Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc is an accomplished Horror Sinisteria
author living in Tampa, Florida. Shes been writing for over twenty
years and has a huge heart for her fans.
author living in Tampa, Florida. Shes been writing for over twenty
years and has a huge heart for her fans.
HF: To be completely honest this is my first time interviewing someone so
please don't bite too hard :)
Andrea: Oh I don't bite...now hand me a chainsaw or a crow bar and that's
altogether different...*grins*
HF: That sounds good. Tell us a bit about yourself:
Andrea: Not much to tell...have always lived in my own little world, as much
by my own rules as possible. I write my own way, my own style and have no
use for what is "acceptable" and "taboo." I write what I like and what I want to
write.
I have always been creative and meandering to my own drummer. I was
athletic, very athletic growing up. I was the school nerd who was a cheerleader
(and a showoff then too, boy did that get the popular kids who hated having a
nerd and weirdo on the squad!) baton captain, gymnast, ballerina, and later
went on to teach, baton gymnastics and ballet. Later in life I took up Tai Chi
and Kung Fu and loved them both until my body gave out. It's been a heck of
a run for me.
Now I am highly addicted to the UFC and will move the Earth itself to get
home to watch the Ultimate Fighter if I am out somewhere. Ha ha! I'm a huge
fan of both Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
I have four cats and a dog, live outside of Tampa and love history, cemeteries,
gravestone epitaphology (collecting gravestone epitaphs,) and adore anything
Jack The Ripper related.
HF: So when did your writing career begin and why?
Andrea: I have always been creative, different, odd, weird...whatever
descriptive name that means "not of the norm" that you want to call me, I fit
it. I started actually writing at 13, and have never stopped. I have been told
that I am quite a storeteller. So the time has been well spent.
HF: You sound like a very interesting person if I may say so. Well its pretty
tough trying to think of questions to ask you, your site pretty much gives a lot
of information about you. Tell us about your newest book release 'A Man of
Two Worlds'. What is the book about and what brought you to write it?
Andrea: Thank you! A lot of people think I'm interesting. I wish I was as
interesting as people think I am...I'd be REALLY interesting then! *grins*
Awwww, my baby, my pet..."A Man of Two Worlds." This book is my dream
come true. Honestly...I can't remember what inspired me to write this book. I
always have ideas churning in my head so it's not like I need any special
inspiration...ideas just start, and I go where they take me.
"A Man of Two Worlds" is about a young movie studio owner, "Robyne Van
Landingham, who has everything that any man could dream of, money, he can
make his own hours, he has a flashy car...the dream life. However, his dream
life becomes a nightmare when a ghost appears on his set and starts ruining
everything from the production, to the film and chasing all of his cast and crew
away. Robyne calls his best friend Devon Wellington and decides to take him
up on his offer of help. Devon is the owner of the area's hottest goth bar,
"Jack The Ripper's," (see a pattern here?) and has offered to send Robyne all
the help he needs. But then Devon realizes who and what Devon has sent to
his set...and he starts to wonder. After all...can he trust zombies, vampires
and shapeshifters?
Just when Robyne thinks that his life can become no more complicated, it
does, with devastating news that changes his outlook on life, changes his
priorities and shows him what the meaning of true friendship is all about and
how important it is to "sieze the day" while you can. Robyne has a new set of
goals after the news and he needs to get them accomplished because he isn't
ready for the world of the undead and that's exactly what he has in his life now.
HF: WOW, that sounds great. Are you happy with the sales and reviews?
Andrea: Well, it's only been out on the market now since September (sites
like Amazon say August, but that's because that was when the ISBN was
issued, not actually when the book was released onto the market) but I have
already received one great review of it, have two more reviews coming and
just sent an e-copy off to be reviewed by a magazine, so I'm hoping for good
things. Sales have been great and considering the economy and gas right
now...I'm really pleased. People are still buying my other novel "The Two" and
that's great news as well!
HF: Yeah I remember reading info about The Two. Whats the major difference
between that book and Man of Two Worlds?
Andrea: They are two totally different novels and they play very differently
from each other. Most people think that where "The Two" is more a visual
novel, "A Man of Two Worlds" is more an emotional novel. The one review I
have received of "A Man of Two Worlds," the person who reviewed it said to
be prepared for the wide range of emotions that the novel covers. If I have
my readers needing Kleenex one minute and the barf bucket the next, I'll be
happy.
With "The Two" they will just need a blanket and a barf bucket. Not saying any
more. *grin*
HF: Sounds like something I would read! I know that a lot of writers out there
like to put their personal experiences to what they write, Where do you get
the ideas for your stories? What motivates your creativity?
Andrea: Nothing motivates me except what is lurking in my depraved mind.
Many people find that hard to believe, but I have never, ever been like anyone
else and neither is my writing.
An idea pops into my head, I expand on it with each time it visits me, and
before you know it, I have the makings of a story.
Now, I, or at least a part of me, is in every single character I have ever
written, with the exception of one. His name is Kessler and he is in "A Man of
Two Worlds." He is just a sick freak that begged to be let out, so I gave him a
voice and I hate him. Ha ha!
HF: I love that, you stand out and I think thats really great. Personally, what
do you think of when you write? What do you hope to get out of the reader?
Andrea: Thank you! That's my goal is to give people something different.
People are sick of the same crap being fed to them every day. I try to give
them something that will make them sick, scare them, make them cry... I
want my readers to relate to the characters in the book and feel for them,
love them, hate them, want to kill them, want to become them, dream of
them...all of those feelings and more.
That is all I think about when I write.
please don't bite too hard :)
Andrea: Oh I don't bite...now hand me a chainsaw or a crow bar and that's
altogether different...*grins*
HF: That sounds good. Tell us a bit about yourself:
Andrea: Not much to tell...have always lived in my own little world, as much
by my own rules as possible. I write my own way, my own style and have no
use for what is "acceptable" and "taboo." I write what I like and what I want to
write.
I have always been creative and meandering to my own drummer. I was
athletic, very athletic growing up. I was the school nerd who was a cheerleader
(and a showoff then too, boy did that get the popular kids who hated having a
nerd and weirdo on the squad!) baton captain, gymnast, ballerina, and later
went on to teach, baton gymnastics and ballet. Later in life I took up Tai Chi
and Kung Fu and loved them both until my body gave out. It's been a heck of
a run for me.
Now I am highly addicted to the UFC and will move the Earth itself to get
home to watch the Ultimate Fighter if I am out somewhere. Ha ha! I'm a huge
fan of both Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
I have four cats and a dog, live outside of Tampa and love history, cemeteries,
gravestone epitaphology (collecting gravestone epitaphs,) and adore anything
Jack The Ripper related.
HF: So when did your writing career begin and why?
Andrea: I have always been creative, different, odd, weird...whatever
descriptive name that means "not of the norm" that you want to call me, I fit
it. I started actually writing at 13, and have never stopped. I have been told
that I am quite a storeteller. So the time has been well spent.
HF: You sound like a very interesting person if I may say so. Well its pretty
tough trying to think of questions to ask you, your site pretty much gives a lot
of information about you. Tell us about your newest book release 'A Man of
Two Worlds'. What is the book about and what brought you to write it?
Andrea: Thank you! A lot of people think I'm interesting. I wish I was as
interesting as people think I am...I'd be REALLY interesting then! *grins*
Awwww, my baby, my pet..."A Man of Two Worlds." This book is my dream
come true. Honestly...I can't remember what inspired me to write this book. I
always have ideas churning in my head so it's not like I need any special
inspiration...ideas just start, and I go where they take me.
"A Man of Two Worlds" is about a young movie studio owner, "Robyne Van
Landingham, who has everything that any man could dream of, money, he can
make his own hours, he has a flashy car...the dream life. However, his dream
life becomes a nightmare when a ghost appears on his set and starts ruining
everything from the production, to the film and chasing all of his cast and crew
away. Robyne calls his best friend Devon Wellington and decides to take him
up on his offer of help. Devon is the owner of the area's hottest goth bar,
"Jack The Ripper's," (see a pattern here?) and has offered to send Robyne all
the help he needs. But then Devon realizes who and what Devon has sent to
his set...and he starts to wonder. After all...can he trust zombies, vampires
and shapeshifters?
Just when Robyne thinks that his life can become no more complicated, it
does, with devastating news that changes his outlook on life, changes his
priorities and shows him what the meaning of true friendship is all about and
how important it is to "sieze the day" while you can. Robyne has a new set of
goals after the news and he needs to get them accomplished because he isn't
ready for the world of the undead and that's exactly what he has in his life now.
HF: WOW, that sounds great. Are you happy with the sales and reviews?
Andrea: Well, it's only been out on the market now since September (sites
like Amazon say August, but that's because that was when the ISBN was
issued, not actually when the book was released onto the market) but I have
already received one great review of it, have two more reviews coming and
just sent an e-copy off to be reviewed by a magazine, so I'm hoping for good
things. Sales have been great and considering the economy and gas right
now...I'm really pleased. People are still buying my other novel "The Two" and
that's great news as well!
HF: Yeah I remember reading info about The Two. Whats the major difference
between that book and Man of Two Worlds?
Andrea: They are two totally different novels and they play very differently
from each other. Most people think that where "The Two" is more a visual
novel, "A Man of Two Worlds" is more an emotional novel. The one review I
have received of "A Man of Two Worlds," the person who reviewed it said to
be prepared for the wide range of emotions that the novel covers. If I have
my readers needing Kleenex one minute and the barf bucket the next, I'll be
happy.
With "The Two" they will just need a blanket and a barf bucket. Not saying any
more. *grin*
HF: Sounds like something I would read! I know that a lot of writers out there
like to put their personal experiences to what they write, Where do you get
the ideas for your stories? What motivates your creativity?
Andrea: Nothing motivates me except what is lurking in my depraved mind.
Many people find that hard to believe, but I have never, ever been like anyone
else and neither is my writing.
An idea pops into my head, I expand on it with each time it visits me, and
before you know it, I have the makings of a story.
Now, I, or at least a part of me, is in every single character I have ever
written, with the exception of one. His name is Kessler and he is in "A Man of
Two Worlds." He is just a sick freak that begged to be let out, so I gave him a
voice and I hate him. Ha ha!
HF: I love that, you stand out and I think thats really great. Personally, what
do you think of when you write? What do you hope to get out of the reader?
Andrea: Thank you! That's my goal is to give people something different.
People are sick of the same crap being fed to them every day. I try to give
them something that will make them sick, scare them, make them cry... I
want my readers to relate to the characters in the book and feel for them,
love them, hate them, want to kill them, want to become them, dream of
them...all of those feelings and more.
That is all I think about when I write.
Interview done by:
Danny W.
Danny W.