Troy Poppler

Known to my fans as "The Madman of Scribe" I am a Minnesota native, US Army veteran, and lover of philosophy books, adrenaline fueled adventures, and horror movies. I have published two books, my memoir "The Midnight Crow" that deals with my struggles with substance abuse, violent tendencies and multiple tragedies. My second offering was "Crow Feathers" Poems from the Dark, a collection of dark poetry. I just released "The Crow Diaries" a trilogy of graphic horror/crime thrillers with Volume "Moonbaby" leading off the graphic, action packed dark love story.

“G'day, G'day and welcome. We’re joined by the madman himself Troy Poppler. Let’s dive right in, shall we? What or who inspired you to write?”

I would have to say my two greatest influences are Edgar Allan Poe, and my beloved late mother, Kay. As a young boy, I was read to nightly by my mother, which instilled in me the hunger to read more. As I grew older, I fell in love with the classic works of Poe, the master of macabre himself. “The Raven,” “Alone,” and “Annabelle Lee” were dark, atmospheric, and mesmerizing Gothic masterpieces that resonated deeply with me. And of course his short stories such as “The Black Cat” and “The TellTale Heart” are incredible. To me, his work will never be matched, though I’m going to try my best. As far as modern day writers, I recently discovered Thomas Ligotti, who emulates the whole Poe Lovecraft vibe, but with an original twist. If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend you check him out.

“I'm sorry for your loss. Your story is fascinating, I must say! I came across it on the C's Creative Corner podcast. You've been through a lot. More than most, writing seems like a very personal journey in your healing process. Now, let's delve into something a little lighter. As an Aussie, I have to know, what is your favourite Wiggles song?”

"Hot Potato," and it's not even close. 🤣 That's this Madman's jam. 🤣

🤣 “Excellent choice! And the correct answer. Now, if you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?”

Driven.

“That's a powerful word and I think that describes you perfectly. Do you have a favourite motivational phrase?”

Absolutely. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

“Wise words indeed and could not agree more. Lastly, let's talk about your writing process. Where do you draw inspiration from?”

My past primarily. I have a very dark, troubled past, and it comes out in my poetry often. Fans of my poems will tell you, the issues I deal with often include topics such as suicide, drug abuse, child abuse, prison, broken hearts, etc. I also find inspiration when I’m out on a walk, music, and just mundane daily tasks and things I observe.

“Thank you for sharing that personal aspect of your creative process. It's clear that your experiences shape your writing in a profound way. If you’d like to check out Troy’s work, simply click on the books displayed below. And if you want to stay updated on his journey, you can follow him through the social media links provided.”