Konn Lavery

My writing fits within horror and dark fantasy. I have a habit of blending other genres into my work. Thriller and sci-fi tropes find their way into my words to create unusual and exciting fiction.

Regarding my style, it varies depending on the story. I write in past tense, other times present tense, first person, third person, and yes, even second person. Overall, I aim not to be too descriptive, letting readers’ imaginations decide on the details. My focus is on the characters, how they interact with each other, their world, and the troubles they find themselves in. World building is another component readers love about my work.

I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The frozen prairies had a major impact on my stories, with numerous plots taking place in the city. Most of my work is based in a Canadian location and I integrate Canadian culture when I can. I feel it is important to share more about the country for people who love Canada, and for those who are unfamiliar with it.

I was a big fantasy and horror fan, surprise. My favourite series was Brian Jacques’s Redwall. I enjoyed Stephen King and Scott Sigler. I read a lot of Star Wars novels, too.

It may sound pretentious, but I don’t want to write like any other author. Many writers inspire me in different aspects of their craft. Reading other authors’ work helps me improve my own to further develop my voice. So, technically I want to be like all of them.

That is a tough one. I change my mind all the time. In no specific order:

Clive Barker, Tom Wolfe, Jeff VanderMeer, Brian Lumley, Yuval Noah Harari

I don’t gift books too often (other than my own) but the one I talk the most about to people is Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of Vanities. I have shared my copy of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. It's a great outlook on life.

Let’s do two:

Krista, the protagonist of my Mental Damnation series, shared characteristics with me at the time of writing it. I’ve grown and evolved as a person since then.

Synarion from my Ash Born series shares aspects of my personality and outlook on life.

YEGman is still my favourite. Objectively, not my best, and it alienated a lot of readers because it is purely a crime thriller. I had a ton of fun writing it. The novel takes place in Edmonton and became the foundation for my Ash Born series. Lola Cabello was a side character in YEGman and is the protagonist in Ash Born.

My home desk is my most common writing space. I’ve been freelancing as a graphic designer and web developer since 2014. Everything I do is at this spot with three monitors. My cat curls up behind me, meaning I must sit at the edge of the chair to make room for her. It helps my posture at least.

The ideal reading nook is my balcony. I love sitting in the morning, sipping on coffee, having the sun rise in the pink sky while getting in some serious reading.