The following is an interview with author Tommy B. Smith regarding the recent release of the horror novel, Kiki. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Smith about the creative process of bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the themes that may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent release of Kiki! How would you describe the book’s premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Tommy B. Smith: Kiki is an action-fueled horror tale set in the Mojave Desert, and partly in the small town of Calpacia at the desert’s border. A plane crash unleashes the mutant spawn of a cat and a myriad of questionable chemicals, and those who survive her presence launch an effort to capture her.
Having finished the Black Carmenia series, a combination of Southern horror and psychological horror with some cosmic and sci-fi elements, I opted for a different direction here and leaned into a more straightforward horror approach. It’s along the lines of a 1980s B-movie premise with some comedy and gore sprinkled in, and it includes some late ’80s Cold War references due to one of the mercenary groups being led by a former Soviet conflicted between his communist background and the capitalist allure of the American black market.
BD: What can you share with us about your creative process in bringing this story and its characters to life on the page?
TBS: The character of Salvadore Shaw, a lone mercenary who is drawn into the fray, started with a tale in my short story collection, Pieces of Chaos, “Alligator Death Roll.” The character’s personality suited the attitude of Kiki’s story. It wasn’t inconceivable that a hired gun like Sal could cross paths with those other mercenaries seeking an escaped multi-eyed cat with an appetite for human flesh. In fact, Kiki started as a short story, and because the original story was so full of detail and hard-hammering action, I saw an opportunity to expand it into a novella. The character of Petrov, a former Soviet officer turned mercenary, was the original antagonist of that story. Producing a novella-length work allowed me to dive deeper into his origins, internal conflicts, and motivations. The story also involves a professor and his assistants, one of whom is a chimpanzee. The book can be brutal at moments and comical at others, and even has a Western flair at times due to the story’s attitude and its setting of a dusty, ramshackle town on the edge of the desert, which includes a saloon.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums and genres. How do you feel that this story may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it might inspire?
TBS: The communism versus capitalism aspect might get some people talking. The book depicts both in their extremes. There is also the issue of animal testing and experimentation with Kiki’s origin, and those who have a desire to weaponize her in some way, to sell her to government laboratories, perhaps to clone her or experiment further. The lack of empathy from those who seek only monetary gain can be chilling. Kiki herself, deranged killer kitty as she can be, might not be the most villainous presence in the book.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
TBS: I’ve mentioned the Black Carmenia series. If you want a good showcase of what I’m about, overall, I would recommend checking it out, starting with the first book, New Era.
Another good starting place for new readers would be The Mourner’s Cradle, which won the 2019 Imadjinn Award for Best Horror novel and was well-received at its release. Its events precede those of some other books such as Poisonous and Anybody Want to Play WAR?, which are set in the Midwestern town of St. Charles.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Kiki and your other work?
TBS: You can find plenty of information at my website, http://tommybsmith.net, where readers can also subscribe to my author newsletter, Chaosynthesis. I also have author pages on both Facebook and Instagram, where everyone is welcome to follow me for updates.
