Greetings, travelers. Sometimes when we’re venturing into the Otherworld, we’re going into worlds that are so wildly different that we know what to experience right away. Then there are times where we look at a version of our own world through a thin, almost imperceptible veil, and the changes start to increment bit by bit. Today, we’re stepping into a version of the latter. In They Live Among Us, by author EBatzell, we see secrets start to reveal themselves, and they compound into something truly entertaining. Read on to learn more about the book, and about the author.
Tellest: Hello, EBatzell! I wanted to start by thanking you for spending some of your time to talk about yourself and your book. Now, you’re a bit enigmatic on the internet, so I’m going to be learning about you from the source. But one thing that I do know about you is that you’ve put together a great story that surprises readers in the best way, and I’m excited to take the veil off of that book a bit to learn more about that, and to discover who you are!
EBatzell: Hi Mike, in a nutshell: I’m in my early 50’s, Italian, living in Ireland for over a quarter of a century and still mad about Heavy Metal as I was in my teens. I can’t really add more, I’m just the humble scribe for all the stories that cross my mind and no more.
T: One of the very first questions that I ask for these interviews helps to establish what sent the creator down that path of worldbuilding. When you were growing up, did you have a favorite author who told speculative fiction? Or was there a show or movie that resonated with you? Were there any family members who helped foster that spark of creativity in you?
E: A long time ago, I began writing a chapter talking about a valley in the Himalayas where the snow never ceases to fall. Before I knew it, there were many chapters on top of it—all different stories connected by 3 characters.
I thought I was done there and then…that I had nothing else to say.
It didn’t take me long to find out that was just the beginning of my storytelling journey though. My struggle these days is to keep up with the open books waiting to be completed.
Inspiration? Stephen King. 100%. Being an Iron Maiden fan also introduced me later to HP Lovecraft. His stories showed me darker corners of this universe that I’ve explored on my first trilogy. Or perhaps I should just call it a ‘duology’, as the third one is still a work in progress.
Then the X Files, Tolkien, Dean Koontz. And Marvel comics of course.
T: So, you indicated that you’ve got the duology there, but that you’ve also got open books waiting to be completed. Do you find yourself working on multiple stories at once, or do you find you’re able to focus on one over the others?
E: It’s hard for me not to jump in between stories. I get inspirations with bits of dialogues or situations in the most unexpected moments: When having a shower, while driving, or just first thing in the morning as soon as I wake up.
Many times, I got triggered by a particular song, and that would become the soundtrack for the whole chapter most of the times.
Right now, I’m back working on my first ever project started in the mid 90’s, listening to David Bowie’s DJ on a loop.
T: Does the opposite end up happening now? When you’re listening to a song that inspired one of your creative endeavors, do you end up thinking about the story you’ve already developed?
E: Many times. But there’s no point considering going back and rewriting something that has already been completed. That train has passed, time to move on too.
T: So, let’s dive into They Live Among Us next. This book is a very fun blend of a few speculative fiction genres, but there’s perhaps some contemporary fantasy that bleeds through the most. What was it that set you off on the path to write this story? How long has it been something that you’ve been working on?
E: 20 years give or take. Originally, I had only this scene in mind of a meeting where the main protagonist had somehow to explain his ‘special skills’ to his manager. Fast forward to last year, and the story completely changed. There was nothing left of the initial premise.
What continued as a display of superpowers against a classic baddie that wanted to rule the universe turned into a journey of self-discovery for the protagonist, eventually facing the impossibility of living a double life. But also discovering how the bond with his comrades was the thing that kept him going all along.
T: Was it a difficult thing to see the story change so much from where it had initiated? Or was it like a “Eureka!” moment, where you finally found the missing puzzle piece that made everything make sense?
E: I guess when I realized what the true meaning of the book was vs the initial story premises, everything started to fall into place. It also helped a lot figuring out what would be the most ideal cast for a movie or miniseries when I started looking for a description of the main characters.
T: So you’ve kind of fan-cast your own story at this point. I have to confess, I do the same on my end. Do you ever feel like, “I have to get this done quickly—these actors and actresses aren’t going to be the right age forever”?
E: 100% true. Already happened with 1 lead. And this is why I need an army of readers to make lots of noise on the Internet for Netflix to take me on board ASAP!
T: One thing that I learned about you in my research is that you’ve submitted your book to the latest run of the Self-published Fantasy Blog Off. First of all, I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to be part of your book tour with that in mind. I hope you get a lot more eyes on your book because of that, and that they see just how fun it is.
Was that contest one that you had been aware of for a while, or was it something you found your way to recently?
E: Thank you for your kind words. Thing is, I don’t have a clue what I’m doing right now to reach the audiences out there. I’ve seen the opportunity and I’ve taken it. It’s all trial and error really. It’s both an exciting and reckless time, but I know it’s only a matter of time before I’ll
connect eventually with the like-minded readers. And that’s when ride will truly start.
T: It sounds like, though you’ve written this story as a passion project, first and foremost, you’re also keenly aware that a readership is what gives a series its power. Do you have a sort of hypothetical target audience that you’re aiming for with your books? Or did you write for a particular beta reader, perhaps?
E: I would love to have the most heterogeneous base of readers of course. That’s my biggest challenge. Truth is, only keen spirits will see the hard work behind this book, and those are the ones that will stick around and push me constantly to improve and come out with bigger stories.
T: What would be your favorite way to connect with those readers? Would you want to do live readings? Meet people at conventions? Or just connect with them on social media and an online newsletter?
E: I’d love to gather a virtual community to engage with on every aspect of a book, from the cover to the content. And more. That would be a massive achievement for me. Conventions would be my next best option to meet up live with readers.
T: Now that this book is on virtual shelves, do you see yourself working toward any other stories in this universe? There’s a lot of work that you put into this version of our world, after all. It feels like it would almost be a waste to shelve it!
E: All my stories are conceived as the first creative step. I’m hoping eventually to expand them though different media, video games, miniseries, anime, etc. That’s my biggest dream.
T: What kind of video game do you see your stories as? Are they fighting games, strategy, adventure?
E: Batman: Arkham City style. Or my favorite, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
T: So you’re thinking straight up action adventure with a touch of stealth mechanics. Let’s play pretend for a little bit. Both of those games have some fun collectibles in them. What collectibles would you want your players to be able to pick up in your game?
E: Yes, Easter Eggs. I’d love for players to get all the references that I’ve left in the book (movies, comics, songs) in the form of collectibles.
Something like the Riddler’s trophies in Arkham City.
T: You’re a bit of a world traveler, having been born in Italy and settling down in Ireland. Does that sort of blend of different experiences end up helping to tell a story more effectively?
E: Absolutely. Everything that happened to me until now formed the background for my stories too.
T: Do you end up bringing in people as well as experiences? Are there characters who were inspired by people you knew?
What was the hardest thing you’ve had to adapt into your stories from your life experiences?
E: I had great fun mixing up people from my past, idioms, and real events with fiction.
In a way, it was like giving new life to my past, rewriting it as more eventful than it actually was.
T: Did you ever have any difficulty bringing in something real, raw and emotional into your stories? Was it tough to relive anything?
E: Loneliness. Anyone that ever experienced it for a prolonged time would hardly consider reliving it through the eyes of somebody else, even if it was a fictional character.
But as the story dictated it, I had to dig deep, and it hasn’t been easy at times.
T: Now, They Live Among Us isn’t the only book that you’ve recently released. You’ve also got Raphael: Year 2, that was launched the same day as They Live Among Us. Are these books in any way connected? Or were they just stories that wanted to final be on virtual shelves?
E: All the books I’ve been working on so far have a ‘story within a story,’ a ghost sub chapter on the first page that might look disconnected from the rest of the story, but it’s far from it.
Aside from this detail, Raphael: Year 2 & They Live Among Us are 2 books completely disconnected.
T: Now, you mentioned Stephen King being an inspiration for you earlier, and while each of his books can certainly be standalone, there is connective tissue within those stories now. Have you had any thoughts about leaving breadcrumbs there from one book to another? Or do you prefer to keep them separated so that they can have their own identities?
E: There are characters with a small part in one book and completely revisited in another one with a more pivotal role. ‘Variants’ if you will.
I’ve also introduced in one of the subchapters in Raphael: Year 2 the characters for a spin off, a comedy/horror story that somehow breaks with the current Fantasy/Sci Fiction style of my stories.
I’ve also considered a future crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths style. It’s a possibility. First, I need to expand my current universe of stories, of course.
T: You’re absolutely right. Those sorts of things aren’t really applicable unless you have a pretty big volume of stories to tap into. You’re doing everything right the way you’re handling everything now. Focus on the stories themselves, maybe leave a few breadcrumbs, and then revisit later if you want.
But you did mention variants and other genres. What’s a genre that you’re looking to explore most that you haven’t tried your hand at yet?
E: I’ve started a horror story about coming of age and a Hell make over. There’s also a thriller about the fall of modern technology and a ‘Sci Fi/ Comedy Trip’ about an alien abduction gone hilariously wrong. I’m still at early stages. I don’t know yet how the stories will unfold.
T: You also have a somewhat older book called The Chronicles of the 3. That came out several years back, and focused on events from 2008, which a lot of people will know occurred during a panicky recession. Was that a major inspiration for what was happening within the pages of that story?
E: The Chronicles was my first book, published in 2019 and 11 years in the making. Most of my books begin around 2008-2009. The reason will be revealed at the end of the Raphael trilogy (whenever that might be.) Speaking of events, one of the many stories in Chronicles talks about a lab and a virus ‘targeting’ mostly elderly people. We all know what happened the following year….
T: Phew, I’ll bet that had to be a tough story to enjoy as a creator for a while after that happened. When it came to the pandemic, did you thrive because of your time alone then, or did it lead to struggles where you couldn’t connect with others, and that prevented you from connecting with your creativity?
E: I haven’t written a single word during that period. The stories were gone for a while. I wasn’t ready to tell them back then.
T: When it was time to start writing again, what did that look like? Was it a slow, steady return to form, or did you have a spark of creation that had you wanting to write all at once?
E: It happened suddenly, when I went back to revise what would eventually become Raphael: Year 2 and had no title yet. It was pure magic. On the screen dialogues and events started to appear, and I got hungrier for more.
It felt as though I never stopped, as if that dark period never existed—at least from the creativity point of view.
T: If a reader were to find you and absolutely love your book, where could they go to find new information about you? Do you have a website or a social media handle that you would direct them to?
E: I’m on Instagram as ebatzell3, on TikTok as ebatzell, on X as @EBatzell72 and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechroniclesofthe3980
T: I’d like to thank you again for taking the time to chat with me about all the things you’ve got going on. It sounds like you’ve had quite the journey to get here, but that you also have a lot more planned in the upcoming months and years. I appreciate the look behind the curtain, and I wish you the best on the stories you’ve yet to tell!
E: Thank you, Mike, the pleasure is all mine. This is my first interview, so I hope the readers will bear with me and focus on the stories instead. And join me for a ride.
T: I’d like to once more thank EBatzell for sharing some of their time and helping us to see how all of these projects came to life. More than ever, it’s interesting to see how people fostered a spark of creativity, especially through hard times. And it’s even more special when creators offer up these opportunities for escapes. If you’re interested in any of the author’s books, don’t wait. And let’s get started by looking at their latest. Check out They Live Among Us on Amazon today!
Michael DeAngelo
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