Interview With Author August Hill
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an avid movie viewer, book reader, and television watcher. I can’t get enough of the entertainment industry and everything it has to offer. I’m finally trying my own hand at writing and have completed my second full length novel. It’s called Division X, and it just recently was published by Brother Mockingbird this past October.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Division X was inspired by my love of the horror genre in all its forms. Movies like the Hills Have Eyes, An American Werewolf in London, and The Lost Boys are just a few of its inspirations, but they’re probably the most obvious for readers to spot.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I always write while listening to music. It helps drown out the world and put me in the right mood for certain scenes, but other than that not really.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
R.L. Stein is my biggest author influence. He’s who helped me fall in love with reading and, by association, horror. I love his Goosebumps books. Their creativity and variety are a big reason I want to keep my ideas varied and creative.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Division X 3. The second is all ready to go. I’m just waiting on the edits. I’m about halfway through it, so hopefully it will be out in two years.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still struggling with book promotion. I find Instagram and Twitter to be the easiest to use. Facebook just confuses me. I’m on it, but not as much. My website is nice, too, but there’s no newsletter yet. Once I have a larger following I’ll get one going.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write what you want to read because if no one ends up liking it at least you do. If you like it enough, you may even champion it through years of agent and publisher rejections until one finally bites.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve never heard any one piece of advice which sticks out to me, but I do know the worst advice I’ve ever received. It when something like this: “Why write something if you already know the end to it?” I think the point this professor of mine was suggesting is that writing should be as much about the journey as reading, but I don’t think so. I think knowing how a story will end can help you cut down on the fluff.
What are you reading now?
Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare. He’s writing a third, too. It’s a slasher, and I recommend the first Clown in a Cornfield before it’s made into a movie. It’s fun to get ahead of pop culture sometimes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After I finish Division X 4, the final book in the series. I’m either going to start a fantasy/horror series or re-publish my one-off paranormal thriller I wrote 10 years ago. It could use a severe touch up, but I also wouldn’t mind leaving it behind. I haven’t decided yet.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pillars of the Earth. A World Without End. Frankenstein. And a Survival Guide for surviving on an island. That last one I should look more into.
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