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The Walt Disney Company and Vampires - an interesting mix. Yet author James Gillen, creator of the Paul Isaac Vampire Series, seems to mix the two quite nicely. A Print Coordinator at Disney University during the day, Gillen… changes… at night, to become a writer of that classic creature of literature: the vampire.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background. What are your education and career like? What’s your favorite subject?

My name is James C. Gillen and I write the Paul Isaac Vampire Series, starting with book 1, Tortured Skin. I have a B.S. degree in Business Management for Nova Southeastern University and an A.A. degree in web design and graphic arts from the International Academy of Design and Technology. I have worked for the Walt Disney Company for almost 25 years as a Print Coordinator at the Disney University. As far as subjects, I’m a huge history buff. The History channel is almost a given to be watched at my house. Anything on Titanic, Civil War, or anything in between has my attention. It’s true…I’m a geek.

Where are you from? Has it had any influence on who you are as a writer?

I grew up in West Virginia before moving to Orlando, Florida in 1985.  As far as being influenced by Orlando as a writer, I think there is more opportunity to grow and find groups that help support writers here, simply because it’s a much more diverse and populated area. My books take place in Orlando, so that helps me do research on areas rather quickly and with greater accuracy.

Mac or PC?

Mac is better, but still overpriced for what you get. I also think it’s all up to what you are doing on the computer. PC for writing and spreadsheets, Mac for graphic arts and being creative.

Tell us about your latest book.

Tortured Skin is the first book in what, I hope to be, a series called the Paul Isaac Vampire Series. Books 2 and 3 are ready to go. Just waiting for Tortured Skin to grab hold. Tortured Skin takes place in Orlando, Fla., along a popular real-life tourist area filled with countless nightclubs and eateries. The series is seen through the eyes of Paul Isaac, who is a vampire hunter in a world where vampires are not only known to exist, but own businesses, live in your neighborhoods and hold political offices. The vampires are protected by governments around the world as historical artifacts. Paul has an incredibly large chip on his shoulder. His parents were killed by vampires, so his view of them is skewed much larger than the average person’s. I try to make all the characters in the book real. Each has their own vices and flaws. The hero, Paul Isaac is not a guy you want to bring home for dinner. He, in many cases, is more villainous than the vampires, and I try to make some of the vampires appear to be just slightly likable. This keeps the reader unbalanced as to whom he or she believes and trusts. In the story, Paul must track down a serial killing vampire, stay within the boundaries of the law (sometimes), and make a grave personal choice. He has been poisoned by the master vampire of the city and will die in three days. So now, he must decide whether to continue to go after the rogue killer or find a cure for the poison that runs through his veins. Along the way, Paul meets some very interesting characters, including Angie, a werewolf that is girl power to the max. Both sexes seem to be drawn to her for very different reasons, not to mention she is able to push all of Paul’s insecurity buttons. Question is, can Paul remain focused enough and keep his hatred in control long enough to save the day?

Tortured Skin won the Royal Palm award for best in unpublished horror in 2007 and recently was a finalist in the USA Book News award for Best in Horror for 2009.

What’s the weirdest fact you learned while researching for your book?

When doing research for Tortured Skin’s main plot line, I had to do a lot of research on apotemnophilia, or amputating perfectly healthy limbs. I learned never leave the search results up on Google. It tends to freak people out about your thoughts and actions and you might find yourself the subject of an intervention. Not to mention that all the sharp objects in the house seem to mysteriously disappear. I talked with a couple of doctors about the disorder and found that it is a growing problem among our youth, yet it has somehow been ignored by the mainstream media.

Do you have a contest or other promotional going for your book? If so, tell us about it.

Through my web site, www.jamescgillen.com, readers and fans can participate in something I’m calling “Where in the World is Paul Isaac?” What happens here is, anyone can post a photo of the book or bookmark anywhere in the world. Some that are posted include trips to the Bahamas and other corners of the world. It’s kind of a way that the readers and fans can be a part of the fun. I don’t want there to be a wall between author and reader anymore than I want there to be a wall between reader and character. This page allows the fans to dress up as their favorite character and become a living entity of the book. We also have a James C. Gillen Fan Club called the Vampire Nation. You can gain information at www.myspace.cpm/jamescgillenfanclub. Check it out when you can.

What inspires you?

Life. No matter what genre you write, life can give you plenty of lessons, plots, and characters. Whether you are at home, work or simply watching the evening news, there is something out there that will inspire you, scare you, make you laugh, and more times than not, all at the same time.

I also have a great family that is behind my writing 100%. It’s impossible not to feel as though you can take on the world and live to write about it with them behind me. There are plenty of wacky characters to write about and eventually they become a character somewhere in all my writing. I just change the names to protect the not so innocent. To all in my family, thank you, thank you, thank you.

What compels you to write in this genre?

I have always been a big horror fan. I was inspired by Poe in my early years and knew writing horror was something I wanted to do. Lately, all the vampire stories out there are about Fabio with fangs, or vampires that are in angst about what they are and it makes me want to jump off of a bridge. I felt it was about time that we give the vampires back the fangs they truly deserve. I wanted vampires that had charisma, appeared charming, and bigger than rock stars to all the mortals around them, but under that layer of intelligence and beauty, was something much darker and sinister. Vampires should be comfortable in what they are and have no remorse for what they do. And above all, vampires should never, under any circumstances sparkle.

When did you first start writing?

I was writing the first time I could put two words together. When I was about eight years old, I wrote a manuscript called “Teeth of the Shark”, which was inspired by seeing the movie Jaws. I even had an article about the story and me in a local newspaper. Like with anyone, life takes over. You enter college, get married, have kids, gain mortgages and car payments and the time to write becomes only a distant dream. All those stories were still in my head and when I finally was able to get back to writing, it flowed out of me as if a dam had cracked open. Suddenly, I was spending hours at the computer, unaware that hours had slipped by.

I had started Tortured Skin as a graphic novel while I attended graphic art school. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as accomplished an artist as I had hoped. I reverted back to what I was most comfortable with and opened the Word program on my computer and began to write.

When did you start writing your current book, and what gave you the idea?

I started Tortured Skin as a manuscript about 2005. With it starting as a graphic novel, I already had many of the characters in mind as far as looks and actions, but I was still missing that grabbing plot line. Then on the way to work one morning I was listening to a morning radio show. A woman called in about wanting to have her perfectly healthy leg amputated because she felt it would make her more beautiful. I remember as the interview continued, how everyone on the show, including the callers, were so appalled about the thoughts of someone wanting to do such a thing. It gave me the creeps as my mind painted the vivid pictures. Ball all of this up and I had a great plot line that I hoped would have the same effect on the readers as the interview did on me.

How did you get involved in professional writing?

I joined the Florida Writers Group in 2007. Every November they had a conference that included workshops and interviews with various agents. I had entered Tortured Skin into their writing contest and it won for best in unpublished horror. On the same day I had a seven minute interview with Allan Gilbreath of Kerlak Publishing. I did my best to sell the book and myself to him. By the end of the conference, I had talked him into taking the manuscript with him.  Ten months later, Tortured Skin was an official book. I still look at it and wonder how I pulled it off. But like any other writer, I didn’t do it all by myself. There were plenty of people behind the scenes that believed in me, sacrificed time for me and helped me every step of the way.

Who is your greatest champion?

My dad. He’s taught me so much about being a good person, being responsible, and treating people the way you want to be treated. I have never felt as though I couldn’t go to him for anything from advice to help. That’s rare among father/child relationships these days. No one else even comes close enough to mention.

Who is your favorite author in your genre, and why?

Dean Koontz. I love his style of describing scenes. I have tried to use him as a guide into my own writing style. His characters are real to me and I find myself missing them after the last page. To pull that off is something to be proud of.

Who is your favorite author outside your genre, and why?

Since I don’t see a time period here, I will go with my all time favorite outside of horror, which would be Charles Dickens. I think his writing is incredible and timeless. Many times I find myself reading his books all over again just to bask in the words on the page and how well they are written. Then, I get writer’s envy. Such a vicious circle.

What is your favorite genre outside your own?

I love science fiction. In no other genre can you have so much freedom. The adventure associated with science fiction can take you far away from reality and all the problems of the world. Then again, you usually run into green-scaled aliens that want to eat your brains for no apparent reason other than to take over the world!

What are you doing now, besides writing?

I play bass guitar in a jazz band called Standard Blu. We play for anyone as long as the check clears. Music is a huge part of my life and my iPod is filled with everything from Kiss to Mile Davis to Buddy Guy.

Will there be a sequel?

I have the sequel completed and it is now in the hands of Kerlak. Hopefully, it will see the light of day. I think it takes the story and characters further. The story picks up where Tortured Skin leaves off and I think it will be everything any reader would expect from me after reading Tortured Skin. The plot line definitely pushes the boundaries for Paul and his hang-ups.

Do you have any other books in work?

I have a stand-alone manuscript that I’m working on. I’m just trying to get it right. It has a very different tone and pace than Tortured Skin. In the end, I think it’s a very good story, but it still needs to be molded into something better. I’m my worst critic but hopefully that turns my work into a better story.

Where can we find your books?

B and L books in Altamonte Springs, Florida, Chapters Book Store in Galax, Virginia, Alternating Reality in Washington state, all major book stores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble,  Amazon.com, my web site www.jamescgillen.com and Kerlak Publishing at www.kerlakpublishing.com.

Where can we find you on the web?

I can be found at www.jamescgillen.com. Take a visit…if you dare!