A Writer's Tale

Sept. 24 I started working on a new novel called, The Look. (I don’t think it went anywhere.)

Sept. 30 A letter arrived from Tom Dunne, who had just bought Quake for St. Martin’s Press, in which he made several suggestions for revisions and ways to proceed with the parts I hadn’t yet written.

Oct. 1 I returned to writing Quake, which I’d stopped writing on April 3, 1992 about a year and half earlier.

Nov. 29 I started making notes for a new novel, working title Body Hitcher, which would be published as Body Rides.

Nov. 30 I wrote an introduction for Bentley Little’s first collection of short fiction.

1994

Jan. 17 BIG AWFUL EARTHQUAKE!!! A 6.6 magnitude earthquake (or larger) struck the Los Angeles area at 4:31 a.m. We thought it was “all over.” For a while, we were trapped inside our house because a book case containing my published novels had fallen in the way of the front door and we couldn’t find the key to the back door. But we finally got out, and stayed in our car until dawn. Our only major damage was the loss of our chimney and fireplace.

Jan. 22 In spite of the destruction throughout the Los Angeles area, we went ahead with a signing at Don Cannon’s Aladdin Books.

Jan. 25 I got back to writing Quake with quite a lot of fresh perspective under my belt.

Feb. 7 I was interviewed by John Fredrickson via telephone at 7:30 a.m. for a radio show out of Penn State University.

March 3-6 We drove to Phoenix, AZ for the World Horror Convention. I spoke on a couple of panels, autographed books and met authors and fans. I finally got to meet Bob Morrish, one of the three guys who had published A Good, Secret Place and who would also be a publisher of this book.

March 20 EARTHQUAKE! Though we’d had a lot of aftershocks from the Jan. 17 quake, this was a big one. It was magnitude 5.3, hit on a Sunday afternoon when we are all home, and lasted 30 seconds. Ann, Kelly and I stood around holding television sets and the china cabinet.

March 24 I finished writing Quake.

March 24 - April 4 We took a driving trip to Arizona, returning to Tombstone, then spent a few days in Bullhead City with the De Larattas.

April 5 I started a new novel, working title Glory Bus. (Never finished.) May 7-8, 15-16 I wrote the short story, “The Maiden,” which would be published in Dark Love, edited by Nancy Collins and Edward Kramer.

May 8 “We took a Sunday morning drive to explore downtown Los Angeles and east L.A., and saw a dead body on the pavement of a car lot near the Hollenbeck police station. It was partly covered with a blanket and surrounded by several cops.

May 25 I started making notes for my novel, Island.

May 27-30 ABA in Anaheim. We had dinner with Bob Tanner, went to a breakfast for a talk by Pat Conroy, and had lunch with Jane Morpath of Headline. Had a ten second chat with Stephen King, a man in a hurry.

June 2-6 We drove to Las Vegas for the Horror Writers of America weekend. I had been nominated for a Bram Stoker award in the short story collection category for A Good, Secret Place.

June 29 I had lunch at the Bel Air Hotel with my publisher, Tim Hely Hutchinson.

July 12-13 I worked on notes for Down Cellar, the third Beast House book. I sent a partial and notes to Bob Tanner, then started making extensive notes on The Cellar and Beast House to ready myself for writing the sequel.

July 22-26, Aug. 15-16 I wrote the short story, “Herman,” which would be published in Cemetery Dance.

July 28 - Aug. 15 We flew to Memphis, TN, stayed a few nights, then took the Mississippi Queen down the river to New Orleans, where we spent a week. Among other things, we visited Graceland in Memphis and William Faulkner’s home in Oxford.

Sept. 1-8 We spent a week in New York City. There, we had a meeting with Thomas Dunne of St. Martin’s Press in his office at the Flatiron Building.

Sept. 14 I started writing my novel, Island.

Sept. 24 I went to Dangerous Visions bookstore for a signing of the Zebra paperbacks of Midnight’s Lair, etc.

Sept. 27 A memorial service for Robert Bloch took place in Westwood, and I attended.

Dec. 26 - Jan.1 We went on a trip with De Larattas to Death Valley, Tonapah and Ely, Nevada. At an Ely bookstore, we were told that Stephen King had recently come through on his motorcycle. Apparently, he was in the area doing research for Desperation.

1995

Jan. 23 I finished writing Island. And the trial started for O.J. Simpson in connection with the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Though continuing to get my writing done during the months of the trial, I watched nearly all of the trial on live TV.

Jan.’ 27 I started working on my new novel, Body Rides.