This is episode 100 of the podcast, and I thought about doing some sort of compilation of previous interviews, as I\u2019ve done a couple of times in the past, to commemorate that. I decided against that for a couple of reasons. First, I haven\u2019t accomplished everything I want to with this podcast yet, so it\u2019s not time to celebrate. Hopefully, that comes later. Second, I have so many great interviews waiting to be released, I couldn\u2019t see delaying any of them by a week. And third, this week\u2019s interview is representative of one of my goals with the Department of Tangents, which is helping to amplify the good works of independent artists, whether they are musicians, comedians, authors, filmmakers, or work in a visual medium. And J. Edwin Buja fits that goal perfectly. <\/p>\n
I recorded this at the 2019 NECON conference, the same place I recorded last year\u2019s David Wellington interview. NECON is part horror conference, part summer camp. People get to know each other there, whether they are horror writers, cover artists, publishers, or just fans. J. Edwin Buja has been a regular at NECON for years, but this year, things were a little different. Buja has written about technology for a living and released a couple of children\u2019s books, but he has always attended NECON as a fan and friend, not a writer. This July, he released his debut novel, book one of his new series, King of the Wood, and he has a short story in the Wicked Weird collection slated for release in August. King of the Wood created a buzz at NECON, and Buja had a seat at the author\u2019s reception, signing his own newly-printed work. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s an ambitious horror novel, taking place in a small town that\u2019s about to be best by a religious cult and a malevolent nature spirit. That\u2019s in addition to the troubles planned by a corrupt town official who is trying to create his own little fiefdom. And it all starts when the protagonist, Tom, finds someone tied to a tree outside of his picturesque home on a hill. Not a big deal, usually, since people have been doing that as a prank for years. This time, the victim is dead, and the scene is more gruesome than whimsical. You\u2019ll hear in the conversation everything that went into writing and revising book one, and the plans for book two, as well as Buja\u2019s experience as a first-time novelist at NECON. The new book is King of the Wood, published by Haverhill House Publishing, which you can find at haverhillhouse.com<\/a> on the Web. Watch this space for future episodes taped at NECON with authors Scott Goudsward and Matt Moore. <\/p>\n