A little bit about Stuart Bray

Stuart Bray was born in Kentucky and has written over 30 books, none of them are for the faint of heart.

I met Stuart in a group on Facebook after reading a few of his novels and despite the graphic and violent nature of his literature, he is a very nice guy.  I am proud to call him one of my literary friends.

He doesn't know it yet, until he reads this blog post, but he inspired a lot of Candlelight Lounge and showed me that writing within parameters is boring.  He uses graphic and disturbing situations to convey a message to his audience.  Please note, that his books are NOT meant for younger audiences in any capacity!

What is Splatterpunk?

Splatterpunk is a sub-genre of extreme horror literature, and everyone seems to have a difference in opinion on what qualifies.  In my humble opinion, splatterpunk is limitless.  It is a piece of work that could never be shown on screen due to its content.  Most authors include a list of trigger warnings at the beginning of their books if they consider their work to be splatterpunk.

Think Lollipop Chainsaw meets a snuff film, but it sheds light on the human psyche and is an up-close and personal look at what humans are capable of.

Sit down with the master

• What inspired you to start writing?
• I remember always reading books like The Outsiders and The Old Man and the Sea when I was a kid.  Something about how those stories made me feel at that age is what I think inspired me to start creating stories of my own.  I don't think I really got serious about writing until around 2017 when I decided to sit on my ass long enough to start writing my first novel.  It had to be the show Californication that made being an author look so cool.
• Tell us something interesting about you personally
• Something interesting? Well, I got my professional wrestling/boxing license back in 2009 (which you must have in Kentucky if you want to do either of those two things professionally) before joining a motorcycle club in 2013 and becoming my chapter's sergeant at arms.  It was a very interesting period in my life.
• What are your favorite books you've written, and why?
• Easily Obscurus 1939, and The Boys of Barren County.  Both of those books allowed me to step outside of the horror genre for a little bit and experience something else and write in a way I didn't know I was capable of.
• What are your biggest challenges when working on a novel?
• Honestly, keeping myself from going off the rails and murdering all my main characters halfway through.
• What are your guilty pleasure reads/genres?
• I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved reading the Twighlight series, those books were awesome.  The film adaptations on the other hand, not really my cup of tea.  But those books, especially Eclipse, are beautifully written.
• Are you a "planner" or a "pantser"?
• Meticulous planner on a handful of books, pantser on all the rest.
• What are some of your favorite quotes from your books?
• "I am mother nature's hired exterminator." (Paul from Violence on the Meek pt 1)
• Which character did you identify with the most, or has the most of "you" in them?
• Ren from Heretic.  That shit was me through and through.
• Tell us a little about your writing/editing process.  When you finish a manuscript, do you stare at a wall for a while or get right on editing?
• I like to write early in the morning, 5 o'clock is usually my favorite time to start.  There's something about writing in that morning silence.  When it comes to editing, I have close friends for that.
• Knowing your writing touches on some sensitive topics, how do you handle negative feedback or criticism?
• Damn, that's a good question.  When it comes to the negativity regarding what I write, I look at it like this.  I'm not Stephen King; I'm not a big-name author with millions of fans.  I'm an indie author who's amassed a small but loyal number of readers.  In twenty years, who's going to give a fuck what I wrote?
• What advice would you give someone who's just starting on their writing journey?
• Stay humble, interact with your readers in a positive way, you're not above anyone else and your readers owe you nothing.
• What unexpected challenges have come up during your writing career?
• Imposter syndrome.  Some days I'm proud of myself for what I've worked hard to build, others I can't wait for it to come crashing down so I don't have to deal with it anymore.
• What would you like to tell readers about your books?
• I try hard to write something for everyone.  So don't be discouraged by the warning labels on the front of my extreme stuff, not all my work is like that.  If you don't like extreme horror, that's fine, I have lots of other shit to choose from.
• How can your books be found?  How can you be contacted?
• All of my work is available on Amazon in a variety of formats.  Paperback, e-book, audiobook, you name it.  I can be contacted through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, email, whatever the fuck gets you off.  If you want to order from me directly, slide into my DM's.

A big thank you to my first spotlight author, it was an absolute pleasure to read your responses, sir.  I look forward to reading your next release!

Note: If you're an author and would like to be featured in one of my blog's author spotlights, please email me.  I love supporting fellow authors.