The concept was very much rooted in the societal issues that stem from economic inequity in that particular area. Long Island is a weird place.
Robert P. Ottone – 6 October 2026
The Back Flap
The Amityville Horror House is demolished, unleashing terror upon the unsuspecting suburban community of North Amityville and its neighboring Village. With the fabled house gone, the two towns begin experiencing an onslaught of unsettling phenomena.
People go missing. A putrid, almost fungal spore-like mold begins festering across lawns. Shadows move and orbs glitter in the night. An unlikely band of characters comes together to battle a supernatural nightmare that threatens to tear all of Long Island apart.
Ottone’s inspired, fresh take on the most famous haunted house in the world is a sprawling supernatural tale of evil as it often comes: where you live, where you sleep.
About the book
What is the book about?
Amityville Awakens is about what happens to a pair of neighboring towns that find themselves entrenched in a supernatural nightmare after the demolition of America’s most famous haunted house.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book after I won my first Bram Stoker Award back in 2023. I’d sorta’ started it right before, but I dove headfirst into it once I got back from Pittsburgh that year. I finished it by around October, I think, maybe November.
How long did it take you to write it?
Not very long. I write in the mornings, and I’m typically good for a few thousand words a day, plus I plot like a maniac and write scenes on my phone from time to time, so it came pretty easily.
Where did you get the idea from?
The concept was very much rooted in the societal issues that stem from economic inequity in that particular area. Long Island is a weird place. It has a lot of ghosts, sure, but it has a lot more racist white people.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Not really. There were sequences that I cut, I had the narrative kick off earlier in the year for the two leads, but I cut that all very early. It didn’t even make it to the page.
What came easily?
Everything. When I’m locked in, I’m locked in. There’s no wasting time.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Every character is me in some capacity. Even the bad ones. Those are the “id” I guess. The primal, reptilian brain part of me or whatever you want to say. Joey is very much me. Silva is very much me, cigars and conspiratorial obsession, etc.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
William Peter Blatty is probably the biggest influence, he’s a hero to me. John Langan is also someone who I’ll always be chasing, in terms of storytelling ability and genuine skill. Paul Tremblay, too. He’s been a wonderful mentor and friend. I’m very blessed to have icons like these, Michael Cisco is another, in my corner. Linda Addison. Erike Wurth. Lee Murray. I’m extremely blessed to be inspired by them.
Do you have a target reader?
I write pretty widely. If you like spooky, I hope you give my stuff a try. I’m just trying to entertain you, maybe give you a little juice to look at the world a tiny bit differently.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I prefer to write first thing in the morning. That’s typically when I’m at my best. Because my day job is a teacher, though, during the schoolyear, that’s difficult, so I save most of my juice for the summer or for holiday breaks.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do. I write an extremely basic three act structure, and place sequences and scenes within those. I also like to find quotes early to go with those acts, to break up the material while also providing a guiding principle not only to myself but to the reader.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I always go back and edit whatever it was I wrote the day before. It’s never perfect, but I try to make my manuscript as clean as humanly possible.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I always put together a soundtrack to go with whatever I’m writing. In the case of Amityville Awakens, I have a soundtrack that speaks to the core of the two leads’ love story. I also have some general spooky stuff on there, but overall, it’s a very mumblecore-approach to a soundtrack.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I’m very blessed to have an agent. My approach is literally to keep them happy, while also making sure that whatever I’m doing is worth their time and effort. They need to make money too, and if I’m writing self-indulgent nonsense, then how are they going to sell that? I’m happy to write commercial spooky stories that hopefully people dig.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
My previous agent was not able to sell this book. The response from editors was always “do you have the rights to write an Amityville book?” I’m assuming these editors were in their early twenties and had no idea that Amityville is an actual town. It was exasperating. This deal came about because I was honestly just looking to talk with Christoph at CLASH (the publisher) about agents, querying, etc. I wanted to see his perspective on the process, I wanted to just shoot the breeze and see what he thought about how things were going in publishing in general. We got to talking about my book, he loved it, and here we are. It was truly a gift.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Leza and Christoph at Clash (along with Kaitlyn) were incredible in letting me know early on that they were going for the best artist working in horror to do my cover. Trevor Henderson is a guy who crafts things that literally scare me. I’m not joking. Every time that maniac creates a piece of art and shares it on Instagram, my blood runs cold. I don’t know why his particular aesthetic hit me so hard, but it does, and it’s an honor to have a cover by him.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Because this book is my first with actual, legitimate distribution, I am hitting the promotion trail hard this year. It’s difficult, but I want this to be a success in the way my previous novel, The Vile Thing We Created was. With the power of Clash behind Amityville Awakens and knowing how hard Leza, Christoph, Kaitlyn and Trevor worked on this thing, I want them to feel rewarded for taking a risk on a goon like me. I want everyone to feel that this was a win, and so I’m doing literally everything I can to promote this book.
It helps that I legitimately enjoy the promotion process of meeting people and talking and whatnot.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Don’t be afraid to get in front of a microphone or camera to talk about your work. If you’re not going to hype yourself, you can’t expect others to do it for you.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up on Long Island, about twenty minutes from the Amityville Horror House.
Where do you live now?
I live in upstate New York with my wife. It is a very cozy life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I really just want to make you laugh, maybe scare you a little bit, and I want you to have a good time reading my stuff. The world’s a weird place. War. The cost of living. I just want my work to be an escape for you.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on something radically different for me. It’s an entirely different format than what I’m accustomed to, and I’m loving every second of it.
End of Interview:
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Get your copy of Amityville Awakens from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
