Erik Henry Vick is an author who happens to be disabled by an autoimmune disease (also known as his Personal Monster™). He writes to hang on to the few remaining shreds of his sanity. His current favorite genres to write are dark fantasy and horror.
He lives in Western New York with his wife, Supergirl; their son; a Rottweiler named after a god of thunder; and two extremely psychotic cats. He fights his Personal Monster™ daily with humor, pain medicine, and funny T-shirts.
Erik has a B.A. in Psychology, an M.S.C.S., and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence. He has worked as a criminal investigator for a state agency, a college professor, a C.T.O. for an international software company, and a video game developer.
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About the Book
Come, step inside the dark passageways of Erik Henry Vick’s mind. Come meet his friends, devils, one and all.
Robert is a war hero on his way down. Addicted to cocaine, wallowing in guilt, he meets a beautiful woman with the quirky habit of telling everyone she’s the devil.
Rick Bergen learns the true cost of revenge when he enters the world of the voodoo pantheon and meets the manifestation of vengeance.
Rena is kidnapped by polygamist extremists bent on creating an army for the apocalypse—by any means necessary.
An ancient evil has returned to stalk the shores of Lake Seneca. A colonial New Yorker, with the help of an Onondowaga warrior, must confront beings that can’t be killed or reasoned with.
A man is trapped in Rochester, NY by a massive snowstorm, but if he doesn't make his appointment in Buffalo, his entire bloody itinerary will be in jeopardy.
Mind your step. Don’t attract these devils’ attention.
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Keep reading for an interview with the author:
Why did you decide to be a writer?
I have always written -- stories, non-fiction, whatever. I started when I was seven, in order to win a contest hosted by my second-grade teacher. I wrote 70 single page stories to win a trip to McDonald's. As an adult, I got distracted by various things (academia, work, etc.), but was disabled about 8 years ago. I focused on writing fiction again as a way to cope with my disability.
Do you have a "day job"?
No, I'm disabled by a chronic illness (rheumatoid arthritis), also known as my Personal Monster (tm). Most recently, I was a professor teaching video game development.
What inspires you to write?
Stephen King and my Personal Monster (tm). Yeah, I know that sounds a bit strange, but it is true. When I was first disabled, I turned to fiction for solace. I read my favorite books again and again. Perhaps my all time favorite series is
The Dark Tower, and as I was reading it a few years ago, I began to think about how much fun it would be to write something like it. At the time, computer use was very difficult--even sitting in an office chair for longer than 15 minutes was painful--but the idea wouldn't let go. I found a way--a modified sit-stand swing arm and a recliner, along with a bunch of gadgets to accommodate the variable nature of my disease. I also wanted to raise awareness about the disease, chronic illnesses, and life with an invisible disability. All of those things together became my novel,
Errant Gods, which will be released this fall.
How long does it take you to write a novel?
This is actually a very difficult question to answer. Not only are most novels different lengths, but in my experience, each novel has a "personality" (for lack of a better word) of its own. Some just come running, others you have to chase a bit. Then there's the whole first draft vs. finished draft thing, which is a whole other can of worms. I can say that I've written a novel in a month (which was horrible and will never be published), and others have taken years. Then there's the whole Personal Monster (tm) thing. It delights in becoming the largest monkey wrench it can be.
If you could be one of your characters for a day, who would it be and why?
The character Hank Jensen (
Errant Gods) is largely based on me, so definitely not him! I'd like to be Meuhlnir for a day (or century), maybe.
What is the most difficult thing you've ever researched?
In my novella,
The Devil, the character Lily uses slang from multiple languages, including Mexican, Dominican, Hebrew, Russian, German, and Arabic. Keeping all that straight was tough.
What are your goals as an author?
Still writing and self-publishing.
What is the biggest obstacle you face as an author and what do you do to overcome it?
Hands down, my disability. There are weeks and even months at a time when I can't be productive. Unproductive time like that can be the death knell of a novel -- the story dies, the characters become something else, the thread gets lost... One of the best tricks I have in my arsenal at the moment is something I stole from Stephen King -- the "next note." When I'm done writing for the day, I add a "next note" to the bottom of the manuscript. I write what happens next, and if I can't get back to it the next day, it's still there when I can. I also use OneNote to track ideas, characters, settings, etc., because I can get to it from any device.
What is the best compliment you've ever received as an author?
A recent reader told me to think of her as "Constant Reader" (which is how Stephen King addresses his readers in his author's notes).
Have you ever had a particularly harsh critique?
Yes, of course. The thing is, all critiques are good. Even if they are bad. The worst critiques are the "vacuous" ones: things like "this sucks" without further comment. I can't do anything with that. I read every review, every critique, and try to learn from them.
What do you enjoy doing aside from writing?
Reading, joking around (with everyone), finding the best funny T-shirts.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only have five books with you, what would they be?
I would have to take 8. The Dark Tower books.
What made you decide to self-publish?
Not to sound like a broken record, but my illness imposes certain restrictions on me. I wrote my non-fiction book right before I was disabled, and meeting deadlines was a problem. With self-publishing, I am the deadline, so they're much easier to meet.
What fears do you have about writing and being an indie author?
Gaining traction with readers, really. I'm proactive about marketing--that's the only solution, I think.
Do you write in first or third person, past or present tense, and why?
All of the above. I don't like present tense much, but when it makes sense, I use it.
Are you a pantser or outliner?
Pantser!
Do you write about real life experiences, or does everything come from your imagination?
I write from experience, but as a horror writer, my imagination definitely gets in its licks.
Have you ever wanted to put one of your characters together with a character from one of your favorite novels? What characters would you choose and how would their meeting go?
I think it would be cool to have Hank Jensen meet Roland Deschain. They would argue about firearms most likely.
How do you market/promote your work?
I do social media and have spent the past few months building a mailing list, and from there, a launch team of readers who are very interested in my writing.
Do you have anything specific you'd like to say to your readers?
I am very thankful to have readers. I'd love to hear from you!
