House of MysteryRadio Sessions: Sci-Fi/Horror – James L. Hill
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
By Alan R Warren and Michael Hawley
James L Hill is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx. He spent his adolescence years in Fort Apache, the South Bronx 41st precinct during the 60’s. Raised on blues, soul, and rock and roll gave him the heart of a flower child. Educated by the turmoil of Vietnam, Civil Rights, and the Sexual Revolution, turned him into a gladiator. Realizing the precariousness of life gave him an adventurous outlook to try anything once, and if it did not kill him, maybe twice.
12 years of Catholic education and a couple of years in college, spread between wild drug induce euphoric years, which did not kill him, gave James a unique moral compass that swings in any direction it wants. A scientific mind and the spirit of nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough to guide his writings. He enjoys traveling to new places and seeing what life has to offer.
Enjoys writing crime stories, fantasy, and science fiction, with a slant on the dark side of life. And has recently started his own publishing company, RockHill Publishing LLC, to help new and established writers realize their dreams too.
Interview originally broadcast: January 20, 2026
Q: James, what inspired this book of short stories?
A: I went through my file cabinet and found short stories I really liked. I picked my favorites and decided to release them for Christmas—a few days’ reading for people.
Q: What can readers expect?
A: The main story, The Moth, is a techno-crime tale about a man just out of prison. His girlfriend sent him there, and a crime boss wants him back for one last job: hacking into a woman’s computer to get to her husband. There’s intrigue, romance, and moral dilemmas—are you a morph or a butterfly?
Q: How long are your stories?
A: Some are 2–3,000 words, others 5–10,000. Some were written to meet magazine limits, others because I had the idea and just wrote it.
Q: Do you have a method for short stories?
A: There’s a method—you need to pull readers in immediately with an exciting incident. Novels can build slowly, but short stories demand quick engagement.
Q: Is writing characters for short stories the same as for novels?
A: Yes, but in short stories, I focus on major points. Dialogue and behavior reveal the character’s background.
In novels, you can include whole chapters for backstory.
Q: How do you handle dialogue?
A: I talk to myself and work it out with my characters. I used to have people ask who I was talking to. Now I answer through them.
Q: Do your stories carry a more profound meaning?
A: Yes, everything I write has meaning. The Morph explores morality—our hacker faces consequences and questions his choices. Other stories, like Antibody, tackle societal issues like government overreach during COVID-19.
Q: Should readers take anything away, or enjoy them?
A: Primarily entertainment, but each story has a lesson or something thought-provoking for readers.
Full interview: James L. Hill - The Moth - House of Mystery Radio on NBC | Acast
House of Mystery is an electrifying weekly radio program hosted by Canadian author and broadcaster Alan R. Warren, airing on the NBC News Talk Radio network and syndicated across the US and Canada.
Through insightful interviews with acclaimed authors, experts, and cultural figures. With a rich mix of fiction and non-fiction topics
Alan R. Warren is an award-winning Canadian true crime author and broadcaster whose work has captivated readers and listeners across North America. With more than three dozen books published. He is also the long-time host of the popular House of Mystery radio show on the NBC News Talk Radio network.
Michael Hawley studies the Whitechapel murders mystery, authoring over 30 research articles and multiple books. He has lectured across the US and London and has been a guest expert on TV and online documentaries.
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