by Bruce Buchanan
To the legal community, William J. Connell is an experienced attorney who works within the education and government sectors throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. To his students, he’s an adjunct professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law, where he shares his real-world legal experience with other aspiring attorneys. To his home community, he is a member of the School Committee.
But readers know another side of William: The author. Despite his busy career, he has become a prolific short story writer and on November 27, 2024, , his debut novel, MASK OF DEATH, will be released by Wild Ink Publishing.
Set during Europe’s Middle Ages, MASK OF DEATH reexamines and expands upon the classic Edgar Allan Poe Short story “The Masque of the Red Death”. Prince Prospero. his wife, Elizabeth, and Clarinda, Prospero’s younger mistress, already face the real-life horrors of the black plague and widespread famine. Now, add supernatural terrors to that list in the form of “fleshers”—undead creatures who feast on the living – and you have the start of the novel.
1. When did you first get interested in writing? And what got you interested?
“I’ve always liked to write. In high school, I wrote a book, but didn’t publish it. But I enjoy writing. I’ve done writing for law journals, but I really like fiction.
When I’m writing, I’m in the moment, just thinking about the characters and plot. It helps me focus and I find it engaging. For example, I spent last Sunday working on a complaint for a client. It’s rewarding, of course, but it’s not as energizing as writing a story.
2. Tell us a bit about Mask of Death. You say, “It’s not the story you think you know” – in what way (without giving too much away, of course!)
I have to thank Wild Ink Publishing for that line (and also give a reminder to my students, proper attribution is important). This story grew not only out of the Edgar Allan Poe story, but also my love for Clint Eastwood westerns and old zombie movies. I also used to teach world history, and I’ve long been interested in the Black Plague period, particularly in Europe. How did mankind survive? How hard must life have been then.
I thought, ‘What a fascinating time to set a novel. You could tell a lot of stories set during that time.” In my book, Clarinda is Prospero’s mistress. She and plants some of ideas that set the main action in motion. But what to do with Prospero’s wife, Elizabeth? That’s a key question. I take some elements from “The Masque of the Red Death” and expand on them. I also read fiction written during or shortly after the Black Death period, particularly “The Decameron “by Giovanni Boccaccio. My novel tells about the events leading up to and beyond Prospero’s story. We also might glimpse what started this plague. The story is complete, but it also leads right into another.
Also, this will be a three-book series. I’m already working on the sequels.
3. You are an attorney as well as a writer. How do you balance such a demanding career with your passion for writing fiction?
It’s hard—you have to be committed to writing. Sometimes, I feel like I’m spread thinner than I want to me. But I want to write, and I enjoy it.
4. What is your writing process like? Do you have any particular tips or methods that help you?
“My writing process really depends on my schedule, but I like to get ideas from reading and watching movies, or just running outside. I see something I like, and I’ll take it in a different direction. Some of my horror stories have come after reading Poe or Lovecraft—I’ll take an element from one of those stories and flip it around. I try to create the stories I’d like to see and read.”
5. Finally, tell us about Lulu, the ped bird in your author photo!
My daughter Amanda has always been a bird person, and she adopted Lulu as a rescue bird from the Rhode Island Parrot Rescue. For anyone looking for a pet, I’d encourage you to consider adopting a rescue animal. Lulu is a handful, but she loves attention and being on camera. We can’t get over how fast she adjusted to us!
Wild Ink Publishing 