Welcome to the blog Jason.
Happy to be here! Thanks for having me. I absolutely love the background images and enjoy reading your reviews.
(You are the man)
I really enjoyed both your novels Seeing Evil & What Hides Within, Let’s talk about your first novel. One scene that sticks in my mind was the surgeon stepping back and hearing the crack of porcelain being pulverized underfoot and stammering “where’s the skull piece”. What was your favourite scene and the one you had second thoughts about?
Yeah, people either seem to really like the doctor scenes or find them really stupid. I do… kind of, maybe, perhaps… treat doctors as bumbling idiots in that book, though I do not think my portrayal of their bedside manners is that far from the truth (in my experience). But yeah, I enjoyed writing those scenes most—lots of tongue in cheek humor, which I plan on revisiting soon.
I had second thoughts about some of the actual people I reference anecdotally, not only because it could date the book, but also because I’m not out to piss anyone off. And I am not talking about Hannah Montana – she’s so bad, I consider her fair game.
Do you plan follow-ups to either of these stories? (Hoping for more spiders)
Yes.
(And)
Oh, you want more? Well, I’m putting the final touches on a story the pre-dates Seeing Evil but also features Detective Reilly. That story has a somewhat personal touch, and it has been a long time in the works. I don’t intend this or any other story with the Detective to be a sequel, prequel, etc., but rather a stand-alone book – sort of like separate case files.
As for What Hides Within, I have an outline for a second work. For obvious reasons, though, a sequel would feature an entirely new cast, save for those that survive my final chapter.
There’s a completely different edge to your two novels, one had me in stitches with the sarcastic humour and the other a much more emotional journey. How did writing the two stories differ from a personal point of view?
Well, I hope WHW showed I can write horror, mystery and dark humor. Seeing Evil, I hope, shows I can write a fast-paced thriller, with characters that may not be stereotypical heroes but that the reader can thoroughly connect with – relatable, human, empathetic. I want to grow as a writer. I don’t think one form is better than the other, but instead let my characters and their personalities dictate the tone of the story. Clive Menard was a clueless dolt, which allowed for some humor. The characters in Seeing Evil have been through more than their fair share of suffering that laughing at them just didn’t feel right.
Seeing Evil deals with some topics close to a lot of people hearts, did you draw on experience or did it all come from the mind?
Personal experience, controversial topics over the past years in American news (bullying, gun violence in schools, etc.) and my sordid imagination.
Favourite scene from Seeing Evil & the one you deliberated over the most? (spoiler tags can be applied)
Chapter 3, the chapter that really sets things in motion. I tried to nail several emotions in a truly horrific scene that is all-too-real. And not just from Michael’s perspective, but from everyone else’s in the scene. I would think it would be hard not to feel for Michael after that scene, and hopefully that feeling carries forward.
Have you struggled to get inside any of the characters you’ve written about and are you prone to masses of research?
In WHW and Seeing Evil, the characters came naturally, even where their experiences don’t match mine. Human emotion is something we all feel, know well its many intricacies (minus you sociopaths out there – call me, I need to do some research!). Tapping into it isn’t hard, as simple as stepping into the character’s shoes. When my characters go well beyond my experiences, things get tricky. That’s when I become a research fanatic.
It’s my view that a good author needs to be an exceptional study of people, do you notice things others don’t or does it all come from the imagination?
I agree 100%. I am a prolific people watcher (Jessica Alba called it stalking – so overdramatic that one), which is strange since I can’t stand reality television. Oh yeah, probably ’cause that ain’t reality. Like I said above, we’ve all felt every emotion at one point or another. All a writer need do is tap into it, relive his own pain, love, longing, sorrow, etc. through the character on the page.
(That kind of stalking is fine LOL)
If you were stuck on a desert island and could choose 2 books as companions. 1 to read again and again, and one, page by page to wipe your backside with. Which books would you choose?
Ha! My favorite book is The Stand. Plus, it’s a long read, so it will occupy me for a while. I can’t read any book over and over again, but that one I’ve read three times. I am sure I will give it another go in the next 10 years.
My least favorite book is On Walden Pond, also read three retched times. But I’d run out of paper more quickly than if I brought say, War and Peace, so… Does the Encyclopaedia Britannica count as one book?
(soft pages is a must)
Who are your favourite characters both from what you’ve written and what you’ve read? (Clive was brilliant).
From my own work, Chester and Victoria from WHW, Samantha and Michael from Seeing Evil, and Dakota and Merwin from an upcoming work (sort of the good, the bad and the ugly there). And, of course, the monsters!
From the works of others, Pennywise from It, Karl Ruger from The Pine Deep Trilogy, Hannibal Lecter, Dexter, from Silence of the Lambs et al., Marv from Sin City, and Rorschach from The Watchmen (sort of the bad, the worse, and the ugly).
What’s the funniest thing that's ever happened to you? (The more embarrassing the better)
I had an accident in my pants at a very young age, and I don’t know if it was to embarrass me or it was all they had that would fit, but I had to wear woman’s underwear. Scarred for life.
(Haven't we all, had accidents in our pants I mean)
Is there a particular book that made you want to be a writer?
Not so much a book, but an author: Edgar Allen Poe. His short stories were what got me excited about reading and how words could be used to entertain in ways that provoked imagination. I laugh every time I read “A Tell-Tale Heart” as the narrator describes the victim’s vulture eye and why he had to kill him. I sweat beneath the pendulum, behind the meticulously laid wall, or within the maelstrom, becoming his protagonists or better yet, his antagonists.
What’s next in the pipeline and can you give us some inside information? Just between me and you of course ;)
I have two novels (horror, science fiction) out for consideration and a third in its final round of editing pre-submission. I also have several novelettes and short stories in the pipeline. But I am fairly certain the next thing you will see from me will be this September, when Adam Light, Evans Light, Edward Lorn, Gregor Xane and I release Bad Apples 2. I’ve already read a couple of the stories, and I think people are going to love them.
(cool loved the first one)
Know any good jokes?
Two guys walk into a bar. The third guy ducks. Oh , you said “good” jokes.
When you’re not slaving over the books, what do you like to do?
Travel, kayak, watch movies, play poker… long walks on the beach, dinner by candlelight, a hot bath filled with rose petals, and snuggling up in front of a warm fireplace. Oh, this isn’t a site for singles? The first four then, and I also try to jump out of a plane every now and then.
I notice the one line story is becoming more and more popular, and is in itself a powerful storytelling method, can you give it a go for us?
They hid beneath the man’s fine crop of pubic hair whilst pinching with the claws and stabbing with needle tipped toes as they waited for their time to spread.
(brilliant, simple as)
Any issues close to you heart you’d like to share?
Yes. I do not have crabs.
LOL Great stuff, Thanks for dropping by Jason and I'm looking forward to all the new stuff that's on its way.
A little bit more about Jason Parent
When you do a search for Jay on the net, there are a few pictures that come up. I know that this one is definitely him, luckily he has a great sense of humor.
And here's another I assume this is before he started writing. The world needs more DJ's.
Wait is that him can't be sure now.
In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.
In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s another story.
When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.
You can learn more about Jason, his upcoming works and his appearances here, on
His latest novel, Seeing Evil, was published on August 4, 2015 from Red Adept Publishing. Below is the synopsis and cover image:
Fate in plain sight.
Major Crimes Detective Samantha Reilly prefers to work alone—she’s seen as a maverick, and she still struggles privately with the death of her partner. The only person who ever sees her softer side is Michael Turcotte, a teenager she’s known since she rescued him eleven years ago from the aftermath of his parents’ murder-suicide.
In foster care since his parents’ death, Michael is a loner who tries to fly under the bullies’ radar, but a violent assault triggers a disturbing ability to view people’s dark futures. No one believes his first vision means anything, though—not even Sam Reilly. When reality mimics his prediction, however, Sam isn’t the only one to take notice. A strange girl named Tessa Masterson asks Michael about her future, and what he sees sends him back to Sam—is Tessa victim or perpetrator?
Tessa’s tangled secrets draw Michael and Sam inexorably into a deadly conflict. Sam relies on Michael, but his only advantage is the visions he never asked for. As they track a cold and calculating killer, one misstep could turn the hunters into prey.
Buy it here
