Jason Allan Cole: Maybe a year, give or take a few months. Took years to find a publisher.

JAC: I think I was going for a novel at first but then one night in the early stages it all came to me. I have always been a huge fan of the short story. I wanted the stories to hit their mark and then move on. It’s like punk rock songs really. Make the point and then on to the next. I liked the freedom of the short story so I could throw in anything I wanted but made sure that they all connected in the end at least in spirit.

JAC: Pure instinct. There is a rudimentary chronological time frame for some of the recurring characters and their back story but you will run across random detours along the way. I put them in where I thought a nice distraction would be appropriate and the story in question fit.

TSR: What does the word "story" mean to you?

JAC:  Nothing. Words to me only have value in the context of a sentence or paragraph. I don’t romanticize over literature or words associated with it.

TSR: Do you have a "reader" in mind when you write stories?

JAC:  Sure. Who else is going to read my book? I think anyone with an open mind can appreciate what I write so I am not writing to a specific group of people. That being said I am sure that there are a ton of kids that grew up in the 80's that might relate to my book. But I didn't write it for them.

TSR: Is there anything you'd like to ask someone who has read your collection, anything at all?

JAC: No, not really. I am putting out the works so I would expect questions directed towards me than rather the other way around. Oh wait, I might ask: "Do you have any pictures of Tyge?"

TSR: How does it feel knowing that people are buying your book?

JAC: A little scary. I've come across people I haven't spoken to in 20 years that have found me because of it. And there is usually a reason that we haven't spoken for so long but it can be hard to remember why sometimes. Other than that I feel quite pleased to be able to hopefully entertain them for awhile in a non trite manner. I do not talk down to my readers, rather, we are there together, the fuck ups we have always been.

TSR: What are you working on now?

JAC: An animated movie dealing with the apocalypse and human evolution. We are in pre-production so I can’t say much more. Although I promise you it will be stellar.

TSR: What are the three most recent short story collections you've read?