Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I work part time as a library assistant, where I can share my love for books and reading with others. I also share many hobbies such as fishing and boating, camping and gardening, to name a few. So far I have published three books in total: two e-books and a paperback novel. I have a further twenty five unpublished books that I have been in the process of revising, before I publish them at a later date.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest published novel is called ‘Evil’, and it came from an idea I had brewing up after I sat and watched the classic Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later, on DVD one morning. It struck me that in my near ten years of writing scary stories, I had yet to write a home invasion story. I found the idea of an intruder who doesn’t speak, such as the character of Michael Myers from Halloween H20, to be more frightening than one who does speak. My reason being, if someone talks, you are able to reason with them easier than someone who doesn’t speak. So I wanted to write a home invasion story, with a strong villain who keeps their intentions silent, thus causing more tension and fear among the main characters who are victims of the home invasion.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I don’t tend to write in a more traditional style i.e. structuring each chapter from a particular characters view point. When I write, I visualize the story in my head, much like I’m watching a movie or show play on the television. So when I write, the view point is written from the point of someone who is watching the story unfold much like someone watching a movie unfold. So much of the story is more so written in the third person, or at least heavily contains third person tropes. While this is how I have always, for the most part, written every one of my books, I have since been told that it’s a little different than the norm, when it comes to technique.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read wide, in that I don’t discriminate against genres. Even though I write mainly Horror, I do read all kinds of genres and I enjoy reading books from a wide range of authors. Stephen King and Dean Koontz are two big influences on me, and I do adore the writing of Nora Roberts and I have found her writing to be inspirational.
What are you working on now?
At the moment, I have a multi-character story I have been working on. This one is going to split the chapters up to show and tell the story from a different individual characters view point, making it different to anything else I have written yet. While I have yet to settle on a name for this particular horror story, the short synopsis is: a group of people from different backgrounds, find themselves trapped within an abandoned building, where their every moves are being broadcasted in a live stream on the dark web. They are trapped within a murder game, where only one person must walk free and alive at the end of it. For those who are feeling unsure, or who are unscrupulous, the large cash sum prize for the sole survivor might not help them escape the horrors of the murder game, but it might help them try to live with the terrors of what will occur.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have been using Twitter to help promote my books and writing. I find it helpful in how there are quite a few groups for writers on Twitter, so I’m able to engage with some friendly people who also enjoy reading and writing. I have also used Instagram once or twice to advertise my writing, and to share some progress with some people I know.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes, write what you love, don’t let anyone stop you from working towards your dream, and never give up. If you find yourself struggling to get published traditionally, don’t be scared to look into self publishing. It pays off and works. Something I do believe in strongly is that it doesn’t matter what you write, your skills and talents as a writer can always improve and if you work hard enough, they will improve. Just like everything else, with writing it’s a case of practice makes perfect.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read and write a lot and never give up.
What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading a Dean Koontz novel called ‘Intensity’. It’s a scary, thrilling novel that is keeping me on the edge of my seat.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to finish off the book I’m currently working on writing, than I might take a little break and focus on editing a few stories that I have yet to revisit. After I finish a few rounds of editing and polishing, I’ll start to publish some of my works again.
What is your favorite book of all time?
‘It’ by Stephen King.
Author Websites and Profiles
Joshua Berlin Amazon Profile
Joshua Berlin Author Profile Other Bookseller
Joshua Berlin’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account