The following is an interview with author Robert P. Ottone regarding the upcoming release of the horror novel, Amityville Awakens, with publisher CLASH Books. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Ottone about his creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the themes that he hopes may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Amityville Awakens! How would you describe the book’s premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Robert P. Ottone: Thank you! The book really started as a thought experiment of sorts. Being from Long Island, I’d always known (and visited) the Amityville Horror House, and over the years, especially during my time covering crime for local press outlets on Long Island, I’d heard varying accounts of what happened there. So, the kernel of the idea was more or less “well, if it is haunted, and the house is torn down, where would the spirits go?”
Then, however many months later, over the course of a sweaty Long Island summer, the book came together.
BD: What can you share with us about your creative process in bringing this story and its characters to life on the page?
RPO: My creativity is best utilized in the morning. I’m also strictly a PC-writer. I hate laptops. I’m not a tablet guy. I don’t write anything beyond cursory scenes, outlines and story ideas on my phone. So, I generally wake up, take the ocean of vitamins and medication that are holding my body together, pour some iced coffee, eat something small, and get to work. I’m a schoolteacher, so during the regular ten-month schoolyear, I’m in a classroom, so I have to exorcise my literary demons predominantly on weekend mornings.
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?
RPO: I think Amityville Awakens might hit with people looking for a diverging from the traditional narratives we experience. This is a sprawling story, told from multiple perspectives. It gets dark, but early reviews are quick to highlight the heart beating strong at the core of this thing. It’s also a distillation of every feeling I have about my native Long Island confined to however many pages the book is.
BD: What makes CLASH Books the perfect publishing partner for Amityville Awakens?
RPO: CLASH is one of the only publishers I’d always wanted to work with in some capacity. This didn’t even start as a “hey, I will pitch this book to CLASH,” it legitimately started as me picking the brain of the publisher, Christoph. I was having some difficult feelings about my agent at the time, and wanted to hear Christoph’s perspective, and our conversation just turned to Amityville Awakens. I never imagined they’d actually go for it. CLASH is the home of the cool kids in writing, the transgressive, the experimental, and I just didn’t know if I had the chops to be a part of that tradition.
Lo and behold, they were excited to work with me on it, and make it a reality. And I’m insanely honored to have my book with them. It’s been a gift. Christoph, Leza, Kaitlyn, everyone at CLASH, has been amazing to work with, and I’m extremely thankful to them.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
RPO: My novel, The Vile Thing We Created, is my most popular book, by far. People seem to still discover and enjoy that one. I’d like people to preorder and purchase Amityville Awakens because it’s easily my best book to date.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Amityville Awakens and your other work?
RPO: Follow me on the socials, just pop my name on Instagram and you’ll find me. Same on Letterboxd. But truthfully, pick up the limited edition signed copy of Amityville Awakens direct from CLASH. I’ll be doing an extended book tour of the northeast United States, but if you’re not there and want a signed copy, buy directly from CLASH right here.
