 Please tell us a little bit about your most recent work. Near to the Knuckle released their first magazine this Halloween, “The Blood Red Experiment”. It features Neo-Giallo stories (dark/horror thrillers) from 5 very talented writers. I was invited to write a 4 part series, the first one to be included in the second edition of TBRE. I titled it “Waste Management”. It contains all the ingredients of the giallo genre from the 60s and 70s, with plenty of modern sickness to Neo-ize it. You can read the opening scene at the end of this interview. What draws you to writing novels? I recall the feeling of completing my first story, a short crime fiction job. It felt as if I had done something incredibly artistic, like a particular drawing I've done that really tested my capabilities. Like any difficult art, fiction writing can become addictive in its rewards. Are you currently working on any side projects such as short stories, essays, etc.? “Her Name is Mercie” is a dark thriller novella I just put the final touches on (publisher had me add more closure to the ending). Test readers have told me it's gripping and entertaining, so I’m very proud of it. Mercie will be published by Near to the Knuckle next year as the main feature of a short story collection. I'm working on one more dark short to add to the paperback titled “Hunger”. Which topics interest you the most and why? I'm training a couple guys at present. Boxing, general fitness. I enjoy talking to them about methods of training, limitations, and the mental toughness required to accomplish their fitness goals. The bantering during exercises gets pretty crazy. No one is safe. I'm a big fan of science, all fields, especially psychology. The brain is a fascinating organ. Understanding its functionality opens doors to understanding anything else. Human behavior has become a favorite subject, a quiet study. Determining the how/why of people's actions lights me up, though usually bores people to sleep when I attempt a conversation about it. Do you have any unique rituals? Before I write, I pace. With a mug of coffee in hand. Circulation begins the brainstorming. I'll pace near my desk and stare at my outline, periodically stopping to add to it. When I get stuck on composing a scene, I'll walk around and think of something else, let my subconscious do the work. The only other ritual I have is stretching every day. If that could be considered a ritual.  One novelist more people should know: Who is it? Roy Harper. He wrote “Shank” and “Heist”. Beautifully written action series. Do you find it difficult to get your work out there? Absolutely. The big publishers easily out-compete the small ones, and with the eBook market tanking it's only getting tougher. Getting reviews is nearly a full-time job. I've read so many books by indie publishers that are truly under published, and so many by big publishers that had no business being in print. My work has an added difficulty because I'm a prisoner. Publishers take a gamble with their business reputation signing a convict, and convicts can't do live events unless it's a phone-in. Marketability is questionable. All the cop shows and tough on crime politics make selling my books an uphill battle. Tell us about your day job or your daily activities. I read, write, draw, help others with legal work, cut hair. Fitness training. Sometimes I make a little money doing tattoos, a favorite passion of mine. I work for a publisher proofreading and such, and have recently started editing works for other authors. When it comes to your work, where do you find your inspiration? There's no predicting that. I get story ideas from the strangest things. Usually during humorous conversations. Wild, unique or terribly stupid, some thoughts just naturally form story plot. What would you like to tell your readers? You can get a free copy of “Sharp as a Razor” Book 1 by emailing my rep Henry at c.henryroi@gmail.com. Check out the opening of my latest dark fiction series below. “Waste Management” debuts in the May 2018 edition of The Blood Red Experiment. Leave a comment and tell your friends. Thanks for having me Paradox Reviews!  Chris Roy was raised in South Mississippi, in the midst of ugly Gulf Coast beaches and spectacular muddy bayous.
Chris lived comfortably with the criminal ventures of his youth until a fistfight in 1999 ended tragically. Since January, 2000, he's been serving a life sentence in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Nowadays he lives his life crime vicariously, through the edgy, fast-paced stories he pens, hoping to entertain readers. When he isn't writing, he's reading, drawing or looking for prospects to train in boxing. Books: Shocking Circumstances Book I: Last Shine Shocking Circumstances Book 2: Resurrection Sharp as a Razor Book I: A Dying Wish You can find Chris on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialChrisRoy/ and on Twitter @AuthorChrisRoy Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Roy/e/B00MF6LCHM For more info on the author, visit: www.unjustelement.com
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