Peter Rosch: Invest in Yourself When You Can
In this interview, author Peter Rosch discusses the intrusive thought that led him to write his new thriller novel, What The Dead Can Do.
Peter Rosch is the author of multiple dark fictions born from the various addictions he chased while living in New York City as an award-winning writer and creative director. He’s many years sober now but remains an addict’s addict.
Peter grew up in the Southwest, lived in New York for nearly 20 years, and now resides midway between Austin and San Antonio in Wimberley, TX where he works as an author, freelance creative director and copywriter in advertising, and most importantly, full-time dad.
Learn more about Peter Rosch at PeterRosch.com, and follow him on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.
In this interview, Peter discusses the intrusive thought that led him to write his new thriller novel, What The Dead Can Do, how he invested time and money into becoming more involved in the publishing world, and more.
Name: Peter Rosch
Literary agent: Jake Lovell at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Book title: What The Dead Can Do
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Release date: August 26, 2025
Genre/category: Psychological Horror/Thriller
Previous titles: Future Skinny (novella), My Dead Friend Sarah (novella), FOUND 2: More Stories of Found Footage Horror (anthology)
Elevator pitch: After a tragic air disaster kills them both, a newly dead father must contend with his newly dead wife, who, driven by her immeasurable grief, sets out to possess a soul on earth in order to kill and bring their still-living toddler to the cult-inspired afterlife they now inhabit.
What prompted you to write this book?
When my son was two, I obsessed that I was going to die prematurely. It was a dark idea that took a firm hold. So, I started to write letters to my son—thoughts, must-knows, opinions—just in case, and even prepared a deathbed speech for later that year. A bit before that, my wife and I had chosen our very lovely friends to be my son’s legal guardians should anything happen to us both. What were the chances? Naturally, my mind threw gas on an already burning paranoia-fire: What if our friends weren’t who they seemed? At that point, the letters became the unexpected start to the novel What The Dead Can Do.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
From the idea to publication took 10 years. I didn’t even realize it’d taken that long until answering this question. Lol. From 2015 to 2021, save a few chapters, the story existed only in my head. I had been working full-time while parenting full-time and writing the manuscript for Future Skinny. When I finally sat down to write What The Dead Can Do, draft one flowed quickly. During the process, the core idea never changed, but through my edits and because of some early exposure to some authors and editors I adore, how the story unfolds changed a good deal—and for the better, I might add.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Many, but the biggest by far was this internal realization: I could no longer operate half in. I’m an alcoholic/addict (gratefully sober nearly 17 years), and “half-measures avail us nothing,” a common phrase from the program, is near and dear to me. Still, I hadn’t applied that wisdom to my desire to be a traditionally published author. Part of that transformation meant stepping away from my desk and putting myself out into the publishing/writing world in a more tactile way. I also pushed myself to listen and learn more than ever, leaving cynicism and ego behind. Some of that learning wasn’t cheap (conferences, contests with feedback, hiring professional editors during early drafts), but I considered it an investment in myself. So did my wife, Ariele. We surmised it would pay off even if I didn’t get a deal. I love books even more than I love writing them. Ultimately, surrounding myself with all things publishing was a success simply because it fascinates me.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
My immense appreciation for editing and editors started in earnest with the manuscript before this one, but my heart and mind opened fully to it during the writing process of What The Dead Can Do. When that happens, so many wonderful surprises—story-related and life-related—await you. If I could—and I hope to someday—I’d start an editing grant for anyone looking to have a professional editor attached to their manuscript pre-querying or pre-self-publication.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Oh, wow… I mean, I want them to finish reading it and not know what to do with themselves, save go to their socials and shout about what a ride it was, to be honest. I want them to cry, laugh, and talk about it with friends. Maybe they’ll evaluate their relationships, and feel gratitude for being alive even as the world around us burns. But also, if it’s the book I believe it to be, I hope they come away understanding just how much I love my son.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Invest in yourself when you can. Save up to do so if necessary. Take classes, online or otherwise, short or long, put a first chapter or more of your manuscript in front of an editor or two, go to conferences and listen to the authors you love, and buy and read books like your own. Write something original, of course, and break rules, too, but only after you’ve taken in all the best advice about how and why the other stories you love work and hit big.
