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.
