Bella: You are the one of the busiest people I know. How do you fit it all in? The writing, editing, publishing - and family?
Greg F. Gifune: It's not easy. I work six, sometimes seven days a week, sometimes as much as twelve to fourteen hours a day. It doesn't leave much time for a life, but that's the business. I try to take some time off now and then, usually when I run myself to the point that I just can't function anymore. I'm a definite workaholic, I guess, but in this business, you have to be.

Bella: What keeps you going?
Greg F. Gifune: Lots of black coffee, liquor, my wife, and the abject terror associated with even considering doing something else with my life, though not necessarily in that order. I think a love of what I'm doing is what really keeps me going both as an editor/publisher and as a writer. As frustrating and maddening as this business can be at times, it's also wonderfully creative, and when things click, it's really a kick.

Bella: How did you get started in publishing?
GFG: I had already been writing and editing for quite a while and decided to start a small press company because I thought it would be a way to do something creative and useful on the publishing side of things. The plan was to start a small publishing company that brought to the table professional attitudes and the highest standards possible. The focus was on the work - the writing - and to provide a reliable venue where writers both established and new would get a fair shot. We started with our own money and just dove right in, creating what we felt people would want to see. It was tough at first, and we lost a lot of money in the first few issues. That's why so few magazines in the small press last. You take an enormous hit right out of the gates, but luckily we were able to ride out those early days and survive. We've worked very hard, but we've also been very fortunate to have the support of a great many readers and subscribers from all over the world.

Bella: Tell me about The Edge and Burning Sky. Why two different magazines?
GFG: Well, many people read both, and we could've incorporated them into a single publication, but magazines tend to develop their own identity as you continue to produce them, and both magazines have done that. Both provide a venue for writers and readers I don't think they can get elsewhere. That's not to say there aren't many quality small press magazines that showcase these same genres-there certainly are-but i think our magazines are unique in terms of overall presentation. The Edge is different in that it incorporates so many varied approaches and dark genres from horror, crime, dark literary mainstream and combinations thereof to dark poetry in one cohesive format. Burning Sky is unique in that it presents only fiction that is a blend of both science fiction and horror.

Bella: What is Heretics?
GFG: Heretics is a limited edition collection of seven of my short stories and the novella, Heretics. I think it's a strong showcase of my better work from the last couple of years and I'm very proud of the book as a whole. The overall theme of the book is dark psychological horror fiction that blends both the surreal and fantastic with what is hopefully a gritty realism. The collection also deals with homecoming on many different levels, with returning to the places or crimes or demons of the past, those that are and were real, as well as those that exist only in the mind.

Bella: Why did you decide to put this collection together? What's your favorite story?
GFG: Well, my first collection, Down to Sleep did very well both critically and with readers, so I had wanted to put together a second collection. It's really hard to say what my favorite is in the collection because it's almost impossible to be objective about my own work. I'm proud of them all and I'm especially proud of the novella which I think is the anchor of the entire collection.

Bella: Do your ideas scare you?
GFG: Every once in a while I'll find myself uneasy or a little spooked while writing a particular passage or something, but honestly, very rarely because I don't believe in the majority of the supernatural things I often write about. I also tend to write for a psychological standpoint, and I often straddle the fence between what is real and what may or may not be imagined. Now my wife is a different story. My ideas scare the hell out of her. She rarely even reads my work anymore because she says if she does I may have to sleep outside.

Bella: What do you do during your off-time?
GFG: You mean besides sleep, right? I hang out with my wife, my family and friends. I'm a voracious reader - always have a book going. I'm also a very spiritual person, so that's a big part of who I am as well. I also try to dedicate time to animal causes and work directly with stray abandoned animals. I spend a lot of time with our cats too. In most cases, I prefer them to people.

Bella: What is your greatest accomplishment? Why?
GFG: Writing, being published, having people enjoy my work and having the opportunity to connect with them in some way is great, a dream come true, but I hope my greatest accomplishment lies somewhere in my desire to be a decent human being. That's more important to me than anything I could ever accomplish in writing or publishing.

Bella: What are you working on now?
GFG: I've been working on a lot of my own writing. My next novel is a dark crime and horror blend called The Bleeding Season. I've been working on it for over a year and hope to have it finished soon. I've also been invited to appear in the upcoming anthology Cold Touch (Prime Books) and another titled Vivisections (Catalyst Books).

Bella: What do you want on your tombstone?
GFG: Hey! What the hell are YOU looking at?

Bella: Anything else you'd like to add?
GFG: Only a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Thievin' Kitty Publications and to everyone who has supported my writing. I'm continually amazed at the number of terrific and talented people in the small press I've had the good fortune to meet, get to know, call friends and in many cases, work with over the years. Thanks to everyone for the support, it's sincerely appreciated.

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