Interview F.U.B.A.R. by Joe King

Title: F.U.B.A.R.
Author: Joe King
Series: F.U.B.A.R. (Book 1)
Genre: Action/Comedy/Horror
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Dec 24 2014
Editions/Formats Available In: eBook and Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
An aimless, down on his luck man discovers a clandestine government agency tasked with combating supernatural evil, beneath the grounds of a mental health hospital where he works; the agency, the Frontline Unified Battalion of Arcane Resistance (F.U.B.A.R.). Getting recruited for their cause, he is accidentally afflicted with a curse, casting the sensible ego aspect of his personality into a subconscious prison, allowing his psychotic id to take over his body. Now this madman must lead a motley crew of supernatural agents, including a punk rock witch, a werewolf, a medium and the ghost of his best friend, and a female Japanese ninja, against a globe spanning, world devouring evil, whilst dealing with the monsters inside his head.

SR&OCM: Where did you come up with the idea for your book?

I used to work as a janitor at a mental health hospital, and during one evening shift I walked into one of the psychological counselor’s empty offices and saw thick coarse hair all over the whole carpet, and pets aren’t allowed. A passing thought was that one of the patients was a werewolf, and if you have read at least the first several pages of my book you probably get the gist by now.

SR&OCM: How did you come up with your characters?

I had rough outlines for what types of characters I wanted so it was just a matter of playing with them in my head, imagine some of the battles and scenes until they began to take some sort of form in my mind’s eye. I wanted the protagonist, Dave Reynolds, to be the comic relief type since I have always loved the character Deadpool and Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China; and the design for him came about from some doodling and the look stuck with me. Some of the characters such as Clyde, Lizzy and Kev I physically modelled after Donald Glover, Lizzy Caplan and Seth Rogen respectively because they just seemed to gel when I thought about them. The villains tend to come a bit easier to me, I think most people love villains more than the good guys and dreaming up gruesome and devious acts helps fill in the blanks of who they are.

SR&OCM: Who did you show your first draft to and why?

My brother, but by the time I plucked up the courage to show him it the book was ready to be self-published.

SR&OCM: Do you have plans to a follow up?

Yes I am currently working on the second book, but it won’t stop there.

SR&OCM: Open your book to a random page and tell us the first paragraph…

Lizzy Chambers, the punk rock witch and new recruit for F.U.B.A.R. has been up all night stressed out over her accidental magic-related murder of the story’s protagonist Dave Reynolds, and possibly making matters worse, her ill-fated attempt at resurrecting him. It is now morning of the first day of training and she is certain that her sorcery instructor, Rebecca Munroe, is going to kick her out before she has even begun.

SR&OCM: What do you like to read? Do you only read the genre you write in?

I must admit that I prefer genres such as horror, action and thriller but if something grabs me I will give it a go.

SR&OCM: Where do you go to escape?

I am stuck in my head 24/7 so I don’t think escape is possible. My mind is like Alcatraz.

SR&OCM: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Sometimes it’s disheartening and you may lose faith in why you are breaking a sweat over working on a novel, but if you enjoy creating your own little worlds, or big worlds, then that fulfilment is what you must stay focused on. It’s not about record sales but seeing something you have worked hard on come to fruition.

SR&OCM: Would you recommend self-publishing or main stream publishing for first time novelists?

Main-stream publishing is very clique orientated and unless you are writing something that is this season’s model, or it’s some by the numbers detective or such, I would definitely suggest self-publishing since you are the boss. Iron out any wrinkles before publis

Joe King woke up one day, unsure of where he came from or where he was going. To this day he blindly stumbles through life hoping everything will turn out okay. At some point, he worked as a janitor in a mental health hospital, where he discovered an obscene amount, emphasise obscene, of hair on the carpet of one of the counselling rooms. Naturally, he became convinced that the patient must have been a werewolf, there is simply no other explanation. Not having any silver or dog collars to hand he decided to knock the idea around which snowballed into F.U.B.A.R., his first novel and the first instalment of the series.
When he's not writing, he enjoys reading books and comic books, begrudgingly trying to emulate the fine work of the talented comic book artists, loathing himself, slapping the bass in a rock band, loathing himself a bit more and playing guitar.


Places to find Joe

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

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Places to find  F.U.B.A.R. 

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Print