The Monsters Among Us
- Katharine E Wibell
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
1) Hello and welcome! I would like you to introduce yourself first. You can use your penname if you have one.
Kent Priore
2) So Kent, what genre(s) do you write?
Dark Fantasy, Horror
3) What is your favorite passage/scene in your book?
I would paste the passage here, but it’s the literally the climax of the story and therefore would be too much of a spoiler. But I can describe it a bit, however it will still be a bit of a spoiler:
It’s the emotional climax where Seth finally comes to terms with his bipolar disorder, finding balance when he truly needs it the most. And another character, quite an important spoiler of a character, describes the act of living in an empty, nihilistic world in a way that is more fruitful than the idea may seem at first: “For what does a painter do with an empty canvas but fill it with beautiful colors!” It’s very much a Sisyphean moment for Seth, where he understands that the world is nihilistic at its core but that’s no reason not to try and create his own happiness anyway, despite how much he has suffered at that point. A beautiful moment for him, and one I’m quite proud of.
4) What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
Some historical research, like about colonial Massachusetts during the Salem Witch trials. Other light cartographical research, as the book takes the readers to various places around the United States, as well as Japan. While I have my own personal experiences with mental illness to take inspiration from, I of course did some psychological research for that as well. But mostly, I spent two years reading philosophical texts: Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Will to Power, Beyond Good and Evil, and Thus Spake Zarathustra.
5) What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I’m currently reading through both The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann and Swallows by Natsuo Kirino.
6) Favorite social media site?
None of them! I exist on social media merely because being an author demands I do. Honestly, I’m not a fan of how the internet has evolved, and the heavy role social media has in our lives. There’s a piece of humanity missing from us now—a certain liveliness, personability, wholeness. This is a topic too large for this space, but I prefer to just speak to another human being, face to face.
7) Favorite Superhero or Villain?
Venom! I enjoy that he is neither a hero nor a villain, and has a host of troubles, mostly psychological. As an author who writes literature centered around dark, morally grey philosophy, Venom’s blend of good and evil speaks to me.
8) Sweet or Salty?
I’m going to cheat a little here: Sweet AND Salty. Because much like how that combination brings out the best of both its parts, I think this answer encapsulates who I am as a person and author quite well; someone who sees the value in both positive and negative emotions, in not just being one thing while damning the other. To be truly whole as a complex human being, one must invite both sides of the spectrum into oneself.
9) Any Phobias?
I suppose being alone. Not a very interesting answer, I know. No one likes being alone. But it’s the impetus for how I came up with Seth’s plight and core modus operandi. He cannot stand being alone and he desperately wants to feel whole.
10) Do you play video games? If so what are some of your favorites?
Yes, I do! This is one hobby I still make some time for. I’ve been playing video games for the last thirty years, and my favorite would have to be the Xenoblade Chronicles series. My fiancée and I also love playing video games together, and lately we’ve been playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land!
11) How would you pitch your latest book in only a few words?
A viscerally cinematic and genre-defying fantasy/horror novel.
12) Can you tell me a little bit more about your book?
The Monsters Among Us
The Abyss Borne Gods Book 1
“Kent Priore writes like a natural about the supernatural, and The Monsters Among Us is a marvelously dark and true novel. American fiction has found a terrific new voice.”—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-Winning Author of Netherland
Seth’s life until now has been a product of a diabolical, evil Truman Show, his entire upbringing a façade orchestrated for malevolent purposes. After his beloved dies, he undergoes a demonic metamorphosis, which causes the world’s fictitious walls to crumble.
As he tries to piece a semblance of his life back together and move on, he meets friends who inspire, but even more harsh truths are revealed, perhaps too difficult to cope with.The very existence of life and reality is exposed as a machination of grotesque gods. And to defeat them, Seth will have to fill his emptiness, for which there’s only two options…Bring the world to ruin, or learn to transmute his pain into strength.
13) Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can I watch it?
14) Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Graduated from Bard College with a BA in the Written Arts, Kent Priore is an author of dark literature, genre-blending epics and vignettes, where dark romanticism meets modern psychology for a macabre but hopeful depiction of inner struggle and the human ability to endure, and perhaps even prevail. He has a fascination with humanity and is one of the few to believe that despite our many weaknesses, we are far stronger than we often think. He wishes to show that strength to those darker individuals, burdened by lonesomeness, poor mental health, and other forces perceived to be out of their control, as well as show them that all is not lost.
15) Do you have a website? If so, what is it?
16) Where else can I find and follow you?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentpriore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentpriore
Giveaway
Ends November 11, 2025
$20 Amazon/Paypal
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
