Stephen Mark Rainey, author of "West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman"

Stephen Mark Rainey, 61, is the author of numerous books, including West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman in Elizabeth Massie’s Ameri-Scares series. He’s also the former editor of Deathrealm magazine and the author of more than 100 published works of short fiction. By day, he does graphic production for a major educational publisher. By night (and whenever else he can squeeze in the time), he writes the scary stuff.

THE AUTHOR

Where and with whom do you live? I live in Greensboro, N.C., with a pair of precocious house cats, one of whom runs his own home (re-)decorating business (Designs by Droolie®). I’ve been in a committed relationship with my almost-wife, Kimberly, for the past eleven years, though we each live in our separate homes because… well… she’s a little weird.

If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? I’ve collaborated on a couple of books with Elizabeth Massie, and on stories with David Niall Wilson, Durant Haire, and John Pelan. In general, these have been agreeable experiences. However, I tend to be less-than-comfortable divvying up authorial duties, and I have a very individualistic approach to writing (not to mention life in general). At one time, three decades or so ago, I approached Fred Chappell about a possible collaboration, but he expressed feelings similar to mine. So, really, I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone with whom I’d care to collaborate that I haven’t already. If hard-pressed, I’d probably say T.E.D. Klein, as his work — particularly Dark Gods — has resonated strongly with me since the day I first read it. I’m sure I’d be much obliged to co-create some fictional universe with him.

Why do you write? It’s the proverbial calling. In my exuberant youth, I was most interested in producing visual art — primarily pen & ink, watercolor, and acrylic. In college, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree, which led me, at least indirectly, into my graphics-oriented day job. In my twenties, I was keen on producing something akin to graphic novels — writing and illustrating my own stories. Over time, that interest gravitated more and more to the writing side. Eventually, storytelling became my true creative passion.

Where do you write? Way back when, I scribbled first drafts in spiral notebooks at whatever location was handy at the time. But I always sat at my desk in my home office to type the final manuscript. This became something of a ritual. Once home computers sent the old typewriter packing, I continued to use the desktop machine in my office. It felt “right.” I never cared much for using a laptop, as the smaller keyboard annoyed my temperamental fingers. However, over the past few years, for whatever reason, they’ve taken more kindly to the laptop, and now I write wherever I feel most comfortable plopping down. A couple of years back, when Kimberly and I were visiting her parents in Michigan, I discovered her dad’s old easy chair and ottoman in their basement family room. It’s the most comfortable place in the world to write, so now our plan is to force her parents to move out so I can take over their family room.

What imaginary land would you choose as your home, and why? The world of Amber, from Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber. In that realm, our world is a reflection, or “shadow,” of Amber, the ultimate reality. The universe consists of infinite shadows, and individuals of Amber’s royal lineage have the ability to pass from shadow to shadow at will. As such, if I were displeased with one version of reality, I could essentially move a few shadows over to one that suited me better. I can think of a few shadows right now that would do the trick; for example, one free of pandemics and Donald Trump.

What animal, real or imaginary, would you choose as your constant companion? Godzilla, but we probably wouldn’t do a lot of snuggling.

What do you collect? These days, nothing — well, except maybe the occasional movie on Blu-ray or DVD. But for many years, I was an avid collector of Japanese monster movie memorabilia. I still have a pretty extensive collection of books, movie stills, lobby cards, press books, posters, and other items from the classic daikaiju films. Now and again, I break into the stuff, just to revisit the old glory days.

Favorite recreational activity: Geocaching. For those unfamiliar with it, geocaching is a kind of scavenger hunt that uses GPS technology. A person hides a container (geocache), records its geographic coordinates, and submits the cache information to the geocaching website. Then other geocachers can download the coordinates, go into the wild, and try to find the container. There are several million active caches worldwide. I got hooked on the activity back in 2008, and since then, I’ve found almost 12,000 geocaches. I love the variety of places the hunts take me. My favorite caches are those hidden in the deep woods, but they can be found almost anywhere. I particularly enjoy certain “extreme” hides, which often involve rigorous physical challenges, such as climbing huge trees; exploring labyrinthine storm drain systems; taking kayak trips; and going on night hunts, where one must follow trails of reflectors through the woods to reach the final destination. Many of the locations where caches are hidden — graveyards, places of historical interest, remote forests, and such — have inspired the settings and events in my fiction. Geocaching and writing go beautifully hand in hand. And since lots of young people enjoy geocaching, I felt compelled to include it as a major plot element in West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman.

THE BOOK

Title, genre and length? West Virginia: Lair of the Mothman (part of Elizabeth Massie’s Ameri-Scares series for young readers, published by Crossroad Press). The Ameri-Scares franchise is currently in development for television by Warner Brothers/Margo Robbie’s Lucky Chap & Assemble Media.

When and where does it take place? The present day, in the fictional community of Broad Run, West Virginia, which I situated near Point Pleasant, the location of the original Mothman sightings.

How did you come up with the title? Each entry in the Ameri-Scares series is set in a different state — in this case, West Virginia. Since the Mothman is the focus of the story, I wanted the title to sound mysterious and alluring. I hope it is.

What inspired you to write it? Ever since I saw The Mothman Prophecies in 2002, the legend has intrigued me. And for a book set in West Virginia, the Mothman struck me as the most compelling subject. I paid a visit to Point Pleasant prior to writing the novel, and it really gave me a good feel for the location and the pervasiveness of Mothman lore in the area.

Is there a sequel in the works? Not as such, since each book in the Ameri-Scares series is a standalone entry. I have since written Michigan: The Dragon of Lake Superior (published) and Ohio: Fear the Grassman (coming soon). I’m now writing the New Hampshire book, which takes place in Exeter, the scene of numerous UFO sightings in the mid-1960s. It will be titled New Hampshire: Ghosts from the Skies.

Where and how can you get it? Amazon.com is the easiest way (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MFX7M5H)

What would you select as your book’s theme song? Who would you choose to write the musical score? “The Hills of West Virginia” by Phil Ochs would be a neat option. For the score, Ingram Marshall. Minimalist, eerie. Something like his piece “Hidden Voices” would probably scare the shit out of the kids. The song and score might seem incongruous, yet sometimes such a mix can be highly effective.

To whom did you dedicate it and why? A number of local geocachers. Since geocaching plays a major role in the story, it seemed most apt.

THE HERO

Name, age and occupation: Vance Archer, 13. He’s a 7th-grade student at Broad Run Middle School.

Where and with whom does he/she live? With his parents and older brother just outside of the community of Broad Run — near the “TNT Area,” which is the real-life location of the original Mothman sightings.

Who would play your protagonist in a movie? I know very few current youthful actors, but I can envision a young Kurt Russell, from his days in the Walt Disney movies of the 1960s, being perfect for the part.

What real-life person would be your protagonist’s hero, mentor or role model? Vance is a bicycle-riding enthusiast, particularly off-road, and really wants to graduate to motorcycles. Rather than any specific individual, he is most enamored of motocross racers and hopes to become one when he gets a little older.

What’s his or her celebrity crush? As a thirteen-year-old, Vance’s hormones have begun to rage, and he is attracted to older women. He’s currently taken with Selena Gomez, but that will probably change tomorrow.

What’s her biggest fear/phobia? Spiders. This comes into play during Vance’s geocaching adventures in the novel.

What’s his/her favorite quote or motto? “No bloodshed, no fun,” referring to his knack for lacerating himself during his more extreme and most exciting geocaching outings.

At the beginning of the book, our hero is…  Geocaching on a bike trail.