Strangely Funny III Interview: Dan Foley!

Today, we profile Dan Foley, a repeat offender in the Strangely Funny series. Dan grew up in New Jersey, then spent over seven years in the U.S. Navy. Much of that time was spent on nuclear submarines. He credits both of these factors for his slightly disturbed sense of humor and writing style.

Dan is the author of the novel Death’s Companion, The Whispers of Crows, a collection of short stories, and the novella Intruder. He has also published in various anthologies and magazines in the U.S., Canada, England, and Australia. His next novel, Abandoned, is scheduled for release in June 2016. Find him at:

www.deathscompanion.com

M&H: What would you like people to know about you?

DF: I like to travel. I’ve visited all but two U.S. states (N. Dakota & Alaska), Puerto Rico, and 20 foreign countries including China.

I’m currently retired, living in Connecticut and enjoying my second career as an author. I’ve been married for 48 years to my wonderful wife Tere. We have three daughters, and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 7 months to 20 years.

M&H: When did you begin writing?

DF: It seems like I’ve always been writing something, but I didn’t start writing professionally until I retired. I found it impossible to switch from the highly technical writing I did during my day job to writing fiction in my off time.

M&H: How did you get the idea for your story in Strangely Funny III?

DF: By getting old. Every year I get junk mail from AARP inviting me to join. In it, they always expound on the joys of being a senior. The reality is, along with the good things that come with age, so do the aches and pains of an aging body. I thought it might be fun to poke a little fun at both of them.

M&H: Is there a genre you haven't written in, but would like to?

DF: Epic Fantasy. I wrote one short story, "Sang Ku’s Dilemma", in this genre.  Sang Ku is an assassin living in a world of sword and sorcery. I’ve always thought of going back and exploring Sang’s life and his world.

M&H: Who are your current favorite authors? What do you enjoy about them?

DF: Steven King, of course, because he’s a great story teller. I have a problem with some of his endings, but I can give him that. Currently I really like the work of James A. Moore, both his horror and epic fantasy. His Seven Forges series is outstanding. Others include Elizabeth Massie, Jack Ketchum, Rick Hautala, and a host of others.

In the past few years I’ve pretty much stopped reading the big names and have started reading the work of writers I’ve met through conventions and my own writing. I’ve found that there’s a whole list of great writers out there that most people have never heard of.

M&H: What are you working on next?

DF: That’s complicated. After a year of publishing nothing but short stories and one novella, I have three novels coming out in a two month period. Abandoned is coming out in June from Books and Boos Press, Reunion is coming out in late June or early July from Grinning Skull Press, and Wolf’s Tale should be out in July from NECON ebooks. Of the three, Abandoned contains the most humor, but you need a nasty sense of humor to appreciate it.

My current work in progress is another novella tentatively titled Gypsey. I had intended it to be another novel, but it's moving along way too fast. I think it will finish up at around 40,000 words.

M&H: What is your favorite writing snack food/drink?

DF: I really don’t eat while I’m writing, but I LOVE pizza. I can eat that any time. My favorite is pepperoni and black olives. As for a drink, Green Mountain hazelnut decaf coffee, or seltzer, preferably lime. Oh, yeah, and Mexican. I love Mexican.

Strangely Funny III is now available on Kindle. Print version to follow.

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