Jack was gracious enough to chat with us from his home in the UK, thanks to the modern marvel of email. For the scoop on his writing routine, his experience with the publication process, his plans for future books, and more, READ ON.

Well actually, I started writing the book twenty years ago, but nothing came of it, so the manuscript was left to gather dust—until I joined WEbook. At that time all I had was a paper copy of the novel, which looking back was not very good, so I decided to scrap it and do a complete rewrite. Now I am happy to say that Darkness Whispers has been published, and I hope people enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Darkness Whispers is about a group of friends who ignore the warnings of locals and embark on a wild weekend fueled by alcohol and a desire to have a good time, but end up being stalked by an unseen assailant. They soon become caught up in a terrifying sequence of bloodshed and murder. One of the main characters, Doc, is haunted by a nefarious past he cannot remember, and as his inner demon seizes the opportunity to take complete control, the few that are still standing frantically search for weapons to use against the encroaching danger because, as darkness falls, their only hope for survival is to win the final battle on the notorious shores of Beacons Cove.

I got the initial inspiration from working a summer season in a large hotel in South Devon with a friend. We made a lot of acquaintances, and had some good times. On one of our escapades we came across several abandoned prefabricated buildings, it looked pretty much like a ghost town. It was a strange place and one we could not explain, but it was there. Also, when I am on my own, I find nothing more relaxing than being on the coast, and one of the most memorable places for me was standing on top of a cliff, which overlooked a patch of land and the open sea. That is where I would lean on the parapet and reflect. This—along with Jack’s blood lust—became the setting for Darkness Whispers.

After I chose to do the rewrite of Darkness Whispers on WEbook, I put the chapters on as I wrote them, submitting them for feedback. I wasn’t far into the novel when I received an invite to send my work to an editor at Dopamalovi books.

I was assigned to a lovely lady, Patricia Clemmons, who went through the story with me, chapter-by-chapter, and gave me some good advice on how to make my book saleable. When the rewrite was finished, it was submitted to the boss lady, Donna Jean Lyons, and accepted. Then of course we needed to run an extensive edit, which involved a lot of work, time, and rewriting, we had to proofread the print book, checking the manuscript and double-checking it before it was finally published and released March of this year. The staff at Dopamalovi Books treated me with respect and kindness throughout the whole process—making sure I was happy with the final product, including the very professional blurb—and a brilliant cover designed by a very talented artist and fellow author, Terrence Scott.

Yes, I have an extremely disciplined routine. You have to have that in this game. I didn’t actually see that comment on twitter, but I would not have described my writing process as bucolic. However, “tea, a power nap, and an hour or two of writing” works for me. My biggest challenge was finding the time and the energy to write after a day’s work—but my love of writing and determination to succeed overcame that.

The urge to write has always simmered within me. I wanted to achieve my ambition of becoming a full-time writer—but it had to be done professionally. It had to be something saleable. Otherwise, what’s the point of writing if nobody can read and enjoy my work? The urge to achieve this surfaced from time-to-time and prompted me to keep trying. It was on such an occasion that I was searching the Internet to find a site that offered help. That’s when I found WEbook, and began the rewrite of Darkness Whispers. I also submitted a few short stories, two of which were published on Facebook by Dopamalovi Books for Halloween Free Treats—the third one was unsuitable to be published on that site, due to its rating and not because of its quality, so it’s on the back burner until I decide what to do with it. I’m thinking a short story collection is in order at some point.

Yes, I have started another book and I have four more planned. Jack Knight intends to carry on killing, my inkwell is full of his victim’s blood…if only I had more time to spill it onto the page.My next novel, The Voodoo Man, is about a sadistic serial killer, and he’s a pretty evil character, let me tell you. That’s as much information as I can give at the moment—but I’m getting the same buzz with this one as I did with Darkness Whispers. I’m not satisfied with a project until I get excited about it, because I believe if I get excited about it, so does the reader, and, WEbook, I am excited about my latest work.

For more information visit Dopamalovi Books or like Jack Knight on Facebook.

http://www.webook.com/landing/success-stories

Sadly, Dopamalovi Books ceased trading shortly after the publication of Darkness Whispers.

The closure of Dopamalovi Books was an unfortunate experience for all the writers, cover artists and the owners of the publishing company.

Although Darkness Whispers was only on sale for a short period of time it picked up three 5 star reviews:

DARKNESS WHISPERS is a fast-paced read that's sure to satisfy. I highly recommend Jack Knight's debut novel to readers that expect chills, along with thrills when reading a horror story. This one is destined to become a U.K. classic. --Donna Jean Lyons, Publisher and Author.

This is a very interesting book, I really enjoyed it. It’s the first book i've read by this author but hopefully not the last. I would give this book a five star review. Gail Holland.

Darkness Whispers is a brilliant book, well written and easy to read. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next book by Jack Knight! Kath Grimbly.

I have also had good feedback from family and friends who have enjoyed reading Darkness Whispers, which has given me the incentive to carry on writing.

When Dopamalovi Books ceased trading I approached another publishing company, but Darkness Whispers didn’t do too well with them so I decided to withdraw it from sale. Soon after, a friend told me about Smashwords.

I’m not sure. I intend to become a full-time writer at the beginning of next year but, at the moment, I am unsure how much of my time I will need to dedicate on marketing. I would much prefer to write books and leave the marketing to publishers.

Thank you for your interest.
Jack