Let’s Talk About Wolves #6: Werewolf Talk with Mari Hamill

Werewolves are never far from my mind when I’m writing stories set in Pagham-on-Sea, and while I’ve had a short hiatus with the Werewolf Talk series, I’ve still got a fair few werewolf books in my TBR! One of them is Werewolf Nights by Mari Hamill. We connected via Twitter and a Facebook Group (Horror Novels) and she agreed to one of my author interviews!

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mari Hamill graduated from Harvard with an A. B. in English and the University of Michigan with a Ph.D. in comparative literature. A world traveller who has lived in Puerto Rico, the United States of America, Canada, France, Italy and Switzerland, Mari speaks French, Spanish, German and some Italian. She has been featured several times on Evan Carmichael’s list of the Top 100 Twitter users in Los Angeles.

Her debut novel is Werewolf Nights. Since the novel’s publication, she has talked to college students about writing, has had several appearances on the radio and at author events, and has even been the guest of honour at an improv show.

Find her on Facebook /MariHamillAuthor – Twitter @MariHamill – Goodreads /MariHamill

Werewolf Talk with Mari Hamill

WHAT’S THE FASCINATION FOR YOU WITH WEREWOLVES?

A good werewolf movie on a full moon night puts me in a good mood. It’s hard to pick a favorite because of there are so many good ones, but The Wolfman (2010) with Benicio del Toro, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Wolf (1994) with Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, and Wolves with Jason Momoa are great. When it comes to werewolf movies, I can’t say no.

The loss of control at the moment of transformation fascinates me. As a metaphor for life, it makes me think about how much our reality can change from one moment to the next. I think werewolves  continue to have the power to terrify us because they’re dangerous, unpredictable, and hard to kill. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE ABOUT WEREWOLVES?

Because of their resilience and their refusal to go away. Also, I like the superpowers they have whether they’re good or evil. As a comic book retailer and fan, I dabble in superpowers and double identities daily, but werewolves really hooked me. I wanted to create a world that revolved around them and that’s when I came up with Wereville. My novel has comic book references that fans of the medium will enjoy. 

WHAT’S THE BEST WEREWOLF TRANSFORMATION?

Werewolf transformations can be a form of body horror depending on whether one perceives them as a gift or a curse.  An American Werewolf in London has one of the best scenes. I’ve watched that one over and over again. Werewolf Nights has key shapeshifting moments. I think the moment a human turns into a werewolf in a book or a movie, the energy of the scene changes too. It’s infused with raw power, which makes it exciting.

WHERE CAN WE GET MORE INFO ON WEREVILLE AND WEREWOLF NIGHTS?

You can find me and more about Werewolf Nights on these sites: 
https://www.facebook.com/WerewolfNightsBook/

https://www.facebook.com/The-Full-Moon-Bakery-634819059965525/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStreetTeam/

https://www.instagram.com/marihamill/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/Werewolf_Nights