Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Texan living in Northern Alberta who has been steadily growing a spine over the last year.
I’ve written at least 9 books over the course of my life, three of which will never see the light of day (as I was a child when I wrote them). Two of them are no longer available, but all four that I’ve done as an indie author are fully available on Amazon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Of Reapers and Ravens and it’s a mix between dark fantasy and a private investigator mystery. I’ve always loved fantasy in general and have been building my fantasy world (that all four of my independently published books are set in) for years. However, since my husband and I live in a rural town 5 hours from the nearest city by car, we started downloading old 30s-50s radio programs from Archive.org to listen to while we drove.
After listening to a lot of Jack Diamond, Box 13, Johnny Dollar, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, and Dragnet, I wanted to set this private investigator story in a fantasy setting. It’s been a difficult task, I think, but I really enjoyed it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try so hard to write during the day but it’s difficult for me. Once the clock strikes 6pm, though, I am able to write a thousand words every thirty minutes. I’m really unsure of why.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Raymond Chandler, J.R.R. Tolkein (the easy choice), Richard Byers’ The Haunted Lands series, Ray Bradbury, Ender’s Game, Dune, the Jack McKinney Robotech books, Dan Brereton’s The Nocturnals, the list will keep going if I don’t stop myself here.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on the sequel to Of Reapers and Ravens.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring that out. I’m fairly unknown at the moment and am attempting lots of different things to get my name out there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Rely on perseverance and determination and keep writing. Fail as fast as you’re able so you can learn from that and turn it into a success.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fail faster.
What are you reading now?
I’m having a bit of a rough time reading right now. It’s hard for me since I left school. I’m going to buy some Philip Marlowe books pretty soon to see if I can get interested in that.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to write a few Gerhardt Detective Agency books, then take a break from the series to start up a sci-fi or science fantasy series. That will be in an entirely different universe from my fantasy universe, though, so I probably won’t be releasing those until midway through 2020. So a few Gerhardt books first.
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?
Well, here’s where I’m going to give you a bit of a downer. If I were going to be stranded on a desert island I would probably be dead in a few days as my multiple sclerosis reacts badly to heat (my reactions, speech, and thoughts slow and I lose control of most muscles). So, assuming this desert island doesn’t have air conditioning, I’d be dead before I got to enjoy any books.
If I were going to live, guaranteed, I’d probably take Something Wicked This Way Comes, my LOTR complete edition, then probably the Azumangadaio compendium.
Author Websites and Profiles
M. York Website
M. York Amazon Profile
M. York’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account