My First Time: Patrick Whitehurst

Today I am joined by a good friend from the other side of ‘The Pond’. Patrick Whitehurst is a multi-talented, multi-genre author. He first came to my attention with his erotic writing, but is now best known for his fabulous ‘Barker Mystery’ crime fiction. So, how did it all begin?

Over to you Patrick…

Can you remember writing the first story you actually wanted to write, rather than those you were forced to write at school? What was it about?

The first story I wrote that I actually wanted to write was a short story about a man in a cabin who fought off a werewolf attack. The story was likely influenced by my love for Stephen King. I was 16 at the time.

What was your first official publication?

My first published story was a non-fiction humour piece about Valentine’s Day that appeared in the Arizona Daily Sun, a daily newspaper out of Flagstaff, Arizona.

What affect did that have on your life?

From that point on, my short non-fiction and even art began to appear more and more in northern Arizona publications, which led to college and a degree in journalism.

Does your first published story  reflect your current writing style?

Not at all! Back then I tried to sounds smarter and write with my humour than I do these days. For me, the simpler the style the better and the more accidental the humour the better.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently editing “Mantula,” the story of a man born into the body of a tarantula. He teams up with a quail, himself a former meth addict, to find a cure for their affliction. With Catholic saints, curses, an evil centipede, and more; it’s the weirdest novella I’ve ever produced. Portions of the story are told in the form of faux news stories, memes and comic books. Mantula should be available on Amazon in March.