Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Necro Device! I know I’ve mentioned this book before, but I have a few good questions about this book that author M.T. has graciously answered. Also, he’s going to tell us about his next project AND do a giveaway! If you like thrillers, check this one out, folks!

Blurb:

Mary and John Hilt are offered a job to restore the Mandiev mansion built by the Mandiev brothers and isolated in the barren flatlands of eastern Colorado. Big pay and a getaway, it is what they desperately needed.

Unknown to Mary, there was an accident on the property years ago, one that killed hundreds of people from the surrounding four towns to include the Mandiev brothers. The communities mourned over their loved ones, and the Mandiev’s name was cursed forever. Still to this day, many wish for the property to be razed and will do whatever it takes to see that it is done.

Haunted, that is what they claimed the mansion to be, and while Mary tries not to think about it, she finds herself descending into its twisted past. She becomes tormented by recurring nightmares which soon warp into reality. She awakens to the maintenance man missing – missing because she thinks she killed him.

An intricate web of betrayal begins to unravel, and Mary finds herself within its dark center. Reality bends and distorts and layers of secrets peel away, one by one, revealing an onslaught of sinister motives and a device that plagues her and everyone who has ever been connected to the mansion. Somebody is operating the device, it is evil, and it has a purpose…

TK:  M.T. was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book and his next novel. So, to start it off, let’s talk about The Necro Device. Was it difficult making Mary a believable character?

Mary is the main character in the story, but when I wrote her, I had to tether her personality to her husband, John. I wanted the hidden secrets affecting them in the story to be evident but not predictable. In order to do this, I approached them like a balancing act with Mary on one end and John on the other. When one was up, the other was down. I had to swing both of their mental attitudes from one end of the spectrum, the sane side, completely over to the insane side. It was tough, but the biggest challenge was Mary. I had to push her to the extreme limits then reel her back in before readers became to detached with the character. Her secret is one of the first to be revealed, and it had to be that way so readers could embrace her and carry her through to the end of the story.

I began by revealing rumors of the Mandiev property and introducing each of the characters. Each character has their own story, and each of them can easily be linked back to the Mandiev mansion. This builds a list of possible suspects. Each character has their own scene(s) so that readers can get a better idea of who they are. Another way I build the suspense is through Mary’s nightmares. These nightmares are vivid and target a darker side of the story that readers know very little about such as the Mandiev brothers themselves. As each nightmare is revealed, they show a connection between the Mandiev’s and what is happening inside the mansion. Ultimately, readers want to know what the Device is, and as long as you keep that in mind, the Device slowly reveals itself. What also makes this story build well is that there are two stories being told. Mary has to deal with her surroundings and the people associated with her while at the same time the Mandiev story is being told. The Mandiev story is just as intriguing as the current story, and it is only a matter of time before past and present events collide. Then the next big question is, what does the device do, and who is operating it and why.

TK: What do you look for when writing a new story and how do you go about writing it?

When I write a new story the biggest and most important thing to me is that the story itself has to be completely original. It has to offer something new and unique, and it has to be fun to read. I try to make my stories feel interactive if at all possible and to break the mold of just straight up story telling. I want readers to feel not only that they have front row seats to the event, but that they also have backstage passes that allows them to see things most stories won’t reveal. Most of all, I write in present tense because I feel it makes the story more alive, more exciting, and more in the moment. It can be difficult to read if one is not used to it, but it doesn’t take long for the reader to dive right into the action and go with it. If you really want a thrilling reading ride, Darkness & Daemons was designed specifically for just that. It’s probably a good start for readers who wish to experience my work because the stories are action-packed and short.

TK: What are you writing for National Novel Writing Month otherwise known as NaNoWriMo?

I’ve decided to buckle down and enter this event and write a 50k min novel within 30 days. I’m entering a zombie apoc story who’s main character is a teenager named Chevy Buckler – one of a few survivors in a small farming/ranching town in eastern Colorado. Instead of zombie bashing 101, this is a story of how they embrace the tragedy. They try to return all the roaming zombies back to their homes and work places, in other words, they want to restore the town so that they can live out a normal life. The zombies have names, families, and a story all to their own which adds more depth and atmosphere. I think it will be a fun read, and at its core it is a love story not only with a girl he meets but with mankind in general. Now for the sad part. An unfortunate and tragic thing happened when I decided to write this story. I needed names for the zombies since there was so many. I asked friends on facebook to offer up their name or a fake name. It really didn’t matter which, I just needed names. I asked a couple of times and nobody responded. Then finally a cowboy named Dusty Kittle offered his. He said I could use his name but then questioned as to how I could use a cowboy zombie in the book. That was the last time I spoke with him. Dusty Kittle died in his sleep that very night. This was recent, and I was very sad when I found out the next day. So yes, this story will be written, and yes, Dusty will be a cowboy zombie.

Speaking of NaNoWriMo–

Here is a link posted up for donations to NaNoWriMo. When you donate to the Office of Letters and Light, you help bring free creative writing programs to nearly 350,000 kids and adults in approximately 100 countries, 2,000 classrooms, 200 libraries, and 500 NaNoWriMo regions every year. You not only support people’s novel writing dreams, you help transform people into creators who see new possibilities in the world—and act on them. NaNoWriMo is nothing short of a creative revolution. My donation link is found here: https://www.stayclassy.org/checkout/donation?fcid=212713

Links:

http://www.mtdismuke.com/necro-device

Amazon

Giveaway:

I will drop ship 1 paperback, and gift up to 2 kindle versions of The Necro Device or Darkness & Daemons Collection 1-5, winner’s choice (or the winners can all opt for kindle versions if they’d like). Enter here: The Necro Device Giveaway