Interview with David S. Grant Author of Bleach/Blackout
Cheryl C. Malandrinos
July 28, 2008
Joining us today is David S. Grant. David is the author of Corporate Porn, The Last Breakfast, and the short story collection Emotionless Souls. Davidīs first novel and its sequel are now available as a double novel Bleach/Blackout from Offense Mechanisms.
Welcome David. Itīs wonderful to have you with us.
Letīs start by finding out a bit more about you. How long have you been writing?
DG] Iīve been writing fiction for the last seven years or so. As far back as I can remember Iīve always enjoyed and been writing to some degree, but fiction has become my passion in recent years.
Do you write full-time? Are you a morning or evening writer?
DG] My name is David S. Grant and I am a binge writer. I can admit it. I wish I was more disciplined, but the truth is I write when I have an idea and donīt stop until that idea is on paper and even the pages look exhausted. Mornings, evenings, and even after bar, it doesnīt matter if I am actively thinking about a story, it is being worked on. The only constant in my writing life is that is the jotting down of notes or ideas (in between my binges).
My understanding is you write transgressive fiction. Can you tell us more about this genre?
DG] Trangressive fiction is usually a combination of dark humor, violence, taboo subjects, and that area in your head that produces nightmares. It is hard to classify what is trangressive fiction and more difficult to outright categorize authors that fit this genre. I guess in the end to me transgressive fiction produces stories that push the buttons of society in such a way that demands a response, even if the response is internal to only the reader.
Tell us about Bleach/Blackout.
DG] Bleach|Blackout is a double novel that follows Jeremy Jameson and his two friends, Chip and Stoner, through the trenches of life in the Midwest (Bleach) and West Coast (Blackout).
Bleach opens during the last 60 seconds of 2003 in a bathroom where a girl is dying and a jaded 30-year-old named Jeremy, who navigates the reader through the endless repulsiveness of the world, watches. Before diving into an explanation of what the is going on, Jeremy doubles back eight days.
The entire story builds up to the climax of the "The Party" on New Year's Eve where all the men are dressed as prostitutes, all the women look like pimps and decadence and debauchery dictate the rules.
Blackout begins in Las Vegas where Stoner and friends are celebrating his bachelor party complete with strippers and crack cocaine. The ride home is blurry and the next morning in Los Angeles brings a surprise when Stonerīs friends, Chip and Jeremy, wake to find police officers and a dead body they are allegedly responsible for. The initial thought is "What would Steven Tyler do?", but itīs too late, Chip is charged for murder and his trial is being fast tracked.
Meanwhile, Stoner has shaved his head and is contemplating a new tattoo, Sharon Winkler appears to be running a brothel, and Jeremy is shacked up in a Motel and is so exhausted he doesnīt hear a murder in the room next to him.
The trial is anything, but normal. Blackout ends with a showdown involving a jealous actor, a drug dealer, and a sit down with Nic Cage.
Now, this is your first novel and the sequel. How did it end up being released as a double novel from Offense Mechanisms?
DG] The characters in Bleach are very close to me. Whether it was due to this being my first completed novel or the emotion poured into the pages Iīm not sure. What I do know is that I was curious what would happen to Jeremy, Chip, and Stoner a couple years down the road. The end of Bleach is pretty bleak and should have been a turning point for the group. The question for me, was it going to be for the better or worse?
Once I wrote Blackout I presented the idea of packaging both books together. Silverthought Press was gracious enough to package these together and went above and beyond with the formatting of the book. The double novel with two covers flipped still trips me out.
Tell us about your main characters. Why will readers relate to them?
DG] I believe Jeremy is relatable given his situation: returning home for the holidays only to slip back into old habits.
The other characters work well together and people will understand why theyīre friends. In the end, itīs about having a good time and that is the bottom line. Who hasnīt had these short-sighted times in their lives? Living for the moment, yet bored out of your mind. As for the supporting cast? Well, Sharon Winkler is the party girl we all know. Girls know her as the outgoing slut, and guys know her as the outgoing slut. Mary is the true love just out of reach. Chip? Chip is the instigator. Greg heīs just the angry guy with bad hair, itīs not a crime to have bad hair, at least not a felony. Is it?
If you had to describe your book in only three words, what would they be?
DG]Rock and Roll!
Where can readers purchase a copy of Bleach/Blackout?
DG] www.silverthought.com
Do you have a website or blog?
DG] www.davidsgrant.com
What is up next for you?
DG] Currently promoting Bleach|Blackout and in the middle of a few other writing projects including Hollywood Ending, my latest novella scheduled to be published in November of this year.
Thanks for joining us, David. Best of luck with your writing.
Welcome David. Itīs wonderful to have you with us.
Letīs start by finding out a bit more about you. How long have you been writing?
DG] Iīve been writing fiction for the last seven years or so. As far back as I can remember Iīve always enjoyed and been writing to some degree, but fiction has become my passion in recent years.
Do you write full-time? Are you a morning or evening writer?
DG] My name is David S. Grant and I am a binge writer. I can admit it. I wish I was more disciplined, but the truth is I write when I have an idea and donīt stop until that idea is on paper and even the pages look exhausted. Mornings, evenings, and even after bar, it doesnīt matter if I am actively thinking about a story, it is being worked on. The only constant in my writing life is that is the jotting down of notes or ideas (in between my binges).
My understanding is you write transgressive fiction. Can you tell us more about this genre?
DG] Trangressive fiction is usually a combination of dark humor, violence, taboo subjects, and that area in your head that produces nightmares. It is hard to classify what is trangressive fiction and more difficult to outright categorize authors that fit this genre. I guess in the end to me transgressive fiction produces stories that push the buttons of society in such a way that demands a response, even if the response is internal to only the reader.
Tell us about Bleach/Blackout.
DG] Bleach|Blackout is a double novel that follows Jeremy Jameson and his two friends, Chip and Stoner, through the trenches of life in the Midwest (Bleach) and West Coast (Blackout).
Bleach opens during the last 60 seconds of 2003 in a bathroom where a girl is dying and a jaded 30-year-old named Jeremy, who navigates the reader through the endless repulsiveness of the world, watches. Before diving into an explanation of what the is going on, Jeremy doubles back eight days.
The entire story builds up to the climax of the "The Party" on New Year's Eve where all the men are dressed as prostitutes, all the women look like pimps and decadence and debauchery dictate the rules.
Blackout begins in Las Vegas where Stoner and friends are celebrating his bachelor party complete with strippers and crack cocaine. The ride home is blurry and the next morning in Los Angeles brings a surprise when Stonerīs friends, Chip and Jeremy, wake to find police officers and a dead body they are allegedly responsible for. The initial thought is "What would Steven Tyler do?", but itīs too late, Chip is charged for murder and his trial is being fast tracked.
Meanwhile, Stoner has shaved his head and is contemplating a new tattoo, Sharon Winkler appears to be running a brothel, and Jeremy is shacked up in a Motel and is so exhausted he doesnīt hear a murder in the room next to him.
The trial is anything, but normal. Blackout ends with a showdown involving a jealous actor, a drug dealer, and a sit down with Nic Cage.
Now, this is your first novel and the sequel. How did it end up being released as a double novel from Offense Mechanisms?
DG] The characters in Bleach are very close to me. Whether it was due to this being my first completed novel or the emotion poured into the pages Iīm not sure. What I do know is that I was curious what would happen to Jeremy, Chip, and Stoner a couple years down the road. The end of Bleach is pretty bleak and should have been a turning point for the group. The question for me, was it going to be for the better or worse?
Once I wrote Blackout I presented the idea of packaging both books together. Silverthought Press was gracious enough to package these together and went above and beyond with the formatting of the book. The double novel with two covers flipped still trips me out.
Tell us about your main characters. Why will readers relate to them?
DG] I believe Jeremy is relatable given his situation: returning home for the holidays only to slip back into old habits.
The other characters work well together and people will understand why theyīre friends. In the end, itīs about having a good time and that is the bottom line. Who hasnīt had these short-sighted times in their lives? Living for the moment, yet bored out of your mind. As for the supporting cast? Well, Sharon Winkler is the party girl we all know. Girls know her as the outgoing slut, and guys know her as the outgoing slut. Mary is the true love just out of reach. Chip? Chip is the instigator. Greg heīs just the angry guy with bad hair, itīs not a crime to have bad hair, at least not a felony. Is it?
If you had to describe your book in only three words, what would they be?
DG]Rock and Roll!
Where can readers purchase a copy of Bleach/Blackout?
DG] www.silverthought.com
Do you have a website or blog?
DG] www.davidsgrant.com
What is up next for you?
DG] Currently promoting Bleach|Blackout and in the middle of a few other writing projects including Hollywood Ending, my latest novella scheduled to be published in November of this year.
Thanks for joining us, David. Best of luck with your writing.
Print
Email
