Author Interview: Chase Collier

G7: The protagonist, Coal Simmons, embodies ‘southern grit’ and bravery. Is his character inspired by individuals you’ve encountered, or does he reflect aspects of your own personality? 

CC: I’m certain he is a mix of both. My father is a marine combat veteran, my pawpaw was an old school southern outlaw, and my dad’s dad was an army combat vet. Thanks to asthma crushing my dream of enlisting I took my pawpaw’s route finding myself in quarries and warehouses in the neighboring towns where I went to college, making a name for myself and earning a black belt along the way. I can’t really speak on Coal’s bravery from my own perspective, I’d like to think I’m brave, but Coal’s bravery is mostly inspired by my mother and father.

G7: Transitioning from writing short stories and TV pilots to a full-length novel can be challenging. What motivated you to write this book, and how did your previous writing endeavors prepare you for it? 

CC: I think transitioning to writing novels from scripts was a simple one for me. I have a few scripts that I tried my hand at on Celtx, and all that really changed was the formatting from dialogs and scenes. It was an easy transition from short stories because you have the time and resources to convey what you’re writing; which is in contrast to things like writing competitions where every word counts and resources are limited.

G7:  Describe your ideal reader. Who do you imagine reading and loving your book? 

CC: Honestly, because I’m a new author, anyone that’ll give me the time of day. Reading is for everyone and anyone who can get anything out of my work should. I also get paranoid that if I get an ideal reader in mind that I’ll compromise characters and stories in an effort to reach out to a certain audience. I feel like a good story should be complex and crafted well enough that a great deal of people will find something they can enjoy in it.

G7: If you could spend a day with any character from your debut novel, The Night From Whence She Came, who would it be and why? 

CC: I would spend my day with Douglas. He strikes me as an interesting individual that I wouldn’t mind smoking a Cohiba with, prying at what drove him to become the head of the household and how he accomplished such a feat. I would also enjoy the opportunity to hear from a living history book. I feel like there are a lot of people who sometimes forget that vampires can be ancient when compared to their human counterparts, and I would love to get perspective on events in history from someone who was there.

G7: What’s one book or author that changed the way you look at the world? 

CC: I think I was nine when I first read Niccolo Machiavelli, the first of his works that I read being The Prince. It had a fairly practical view on what the ideal leader should be and all the responsibilities that it entailed. For any parents reading I also think it’s very important to add that Machiavelli also wrote a large amount of erotica. The reason I point this out is because the second book I read from him was The Essential Writings of Machiavelli. Why many of his erotic plays made the cut, I didn’t know, so, when seeking books for your little scholars, please exercise due diligence.

G7: Do you have any quirky writing rituals or habits that help you get in the zone? 

CC: Hammer down a Blue Mountain Dew Rise and get to work.

G7: Balancing a demanding work schedule with writing can be challenging. How did you manage your time and energy to complete this novel? 

CC: I’ve worked in a lot of fields where productivity is counted by the second, so I have the unique advantage of being programmed to always be optimal. So essentially, I knew if I was knocking out a nine or ten hour shift and I lived forty-five minutes from my job, there was still an average of twelve hours remaining that day. I’d even skip lunch to get home faster, so I would have plenty of time to handle my animals and give maybe an hour to friends and family. So after all of that I would be left with nine hours and a burning question: do I really need sleep, or am I good enough to do my job with only four hours of sleep? I’m pretty good at what I do, conscious or otherwise. 

G7: If you could live in any fictional world (from any book), where would it be? 

CC: I tend to overthink most things so honestly I’m happy here on earth. Everybody wants to live the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy life until a dragon burns down your village. I feel like that’s a fairly common theme in fictional worlds, “Oh I’d love to live there!” Yeah, if you’re the hero, but most of us forget the horror on the human faces when the walls failed at Helms Deep. I certainly wouldn’t want to be a guardsman as an Astartes sprinted past me. Earth’s pretty nice and I get to fish here with my friends, which is a fantasy to a lot of people. 

G7: What’s your go-to snack or drink when you’re deep in writing mode? 

CC: I don’t eat when I write, but I’m going through at least a gallon of Dr. Pepper.

G7: If your book was made into a movie, which actor would play the main character? 

CC: My mom voted for Henry Cavill, and, honestly, I’d have to agree. Coal is a larger-than-life character in a lot of ways, and I think Henry Cavill would do him justice. He is able to play such a variety of characters and to be believable in all of his roles, in a way few other actors are able to. 

G7: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to Google for book research? 

Cc: You’d probably think I needed to look up a few technical things for Coal’s background, but funnily enough the accident that bankrolled Coal’s new life almost happened to me, but I’m a little quicker than he is. I can say with confidence however, thanks to my mother and my wife, I am a longtime authority on Mac lipstick and Saks Fifth Avenue.

12. Describe your writing space. Is it organized or a creative mess? 

CC: I’d say it’s fairly organized. My wife says it’s a creative mess.