Welcome to Friday Feature and Author Joseph Pinto
I am privileged to know some remarkable and talented writers. Joseph Pinto is no exception. When I met Joe I was living on the Dark Side of the Moon which reflected in my darker than normal poetry. I had admired his writing as well as the work written by what I consider a Horror Guild called Pen of The Damned. I don’t know what other writers ponder (when their pen is resting) but I remember wishing that some day I could write to the caliber as these engaging horror writers each with a chilling style all their own. When Joe asked me to join PEN, I was dumbfounded but gladly said “yes.”
I know that writing with experienced writers helps to improve one’s own style. I will never arrive at the level of the horror writing that Blaze McRob, Nina D’Archangela, Thomas Brown, Craig McGray, Magenta Nero, Tyr Kieran, Zack Kullis, Jon Olson, Hunter Shea, and Joseph Pinto have achieved, but I believe my horror has intensified because of their patience and influence.
I am pleased to feature such a fine and intense writer as Joseph and urge you to dig deeper into the core of the world he paints on the page.
Joseph where does your inspiration for writing horror come from? (i.e. bad dreams, everyday life…)
My inspiration for writing horror comes from a variety of places. Most of the time, I’ll glimpse at an image in my mind; it’s almost like a still frame from a movie. Using that image, a story will slowly develop and ferment like fine wine. Music, believe it or not, inspires me tremendously as well. I’ll take the emotion a particular song will churn up within me and use that when writing. Every day life is definitely a contributing factor, whether in my own cosmos or things I’ll read in the news. As far as I know, I don’t have bad dreams; none that I can remember, at least. lol
Tell us about Pen of the Damned. What was your original goal for POTD and what are your visions for this “guild” in the future?
I started Pen of the Damned along with Nina D’Arcangela a little more than two years ago. It rose from a very simple concept: developing a platform that will promote and market both writer and guild alike. So we decided upon a strict limit of only ten writers employing varying writing voices. Each Tuesday, a new writer takes the spotlight, so to speak, and shares their work. The material is always free for readers and of course consists of horror fiction or dark, angst-ridden prose or poetry. We keep a strict maximum of 2,500 words per post. This ensures a brief but impactful read for all to enjoy during the course of their day.
We’re delighted that we’ve gained so many fans and are gaining more as each week passes. Our original goal has definitely been met. Nina and I have many dastardly intentions for Pen of the Damned – it’s just a matter of cultivating it to fruition.
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Which I know from experience takes alot of work and is appreciated by each of the Damned members ~Leslie
Please share with us
about your recently published book:
My most recently published book is Dusk and Summer with Sirens Call Publications and is actually a contemporary fantasy story. I wrote and self-published it a little more than six years ago when my father passed away after a fifteen month battle with pancreatic cancer. Grief stricken and unable to process my loss, I came to the realization that I had to do something to make sense of it all. I sat to write what I’d initially believed to be a vessel for my emotions, but it unexpectedly transformed into a fantasy tale. Inspired by my father’s passion for the sea, Dusk and Summer was born.
It’s a book of love and loss; a bittersweet tribute to my father. It’s also a book of hope, of dreams made real, and of a fantasy world beneath the waves that is my gift to my father. My book will not only help anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, but will sweep readers away with its unexpected story arc.
The Sirens Call Publications team did an amazing job guiding me through the revision of Dusk and Summer nearly seven years later. They kept it as true to the heart now as it was then. I couldn’t be more pleased with the caring and compassionate manner in which they handled this very delicate subject matter and the professional acumen they displayed while doing so.
I’m also very proud to say that I’ll be donating a portion of proceeds from all sales of Dusk and Summer to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
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I won’t say too much about Siren’s Call Publications now other than please check them out they have many publication opportunities for writers. I hope to get an interview with them in a forthcoming article.
What classic horror inspired / inspires you?
The classic horror that inspired me comes from the literary medium, and that would be the early works of Robert McCammon. Reading from this amazing author definitely opened my eyes to a new and wondrous world and pushed me to become a part of it when I was much younger.
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I was not familiar with McCammon but I am diving into his River of Souls.
If you could be a monster what would you be?
If I could be a monster what would I be…can I cheat and give you two answers? lol First, I’d want to be Cookie Monster. I mean, who doesn’t love Cookie Monster? And a chocolate chip diet for life? Sign me up!
The second monster I’d want to be is Godzilla. I’d rise my cranky self from the bottom of the Pacific, stomp cities and scorch them with my radioactive breath- even fight some other monsters along the way. Oh yes, hands down, Gojira, or as you know him…Godzilla, King of Monsters! lol
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I have to throw this question in as I love the answers 🙂
Can you divulge what is up next for Joseph?
What’s up next for me is the start of a new book. I’ve had an idea scratching around inside my head and it’s about time to get it out!
Thank you very much for offering me the opportunity to talk about myself and my most recent book. I’m truly privileged to be featured on your blog, Leslie!
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Wishing best of luck to you, Joseph. It is a privilege to try to keep up with you on Pen of the Damned.
I have a new stack of fiction!
Here’s additional information about Joseph Pinto:
Joseph resides in Northern New Jersey with his young daughter and wife. You can find him in a multitude of places online.
Track him down on Twitter: @JosephAPinto;
Facebook: Joseph A. Pinto, horror author and more…
His personal blog: JosephPinto.com
The Pen of the Damned blog
He happily shares his deranged likings on Pinterest
He occasionally lurking in the halls of Google +.
Or, you can simply email him at authorjosephpinto@gmail.com.
You can pick up Joseph’s book, Dusk and Summer, in both eBook and print versions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, an eBook version on Kobo, as well as other formats on Smashwords.
Please don’t forget, every purchase is more than a great book; it’s also a contribution toward the fight against pancreatic cancer through the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
A reminder that each Tuesday a new post comes up on Pen of the Damned. I am always surprised at the variety of horror and never disappointed.
Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.
penned in moon dust 