Dark Veil Society - Christopher Michael

The Dark Veil Society is a collective of independent horror authors united by a shared love for the eerie, the unsettling, and the unknown. Founded by a group of self-published writers, we are storytellers who breathe life into nightmares and find beauty in the macabre. Our mission is to craft tales that linger long after the last page, to champion the dark corners of fiction where others fear to tread, and to uplift the voices of fellow creators walking this shadowy path.

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Interview

1.    Tell us who Christopher Michael is.

Well, in terms of who Christopher Michael is, I would say that he's a writer of cosmic horror, weird fiction, and someone attempting to break out into the community with his writing.

In terms of who Chris is, I would say that he's a husband, father, veteran, law enforcement agent, and someone living the life that his younger self never thought would come along.

2.    What are you currently working on? Can you tell us a bit about it?

Man, do I have a lot in the works right now.  So, first and foremost, Crystal Lake Publishing - an absolutely amazing publisher in the horror sphere - picked up my series, Danforth: Eldritch Tales of WWII.  Unlike many publishers, they were willing to take a chance on me and picked up the first book in the series, Tomb of the Black Pharaoh, but also the upcoming sequel The Horror in the Lamplights.  I'm busy finalizing all of the details for both books.  Book 1 will be reprinting and re-launching under the Crystal Lake brand on September 25th, 2026.  The sequel will be launching on October 30th, 2026.

Aside from that, I have several works in progress, all taking place within the universe of the Danforth books, which places them in the same universe as Lovecraft's original work, as well as those within his circle prior to his death.  I have Book 3 in progress, and we'll also be going into different parts of history and expanding the universe.  We'll even be bringing in different characters from the universe and the era to really turn everything into a lived-in world.

3.    What is most difficult about building your brand?

Honestly, and probably every writer would agree with this - the marketing aspect.  I've been very good about it because I'm pretty extroverted and quite boisterous, but even then it's difficult.  I can't imagine the feeling if I were more on the introvert side, so it's definitely something that I think I underestimated.  I was certainly willing to invest my time and money into marketing myself, but that is certainly time and money that I will probably not see again. haha

4.    Where do you draw your inspiration from?

So, I obviously drew my inspiration from Lovecraft and his circle of friends at the time, but I also love the history behind it all.  I'm a huge history buff and really love intertwining real history with my fascination of this universe and pantheon that Lovecraft created.  It's managed to endure to this day and still has quite the following.  In fact, it seems like recently, there are more people- authors, artists, directors, etc.- who are looking at his work and really realizing that they might have an untapped treasure trove.

5.    How do you make time to for personal projects around your other commitments?

It took sacrifices, for sure.  At one point, I found myself writing while I was at work.  At another time, I was staying up until the wee hours of the night just trying to get a few words onto the page.  It certainly wasn't easy.

6.    What do you need in your workspace?

I'm discovering that my favorite thing to have going during my writing is some creepy ambient music or sounds while I'm writing.  I'll actually set an entire atmospheric mood in the room just to get that creativity flowing.

7.    What piece of horror has been the most inspirational for you as a horror author?

So, I grew up in the 1990s and graduated high school in the early 2000s, when the new game systems were starting to truly boom.  I ended up playing games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and even Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, and those games made me truly love horror.  Movie-wise, the big effect was being young and watching a bit more age-appropriate horror flicks from the black-and-white era, and I still love them to this day.  The Universal Monsters, THEM!, It Came From Beneath the Sea, etc.  Those movies would play on TNT's MonsterVision hosted by Joe Bob Briggs (WHO IS STILL AROUND AND DOING THE SAME GIG!!!), and my parents just let me devour those older movies.  I loved them! 

8.    What has been the most difficult scene you’ve written? Why was it difficult?

A scene I wrote recently involved a loss of someone, and I had to tap into a place inside myself that relived loss, pain, anguish, depression, loneliness, and I felt truly heartbroken again while writing it.  Even today, while doing some proofreading and edits to the book, I found myself starting to get misty and really feeling that loss.

9.    Have you ever written something that changed the way you think about the world?

I can't say that I've written anything that changes my views, but more that I use the way I see the world as a source.

10.   What advice would you give to others?

It sounds so stereotypical but (to quote Shia LeBeouf) JUST DO IT!  It honestly takes a lot more time than you imagine and a lot more getting out of your comfort zone than you imagine, but you get out of it what you're willing to put in. 

11.   Do you have any other talents or hobbies? Tell us about yourself!

I'm a jack of all trades, master of none.  I'm big on building and owning firearms, training for shooting, and hitting the range.  One other big part is that because of my proximity to the ocean, I've been reconnecting with my love of diving, snorkeling, and ocean activities.

12.   How do you develop your characters? Are any of them based on people you know?

I base a lot of the character actions off of what I believe a competent person would do in the same situation, and this goes for the antagonists as well.  I don't try to write pulp action or Schwarzenegger movies where the bad guys simply run into the hero's bullets or are there to simply be eliminated by the hero.  There needs to be a sense of earning.

13.   What is your dream project you hope to complete?

I've told several people and am looking into the legal challenges, but the pulp-era character of the Shadow is coming into the public domain via the original printed works, which are not connected to or following the same storyline as the radio show or movies.  I would love to get something going where I could utilize the character!

See more about Christopher and his novels HERE.