Interview with Leondard D Hilley II

Leonard, welcome to Deb's. Thank you for coming by to chat with us.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Your family, background, etc.

I was raised in rural Alabama in the 70s-80s. This was before cable television and video games, and we only had three stations that came in, if the wind was blowing the right direction. I'm really glad that technology wasn't too advanced when I was a child. Otherwise, I don't think my imagination would be what it is today.

My sister and I spent hours using our imaginations and exploring the woods and fields behind our house. Since we grew up with parents that believed "kids should be seen, not heard," we found our creative niche with books and horror comics.

I've always been an avid reader, and from an early age, I knew I wanted to be a novelist. I drew my own comics, and by the fifth grade, I had completed my first novel. At the age of twelve, my parents divorced, and I spent many years in church trying to sort it all out. Nothing against churches, but the one I attended didn't think we should use our imaginations at all, and for years, I abandoned my writing.

I have to admit, if it wasn't for my wife, Christal, I wouldn't have started writing again. We met at college and she introduced me to Dean R. Koontz's books. I was captivated by his writing, and suddenly, I found my desire to write again.

Tell us what kind of books you write. Do you write more than one genre?

The Predators of Darkness series is what most people refer to as cross-genre. There's sci-fi, mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance tied together.

I have two other series I'm working on. One is slanted more toward sci-fi, but the elements of suspense and mystery are there. The other series is a dark fantasy series about a teenage boy who gets lost in an enchanted, or shall I say, cursed, cave and ends up in a dark world full of demons, elves, beasts, and fairies. The first chapters of each book are posted at www. myspace. com/deimosfactor


I just read your book PREDATOR’S OF DARKNESS and I was impressed with it. The story was strong and had wonderful characters that pull you right into the story and keep you there till the end.

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate that.

Was this your first book in print? When did it come out?

Yes, this is the first book I've had published. It came out in April 2007.

I believe the second book in this series, BEYOND THE DARKNESS, will be released this coming spring.

Yes. Though it will be July.

Please tell us about this series. What inspired you to write this genre of book and will there be more than the two books in the series. If so, can you give us any details?

The opening sentence of Predators of Darkness came to me in 1996. "Dropping a cat from the top of a ten story office building was not the best way to remain hidden, but it was necessary."

The sentence just popped in my head right before I was going to sleep, so I wrote it down. The idea intrigued me, so I played with it for a few days. I had no characters, no plot. Just this sentence. I had twenty pages by the second day with promising characters, but I couldn't add more to it, so I set it aside for two years. When I picked it back up, I noticed that I didn't have one chapter, but a twenty page outline that needed fleshed out. I worked on it for a couple weeks and had one hundred pages. Again, I couldn't add anything to it.

In 1998, I took an advanced creative writing course at Morehead State University. As one of my projects, I turned in 32 pages of Predators of Darkness (the first chapter). The professor let everyone comment about the chapter, and then he went to the chalk board. He said, "Leonard, you don't have one chapter here. You have 5 or 6." He drew out a brief storyline outline, and immediately, everything became clearer. From then on, the characters wrote the novel. They became real, and the action and intensity of the novel developed.

The characters still had more to say after Predators of Darkness, and so Beyond the Darkness emerged. There will be a third book in the series, The Game of Pawns. I'm not certain if a fourth book will follow. This will depend largely on the characters and what happens in The Game of Pawns.

Do you have any other works in progress? If so, please share with us.

I'm currently revising my dark fantasy novel, Devils Den, and I'm working on The Game of Pawns as well.

Do you have plans to expand into other genres of writing? If you could write anything you wanted, what would it be?

I'm really happy writing what I write. The characters are what keep the story going. Some question why I write so darkly, but it's because I've survived dark valleys in my own life and know what it is to struggle. At the end, I hope that people can see there is hope, no matter how bad the current situations are.

Have you been influenced by any particular author in your writing career?

The first author that captivated me was Roger Zelazny and his Chronicles of Amber series. Characterization and conflict was important to him and his works show it. I am a huge fan of Dean Koontz and perhaps his writing is the strongest influence on me and how I write.

Please share some of your favorite authors or books with us. Why are they special to you?

The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. I love how he incorporates family disputes into his realm of fantasy with their ability to travel through shadows to another world.

I've read a vast majority of Koontz's books. Cold Fire and Mr. Murder are perhaps my favorites. I love the way he weaves together multiple storylines and characters until they have no choice but to interact and resolve the story.

What is the best piece of writing advice you have ever been given? What one bit of advice would you give to a new writer?

"Keep on keeping on," is what one writer friend told me. If you want to write, you have to write and keep writing. A book or story cannot write itself. You must put pen to paper or type it into your word processor. No one else can write what you can.

Leonard, thank you for coming by to chat with us. We wish you continued success!

Thank you very much.

Review-Predator's of Darkness

A few months ago I was the lucky recipient of a copy of PREDATORS OF DARKNESS by Leonard D. Hilley II. I started it almost immediately but due to life getting in the way, I didn't get back to it as soon as I would have liked. This weekend I started it again and I just finished it and I am so VERY glad I read it.

PREDATORS OF DARKNESS is a dark book, full of suspense and on the edge of a horror story. Horror stories are not my normal read and I was hesitant to start it but once I did, I was hooked!

The strong characters grab you and don't let you go through the entire book. The setting is >Pittsburg, after a nuclear missile attack. Mr. Hilley's descriptions make you feel like you are there in the midst of the destruction and horror. Mutant animal creatures are stalking the survivors and staying alive is the name of the game as they try to survive in this horrible situation.

But where did these creatures come from and how did they develop so fast? Is there more to the story than just a nuclear attack and it's horrible aftermath? Is the government carrying out secret experiments or it is the result of other secret organizations?

You will definitely want to read PREDATORS OF DARKNESS to find the answers. I am looking forward to Mr. Hilley's next book in the series!