About Author

Harry Carpenter

Harry Carpenter
  • Genre:

    Crime Fiction Thriller Science Fiction Horror
  • Country: United States
  • Books: 4
  • Profession: Author
  • Born: 28 March
  • Member Since: Apr 2020
  • Profile Views: 18,615
  • Followers: 207
  • VISIT AUTHOR: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon,
BIOGRAPHY

Harry Carpenter, writer of "Tales from an Ex-Husband" and the "Fubar" series, is a fan of horror, science fiction, and suspense. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a city full of illustrious authors and performers, Harry began writing in elementary school. He formally pursued his passion, releasing his first book "Tales From An Ex-Husband" in 2019.

Harry has since won the "Best Short Short Story" award from the Veteran's Administration writing contest and was featured as the bestselling author in local book stores.

Using his experiences in the United States Army, various retail and fast food establishments, childhood encounters, and chaotic first marriage, he has developed a mind for creativity.

He is a huge fan of cats, video games, and quirky science fiction and horror movies. He also films an internet web series called "The Web-Pool" on YouTube, as well as volunteers with the "Charm City Ghostbusters," a charity organization out of Baltimore who, as the name dictates, dress as the Ghostbusters 1984 movie.

Harry now lives in Baltimore with his wife and cats.

Follow Harry at www.hcarpenterwriter.com

Harry Carpenter's Books

Stay in the loop on books by Harry Carpenter. See upcoming and best-selling books by the author here. You'll also find the deals on books by Harry Carpenter.
** Please note that the information or price displayed here may not be the updated. Make sure to double-check the latest book price before buying books.
** Also, there might be other books by Harry Carpenter not listed on AllAuthor.

Book
Spooky Tales & Scary Things 3
$11.99 kindleeBook,
Spooky Tales & Scary Things 3by Harry CarpenterPublish: Sep 12, 2023Series: Spooky Tales and Scary ThingsHorror
Chemical Burns
(1) $2.99 kindle Free with KUeBook,
Chemical Burnsby Harry CarpenterPublish: Oct 01, 2022Crime Fiction Thriller Suspense
Spooky Tales and Scary Things 2
(1) $2.99 kindle Free with KUeBook, Paperback, Signed Paperback,
Spooky Tales and Scary Things 2by Harry CarpenterPublish: Aug 01, 2021Series: Spooky Tales and Scary ThingsHorror
Fubar: Out of Element
(1) $3.99 kindle Free with KUeBook, Paperback, Audio, Signed Paperback,
Fubar: Out of Elementby Harry CarpenterPublish: Feb 27, 2021Series: FubarThriller Action & Adventure Science Fiction Horror

Harry Carpenter's Series in Order

It's exciting to find a book series to follow! Discover the whole new world of book series created by Harry Carpenter.
** Also, there might be other book series by Harry Carpenter not listed on AllAuthor.

  • Spooky Tales and Scary Things

    1 Spooky Tales and Scary Things 2 - Published on Aug, 20212 Spooky Tales & Scary Things 3 - Published on Sep, 2023
  • Fubar

    1 Fubar: Out of Element - Published on Feb, 2021

Harry Carpenter's Awards and Achievements

    Harry Carpenter has earned excellence awards over time. Here is the glimpse of the accolades clinched by the author.

  • Veterans Affairs; Short, Short Story 2nd Place
    2022 award
  • Veterans Affairs; Short, Short Story 1st Place
    2021 award
  • Veterans Affairs; 1st Place Short, Short Story
    2020 award

Harry Carpenter Interview On 05, Nov 2020

"Author of "Tales from an Ex-Husband", Harry Carpenter has enjoyed quite a bit of everything that Hollywood had to offer. He has always had a passion for writing. Harry began writing in elementary school. The author's ability to write every story with a fresh style pleases even the pickiest of readers."
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, what do you miss the most about your childhood?

Being born in Baltimore, it was such a busy place. We always had something to do, whether it was the aquarium, Inner Harbor, or some museum, it never had a dull moment. Other than being the feature piece of 'The Wire', Baltimore is also home to some great actors, and notorious writers, like Edgar Allen Poe. Looking at my childhood, I think I miss the naivety. Who doesn't? The ability to assume the world is small and problem-free? That a quick bike ride would solve everything. That's what I miss most about childhood. Then again, my childhood wasn't exactly the best part. The most carefree, yes. Adulthood has it's perks and I've managed to make a better adult life for myself than my childhood ever was. Treat yourself. Buy a cake for dinner, why not? You're an adult. I think this is a better time in my life.

What inspired you to begin writing in elementary school?

A few of my friends would always write short stories. Looking back, they were probably awful, but we thought they were fantastic at the time. One of my friends always wrote stories involving high school prom, monsters attacking, and chaos. We all seemed to enjoy the same things in terms of topic, but I don't think I ever stopped enjoying the really crazy stories. From there, I aced any report or paper I've ever had to write, and the art of writing just seemed to come easy for me. I just kind of went from there.

What made you a fan of horror, science fiction, and suspense?

How can you not be? I grew up on a wide range of those types, whether it be comedic horrors like Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice, or full-blown terrifying movies like The Grudge or House on Haunted Hill. I've enjoyed quite a bit of everything that Hollywood had to offer. There was always something to enjoy when reading a thriller or horror book as well. A lot of extra work seems to go into character development, as that person may inevitably be ripped away at a moment's notice by an evil clown or murderous duck. (I may have to pen a book about a murderous duck, now.)

What challenges did you face while publishing your book "Tales From An Ex-Husband" in 2019?

Where do I even begin with this book? Firstly, the challenge started with that eleven-year long relationship. If you want to get into that challenge, read the book. Initially, when I began to write the book, I wanted to tell my story. I had no idea how difficult that would be, to tell the truth. Getting into the mindset of where I was over two decades ago was hard enough. I had to recount the struggles, the fights, and the abuse, of course. I wanted to tell the story the way I would tell it in real life. I wanted to lace it with sarcasm, jokes, and lessen the blow of the reality of what was going on. My biggest obvious challenge was not using any names of the parties involved, as well as speaking with several lawyers about exactly what I had to do to protect myself legally.

How did your friends inspire you to start writing and believe that it will be interesting enough for anyone to read?

I feel like I've been more discouraged from writing than actually encouraged. Mostly from childhood friends. Thankfully, I've grown up past that inner circle and have made a much of great friendships in recent years. A lot of them beta read for me, as well as attend events and support me online. One friend in particular runs an event management company, Transcendent Events, and has hosted my books as the prizes for Halloween-themed events.

What challenges did you face while sharing about your troubled and eventful past?

Bring up a lot of the memories was hard. To get into the Ex-Husband book, I had to think as I did back then. It was much harder because, as opposed to my other books, it's non-fiction. These were the real things. There were no monsters, no metaphors. Just real, human situations. I think those stung the most to write.

What developed your passion for sci-fi, horror and comedy?

I think everything that I grew up reading and watching molded me into who I am. Sci-fi/horror and comedy seem to go hand in hand to make the best stories. If you can't laugh at a bad joke shortly after a gruesome horror scene, the story isn't being told right. I wanted to balance that out and tell stories that can make you chuckle while also making you cringe, the way they were intended to be told. I consider myself to be pretty funny, while also enjoying what makes horror tick. It was a no brainer to combine those two.

How did you come up with the title of your book, Memoirs of a Crazed Mind?

Funnily enough, it's a recycled title. Many long years ago, I had a rap career. Yes, get the laughter out. I know. I actually wrote a concept album of the exact same title, where each song followed a serial killer as he returned home to find that so much changed. Nobody he knew would talk to him. He couldn't understand why. The twist was that the character didn't know he was a killer, but that he assumed he was away for a while. The "old girlfriend" he visits turns out to actually be one of his victims, which was why the family was hostile and called the police. During his blackout recovery, he remembers that he escaped from an asylum, which is why he's now on the loose.

I know that sounds like an entirely different story, which may not be out of the cards to translate from song to book, but I took this book in a different direction. You're aware that the main character is a killer, and so is he. He's just here to tell you what's he's been doing the past few decades with his life, whether it was friends, family, jobs, or murder. It doesn't hold back. I've had retired police officers "question" me about some of the situations and how I can even think of these things. It was fun, in a dark way, to write.

Who inspired the character of Army Specialist Jason Chantry in "FUBAR: Blackout"?

I did. I know they say that every author puts a bit of themselves in the books, but this was 100% true for Chantry. His nonchalant views on doing things, coupled with his 'meh' attitude towards leading, all me. Even better, the rest of the cast is based on people I've served with. The badassery you see portrayed is just about how they were in real life. My favorite part of the Fubar book series, as it will unfold, is finding out which character people connected with. It's not always Chantry. Sometimes it's X, Martinez, Whelan, or someone else entirely! I also tried to keep the situation as grounded as possible. "What would we do in this situation" was a question I always asked. Given that I've made the main cast less soldier grunt type and more admin "get the coffee for the commander" type, it would make it more fun to be cracking jokes and laughing as often as possible while standing knee-deep in the carnage. It's how I and the real-life X, Martinez, and Dalog would cope.

Do you ever leave book reviews on other author's books? What do reviews mean to you?

I do. I actually fully support the small Maryland author circuit that's around here. I always try to get ahold of copies of their books and read them, especially if it's something I'd be into. I most recently read a book by author Timothy R. Baldwin called Bloodshot, which was a ride. It was about a family battling with drug addiction, without a moment to catch your breath, it was a wild ride. I left him a review, an honest one, and picked up another of his titles. If a book is good, I'll write rave reviews. I feel like as an author myself, I love to see reviews. I want to support other authors and never give them a bad review. Here's my secret to finding a review of mine online: If it's just a quick few words, less than two sentences, I wasn't a fan of your book, regardless of the four or five-star rating I gave. If I have two or three developed paragraphs, I thought it was genuinely fantastic and loved every second of it. I assume it works the other way around too.

When receiving a review, it's hard not to take every bad one personally. These are stories about people you know, situations you've lived through, etc. The bad reviews, at least the well-written ones, allow me to understand what I'm lacking. If I get a "bad book" review, and that's all it says, I have nothing to work with. If I get "Story was ok, could have used more scene-setting, character development, or fewer commas" or something along those lines, I can work with that. I'm guilty of being a comma-holic, just ask my wife when she proofreads.

How did being born in a city full of illustrious authors and performers inspire you?

Funny you bring this back up. Poe was and is a legend worldwide, but he's fully embraced in Baltimore. This guy made his mark here, between a football team name, restaurants themed after him, and more, it's such a shadow to live under in a sense. Not only that, but great filmmakers like John Waters are from around these parts. I can only hope to aspire to be half as great as them. I've been fine-tuning myself to hopefully be the next horror writer out of Baltimore, like Poe. Although I don't plan to go crazy and be found on a park bench wearing someone else's clothes, but the day is still early.

Was there ever a horror book that got under your skin? The one that creeped you out so much that you stopped reading horror for awhile (or forever)?

Not really. There is, however, a fine line between horror and distasteful. If you're writing smut just for the sake of drawing out some fantasy, I can't get into it. If it's done well, perhaps like the Hannibal Lecter or American Psycho stories, well, I'm in. They had a purpose to them. I've read some independent stories that were just "House of 1000 corpses" on steroids, and I couldn't finish it. There was no substance, no character, no heart. I don't get creeped out, I get discouraged. I haven't found a story that has given me nightmares in a very, very long time.

If you were writing a book titled "500 Tips to survive a Horror Movie", what are some of the tips you would put in it?

First, I'd channel my inner Jamie Kennedy from 'Scream.' My first step would be to just leave. Get out. Take off, and don't look back. That's the reason for 80% of these horror films as it is. The killer stalks the same area, but nobody leaves. That's why I love ghostly and demonic stories. You're screwed either way. That's my second tip: Don't piss off the demons. Leave the Ouiji board alone, please. I don't believe in them, but I also don't play with them on the off-chance I'm wrong. Paranormal Activity was proof of all of the things you shouldn't do. Everything that Micah did? Do the opposite. When it comes to zombies, aim for the head. Even if they're not that type of zombie, always give that a shot. Never hurts, right?

Which is the next book you are working on? When is it due for release?

I'm actually working on about five billion projects. Well, maybe not that many, but I have a lot. Currently, I have the sequel to Fubar: Blackout coming out. That one will be titled "Fubar: Out of Element." This story picks up the very next day after the events of book one, not really allowing for a time gap/jump. I'd like to have a 2021 release, but I'm not sure until I have a better handle with how everything is going out there. I also have Spooky Tales 2, which I'd like to slate for Fall 2021, just in time for Halloween. Unlike the first one which deals with demonic situations, book 2 is more ghost stories. I also have a story from my grandparents that I tossed in there. That should be entertaining enough, they've been dumping their ghost stories on me for years, it was a matter of time before I picked one out to write about.

When were you first introduced to AllAuthor and how?

I've managed to stumble upon AllAuthor from another writer. She and I exchanged various websites, trade tricks and tools. I've signed up for a billion different sites that claim to network authors with readers, as well as help with the process, and so on. Goodreads was one I found that seemed to be decent enough, but it's essentially a review site. AllAuthor stuck out from everything else I'd found online. The image tools, the "magic tool" which comes in handy to promote your books, as well as the cover contest. I think I've been around just about every corner of this site. The team is super responsive and helpful as well. For any new author coming up, I'd say an AA account is a must. If you can afford it, throw in for the premium account, too. The tweeting, the additional support of featured books, and more are well worth the payment, I think. I've since become an unofficial spokesperson for AllAuthor because I believe in everything I've used and seen on the page.

Harry Carpenter All time Favourite Books

View all (1)
Children of the Program
(2) (1) $9.99 kindleeBook, Paperback,
Children of the Programby Brad CoxPublish: Sep 13, 2015Series: Children of the ProgramThriller Supernatural Suspense
Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
This book is well thought out and complex. I really dig it! Kudos to the author for being able to juggle such a detailed plot, while being able to immerse the reader in a familiar, yet strange new world.
Not too many books that sound like this one! Someone greenlight it for an Amazon or Netflix movie right away!

Ask Harry Carpenter a Question

Have brimming questions to ask author Harry Carpenter? Ask whatever you like, but keep it appropriate.
** Please note that unanswered questions will not appear on the page. Refrain from posting promotional messages.

      • Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
        Follow
        Author
      • I've had reviews throw Stephen King's name out there. I don't see it, but that's just me. I'd say when it comes to FUBAR, there's a lot of Jonathan Maberry in it. I don't know that I fit the mold to say "I'm the next so and so."
      • report
      • like
      • reply
      • Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
        Follow
        Author
      • Run!
        Actually, depending on how young, I could flash all the way back to grade school. I used to love writing stories. I still have a handwritten story called "Dunes" about an experiment on Mars that goes wrong, unleashing worm creatures onto the colony. I think I slapped together three chapters or so. Not bad for 6th grade.
        I'd likely tell myself to not listen to the other students. They were mean bullies. Even close people I considered friends. I was constantly torn down. Even teachers tore me down. It may have taken me two or three decades to jump back in, but I'm glad I did. I only wish I didn't stop back then. My imagination was wilder back in the day.
      • report
      • like
      • reply
    • AllAuthor AllAuthor 3 years ago
      Allauthor
    • Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?
    • report
    • like
    • reply
      • Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
        Follow
        Author
      • It's painful. It's draining. It's stressful. Have I hyped it up enough yet?

        I would say, especially if you're self publishing: Take your time. There is no deadline worth half-assing your book. I learned the hard way by tossing a book out into the public too soon. That was likely a handful of bad first impressions. Looking at where I am now, I pay attention to ensuring everything looks as good as it can. When you're writing your story, take your time. There is no rush to get to phase 2, or the next scene. Write the story as you see it in your head, whether you storyboard it or fly by the seat of your pants. Take your time.

        If you can't write? Writers block isn't a thing, but exhaustion is. Take a break. Go do other things. Play an instrument. Hike. Video games. Anything. Ignore the fact you're writing. I have the luxury of graphic design for my book covers, so I may dabble in that. I might give the website a facelift. Who knows? Just save, close, and don't look at your word document for a while. Inspiration will hit you.
      • report
      • like
      • reply
      • Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
        Follow
        Author
      • I always enjoyed writing. I wrote small stories in elementary school and up. I also wrote poems, songs and short stories during those times as well.

        It wasn't until 2018 that I decided to write down the crazy things that happened in my previous marriage. My friend David was always excited to hear the tales. He unfortunately took his life, but I felt the need to publish the stories with his encouragement.

        Since then, I've written quite a lot. It's fun to see what I can dig out of my brain and put on paper. I only hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.
      • report
      • like (1)
      • reply
      • Harry Carpenter Harry Carpenter 3 years ago
        Follow
        Author
      • Awkward. I always jokingly apologize for their time reading my book. It's usually following by boasts about how fun the read was, or how real the setting was. I also enjoy, particularly with Fubar, when people are upset that I killed characters off. It means I wrote a decent character, even briefly, and someone connected with them.
      • report
      • like (1)
      • reply

Error:

Warning:

Contact Harry Carpenter

The author, a good book and you! Contact Harry Carpenter here.
** Please refrain from spamming and don’t bombard the author with promotional mails/messages. Your IP/Email address may be blocked if found doing so.

Contact Author on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

By using this form, you agree with the storage and handling of your data by AllAuthor.