By Robert Herrington
Hamilton County author Greg Kishbaugh said it was a seventh grade writing assignment that got him hooked on writing.
“I wrote a sequel to King Kong. I still remember my teacher reading it in front of the class,” he said.
From that day, Kishbaugh said he wrote short stories and graphic novels all through high school and college.
“I love writing. I’ve been writing since I was in seventh grade pretty continuously,” he said. “I write through lunch or go to the office early to write.”
His dedication to the craft has led Kishbaugh to publishing his first fictional novel, “Bone Welder.”
The book even sold out of the first two orders at the local Barnes & Noble store.
“It’s motivation to keep at it,” he said.
Kishbaugh has been an editor/publisher for 25 years. He is a consulting editor for Evileye Books, overseeing manuscript development of new series and standalone books for the publisher, which specializes in horror and speculative fiction.
“It’s a big help knowing the business side. It’s changing so rapidly – the electronic aspect of publishing,” he said. “The thing I’ve learned most is to be much freer with the first draft. Writing is a long process.”
“Bone Welder” is not the first time Kishbaugh’s works have been published. He has appeared in several anthologies, as well as renowned horror magazine, Cemetery Dance. He also is the editor of the Burning Maiden anthology series produced by Evileye.
But Kishbaugh grew up with the original Frankenstein movie and book.
“I thought if he’s immortal than that means he’s still alive,” he said. “They could not kill him. He’s still wondering around the North Pole. That was the launching point of the idea.”
Kishbaugh said his first draft was “really, really long” – 150,000 words at one point – and his biggest test was to cut the word count down by more than half.
“It was a lot of fun. You really grow to enjoy after you’ve been writing for a while,” he said. “You put it aside for awhile – try to read it as an editor, as someone who didn’t write it.”
Kisbaugh plans to make the book into a series of at least three, but it won’t be a trilogy.
“You don’t have to read the first book before the second one,” he said. “The three will standalone but they’ll be a lot more fun to read all three.”
“Bone Welder” is, at its heart, a modern exploration of the themes first set out in Mary Shelley’s seminal work published in 1818. With deep understanding and respect for the original story, Kishbaugh contemplates the emotional and moral ramifications of science-as-god in seeking dominion over death.
“Entertaining myself is No. 1,” he said. “I’m writing a book that doesn’t exist. The only way I can read it is if I write it. There are so many things to do with the character and I play them out.”
‘Bone Welder’
Local author Greg Kishbaugh will have an interactive book signing/reading at 4 p.m. March 29 at Barnes & Noble, 14709 U.S. 31.
Available: Paperback, hardcover, kindle and nook
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Evileye Books
Plot: “Bone Welder” is the first in a horror thriller series that explores the legacy of Frankenstein’s monster. In this first installment, the monster is re-introduced to the modern world after a near-200-year absence, sought out by a man in search of redemption. But the destruction he unwittingly unleashes upon the world is more horrific than Dr. Frankenstein himself could have ever imagined.
