Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in Gloucestershire, UK, with my family. I am lucky enough to have had my short fiction appear regularly in various publications over the last few years, and my debut novella, ‘Severance,’ was published earlier this month.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Severance’ is a dark re-imagining of the classic fairy-tale, ‘The Little Mermaid.’ I really enjoy telling stories from a skewed angle – although I think my nightmarish retelling is probably closer in spirit to the Hans Christian Andersen original, which is pretty twisted.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like plenty of background noise – I find it disconcerting to write in silence!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Stephen King, Hilary Mantel, Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan.
What are you working on now?
I have a couple of short stories on the boil at the moment.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think Awesome Gang is such a great idea to get the word out for new authors.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid of self promotion – contact local papers to see if they’d be interested in running a feature on your work. Our own local paper is including a feature on me in their next edition after I contacted them in light of the release of my novella. Making that contact may feel a bit cringe-y, but it is worth it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Your writing, like a muscle, will get stronger the more you use it – make time to write everyday.
What are you reading now?
I am reading ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ by Robert A Heinlein, and ‘The Unconsoled’ by Kazuo Isiguro.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a few short stories due to appear in magazines over the coming months, including ‘The Unfolding’ which will feature in the June edition of ‘Outposts of Beyond’ magazine, and ‘Plain Sight’ which will feature in the July issue of Havok Magazine.
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?
I would take Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ (great story and, due to its size, is the equivalent in length to about 5 books), Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ and Ian McEwan’s ‘Atonement.’
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