Ghost: What's your favorite scary movie?
Daniel W. Kelly: I get a different thrill out of every horror movie I love, and there are hundreds. I don’t think any one film
is the best ever. Of course, some are just BAD, but I’ve been known to love some of those, too. I could tell you my
favorite genres are slashers (how can you not like slashers), zombie films, and any movie in which an every day person
turns into a hideous creature that wants to devour you—like in Argento’s “Demons” or in “Night of the Demons.”
Considering I’m a Gen-Xer, I also have an affinity for 80s films. It’s just the nature of the beast that a fan tends to most
appreciate films from the decade during which he was going from boy to man—and was at his most impressionable.
Have you ever had a real life Homo Horror Moment?
Not homo, just home. I grew up in a house that had several ghosts throughout the years. I actually detail my creepy life
experiences on my website, danielwkelly.com.
If we ever found ourselves in a real life Horror novel situation, how do you suggest we survive it?
Definitely study every stupid mistake characters make in these stories—and don’t make them! But most importantly,
never go back to help the person you know is dead meat anyway. You need that head start to outrun the monster.
What was your inspiration for Closet Monsters? Did something like this ever happen to you?
NONE of it is based on fact—but I often like to pretend my life is this scary. I guess the inspiration for each story was my
overactive imagination and my overactive libido. Plus, in mainstream horror, gay characters are still taboo. There’s way
too much female T&A turning into some hideous monster’s dinner. I’d much prefer to see man ass being eaten.
Well…you know what I mean.…
How many times did you have to grab a bottle of lube while writing Closet Monsters?
Busted! How’d you know? Whenever I’m writing naughty stories, the words pouring from my head pour right into my
other head, filling it to capacity. It makes me feel so narcissistic, as if I think my own writing is just so hot. But after all,
these ARE the fantasies that are swirling around in my mind anyway, so why wouldn’t it turn me on to write them down?
As for a count of times I reach for the lube, it’s once. I always abstain until I’m finished writing for the day. If I drained my
libido during, I’d be draining my motivation to continue writing, and would probably just roll over and go to sleep before I
even finished a chapter!
Where can we buy a copy?
Definitely Amazon, where you can even post a customer review about the book (but only if it’s good one! hehe). Also,
you can join InsightOutBooks, an awesome GLBT book club where you’ll find plenty of other great gay erotica and
horror novels and collections.
Any plans on writing more short gothroticas? My hands just couldn't get enough!
Good news is, some stories had to be cut because the manuscript was running too long, so STARbooks told me to hold
onto them in case they want to do a sequel. So it could very well happen. I already have more story ideas I plan to write
to add to a follow-up collection.
How many gay horror fans do you think are out there?
In my own circle of friends there are so few of them, but through message boards on the internet and sites like Myspace,
I’ve discovered this huge network of horror loving homos who have been desperately seeking others like them. As in
many other arenas of life, there’s a huge homophobia in the horror culture. Spend some time on the message boards,
and you’ll see what I mean. Many straight horror fans despise any hint of homoeroticism in horror. You’d think it would
just add to the fear factor for them!
Why do you think some of us gay folk are so drawn to the horror world?
Personally, I’ve never considered my being gay as having any bearing on my loving horror. That’s like asking why some
straight guys are drawn to the horror world. Oh wait. I guess it would be because of the excessive amounts of boobs and
blood…
I know there are all these theories out there about gays connecting with ‘the monster’ because the monster is often just
misunderstood and forced by society to BE what it is. Personally, I always connect with the strong heroine. I mean, isn’t a
scream queen really just a horror diva? Gay men connect with strong women in music, movies, and in their everyday life,
so why not in horror?
Daniel W. Kelly: I get a different thrill out of every horror movie I love, and there are hundreds. I don’t think any one film
is the best ever. Of course, some are just BAD, but I’ve been known to love some of those, too. I could tell you my
favorite genres are slashers (how can you not like slashers), zombie films, and any movie in which an every day person
turns into a hideous creature that wants to devour you—like in Argento’s “Demons” or in “Night of the Demons.”
Considering I’m a Gen-Xer, I also have an affinity for 80s films. It’s just the nature of the beast that a fan tends to most
appreciate films from the decade during which he was going from boy to man—and was at his most impressionable.
Have you ever had a real life Homo Horror Moment?
Not homo, just home. I grew up in a house that had several ghosts throughout the years. I actually detail my creepy life
experiences on my website, danielwkelly.com.
If we ever found ourselves in a real life Horror novel situation, how do you suggest we survive it?
Definitely study every stupid mistake characters make in these stories—and don’t make them! But most importantly,
never go back to help the person you know is dead meat anyway. You need that head start to outrun the monster.
What was your inspiration for Closet Monsters? Did something like this ever happen to you?
NONE of it is based on fact—but I often like to pretend my life is this scary. I guess the inspiration for each story was my
overactive imagination and my overactive libido. Plus, in mainstream horror, gay characters are still taboo. There’s way
too much female T&A turning into some hideous monster’s dinner. I’d much prefer to see man ass being eaten.
Well…you know what I mean.…
How many times did you have to grab a bottle of lube while writing Closet Monsters?
Busted! How’d you know? Whenever I’m writing naughty stories, the words pouring from my head pour right into my
other head, filling it to capacity. It makes me feel so narcissistic, as if I think my own writing is just so hot. But after all,
these ARE the fantasies that are swirling around in my mind anyway, so why wouldn’t it turn me on to write them down?
As for a count of times I reach for the lube, it’s once. I always abstain until I’m finished writing for the day. If I drained my
libido during, I’d be draining my motivation to continue writing, and would probably just roll over and go to sleep before I
even finished a chapter!
Where can we buy a copy?
Definitely Amazon, where you can even post a customer review about the book (but only if it’s good one! hehe). Also,
you can join InsightOutBooks, an awesome GLBT book club where you’ll find plenty of other great gay erotica and
horror novels and collections.
Any plans on writing more short gothroticas? My hands just couldn't get enough!
Good news is, some stories had to be cut because the manuscript was running too long, so STARbooks told me to hold
onto them in case they want to do a sequel. So it could very well happen. I already have more story ideas I plan to write
to add to a follow-up collection.
How many gay horror fans do you think are out there?
In my own circle of friends there are so few of them, but through message boards on the internet and sites like Myspace,
I’ve discovered this huge network of horror loving homos who have been desperately seeking others like them. As in
many other arenas of life, there’s a huge homophobia in the horror culture. Spend some time on the message boards,
and you’ll see what I mean. Many straight horror fans despise any hint of homoeroticism in horror. You’d think it would
just add to the fear factor for them!
Why do you think some of us gay folk are so drawn to the horror world?
Personally, I’ve never considered my being gay as having any bearing on my loving horror. That’s like asking why some
straight guys are drawn to the horror world. Oh wait. I guess it would be because of the excessive amounts of boobs and
blood…
I know there are all these theories out there about gays connecting with ‘the monster’ because the monster is often just
misunderstood and forced by society to BE what it is. Personally, I always connect with the strong heroine. I mean, isn’t a
scream queen really just a horror diva? Gay men connect with strong women in music, movies, and in their everyday life,
so why not in horror?
Unedited interview with author Daniel W. Kelly
