Interview with E.S. Moore Author of To Walk the Night

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?


Hi! I write books! And I’m a pretty avid gamer, mostly fantasy based stuff, especially MMOs, but I do like my football. I’ve been a reader since I was little and Stephen King pretty much defined my early life.
These days I read a lot of urban fantasy and decided it was something I wanted to try my hand at. The first book didn’t sell. When I wrote To Walk the Night, I didn’t think anything would come of it. I almost completely abandoned it to work in an entirely different genre.

But I do love my urban fantasy and after a little urging from my wife, I revisited the book, polished it up, and to my surprise, it actually sold!

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires that fascinates you so much?

It’s funny, but I’m not a huge fan of vampire books. I’ve obviously read some and the monster tends to pop up pretty regularly in urban fantasy, but I’ve never really gotten overly excited about them. I’ve always leaned towards the darker vampire, the Brian Lumley sort that will tear you to shreds without a thought.

But I do enjoy the paranormal quite a bit overall. I think it’s because most of these books are set in a place and time we know today. You can relate to the characters more because of it. And then when you throw in the vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, or whatever supernatural element you want, it just adds something to the story that catapults the plot to new heights. It’s exciting and familiar and different all at the same time.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?

It depends on the story, really. For To Walk the Night, I just let whatever name that popped into my head stand. As long as it felt right, there was no reason to change it. I’ve written other stories where character names are as important of descriptors as the actual narrative. It isn’t required for the reader to know what the word/name means, but if they do, it gives a little more insight into who that character is.


Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?

Challenging? Not really. But I did have one character who evolved quite a bit from where he started. Ethan lives with Kat, the vampire heroine of To Walk the Night. He’s nerdy, insecure, and has a few quirks that causes him to never leave the house. Originally, he was a blind old man who was a bit gruff, but was supposed to be still likeable. The first feedback I ever received on an early draft of the book was that the Ethan character was terrible. After I reread it, I agreed and changed him to fit with what felt right for the character without trying to force him into a box.

I think it was a good change.


Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

I typically sit down and just let things go. The characters evolve on their own as I write. I let their quirks come out without me forcing them to behave a certain way. I’m afraid that if I were to try to sketch the characters out ahead of time, I’d end up getting stuck because the character would want to do one thing and I’d be trying to make them do another. It’s so much better for me to let it happen naturally.


Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

The biggest difference is the obvious difference: vampires and werewolves have taken over the night. They hunt and kill Purebloods, have formed their own power hierarchy, and take complete control when the sun goes down. The book is set in Columbus, Ohio, but anyone who lives there will notice a lot of differences to the city. The timeline we know never happened because of the coming out party, so the city developed differently in the book than it did in the real world. Actually, the entire world did.



Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

I think all my characters have a little something of me in them. Ethan in To Walk the Night is probably the closest to who I really am. He’s reserved, doesn’t really curse, wants people to like him but is too timid to really make the effort. So while everyone has a tiny bit of me somewhere in their personality or past, Ethan is definitely the one that fits me best.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

I’m not sure writer’s block is real. I think it more of a mental state that can be easily overcome if you just sit down and write. Now, I’ve had stories completely die off and others that really had no direction, but I wouldn’t call that writer’s block as much as I’d call it just not having much enthusiasm for a story.

For those struggling to get words on paper, I’d suggest just sitting down and typing. Don’t worry about what you’re writing. Even if it is just typing words on the page, sometimes that’s all you’ll need to get over the hump. And don’t try too hard. You are your own worst enemy. Let things happen naturally...whatever is natural to you.


Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?

Nothing big. I typically get up, get ready, have breakfast, and then start writing. Anytime the pattern is interrupted, I usually can’t write. I like having structure. And while I don’t plot, I tend to map out my chapters per day as much as a month ahead of time so I know when a book will be done before I even write it. I like being ahead of schedule, but this arbitrary deadline tends to make me upset if I start falling behind.



Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?

I prefer to write in multiple genres, actually. While I don’t have anything else coming out, I’ve written stories of all sorts. Mainly, I stick to genre stories, focusing mostly on urban fantasy and horror, but my short stories have often been sci-fi, which is funny because I don’t think I could ever actually write a sci-fi novel and I don’t typically read in the genre.

But do I find it difficult to jump from one to the next? Not really. I think I’d go crazy if I was forever stuck in one genre because I like to explore in my writing so much. I don’t want to be pinned down as only an urban fantasy author. I want to try my hand at many more things.


When did you consider yourself a writer?

Am I a writer yet?!

Actually, it wasn’t until I received the review copies of the book, and even then, I still don’t feel quite like an author. Maybe once the book hits the shelves, it will sink in and I’ll be able to call myself a real writer. Until then, I’ll just keep pretending!




What can readers expect next from you?

Kat Redding book 2, tentatively titled Tainted Night, Tainted Blood is due out July 2011. I have a few more books on submission and am working on others as well. At this time, nothing else is definitive.



Where can readers find you on the web?

I can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ES_Moore and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/esmoore.fan I’m also starting up on Google+ and Goodreads as E.S. Moore as well. My website is http://www.esmoore.net/ Feel free to drop by and visit anytime!

Even a vampire has to face her inner demons…




Kat Redding is the very thing she hunts: a vampire, thirsting for blood, capable of killing any creature unlucky enough to get in her path. The difference is, Kat kills her own kind in order to protect human Purebloods. She’s good at what she does. Good enough to earn the nickname Lady Death—and the enmity of every bloodthirsty being around. But now a vampire Count is intent on merging his House with a werewolf cult to create a force of terrifying power.


Kat can’t allow that to happen. Even if it means taking on a den of weres and a vampire more ruthless than any she’s encountered before. She has the weapons, the skill, and a few allies. But that may not be enough to eliminate the Count before her own dark nature rises to the surface—and costs her whatever is left of her humanity…


Coming January 2012 from Kensington


Available for pre-order from: Amazon.com and Barnes and  Noble