted? Thank you for the compliment. The key to becoming a published author is persistence. Keep writing, just keep writing. Also pick a favourite story and study the mechanics of it. Ask yourself how it works, and what passages hook your attention.

How excited are you to be on a Doctor Who DVD extra?

Enormously. I've been a fan ever since I was knee-high to a Dalek.

Which of your books would make the best film?

THE MIDNIGHT MAN was a real labour of love -- Van Gogh was an amazing artist and utter visionary. If that was produced I'd sit there at the back of the cinema with a tear in my eye.

I and a few others think the horror novel is about to have its 2nd, 3rd or 666th coming, what are your thoughts?

Everyone has a theory about a renewal in horror -- the economy, terrorism, climate; but there does seem to be a new interest in horror in everything from TV to books to computer games. All, I can say is, yes, horror is popular again. So, to all horror fans out there I'd suggest we dive in and enjoy!

Want more great interviews / book reviews? Visit www.thenovelblog.com

~Peter Mark May~

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Maybe it's been a while since you've dated? It's natural to feel nervous and scared about dating again. Even though things seem foreign to you now, you'll eventually begin to navigate the dating waters like a pro. The first thing is to give yourself space to learn some new dating skills and practice the art of approaching people. Don't expect things to click into place immediately. Learning the proper way to go about finding a relationship will take some time and effort, but that's not a bad thing. Start with asking yourself some tough questions, why are you dating? Do you want a friend for companionship? Sometimes ‘outing’s’ just need someone to share it with. Do you miss the sexual or affectionate side of having a partner? Do you want to just meet new people? Maybe it is all of the above, and maybe more than one partner is required, after all we aren’t always attracted to our ‘friends’ are we?

Step one:

Practice.

It is okay, perfect in fact to practice dating, especially if you have not dated in awhile. Go on as many dates as you can to learn how to date again. Go on- put yourself out there, ask your co-workers to set you up, check out a dating site, and strike up a conversation at a café or the grocery store. Like anything else, practice makes perfect, and if you look at every new date you have as a learning experience, practice, eventually you will hit on a person in whom you want to spend more time with.

Bad dates are good learning opportunities, do not take it personally, there are many reasons why a date was bad, and the bottom line is- you just did not mesh. You will not be for everybody, and everybody will not be for you. You do not want to get too serious about the first person you meet anyway, as nice as it is to curl up on the couch with our blankie and romance movie, life is real, not a Hollywood script.

Falling in love with people too easily is a natural outcome when you're new to dating again, this is where the big caution light comes on- do not confuse loneliness’ with love, and do not settle! .Truly meeting the right person will take time, and you shouldn’t rush it, besides there are lots of benefits to the single life.

When you're thrown in the dating world again it can seem as if you need to hurry and find someone new or your life just won't be complete. But don't sell yourself short by trying to rush something that isn't right. Have fun and be true to you, even if you suspect that you probably won't be with your date forever, appreciate the fact you are having a great new conversation, and meeting different people. Keep it light, you do not have to know everything about the person you are with, nor do they have to know everything about you. Share only what your comfortable with.

When we're back in the dating world, it can seem refreshing to talk about our previous long-term relationship and the possible causes for its failure. Save it for your trusted friends, they will be sure to give you the straight goods anyway, either validating that you aren't to blame for their previous relationship ending, (what you want to hear), or that you screwed up, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle! Dating is about the new; do not drag the past with you!

Now is the time to rediscover yourself, often in a relationship you get use to the way you and your former partner always did things. It's natural for couples to get into a routine when they've been together for a long time. But now that you are back in the dating world you can have fun being flexible. Make a list of all the things ‘you’ wanted to do but didn’t because you compromised in your other relationship and start doing them, with someone or alone.

Dating again can be scary, but it can also be fun, it really is about your attitude!

ALWAYS use caution when meeting a new person, meet them, DO NOT have them pick you up or take you home. Double dates are great if you are uncomfortable and safe, do not give out your personal information, and use common sense!

Next month:

Advice on how to spot if someone is not who or what they seem!

As seen in the May Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

For your Free copy of MSM go to www.mainstreetmagazine.net