For today’s Q&A I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Frazer Lee, the writer/director of the award-winning short horror movies On Edge, Red Lines, and Simone, and the horror/thriller feature film Panic Button. He is also the author of the recently published novel The Lamplighters.
Frazer was named one of the Top 12 UK Directors in Myspace.com’s ‘Movie Mash-up’ by an industry panel including Film4 and Vertigo Films. He has been described as ‘… one of the best last hopes for British horror …’ (MJSimpson.co.uk) and Chillerfest say ‘Frazer Lee is the next Clive Barker … FACT!’
No further introduction is needed, so over to you, Frazer.
Frazer was named one of the Top 12 UK Directors in Myspace.com’s ‘Movie Mash-up’ by an industry panel including Film4 and Vertigo Films. He has been described as ‘… one of the best last hopes for British horror …’ (MJSimpson.co.uk) and Chillerfest say ‘Frazer Lee is the next Clive Barker … FACT!’
No further introduction is needed, so over to you, Frazer.
Tell me about your book.
The Lamplighters is a horror story set on the beautiful Mediterranean idyll of Meditrine Island. Marla Neuborn travels there to take on the dream post-grad job of 'lamplighter', or caretaker, tending to the mansions — but soon discovers life on the island is not quite as idyllic as it was made out to be. A servile existence under a surveillance regime awaits her and much, much worse in the imposing shape of a fellow called 'The Skin Mechanic'.
What was your motivation for writing it?
The story wouldn't stop tap-tap-tapping inside the leaky cauldron of my skull until I sat down and told it.
How long did it take you to complete?
Writing and redrafting took the best part of two years, on and off. I was working on screenplay commissions concurrently so the actual writing time was closer to a year or so.
How much difference does an editor make?
I think the difference is vast because a rigorous editing process can make your book army strong and ready to do battle in the public arena. I consider myself lucky to have worked with executive editor and genre legend Don D'Auria on The Lamplighters. I had submitted the book to him at Leisure after he requested the full manuscript, but during that time the shit hit the fan at Leisure so the book and I followed Don to Samhain where he was launching the new horror line. Samhain has been making a lot of noise in the genre with some fantastic authors, both established and new, so I'm thrilled to be part of the launch.
The Lamplighters is a horror story set on the beautiful Mediterranean idyll of Meditrine Island. Marla Neuborn travels there to take on the dream post-grad job of 'lamplighter', or caretaker, tending to the mansions — but soon discovers life on the island is not quite as idyllic as it was made out to be. A servile existence under a surveillance regime awaits her and much, much worse in the imposing shape of a fellow called 'The Skin Mechanic'.
What was your motivation for writing it?
The story wouldn't stop tap-tap-tapping inside the leaky cauldron of my skull until I sat down and told it.
How long did it take you to complete?
Writing and redrafting took the best part of two years, on and off. I was working on screenplay commissions concurrently so the actual writing time was closer to a year or so.
How much difference does an editor make?
I think the difference is vast because a rigorous editing process can make your book army strong and ready to do battle in the public arena. I consider myself lucky to have worked with executive editor and genre legend Don D'Auria on The Lamplighters. I had submitted the book to him at Leisure after he requested the full manuscript, but during that time the shit hit the fan at Leisure so the book and I followed Don to Samhain where he was launching the new horror line. Samhain has been making a lot of noise in the genre with some fantastic authors, both established and new, so I'm thrilled to be part of the launch.
What are your views on e-books?
I don't own an e-reader myself, I prefer the tactile pleasure of a physical book — or 'treebook' as some are calling them now, I love that name. So in that respect it has been weird to promote an e-book to readers when I'm waiting for the paperback to come out on 7th February! But the response has been fantastic and it is very cool to know that a reader can be checking out your book within seconds if they have an e-reader device. I saw proof copies on my laptop of course, but I always print off a hard copy of anything that I'm proofreading, be it a novel or a screenplay. I guess I spend so long looking at a screen in my working life that I still prefer to look at a printed page. But I dislike snobbery about what people are reading and the format they are reading it in — it's the fact that people are enjoying reading that's important I think. Unless they are reading inane tabloid newspapers or illegally downloaded copies of books of course ... :)
What are you reading now?
I just started reading the first in the Abarat sequence by Clive Barker, something I've been meaning to do for quite some time now. Prior to that I was lucky enough to read an as-yet unpublished epic, apocalyptic novel by Joseph D'Lacey. He is a fantastic talent and I urge you to seek out a copy of his novel Meat if you haven't already.
What are you currently working on?
Coming next is the movie novelization of Panic Button, based on my horror/thriller screenplay. The film is out now on DVD/Blu-ray in the UK to some amazing reviews. Other than that I am lining up a couple of movie gigs and am working on another horror novel.
How can we keep up to date with your news?
I blog occasionally at http://www.frazerlee.com and please do drop by at my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorFrazerLee and Twitter: http://twitter.com/frazer_lee
What would your epitaph be?
A musical headstone, rigged with a movement sensor to play 'Don't Fear The Reaper' by Blue Oyster Cult.
I don't own an e-reader myself, I prefer the tactile pleasure of a physical book — or 'treebook' as some are calling them now, I love that name. So in that respect it has been weird to promote an e-book to readers when I'm waiting for the paperback to come out on 7th February! But the response has been fantastic and it is very cool to know that a reader can be checking out your book within seconds if they have an e-reader device. I saw proof copies on my laptop of course, but I always print off a hard copy of anything that I'm proofreading, be it a novel or a screenplay. I guess I spend so long looking at a screen in my working life that I still prefer to look at a printed page. But I dislike snobbery about what people are reading and the format they are reading it in — it's the fact that people are enjoying reading that's important I think. Unless they are reading inane tabloid newspapers or illegally downloaded copies of books of course ... :)
What are you reading now?
I just started reading the first in the Abarat sequence by Clive Barker, something I've been meaning to do for quite some time now. Prior to that I was lucky enough to read an as-yet unpublished epic, apocalyptic novel by Joseph D'Lacey. He is a fantastic talent and I urge you to seek out a copy of his novel Meat if you haven't already.
What are you currently working on?
Coming next is the movie novelization of Panic Button, based on my horror/thriller screenplay. The film is out now on DVD/Blu-ray in the UK to some amazing reviews. Other than that I am lining up a couple of movie gigs and am working on another horror novel.
How can we keep up to date with your news?
I blog occasionally at http://www.frazerlee.com and please do drop by at my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorFrazerLee and Twitter: http://twitter.com/frazer_lee
What would your epitaph be?
A musical headstone, rigged with a movement sensor to play 'Don't Fear The Reaper' by Blue Oyster Cult.
Thanks for a great Q&A, Frazer.
The Lamplighters is available from Amazon in the UK and the US, and also direct from the publisher. (I'm busy reading it, and thoroughly enjoying it. Reviews will be forthcoming in all the usual places.)
The Lamplighters is available from Amazon in the UK and the US, and also direct from the publisher. (I'm busy reading it, and thoroughly enjoying it. Reviews will be forthcoming in all the usual places.)
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