The Embalmer (Author Interview)



https://www.amazon.com/Embalmer-Brae-Wyckoff/dp/0999789066/

The Embalmer looks like an exciting thriller.  Can you tell us a little about it?

I had three questions that came to me over the years. One, what if an embalmer raises someone from the dead at his job? That’s interesting but just not enough for a compelling story. The next question really spiced it up. What if the person the embalmer raised from the dead was a serial killer that was never caught? Okay, now we are getting something very interesting, but it still lacked that kick to the stomach kind of feel that I was looking for. It was the last question that cinched it. What if this serial killer is the same person who killed the embalmer’s five-year-old daughter two years prior? WOW! C’mon, what do you do with that? You’ll have to find out in this award-winning novel. It’s crazy.

 

Any plans to turn it into a series?

I’m actually finishing the first draft of the sequel. Freddy Foley has some unanswered questions that need resolved. It’s time to face the demons, literally. This story is going to have more of the demonic supernatural twist to it.

 

That’s an amazing cover.  Can you tell us a little about it?

Yeah, I wanted that 80’s slasher movie type feel and I think we nailed it. You have the creepy guy in the distance with the fog and red all around him. His hand looks like it has a bladed glove like Freddy Krueger. Well, it does. Freddy Foley is a huge fan of Freddy Krueger in the story. So, yeah, we have a kick-butt cover that really draws you in. I’ve had people running across a field to get to my book table at a signing event just because of the cover. That’s fun.

 

What inspired you when writing The Embalmer?

I once had a friend invite me to his work. He was an embalmer. I took him up on the offer and he toured me around the place. It was crazy to me that just behind one-door where regular folk like me come in are dead bodies. We literally took two steps and there they were. The cold steel tables on wheels, white sheets, and lined up. It was nuts to me and felt so surreal. It was at that time the first question popped into my mind probably a decade ago when the tour happened. I’ve been kicking the idea in my head for quite a while. I’m so glad I didn’t rush the process and I let the story percolate to become what The Embalmer is today.

 

Can you tell us a little about Freddy?

Freddy is me. He is also you. He’s a guy that has lived through such a devastating tragedy of losing his daughter to a murderer. You and I perhaps have not had this happen exactly and pray it never does, but all of us have gone through tragedy of one degree or another. It tore him apart and he felt lost in life. It ultimately shattered his marriage and forced him to concentrate on work to keep his mind away from the terror and injustice of it all. Freddy has a close friend named George that is definitely the fan favorite for many. George is the comedy relief, but he goes deeper than that. He is a true friend that will stick to Freddy no matter what. What happens with the two of them before and after the killer comes back to life is something that will stick with us all for many years to come.

 

Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing The Embalmer?

Yes, oh God, yes. The idea of writing about a madman like Stephen Murdock is crazy to think about. I entered into this man’s heart and mind and really pulled the covers away to show everyone the darkness that resides within. I think there is a darkness of some kind that resides in a lot of us to be honest. It was hard to write about him killing little children while thinking he was doing something right. Without giving anything away, Stephen felt like he was misunderstood by the media as he killed these innocent kids over the course of twenty-years. All of this takes place in my hometown of San Diego, CA.

 

What do you like to do when not writing?

I love to travel with my wife. We literally are on the road almost six-months of the year where we encourage other writers to build community and really go after the deeper storytelling. We want to pull the best out of people. I do this through speaking at conferences, workshops, radio shows, and personal coaching.

We also love being with our grandkids who are scattered in three different states. I not only write horror-thrillers, but I also write children’s books for my grandkids. The fifth book will be released early 2023. Nothing like presenting a book dedicated to them.

 

Where can readers find out more about your work?

My website, www.BraeWyckoff.com, is the best source. You can easily find me on all the social media channels. All of by books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in eBook, paperback, some hardback, and audiobook. I write multiple genres from young adult epic fantasy, historical fiction, children’s books, and of course the horror-thriller novel, The Embalmer, which has several Hollywood endorsements.