Q: If you could have a fantasy pet, what would you have and why?
A: The one I already have: Annikin Pyewacket. He’s nineteen pounds of hunger and sass. He’s part black Bombay cat and part insatiable feaster, similar to that Star Trek monster shaped like a giant cornucopia, eating whole planets. I grew up on a farm where I helped to raise big, healthy animals, and Annikin is big, healthy – and smart! I buy him advanced cat toys to keep his brain active.
Q: What type of music best describes your writing style?
A: I used to do promotions for a high-energy ‘80s night club, and those incessant, pulsing beats have been drummed into my brain.
Q: Tell us about your writing office/space and why it’s special to you.
A: It’s in the living room, near the bathroom and between the bedroom and the kitchen. I wish I could tell you it’s in a subterranean grotto where ancient Midwestern pagans worshiped a Martian snake-god, but it isn’t. It isn’t even a high-energy ‘80s night club.
Q: What is the most challenging part of writing for you?
A: I’ve been doing it for fifty years – from age 14 to my current age, 64. I worked through all the challenges years ago. The only challenge left is that I can’t do it while I’m sleeping. But that’s okay. A person does need a little downtime to get their rest.
Q: If you didn’t write full-time what would your day job be?
A: I used to do some public regulations on a regular basis. Lately I’ve tapered off on the public relations so I can do more writing.
Q: What is your writing schedule and how many projects do you juggle at once?
A: If I’m awake, I’m writing. I’m usually working on three books at a time. Some are finished more quickly than others.
Q: How do you balance your outside life with your writing life?
A: I usually dedicate an hour or two a day to household duties, and at least an hour a day to my relationship. My time is very flexible, and since I live with my partner (who works full-time), we don’t have to waste time on lengthy trips to see each other.
Q: Write your eulogy in three sentences.
A: To know him was to love him.
If you didn’t love him, you didn’t take the time to get to know him.
His books are still available on Amazon.
Q: What project are you most proud of right now?
A: Two of my novels together tell the tale of the life of Nyarlathotep. I am most proud of them.
THE THRONE OF NEPHREN-KA: A Novel of Cosmic Horror
by Mark McLaughlin and Michael Sheehan, Jr.
Available as a paperback or in Kindle / Kindle Unlimited.
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQCK8J59
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GQCK8J59
This novel follows Nyarlathotep’s adventures from ancient times to the future, when he will become a grotesque Biblical menace.
LABYRINTH OF THE CRAWLING CHAOS: A Novel of Cosmic Horror
by Mark McLaughlin & Michael Sheehan, Jr.
Available as a paperback or on Kindle / KU:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHRZHSD8/
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GHRZHSD8/
For countless eons, the ancient, shape-changing being known as Nyarlathotep has served the Outer Gods and the Great Old Ones, as well as his father, the demon-sultan Azathoth.
Throughout time, life-forms have emerged on various planets and as their intelligence grows, Nyarlathotep teaches them to worship the dark gods. His natural form is unlike that of any Earth being. In that form, it is most common for him to move by crawling, so he is known as the Crawling Chaos.
This novel chronicles the earthly activities of Nyarlathotep from his alliance with a warlock in Carcosa to his career as a political advisor. The Crawling Chaos uses an interdimensional labyrinth to move from era to era and world to world. His labyrinth is filled with deadly traps, as well as diabolical creatures eager to do his bidding…
Q: Do you have any new projects you would like to tell your fans about?
A: I’m always working on new projects. Just check my Facebook page for updates.
Q: Where can people find you on social media?
A: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markmclaughlinmedia/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/174186.Mark_McLaughlin
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/markamcl.bsky.social
