About the author:
Ashliegh
Wolfgang first gained notoriety as founding member and vocalist for National
recording artists "The Orphan Punks".
The Devil's Serum is his first foray into fiction writing, a love he
has had behind the scenes for decades. Ashliegh claims writing influences from
historical authors such Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft to contemporary
authors such as Anne Rice and Clive Barker.
Ashliegh currently lives in the suburbs of Chicago, IL (USA) with his
wife Heather and children Addison and Samantha.
Now, onto the interview.
When did you begin to
write?
I’ve been writing for
as long as I can remember, whether it was poetry or lyrics in my former life as
a musician. I’ve always loved words, I’ve been writing in story form for more
than a decade.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?
I think I’ve always
viewed myself as a writer. I think people have an image of themselves that may
or may not be what others perceive. Even
before I was ever content to release anything, I’ve always had notebooks of
ideas and phrases, and just anything that I thought I may want to revisit
later.
How much did you write before you were published?
How much did you write before you were published?
A lot! I actually had finished two novels of biblical
proportions that I wasn’t happy with, and eventually tossed out. It may have
been the silliest thing I’ve ever done. I’m my worst critic and it took me
years before I was willing to trust other people’s opinions in regards to my
writing. I know that I will continue to edit and re-write until a story is pried
from my hands if I don’t have someone else read it, fairly early on.
What is your favorite part of writing?
What is your favorite part of writing?
I’m a reader just like
everyone else. I love having the stories develop on the page. I get excited and
even surprised at what comes next. Sometimes I find that I can’t sleep if I’m
in the middle of a book because I need to know what is going to happen next,
just as I would if I were reading someone else’s book.
So far what is your worst
criticism/attacks, and how you overcome it?
I’ve
received some less than stellar reviews as I’m sure all writers experience.
It’s painful when you’ve put part of yourself out there, and you feel like
you’ve been rejected. I believe it’s just like anything else in life, you have
to do things that make you happy and in the process you’ll make others happy as
well…just not everyone. I think all writers have to realize that they are
never going to appeal to everyone at the same time, so there is no reason to
ever try. Appreciate the ones that love what you do, and ignore the ones that
don’t, although it is often easier said than done.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
It’s a cliché I know, but I’m most proud of my
children and their accomplishments than of anything I could ever achieve in my
professional life.
Wow! The next book sounds really good too. Are you planning on writing more in the years to come?
I just released The
Devil’s Apprentice this week, which is the third book in the Ramblings of the
Damned Novella Series. I currently plan to have two more installments released
before the end of the year. Beyond that series, I have several partials and
even more ideas that I expect will be published at some point.Wow! The next book sounds really good too. Are you planning on writing more in the years to come?
What does your writing process look like?
It’s fairly messy. I have character notes scribbled on
everything…backs of receipts, unopened mail, etc. I imagine if you could look inside my head it
would be very similar looking.
How do you come up with title of your books?
How do you come up with title of your books?
With
this series I’ve been very conscious of having similar titles and similar
covers, so it’s easy for readers to know the books are related. The Devil’s
Serum, The Devil’s Folly, The Devil’s Apprentice…I’ve kind of locked myself
into a theme with these titles so it actually makes it fairly easy to title
them. So far I have never had a title until I was ready to publish. I write the
story first and then find a title that fits, I think if I had a title first it
may influence or restrict my writing.
Can
you enlighten us a little more about your books?
The
Ramblings of the Damned series is a collection of journals from Christian
Laurent. Christian was born in 1870 in the American Midwest and at age 40 he
finds an ornate silver flask and drinks the mysterious contents. He wakes up,
several days later to discover that the drink has given him immortality. So
it’s a retelling of the love, loss, confusion, and eventually understanding of
a man destined to outlive virtually everyone that he comes into contact with.
Is
there anything else you would like your readers to pay special attention in
regards to your book, which you have not mentioned above?
While
all of the books are centered around the same characters and the stories are
cohesive, each book focuses on different points of importance to the
protagonist and therefore I think the feel of the books change dramatically.
The Devil’s Serum (Book One) is absolutely a love story more than anything,
while The Devil’s Folly (Book Two) has substantially more action and adventure.
The Devil’s Apprentice (Book Three) combines all of the previous elements while
refining the overall story and purpose.
When
do you plan to publish your book 4, if applicable?
I
hope to publish Book Four (currently untitled) of the Series in early November
at the latest.
How
many volume of books for the above series ?
I
currently have a five part story arch planned but I can’t say for certain that
book five will be the last we see of the characters.
Tell us your guided principle that governs your life? How you
cultivate these values?
Stay positive. It feel so
much better to be appreciative for the things that go your way than to be
discouraged by the things that don’t. Everyone knows someone that causes the
lights to dim when they walk into the room because of the permanent cloud that
they allow to follow them around. Sadly that feeling can be contagious and
before long that person is wondering why everything seems so doom and gloom. A
smile can be every bit as contagious and before you know it, everything seems a
little brighter.
Do you have any advice for writers looking to get published?
Write, write, and write…if you believe that
your writing is good enough then who’s to say it’s not. The most famous authors
in the world have been rejected multiple times and received scathing reviews.
The only person that can stop you from being successful…is you.
Anything
else you want to say?
Thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed and
allowing me to introduce my books. I hope your readers will consider giving
them a read, and if they enjoy them I hope they’ll tell anyone that will
listen.
Thank again for joining us today. Let us wish him a fulfilling day everyday.
