It's impossible (nor do I necessarily think it SHOULD be possible) in my opinion to divorce life experiences from fiction. Our perceptions of "hero" or our personal fears and dreams and our unique way of seeing the world are part of the undefinable ability to create horror fiction. I think FOUND YOU is no different in that respect, even in ways I am not consciously aware of. I wanted to write about something that would scare me, and I was hoping that at the very least, I could add something a little new and unusual to the body of supernatural horror fiction I have always delighted in reading. The Hollower is something that can tap into the inescapable inner voice of insecurity and self-consciousness. Sometimes that voice is far harsher than anyone outside our heads can be, far more personal and painful, and can do more prolonged psychological scarring than anything that gave birth to that inner voice to begin with. One of the scariest things I can imagine, a true hell in the worst sense of the word, is reality all around you taking the form of the thing you can't forget, the thing you can't forgive yourself for, the thing you're terrified others will see about you. The thing I think we as humans fear most, the thing that gets to the heart of true psychological horror, is the darkest flaws and deepest secrets turned outside, confirmed, and used like an axe to chop away at anything good and bright worth remembering after you're gone. To me, monsters are embodiments more of psychological than physical horror, and I wanted to try to create a monster that I thought personified (such as it is) that hollowed-out feeling of being exposed as a failure.

Changes occurred in my life a few years ago that redefined my future plans and gave me new opportunity and new ways to conceptualize Relationships Going into the Future, A New Home, A Job, A Dream Realized. I think the Hollowers (both the one in the original title novel and FOUND YOU, its sequel) represent the nebulous terrifying failure that can occur when moving forward through life, understanding ourselves and the changes we go through all the time, facing our place in a world we don't always understand, and relying on ourselves to make important decisions. I really believe people are complex, mostly good, and very often insecure creatures. The Hollower, as a formidable enemy, is even more complex, utterly alien, thoroughly aware of their insecurities, and capable of manipulating and exploiting them to destroy these people from the inside out. I wanted to write something with some understanding of humans collectively -- that peace of mind can't come from people's perceptions of you, or your endeavors to change or maintain those perceptions. True peace of mind, and a true sense of self-worth, comes from understanding your limitations, and recognizing and believing in your strengths, and having faith in your own ability to make decisions. It's never been about redeeming yourself in another's eyes, or getting them to love you, or making them understand you. It's about being someone you can be proud of, someone whose serenity is in self-understanding, and if that draws others, all the better. In fact, in my fiction, learning self-reliance, to a certain extent, and recognizing self-worth, seem to be the catalyst for the characters' ability to resolve whatever sinister and supernatural issue they are faced with.

I like to think that FOUND YOU succeeds in at least one respect: readers will at least be able to identify with insecurity and even distorted perceptions of the world around them, and so they will know the Hollower -- they've felt it, seen it in people's eyes (or thought they did), and heard that voice, close, so much closer than a whisper in the ear, close like the voice in their heads.

I'm proud to have the Hollowers, with their last (most likely) foray for food and destruction in our world in FOUND YOU, join the ranks of Leisure's great monster-makers.

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