Ken was born in the small town of Moose Jaw, Canada, but he figured things out quickly and hauled his family west at the age of 9. Since then, he’s lived in Vancouver, where the winter snow falls as rain. Endless, endless rain…..
Being raised on a steady diet of science fiction and disaster movies, it just seems right that his first published novel be about the zombie apocalypse. In his spare time, Ken tries to paint like Bob Ross and play poker like Doyle Brunson, but results suggest he might have got it all backwards.
Do you prefer any genre in particular and why?
As a reader, I like any story that catches and holds my attention, regardless of genre. As a writer, I prefer a good scary story. After all, fear is the most primal of human emotions, and if one of my stories can tap into that primal fear for even a moment, I consider it a huge win.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a little of both, I guess. I go into a story with an outline in my head and knowing every plot point I want to hit along the way, but I allow considerable leeway in how I get from point A to point B. It lets the story flow much more organically, and I’m often surprised by what comes out of left field.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished a short story as part of an anthology due out in October called What Lies Beyond the Shadows, and I’m hard at work trying to finish the third book in the Stage 3 series, titled Stage 3: Bravo. Hopefully I’ll have it in my publisher’s hands soon.
Is there anything you can tell us about Stage 3: Bravo?
Well, I can say that Mace finally meets his match, for better or for worse. And as I’ve been promising all year, the cause and nature of the virus will be fully explained in Stage 3: Bravo. It will be full disclosure, no holds barred, and it might just mean dire implications for the future.
And the anthology, What Lies Beyond the Shadows? It sounds scary enough. Can we assume anything from its release date just prior to Halloween?
This will be my first inclusion in an anthology and I’m very excited about it. The book will feature myself and fifteen others telling our individual ghost stories. And of course, the release date is more than mere coincidence. How better to celebrate Halloween than by unleashing sixteen new ghost stories on the world?
What do you do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. Honestly, this has been my passion since forever, so even when I’m stuck in traffic or throwing paint at a canvas, I’m always writing. Always.
Twitter @PennilessScribe
Website www.kenstark.ca
