I finished high school and kind of fell into a job doing nightclub security, otherwise known as bouncing. It was one of those things which was really easy to get into, but hard to get out of. The worst thing about it was it was something I was very good at; not just the violent aspects of it, but simply talking to people and resolving situations before they even became aggressive. The problem with being good at something is that despite not really liking it sometimes, it's always easy to slip back into it – especially when people keep offering you more money.
And so I kept doing security for about fifteen years in various shapes and forms. I ended up doing what I classed as contract security, which basically meant doing jobs from film and TV sets to bodyguard work, static protection, pretty much whatever people were willing to pay for within reason. I worked in places like Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand and all around Australia. But my writing has always taken first place, and now security work is pretty much a thing of the past… pretty much.
How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?
I've been seriously writing for around eight or nine years now, but it was always something I enjoyed. I wrote a few small pieces and then one day just sat down and began writing THE DARK PATH. It really wasn't much more complicated than that. I'm not the sort of person who talks about doing something and that's as far as it goes; when I set out to do something, I do it. I didn't sit down and do a step by step plan for how I was going to write each and every page, I started writing and just made it all up as I went along, researching as I went. And now, on my fourth book, my method is pretty much the same. I don't do a lot of research prior to starting a book because I honestly don't know in which direction the story is going to go.
But the writing, as any author will tell you, is the easy part. The hard part is getting published, and then if by some miracle you land a contract you have to sing into the maelstrom to try to be heard among the thousands of other great writers out there, all vying for the readers' attention. Stab yourself in the eye first, it might be less painful.
You have a new book just out, The Dark Path. Tell me what inspired you to write this?
I was playing around with a character and wondered how far I could go with him, how evil I could make his actions, and still make him likeable. The result was Vain, and there was something so appealing about him that I just needed to keep going, and the story kind of unfolded around his actions. It rapidly became so much more than I could have predicted or planned and at the close I just had to sit back and catch my breath.
I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?
Like I said, the main character, Vain, is intensely dark, as are his actions, but there are many underlying themes within this novel which I can't reveal without giving too much away. What I can say is that Vain is challenged by his very nature every step on his journey to protect a young boy named Sebastian. In the end it is this very nature which might prove to be the biggest threat to them both.
Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.
I was very lucky in that my editor for THE DARK PATH was brilliant and a fantastic guy to work with. My biggest fear leading up to the editing process was that they'd want me to tone the violence right down, even though it was all very important to the back-story of what had created Vain as well as establishing the darkness of his nature. Therefore I was surprised when my editor turned around and asked me to make a scene slightly more graphic in order to get this point across to the reader.
My editing was a joy, and I looked forward to each and every copy that we sent back and forth because I knew that rather than removing things I loved from the story, my editor was on the same page as me in regards to where I wanted the novel to go.
This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.
There are a lot, but here goes. This one always makes me chuckle:
The body quickly dissolved into a thick sludge, sliding to the side of the road and joining the bloodied mess that already lay there. The Dark Man examined the head, its lidless eyes glaring balefully up at him, its mouth moving voicelessly, still trying to speak. "Don't get up," chuckled Vain, "I'll get the door."Vain is a very dark character in this. Tell me about him, and did you draw on anything from your real life experiences to create him?
Everyone asks me this question, and I'd be lying if I said Vain wasn't part of my own life. There's a lot of unanswered rage dwelling within Vain and he uses violence in order to deal with it, even though he doesn't really know why. For him life is simple: if people get in his way, he takes them out of his way. In this I think he appeals to many people who would often wish for the confidence or even the ability to stand up to those who make life hard for them.
But within this shell of confidence, Vain is conflicted after meeting Sebastian. The boy invades his world of simplistic values and challenges Vain on a very deep level, causing him to question himself and his way of life.
What can we expect from you next?
My agents at Tribe Literary are currently selling my second novel called BLACKLISTED as well as putting together a proposal for my third novel, which I can't disclose the name of just yet. I should finish off the first draft of my fourth book in a few weeks and then get to edit it before starting on my next project. The novels I'm doing are very different to anything people have seen before, and I think they are really going to impact hard when they come out. I have a lot of fans already clamoring for my work and it's just a matter of getting the books out there. There has been talk of selling the film rights for THE DARK PATH, but there aren't any definite plans just yet. The most important thing is getting my fans what they want, and that's more books!
Where can we find you on the internet?
People can find all my social networking links on my website, along with more information about my writing including a few of my early short stories at www.lukeromyn.host56.com
Any final comments or thoughts?
I just want to thank everyone who has helped me along this incredible path. The support I have received from people even before THE DARK PATH was released has been nothing short of fantastic, and it means more to me than anyone will ever know. When I get contacted by someone I don't know who has read my book and can give it nothing but praise is the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced, and I'm determined not to let people down. Thank you all.
Luke, thanks for coming by and answering these questions. I understand that The Dark Path was a Top 10 Finalist in the Preditors and Editors Readers’ Poll for best Horror Novel of 2009. Congratulations!!
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