Interview with E.R. Torre, Author of Nemesis 06
04 Jun 2025
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Nemesis 06?
On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, the building my parents lived in, collapsed. They, along with nearly 100 others, perished during that tragedy. At the time, I was halfway through writing my previous novel, The Ebb of Time, and the grief and anger I felt following this event were very much evident in that novel. When starting Nemesis 06, I resolved to work through and finally put to rest those lingering feelings and focus on something I wanted to do for most of my life.
I’ve long admired Steven Spielberg’s Duel, the very first movie I saw as a very young boy, likely when it first aired in the early 1970’s that made me realize these quirky moving pictures could tell a story. With Nemesis 06, I wanted to create my own novel in that general genre and give readers the same thrill I felt when I first saw Duel. I feel I’ve accomplished what I wanted!
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Nemesis 06, what would they be?
While not a theme song for the “main characters” of this book, I’ve drawn inspiration in all my writings from David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World. I discovered this song long before Nirvana’s cover version popularized it, and it remains my favorite song, period. Equal parts moody, melancholic, and mysterious. I love it!
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Science fiction and suspense/horror with a dash of noir/crime. My books do tend to fall along these lines!
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Thanks to eBay, I’ve picked up long-out-of-print novelizations to several John Carpenter films: The Eyes of Laura Mars (he didn’t direct it but did write the script), The Fog, Escape From New York, and The Thing. I’m having a blast reading these books right now!
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Both the first and last confrontation between various characters and the machine that pursues them. Love ‘em both!
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Mainly OCD on my part! When I REALLY start getting into a novel, there doesn’t pass an hour where my mind wanders to some sequence or part, and I’m thinking about how to make it better!
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Unironically: Just do it. Yeah, a silly line, but I’ve seen many friends and family who want to do something, but they either don’t find the time or interest or courage to do whatever it is they want, and the time slips away, and all that’s left is regret for things unaccomplished. So, yeah, put aside those fears, anxieties, and laziness: If you want to do something that is special to you, then DO IT!
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
My fervent hope is that they come away entertained. There’s nothing more that I want than for a reader to feel they have spent their time enjoying themselves!
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