Ask the Author: Richard Estep
Answered Questions (8)
Richard Estep
Hi Doran, thanks for the kind words. I am glad you are enjoying my books and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. My approach to haunted locations is that generally, I like to research the history thoroughly before setting foot inside the place. However, I also like to take along investigators that know nothing about the case, particularly those who claim to be sensitive or have mediumistic abilities. Keeping them in the dark, both literally and figuratively, makes any “hits” they get a little more credible. Best, Richard.
Richard Estep
Absolutely! After spending the night exploring and investigating a rambling old tuberculosis sanatorium in the South, I felt compelled to write the first Deadseer book, "Agonal Breath." Its forthcoming sequel, "Last Halloween" is heavily influenced by the week I spent living in a haunted old hospital outside Salt Lake City. Sometimes a historic location becomes a character in its own right and almost demands to be written about :-)
Richard Estep
"In Search of the Paranormal," released on September 8th in the USA and a month later in Europe, is a collection of some of my more interesting cases from two decade spent investigating haunted locations. Contrary to what you might see on TV, most time spent ghost hunting is very dull. There' a lot of sitting around and waiting for stuff to happen. I wanted to collect some of the highlights from both sides of the Atlantic and share them with interested readers.
"Haunted Longmont," published on August 24th, covers the ghostly lore of my adopted home town, Longmont, Colorado. I have investigated a number of these cases personally, and felt that there were some fascinating stories to tell about how the ghosts of Longmont have contributed to the city's rich and colorful history over the years.
"Haunted Longmont," published on August 24th, covers the ghostly lore of my adopted home town, Longmont, Colorado. I have investigated a number of these cases personally, and felt that there were some fascinating stories to tell about how the ghosts of Longmont have contributed to the city's rich and colorful history over the years.
Richard Estep
The short version is that I love to read, and it makes for the logical next step to want to write too. When I find a compelling story that hasn't yet been told, it inspires me to want to dig into it, ask a little more, and then write the story myself. My lifelong fascination with the paranormal has proven to be fertile ground for finding intriguing cases about which to write, and I hope to continue in this vein for many years to come. As long as you, the reader, are interested in reading my work, I will happily continue writing! :-)
Richard Estep
I am just putting the finishing touches to the manuscript of my third book, "The World's Most Haunted Hospitals," which is scheduled for release in January of 2016.
Once that is finished, my next true-life paranormal book will cover just one single case - that of a haunted hospital just outside Salt Lake City. It's a fascinating case to study, and I will be writing the "inside story" with the owner as my co-author.
I am also working on a historical novel with strong supernatural overtones, the first in what I hope to be a continuing series.
After that, I am contracted to write a book covering UFOlogy which isn't due to be turned in until July of 2016, and have plans to cover at least three more haunted locations in greater depth - those locations will have to remain secret for now ;-)
Once that is finished, my next true-life paranormal book will cover just one single case - that of a haunted hospital just outside Salt Lake City. It's a fascinating case to study, and I will be writing the "inside story" with the owner as my co-author.
I am also working on a historical novel with strong supernatural overtones, the first in what I hope to be a continuing series.
After that, I am contracted to write a book covering UFOlogy which isn't due to be turned in until July of 2016, and have plans to cover at least three more haunted locations in greater depth - those locations will have to remain secret for now ;-)
Richard Estep
Read extensively, and then write, write, and write! Ignore that nagging voice which tells you that you'll never finish, or that you're not good enough. Write about what you know, what you love, and what inspires you. Passion will show through on the page, and the chances are that there exists a readership out there that is similarly passionate about your chosen topic. Write for yourself and write for them. Above all, never give up!
Richard Estep
The chance to ask questions about the world around us, poke into some of the dark and interesting corners, and then craft a narrative based upon what I find out. What's not to love? :-)
Richard Estep
I have been fortunate enough not to suffer with writer's block. I aim for a word count of at least 1,000 words in a day. Sometimes I make significantly more (5,000 was a banner day recently) and sometimes I make less, in which case I round it off to the nearest 100 words. I just keep plugging away, ignoring the many doubts and insecurities which do plague me from time to time, with the knowledge that I have to write, write, write now, and can always edit, edit, edit later.
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