Interview With Author Joab Stieglitz
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I live in Alexandria, Virginia with my wife and our two dogs. I work for a large software publisher as an Application Consultant to pay the bills, and I am an avid role-playing game enthusiast.
How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date?
I had been writing another book, a Tolkienesque fantasy journey tale, for about 25 years. But I wrote in fits and spurts “when the muse hit me.” As a result, the initial chunk was written at one time. The next bits were written over the course of several years. I had another period of productivity. And then several more years passed before I wrote again. Along the way, the characters, tone, plot, and even the genre changed several times.
When I turned 50, I was at 300+ pages of junk. I put that aside, and started fresh with my historical, supernatural thrillers. I wrote one chapter a week for three months and had a finished story. I also had the outlines for two more books laid out. The first book was published in July 2016, the second in January 2017, and the third in July 2017. And all three were recorded as audiobooks as well.
Why did you write this book? What was your inspiration?
The idea arose from a Call of Cthulhu RPG campaign that I ran for several years in the 1990s. The characters were initially those of my friends in that game. In the books, however, only the names and occupations of the protagonists resemble the game sessions. The stories are completely different.
What did you enjoy most about writing your book?
The most rewarding part of writing my books was seeing my thoughts come together on the screen. Prior to that, they were just a stream of ideas, but once they were set down, in a specific order, and tied together with a consistent narrative, it became real!
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
I am a fan of the Titus Crow stories by Brian Lumley, Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series, Robert J. Sawyer’s Quintaglio books (Far Seer, Foreigner and Fossil Hunter), and The Laundry Files books by Charles Stross.
How do you research your books?
I use the Internet to find historical details to throw in. Vintage maps, photographs, newspaper articles, biographies, etc. all help to add color to the story. I have subscribed to various museum and newspaper archives in order to get access to more obscure regional and local information.
What advice would you give beginning writers?
Outline your story. I use Scrivener to keep my notes, research, and manuscript organized. Know where you want the story to go. That’s not to say that things won’t change along the way as you develop the manuscript, but know what the major scenes of the story will be before you start.
What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
I am an avid role playing game player and game master. I run or play in several games on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Playing and preparing games gives me ideas that I sometimes incorporate into my writing.
What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal?
I have several projects in progress. I am working on a second trilogy featuring characters from the Utgarda Trilogy. I also have another project revolving paranormal activities during World War II. And I am preparing for my first non-fiction venture, a guidebook to being a Role Playing Game Master.
The Old Man's Request: Book One of the Utgarda Trilogy is available on Amazon
The Old Man's Request: Book One of the Utgarda Trilogy
Fifty years ago, a group of college friends dabbled in the occult and released a malign presence on the world. Now, on his deathbed, the last of the students enlists the aid of three newcomers to banish the thing they summoned.
Hampered by the old man's greedy son, the wizened director of the university library, and a private investigator with a troubled past, can Russian anthropologist Anna Rykov, Doctor Harry Lamb, and Father Sean O'Malley gather the knowledge and resources needed to defeat the entity?
The Old Man's Request is a pulp adventure set in the 1920s, and the first part of the Utgarda Trilogy.
"Whether you are a fan of old school horror like H.P. Lovecraft or modern fast-paced mysteries and thrillers, The Old Man's Request is for you." - James Vitarius, Author of The Bone Room
" Fans of novels that gallop through a maze of surprises and intriguing turns will be thoroughly satisfied." - Chris Ryan, Author of City of Woe
"Joab Stieglitz offers up a really well crafted thriller filled with enough suspense and action to adroitly move his plot along." - Ron Fortier, Pulp Fiction Reviews
About the Author
Joab Stieglitz was born and raised in the Warren, New Jersey. He is an Application Consultant for a software company. He has also worked as a software trainer, a network engineer, a project manager, and a technical writer over his 30 year career. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.
Joab is an avid tabletop RPG player and game master of horror, espionage, fantasy, and science fiction genres, including Savage Worlds (Mars, Deadlands, Agents of Oblivion, Apocalypse Prevention Inc, Herald: Tesla and Lovecraft, Thrilling Tales, and others), Call of Cthulhu, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, and Pathfinder.
Joab channeled his role-playing experiences in the Utgarda Series, which are pulp adventure novels with Lovecraftian influences set in the 1920’s.
