Hi my name is David Dugas Jr. I live outside of New Orleans. I have been writing for over eight years. I decided to self-publish my first novella, two years ago. My second a year ago. I currently work on writing new things when I have the chance. My other hobbies besides writing include, reading, movies. TV, comics and Disney. You can follow me and my books at the links below.
www.facebook.com/daviddugasjrauthor
https://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Institute-David-Dugas-Jr/dp/1533124779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522614268&sr=8-1&keywords=bloodstone+institute
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Creek-David-Dugas-Jr/dp/1546630902/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
wattpad username :ddugas
Set at a facility which is both a school for the hearing impaired and a haunted attraction, Bloodstone Institute tells us the story of Dominoe, a college graduate set on starting her career and caught up in a mystery when she begins at the school.
What inspired you to write Bloodstone Institute?
One of the best memories I had as a teenager was volunteering at a local haunted house every October. We went as far as helping out during the summer. Like painting and building, etc. Most of all it was our hangout. Some people went to arcades or skating halls. We went to a haunted house just to have fun and catch up with one another. I wanted to write something as a dedication to the best time of my life. After all the creepy stories people told one another, and my own experiences there, it was just a great fit for a creepy tale.
You say that this book is based on true events, how so? Is Dominoe a real person or a character experiencing the life events of another? Tell us a bit about the inspiration for Dominoe.
Me and the other volunteers would tell of our experiences at the haunted house. I was told it was really haunted when I first started working there. I laughed and thought it was a new person prank. Until I found out for myself. Then the stories came out. They were too creepy to be hidden, so I turned them into one big story with my own little twist. These were people I trusted with my life. I was certain they were not full of it. Especially seeing and hearing what I witnessed inside that building. Dominoe is not a real person to this story. She wasn't really my inspiration though, even though the real person I know is a blonde as well. I wanted the main character to have a unique name. So I went with Dominoe from an old James Bond movie. However the name was spelled without the E at the end. I thought it had an E. Either way I loved the sound of the name. It was different and beautiful. Picking names for characters are one of the hardest tasks I face when writing. This one though is one of those where I feel I picked a good name for the character and story.
You’ve worked at a real haunted house yourself in the past, what was that like? How does it affect your writing?
It was the best time of my life. I love Halloween and horror. To scare someone was easy and so much fun to me. As for affecting me? It doesn't really affect me much. This story is the only time it affected me. I had to think and remember all those stories and details from the place. I tried to cram as much of the dedicated names as possible. There are things I probably could have done different. But I love what I wrote and it’s always a learning path in writing. I have considered possibly writing a sequel. Being that I feel there is more I can tell. And more dedications that I have left out.
Murder Creek is a more direct and intimate tale, featuring small town life and how it affects those who live it, tell us a bit about how you thought of this book.
My mom was dying of cancer at the time. I had always wanted to be a filmmaker. That idea was dead where it stands. I wrote ideas and scripts. Whenever I was close to filming, something would happen and there were never enough people to cast. I just gave up. I began reading more and out of the blue thought of this twisted plot ending. That's when I decided to try book writing. I used this ending twist as a starter for my first novella. I was used to horror ideas, but never thrillers. It was a challenge at first, but I was up for trying it out.
Does Murder Creek have any of the true life basis that Bloodstone Institute had? What makes it and your process for writing it different?
Everything in Murder Creek is fiction. I did not base anything on real life events. A lot of the story is anger and mystery. Anger being a key role in some parts. My mom died before I finished the book. I was angry at God and just depressed. I took all that anger and put it into writing. I did a few edits of my story, but I never changed the anger or death scenes. It was a bad time in my life that I try to forget. But that bad time made the story and is a good way to express to others what I was feeling and how it affected me. It was different going from scripts to books, but a lot easier to get the word out. The only thing different in this process was the genre. There are still monsters in there. The only difference is the monsters are us humans. There is still blood, anger and mystery. It’s just done in different times, different meanings, and different emotions inside of me.
You have a fondness for thriller and mystery themes in your books; do all of your pieces have these elements? Do you think we can expect them to stay with you throughout your career?
I would say so for the most part. It is my favorite thing to write, read, and watch. I do want to try different things here and there. My biggest challenge is wanting to do something set in the past like in the era of Game of Thrones. And one day maybe write my story of going through my mom battling cancer.
What are some other projects you’ve got going or that we might see coming out in the near future?
I am currently working on a book titled Trick or Shriek. It is going to be full of short horror stories that all take place on Halloween night in the fictional town of McKenzie Falls. It is basic legends and stories we were told as a kid and now. Like the razor blade in candy, the body mistaken for a prop, etc. I have other things either being worked on or that needs to be edited as well. I work a full time job, so I take the chance to write whenever I can. My goal is always to have at least one new book out a year.
www.facebook.com/daviddugasjrauthor
https://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Institute-David-Dugas-Jr/dp/1533124779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522614268&sr=8-1&keywords=bloodstone+institute
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Creek-David-Dugas-Jr/dp/1546630902/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
wattpad username :ddugas
Set at a facility which is both a school for the hearing impaired and a haunted attraction, Bloodstone Institute tells us the story of Dominoe, a college graduate set on starting her career and caught up in a mystery when she begins at the school.
What inspired you to write Bloodstone Institute?
One of the best memories I had as a teenager was volunteering at a local haunted house every October. We went as far as helping out during the summer. Like painting and building, etc. Most of all it was our hangout. Some people went to arcades or skating halls. We went to a haunted house just to have fun and catch up with one another. I wanted to write something as a dedication to the best time of my life. After all the creepy stories people told one another, and my own experiences there, it was just a great fit for a creepy tale.
You say that this book is based on true events, how so? Is Dominoe a real person or a character experiencing the life events of another? Tell us a bit about the inspiration for Dominoe.
Me and the other volunteers would tell of our experiences at the haunted house. I was told it was really haunted when I first started working there. I laughed and thought it was a new person prank. Until I found out for myself. Then the stories came out. They were too creepy to be hidden, so I turned them into one big story with my own little twist. These were people I trusted with my life. I was certain they were not full of it. Especially seeing and hearing what I witnessed inside that building. Dominoe is not a real person to this story. She wasn't really my inspiration though, even though the real person I know is a blonde as well. I wanted the main character to have a unique name. So I went with Dominoe from an old James Bond movie. However the name was spelled without the E at the end. I thought it had an E. Either way I loved the sound of the name. It was different and beautiful. Picking names for characters are one of the hardest tasks I face when writing. This one though is one of those where I feel I picked a good name for the character and story.
You’ve worked at a real haunted house yourself in the past, what was that like? How does it affect your writing?
It was the best time of my life. I love Halloween and horror. To scare someone was easy and so much fun to me. As for affecting me? It doesn't really affect me much. This story is the only time it affected me. I had to think and remember all those stories and details from the place. I tried to cram as much of the dedicated names as possible. There are things I probably could have done different. But I love what I wrote and it’s always a learning path in writing. I have considered possibly writing a sequel. Being that I feel there is more I can tell. And more dedications that I have left out.
Murder Creek is a more direct and intimate tale, featuring small town life and how it affects those who live it, tell us a bit about how you thought of this book.
My mom was dying of cancer at the time. I had always wanted to be a filmmaker. That idea was dead where it stands. I wrote ideas and scripts. Whenever I was close to filming, something would happen and there were never enough people to cast. I just gave up. I began reading more and out of the blue thought of this twisted plot ending. That's when I decided to try book writing. I used this ending twist as a starter for my first novella. I was used to horror ideas, but never thrillers. It was a challenge at first, but I was up for trying it out.
Does Murder Creek have any of the true life basis that Bloodstone Institute had? What makes it and your process for writing it different?
Everything in Murder Creek is fiction. I did not base anything on real life events. A lot of the story is anger and mystery. Anger being a key role in some parts. My mom died before I finished the book. I was angry at God and just depressed. I took all that anger and put it into writing. I did a few edits of my story, but I never changed the anger or death scenes. It was a bad time in my life that I try to forget. But that bad time made the story and is a good way to express to others what I was feeling and how it affected me. It was different going from scripts to books, but a lot easier to get the word out. The only thing different in this process was the genre. There are still monsters in there. The only difference is the monsters are us humans. There is still blood, anger and mystery. It’s just done in different times, different meanings, and different emotions inside of me.
You have a fondness for thriller and mystery themes in your books; do all of your pieces have these elements? Do you think we can expect them to stay with you throughout your career?
I would say so for the most part. It is my favorite thing to write, read, and watch. I do want to try different things here and there. My biggest challenge is wanting to do something set in the past like in the era of Game of Thrones. And one day maybe write my story of going through my mom battling cancer.
What are some other projects you’ve got going or that we might see coming out in the near future?
I am currently working on a book titled Trick or Shriek. It is going to be full of short horror stories that all take place on Halloween night in the fictional town of McKenzie Falls. It is basic legends and stories we were told as a kid and now. Like the razor blade in candy, the body mistaken for a prop, etc. I have other things either being worked on or that needs to be edited as well. I work a full time job, so I take the chance to write whenever I can. My goal is always to have at least one new book out a year.
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