A TASTE OF HOME - C. DERICK MILLER
A TASTE OF HOME: Toby Liberman is nearing the end of his rope. After a fateful confrontation with his wife’s lover, he is chased into the woods only to be discovered by an unidentifiable creature. He is attacked and rendered unconscious. Upon waking at the scene of a gruesome triple homicide, Toby is arrested as the sole suspect and thrown into a jail cell with a strange man that knows way too much about his predicament. The stranger reveals to Toby that he now possesses the curse of the werewolf. Using his new-found strength to flee his captors, Toby begins to discover that things are not what they seem in the sleepy town of Twin Oaks, Texas. Now hunted by law enforcement, as well as the town’s gun toting civilians, Toby seeks vengeance against his false accusers and embarks upon a quest to clear his name once and for all.
MM:C. Derick Miller, welcome aboard @MartinMatthewsWrites.
CDM: Thanks for the opportunity to spread the word about my newest book! I hope your readers enjoy it!
MM:I know they will, because it's October, and this book is about...werewolves. But before we get to the biting and clawing, why don't you tell the good folks out there a little about yourself?
CDM: I’ve been called the ‘cool’ grandpa! I’m a 44 year old author, poet, songwriter, guitar player, journalist from Greenville, Texas! I’ve been involved in at least one book project a year for the last ten years. This year, I’ve been involved in 4! I’m a freelance A&E columnist for a few North Texas newspapers and magazines. I’ve also co-created a local writers’ league to help others fulfill their dreams. When I’m not living out my own dreams, I’m an operations coordinator for a fine art logistics company. The job has taken me to almost every museum in the country. My goal is to have my hometown’s most interesting headstone. I think I’m winning.
MM:Wow, that's just about the most interesting introduction I've heard yet. Okay, okay, back to the book, A Taste Of Home, can you tell us a little about it?
CDM: A Taste Of Homebegan as a short story a very long time ago. I always knew there was more to it. It’s the story of a man who’s at the end of his rope. He hates his job, his wife is cheating, and he doesn’t understand his teenage daughter. He’s a victim. A series of events leads to a werewolf curse and a triple homicide accusation. He soon begins to use his new powers to clear his name and set things right.
MM:Sounds like one thing after another. I mean, it's bad enough when your wife cheats on you, but then you gotta deal with the whole hirsutism thing, too. Tell us some more about some of the folks in your story.
CDM: Toby Liberman is the man caught in a downward spiral. His wife, Jessica was his high school sweetheart and the sister to Toby’s best friend Johnny. Toby and Jessica’s daughter, Katie, is a 13 year old outcast with a sharp tongue and dark sense of humor. Sheriff McGee rules his county with fear and might have more than a few skeletons in his closet.
MM:I see. The whole small town America meets werewolf in London meets corrupt sheriff meets...well, I guess you'll have to read the book to find out. Where did you get the idea for the story?
CDM: First of all, I love werewolf lore and films. American Werewolf In London is my favorite! My former best friend and eventual (ex) wife is the niece of the late, great Lon Chaney Jr. I didn’t plan that, it just happened! I wanted to turn horror into hero. What if a werewolf could control his powers and use them for something other than terror?
MM:I actually really appreciate your take on this. I feel like so much horror is done poorly -- a pet peeve of mine. It's not just about the body count, people! There are stories to be told in all genres. What kind of story are you telling with A Taste Of Home?
CDM: I wanted it to be fun, witty, and dark. I mirrored the fictional town in the book from my North Texas hometown of Greenville. It has some pretty dark history that seems to grow a little bit more with each passing year. There was a sign displayed over the main street decades ago that read “Welcome to Greenville, the blackest land, the whitest people! Google it! I guess if there was an overall message, it would be that ‘home’ is not necessarily a house. It’s the people who are most important to you.
MM:He ain't kidding, folks. Speaking of home, tell us about some of your big influences.
CDM: Del James taught me that fear is everywhere and can even be found in the places you’re most comfortable. Hunter S. Thompson taught me to be honest. Seth MacFarlane taught me never to pull a punch with a joke. Shawn Mullins taught me to write what you know (especially with music) and people will relate in one way or another.
MM: Great advice. What are you currently reading?
CDM: I’m a freelance A&E contributor with my own book review column in a few newspapers, so I read one book a week on average. Right now, I’m reading Black Heart: Unhinged by Christie Lyday.
MM:Are you working on the next book in the Home Series?
CDM: The sequel to A Taste Of Home will release in December! Titled ‘Far From Home’ it takes the characters from the tiny North Texas town and into New York City! I’m also putting the finishing touches on a novel titled Extinguished. It’s about a young female firefighter who finds out she was raised by demon hunters and is eventually employed by The Vatican to protect The Gutenberg Bibles from demons. Trust me, it all makes sense when you read it! I also have a short story included in an anthology by Death’s Head Press titled ‘…And Hell Followed’ which deals with the book of Revelation and what would happen if it were to occur today. It’s being released in January 2019.
MM:A story of biblical proportions, I am sure! Say, you write a lot of stuff. Between work and writing, do you have any hobbies to unwind from all that typing?
CDM: Other than playing guitar (which I’m just now learning how at age 44), I’m a weekend karaoke addict! I love jumping into a line up full of sad country songs and belting out Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, or Guns N Roses tunes. You can tell who the really cool people are when you look out over the crowd! They’re the ones not wearing a disgusted look. Life is too short not to sing Mr. Brownstone to a bunch of people who you know will be humming it at church the next morning!
MM:That's hilarious. I can totally picture it in my head. If I'm ever in your neck of the woods, we should totally hang out. Chad Derick Miller, it's been a pleasure talking to you about A Taste Of Home, and be sure to check back in when the next one drops in December.
CDM: I really appreciate it! Thank you for exposing me to your audience and for giving one of the little guys a chance. All the major novelists started out this way until someone like you came along. All the major players in the writing industry began as a ‘local’ artist.
C. Derick Miller is a dark fiction author, freelance A&E journalist, poet, ordained minister, and ASCAP songwriter born in the town of Greenville, Texas. A seasoned paranormal investigator and traveler for the art industry, his influences include Hunter S. Thompson, Kevin Smith, Shawn Mullins, and Del James. He is currently signed with Black Rose Writing, Death’s Head Press, and is an Arts and Entertainment Contributor for The Greenville Herald Banner and Greenville Life Magazine. Chad is also an active member of the International Thriller Writers organization.
See more of Chad Derick Miller at his website here
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Be sure to check out the book A TASTE OF HOME from Black Rose Writing.