KL: 'Candles in the Window' was first published in 1999 by American Literary Press, at great expense (mine). In the case of my novel about the ancient Philistines, I was inspired by the seductive picture on the jacket of Rise Stevens' recording of 'Samson et Dalila,' as well as by the anthropologist Sir James Frazer's remark about how different the Samson and Delilah story would be if told from the Philistine perspective.īB: Why choose CreateSpace as your publishing platform? Do you have a favorite or least favorite aspect to it?

KL: Some of it comes from my and my family's life stories. I still believe it is the best thing I've ever written, though 'they' say a writer is not likely to be the best judge of his/her own work!īB: How do you decide on topics or story lines for your novel? Where do you find inspiration? KL: Yes, ' Candles in the Window' was my first full-length novel it has gotten more positive feedback than the others, including a good review in the Baltimore Sun and on Amazon. All the others are to a greater or lesser extent historical, though most are set in the very recent past.īB: Of the eight novels you've published, do you have a favorite? Or one you've gotten the most positive feedback on? KL: Two of them are spoofs of vampire/werewolf/James Bond stories and are set in the present. Are all your novels rooted in history, or do you enjoy branching out from that? By high school, I was writing fiction and poetry.īB: You mentioned an interest in history. Karl Larew: When I was a child, I began writing and drawing my own comic strips, influenced by my older brother, a comic-book fan. We caught up with Larew to learn more about his writing.īook Buzz: How did you begin writing - as part of a job, or hobby? 'Semi-retired' since 2005, the Hopewell Township author has published eight novels - six of which focus on the past, from college students in the 1950s to a 20th-century Army family to the Parisan revolution in 1848.

As a history professor at Towson University, Karl Larew has a passion for his subject.

Bad Vampires by Karl Larew