Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was first published at the age of 9 when a submission I sent to a children’s comic was published. Since then, I’ve written on-and-off whilst developing a career as a Senior Executive. I finally saw the light and now write full-time.
I have three novels published, plus a series of ‘shorts’ in the Twist series which are also available as an anthology.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release in entitled The Doom Brae Witch. Bizarrely, the title comes from a corruption of one of my my favourite beers (Doom Bar), which I thought was a superb name for a Gothic mansion.
Granted, during development the setting changed to a stately home in the Scottish borders but it still retains a Bram Stoker feel about it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not a great planner. I know where I want get to, and what my starting point will be, but I tend to let my characters take over plot development themselves.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow, what a question! Dean Koontz, Lee Childs and Ira Levin are the contemporary authors I enjoy reading but whether they influence my writing, who can tell?
What are you working on now?
My first novel was DEAD Heat, which picked up where a short story of mine – DEAD Lines – left off. While writing it, I always had in mind to wrap-up the series as a trilogy. So, I’m currently working on DEAD End which brings the tale of Jennifer North and her late (yes, you read that right) husband to a natural conclusion.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use twitter and Facebook to promote my work coupled, of course, with sites such as Awesome Gang
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just get that first draft down on paper. Don’t try to perfect it as you go or you’ll get trapped in a continuous loop of re-writing. Get your story out first then focus on polishing it during the re-write. And be prepared for several re-writes!
Oh, and do your research because, if you get a fact wrong, someone, somewhere will pull you up on it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write for yourself, not others. It’s the only way to produce a work you’ll be truly satisfied with. You’re unlikely to make a fortune so do something that satisfies you.
What are you reading now?
Actually, for the first time in ages, I’m not reading anything. Too busy working!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Quite simply, to keep writing. Of course, the dream is to be picked up by a major publishing house but I just want to grow as a writer and continue to enjoy it as much as I do now.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Complete Works of TS Eliot (he was as great a storyteller as he was a poet)
The Lord of the Rings (trite, I know, but I always find something new each time I delve into its pages)
Prepper’s Long Term Survival Guide (because I wouldn’t last long enough to read the others without it.)
Author Websites and Profiles
Colin Youngman Amazon Profile
Colin Youngman’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account