Please Welcome Novelist Edward Lorn

with Edward Lorn

We are delighted to host novelist Edward Lorn, who is currently on a "wicked" tour with Red Adept Publishing (see his full schedule here).

Edward's new book — a novella in three acts — is the thriller Hope for the Wicked (Red Adept Publishing, ebook formats), the first in a series.

We recently had a chance to chat with the author about his work.

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Omnimystery News: You've written a number of stand-alone novels, but Hope for the Wicked is the first in a series. What about the characters caused you to make this decision?

Photo provided courtesy of
Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn: I'm new to this whole series thing, but I decided to create one based on the main character in my newest piece because the protagonist, Larry Laughlin, just wouldn't leave me alone. When I finished the novella, I began work on my upcoming novel, Life after Dane. I finished Dane a month later, laid it aside, and did as I normally do after finishing a book. I started another one. I was shocked when I found myself writing about Larry again. There was no thought involved. He had more to tell me, so I decided to listen. I'm around the 45,000-word mark on the next Larry Laughlin book, Pennies for the Damned, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be writing about him again. As long as he continues talking, I'll continue writing about him.

OMN: We introduced Hope for the Wicked as a thriller. Would you agree?

EL: Gritty thriller is what everyone's calling it, and I'd agree with that. The novella is brutal and unflinching.

OMN: Speak of which, your publisher offers this warning: "Contains explicit language, violence, and sex."

OMN: There are plenty of disadvantages to writing graphic content, but not so much thrillers in general. I used to consider myself a horror writer because I believed my subject matter was horrifying, but being a horror writer is an even harder sell. There's a stigma that comes along with horror stories, as if just because the book is in that genre it automatically means the author has written a bloody, gory mess filled with lavish atrocities and nothing else. While I get hit all the time for my content, there is much more to my stories than the graphic bits. That alone is hard to market without looking as if you're begging readers to come try you out, as if you're saying, "Yeah, it's gruesome, but I promise it's for a good reason."

OMN: Tell us something about your book that isn't mentioned in the publisher synopsis.

EL: Though my two main characters, Larry and Mo (Maureen) Laughlin, are retired contract killers, they are still human beings, and very much in love with one another. The couple share pasts full of tragedy and childhood abuse. In Hope for the Wicked, I delve into what kind of people victims of abuse turn into when they're offered no outlet for their anger or therapy for their traumas.

OMN: Did you introduce any of your own personality into the characters?

EL: I would say my sarcastic humor came into play while writing about Larry and Mo. I try to add a bit of comedy to everything I write so I'm not constantly bludgeoning the reader with dark, depressing material. You have to have light to appreciate the darkness, and vice versa. That pretty much sums me up as a human being. Though my head is full of dreary subject matter, I can always take a break and go play with my kids or give my wife a hug and a kiss. All that bleeds over into my work, giving me the heart to tell about the bad stuff.

OMN: How do you go about creating the storyline of your books?

EL: Outlines and plotting bores me horribly. I mean, if I know what's going to happen in a story, where's the fun? Writing by the seat of my pants lets me fill the shoes of both reader an writer all at the same time, so when the twists and turns come, I'm just as shocked as the reader is.

OMN: Did you come across anything while writing the book that stumped you?

EL: It's funny that you asked. Most recently I tied myself up with zip ties to see if I could get out of them. You'll have to read Hope for the Wicked to find out my results. I've also used needle-nosed pliers to see if I could get a grip on my front teeth with them. Luckily, I didn't break any of my teeth, but I was able to glean from the experience that you'd have to dig into your gums to get a firm hold. Boy, it got dark in here all of a sudden, huh?

OMN: How true are you to the locations in your book?

EL: Though Hope for the Wicked's set pieces are real places in California and Mexico, I took liberties with local businesses. For the plot of the story, I created many places that do not actually exist; a travel agencies, a couple different restaurants, and a seedy motel. With the motel in particular, I didn't want to offend any real-life establishments, so I chose to create a fictional one. But trust me, I had a real place from memory in mind.

OMN: What are your hobbies, interests outside of writing fiction? Do any of these activities find their way into your books?

EL: I'm a self-proclaimed nerd. I love all kinds of distracting media, from video games, to television shows and movies, but my adoration borders on fanatical reverence sometimes. No matter what book of mine you pick up, you will find pop culture references hidden within. Some are subtle, while others are blatant. I get a kick out of using the entertainment I enjoy to help tell a story. In Hope for the Wicked, there's one scene where the main characters reference The Simpsons TV show. I had a great deal of immature fun writing that segment.

OMN: What authors do you enjoy reading?

EL: Anything by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Kealan Patrick Burke, Blake Crouch and Scott Nicholson. Even their lesser works are good enough for a full read through. I don't tend to stray from thrillers and horror these days, though. I've read the classics, like Shakespeare and Dickens, even delved into what's considered "literary fiction" where the stories deal more with a character's journey than they do with plot or action, but I always find myself coming back to the scary corner. I just have more fun there. I will say one of the best books I've ever experienced was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but I consider that book a horror story. Nurse Ratchet was terrifying.

OMN: What's next for you?

EL: I have my first ghost story coming out this year, my novel Life after Dane, then after that, the next Larry Laughlin novel, Pennies for the Damned. I will also be tackling a zombie-ish style book tentatively titled, Chucklers, which I've already started but haven't gotten very far in. Then … who knows. I might blast into the past for a story about a concentration camp that I've been wanting to do. After all that, I'll see if Larry Laughlin has anymore to tell me. Should be a nice, busy year for me.

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Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person.

Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recanted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward's teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother.

With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward's mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history.

Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he's a useful one.

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Hope for the Wicked
Edward Lorn
A Larry Laughlin Novella

Sometimes, bad people do good deeds.

Larry and Mo Laughlin are retired killers turned private investigators with monetary woes. So when their handler introduces them to the Trudeaus, one final job is placed on the docket.

Jacob and Bernice Trudeau need their teenage daughter, Amy, found, and they also want the men responsible dead. Two million dollars is an offer Larry and Mo can't refuse.

To find Amy, the Laughlins must travel to Mexico, where they are thrust into a world of debauchery so foul they will be forever changed.

One crazed pimp, a veterinarian turned doc-for-hire, and an enigmatic facility called "The Show" lie in wait for the wayward couple.

Is there any hope for the wicked?

      

For a chance to win one of several "wicked" prizes, courtesy of the publisher, use the entry form, below. Rafflecoptor Giveaway