Jason Watts - dReadCon author Spotlight

We are so excited to be seeing so many local Canadian authors at this event and we are thrilled you are able to attend!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, what books we can expect to see at dReadCon, and where we can find you on social media.

I'm Jason Watts from London Ontario and I am a relatively new author in the Horror and Suspense genre. I have always been a fan of horror movies, books and the dark aura in general. This passion evolved into wanting to add my own stories and mark in the world of horror. After many years of procrastinating on the subject, in 2023, I finally set my goal to complete a story. I released my first novel in January of 2024 titled "Incident in Elmswood County", which follows a brother and sister, along with their two friends, venturing out for a quiet getaway at their families cabin located deep in the woods of Elmswood County. The group begin encountering strange events and they soon find out that something sinister awaits them. The idea sparked a series that would continue within this fictional universe which I called "Dreadful Reveations" and spawned the next book, "The Devoted and the Damned of Hyland City", which takes place 30 years prior, in 1994, and has some cross-over with it's predecessor but brings a whole different theme and feel, closer to a crime thriller. This one follows a woman named Lucy, who is struggling with home life and looking for a way out of her hopeless marriage, and that way out could be in the form of an enigmatic passenger who Lucy meets on a bus ride. This begins a bloody and violent series of events in Hyland City, which all leads up to a strange and shocking climax.

Outside of writing, I am also very much into music. I am currently the Singer/Guitarist for a Hard Rock band, Kill Effect, as well as playing Bass for a Punk Rock outfit called Hellaphant.

Just before starting to write, I began painting and although I am still in need of major practice, I decided once the novel was done, I wanted to actually paint my own covers, which I ended up doing for both novels released so far. I will have copies of both novels, "Incident in Elmswood County" and "The Devoted and the Damned of Hyland City", with special bookmarks and stickers, available at dReadCon during my very first convention as an author. I look forward to the experience.

I'm on Instagram @jasonwattsauthor and you can find all info at www.jasonwattsbooks.ca

·         Why is DreadCon important for horror and dark fiction authors?

Being very new to all of this, dReadCon was the first horror and dark fiction event I found that focused solely on this genre, bringing like-minded fans together to enable everyone to show their passion, and support authors. dReadCon provides a platform, whether for a seasoned veteran in the field, or a brand new writer like myself, to promote their offerings and help get their name out within the community. 

·         Do you have a favourite character you have written? If so, what book are they in and will it be at dReadCon?

I have to admit, I think I lean towards Troy and Sydney, the siblings in "Incident in Elmswood County", because I feel that subconciously, there are parts of myself within both of those characters. Their relationship and banter back and forth was strongly influenced by my own life, growing up with an older sister, and I think the combo of all of those things draw me to those two characters. Although, there is a character that appears breifly in the same novel that might be my favorite for other reasons, which I won't spoil, but for an exclusive tid-bit, the third novel I have planned for release under the "Dreadful Revelations" umbrella will feature this hulking masked monster.

·         If readers take away one thing from your books, what do you hope it is?

I really hope they are suprised, maybe even freaked out. The greatest compliment I have received so far was a friend who wrote me after reading one of the chapters in "Incident in Elmswood County", telling me he was going to have nightmares for weeks. That was an amazing comment to read. If I can really strike a chord with someone and make them feel uncomfortable or shocked, and wanting more, that would be ideal.

·         Would you rather spend a night in a haunted house or a week in a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

Strangely enough, I did some Paranormal Investigating for a number of years, travelling across Ontario and even into the States, doing investigations at residential homes as well as old hotels, jails and theatres. I have stayed many nights in supposed haunted places and have experienced some strange occurences. With that, I think I would be interested to try a week in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but I'm not 100% certain I would survive that one, unless there was an available Iced Coffee service. 

·         How do you keep readers engaged when crafting slow-burning suspense?

I like to incorporate humor a lot. Whether it is silly banter between characters or real-life events that I incorporate into the slower aspects of a story. I also try to touch on things that could have happened in the readers life that they can recall, adding little stories where the readers can remember a similar happening in their own lives to help build releationships with certain characters and hopefully develop a bond, where the reader feels they can relate. I think it is important to be able to identify the people you are reading about as those who could possibly be your neighbor, friend, co-worker or even your own family member. If you can feel a sense of love, or even hate, for a character, it's easier to continue to follow their journey to see where they end up.

·         What type of music if any do you listen to while writing?

My musical taste on any given day can change, but it is always in the realm of Rock, Metal or Punk. I get stuck on a certain vibe for a little while before changing it up. I'll listen to AFI, Minor Threat, Bad Religion and the Misfits for a few days, then change it up to the Ramones and Blink 182 before shifting to Staind, Godsmack and Seether before moving over to Nirvana before bouncing over to Poppy, until I wake up one day and start headbanging to Death, Deicide, Slayer and Lamb of God. It varies on the day I guess.