I first heard about the people living in the Las Vegas storm drains last summer, when I was researching for INTO THE DARK. A Google search led me to several newspaper articles profiling Matthew O’Brien’s book, Beneath The Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas. O’Brien spent a summer exploring the many flood channels that run underneath the city and getting to know some of the residents who call the tunnels home.

In the summer of 2002, Matt O’Brien, then editor of Las Vegas CityLife, explored the storm drains with reporter Josh Ellis. In 2004, Matt took a sabbatical from CityLife and set out to explore more of the drains on his own. Those stories became Beneath the Neon.

The book is heartbreaking, humorous, informative, and at times, scary. It also gave me a whole new world to explore in Light and Dark, so I nervously contacted Matt about an interview.

He was nice enough to talk with me about Beneath the Neon, and I’m really excited to share the interview with you.

Hi Matt! How are you?

I’m good. How are you doing? Thanks for reaching out to me. I enjoyed reading over your blog.

(I’m happy we aren’t Skyping because I’m blushing to my hair).

Thank you. I’m just plugging away.

Well, it looks good. Reads well.

Thank you. I have to tell you, I found out about Beneath the Neon by accident. I Googled Las Vegas tunnels, thinking there would be historical references for the mobs. I was blown away.

A lot of people locally still don’t know about them even though the book received so much attention. But now that it’s become a little more common knowledge, I get the occasional email from people wanting to know what they can do to help. Seems like people are a little more sympathetic toward the cause. Just not a lot of people understand this is going on in Vegas.

I know the Vegas housing market has gone down in recent years. How has it affected the homeless?

The people who live in the tunnels live off the excess of the city. When the city is doing well, they dumpster dive, panhandle, credit hustle. With more tourists, they seem to do better, and they seem to be suffering in this economy.

You interviewed some really interesting people in Beneath the Neon. Have you been able to keep track of them? (I asked about a man called Lawrence, a talented writer trapped in the tunnels by his own demons.)

I only saw him once, when I was working at CityLife, probably a year or two after the interview. He came by the newsroom to say hello. I’ve been by his camp, and it’s obvious he’s not living there. Lawrence, like a lot of people you meet in the tunnels, you just have no idea what’s become of them. Some are dead, some are in prison, some have moved to a different place in the drains, some are on the streets, and then hopefully a few have fought their way out and are living in an apartment or at least in a weekly motel above ground.

Two of my favorite interviews in Beneath the Neon were Harold and Gary. Have you seen them recently?

I saw Harold maybe a year or two after our interview. He’s still living in the same area of the tunnel system. Gary—one of the best things to come out of the book was that I started a community project called Shine a Light. It’s a collaboration between myself and HELP of Southern Nevada. I take their social workers into the tunnels, and they offer housing, drug counseling, and medical attention to the people down there.

Gary was in prison for a little bit. He got out about year ago and had a heart attack. He went into the big public hospital here. I picked him up and we were able to get him into HELP of Southern Nevada’s program. He’s been housed for about a year. He’s got a cell phone and stays in touch.

That’s awesome! It’s got to be a good feeling. And Shine a Light – when did you start that?

Part of the reason I wrote Beneath the Neon was to call attention to the fact that people were living down there and hoped that something would be done about it. So in the spring of 2009 I reached out to HELP of Southern of Nevada and we started collaborating then.

You spent hours exploring the drains. I can’t imagine going through all that information to create such a cohesive book. Can you tell me about your process?

So it is cohesive? That’s good to know. (laughs)

One of the best things about the book is that Matt’s voice comes through loud and clear. I feel like I’m sitting next to him while he’s telling the story rather than reading another nonfiction book. He’s happy to hear this.

It’s challenging. I’d have two to three hour-long conversations with people, and then I’d go home and have to transcribe them. I’d go through the tapes, figure out the best stuff and polish to where I thought it would work.

How long did the whole process take, from research to having it ready for your publisher?

It was a bit of a strange process. I took a sabbatical from CityLife in summer of 2004. I just explored, and when I found really good stuff in a tunnel, I’d work on the rough draft before going back out. I spent that whole summer exploring and working on the rough draft. Sent it the editor, he gave me some feedback. I reworked a second draft, and then tried for final draft form with the third one. Took about two-and-a-half years to get into form.

When you first go into the tunnels, you’re nervous, and I don’t blame you. Is it scary every time you go in?

When Josh Ellis and I first went down into the drains, it was horrifying. I was paranoid. We’d seen some pretty crazy stuff in broad daylight here in Vegas. We had no idea what went on in a darkened tunnel. We were heavily armed. Every little noise was horrifying. Now, I’m more calm and controlled but there’s always tension. Going into a storm drain, you never know what to expect.

Were most of the people you spoke with willing to talk, or did you have a lot of resistance?

I talked to about fifty, sixty people, and there’s about seven or eight interviews in the book, so a lot were left out. People would tell me “you’re in the wrong place, get out of here.” One guy said, “I have a gun, I’ll shoot you. You don’t know who I am.”

Wow! (I don’t tell Matt this, but I would have wet my pants at that point.)

No one physically attacked me, but my worst fear was to be in the tunnels and a mad man come charging out of the dark and I’d have to defend myself on his turf. Nothing like that happened. Most people were really respectful and kind. They don’t want to do anything to get kicked out of one of their few options for a home.

Your second book is My Week at the Blue Angel. Can you talk a little bit about it?

The Blue Angel is a collection of creative nonfiction stories set in off the beaten path Las Vegas. Weekly motels, trailer parks, low rent apartments. Two stories take place in the flood channels. They’re the original pieces Josh Ellis and I wrote that served as background for Beneath the Neon, but they’ve been reworked a bit.

The title refers to one of the stories in the book. I checked into one of the seedier, more poetic weekly motels and stayed a week.

What are you doing right now? Are you still at CityLife?

No. I left about three and a half years ago to be an independent author and journalist. I live off my book royalties, freelance writing, consulting work and the occasional drug deal. Just kidding, mostly, about that last thing.

I’m working on a novel. It’s urban/alt lit. Set in off the beaten path Vegas, has national and international themes. Sort of my take on the recession. It’s a bit of a hybrid between journalism, memoir and fiction.

Do you have any advice to writers just starting out?

Make sure you’re into it for the right reasons—you love writing and the researching process. Make sure it’s something you feel you really need to do. It’s a commitment. A lot of times you’re not going to make much money and might not get published. It can be a challenging profession but a rewarding one if it’s something you’re passionate about.

Last question. What’s your dream exploration?

During my research for Beneath the Neon, I’ve been very curious about the quarries of Paris where there’s a lot of artwork and underground raves, films shown down there. If I ever make it to Paris, one of the things I would want to do is go into the quarries and check them out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me.

Thanks for the call and the interest in my work.

To buy a copy of Beneath the Neon, My Week at the Blue Angel, or to donate to Shine a Light, click here.

To check out my novel Into The Dark, which drew a lot of inspiration from the tunnels, visit Amazon or MuseItUp Publishing.

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

The homeless living in the storm drains of Las Vegas played a vital part in INTO THE DARK, and I want to give back. From November 1^st until February 28^th, participants will have several options to enter the raffle, including donating to HELP of Southern Nevada. The grand prize will be a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless shelter of their choice.

“Not only did I enjoy the story and the characters, but the historical relevance added not only a depth to the plot but was also seamless within the story. I was very impressed and look forward to reading more stories by this author.” Steena Holmes, author of Emma’s Secret and Finding Emma.

“The character development is superb and the story has as many twists, turns and dark shadows as the Las Vegas storm tunnels where the novel is partly set. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more of Ms. Green’s work.” Kassandra Lamb, author of the Kate Huntington Mystery Series.

“I did not want to book this down, it had twists and turns I never saw coming! I kept turning page after page because I could not wait to find out what was going to happen! This definetly a must read that will keep you on the edge of your seat!I can’t wait to read more by Stacy Green!” Goodreads reviewer Allyson Brynn.

“Ms. Green has penned a chilling suspense tale that strikes fear not with netherworld denizens, ghosts, the fanged, or the furry but with a seemingly ordinary man wielding a twisted obsessed parody of the tenderest of emotions, love.” Ivy D. Truitt, Manic Readers.

I’m amazed at the response to the book, and since romantic suspense author Dana Delamar has tagged me in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, I figured release day was the perfect time do my part. The NBT originated on the She Writes site, and the goal is to raise awareness of our work. We answer 10 questions about our current book or WIP, thank the person who nominated us, and tag five other authors whose work about be the NEXT BIG THING.

So, here we go!

1. What is the title of your next book?

Into The Dark is my current work, and it’s available in digital and print NOW! It features a woman running from a stalker who will do anything to possess her, including dragging her into the depths beneath Las Vegas. It’s suspense with romance, and the overall theme of the book is how living in the past can destroy our future.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Originally, I wanted to write about a hot SWAT officer saving the damsel in distress. It wasn’t until I discovered the existence of the homeless living in the storm drains below Las Vegas–and went through a life-changing accident–that I realized how much potential the idea had. I don’t want to say too much more, as I’m scheduled to do an interview with Jami Gold on December 13 detailing the journey of Into The Dark.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Suspense/thriller, with romance. It’s not traditionally romantic suspense–the story is driven by the stalker plot, and Nathan and Emilie’s relationship blossoms from it. So I always make sure readers know the romance come second in the book.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh geez! Well, for Nathan, from a strictly physical point of view, I’d have to say Tyler Hoechlin from Teen Wolf. He’s definitely got the face I’ve always imagined for my SWAT officer. But from an acting standpoint, I’d love to see Joseph Gordon Levitt as Nathan. He’s the right age, and he’s a great actor. I think he could pull off Nathan’s drive to atone and to save everyone.

As for Emile, she’s always been a Christina Hendricks type in my mind’s eye. She’s got the real curves, the red hair, and the attitude to match.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A two-hundred-mile labyrinth of dark storm drains serves as a refuge for the delusional stalker who will go to any lengths to possess fragile, emotionally isolated Emilie Davis, and to survive, Emilie will have to confront the secrets of her past she has kept locked away from everyone, including herself.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Into The Dark is published digitally by MuseItUp Publishing, and the print version is independently published.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

More than a year. This is the first book I wrote from start to finish, and in the beginning, I had no clue about structure or character development. So Into The Dark went through MANY different drafts–I lost count of how many!

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’m so bad at comparing myself to other authors. One reviewer compared it to the style of Lisa Gardner or Karen Smith, and I’m happy to take that!

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

A lot of things, but ultimately the story comes from two driving forces: my fascination with a bad guy who’s more than just bad, and my own personal journey in letting go of the past and prior mistakes.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s fast-paced, it’s got a realistic feel, especially the scenes in the tunnels as I spent a lot time researching them. I think the suspense keeps readers guessing until the end, and there are some big surprises I hope readers don’t see coming.

Buy Into The Dark NOW!
Amazon
MuseItUp (all digital formats)
Print

Quick note on Barnes and Noble: my publisher is at their mercy in terms of when the book is live for Nook. So far, they haven’t uploaded, but you can order the .epub for Nook through MuseItUp’s website. I will let you know when it’s available via B&N/Nook.

Enter To Win A GIFT FROM STACY

To celebrate the release of INTO THE DARK, Stacy is giving you TWO ways to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! Contest runs from November 5th through January 30th.

Entry Option 1: Earns FIVE entries in the contest. Email Stacy your receipt of purchase (simply copy and paste proof of the order into the email, excluding personal information) of INTO THE DARK or the answer to this question: in what state was the Taker born and raised?

Entry Option 2: Earns TWO entries in the Contest. Donate to HELP of Southern Nevada to help the homeless. Readers can go to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that aids the homeless featured in INTO THE DARK, and donate. Email Stacy the receipt (personal information excluded). Every donation helps–no amount is too small!

And now I get to tag some great authors for The Next Big Thing:

August McLaughlin
Tiffany A. White
Ellie Ann Soderstrom
Edith Parzefall

Kim Cresswell’s Book Talk Tuesday

Tate is afraid of the dark. But his junkie sister has disappeared into the terrifying storm drains below Las Vegas. The tunnels stretch hundreds of miles beneath the city, housing the homeless and Sin City’s criminal element. Armed with only his flashlight, Tate wades into the gritty depths of the storm drains to rescue his sister from her demons.

Every step into the smothering darkness challenges Tate’s resolve. With his sister’s life and his own sanity at stake, Tate must face his fears or risk fading into the dank oblivion of the Las Vegas tunnels.

Contains an exclusive excerpt of INTO THE DARK.

The cover was done by Laura Morrigan, and she did a great job. Also thanks to Shannon Jones Janeczak, Stacey Joy Netzel, Kristine Kelly, and Julie Glover for their editing help.

I’ve also got an official Amazon Author Page and a Goodreads Author Page. Feel free to check out/like/review.

INTO THE DARK has received its first 5-Star Review!

Some highlights:

“Well written and skillfully crafted…”
“Characters quickly come alive and keep gaining depth throughout the book…”
“While the thriller plot kept me turning the pages, INTO THE DARK is also an intelligent study of how past actions and events affect who we are and what we strive for…”
“Highly recommended.”

Read the full review here.

Contest Alert!

The official release of Welcome to Las Vegas will also kick off the INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour, and you’ll hear more about that next week. However, I’m planning some very special extras, and in order to get the advanced scoop – and a chance at a signed print copy of INTO THE DARK – you’ll need to sign up for my newsletter. The first edition will go out November 9th, and the winner of the signed print copy will be announced then as well, so you’ll need to be signed up by then. Go HERE to add your name to the mailing list.

INTO THE DARK’s cover reveal is October 29th at Night Owl Reviews. They will be running a contest, and I’ll send a reminder to you all. I’m sure it will be great, so don’t miss it. I’m also really proud of the cover, because my artist was able to use a stock photo I’ve had forever but couldn’t use.

Thank you all so much for your awesome support! Can’t wait to share INTO THE DARK with you all!

I first heard about the people living in the Las Vegas storm drains last summer, when I was researching for Light and Dark. A Google search led me to several newspaper articles profiling Matthew O’Brien’s book, Beneath The Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas. O’Brien spent a summer exploring the many flood channels that run underneath the city and getting to know some of the residents who call the tunnels home.

In the summer of 2002, Matt O’Brien, then editor of Las Vegas CityLife, explored the storm drains with reporter Josh Ellis. In 2004, Matt took a sabbatical from CityLife and set out to explore more of the drains on his own. Those stories became Beneath the Neon.

The book is heartbreaking, humorous, informative, and at times, scary. It also gave me a whole new world to explore in Light and Dark, so I nervously contacted Matt about an interview.

He was nice enough to talk with me about Beneath the Neon, and I’m really excited to share the interview with you.

Hi Matt! How are you?

I’m good. How are you doing? Thanks for reaching out to me. I enjoyed reading over your blog.

(I’m happy we aren’t Skyping because I’m blushing to my hair).

Thank you. I’m just plugging away.

Well, it looks good. Reads well.

Thank you. I have to tell you, I found out about Beneath the Neon by accident. I Googled Las Vegas tunnels, thinking there would be historical references for the mobs. I was blown away.

A lot of people locally still don’t know about them even though the book received so much attention. But now that it’s become a little more common knowledge, I get the occasional email from people wanting to know what they can do to help. Seems like people are a little more sympathetic toward the cause. Just not a lot of people understand this is going on in Vegas.

I know the Vegas housing market has gone down in recent years. How has it affected the homeless?

The people who live in the tunnels live off the excess of the city. When the city is doing well, they dumpster dive, panhandle, credit hustle. With more tourists, they seem to do better, and they seem to be suffering in this economy.

You interviewed some really interesting people in Beneath the Neon. Have you been able to keep track of them? (I asked about a man called Lawrence, a talented writer trapped in the tunnels by his own demons.)

I only saw him once, when I was working at CityLife, probably a year or two after the interview. He came by the newsroom to say hello. I’ve been by his camp, and it’s obvious he’s not living there. Lawrence, like a lot of people you meet in the tunnels, you just have no idea what’s become of them. Some are dead, some are in prison, some have moved to a different place in the drains, some are on the streets, and then hopefully a few have fought their way out and are living in an apartment or at least in a weekly motel above ground.

Two of my favorite interviews in Beneath the Neon were Harold and Gary. Have you seen them recently?

I saw Harold maybe a year or two after our interview. He’s still living in the same area of the tunnel system. Gary—one of the best things to come out of the book was that I started a community project called Shine a Light. It’s a collaboration between myself and HELP of Southern Nevada. I take their social workers into the tunnels, and they offer housing, drug counseling, and medical attention to the people down there.

Gary was in prison for a little bit. He got out about year ago and had a heart attack. He went into the big public hospital here. I picked him up and we were able to get him into HELP of Southern Nevada’s program. He’s been housed for about a year. He’s got a cell phone and stays in touch.

That’s awesome! It’s got to be a good feeling. And Shine a Light – when did you start that?

Part of the reason I wrote Beneath the Neon was to call attention to the fact that people were living down there and hoped that something would be done about it. So in the spring of 2009 I reached out to HELP of Southern of Nevada and we started collaborating then.

You spent hours exploring the drains. I can’t imagine going through all that information to create such a cohesive book. Can you tell me about your process?

So it is cohesive? That’s good to know. (laughs)

One of the best things about the book is that Matt’s voice comes through loud and clear. I feel like I’m sitting next to him while he’s telling the story rather than reading another nonfiction book. He’s happy to hear this.

It’s challenging. I’d have two to three hour-long conversations with people, and then I’d go home and have to transcribe them. I’d go through the tapes, figure out the best stuff and polish to where I thought it would work.

How long did the whole process take, from research to having it ready for your publisher?

It was a bit of a strange process. I took a sabbatical from CityLife in summer of 2004. I just explored, and when I found really good stuff in a tunnel, I’d work on the rough draft before going back out. I spent that whole summer exploring and working on the rough draft. Sent it the editor, he gave me some feedback. I reworked a second draft, and then tried for final draft form with the third one. Took about two-and-a-half years to get into form.

When you first go into the tunnels, you’re nervous, and I don’t blame you. Is it scary every time you go in?

When Josh Ellis and I first went down into the drains, it was horrifying. I was paranoid. We’d seen some pretty crazy stuff in broad daylight here in Vegas. We had no idea what went on in a darkened tunnel. We were heavily armed. Every little noise was horrifying. Now, I’m more calm and controlled but there’s always tension. Going into a storm drain, you never know what to expect.

Were most of the people you spoke with willing to talk, or did you have a lot of resistance?

I talked to about fifty, sixty people, and there’s about seven or eight interviews in the book, so a lot were left out. People would tell me “you’re in the wrong place, get out of here.” One guy said, “I have a gun, I’ll shoot you. You don’t know who I am.”

Wow! (I don’t tell Matt this, but I would have wet my pants at that point.)

No one physically attacked me, but my worst fear was to be in the tunnels and a mad man come charging out of the dark and I’d have to defend myself on his turf. Nothing like that happened. Most people were really respectful and kind. They don’t want to do anything to get kicked out of one of their few options for a home.

Your second book is My Week at the Blue Angel. Can you talk a little bit about it?

The Blue Angel is a collection of creative nonfiction stories set in off the beaten path Las Vegas. Weekly motels, trailer parks, low rent apartments. Two stories take place in the flood channels. They’re the original pieces Josh Ellis and I wrote that served as background for Beneath the Neon, but they’ve been reworked a bit.

The title refers to one of the stories in the book. I checked into one of the seedier, more poetic weekly motels and stayed a week.

What are you doing right now? Are you still at CityLife?

No. I left about three and a half years ago to be an independent author and journalist. I live off my book royalties, freelance writing, consulting work and the occasional drug deal. Just kidding, mostly, about that last thing.

I’m working on a novel. It’s urban/alt lit. Set in off the beaten path Vegas, has national and international themes. Sort of my take on the recession. It’s a bit of a hybrid between journalism, memoir and fiction.

Do you have any advice to writers just starting out?

Make sure you’re into it for the right reasons—you love writing and the researching process. Make sure it’s something you feel you really need to do. It’s a commitment. A lot of times you’re not going to make much money and might not get published. It can be a challenging profession but a rewarding one if it’s something you’re passionate about.

Last question. What’s your dream exploration?

During my research for Beneath the Neon, I’ve been very curious about the quarries of Paris where there’s a lot of artwork and underground raves, films shown down there. If I ever make it to Paris, one of the things I would want to do is go into the quarries and check them out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me.

Thanks for the call and the interest in my work.

*Matt also took the time to ask me about my book, which I thought was very cool. I blabbed on about it, and he said he hoped to see it in book form some day soon.

For more information about the people living in the Las Vegas storm drains, see my previous post.

To buy a copy of Beneath the Neon, My Week at the Blue Angel, or to donate to Shine a Light, click here.