Featured Interview With Dusty Grein
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, and I have always felt that the Pacific Northwest is where I belong. I am now a resident of Western Oregon, and my 16 year old daughter is trying to raise me right. We share our living space with a spoiled terrier/ bulldog mix named Naked, but she is insistent that she needs a cat. The dog and I disagree.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I learned to read young, and finished reading my first novel in first grade. Books have always been my principal diversion, and my “have read” list is larger than most people would care to consider. The joy of writing and story-telling is something that I have always loved to do, but it wasn’t until after a career-ending heart attack that I began to devote serious effort into writing full time. A brush with mortality made me realize that if I wanted to share my heart and soul with others, I didn’t have forever to make it happen.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love a wide and eclectic array of authors and genres. From Poe and Shakespeare to Koontz and King, my tastes run the gamut. Thrillers and horror have a special place in my heart, and dark fantasy has always been a go to. I am an award-winning member of the Society of Classical Poets, and I think Poe, Frost and Thomas have had the biggest influence on my poetic style, but I owe my biggest debt of gratitude to Stephen King. His book “On Writing” has had a bigger impact on my career as a novelist than any other work.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book is an emotional tale about the residents of a small town nestled in the shadow of Mount Rainier. Little do they know that the sleeping volcano is about to wake up, and soon their lives, and the lives of the other 3.5 million residents in Western Washington State, will be changed forever. Two of my primary characters are 10 year-old twins who are not only telepathic, but gifted with foresight of the terrible calamity that is about to befall them all. Together they must find a way to save their family from disaster.
This scenario is one that touched a nerve in me, and many of those who grew up living, working and playing in the shadow of Mount Rainier. The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 proved just how awesome and devastating a Cascade volcano can be, and when Rainier erupts — as it will one day — it will potentially be the largest natural disaster ever to happen in the United States. I sat down to tell the story of a few of the inhabitants of a small town that I lived in for many years in the week leading up to an eruption, and in a whirlwind of writing, they shared their story with me. It took me twelve days to record it, and I feel blessed to have been allowed to share it with the world.
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