Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a graduate of the University of Chester with a 2.2 in Creative Writing and Journalism and though I mostly write short stories and poems, I have written a few books as well. For example, I have self-published a novellette, The Werewolf Asylum, a short story collection called Barking Benjamin, and on Christmas 2016, I got published the festive novel Reindeer.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a Kindle release called Pizza Woman, an expanded version of a poem I wrote on my personal writing blog. It was inspired by…well, one day I was doodling and randomly drew a woman with a pizza slice for a head. I then wondered what her story could be and it grew from there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. Just sitting down with a cup of coffee beside me, tapping out the tale.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Plenty. As you could probably tell from some of the stories I wrote on my blog, I’m a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, and strive for a similar brand of surreality in my own work. Edward Lear is another big influence.
What are you working on now?
More stories and poems for my blog.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Probably my aforementioned blog.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t worry if your ideas seem “too weird”.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Well, “keep on writing”.
What are you reading now?
Mythos by Stephen Fry. An exploration of Greek myths, which I remember being interested by as a child.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows?
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?
It doesn’t matter which books; if I were on a desert island and I had 3 or 4 books, I’d use them to start a fire so people would know where I was.
Author Websites and Profiles
Gareth Barsby Website
Gareth Barsby’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile