Howdy, GoH fam! Dustin here again with a little exclusive moment. If you’ve seen my review of Division X, y’all know that I absolutely loved the book. If you got the time, I think the book is absolutely worth the read. That makes this next bit slightly awkward as I can be a bit of a fanboy sometimes, and an awkward one at that. I got to interview the author August Hill, yo! And without further ado, here’s August Hill, everybody.
How long has Division X been in the works?
August Hill: I started writing Division X in April of 2018, but I had been drafting it, as well as the entire series, months ahead of my actual writing. My novel was published on October 20, 2022 by Brother Mockingbird, so it took me a little over four years to get it out into the world. The querying process alone took almost three years. I received almost 300 rejections in that time.
What are your literary inspirations?
AH: Frankenstein is my favorite novel ever, but the Goosebumps novels are my inspirations. Their wackiness, characters, and monsters were always so great. I believe my love for reading came from this series. I always wanted to create something myself, though. That’s when I found the book Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I never finished Eragon, but I read that Paolini started writing Eragon at 15 years old and published it at 19. I’ve always held that fact as an asskicker, meaning something to kick my ass into gear. If he could do it, why couldn’t I?
Who are your favorite horror authors?
AH: I’ve always loved R. L. Stine. He’s really my all-time favorite and my go-to guy, but Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Mary Shelley are favorites as well. I love their imaginations.
What are your favorite subgenres of horror?
AH: Werewolves have been my favorite since I first saw An American Werewolf in London in fifth grade. My number two is sci-fi survival horror, then mad scientist related horror, then body horror, then slashers, then cult horror, then creature features, and then anthologies. I like all horror except ghosts. I hate ghosts. They lack rules. Anything but ghosts is what I say. Ghosts can be very scary, though. I’ll give them that.
I know that horror media has inspired the narratives in your book but who are your inspirations for the characters?
AH: Geez. There’s a lot. There’s a bit of me in everyone, but each character is from something specific. I literally just wrote out an entire list for you with each movie and story and personal experience all my characters are from, but I deleted it. It was way too long-winded. Just know that every single one of them is an easter egg from a movie, show, or personal anecdote. I feel very close to all the characters and love them dearly.
What future do you see for Randi and the crew?
AH: A very bright and bloody one laden with laughs, murder, and monsters. However, I am a fan of happy endings. I’d hate to disappoint anyone willing to take a four-book journey with me, so I’ll do my best to make it worthwhile. Emerson said something like, “It’s not about the destination, but the journey.” However, I disagree; in storytelling, it’s about both.
What can we expect to see in future installments?
AH: The sequel is finished, and I’m halfway done with the third book as of this writing. The whole four-book series was pre-planned before I started writing. I could spoil everything, but I won’t. All I’ll say is this. Robocop will be there… if he survives the edits.
We could not express enough gratitude to the author and his team for writing such a splendid novel and for his time and effort in this interview! You can find August’s work on Amazon so grab your copy of Division X before the next installment drops in.
More Interviews:
Kevin Kopacka is a name that horror fans around the world will no doubt become very familiar with. After having his latest film, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, screened at… After premiering at Tribeca Film Festival last year, Samantha Aldana’s psychological body horror Shapeless starring Kelly Murtagh is now available on demand from Lightbulb Film Distribution. For anyone who has struggled… Writer/director and the founder and artistic director of monochrom, Johannes Grenzfurthner is one of the most unique voices in cinema today. We were lucky enough to catch both Masking Threshold… Mathew Meyer’s is an American artist best known for his traditional Japanese style representations of Yokai, drawn with loving detail to the woodblock printing technique of ancient Japan. Mathew regularly…
Interview with Filmmaker Kevin Kopacka – A Jack of all Trades with a Knack for Stunning Visuals
Interview: Kelly Murtagh, Star and Co-Writer of Psychological Body Horror Shapeless
Interview with Filmmaker, Writer, Artist and Performer Johannes Grenzfurthner
Interview: Matthew Meyer “There’s Essentially a Yokai for Every Occasion”
Dustin is a horror fan and sometimes short story writer who hails from the Philippines. He likes a lot of the horror genre but usually goes for slashers and arthouse/slowburn stuff. Currently, he’s trying to make up for lost time in the horror literature world by digesting as many horror books as he can.