Fred Wiehe

 

Fred Wiehe is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from Reading High School in 1973-a small town about 18 miles northwest of Cincinnati. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1978, with a degree in Secondary Education. In 1979, with $500.00 in his pocket and one backpack stuffed with clothes, he hitch-hiked across country to California. Along the way, he made friends with the homeless (still referred to as hobos then), bikers, religious fanatics, farmers, migrant workers, truck drivers, hippies (yes, there were still hippies in '79), bus drivers, and gypsies. He arrived in San Francisco three months later-basically broke but miraculously still alive-where he took up living quarters in the Ansonia Residence Club on Post Street, in the Tenderloin District. Over the years, he has lived not only in San Francisco but Oakland, Redwood City, and South San Francisco. He now lives in San Jose with his wife, Suzanne, and their two sons, Jesse and Ian.

Mr. Wiehe has worked as a bank teller and later bank officer, teacher, case manager for emotionally disturbed children, cab driver, landscaper, retail store manager and buyer, salesman, and website owner and designer. Oh yeah, he writes too. He is the author of Strange Days (out of print), Starkville, Night Songs, and The Burning. He writes novels of horror, suspense, mystery, and fantasy-all the elements of life. He is currently working on a screenplay that is based on his novel, The Burning. He is also rewriting his first novel, Strange Days, due out sometime in 2003. Visit Fred Wiehe online at http://www.nightsongs-novel.com

 

"This [Starkville] is an excellent book. Mr. Wiehe has done a fabulous job! The characters suck you into their world, and you can't stop yourself from turning the page to find out what happens next. Both well written, and edited, Starkville will wrest emotion after emotion from you. This is one of the best horror/sci-fi books I've read in a long time, and I think it would make an excellent addition to anyone's collection." Reviewed by Lisa Hurley for Tracy's Book Reviews

 

"Fred Wiehe ... I feel ... is now on the brink of claiming his spot on the Horror Hall of Fame...Mr. Wiehe has moved his art of writing forward and graduates to the top of the class. I give this book [Night Songs] a rating of 5." Reviewed by Ken Mason for Simegen.com

 

 

 

Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Fred Wiehe: I grew up in Reading, Ohio, a very small town about 18 miles northwest of Cincinnati. I read quite a bit growing up. The public library was a short walk from my house (but then everything in Reading was a short walk from my house) and spent a lot of time there. I didn't think about writing, however, until college. I took a creative writing course my junior year. I needed a break from all the required courses for my major and wanted to take a course just for fun, kind of a mental vacation. I handed in my first short story, and the professor said I should try to get it published. I didn't try to get it published-probably out of fear-but the writing bug definitely bit me. My earliest influence was Richard Brautigan, the San Francisco poet and writer (Trout Fishing In America, A Confederate General From Big Sur). But after reading Dean Koontz's Watchers and Stephen King's The Shining, I knew I wanted to scare people.


Pageonelit.com:Why do you write? And what is it about the horror genre you enjoy?

Fred Wiehe: I started writing just for my own enjoyment. I like creating characters and plotting storylines. Horror seemed a natural fit for my macabre imagination. Although, I don't really consider myself a horror writer. I hope that I cross many genres-fantasy, mystery, suspense, and science fiction. I think my novels appeal to general audiences as well. I try to create characters that the reader will feel strongly about, one way or another. Nothing happens in my novels for pure shock value. My writing is definitely driven by character. The supernatural elements in my novels are added sizzle to the already growing everyday problems of my characters-problems like we all have in life.

 

Pageonelit.com: Your first novel STRANGE DAYS, holds the distinction of being one of the first novels ever published electronically -- How does it feel to be a pioneer? And looking back, did you think the electronic form would be as successful as it has been or not as successful? What's going on in the electronic fiction markets these days? Do you read books in electronic format?

Fred Wiehe: I didn't really think of myself as a pioneer when Strange Days was first published. I was just glad to have a contract. However, I am now very proud to have been one of the first chosen for electronic publication. My publisher, Compu Books, was definitely before their time. I always felt that electronic publishing would someday be an acceptable form of publication. I'm happy to see that I was right. It's given new writers a chance to be heard, a chance to sell their work. It's how I got started. Now that the big publishers have jumped on board, I expect it to really take off. I have a hand-held eBook reader and read electronic novels all the time. It's about the size of a trade paperback, holds up to six books, and has a backlight. I love it.

 

Pageonelit.com: Your three published novels STARKVILLE, NIGHT SONGS and THE BURNING are exceptionally written with very interesting plots. Where do you get the ideas for your books. Of these three which is your personal favorite and why?

Fred Wiehe: It's very unfair to ask me to pick a favorite. It's like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. I can't do it. I love each novel for its own voice and personality. Starkville is the darkest of the three and more of a mystery, with a supernatural twist. I love the Mother Lode country of the Sierra Nevada Foothills and incorporated quite a bit of its history into the novel, as well as Chinese history and legends for the character Wing Sun-a one hundred and fifty year old Chinese man. With Night Songs I wanted to do a buddy movie in novel form, but with a horror/suspense backdrop. It's hopefully very humorous, as well as scary. The humor comes through the relationship between the two main characters, and their reaction to supernatural events that are suddenly taking over their lives. They have a hard time coming to terms with the existence of vampires and shape-shifters, but a band of Gypsies help them face the unknown. I also injected a lot of Gypsy legends and lore into this novel for added flavor. I carry the Gypsy theme over into The Burning as well, with the fortuneteller, Madam Volga. What I love most about The Burning, though, is it crosses so many genres. There are elements of horror, fantasy, suspense, mystery, and a bit of old fashion thriller in this novel.

Most of my ideas originate through research of occult subjects, scientific theories, and newspaper articles. I start with one simple idea, such as spontaneous human combustion in The Burning or deadly parasites in Starkville. I then research the subject extensively. As I do this, I think of ways to present the subject in a new and original way. I decide where the novel will take place and begin researching the area and its history, as well. Then, I start plotting a story and adding characters. I can actually start seeing the story develop in my head, like movie scenes. I usually have the characters fleshed out and the entire novel mapped out before I write one word. That doesn't mean that it's set in stone. As I write, changes develop as characters grow and problems arise.

Pageonelit.com:Your latest novel is THE BURNING -- What is the "Burning?"

Fred Wiehe: The Burning is the process that takes place within a human victim before they spontaneously combust. That's the horror/suspense aspect of the novel. The mystery is the colorful balls of light seen streaking across the night sky. Do they have anything to do with people suddenly bursting into human fireballs? If so, what? Within this mystery, there is Phyllis Blessing-a woman who is trying to find her way again after losing her husband and son to a freak auto accident, Lucy-a teenage girl who was sold into sexual slavery by her father (she also happens to believe that a vampire is visiting her in her dreams), and Madam Volga-a Gypsy fortuneteller/con-artist. Serenity Bay is also a geographical point of intersection between our world and the Faerie Realm. This Otherworld is the fantasy aspect. It and an elf named Gideon both play a pivotal role in helping our three heroines solve the mystery. What follows is a thrilling battle between good and the evil invading Serenity Bay.

Pageonelit.com: All of your books seem to be strongly driven by character, especially NIGHT SONGS - Talk about your main characters in this book, Alfie Free and Tommy Chandler. Do you sketch your characters personalities out before you start writing or do you let the characters develop with each page.

Fred Wiehe: Alfie Free and Tommy Chandler are everything I would like to be: courageous, ethical, fiercely loyal, responsible, charitable, and dependable. They face every adversity and danger with their sense of humor intact, even if not always their dignity. But these two guys are no boy scouts. They are lethal and deadly when need be. They are cops, friends and partners for thirteen years. And these two guys really care for one another.

As much as these two guys are alike, they are also different. Alfie is African-American. He's still stinging from a messy divorce and for being suspended from the force while under investigation for police brutality; he pulled a rapist off a sixteen-year old girl in a back alley, and in the process broke the rapist's arm. Tommy is of mixed descent, German on his mother's side and Latino on his father's side. He is a confirmed bachelor and always on the make; in his mind, every woman wants him. He inherits two million dollars, as well as a ranch in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Big Sur from a long-lost uncle. This does nothing to help his already inflated ego.

After thirteen years, Alfie and Tommy suddenly find themselves knee-deep into the occult, chasing a drug kingpin and self-proclaimed vampire, befriending a band of Gypsies, and battling shape-shifters. They now need each other more than ever. It is safe to say that their relationship is at the core of Night Songs.

I am very familiar with my characters and their backgrounds before I begin writing. However, I do not write character sketches or outlines on paper (or computer). Everything is in my head. And, even though I am already intimate with my characters, I allow them to change and develop as the story progresses.

Pageonelit.com: You are an experienced published author - What advice can you offer for those writers who are working on their first novel?

Fred Wiehe: I have two pieces of advice: Firstly, never stop writing. Try to write everyday, even if it's only a page or two. The more you write, the easier writing is. The longer you procrastinate, the harder the idea of writing becomes. Secondly, never stop believing in yourself and develop a thick skin. You are going to get rejections. It's an inevitable part of this business. You are going to have people who do not believe in your talent. It's up to you to never lose sight of what you want and to believe in yourself. If you are as lucky as I am, you will have at least one person in your life that truly believes in your talent and who is always honest with you. My wife, Suzanne, is my biggest fan and my hardest editor to please.

Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your books?

Fred Wiehe: Several book clubs have invited me to their monthly meetings after they have read one of my books. I've also talked to readers online, at book signings, and just informally out in public. Feedback has been very positive. Most readers who never really read or liked scary novels before said they enjoyed reading mine. Again, I think it's the character development and the crossing over of genres. And the horror fanatics, of course, have said they loved them. Most readers have told me that they thought my books would make great movies. I agree wholeheartedly with them, and that is my next big goal.

Pageonelit.com: Who are your favorite writers and why?

Fred Wiehe: I have always liked Dean Koontz, especially his earlier works, with the one-word titles-Watchers, Strangers, Phantoms, and Intensity. I like that his heroes and heroines are flawed, with major hang-ups and problems. I can really relate to them. Besides, he is the master of suspense. I also like Thomas Harris. I can't get enough of Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Harris is the king of graphic, psychopath novels.

Pageonelit.com: Are you working on a follow up? Or something totally different?

Fred Wiehe: I have two projects in the works right now. I am writing a screenplay based on The Burning. A screenplay is a completely different animal. Unlike a novel, everything must be conveyed in subtext, dialogue, and action. So far, it's been both an education and fun. I'm also updating and rewriting my very first novel, Strange Days. I hope to have it finished in time for publication in 2003.

 

Pageonelit.com: What was the last book you read?

Fred Wiehe: I am currently reading Inventing Wyatt Earp: His Life And Many Legends by Allen Barra. I am also reading Hastened To The Grave: The Gypsy Murder Investigation by Jack Olsen. It's a true crime book that deals with the Tene Bimbo Gypsy family. The Bimbo family first appears in King Of The Gypsies by Peter Maas.

 

Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Fred Wiehe: I read as much as possible. Reading always enhances writing. I also love to watch movies, which helps in my screenwriting goals. I also collect crystal balls and the old Aurora monster models. I guess you could say that crystal balls and my research of them have enhanced my writing. Madam Volga's crystal ball is very important in The Burning.