A couple of years ago I met Dean Skinner. We talked about everything under the sun, including books. I am a big fan of his abstract art and his books. He writes thought-provoking books that are short and relatable. I asked him to sit down with me for an interview and he graciously agreed. So, grab your favorite beverage and join us. Dean, take it away…
What is your writing process?
It’s pretty simple. I just start writing and sometimes (e.g. most of the time), I don’t even know if there’s a “book in there.” I write the beginning and end first and then see if it all comes together and when it does, it’s very exciting for me.
Do you have any odd writing habits?
The only one that people are a bit surprised when I tell them is that I dictate…A LOT! I heard this tip at the 20Books Vegas conference in 2017 and believe most of my books are close to 50% dictation, ESPECIALLY on a long drive. I just open my Notes app on my iphone, press the record icon, and go. Then, I just email or drop that note to my laptop and pow…I have the fruits of a long drive. Dictation for me has been a game changer!
Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you?
I have probably (no exaggeration) given away EASILY over a couple dozen copies of War of Art by Steven Pressfield. GAME CHANGER for me when it comes to my art, my writing, and any gift God has given me. I can still remember reading it for the first time on a flight to California and finishing the entire book within that flight. Highly, HIGHLY recommend to anyone who’s battling using their gift and in fact, am onto his second book in that series, Turning Pro. Big, BIG fan of Steven Pressfield’s work here and it has been very instrumental to me in my journey. Thank you, Mr. Pressfield. Thank you!
What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
Easy…don’t get too caught up in the editing and proofing process. It can feel very discouraging, even crippling. Sooooo much red ink from the proofreader and/or copy editor.
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
Oh yeah. I totally read all of my reviews. And in fact, I still don’t know what “real authors” do but as for me, I try to respond to each and every one of them. ESPECIALLY the negative reviews. I’m not quite sure if that’s the right thing to do or not but I feel if anyone takes the time to read my book and leave a review, positive or negative, I owe them at least a “thank you.”
Do you write naked?
Uhhhh…emphatically no. Nobody wants to see that…especially me.
Do you drink? Smoke? What’s your vice?
EASY! I’ve never smoked and will enjoy a glass of wine or two with my wife or a couple of craft beers with my buddy while watching the Browns game, but my biggest vice BY FAR is ice cream ESPECIALLY Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip! No exaggeration…if we buy a brand new, 48 ounce container of Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, it will be gone in 48 hours and I am the only culprit.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Again, EASY…the power to heal. And not to self-heal like Wolverine, one of my favorite X-men (yep…I’m a big comic book nerd at heart), but the power to heal others. In fact, I alluded to this in my book Healed…shameless plug for Healed.😬
What secret talents do you have?
This is 100% my useless superpower and I’ve even considered making a TikTok about this but…no matter where I’m at (home, office, public event, waiting to get my tires rotated, etc.) when I go and grab a tissue from a tissue box it is always, ALWAYS the last one. Some superheroes get x-ray vision…I get the uncanny ability to take the last tissue in a tissue box.
What were you like as a child? Your favorite toy?
I always, ALWAYS had either a crayon, markers, coloring pencils, or a paint brush in my hand. God has given me the gift of an incredibly active and creative mind. As a result, I could always draw and was always drawing, painting, coloring, etc. In fact and not until recently in my “silver years,” have I started writing and again, am very, VERY grateful for this gift of a perpetually creative, problem solving mind. The question is…what gift did God give you as a child that you may have forgotten about or didn’t believe you were good enough? And, why aren’t you doing it now? It’s never too late…just ask me😉
Dean, thank you for the insightful interview. It was a delight to sit down with you. Readers, check out his latest release. Psst, you can grab it for free. That’s right zero pennies. It’s Dean’s gift to you.
Title: Faithful
Author: Dean Skinner
Genre: Thriller / Psychological Thriller / Horror
Book Blurb:
"It's been 30 days now, about four and a half weeks, but it might as well be forever because I'm in Hell. I am absolutely in Hell and apparently... I'm atoning for my sins..."
Body horror is just the start. Faithful is a suspense-filled novella that unwinds the relationship between a captor and his victim in a cold and agonizing thirty-day plot. With a purposeful and melancholic melody, it will have you holding your breath and body close.
From the author who brought you Broken, Paths, and Healed, all reaching and maintaining number one spots in numerous categories (#1 in Horror Short Stories, #1 in One-Hour Literature & Fiction Short Reads, #1 in 90-Minute Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads, etc.), Faithful is by far Dean Skinner's darkest novella yet. As one reader described it, "This 90-minute book f@#ed me up for an entire week."
Within the first week of publication, Faithful made multiple Amazon Bestseller lists including:
Excerpt:
“Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years; do you still want me? If I don't see a ribbon round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree”
It’s been 30 days now, about four and a half weeks, but it might as well be forever because I’m in Hell. I am absolutely in Hell and apparently… I’m atoning for my sins.
The day starts like every day… Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Tony Orlando and Dawn (can’t believe I remember that) begins to play through the shittiest PA system ever… warped, grainy… broken. It reminds me of how old phonographs used to sound during an episode of The Little Rascals, when they used words like “shucks”, “gee-whiz” and “sarsaparilla.” Funny, how I associate the most innocent of times with undoubtedly the darkest of mine.
Sometimes the song plays once. Sometimes the song plays twice. Sometimes the song plays for what seems to be an hour… two… maybe more… I don’t know… I just know when the song starts, eventually so will the day’s torture. And inevitably, the song signifies that he will make his appearance.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Grab an e-copy for absolutely free!
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197878235-faithful?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JAPxTjTIrY&rank=1
Author Biography:
Dean is an artist and an author of supernatural thrillers. His last book, Healed, was number one on six of Amazon’s best seller lists and remained within the top spots in multiple categories well over a year since it was published in 2021. And his first book, Broken, held multiple top ten spots, including number one in Horror Short Stories, four years after its release in 2019.
Dean is also an artist who has painted over one hundred large-format portraits. His work has been featured in galleries throughout the US and UK and he has been commissioned by numerous NFL athletes, including Derrick Henry, All-Pro running back. If you’d like to see Dean’s artwork, please visit instagram.com/deanskinner.
In November of 2018, Dean went to 20Books Vegas, a yearly gathering of some of the publishing industry’s most notable self-published authors. Here, Dean was so moved and inspired by this talented group of people that three months later, he finished writing his first draft of Broken and published it later that year.
Dean is originally from Bridgeport, West Virginia and now lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, two children and giant, fluffy Sheepadoodle.
Social Media Links: