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Ask the Author: Scott J. Holliday

“I'll be answering questions as long as they keep coming in!” Scott J. Holliday

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Hey Scott, I see that you have a new series going, I'm excited to get started with those as well. I was also wondering if there will still be a 3rd installment of the Barnes series? Thanks.
Scott J. Holliday Bryan,

Thanks for the question. The short answer to your question is yes, there will be more happening with Barnes. Unfortunately, I don't know when that will be. To be absolutely transparent, my first publishing company didn't want to move forward with the next book, leaving me to shop it elsewhere. I'm with a new publishing company now, so I'm walking the path they'd like me to walk before I can get back to Barnes and breathe new life into his adventures. The ideas are there, though. It's just a question of carving out the time to get them written!

Scott
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Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?
Scott J. Holliday I keep my skin supple with emollient cream. It's much easier to slip into.
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Can we expect a 3rd Det Barns novel soon?
Scott J. Holliday Hi Bryan,

There will be a third Barnes novel, but unfortunately I don't think it will be soon. I parted ways with my publisher and found a new one, but the new publisher is looking for me to go in a different direction for the time being. Barnes's story is definitely not finished, but the next installment will come after the dust settles on the current project.

Thanks for the question. Wish I could have given a more definitive answer. Once I have something more concrete, I'll update Goodreads and such.

Scott
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Any particular reason for including the reference to Alice in Chains' "Rotten Apple" other than it being an amazing song? After finishing the book I can't help but thinking that the lyrics could relate to Barnes' inner turmoil both with the machine and his brother's death.
Scott J. Holliday David,

That's a great call. In all honesty, I wasn't thinking about how the lyrics related to the story--though I'm seeing the connection now, and it's spot on--but about how it's maybe the best mood setting song (the whole album, really) for... well, let's just say for a romantic evening :)

To anyone who is reading this, and if you don't already know - Rotten Apple. Really. When the time comes, start there and let the album roll...

Thanks for the question, David.

Scott
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Hi, Scott! I got to review an ARC of your Stonefly, and we communicated about how fabulous I thought your writing was. I wanted to follow up and report that the book is one of our heaviest circulated items in my high school library! Can't wait to read Punishment and the new series! Question: will we ever see more of Jacob Duke? My patrons' only complaint is: They can't immediately read the sequel!
Scott J. Holliday Janie,

Wow! What an amazing thing for me to hear... particularly at this moment in time. I'm literally in the middle of rewriting Stonefly with hopes of future publication. It's been an rough ride for that book. It's one of my favorite stories and some of my favorite characters, but alas I couldn't get anyone to publish it (apart from the self-pubbing I did). It's been odd, because I felt so strongly that it was my best work as it was, but, well, this is a crazy business.

Anyway, a Stonefly ARC won't be the last we hear from Jacob Duke. Either the book will eventually be professionally published with sequels to follow, or I'll find another way.

A quick note on Punishment - it's violent. It kind of had to be, considering it's premise, but in any case I wanted you to know that in advance.

Thank you so much for the feedback, Janie. I'm floored and humbled.

Scott
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Scott J. Holliday I had a rather bland idea about how a device could be used to record a person's memories. I knew it wasn't special, so I thought... what could make this idea special? The answer was Punishment.
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How do you get inspired to write?
Scott J. Holliday I study people. What do people really mean by what they say and what they do, and why do those two things never seem to line up? Knowing these motivations and secrets drives me to want to communicate with others and reveal them. In this way, writing and reading is a dialog about the human condition. It allows each one of us to learn and be better at... well, being human.
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What are you currently working on?
Scott J. Holliday I'm in the editing phases of the follow up to Punishment.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Scott J. Holliday Understand, right off the bat, that you've got a long way to go. It's a long and difficult road to get your work to a publishable standard. Ask yourself, are you willing to be potentially publishing your first book ten years from now? If you just scoffed, you should probably find something else to do. Your work isn't good enough, only you don't know it yet. You gotta stick around long enough, and get good enough, to know you're no good. Only then can you begin to write something other people want to read.
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Scott J. Holliday The most effective thing to do is to simply keep putting words on the page. Even if they don't make sense to the story, putting down words forces the generation of ideas. By way of analogy - if you want to be happy, try smiling. Really, try it right now. Just smile, and ask yourself if you feel happier. Likely, you do. In the same way, writer's block is erased by writing.
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