Little-known Prince Edward Island author William Blackwell explodes onto the horror scene, writing and publishing seventeen novels in just five years.
In 2013, Blackwell left his career as a realtor in Calgary, Alberta, escaped the rat race, and moved to Prince Edward Island to pursue his passion for writing. He didn’t decide one day that he wanted to be a writer, he says. He’s been writing stories since he was a little boy growing up in Hamilton, Ontario.
He achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree, literature emphasis, at The University of British Columbia, and studied journalism at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, before working for about three years as a print journalist for two Canadian weekly newspapers.
Since 2012, Blackwell has written seventeen novels, most of them in the horror fiction genre. But, as an independent hybrid author, he admits it’s sometimes a struggle navigating the often murky waters of digital book promotion. “I don’t have an easy time with self-promotion,” he says. “Frankly, I’d rather be creating novels. And I’m not the best multi-tasker. It’s tough to remove the author hat and don the marketer hat.”
Over the last five years, Blackwell says most of his sales, while falling short of New York Times best-selling status, have come from the United States. He hopes that 2018 will be his break-out year. “I’m hoping to get more recognition and support from Americans and Canadians alike. And I would like to break new ground all over the world.”
When Blackwell left his job in Calgary, he moved to a forty-five acre oceanfront property on PEI, hoping the peace and tranquility of Mother Nature would inspire more stories. “And it worked. It’s idyllic and incredibly beautiful here. After being a realtor for many years, it was time for a new chapter.”
Blackwell’s titles include Brainstorm, Nightmare's Edge, The Rage Trilogy, Assaulted Souls Trilogy, Orgon Conclusion, Rule 14, Resurrection Point, The Strap, A Head for an Eye, Blood Curse, Black Dawn, The End Is Nigh and Freaky Franky.
While his novels have garnered praise from readers and book reviewers alike, with all titles hovering in the four to five star range overall, Blackwell has yet to plant himself firmly in the spotlight as the next great storyteller. With his latest horror release, Freaky Franky, a well-researched novel documenting the exploding popularity of Santa Muerte cult worship, Blackwell hopes the sea of mediocrity will part, providing him smooth sailing to critical and financial success.
“Inspired by real-life events, Freaky Franky is much more than an examination of the horrifying consequences of worshiping Santa Muerte with evil intentions,” Blackwell says. “It offers a message of salvation, redemption and hope for people who are willing to change for the better.”
“Maybe my editor is biased, but I doubt it,” he adds. “She represents New York Times best-selling authors. She says Freaky Franky is one of my finest works. And my publisher says it is my finest work.”
Blackwell’s blueprint for success for 2018 includes concentrating entirely on book promotion for the first half of the year and starting a new novel during the second half. “I’ve read dozens of books on digital book promotion and I think I’ve finally developed an organized and effective plan. In 2018, among other things, I’ll be soliciting more book reviews, writing weekly blog posts, and communicating more with my readers. I’m also exploring the possibility of starting a YouTube channel, something tongue-in-cheek like William Blackwell’s Wacky World. I’m even planning on pitching some traditional publishers.”
And while Blackwell is hoping his efforts will increase book sales, and maybe even land a traditional publishing contract, he maintains money wasn’t the main reason he embarked on his new path as a scribbling scribe. “An inner voice, a calling—even my regularly scheduled horrific nightmares—drove me to it. I write first to please myself and second to feed my writing addiction. But I also write to educate, influence, entertain, and scare the hell out of my readers.”
Blackwell has dabbled in other fiction genres including paranormal, post-apocalyptic, psychological thriller, inspirational fiction and science-fiction. His work, often well-researched, has been described as “raw, gritty and real.”
While most of his themes are dark, Blackwell says he strives to impart positive messages in his prose. “I try to impart messages of moral fortitude to help better humanity in some small way.”
To learn more about William Blackwell and his work, visit: http://www.wblackwell.com/
His Twitter handle is @wblackwell333
Find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.blackwell.5264
No comments:
Post a Comment