Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in the north of England with my family and I am lucky to live in an area that is outstandingly beautiful. I’m a Yorkshireman through and through, and after travelling to various places around the world, I have decided that the place where I live is actually one of the best spots on earth. This is how I got into walking, to experience the beauty of my own backyard at first hand. That this then turned into writing books about my travels was almost a natural process.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Coast to Coast: Finding Wainwright’s England. The Coast to Coast walk is one of the most well regarded walking routes on the planet, and regularly features in top ten lists that also take in such delights as the Camino, the Inca Trail and the Appalachian Way.
I wanted to experience this myself, so along with my regular walking buddies, we went ahead and did it. The route was originally devised by Alfred Wainwright of course, and I wanted to experience the walk and find out what it was all about. As I went along, I found out as much as I could from people we met about the history and the people along the way. There was such an incredible wealth of detail to discover, and this book is the result.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to lock myself in the cabin at the end of the garden, get a fire going and just write, so nothing unusual as such, but I definitely find the routine helps me to get going. If I have writer’s block, I just start tapping away at the keyboard, just to get going again, and I find that this gets me back on track.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I would say authors such as Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams are the authors I grew up with, and I think their dry humour has rubbed off on me which I try to inject into my writing. I am also a big fan of Bill Bryson and always make sure I grab his new releases as soon as they are out.
What are you working on now?
Nothing. I have just finished book number three and I am having a week off, and by the end of the week I reckon I will know what is coming next.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s a toughie. I’m quite new to this, but I have to say how impressed I am with the awesome gang. The whole process was easy from start to finish and took a surprisingly short time to do.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just go for it. They say that we all have a book within us, and I have always felt that I had one in me. Now that I have completed my first few, I feel that I have lots of books in me, and wished I had started earlier. So I would have to say my one piece of advice is to just go for it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never, ever, ever, give in. Sometimes you may not feel that those around you believe in you or what you are doing, but don’t let this stop you. You will meet resistance from others at some point, and things will not always go your way, but once you start something, hold onto it for all its worth, and see it through to the end. You might just be pleasantly surprised.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just started The Body, by Bill Bryson. My mum bought me it for Christmas but I just haven’t had time to read it, but I am making an effort to read a few pages each evening. To be honest, it isn’t much of an effort as it is very easy reading.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have got lots of ideas, possibly another travelogue or maybe some science fiction, or maybe something altogether different again. Ask me next week.
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?
Ha Ha! Well, The Body, of course, because I have just started it and I would like to finish it. Other than that, Bram Stokers’ Dracula would be essential, as I read it a long time ago but would enjoy the luxury of being able to read it again. Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 would definitely be in my bag, as it is one of the funniest books I ever read, and finally, assuming we are going to be on this island for quite some time, I reckon J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which I could read again and again.
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