Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former journalist/editor born and still living in the UK, and so far I have written and released five books – all within the same series (Wildfire Chronicles).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book was titled ‘Trauma (Wildfire Chronicles Vol. 5)’, released at the start of March 2014.
I’m a huge fan of horror, and I always wanted to write a series about the ‘zombie apocalypse’ but I was keen to come at it from a different angle. So in Wildfire Chronicles the zombies aren’t supernatural in any way: they aren’t undead. It’s a man-made disaster.
The series was inspired, in part, by reading about conspiracy theories and thinking ‘what if?’
At the same time I was playing with this idea of imagining James-Bond style supervillains who proceed with their plan to destroy the world with no James Bond to stop them. So many stories follow people preventing the bad guys from carrying out their plans, and I thought it would be an interesting start point for my story if the villains succeeded, and ordinary people were left to deal with the consequences.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Probably the time at which I write is the most unusual part of my process: often I work through the night, and a lot of my best writing is done at three in the morning. It means that often I end up with a sleep schedule not too dissimilar to vampires, but I figure that’s pretty appropriate for a horror author!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
All the big names in horror dominated my youth: King, Koontz, Barker, Herbert. More recently I’ve enjoyed the work of Jack Ketchum and JA Konrath. But I’ve also been influenced a lot by science fiction and some fantasy. Most notably for the former: Iain M Banks, William Gibson, Richard K Morgan and Dan Simmons.
On the fantasy front I read Lord of the Rings repeatedly as a child, and also a lot of stuff by Weiss and Hickman. I guess I fell in love with the idea of living in fictional worlds and that’s really stayed with me ever since.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the final installment of Wildfire Chronicles, which I hope will be released around the end of May 2014, and prepping another horror that I hope to release this summer, and that I’m pretty excited about, but can’t give any details just yet!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method for getting my name out there has been to give away the first part of my series for free. I recognize that there are a lot of books out there, and a lot of great authors, so rather than asking readers to pay to take a chance on an unfamiliar name, I decided to offer them a chance to sample my work at no cost.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be professional and be patient. Of course every author would love to write a book that breaks out and becomes a smash hit, but my view is it’s best to keep producing, and keep giving readers a chance to discover and (hopefully) enjoy your books.
My own take on publishing itself is to approach it professionally: covers, editing, website – even the way you carry yourself on social media. Don’t take shortcuts. Of course there are no guarantees in this business, but I figure that if you set yourself up for success, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of attaining it, whether that’s with your first book or your tenth.
Finally, I’d say be prepared for the reality that some people will dislike your work, and handle criticism with grace. No book ever written has received universal acclaim.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you’re not writing, you’re not a writer.”
I spent years telling myself that I would write a book ‘soon’ – and I’d spend hours dreaming up plotlines and characters but never actually get around to doing the work. The best advice to me was to get my hands on a keyboard and start typing.
What are you reading now?
Just finished ‘Alone: the girl in the Box’ by Robert Crane, which I enjoyed, and about to start reading ‘Doctor Sleep’ by Stephen King, which I’m really looking forward to! I’ve got a huge to-read pile, and not enough time to spend reading as much as I’d like.
What’s next for you as a writer?
A new horror in the summer: depending on how that goes it might be a stand-alone novel, but the potential is there for a sequel/series if the readers want more. I’m also looking into working on some apps and audiobooks, and working on getting Wildfire Chronicles adapted for the screen.
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’ by Tolkien
‘Hyperion Omnibus’ by Dan Simmons
‘How to survive on a desert island’ by R. Crusoe
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