Molly Neely is one
of the authors with a story in the soon-to-be-released Fall into Fantasy
anthology, published by Cloaked Press.
Molly describes
herself as “a life long reader of everything from history and theology, to
politics and vampires.” Her first published novel is The Sand Dweller,
released last September by Black Opal Books.
Molly, we both
have stories in the Fall into Fantasy anthology. Yours is titled “Six Degrees
of Zombie Separation.” Would you like to tell us a little about it?
The story started out life as a simple writing prompt. I am a sucker
for anything that has a zombie or bacon in it, and I was all amped up from the
season finale of "The Walking Dead," so…zombies! The story begins at the onset
of the zombie apocalypse, and works backwards towards the source. I intend to
write at least 3 more, continuing the main story, while also being pieces that
can be read independently. Did all that gibberish make sense?
Perfectly clear.
Molly, you live in California, which is a good place to be for attending
writing conventions. Can we expect to meet you at any upcoming conventions?
I like to stay local. Not only because I’m cheap, but because Fresno,
CA, has such a diverse and active writing community. There is a Lit Hop that
happens in The Tower District every year, The Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis hosts
a large Author book fair and A Book Barn (local bookstore) is constantly
hosting events. There is even the occasional conference at Fresno State. But,
if you want to travel outside the comfort zone, there are dozens of book events
and conferences happening year round in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Your first
published novel, The Sand Dweller, features a priest as its
protagonist. That’s an unusual
choice. How did you get inside the head
of your protagonist, Father Caleb Glass?
It seems like every time a book or a movie comes out dealing with
demons and the devil, the priest always gets portrayed as this bulletproof and
fearless holy man who sails in and kicks Satan’s ass…the end. The truth is,
priests, pastors, deacons, whatever, are all human! With human hang ups, human
backgrounds, fears, blah blah blah. I felt it was essential to let the reader
know, that for men of the cloth, the struggle is just as real as it is for us.
But I knew Caleb needed to be special. So, I made him younger than what would
be considered the norm. I felt his lack of experience in life would be the
perfect wrench to throw into his battle with Lucifer.
Molly, you also
have a short story, “A Candle in the Window,” in one of the Snapdragon
collections. That’s a beautiful title,
reminiscent of one of my favorite poems, “A Candle Burned” by Boris
Pasternak. What was your inspiration for
that story?
"Candle" is an old fashioned ghost story, seasoned with young love and
heartache. John Hardy assumes his young love won’t marry him because she’s of
noble birth and he is not. Let’s just say, what separates these two lovers is haunting.
I know you’re a
fan of vampires. Who’s your favorite?
That’s a hard question!! I love a good vampire and there are lots of
them out there. Ok. There’s a film called “Dracula: The Dark Prince,” starring
Rudolf Martin. It’s a Vlad the Impaler becomes a vampire movie. I loved their
take on the history and legend that surrounds the real life people and I was
particularly taken with the way Rudolf Martin played the character. It’s dark
and tragic…and Roger Daltrey from The Who is in it. I was sold. It’s kinda hard
to find, but worth looking for.
Last question: I
understand that you have a pet whippet.
I’ve never seen a whippet. Do you
have a photo?
Of course!
Beautiful dog! Thank you for your
time, Molly!
You can purchase her
novel, The Sand Dweller, via Amazon or Barnes and Noble
