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Through the waning and waxing of life, author Ian Bush and I (PARZZ1VAL) have kept in touch. I remember reading through his first published work, Wishes For the World Around You shortly after graduating high school. That piece will forever hold a place on my favorites shelf, a book for visitors to spot in the kitchen. “I know this dude!” I say.

Claiming the spot of one of the best listeners on our planet, you’re guaranteed to come out of a conversation with him having learned both something of substance, and that good people really do still exist. Follow along to learn about the ever evolving, underrated, indie author.

With all the creative outlets available to you, why write?

To me, writing is one of the few arts that captures all the senses. Nothing against the other arts, but I feel like using words to convey a message to someone is powerful and an art that is not easily created. Another side of that is writing is something anyone can do. Whether or not they do it well is a different story.

With painting, you can slap some paint on a canvass and maybe a nice friend will say “that looks like a sunrise on a hill”, but with writing you can start day one combining sentences to make a new idea or tale, and someone can look at you as this future bestseller.

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Finally, writing can be done anywhere. Just like right now. I’m currently writing on the bus during my work commute. I took a quick glance and didn’t notice any photographers, painters, musicians, or cinema directors doing their art on the bus. To be fair, there was one time I saw someone play guitar on a moving train while not holding anything…Now THAT is art if you put your mind to it.

Why Horror?

To me, Horror is the most challenging genre. I like the challenge, and I like to make people face their fears.

Tell me about your writing process.

My writing process is very much like ‘divine intervention’. I will see something in my day to day or hear about something interesting. Then, I will start asking questions in my head, flesh out the potential. For example, today on National Public Radio I heard about a woman who participated in a study where a group of people were put on a small boat and was forced to drift back to shore.

Book signing at the wonderful Brownstone Coffeehouse in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Book signing at the wonderful Brownstone Coffeehouse in Battle Creek, Michigan.

This study wanted to examine what happens when random people who live across the world are stranded on a boat together and what the dynamics were and became during that time. Tell me that doesn’t scream Horror to you!

Which piece are you most proud of, and why?

I am equally proud of each piece because something happened with each piece I created. Wishes For the World Around You is my first published piece, and when I read it today I wonder why people gave me a chance with that book! But I’m still proud of it because it was the trailblazer to what I am today.

If I had to pick a piece that I was most proud of, I would have to say Guidelines for Immortality. This book was not very well known, but I am very proud of it because it was my first opportunity to break away from anthologies and do my own thing again. Nothing against anthologies, but I really liked the change of pace at that time. 

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List some of your favorite writers or pieces and tell how your work has been influenced by them.

My top five favorite writers are:

  • R.A. Salvatore
  • Ray Bradbury
  • Robert E. Howard
  • Neil Gaiman
  • J.R.R. Tolkien
Author Ian Bush

Salvatore taught me how to show character development with his main character, Drizzt. Ray Bradbury made me think independently with Farenheight 451. Howard showed me how descriptive a world can be. Gaiman showed me how beautiful writing could be. Tolkien showed me how you can hide so many lessons in a book and make it seem like “just a fiction book.”

Where can we find your work?

  • Amazon
  • Black Bed Sheet Books
  • Devolution Z

You can also find more about me in interviews for Off the Chain by Yvonne Mason (Psst! Watch out for our interview with Mason!), D.e.e.L’s Writing and Various Nonsense, as well as in some Battle Creek Enquirer articles.  

Hold on, before we finish, what’s a tip you can give to other writers?

Keep writing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t forget the companionship of authors. You never know what piece is around the corner. You never know what will happen unless you ask the question.

I want the public to know how important it is that my art remains a conversation.  The biggest reason I stopped writing was because I lost the conversation with others. I stopped hearing people talk about my books and give me feedback on my books. I know that sounds really selfish, but I never wrote books to tell stories to a wall. The stories I wrote are meant to entertain people and create dialogues and conversations with others. I am slowly getting back into my writing again and I am excited that I have a few stories eating at my conciseness.  

If you want to talk to me, e-mail me at iancbush@gmail.com. I am open to good conversations and helping others with their writing journeys. 

What do you think? Check out our other interviews, like our interview with comic author, Jesse James Baer, or our interview with composer Joao Victor Barroso. Who should we interview next? Drop us a hint in the comments below, or find us at:

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Interviews

T+E Channel’s My Haunted Hometown: Small Town with Big Secrets

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My Haunted Hometown interview – Barb Dexter

To start off check out our exclusive interview with Barb Dexter from My Haunted Hometown! Prepare for spine-tingling tales as Barb Dexter unveils her shocking personal ghost encounters on T+E Channel’s gripping paranormal series, “My Haunted Hometown”. Don’t miss exclusive behind-the-scenes insights and emotional revelations that will leave you questioning reality. Premieres Friday, September 6th at 10 PM ET/PT.

Click the trailer for My Haunted Hometown and set your clocks for the premiere 6 Sept!

Want to know more about T+E Channel’s My Haunted Hometown?? Check out the trailer below (and make sure you watch the show as it airs Friday 6 September, 10PM PT/ET only on T+E!

If you ever wondered what it was like to be in a town with a dark history–and live in a forever home that might be forever occupied by spirit energy, then you need to check this episode out!

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Why T+E Channel’s My Haunted Hometown hits

My Haunted  Hometown - A picture of Barb Dexter who is a woman with blonde hair, kind eyes, and glasses.
photo credit: Andrew Curr

The production value works. The camera. The crew. The sound. The editing. The PR team. These are all great assets–and the best asset of them all? The people in the show.

We have all seen shows where the ghost story is made up. It’s usually some quick cash grab for a celeb (although there were some great truly well done celeb ghost stories, too!) or just some channel/content filler type thing. This is not that….this is what every ghost show should be.

The crew sits down. The people are taken seriously. They are giving a channel to voice their story and by sharing their story, they get to grow and sometimes heal from the telling. We draw strength in knowing we are not alone.

When the episode starts, your emotions range from being afraid for the people to being all warm and fuzzy with knowing that these people are opening themselves up to you and you are not alone.

If you have any paranormal experience, these stories will help you feel a bit more whole.

If you are a believer, this is your show.

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If you are a doubter, this is your show. You might still doubt, but you won’t doubt that these are real down to earth people giving witness to what they saw.

See why we call the T+E Channel the Blumhouse of TV and catch the free preview on T+E Channel from Sept 2 to Nov 3

My Haunted Hometown - an arial view of a small town covered in snow
photo credit: Andrew Curr

The Setting

I think small towns work well as a setting. If you recall most of Seth Breedlove’s movies are SMALL Town monsters. If you recall our interview with Harker Jones’s interview the scary horror wasn’t the city of LA but the SMALL Town where you are a bit more isolated.

Not only does the setting work because of the more remote feel, but it works because of the people. The people in the show make the show. They are relatable. They are down to earth. They are easily your next best friend after moving into the neighborhood.

My Haunted Hometown - A close up of a cat's fuzzy face.
photo credit: Andrew Curr

Also, if you are a fan of cats and dogs–there are a few of the most adorable furry friends ever in this episode.

The Rating and Where to Watch

After watching the first episode, I can’t wait for the rest! I’m sure to check it out when they drop every Friday in September! Won’t you join me? 🙂

See what all the rave reviews are about (5/5 Cthulhu!) and see why we call the T+E Channel the Blumhouse of TV and catch the free preview on T+E Channel from Sept 2 to Nov 3 – your gateway to the supernatural! Tune in and share the thrills with #MyHauntedHometown and #TEonTV. Are you brave enough to watch? 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

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Gaming

🎮 Eldritch Automata: Exclusive GenCon 2024 Reveal with Nick Francia!

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Step into the mind-bending world of Eldritch Automata as we sit down with Game Designer Nick Francia at GenCon 2024!

Uncover the secrets behind this Lovecraftian mecha-masterpiece and get a glimpse of what’s to come.

Eldritch Automata quicklaunch guide with a sinister looking mech warrior on the cover

In this exclusive interview, Nick Francia shares:

• The intricate game development process • Inspirations behind the eerie Lovecraftian elements

• Unique mecha-infused gameplay mechanics Calling all Lovecraft fans! Dive into a world where eldritch horrors meet steam-powered marvels.

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Eldritch Automata promises an unforgettable gaming experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

👉 Ready to embrace the madness? Check out our playable demo at a con near you! #EldritchAutomata #GenCon2024 #LovecraftianGaming #IndieGameDev

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Gaming

Interview with Creative Director Michael Highland: Let’s! Revolution! @ PAX

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Another game I had the chance to play at PAX East was, Let’s! Revolution!, a Minesweeper-inspired roguelite puzzle game by animation (and now game) studio, BUCK. I talk more about the game itself in another post. Here, I wanted to highlight the conversation I had with Michael Highland, the Creative Director for Let’s! Revolution! and his journey through video game development.


How did you become involved in video game development?

I studied digital media design in college; this was before there were many programs dedicated to game development. After graduating, I self-published a mobile game called Hipster City Cycle with friends. Over the next few years, I slowly got more freelance work as a game designer, and eventually landed a full-time role at thatgamecompany working on the follow-up to their 2012 GOTY Journey. I worked my way up there and was eventually the Lead Designer on Sky: Children of the Light. Working at thatgamecompany opened a lot of doors professionally. I eventually wound up at BUCK, where I saw the opportunity to help establish a new game studio within a very vibrant existing creative culture.

What has been the most challenging aspect of the development process?

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Each studio has its own unique issues based on the people involved. There are commonalities like the need to fight feature creep and building consensus around ideas early in the process when all you have is an abstract grey box prototype to react to. At BUCK the biggest challenge has been channeling the abundance of creative energy and talent into a shippable product. There’s a ton of enthusiasm for games within the company, and without clear product-centric goals (who is the target audience, what platform are we releasing on, what’s the marketing strategy), projects have the tendency to spiral out of scope. Another challenge has been building credibility with publishers. BUCK has an amazing pedigree for animation and design, maybe the best in the world, but when we initially pitched ideas to publishers, they all said the same thing: looks great, but until you’ve shipped a game, you’re too high-risk. That’s what led to us self-publishing Let’s! Revolution! Now that we have a well-reviewed game out in the wild, I feel confident we’ll have more luck with publishers. 

BUCK primarily has its roots in animation, what led the decision to start branching into video game development?

It started with a general excitement about the medium and a desire among the staff to work on a game. Leadership at BUCK is all about providing the staff with exciting creative opportunities, and getting to work on a game, is, for some, a creative dream come true. And putting BUCK content out in the world is a point of pride and a boost to morale. From a business perspective, the fact we can staff out game projects with the top animation and design talent in the world is a huge advantage. We’re already starting to see new opportunities for the service side of the business based on the success of Let’s! Revolution! 

The art, unsurprisingly, is delightful. What were some of the priorities during the character design process and how did those influence the final hero designs?

Our Art Director Emily Suvanvej really led the charge on the look of the game. There are obvious influences like Studio Ghibli, Moebius, and Steven Universe. My shared goal with Emily was to make something together that reflected the diversity of the team’s artistic and lived experiences. The artists put so much love into the character designs and animation, it really shows. 

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Some of the primary game mechanics take inspiration from Minesweeper, what was the process like to create your own interpretation of those classic mechanics?

This article goes into depth on this topic. The TLDR is that we took a very iterative approach, at each stage trying to identify what was working about the prototype and lean into that. The initial game concept came together relatively quickly in part because our goal for this project was just to finish a game. We just focused on what was good and kept building on it. I wouldn’t say the final game is “perfect” – but we wound up with a much bigger and higher quality experience than I expected by not letting perfectionism get in the way of making good better. 

Is there anything else you would like to plug or that you think is important for people to know about Let’s! Revolution! or other upcoming projects?

The music and sound design for the game is stellar. We worked with a creative audio company called Antfood and they knocked it out of the park. The audio got an honorable mention from IGF, which I think is extra impressive because most of the other games were audio-centric titles with some unusual hook to the sound design. For the OST, Antfood reworked all of the music from the game into a continuous flow, like a concept album. It’s so good. I love working with them.

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