Horror Bookworm Spotlights Daniel Volpe

Posted on by Bookworm Review
Daniel J Volpe sat down with the Horror Bookworm for a 5 question one on worm interview. Hang out and discover why one of the nicest guys in horror is quietly taking Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror by storm.
HB: Your books are often brilliant storytelling that are emotionally complex and written with a heavy heart wrapped in splatter and/or extreme fiction. How do you decide on a subject matter? Do you choose the topic to comply with the extreme aspect of writing?

DV: Most of my work ends up with some kind of message attached to it, but it rarely starts out that way. Usually, I come up with a seed of a story, something gnarly that would be fun to write and read. From that, I start building my world, and every so often, a message arises. I’m sure pieces of my life have sway over what I write, but I usually don’t go into the book with a message on the brain.
HB: Daniel Volpe is a name that has been quickly growing within the horror community and a big part of the recent resurgence of splatter/extreme fiction. How do you maintain your fan base of readers and what is the next level of success for you?

DV: I have a very simple formula and it has been working well for me. I’m polite to my readers and reviewers. Even those that don’t particularly enjoy my work, I still value their opinion. Not everyone is going to like our work in this genre, and that’s okay. It would be odd if everyone loved each book I put out and I get that. I also don’t get involved in drama or politics. My social media presence is about horror, not the hot topic of the week. I never want my readers to feel alienated by my opinions on certain things, so I keep them to myself. My next level of success is to just keep putting out solid work. Since debuting in 2020 I’ve just been trying to stay consistent with my book releases, and supporting the community as a whole. If I can continue to grow at the pace I’m at, I’ll be more than happy.

Subscribe to the Rabid Reads Newsletter…
https://www.djvhorror.com/rabid-reads-newsletter
HB: You have created so many memorable characters within your novels, novellas and short stories. Which characters do you relate to the most and why? Which characters have been the funnest to write and why?

DV: The most fun character is Talia, by far. She’s fun, sexy, brutal, and an invincible killing machine. It would be like a sexy Jason Vorhees, but instead of campers, he’s killing bad guys. She’s an absolute blast to play with, and there’s more to her story coming in 2024. I don’t directly relate to any one character, but I see bits of myself in almost every one of them. Maybe Myles from ONLY PSYCHOS, as I kinda modeled him after myself as a kid.

Visit Daniel J Volpe Horror…
https://www.djvhorror.com/
HB: Ok, let’s see…Rush, ZZ Top, Motörhead and Nirvana. The reason why I incorporate these great three piece bands into my next question has to do with Volpe, Beauregard and Triana. It’s been proven you three work well together and are a force to be reckon with when it comes to hardcore fiction. Tell us how this power trio of terror met, merged and became effective as one entity.

DV: We met each other at the first Authorcon in 2022. I had been friends with Aron for a few years already, but that was where the three of us all connected. It started out pretty basic, with just some friendly conversations and shop talk. I had been a fan of Kris for years, and it was great to finally meet him. Shortly after the event, Aron called me and pitched an idea which was THE OBITUARIES. He told me Kris was on board and they wanted me to be a part of it. Obviously, I said yes, and since we all live within a few hundred miles of each other, we met up. That was over a year ago and the Obits is stronger than ever.

Visit Daniel Volpe’s Amazon page…
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Daniel-Volpe/author/B07FK95FZH?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
HB: Which leads directly to my next question about collaboration. How is the experience of collaborating with other authors? Is it ever competitive? And if you were granted the ultimate permission to work with someone, be it dead or alive, who would it be?

DV: I don’t do many collaborations, but the ones I have done have been pretty straightforward. I generally write with Aron and the both of us have a very similar pace. There’s no procrastination when it comes to projects and we’re never waiting on each other. My project with Matt Shaw ( U-TURNS book 3), was very easy. I wrote my portion and sent it off to him to complete it. I don’t feel the need to compete with my fellow authors and just want to tell a good story. I would absolutely love to work with Edward Lee. It was amazing to have him join THE OBITUARIES for issue 4, but a collaborative novel would be a dream come true.

Leave a comment