{"id":18462,"date":"2023-12-22T07:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/?p=18462"},"modified":"2023-12-17T22:42:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T03:42:27","slug":"interview-steve-wedel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/interview-steve-wedel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cemetery Dance Interview: Steve Wedel"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Steve Wedel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get ready to leave the path and dance beneath the full moon because Steve Wedel\u2019s pack is back with a vengeance as his Werewolf Saga continues its reign with First Born<\/i>. A former English teacher and machine shop operator, Wedel has written some of the most terrifying, bold, and unforgettable tales such as Amara\u2019s Prayer<\/i>, Light At The End<\/i>, Mother<\/i>, and several others. He also dabbles in the YA category, occasionally with New York Times<\/em> best-selling author Carrie Jones. He\u2019s also applied his writing chops to scribing westerns and even romance novels under an alias. Suffice it to say writing is not a choice for Steve Wedel, a fact his fans have no choice but to be grateful for.<\/p>\n

I recently had a chance to corner Wedel while he was distracted at the altar, er, coffee station, and was able to pick his mind about things which howl at night. We discuss everything about how he all but reinvented the werewolf mythos, the importance of First Born<\/i>, how one of his Saga companions was inspired by real life events, and more.<\/p>\n

Get comfy as we settle down to answer the bark of the moon and learn why Wedel\u2019s Werewolf Saga is a must-read experience for those seeking all the snarling, fang-gnashing terror they can handle.<\/p>\n

(Interview conducted by\u00a0Rick Hipson<\/a>)<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

\"coverCEMETERY DANCE: Steve, considering it has been a whopping 10(!) years since Nadia\u2019s Children<\/em> was published, I think the first logical question to ask is: why did you decide to revisit your saga after all this time?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

STEVE WEDEL: I missed the characters. The ones who lived and the ones who died. A big chunk of my life went into writing those books, knowing those people. I missed them. There’s also a financial aspect. People want to read series more than standalone novels, and obviously I had a series already out there. Why not expand on it?<\/span><\/p>\n

When did you first realize your wolfpack wasn\u2019t done with you yet, and that you had to write one more entry?<\/b><\/p>\n

I think we’re looking at another trilogy, at least. I always knew there was more to tell. At the end of Nadia’s Children<\/em>, Kelley finds Fenris’s journal. For years I thought that journal would be the next entry in the series. But then this other idea came along, and it was time for NaNoWriMo 2022, so I went with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What was the experience like for you to revisit a body of work which is not only what most readers know you for, but is one I understand has always been near and dear to your beastly heart?<\/b><\/p>\n

It had been a while and I had forgotten some things. At first, I had Chris Woodman doing the things Thomas McGrath ended up doing in the opening chapters, but then your wonderful and perceptive wife recalled that poor Chris was no longer amongst the living. So, that prompted a return to the books. It was so much fun, though, to return to those characters. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that this book focuses primarily on Joey, Shara’s son. He’s a grown man now. I wanted to get to know who he is.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is weird to me that most people still associate me with werewolves despite it being 10 years since the last novel. I’ve published so many other things since then, but like I said, people want to read series, and I’m lucky enough that this series has resonated with readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

It still blows me away that this all started with an allegedly true story involving Katherine Cross who, as rumour has it, was murdered by human wolves, which also happens to be the name of the chapbook which launched your saga. What made this story stand out to you above any other tales of lycanthropy? Does it pop up in your mind still?<\/b><\/p>\n

\"coverYou’ve got the timeline a little wrong. The whole Werewolf Saga began with a short story called “Biological Clock,” which eventually became a chapter in Shara<\/em>. Then I took a creative writing class and expanded on the character of Shara Wellington to the point I realized I had a novel, which I wrote, and it was eventually published by now-defunct 3F Publications. At the time, I was working for The Journal Record<\/em> newspaper in Oklahoma City and was telling the photographer about my pending book publication and he asked if I knew about Katherine Cross. I did some quick research, visited the grave, and wrote Murdered by Human Wolves<\/em> originally to be a free chapbook for people who bought Shara<\/em> through Shocklines. But 3F Publications fell apart. Scrybe Press picked up the rights to my werewolves, and that’s when that original chapbook with artwork by GAK came out.<\/span><\/p>\n

I guess what made Katherine’s story stand out was that, first, it was fairly local. There was almost no record of her death because the building where those were kept mysteriously burned down. All that exists is a very brief newspaper article saying the doctor who killed her was charged, and that there had been other girls killed. The paranormal investigator I interviewed about the case had EVPs from the doctor’s grave saying there are still “several” werewolves in Konawa. And I learned that there had been many grave markers with the “murdered by human wolves” or “human dogs” epitaph on them in that area. The whole thing just easily fit into the mythology I’d made for Shara<\/em>, so I had to write it.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot can happen in a decade, as it has no doubt happened to you both personally and professionally. How do you feel that might shape <\/b>First<\/i><\/b> Born<\/em>, and do you think we might notice a shift of tone and storyline as a result when compared to the previous books in the saga?<\/b><\/p>\n

\"coverI’ve gone through a lot since Nadia<\/em> was published. Divorce. Multiple job changes until I retired from teaching. My mom died. Yes, I think readers will see some changes. I’m a better writer. I think I’m more thoughtful. Over the past decade I’ve read more classic and mainstream literature than horror fiction and I think that shows in my writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

That being said, I think the opening chapter of <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i> is very much on par with what readers are used to. However, there was no talk of trigger warnings back in the day and I’ve already gotten negative feedback from a contest judge about the brutality in that chapter.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure a lot of folks might see <\/b>First Born<\/i><\/b> and wonder if they need to read the previous werewolf books first. What do you say them?<\/b><\/p>\n

I may not be the best one to ask. Obviously, I want people to read all the books. Also, I’m not the kind of person who would ever jump into a series on Book 4. But <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i> refers to a lot of people and events that happened earlier. In many cases, there is a little bit of explanation, but it’s more a reminder to the reader than a detailed synopsis.<\/span><\/p>\n

With <\/b>First Born<\/i><\/b> still fresh on the shelves and, perhaps, with their paws still running rampant in your mind, do you feel they\u2019ve told all their stories to you, or do you think the saga might continue yet?<\/b><\/p>\n

It will definitely continue. <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i> comes to a resolution, much like Shara<\/em> did, but there’s obviously more that has to happen. Periphery characters have always been more tuned into events going on in the world of shapeshifters, but in this book, that starts to change. Shara hardly ever considered the bigger picture, and Ulrik always tried to shield her from it, really. That luxury kind of gets stripped away in this book.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you say there will likely be another Saga trilogy, does that put <\/b>First Born<\/i><\/b> as book one of the second trilogy in the Saga?<\/b><\/p>\n

Yes, though it\u2019s labeled Book 4.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you already have any thoughts or outlines for how the next two books will go?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have some definite ideas about Book 5. We\u2019ll see some spiritual development in an important character as that person learns to use gifts given in <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a while now I have thought that if one classic horror figure deserved a comeback, it\u2019s the werewolf. We might get one decent book or movie here and there and, of course, there was the Bitten<\/em> tv series and a great gypsy werewolf in Hemlock Grove<\/em> several years ago, but nothing close to what I would call a wave like we\u2019ve seen with vampires and zombies. Between the fascinating, layered characters in your Saga, the almost constant action-packed plotlines weaving through the heart of each book, I always felt your books would be the perfect material for any streaming platform to pick up and run with. That said, what do you think separates your Saga from other lycanthropic tales that makes it a necessary must read when held up against other stories of its ilk?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve positioned myself to make a go of writing full time, this is something I\u2019ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. The pros making $50k from 20 books preach about using tropes and writing to market. I haven\u2019t really done those things with my werewolves. I\u2019ve been asking myself what genre my Werewolf Saga really belongs in. They\u2019re not horror books like, say, Gary Brandner\u2019s Howling<\/em> trilogy where the werewolves are just bloodthirsty monsters. And, while there\u2019s always been a romantic subplot or two woven in, that\u2019s never been the focus, so they\u2019re not really urban fantasy. There is a huge focus on Pack politics, almost like a paranormal thriller. So, what separated my Saga? I guess it would be the fact that it doesn\u2019t toe the line of any one genre but brings in elements of multiple genres.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"coverI would love to see my Saga adapted for the screen, but I\u2019d also be a little terrified to watch it. I had just a flicker of film interest in <\/span>Murdered by Human Wolves<\/span><\/i> several years ago. Coincidentally, I\u2019ve written a screenplay for that one. Well, the producer wanted me to change it so that Katherine Cross is a tough female cop in modern-day Los Angeles. I refused to write that, and it didn\u2019t go any further.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not sure if I\u2019ve asked you this before, but did you have any certain influences or even indirect references for the content and style your Werewolf Saga would explore as you wrote it?<\/b><\/p>\n

Definitely! I started writing <\/span>Shara<\/span><\/i> in 1993. It took a long time because I went to college for my first degree and wrote another novel between that time and Shara<\/em>\u2019s eventual publication in 2003. My goal was to write the werewolf equivalent of Anne Rice\u2019s <\/span>Vampire Chronicles<\/span><\/i>. Of course, my writing isn\u2019t nearly as ornate as Anne\u2019s and we come from very different backgrounds, but that was my goal, to write the werewolf series that would revolutionize werewolves the way her vampire books did for that subgenre.<\/span><\/p>\n

But keep in mind, that was the tail end of the 1980s horror boom and the splatterpunk movement, so I brought in those elements of violence and sex, too, especially in Shara<\/em>. Not to the extreme of Skipp and Specter, but I did try to appeal to that audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

I love that in <\/b>First Born<\/i><\/b>, it seems a lot of characters found out what they are truly made of, as others still end up leaving us with a few questions left unanswered. Obviously, the biggest arc belongs to Joey, the <\/b>First Born<\/i><\/b>, who\u2019s fate has been protected by those who have been sacrificing everything they\u2019ve got since book one. That said, after all these years getting to know your Saga characters, were there any surprises for you as you revisited them a decade later? And to add to that, what are you most anxious or excited to explore in the next book because you can\u2019t wait to find out what happens next either?<\/b><\/p>\n

I dove into <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i> with almost no idea of where the story was going to go. I\u2019m not an outliner, but I typically know what the big scenes will be and write from one to the next. With <\/span>First Born<\/span><\/i>, all I had was the bit about Thomas going rogue and Joey being forced to track him. That was all. It developed as a I wrote it. The biggest surprise for me is something that happens late in the book. If you want to look at it in The Hero\u2019s Journey cycle, it\u2019s Joey\u2019s moment in the belly of the beast and how that developed. I had no idea. I was just banging away and it was like, \u201cOh shit, what did I just write? That changes so much!\u201d I almost deleted it, but I had a good talk with my oldest son, Alex, about what I\u2019d written and why it was so \u2026 alien to the mythology I had written up to that point. He helped me come up with a way to explain it that I think works.<\/span><\/p>\n

Skandar and Cerdwyn are two of the most interesting characters to me. I hope readers are as happy to see them as a couple as I was. In the next book, they are going to be mentors to Joey. Cerdwyn, as you know, is basically the Pack\u2019s witch or oracle. She has a lot to teach Joey about a world too reliant on technology, and I\u2019m looking forward to getting into that. My werewolves have dipped their paws into paganism off and on throughout the series, but we\u2019ll get a full dose of Cerdwyn\u2019s philosophy, which will be rooted in my own reading and studying. And Skandar will be there to confirm her views because he watched it all develop. Joey will need that training for what\u2019s coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m so pumped for the next book, which leaves me with only one last follow up question: Can you give us a hint of what it is Joey might have in store for him next that is going to demand even more from him and those closest to him?<\/b><\/p>\n

Joey is in a position no other shapeshifter has been in. He has to learn to lead. He has to use ALL the gifts he is given in this book, even the ones he doesn’t like. He had to embrace the true nature of the beast and try to hold onto his humanity. He has to be a badass and not allow anyone to live who is a danger to his vision of the Pack. The opposing force was allowed to leave the battlefield at the end of <\/span>Nadia’s Children<\/span><\/i>. Joey has to kill them, even though Cerdwyn tries to teach him peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

BONUS FEATURE<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I originally conducted this conversation with Steve in preparation for a feature article I wrote for Rue Morgue Magazine<\/em>. Steve, always the consummate professional, wanted to ensure I had all the info I might need to write a comprehensive piece on his beloved Saga. He provided me a lot of additional info in case I could use any of it, which I did. However, one only has so much space when one is writing under a tight word count, and I had to leave a lot of fascinating tidbits out of that article. Although the info Steve gave me was not within the context of a conversation, I want to include them here for those who enjoy a wider sense of what goes on behind the scenes of creating such a series over several years of this writer\u2019s career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please enjoy these extra bits of information from Steve.<\/span><\/p>\n