An Interview with Author, Erren Grey Wolf!!

Where are you from?

I was conceived in Durham County, England, and was a fetus when my parents set foot in Canada. I was made in England and exported to Canada. At least, my physical body was. My soul, of course, came from the Spirit World, as everyone’s did. I’ve lived in Canada all my life in several places.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I had a nervous breakdown at the end of 2004 and thereafter had to take Lithium for Bipolar Disorder. It made my hands shake, so I had to quit art school. I really wanted to be an artist and I was good at it, but I could no longer hold my hands steady enough to measure the models. It was with a heavy heart that I had to quite, but my creativity demanded an outlet and I began writing about the daydreams I had when I was a teenager. Once I set down to writing seriously, a whole saga exploded into my mind. I have published the first two books of what might be a ten-book saga.

Do you write full-time or part-time? How do you balance your writing life with your family/work life?

Due to my Bipolar Disorder, the time it takes for me to get to sleep, the amount of sleep, and the time I get up is completely unpredictable, but whenever I do get up, I write and keep writing until 10 o’clock when CTV News comes on. I’m on Vancouver Island and I visit my best friend on the mainland every so often to play Arkham Horror.

What jobs have you held that influence your stories?

None.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I write the stories I see in my head and those stories inspire me to write poems, so my books have small poems placed intermittently throughout.

How did you come up with the title?

Beneath the Surface is all about hidden things. The two brothers are telepathic and can see beneath the surface of other people’s minds. In every book, there are secrets needing to be discovered. The Lost Boy cannot be found because he is stolen away by the Forest Queen and lives in an etheric palace beneath the surface of the Mississauga Forest. Long-Lost Brother is when Sean’s telepathy fully awakens. He finds his lost brother amongst a pack of wolves and brings him home, but they discover the secrets with their father’s mind which shock them!

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I want people to empathize with the characters so they feel the sorrows they feel. Basically, I want people to understand what trauma is like. A trauma lasting only minutes can last a thousand lifetimes. In The Lost Boy, the mother dies during childbirth, leaving the father and the son traumatized. Sean, the eldest son, abandons his baby brother out of grief, blaming him for their mother’s death. He realizes his mistake later and tries to find the boy who is now lost. In Long-Lost Brother, Sean finds his brother, but when he brings him home, Erren cannot eat the mundane foods of the outer world after eating the spiritual foods of the Otherworld. Sean is desperate to save him from starvation, but their father’s attitude complicates matters. He still has flashbacks of his wife’s tragic death and pushes his youngest son away, emotionally. Erren knows he is unwanted and does not want to live. In the next book, “Haunted,” the father is much better, but still has to deal with his trauma. In the later books, the two brothers join the military and then I’ll be talking about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

How much of the book is realistic?

Do you mean non-fictional or are you asking if it is set in a real world and not a world filled with unicorns and rainbows? It is fictional, but there is no magic. The extraordinary Talents the two brothers have are abilities found in rare people, although I may push the limits a bit. They have telepathy and their third eyes are open, so they can see auras, elementals (fairies), and thought-forms. Fairies are real. I have described them according to the book, The Real World of Fairies, by Dora Van Gelder, who was a rare person who could really see them. She describes them much the same way as one might compile a field guide of birds. Erren has the abilities to be immune to the cold. This is real, too. I once saw a yogi on TV and he put himself in a small box and this was placed in freezing cold water. The next day or so, I can’t remember how long it was, he came out and he didn’t suffocate or die of hypothermia. So all the abilities the brothers have are found in the real world, although, as I said, I pushed the limits a bit. The stories are set in a future world, but I wanted it to be as realistic as possible, while also being imaginative.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

A lot of the stories are my own life described symbolically. I know about trauma, so I write from experience. Erren is my alter ego, so the traumas he suffers are my own, especially in the later books when he suffers from PTSD.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I love The Lord of the Rings. There is a great purpose for good people to fight against evil. The same is true in my books, although the battle doesn’t really start until the end of the fourth book.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

J. R. R. Tolkien.

What book are you reading now?

I am trying to get through the humungous commemorative edition of the Necronomicon, by H.P. Lovecraft. He’s a good writer, but he really overdoes it. I mean, how many stories can he tell about a man with frail nerves who goes mad after seeing something that is so terrible it is indescribable?

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I love Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series.

What are your current projects?

I’m working on Beneath the Surface: Haunted, which it the third book in the series. After that is Wolfboy, the fourth book, which is almost completely finished. The fifth book is The Wicked Deed, where Erren is tortured in a satanic ritual and becomes an assassin. His telepathic bond with his brother is cut off and he is hidden in darkness while Sean tries to find him. The sixth book is The Dragon Assassin, where Erren kills many people and his brother follows his visions to try to find him before he kills again and before someone kills him. The seventh book is The White Temple Hopsital, where Sean brings his brother to heal him as much as possible before the court trial in the next, etc. I won’t say anymore!

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

The Government of Canada. When I had my nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder (Bipolar Disorder with some symptoms of schizophrenia), I could no longer work, so my psychiatrist and case manager put me on disability. If that had not happened, I wouldn’t have had the time to write. That was a great blessing. It was as if the devil destroyed my life, but God gave me a break and said, “You no longer have to work. Now’s your chance to make use of this time to write!”

Do you see writing as a career?

Writing is a career. It is the only thing I have left that I am able to do. With chronic insomnia, in spite of having three different anti-anxiety medicines, I would never be able to hold down a nine-to-five job. Sometimes my depression is so bad that I end up in bed all day. Writing really is the only thing I can do. My life is destroyed, but my vocabulary and imagination are intact. I can still dream. They say that people with Bipolar Disorder are often extremely creative. I believe that is true for me as well.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

As I said, when I had to quit art school, I sought another outlet for my creativity and began writing about the stories I’ve had in my head since I was a teenager.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Excerpt from The Lost Boy:

Sean was like a foxhunter poised upon his horse with his hounds all around him, waiting for the blare of the trumpet to set him loose after the fleeing fox. Despite his doubts, Sean’s quest had taken him over into a realm where logic seemed to hold no sway and he was now as bound to his chosen task as if the magic of the mythical Wild Hunt had caught hold of him. With her last words, his dead mother had pulled back her bow like the great Celtic Goddess of the Black Forest, Abnoba the Huntress, and had launched her eldest son like a shining arrow of hope into the dark forest to find her little boy.

Excerpt from Long-Lost Brother:

Sean lowered his head like a fierce stag protecting a tender fawn against a predator. He looked up from beneath his angry brows and threatened with bold words like deadly prongs aimed at the doctor, “Don’t you dare touch him! There is no way in hell I will let the brain doctors anywhere near my little brother! If I see anyone come at us with a scalpel, I swear to God I will kill them!”

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Marketing. I really, really hate the marketing aspect of writing. I wish I had someone to do it for me. I have never been business-oriented like my entrepreneurial brother.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

J.R.R. Tolkein. The thing I like best in The Lord of the Rings is the companionship between Frodo and Sam. It is so pure and loyal. I have taken that idea and used it in my books. The two brothers, Sean and Erren, have a bond like that which is pure and loyal. Sean didn’t realize it at first, when he abandoned his baby brother in the forest in the first book, but after finding him in the second book, he realizes that Erren is his best little buddy. Thereafter, Sean is always looking out for him.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Not yet.

Who designed the covers?

I designed the covers. The Lost Boy has tree roots, symbolizing things hidden beneath the surface. The roots are a public domain image, but I painted the wolf’s head myself in acrylic.

Long-Lost Brother has two images I purchased from BIG stock images online and I modified them for my vision of the book cover. The peach symbolizes the Otherwordly fruits that Erren can no longer have and starves. The wolf howling symbolizes Erren’s Totem and the fact that he ran amongst the wolves in the forest when not living in the etheric palace. The book is blue and the wolf is mournful because Erren receives one shock after another in the outer world and learns about sorrow.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Editing and proofreading. It seemed that no matter how much I reread my book, there were still typos or errors I kept catching. It’s a good thing my dad is a metallurgical engineer who used to proofread technical journals. He has been a great help. It’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes review your work.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learned all about formatting my books for various publishers.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you have a good story, believe in yourself and never stop writing. Even if you get a dozen rejections, just keep on writing. Never give up.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for enjoying my books.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

One of the challenges was creating a whole world, or rather two worlds. Humanity now lives in the Frey Solar System, inhabiting two planets in neighbouring orbits. I created calendar systems and bar graphs so that, in the future books, when people travel from one planet to the other, I could keep track of the time on the calendars. A Freyan year, for example, equals three Midgard years. They both use the 24-hour day system and the same days of the week, but the Freyan days are longer, so the days of the week keep sliding around the Midgard days. I wanted to be mathematically accurate for fear that someone would say, “Hey! It’s not possible for this person to be on this planet at this time, when he just came back from the other planet,” or whatever. I kept thinking of Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist, and I had done my best to make sure he can’t pick holes in my planetary calendar systems!

What do you think about e-publishing versus technical publishing?

E-publishing if fine IF you have money to put into marketing. If not, you need a traditional publisher.

Do you have an agent or publisher? How did you go about finding one?

I am looking for a literary agent. I have a copy of 2013 Guide To Literary Agents, by Chuck Sanbuchino, and have sent out a bunch of query letters hoping to find a literary agent. It is fun to self-publish and to do everything yourself, but as I said, I really hate marketing! I’d rather have a literary agent and a traditional publisher.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Some place warm.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Telekinesis. If I had this power, I would never have suffered the traumas I have had in life that literally drove me insane!

For More on Erren Grey Wolf:

Author of Beneath the Surface: The Lost Boy (V1) and Long-Lost Brother (V2).
http://www.errengreywolf.ca/
http://www.twitter.com/errengreywolf
The Lost Boy (V1): Sean Archer seeks redemption by hunting the haunted forest for the little brother he so carelessly abandoned out of grief for the loss of their mother.
Long-Lost Brother (V2): Sean finds his lost brother under unusual circumstances which awaken his latent telepathy and metaphysical sight. Unfortunately, when he brings his brother home, the boy cannot eat the foods of the outer world after eating the foods of the Otherworld. Sean is desperate to find a solution before his brother starves to death.  

Writing Challenge With Author, Erren Grey Wolf!

"Challenge: In 2000 words or less, write about a woman who protects the secret of the mysterious lake in the forest."

 

The Result:

THE MAIDEN OF SYLVAN LAKE

By Erren Grey Wolf

 

 

Sylvan Lake was once an empty crater made by the strike of a meteor. It looked as if the hand of God had thrown a small grenade at the Earth. Over the ages, it had collected water until it became an isolated lake in the middle of the Mystic Forest. The lake was serene most of the time, except when a storm disturbed it. Fish swam within it only because some brave men had found it and put them there. Once found, however, they left in a hurry and never returned. Word travelled that the lake was haunted, but the daring few who journeyed there came screaming back with frightening tales of how some members in their party had died there.

 

Edgar, the football captain at Badgerhills College, heard the tales of this enigmatic lake and wanted a challenge. During summer break, he and four others set forth to visit Sylvan Lake to bring back a trout or two to brag to their peers. They sought not to eat the fish, but to mount it with pride on a wall with the words, “Rainbow Trout Caught In Sylvan Lake.” Edgar liked to boast and this would be a major addition to his wall of athletic trophies!

 

Edgar led the way as they entered the Mystic Forest. Two women followed him and two men were at the rear, sharing the burden of carrying a canoe. All wore backpacks full of gear.

 

“How far is it?” asked Amanda, a short young woman with Chinese features.

 

“A two-day hike,” said Edgar. “We’ll have to camp along the way. Having doubts?”

 

“No way!” she said proudly. “If you can do it, so can I!”

 

“Good going, sister!” praised Julia, the cheerleader, reaching forward to pat her friend on the shoulder.

 

“Yeah, we’ll see,” said James doubtfully from the back of the line. “We might have to leave the girlies behind!” 

 

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” asked Orlando, the fastest runner at the college. He looked at the woman right in front of him with her long blonde hair held back in a ponytail that seemed to dangle enticingly before his eyes. “I think Julia is hot!”

 

“Hey!” protested Amanda. “What about me?!”

 

“I think you’re hot!” said James, the head of the soccer team. “You wanna sleep in my tent, honey?”

 

“Ick! No!” she said distastefully. “I just wanted an ego boost, not an egotistical jerk!”

 

Edgar looked back briefly and intervened, “That’s enough, everyone! Remember, we’re a team! We must get along if we are to be successful!”

 

“Yes, sir!” obeyed James with a sneer behind Edgar’s back.

 

Julia said to Amanda a bit protectively, “You and I will stick together. Let the boys have their own tent!”

 

“Sounds good to me!” said Amanda cheerily.

 

When they arrived at Sylvan Lake, they set up camp between the forest and the pebbly shore. It was late, so they made a campfire and cooked dinner. As they sat around the fire, the full moon shone its reflected light upon them. They could see a million stars in the sky. The students seemed like good friends sharing tales around the fire, but something sinister lurked in the heart of one of them.

 

When Amanda went into the forest alone to tend to her business in private, she encountered James on her way back. “Out of my way, jerk!” she demanded as she tried to go around him.

 

He grabbed her by the arm, put a hand over her mouth, and pushed her to the ground in the pitch-black forest. She dropped her flashlight and tried to scream, but he was so strong. She lost her footing and fell on her back. She struggled against him, while he tore at her clothes like a wild animal.

 

No one ever heard the screams she cried within her mind.

 

When it was over, he threatened, “Don’t you dare tell anyone! They’ll be ashamed of you and you’ll never be able to face them again!”

 

He left her in the forest, infected with shame, and she cried in the darkness alone.

 

When she returned, she was not her cheery self. Julia asked, “Are you all right?”

 

Amanda merely said, “I’m just tired.” The two girls slept inside their exclusive tent and the boys slept in theirs. No one else knew of the dastardly deed that James had committed that night.

 

The next day, Amanda opted to go fishing last, so Julie, James, and Orlando used the canoe to fish first. Edgar stayed behind with a rifle to make sure no wild animals came to their camp. While he was guarding at the edge of the forest and the canoe was far in the centre of the lake, Amanda sadly walked to the shore and knelt down at the edge of the water. She didn’t care if her knees got wet; she just looked at her horrible reflection in the still water. She was the proud winner of the swim team and now she felt so ashamed. Her tears fell like raindrops onto the surface of the water, causing small ripples, as she cried quietly so no one would know her sorrow.

 

Someone heard her.

 

That night, when the group was sitting around the campfire, everyone was joking and smiling, except for one who forced a smile to hide her shame. Those not involved in the crime never knew anything was wrong. No one saw the ripple in the water in the moonlit night. 

 

No one saw it coming closer.

 

It looked like something was swimming just beneath the surface of the lake, creating a V-shaped ripple that looked like an arrowhead aimed at the camp, but something much larger than a trout made this disturbance.

 

When it neared the shore, something began to emerge. A woman’s head rose up slowly until her mysterious eyes were just above the water level. Those intense eyes never blinked. In the dark, you could not see her colouring. If you could, you would be shocked! Her hair was so dark a blue it was almost black. Her skin was light blue and her haunting eyes were the colour of cobalt. Those beautiful, mystical eyes stared with anger towards the camp.

 

She came closer.

 

When her feet touched the bottom, she walked towards the shore with purpose. She arose, the goddess of the lake; she emerged from the water so smoothly, so fluidly, as if she were part of the lake itself. Her hair was so long it dripped down to the small of her back. Her angry gaze never left the campfire; it never blinked as she moved closer.

 

She flowed across the shore like a ballerina, barely making a sound on the pebbles. An azure blue gown hung wetly to her knees. She had the perfect features of a Greek goddess, with haunting, focused eyes.

 

They saw her.

 

Edgar wondered, “Who the hell is that?”

 

In the dark lit only by the campfire, it was difficult to see her unusual complexion.

 

James grinned wickedly and stood up to say, “Well, hello, lady!”

 

Julia stood up and admonished, “Shut up, James!” She was able to see the woman was soaking wet and asked with concern, “Are you all right? Do you need a blanket?”

 

All this time, the water woman’s eyes fixed upon James. In truth, she had never taken her eyes off him. When she came within a couple of metres of him, she smiled with her unblinking eyes and reached out a hand to him, beckoning him closer like a siren.

 

James was not one to refuse an invitation from a pretty lady, and when there was none, he invited himself. He went to her and she put her cold, wet hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. He put his arms around her wet body to feel her cold skin through the thin, dripping gown. He didn’t notice anything unusual about her. He didn’t care that she was soaking wet and might be cold. He was a selfish man.

 

Orlando scolded, “James! For God’s sake, man!”

 

James ignored his friends and was lost in the kiss as he groped the unnamed woman.

 

Julia crossed her arms and said, “What an asshole!”

 

Amanda never said a word.

 

This situation changed for James. His eyes went wide and he tried to pull away, but the enigmatic beauty’s supernatural hold on him was too strong.

 

Edgar stood up, seeing James struggle, and said, “James, are you OK, man?”

 

The woman let James go with an eerie, satisfied smile. He backed away from her unsteadily, trying to breathe, and fell on his back. He struggled to his hands and knees as Edgar got out his rifle. Orlando and Julia came to his aid, looking worried, but Amanda stayed where she was, trying to look small and unnoticeable.

 

Orlando knelt beside James and said, “He’s choking!”

 

Julia looked at the mysterious woman, who exuded a power beyond all men, and demanded, “What did you do to him?!”

 

James choked, trying to get a breath, but water poured out of his mouth in great amounts. More water poured out than could possibly have been held in his lungs and stomach combined. It continued pouring out.

 

The maiden stood silently with the campfire reflecting demonically in her angry eyes as James drowned to death on land.

 

Orlando said in shock, “He’s dead! Where the hell is the water coming from?!”

 

The water was still pouring out the dead man’s mouth.

 

Edgar pointed the rifle at the woman and demanded, “What the hell did you do to him?”

 

She fixed her unblinking eyes on Edgar, in defiance of his weapon, and spoke with all the power of an enraged goddess, “How DARE you come here and commit crimes in MY realm!”

 

Terrified, Orlando stood up and hurried back towards Edgar, the only one with a weapon. Julia, eyes wide, moved back towards Amanda.

 

“What crimes?” asked Edgar. “We’ve committed no crimes here!”

 

The blue woman pointed towards the small, hunched figure and said, “Tell them!”

 

Amanda looked down and shook her head. Tears began to form in her eyes.

 

Julia looked away from the dangerous woman to put a hand on her friends shoulder and asked, “Amanda, what’s wrong?”

 

Amanda burst into tears and covered her face in her hands.

 

“TELL THEM!” ordered the maiden of the lake with a power beyond mere mortals.

 

Orlando asked, “Tell us what? What the hell is going on here?”

 

In a small voice, barely heard by the rest of her group, Amanda said, “He raped me.”

 

Julia gasped, “Oh my God!”

 

The two men were silent.

 

The maiden stretched her hand towards Amanda and beckoned her serenely, “Come, child, and I will take away your sorrow.” 

 

Amanda looked at the woman and stood up without a second thought.

 

“No, Amanda!” exclaimed Julia in horror.

 

Amanda moved towards the woman.

 

Julia grabbed her arm to stop her, warning, “Don’t do it! She already killed James!”

 

Through her tears, Amanda said angrily, “He deserved it! I don’t!” She shook her arm free and walked towards the woman. 

 

Edgar warned, “Don’t do it, Amanda!”

 

Orlando added, “Amanda! She’ll kill you!”

 

A wet, blue hand grasped Amanda’s and pulled her to stand beside her. The maiden then warned, “Get out of my realm or I will drown you ALL!”

 

Those words sent chills of terror throughout the group, except for Amanda. As for her, she continued holding the maiden’s hand as she led her to the shore.

 

Her friends shouted after her, but were too afraid to approach. They watched her slowly enter the water in horror until she and the maiden disappeared beneath its surface.

 

No one ever saw Amanda again, but the next time a party came to the lake seeking adventure, they saw a blue woman rise up from the still waters, this time with Chinese features.

 

For More On Erren Grey Wolf:

Author of Beneath the Surface: The Lost Boy
http://www.errengreywolf.ca/
http://www.twitter.com/errengreywolf
The Lost Boy: Sean Archer seeks redemption by hunting the haunted forest for the little brother he so carelessly abandoned out of grief for the loss of their mother.