Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a full-time author for over 20 years, enjoying a large measure of success in the YA market, where I publish books under the name of Darren Shan and have sold in excess of 25 million copies worldwide. I’ve always written for adults as well as teenagers, and published four books for older readers under the Darren Shan banner, but a few years ago I took a decision to start releasing my work for adults under the name of Darren Dash — I wanted there to be a greater divide between my adult and YA worlds, so that I didn’t have to worry about younger readers accidentally buying my darker, more disturbing novels. I’ve published three novels as Darren Dash to date, with the fourth, Midsummer’s Bottom due out this year on Midsummer’s day — when else?!? I love moving between genres, and have embraced the freedom of being an “unknown author” as Darren Dash to experiment and try a wide variety of stories. So far I’ve published a dark urban thriller (The Evil And The Pure), a deliciously grisly horror story (Sunburn), an extremely weird distopian sci-fi tome (An Other Place), with the next one up a Shakespeare-inspired comedy!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Midsummer’s Bottom. I’m a big fan of theatre. I live in Limerick, a quiet place in Ireland, where we don’t have a huge amount of theatrical innovators, but years ago there was a very good local professional group called the Island Theatre Company, who put on some amazing shows. One of them was A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and I’ve rarely laughed so hard at a show. Afterwards I started thinking about what it might be like if a group of BAD actors had performed the play, and that led me into the story of Midsummer’s Bottom, where a group of talentless but enthusiastic friends stage an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream every year, much to the dismay of the fairies mentioned in the play, who are forced to attend every single performance of it due to a deal they struck with a crafty William Shakespeare back in the day!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to juggle books. I will spend an average of two to three years working on any one book, but I can work on several different books over the course of that time. I love finishing a draft, then leaving it for several months to go and work on other projects. I’ll return, do another draft, leave it again, and so on. It seems like a strange way of working, but it keeps each work fresh to me — because of all the breaks, I never get bored of a book.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So, so many. Stephen King is my biggest inspiration and role model, but my books are the children of just about everything I’ve ever read. James Ellroy was a big influence… Kurt Vonnegut… Ray Bradbury… Jonathan Carroll… and, with Midsummer’s Bottom, the Bard himself, Will Shakespeare.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished work on Midsummer’s Bottom, ahead of its June 21st release, and now I’m returning to work on my next Darren Shan project.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I run a web site, www.darrendashbooks.com and I post on Facebook regularly. I also use Twitter, but not as much as Facebook. Those three sites are my starting point, the foundations for everything else. After that… well, I’m still figuring it out. With my Darren Shan books, it’s easy — they’re traditionally published, and my publishers do all the promotional work on my behalf. With my Darren Dash output, I’m having to do it all myself, so I’m trying different sites, different strategies. I try pretty much everything, my only stipulation being that I try not to spend any more than I earn — I’ve done very well financially from my Darren Shan books, so it would be easy to treat my Dash novels as vanity projects and spend wildly to drive them up the charts, but I want them to stand or fall by themselves, so I don’t divert Shan funds into my Dash promotions. Whatever I make on my Dash sales, I plough back into marketing, and will hopefully build up to a point where the books can one day make a profit based on their own merits and appeal.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep going. It’s a long, hard, frustrating road. You have to love writing, and be prepared to keep pegging away, even when it seems as if you’re wasting your time.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The usual advice is the best — keep writing, finish what you start, rewrite and edit vigorously, don’t let criticism get you down, keep pushing on.
What are you reading now?
Smile, by Roddy Doyle.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll be focusing on my new Darren Shan book over the next few months, then my thoughts will start to turn to my follow-up to Midsummer’s Bottom. At the moment I’ve no idea what I’d like to release next on the Darren Dash front — but I’m sure I’ll figure it out a bit further down the line.
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?
Lord of the Rings. Stephen King’s IT. The Belgariad. A Tale of Two Cities.
Author Websites and Profiles
Darren Dash Website
Darren Dash Amazon Profile
Darren Dash’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account