Recently I sat down with debut author Ryan Brown to ask him a few questions about his novel, Play Dead.
Brad Thor called you the "new Stephen King." Can you give us a quick description of Play Dead?
Play Dead is part sports satire and part horror-comedy. Set in Texas, it's about a high school football team that dies in a horrific prank gone wrong and comes back from the dead as zombies. Only a victory over their vicious district rivals (who also happen to be their murderers) can save the their souls. Think Friday Night Lights meets Dawn of the Dead.
You have a fantastic resume; starring roles in The Guiding Light and The Young and The Restless. How do you manage to juggle your acting career with your writing career?
There is less juggling between acting and writing than there was before I sold Play Dead, and was contracted for a second book. I'm still doing the odd acting job, but most of my focus now is on writing. I usually write between 10am and 4pm (the hours my son is in school) Monday through Friday. I also try to get in two or three hours over the weekend.
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Read, read, read! I cringe to hear authors say they don't read. I read all over the map. Fiction, non-fiction, history, biography... I do a great deal of reading outside of the genre that I write. It works for me. I learn not only from the content, but also from seeing all of the different writing styles.
What was the toughest part about writing Play Dead?
The toughest part about writing Play Dead was justifying the time it took to do so. It took two years, which is a lot of time and work to put into something when there's no guarantee of publication (much less payment). I am of course very grateful for the way it turned out in the end.
Very exciting that May 4th is the release date, Are you doing a book tour or a blog tour? Can your fans find you at signings at Manhattan book stores?
I will have some tour dates following the May 4th publication of Play Dead. They are being finalized as I write this. The dates will be posted on my website: ryanbrownauthor.com.
How are things going on book two? Easier than book one? Or does each book present its own challenges?
Book two is coming along. It's harder in many ways than the first one. It's the first time I've had to write under deadline, which certainly changes everything (perhaps for the best). With Play Dead I had the benefit of writing without expectations (self-imposed and otherwise). Such is not the case anymore. But it's a good problem to have. I feel blessed just to have the opportunity to write a second one.
Glad to see you have two rescued cats. Amazing how many authors have cats. Do they keep you company in your office as you write?
I was a dog lover. I married into the cat thing, but I must admit I'm a convert. My wife already had a rescued cat when we met ten years ago. That cat is still with us. Last October we went out for groceries and came home with another rescued cat. They're both completely mad...but we love them.
Is there anything you'd like to be asked, that you've never been asked?
I've never been asked my favorite Stooge. It's Shemp.
What would your fans be surprised to know about you?
My fans might be surprised to know that I'd trade a decade's worth of paychecks for a decent Tex-Mex restaurant in New York.
Mary Kennedy is a clinical psychologist in private practice and the author of The Talk Radio Mysteries. She lives on the east coast with her husband and eight neurotic cats. The cats have resisted all her efforts to psychoanalyze them, but she remains optimistic.
