Nick Roberts Haunts my Mind..

 

As an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association, I've written two other novels, a short story collection, and hold a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Anathema won Debut Novel of the Year at the 2020-2021 Horror Authors Guild Awards. My second novel, The Exorcist's House, is Crystal Lake Publishing's best-selling novel to date and made the Preliminary Ballot for the 2022 Bram Stoker Awards. The film rights for both books were acquired in 2022. I have two upcoming projects with Crystal Lake Publishing: a short story collection, It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories (June 16, 2023), and The Exorcist's House: Genesis (mid-2024).

Last June, I moved from West Virginia to South Carolina with my wife and three children. I'm an English teacher by day, writer by night and summer. As a person in recovery from substance use disorder (11 years last April), I'm an advocate for shattering the stigma associated with addiction. I've worked in this field on the front lines all the way up to the Board of Directors for West Virginia's largest recovery center. The subject of my research for my doctorate was stigma associated with substance use disorder on the hiring of educators. Addiction/recovery is a common theme in my work.

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From Nick Roberts, the best-selling author of The Exorcist's House and Anathema, comes fifteen dark tales that are as horrific as they are moving.

“Come for the horror, stay for the heartbreaking emotion that bleeds into every page. Roberts really shows his range here, and it’s obvious early on in these stories that they will stick with you long after reading them. It Haunts The Mind is that damn good.”—John Durgin, author of The Cursed Among Us and Inside The Devil’s Nest.

The Tough Questions

•    Where is your favorite place to write? Read? My favorite place to read is on my balcony in South Carolina. I can go out there with a nice cigar and a good book, and all is right with the world.

•    What did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always wanted to be a writer/director. I was a film buff and lover of all things scary ever since I can remember. There was no other backup plan. In my early teens, I got distracted by too much partying, and all other hobbies/lifegoals were put on hold. By the time I got my life back on track, I was 25. I went back to college, got hired as a teacher for a day job, and eventually began writing for publication.

•    What is one thing you need when you sit down to write? I need absolute silence. This is difficult with a wife and three children, so I thank the ghost of Steve Jobs every day for noise-cancelling AirPods. And energy drinks are always welcome.

•    What is one tip you would like to share with an aspiring author? Develop a routine that works for you and STICK WITH IT. It will soon become a habit and then an obsession. When you get to the point that you beat yourself up for missing a day, you’ve reached the necessary work ethic. If you aren’t doing it, someone else is. Writing is the easy part; getting someone to pay you for it is a completely separate beast.

•    Are you a pantser or plotter? Pantser. I watch the movie in my head and write it as I go along. There are pros and cons to this approach, but I’ve tried plotting and found it too spoilery for my motivation.

From BOH reader Heather L.
•    Chili – beans or no beans? No beans.
•    Who’s your favorite superhero and why? Batman. He’s dark, brooding, and a billionaire with a grudge. I’ve always been drawn to the more realistic, vigilante superheroes.

•    DC or Marvel and why is it Marvel? The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever made. For that film alone, I have to say DC. I love Marvel, but they have yet to release a film on par with Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece.

•    You need to hide a body - who do you call to help you? Bret Easton Ellis.
•    Favorite song to belt out in the shower? I practice the Wim Hof Method, and cold showers are a crucial part of his routine. The only sounds I make are deep inhales and exhales as I focus on my breathing to distract me from the fact that my balls have disappeared into myself.

•    What animal would you be and why? A sloth. They live at the right pace.

•    If you were stranded on a deserted island with all your human needs taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you? A humidor full of Cuban cigars and a MacBook.

•    Next project (what are you currently working on)? The Exorcist’s House: Genesis.
•    Scary movies - complete darkness or all the lights on? Darkness.
•    Cats or dogs? Dogs.
•    Who would you stalk? Elon Musk. That dude has got to be up to some strange shit.

•    What inspired you to start writing? I’ve always had an engine for creative expression but watching Pulp Fiction for the first time made me fall in love with writing.

•    How old were you when you wrote your first story? Five.
•    What is your favorite book/story you wrote? My first published short story, “The Deal,” has a special place in my heart.

•    Who is your current favorite author? Stephen King.
•    What is your favorite genre? Horror.
•    Favorite horror movie? The Exorcist.
•    Favorite book of all time? The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty.
•    Cake - vanilla or chocolate? Vanilla.
•    Pizza - pineapple or definitely never on a pizza? On. I’m a recent convert. 

From BOH reader Derek T.
•    Is there a particular author that inspired you to write horror? R.L. Stine.

•    Are there any things required when you write?, i.e., listening to certain music? an adult beverage? complete silence? stuff like that. Caffeine and solitude.

•    Skittles or Starburst? Skittles.
•    Do you read or write anything that's not horror? Yes. I’m eager to see how readers respond to my upcoming collection, It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories, because a third of the tales aren’t horror. I definitely read more than just horror. Anyone who limits themselves to one genre is missing out on a universe of life-changing literature.

•    Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, please discuss. Only Aron Beauregard possesses the information you seek.

•    How do you feel about pants? I prefer togas.
•    Dogs, cats or ferrets? Dogs.
•    Mountains or beach? I moved from West Virginia to South Carolina.
•    Does pineapple belong on pizza? It has an open invitation but shouldn’t overstay its welcome.

•    What's your favorite taco? One I didn’t have to cook.
•    Would you go to space? Fuck off.
•    Do you eat supper or dinner? Dinner.
•    Favorite ice cream? Currently, it’s Blue Bell banana pudding flavored ice cream.

•    Were you a good student? I did well in elementary school, drunkenly derailed in junior high and high school, and excelled in college and grad school.

•    Who was your childhood crush? Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell.

•    Your favorite thing on French fries? Cheese.

 

From BOH reader Shannon E.
•    What’s something you want to learn/ get better at? Meditation and physical fitness.

•    Why did you decide you wanted to be an author? I didn’t; life did.
•    Is there anything you don't eat? Pickles.
•    If you could have 3 wishes, what would they be? Wealth, world peace, and to know the secrets of the universe.

•    If you could have 1 hour to sit down with anyone and talk? Who would it be and what would you talk about? Quentin Tarantino. I wouldn’t even bother to interrupt him.

•    What makes you unique? Fingerprints…?

•    What's something about you that no one else knows? I check my phone at urinals.

•    What’s something you want to learn or wish you were better at? I want to learn to make my own physical book covers.

•    Know any good jokes? A horse walks into a bar. Bartender says, “Why the long face?”

•    What’s something that bugs you? The sounds of people eating.
•    What’s the most embarrassing thing you can remember that’s happened to you? I don’t think the memory of having to walk to the front of the class in junior high with a disobedient erection will ever be topped.

•    What’s your favorite place on earth? Sanibel Island in Florida.
•    Who are the special people in your life? My family, friends, and the pizza delivery guy.

•    What’s something you’re proud of? Getting sober on April 15th, 2012.

•    If your life were a movie who would play you? Ben Affleck on a bender.

•    If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be? Sammy Scott, just so I could stand before a mirror and repeatedly punch myself in the face.

•    If you could have a superpower what would it be? Invisibility…it would be easier to sneak away and write.

•    What would you do if there was zombie apocalypse right now? Get ready for work because I highly doubt they’d cancel school.

•    What were you like as a child? Quiet, creative, and athletic.

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Thank you Nick for stopping by my blog! I clicked pre-order on that new collection.😀

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