Chris is one of my favorite authors. I loved his first two novels, The Phlebotomist and Stringers. His next novel, The Redemption of Morgan Bright, will be released by Angry Robot Books in April. You can find pre-order links on his website.
Thanks to Chris for taking time to answer my questions!
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Myna: Tell us about your upcoming novel! When does it come out? What’s it about? Who are your characters?
Chris: Contemporary gothic, asylum horror. Morgan Bright’s sister is dead. No one knows why. Blaming herself, Morgan assumes a false identity, and goes inside to solve the mystery.
Cover designed by: Sarah O’Flaherty
Myna: What themes do you explore?
Chris: Identity, guilt, grief, the treatment of those with mental illness, the treatment of women.
Myna: What’s unique about this book?
Chris: A possession story where the possessor is someone made up by the possessed.
Myna: When a reader finishes the last word in the book, what emotions will they feel?
Chris: Wonder, satisfaction, anger.
Myna: How did this story come about?
Chris: The tiniest seed of it came from a comment my daughter made. It evolved a lot over the few years I was mulling it, eventually taking on many elements from what I was digesting at the time: the story of Nellie Bly (who committed herself to a New York asylum on purpose in 1887), the treatment of women in the 1950’s, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Midsommar, and Jeff Vandermeer’s “crawler” creature.
Myna: Were there any surprises or problems along the route to publishing?
Chris: Not really for this book. We sold it on proposal (a synopsis plus 3 chapters or so).
Myna: Any advice for new authors?
Chris: Getting published has almost nothing to do with talent and everything to do with hours at the keyboard. You can’t help but get better and better. I don’t really believe in talent as a formula for success in writing, while acknowledging that there are plenty of very talented people. There are far more very skilled people. Skills are developed.
Myna: How would you describe your writing style, in general? Does that hold true for this book?
Chris: My style changes a lot from book to book, this one has sections that are considerably more rich and lyrical than my other books, but it’s got an intent behind it. But overall, my style is fairly utilitarian with a little fuss thrown in here and there for texture and emphasis.
Myna: What’s your favorite thing about writing?
Chris: Creating the thing and then shaping it.
Myna: How do you stay motivated?
Chris: I love the bond that you form with readers, whether you ever meet them or not, as a result of them reading your book. That’s very motivating. Also, the process of creation has always been a draw for me. I love it when I surprise myself with something. Writing is as much a process of discovery as it is creation.
Myna: Tell us about a recent accomplishment or share some happy news with us!
Chris: One of the first short stories I ever wrote has just been optioned by a movie/tv studio. Who knows if it will ever get made, but what a cool first step!
Myna: Do you have other books or stories you’d like to mention?
Chris: All of my stuff is linked at chrispanatier.com that includes my short stories, novels, album art and coloring books! Something for everyone!
Myna: What do you wish I’d asked?
Chris: This is actually a pretty cool question. It’s something I asked prospective jurors when I was picking juries for cases I tried. You get some crazy answers for sure. In this case, though, I think you’ve covered everything! Thanks for having me.
Myna: What’s next for you?
Chris: I am trying to up my short story game by subbing some very competitive anthologies. I have a finished horror novel manuscript that my agent is currently reading. I’m trying to figure out what the next novel will be. I have some ideas and I’m excited to start. Cheers!
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Chris Panatier lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, “plays” the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands.
website: chrispanatier.com
twitter: @ChrisJPanatier
insta: @chrispanatier
Myna Chang 