The following is an interview with Chris Kester regarding the recent release of the novel, Chasing Demons. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Kester about the creative process of bringing the story and characters to life, his recently released novella, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the recent release of your novel, Chasing Demons! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the book’s premise, and what inspired you to tell this story?
Chris Kester: Thank you! The book revolves around a core group of four friends who go from teen-aged to young-adult aged together from the first half to the second half of the book. A demonic entity is tormenting their small town of Fairmont, Texas, and it rattles each of their lives at the core.They must band together and fight against the entity, and they uncover a trove of corruption behind it that is headed by Johnny “Gospel” Cumberland, the pastor of a local mega-church. Together, and with the help of others in the town, the boys must make right what has gone so wrong. As they fight against hatred, hypocrisy, and evil in its purest form, Michael, Dominic, Logan, and Tim form a bond that will last for a lifetime.
So, what inspired me to write this book boils down to a few different things. I started writing fiction a little before I turned 30, I am 32 now. I enjoy writing short fiction, but when I read, I almost always prefer to read novels or novellas. I felt that I had enough practice under my belt to give a story of longer length a try and see what I could do with the novel-length format.
This being my first novel, I wanted to try to really encompass many aspects of my life within it. So, I did just that, with my time in early recovery from addiction, my life as a working father, my times with friends in the years when friendship meant the world to us all. I tried to really put my heart and soul into this story, and I hope that it shows through when you read it.
BD: What can you share with us about your creative process in bringing the world and characters to life, and what have been some of your creative influences?
CK: When writing this book, I had the best and most productive writing routine of my tenure as a writer thus far. I would wake up at 3 in the morning before work and write for an hour or so every day, or as close to it as I was able to get depending on sickness and other factors. I did so in my “writing cave” that I made in my garage that is essentially a man cave area with a writing desk that I use when I am working on my craft.
I set this area up after listening to the audiobook of On Writing by Stephen King. He says to have a space where you can shut the door and live in your little writing world. I followed that and other advice that he gave in the book which became an essential guide for me in the writing process.
As far as my creative influences for this book, there is definitely Stephen King as I mentioned for the writing advice, as well as just reading his fiction. I felt that Cujo and It had some influence on this one. I also think the way that Dean Koontz portrayed Victor Frankenstein in his Frankenstein books played a hand in shaping Johnny Gospel.
There is Eric Kripke to thank for the monster hunter aspect which is inspired by the Supernatural TV series. The demonic entity has shades of Freddy Kreuger from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I also watched a documentary on Netflix called Pray Away to research for the conversion therapy sections of the book that I used to expose the hypocrisy in hate-fueled churches.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that the group’s story may connect with and impact readers?
CK: I have had the pleasure of having friends of many different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and belief systems throughout my life. I like to incorporate their different perspectives into my work and stand behind those of them who are persecuted as an ally.
There is so much hate in the world, we hear it in our day-to-day lives and if we aren’t careful to remember who we are and what we stand for, it can consume us. I think that telling these stories and showing the humanity of people of all different walks of life is important. It doesn’t hurt to poke fun at the hateful hypocrites from time to time, as well.
It’s important that we spread positivity, love, and empathy with our work. Because if we don’t, then what are we really doing anyway?
BD: Do you foresee expanding the novel into subsequent books or even into other entertainment mediums, if given the opportunity?
CK: I do plan to keep things in the same universe for the most part. There will be references to characters and places although I may not write more books for this that are quite as interconnected as The Bunker and Chasing Demons are. I had the time of my life writing Chasing Demons, so I would never say never. At this time, it is not in the plans, though.
I have worked with Viidith22 to make an audiobook for The Bunker and would love to take opportunities in the future to spread these stories into other mediums. Audio, video, graphic novel, any way they can be adapted and made more accessible for people who are interested in the story, I am all for it.
BD: As you mentioned, you also released the novella, The Bunker, a few years ago. Do you feel that fans of Chasing Demons will find an easy transition in terms of tone and content to your previous work?
CK: Yes, it is a prequel of sorts to Chasing Demons, although I didn’t intend that to be the case in the beginning. I am very much a pantser while writing, which means that I fly by the seam of my pants and let my muse be my guide. When I saw strings that could connect one to the other, I pulled the trigger and made these two books interconnected.
The cast of characters is very different, and the stories are not very similar, but there are some returning characters and Chasing Demons takes one crucial aspect from The Bunker, that aspect is… Well, you will have to read them to find out! No spoilers here.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
CK: I am always working on and submitting short stories. There are acceptances and rejections, so some of them take longer to see the light of day than others. As far as longer pieces are concerned, I am currently working on what I anticipate being a novella. It is a young adult book about vampires in a trailer park. The working title is Los Hermanos, and it is a story of brotherhood, making bad decisions, and those blood-sucking vampiros down at Los Hermanos Trailer Park.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Chasing Demons, The Bunker, and your other work?
CK: cdkester.wordpress.com
I try to keep my page updated with my latest published work. It has a Where to Read section that will direct readers to my ebooks, audiobooks, as well as ezines and anthologies that I am published in. If they are looking for signed books, bookmarks, or stickers, I would direct them to my shop page which can be found in the menu on the site above or directly at cdkester.bigcartel.com.
