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BIOGRAPHY:Jason DeGray lives, laughs and loves in the Land of Enchantment. He has also been to Encino many, many times. Rest assured it is as creepy as it sounds.
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Eleven Questions:
Describe Your Desk:
I have several desks. A different desk every day, though I do have my favorites. I write out in the world. In coffee shops, diners, parks, and places where the energy is always moving.
What's the Story behind your latest book?
“The Ruined Man” is a story about loss and redemption…and also about demons, magic, and the dark occult underworld that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life.
What is the greatest Joy of Writing for you?
The greatest joy of writing is getting to step into the multitude of worlds inside my imagination. Watching these weird, wonderful lives play out in fantastic places. There’s nothing like it.
What are you working on next?
The Ruined Man Book 2! It takes places fifteen years after the first book and pits Victor against some nasty loose ends from his past.
What is your writing process?
People ask me this and I never know how to answer. “The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination”—H.P. Lovecraft.
I come up with an idea for a story and “step” into it with my imagination. Then I let it play out, gently directing the flow as needed. I’m not really an outline kind of guy and often I don’t know how my stories will end. This process is followed by several rounds of editing with special attention to plot and character development.
I come up with an idea for a story and “step” into it with my imagination. Then I let it play out, gently directing the flow as needed. I’m not really an outline kind of guy and often I don’t know how my stories will end. This process is followed by several rounds of editing with special attention to plot and character development.
Who are your favorite Authors?
Philip K. Dick, Robert E. Howard, Clive Barker, HP Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman.
What do you read for pleasure?
I’m a sucker for ancient cultures and love reading whatever I can get my hands on about them. I also read quite a few texts on esoteric and paranormal subjects. When I read fiction I like to read books by my favorite authors or I’ll pick up something a friend recommends. Oh, and I also love the Saga comics. Great sci-fi/ fantasy mash up there.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Southeastern New Mexico, near Roswell. This influenced my writing quite a bit. Living out in the country before the birth of the internet and all its distractions left me little choice but to go out and find my own adventures, which I did. My proactive and often overactive imagination was honed to vivid perfection in the mesquite groves of the Pecos Valley.
When did you first start writing?
I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember. The earliest I can remember writing stories was in fifth grade. I wrote a story that got published in the school newspaper and caused some controversy because according to those in charge there was “no way I could write that well as a fifth grader”. I started writing my first novel at 12. And then in junior high I got into short story writing - Jason the Slayer stories. I was really into Conan at the time so you can imagine how those stories went.
Do you remember the first story you ever read and the impact it had on you?
The Terrible Troll. It scared me for years but at the same time it piqued my interest in fantasy and weird fiction. It also instilled within me a determination. Spoiler alert: the good knight dies at the end of the book. He gets eaten by the troll and his young squire goes back to his home glad that it was all in his imagination. Not me. I wanted that troll dead! I spent a lot of time devising ways I would’ve killed the troll if that would’ve been me.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Gratitude. I’m thankful for everything I have in my life.