We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Ottone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to create a small press that not only provided an outlet for my own work, but also provided an opportunity for other authors to gain some kind of a foothold in the genre. To that end, Spooky House Press seeks to put out material that not only hits me in a particular way, but also leans toward providing new(er) authors the opportunity to work with someone who understands the difficulties of publishing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It’s never easy. Nothing is easy. There are always challenges, predominantly in my case, the challenge of having the time to write.

What I’ve learned is that there are a lot of great people in any given community, but there’s also a ton of drama, and truth be told, I don’t have the time or desire for the drama, so I’ll celebrate the things I want to celebrate and brush off the noise and nonsense.

My brand and story are pretty simple. In 2019, when I lost my dad, I was lost in many ways also. I returned to writing fiction as a therapeutic pursuit and found it wonderfully liberating. From there, all I’m aiming for is to develop.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first thing I’d do is buy a bottle of Rose’ from my favorite winery out east on Long Island. From there, I’d make reservations at the following restaurants: Mill Pond House, Bistro 44, Vespa, Teller’s, and wrap up at Corner Bar in Sag Harbor. That would take care of our dinners. I’d book wine tastings at RGNY, Macari, and my personal favorite, Sherwood House. I’d consider an overnight at Rose Hill, as well.

Cigars would accompany each winery, and an evening respite at Rose Hill would be required.

Before they left, I would take them to my local cigar lounge, open a bottle of Catskills Provisions Smoked Rye and drink in the ambience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to dedicate my shoutout to my dad. Without him, I wouldn’t love the horror genre as much as I do. He was everything to me, and now that he’s gone, in every fathomable way, he still very much is. I think about him all the time. I think about what he’d say when I see something funny. I hear his laugh in my head. He’s still there to me in many ways, so I’d say this shoutout is for him.

Website: https://www.spookyhousepress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertottone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/robertottone

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