Interview: Preston Sexton

Rogue: What inspired you to start writing? and why horror?

Preston: I started writing poetry or something that resembled poetry while I was in the Navy. I never knew before that time at sea that I even enjoyed writing. My inspiration was the solitude of the Pacific Ocean. You’d be surprised how alone you are when you’re surrounded by 350 people for six months. Horror has always been my favorite genre. I didn’t read a lot before. But I watched a lot of movies. My wife says I am morbid but I say I am creative. I love fear. A person can do amazing things when they learn to turn their fear into a motivator.

Rogue: How did you come up with the idea of the Vamptillians?

Preston: Vampires have been explored in a variety of ways. Some are day walkers but most aren’t. They never explain how the typical vampire can’t survive the sun while others can. I just thought I would explain away the day walking. It also gives me more options to explore in later books.

Rogue: What expertise did you bring to your writing?

Preston: I wish I could say there was a lot of expertise involved in writing Thirst of Youth. My wife is from Oregon and I have driven the roads Justin travelled. I was in the Navy and know how sailors can act when they are drinking. I have been to a rave or two but I left a lot of the real activity of a rave out of the story. I grew up in a neighborhood like the one Justin settled in when he moved to Long Beach. So some of the things are familiar but I am no expert.

Rogue: What would you like your readers to know about you that may not be in your bio?Preston: I will get better--not only as a writer but in all aspects of my life. I pride myself on getting better in everything I do. If it is going to represent me, then I want it to be the best. I am a bit morbid so future writings will probably be more gruesome and more scary. I will be a better writer, with every book. I have many more to come. Some of my other hobbies are drawing--hopefully I will get into comics in the near future. I love football. I mean really, really, love football.

Rouge: A little on the personal side but, how did you start out in the Navy and end up in the Army? Isn't that a bit unusual?

Preston: It isn’t as unusual as you might think. Many of the best soldiers were sailors or marines. What would be unusual is going in the opposite direction (from the Army to the Navy). I never thought I’d end up in the military. In fact, in high school, I was completely against the idea. That’s when life happened and before I was ready for it, I was a father. I made the choice to forgo other dreams and join the military. The Navy, for lack of a better word--SUCKED! Yet it taught me a lot about myself and what I really wanted from my life. I got out after my four years of service and realized I had no real skills that were transferable to a civilian career. And again before I was ready, I had another person come into the world dependant upon me to make a better way. I knew I was good at the military by that point and knew that the Army had jobs that could easily transfer into a civilian career. After a few years in the Army, I decided it would be more beneficial for me to make a career out of the military. So far I have been right. God willing (or whoever you believe to be the highest power), I will walk away in good health and proud of my time serving our great country.

Rogue: Anything else you would like to add?

Preston: I’d like to thank all the readers. I hope they enjoy the book and follow me as I progress in writing. I would also like to thank everyone at Rogue Phoenix Press for their words of advice and hard work. I would like to thank my family, friends, and fellow soldiers for inspiring me to continue to strive for my dreams. And finally, thank you for your time and interest in me.