Interview with Tim Majka, author of Prey

Now available on Amazon and Smashwords from Devildog Press is science fiction horror novel Prey by Tim Majka.

The Other Side Has Broken Through

Following the mysterious death of his parents, Detective Eric Archer goes home to the idyllic Western New York town of Chadwick Bay. There, he joins old colleagues and makes new acquaintances in Jessica Benitez, Eliseo Gomez, and the enigmatic Dr. William Dirk.

They uncover decades-old family secrets that shakes the foundation of their reality.

Alliances are formed, friends become foes.

An ancient entity’s plan to enslave the people of Earth is about to be unleashed. With the fate of humanity at risk, Eric Archer and his friends must race to unravel the mystery of how to defeat a God-king.

The author has taken a few minutes out of his schedule for a Q&A about his novel.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

My seventh grade English Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Lynn Clarke got me hooked on storytelling. We had a unit of study in creative writing during which I wrote an episode of STAR TREK (the original series), she gave me an A on it and many positive accolades about pacing and characterization. I didn’t write much creatively for many more years, but as a history teacher I need to be able to tell a story to hook the students, as veteran teacher once said to me, “You have to perform five shows daily and you need to have as much energy in the last as you do in the first.”

What was your first book/story published?

Prey from Devil Dog Press in June of 2017 was my first published work.

What inspired you to write Prey?

I was having a conversation online with an old high school friend, who happened to be writing some horror short stories. I had recently hung up my whistle after 13 years of coaching high school football and didn’t know what to do with myself (it is all consuming if you want to do it the right way). I had always wanted to write, as we talked I got more excited at the prospect of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as it were). Searching through my desk, I found an CD-ROM with no label, I popped it in my desktop tower and it contained one Microsoft Word document titled PREY. It was three lines of a story I had started to write back at the beginning of my teaching career, how and why that disc was in the drawer at that time, I have no idea. I started writing from there.

What character in Prey is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

The main character of Prey, Eric Archer, loves his family and always wants to do right by them. He is intelligent, tough, sarcastic, and funny, but when there is work to be done, it’ll get done. In many respects he’s the most like me.😀

I am least like Sheriff Pontillo, that bastard. 😀

What is your favorite part in Prey?

My favorite part of Prey is Chapter Five, with the EMT’s Wolfman and Lurch and their tricked out HUMVEE, Monster M.A.S.H. It was so much fun writing those guys, I hate what happens to them. My editor, Rob M. Miller, challenged me to re-write the original scene, and it turned out fantastic.

What was the hardest part to write?

The dedication was the hardest part to write. It is dedicated to my Dad, who I lost a little over two years ago. He was my best friend and I miss him every day. I wish he could have seen the finished product.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

Being an author is my ideal career, I’m trying to use it to break away from teaching.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

All of the reviews of my book are be people I know. So, I assume they are being genuine, but also very kind. I am oddly looking forward to the first review from someone I have no association with, who brutally honest with their thoughts, having said that, reviews don’t influence my writing.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

Jonathan Maberry is the pinnacle. He is a writing rock star. Next is Wendy Corsi-Staub, she can spin a great tale. Also, she is from my hometown and is a lifelong family friend. She is quite an inspiration to me.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

I am currently working on the follow up to Prey. It is book two of my Blood of the Ancients series.

About the Author

I spend most of my time molding the minds of America’s youth teaching high school social studies, along the shores of Lake Erie, in my hometown. I reside there with my loving and supportive family that includes my best friend and bride, Bridget, two wonderful sons most people could only dream of, Jacob and Alex, and two rescue cats: Stanley and Corky.

My reading interests cover a wide range genres. Suspense, mystery, thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, historical, and noir. My goal is to explore as many of these as I can in my career as an author.

I am a self-professed pop-culture geek, and wear that label proudly. My sons and I have a comic book collection that is in excess of 5000 books. And we NEVER miss an opening night for any of the super-hero movies.

Living in Western New York I am conditioned to be a fan of both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. I have dealt with much heartbreak over the years, but hold out hope that my teams will bring home those elusive championships someday.

Follow Tim on Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.