I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!
Today we are joined by Gavin Dillinger & Stephen Kozeniewski. Gavin Dillinger is an author based out of Nashville. He is the author of AN EXPLORATION OF EXISTENTIAL INDIFFERENCE IN A VOID OF CONFIDENCE (OR GOOD BOY: A NOVEL), a horror-comedy that has been called "a book." His most recent novel, LOONEY! (co-written with Stephen Kozeniewski), continues in the vein of GOOD BOY with unhinged hyperviolence and over the top characters, while digging into deeper societal questions about patriotism and personal identity. And Stephen Kozeniewski (pronounced "causin' ooze key") is a Splatterpunk Award-winning author and two-time World Horror Grossout Contest champion. His published work has also been nominated for the Voice Arts and Indie Horror Book Awards, among other honors. He lives in Pennsylvania with his fiancée and their two cats above a fanciful balloon studio.
NOTE: In keeping with the sillier side
of the book, Stephen and Gavin decided it might be funny to answer these
questions as each other, so Stephen’s answers were written by Gavin, and vice
versa.
Why do you write?
Gavin Dillinger: I’m not supposed to talk about this, but I receive a number of transmissions via my dental implants from various…well, let’s just call them “entities.” Toth, the Eater of Worlds, broadcasts from deep space via a network of connected wormholes known as the Route of Depravity. He’s been dictating a manifesto to me that I’m supposed to keep absolutely, 100% clandestine and…oops. I meant to say…a beloved English teacher encouraged me to write.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Gavin Dillinger: Well, I don’t know if it’s
hidden, per se, because I’m very
public about it, but the answer is erotic self-portraiture. What I really like
to do is just grease up my hair, hang a bright neon-orange background, and just
go to town. Just absolutely go to town on that shutter button. You’ve probably
seen some of my work online?
Stephen Kozeniewski: It’s impressive. He has a
certain je naus se quois to his
performance. That’s a French phrase. You use it when you don’t know how to
describe something. I find it very useful when speaking to my proctologist.
What’s the most useless
skill you possess?
What’s something that’s true about you but no one believes?
Stephen Kozeniewski: I am fluent in French, and if you visit me at a con or proctology appointment, I will speak French with you.
What’s your kryptonite as a writer?
Gavin Dillinger: Oh, man, just, you know, going it alone. If I don’t have a co-author to keep me on track and to do all the editing and, frankly, most of the work, I am just useless. Yeah, I mean, that’s my secret shame.
Stephen Kozeniewski: I thought carrying Wile
E. Young through Perfectly Fine House was
difficult, but ho boy! At least that man has seen a book before. I genuinely
wonder if Gavin knows what a word is. When I call him, usually to do wellness
checks, he just grunts into the phone. If it wasn’t for the community service
requirements of my parole, I never would have done this book with him.
What genres won’t you read?
Gavin Dillinger: I refuse to read non-fiction.
Like, what, am I, back in school? I pick up a book because I’m supposed to be
learning? About the real world? Nah, screw that, man. Come to think of it, I’m
not too keen on fiction, either. The main thing I like to read is billboard
advertising copy. Lie to me, but I know you’re lying to me, that’s the key.
What’s the single best
line you’ve ever read?
Stephen Kozeniewski: I recently purchased an omnibus of Family Guy scripts. I’ve long appreciated the show and its dialogues. Reading Quagmire’s catchphrase in print moved me to tears. I could feel the emotion and frustration of his solitude, yearning for companionship but plagued by excess, all rolled into a single “giggity.” I cried.
You have to choose an animal or cartoon character that best represents you. Which is it and why
Stephen Kozeniewski: Quagmire. You know why.
What is under your bed?
Gavin Dillinger: Poopy poopy diapers. I just
throw them under there. Saves a ton on plumbing and the water bill. Still
haven’t filled up the space yet, so I figure I’m good to go for a while yet, as
long as I don’t answer the door when the super knocks.
What’s the one thing you
wish you knew when you were younger?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When beloved cartoon characters
come crawling out of her TV, army recruiter Gabriella Harman expects a zany
romp instead of the hellish nightmare that follows.
One night, haunted by her memories of Iraq, Gabriella downs a stomachful of
pills and booze. When her favorite cartoon characters, the Kooky Toons, start
crawling out of the TV, she assumes she is hallucinating.
But soon Gabriella finds herself locked in a battle of wits and wills with
Herman Hyrax, the world-famous, wise-cracking mascot of the Kooky Korporation.
Herman is more than just a stinker, though. He may be a monster, a demon, a
god, or something entirely more unwholesome.
Is Gabriella’s descent into a world of cartoonish violence and psychological
torment real? Or has she simply gone…
LOONEY!?
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