Andy Graham Author

Author of dark fiction and fantasy, dystopia, horror.

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One Book Interview #37 – CM Saunders (Author)

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The Welshman’s here.

Living in exile.

Fueled by ghosts from his country’s past.

With a writing career that stretches from China all the way back to the Somme. (Via a few lad mags.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of London, UK – Chris Saunders.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

This might a left field choice for a horror buff, but I’m going to nominate The Dice Man by Luke Rhineheart. If you aren’t familiar with the plot, it’s about a psychologist who begins to question his life, and starts making decisions based on the throw of a dice. He uses the dice to determine everything from what to have for breakfast to what to do when faced with huge, life-changing decisions with far-reaching consequences. There are a lot of things you can read into it (forgive the pun) but to me, using the dice in this manner means you remove all responsibility for your actions and put all your faith and confidence into something else. Luck? Destiny? God? Some other higher power? Who knows. It’s the ultimate freedom. Try the dice life for a while and see where it takes you. It’s liberating.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

That’s a good question. If I could only take one book, it would have to be something weighty, complex and fitting, as well as entertaining and somehow relevant. Based on those criteria, there’s only one I can choose, and that’s The Stand by Stephen King. The complete and unabridged version because at over 1100 pages, it’s bound to keep me occupied for a while. It’s not my favourite book of his, but I can’t think of anything better to help herald the birth of a brave new world.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

I’m one of those cheap fuckers who are always browsing Amazon for bargains. Earlier this year, I picked up a couple of books by a writer I hadn’t heard of before called Amy Cross. One was called The Cabin, and I think the other was Battlefield. Both blew me away. Since then I have been reading as many of her books as I can, but it’s difficult as she seems to write faster than I can read. It’s disconcerting.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

Sker House, my paranormal mystery novel. The reason it is so important to me is because much of it is based on fact. The location is real, as is much of the history and even some of the stories I allude to in the book. I also managed to weave in some local folk and ghostlore for good measure. To say the area is rich in source material would be an understatement. The story wrote itself, all I had to do was invent some characters, insert them in the existing framework, and give them something to do. The house is situated on the Welsh coast near Bridgend, and I used to visit a lot when I was a child. I wrote the first draft of the book six or seven years ago when I lived in China, then I put it through another edit and finally released it last year. Funnily enough, it’s also my biggest seller.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

This is too hard. I’m going to have to choose an entire series of books, and can only hope that’s within the rules. That series is Alfred Hitchcock & the Three Investigators. These were the first books I remember reading after the obligatory Enid Blyton period (or was that just me?). More than that, they were the first books I remember actively seeking out, in the way of scouring book shops and library shelves. Apart from being exciting boys adventure stories, the books also helped instill morals and a code of ethics. The truth was always revealed, and good always triumphed over evil. Things are rarely so cut and dried in real life, of course, but when you’re young you believe that’s how the world will (or at least should) be, and for that reason they probably had a profound effect on my formative years. I only realized a few years ago that Hitchcock didn’t actually write any of them. A man called Robert Arthur Jnr did, and just used Hitchcock’s name to attract attention.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

This might not be the most original choice, but I’m going to have to choose Stephen King’s On Writing. I read it when it first came out in 2000 when I was just starting out on my writing career. I’d had a few short stories published in the small press and a couple of anthologies, but that book is a gold mine of solid, workable information and practical advice. Just by reading it my writing improved by a considerable amount. More than anything, it instilled a kind of belief in me and threw open the door to a new world. On Writing breaks down ‘the craft’ and makes it appear simple, giving the reader a deeper, more profound understanding of even the most complex aspects.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

My latest release – Human Waste would probably be a good starting point. It’s the story of a prepper who wakes up one morning to find the world overrun with bloodthirsty zombies. But all might not be what it seems. A couple of reviewers have said that my writing often contains a sardonic twist of humour. It can be quite hard to identify, but it’s nearly always there. With Human Waste I wanted to push that aspect a little further. I usually stay away from the more extreme brand of horror. Too much of it comes across as unsophisticated and tacky. But I wrote a story for DOA 3 earlier this year (a series of anthologies on Bloodbound Books which cater toward the more visceral end of the spectrum) and really enjoyed it so that was something else I wanted to explore further.

You can find Chris at www.cmsaunders.wordpress.com

C.M. Saunders is a UK-based freelance journalist and editor. His fiction and non-fiction has appeared in over 60 magazines, ezines and anthologies, including Loaded, Record Collector, Fantastic Horror, Trigger Warning, Liquid imagination, and the Literary Hatchet. His books have been both traditionally and independently published, the most recent being Apartment 14F: An Oriental Ghost Story (Uncut), and Human Waste, both of which are available now on Deviant Dolls Publications. He is represented by Media Bitch literary agency.

 

 

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One Book Interview #33 – Jenifer Ruff (Author)

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As you might expect from a library director’s daughter, this week’s author grew up surrounded by books. She now writes surrounded by greyhounds – Ed, Myrtle & Lillian.

I’m not sure what the connection between the two is, but it works – author #33 is a bestseller of psychological suspense.

(Maybe the dogs provide editing and proofreading services? )

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Charlotte, North Carolina – Jenifer Ruff.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

Night by Elie Wiesel. The horrific first-person account of survival stuck with me long after the last page. I learned something profoundly important about dignity, suffering, and the human race. It’s not about the writing, but the story being told.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

I don’t usually reread books, so I’d pick the longest book I haven’t yet read—Game of Thrones. I just finished binge-watching the television series. I should have read the books first. Most of George Martin’s characters are living a nightmare. They might put my marooned-on-Mars situation in perspective.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Creatures of Appetite by Todd Travis. I downloaded his independently published book for free from a promo email. I love dark thrillers and mysteries with intricate plotting and I thought his was pretty near perfect. It’s hard to believe publishers aren’t begging for his next books, and I know they’re not because at the end of the book he asks for donations so he can keep writing.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

Only Wrong Once, a bio-terror suspense novel available Sept. 28th, 2017. It was inspired by my DHS agent brother. He can’t tell me anything about his job, but I know he’s privy to intelligence that would make me shudder. Only Wrong Once benefits from what I’ve learned from my previous three published novels. My hope is that I’ll never stop learning and improving the craft of writing, so my most recent book will always be my favorite, until the next one comes along.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

This is the hardest question! I know which books I enjoyed the most, but did they influence my character or personality? Probably not. But a terrible, bestselling, traditionally-published book did. I won’t mention the title because it doesn’t matter and it’s only my opinion, but the book got me thinking, “If he can do this, then I sure can.” Sort of reverse inspiration. And now I’m a writer, so I should thank the book’s author and publisher for providing a bit of motivational influence.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott is one of my favorite books on writing. It’s clever, insightful. self-deprecating, hilarious, and inspirational all at once. Anyone might enjoy it, but no writer should miss it.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Only Wrong Once. It will be discounted through most of October. I started writing it two years ago, but recent terrorist attacks and national policies have made it even more relevant, which really escalates the fear factor. All my books have a dark edge, but this one is frightening because it’s realistic.

You can find Jenifer at: www.jenruff.com

 

Jenifer Ruff is the author of psychological suspense books and an avid fitness enthusiast and hiker. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her family and a pack of greyhounds.

 

 

 

 

One Book Interview #32 – Mike Poeltl (Author)

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Spirit science. General fiction. Children’s books. An environmental Picture book. A post apocalyptic trilogy.

Just a fraction of the output of this weeks author/ illustrator.

He also has the most ingenious solution to the Mars Conundrum yet (See Q. 2).

Good people of the Internet, writing out of  Hamilton, Ontario – Michael Poeltl

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon translated from its original Spanish. It has everything you want from a book, and as an author, I really relished his story-telling and, honestly, wish I’d written that book.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Something soulful I think. A book that offers mind/body exercises to do on the red planet besides contemplating throwing myself off Olympus Mons. Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra comes to mind. An opportunity to meditate on the quantum world and help you focus enough to achieve a level of awareness where I could eventually blink myself off of Mars.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Again, Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón because he’s a Spanish author whose work was translated. A story I wish I had written. Deep, purposeful and haunting. Beautifully written.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

All of my books are my children, but I do have a very personal connection to Her Past’s Present; a story which involves past lives (of which I have endured on the hypnotic regression table myself). It offers a purposeful storyline which could assist in a reader’s own attempt at overcoming a personal struggle, while offering an intriguing tale to take them from point A to B.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

That’s a tough one. I’ve taken away a lot from every book I’ve ever read, but The Buddhist Book of Living and Dying probably most affected me on a spiritual level. It changed the way I think about living my life and the issues I write about.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

I read multiple genres and enjoy each for what they bring to the table. That said, I often find myself writing without a genre in mind – writing what I want to read. To name a book which has most affected me professionally would not be fair to the others.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

I think Her Past’s Present sums up the meat of what I like to write about, but because The Judas Syndrome; book one of a dystopian trilogy was my first, I think it may be a tie. Both are dark with a deep sense of purpose driving them for the main and supporting characters.

You can find Michael at: www.mikepoeltl.com

 

Michael Poeltl is the author of nine books of varying genres and is currently working on his first sci-fi work due to be published early 2018. He is forever grateful to his readership who take the time to pick up one of his books and offer a mindful review or recommend them to their friends and family.

 

One Book Interview #28 – Steve Van Samson (Author)

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This week’s author is a man after my own heart – mixing genres such as horror, dystopian, dark fantasy and adventure. A man who believes that:

‘character is king and there should always be little seeds planted between lines, that the reader will only discover in subsequent readings’.

Except for the vampires. He has vampires in his stories.

(And a pet dragon at home.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Lancaster, Massachusetts – Steve Van Samson.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Shining by Stephen King. I think it might be fair to say that at this point, more people are familiar with the film, than the novel. Even though both stand as legitimately fascinating characters, it’s a little shocking how little book-Jack has in common with movie-Jack. In fact, King’s Torrances are written so intricately, so staggeringly human, we are left with no recourse other than to fall madly in love with them. That’s why I believe that all fans of Kubrick’s “The Shining”, owe it to themselves to check out the original novel.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Mars is a hike–why take just one story? The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard is literally my favorite compilation, ever. The tales range from werewolves, to sea curses, to explorations of Howard’s bottomless interest in the ancestral roots of men. Included are some of Howard’s best works including two of my favorites: Pigeons From Hell, and Worms of the Earth. Though the writer is best remembered for creating Conan the Barbarian (and with him, that sub-division of the fantasy genre known as “Sword and Sorcery”), this collection reveals at least one more genre we can thank him for, “The Weird Western”. What’s more, the book also features numerous stunning black and white illustrations by Judge Dredd artist Greg Staples, as well as a fascinating introduction by editor Rusty Burke. That should keep me busy on Mars for a while, I reckon.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman. First let me state that Gaiman is (skill and style wise) probably my favorite writer of all time. His prose is so expertly crafted, so brimming with restrained wit–as I read, I constantly feel like I’m being winked at. That said, I do not necessarily adore every single thing the man does. As it happened, my wife had urged me to read TOATEOTL for a while, almost a year. And truthfully, I don’t know what my problem was. I think the title evoked something that didn’t interest me. Maybe I thought it was going to be too childish, or a sap-fest. Not sure anymore. Long story short–when I finally read the thing, I found myself immediately whisked away on a magical coming of age story unlike any other. By the end, my butt was sore from all the kicking I did (you know, for not reading the darn thing sooner).

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

I’m still pretty knew at this whole being published thing, so I’ll choose the last book I finished (which will be released this fall). The book is called Marrow Dust and it is the second in my Predator World series. As with its predecessor, Marrow Dust is set in Africa and deals with the business of survival, some decades after a vampire apocalypse. I had never written a sequel before and crafting a story that felt not only worthy of telling but necessary, wasn’t easy. I’m definitely proud as heck of the thing, and of my tough as nails, female protagonist, Mirèlha Nanji.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Oh boy–this is a tough one since I generally read fluff and nonsense. The hell with it, why fight the tide? Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry. That one holds a very special place in my heart. When I was a tot, my mother instilled in me, a great love of books. We read nearly every night, just as I now read to my own daughter. That said, as time went on, books were replaced by Nintendo and then the far more majestic Super Nintendo–and though it pains me to admit it, at the age of 17, I had never read a novel I wasn’t “forced to, for school”. Fortunately, that all changed with Shadows of the Empire. It was the one book, I couldn’t not read. Billed as the lost Star Wars film, the story fit between Empire and Jedi. And if that wasn’t enough, the novel was only one part of a three pronged Lucasfilm multimedia assault! Prongs two and three were a series of comic books, and a video game for the N64, respectively. All bore the title of Shadows of the Empire and I had to have them. All of them. What was so great about this marketing strategy was this–you couldn’t get the whole story without consuming all of the separate media. The stories were not redundant adaptations of one another, but rather separate tales that intertwined into one massive whole. There were plenty of familiar faces to get excited about, but also new ones like Han Solo’s slightly scruffier pal, Dash Rendar. Best of all though was the villain of the piece, Prince Xixor of the Black Sun crime organization. An evil man, by all accounts, but one who reserved his true hatred for one, Darth Vader. Despite being only 385 pages, this book proved that reading a novel for pleasure was something I was capable of–and as silly as it sounds, when I finished, I was pretty stinking proud of myself.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Hands down, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. Reading these books taught me so much about the sort of writer I wanted to be. They proved that the relationship between reader and writer is a tenuous thing. That sometimes, to be a really great writer, one must first become a tyrant. Manipulating not only their characters, but the hearts of those who read. I definitely don’t agree with everything Martin does (there really is only so much chin grease one logically needs to describe), but he has a way of playing his audience like few others can. Beyond the merits of an unexpected death, he has also shown me the value in creating a character that we will have no choice but to despise… only to then spend the next two books turning our hearts on the subject. When done properly, it’s a heck of a thing.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

The Bone Eater King is my first published novel. The book was inspired by the Robert E. Howard story The Hills Of The Dead which featuring Howard’s famed monster fighting puritan, Solomon Kane. As with THOTD, I decided to set my vampire story in Africa–far away from the typical settings of some modern city or Victorian Europe. With The Bone Eater King I strove to create a pulpy and thoroughly unique adventure tale with horror elements, told from the perspective of an amnesiac. Someone who begins the story in the middle of a pitch dark savanna, unsure who he is or what the dozens of sinister eyes which now surround him, belong to. The book will be released for Kindle on Aug. 21st and then in paperback on Sept. 25th.

You can find Steve at: www.shatteredscribblings.com

Author of the forthcoming pulpy horror/adventure books “The Bone Eater King” and its sequel “Marrow Dust”, Steve is an artist, graphic designer and dad by trade, but also a part time pod-caster, wannabe rock star and a great lover of all things GEEK.

 

 

One Book Interview #27 – Amber Bird (Author)

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Whatever the true secret to happiness is,  it involves music and books.

This weeks author does both.

(And you should check out the bio on her website – it’s great, full of glitter and stars and hope.)

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Seattle in the USA – Amber Bird

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

I’m having a fight with myself over this answer; I knew this would happen based on the nature of this interview. Okay. At this moment (which is to say that I might change my mind 5 minutes from now), I’d say that everyone should read Contact by Carl Sagan. (Read it; don’t just watch the film.) I think it can appeal even to those who don’t share my sci fi obsession. It’s smart, it’s hopeful, and it should encourage us to support science and unity. And maybe it will make people go check out Sagan’s Cosmos (it’s okay if they take that to mean the TV programme). Which could lead to the more recent Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson. And they’d fall in love with all of creation, get perspective on this “pale blue dot,” and be better people for it. Contact is a gateway book!

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Mars as it is now? So, since I’m no fictional scientist, that means my days would be numbered. I think I’d take Frank Herbert’s Dune (the whole series–the 6 he wrote–if there was room). This is one of those favourites I try to re-read every year or two. I could write long essays on why it matters to me and how it’s impacted me since I first read the series when I was 11 or so. If I’m on my way out, and if there’s any chance I’d hallucinate myself as being in the last book(s) I read when oxygen or food gets low, I think I’d like one last read of Dune, and I’d like to hallucinate myself as a Fremen who’s gone into the desert (the red desert of Mars, in this case) to die. (Did I just get too dramatic? Heh! Go figure…)

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Before I answer, I want to qualify this by saying that I didn’t have a solid reason to doubt this particular book would be bad. I’ve just had a run of years where I wasn’t really reading fantasy because of a few years just before that where I felt like the fantasy I was reading was the same stories, over and over. But! A friend who keeps my “to be read” pile from getting too small forgot I wasn’t reading fantasy and put City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett in my pile. And it was so fresh and unexpected, with some great twists and turns. If you’re wary of fantasy (or you know you love it) and you haven’t given this a try, it’s the one that made me start trying fantasy again (so that I now have a little list of newer fantasy I love).

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

I’m really bad at favourites, so now is the perfect time to answer this question, as I’ve got only one book published so far. Heh! That said, Peace Fire will always hold a special place for being the first. And for showing me I could finish a book and it could be one that, through the many re-reads necessary to re-write, I could truly enjoy and be proud of. The characters feel like friends, and it’s in this sort of dystopian-ish, cyberpunk, sci fi space I quite enjoy as a reader.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Surprisingly, this one isn’t sci fi or fantasy. And I might change my mind later, but…When I was a struggling teenager, Herman Hesse’s Demian helped me embrace the struggle to be authentic, value my intellect, and believe that there were people out there who could be my people. I must have read it a dozen times in my teens, so it surely impacted who I became. (Plus, if you’re often discouraged by Hesse’s prologues–which can be a little more challenging than the stories they preface–this one has a prologue that ‘s short, accessible, and thematically perfect.)

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

(I try not to name drop, so please feel my shame at mentioning this, but this was the only answer than popped into my head.) I’d given up on being a writer. Given in to some stereotypical artist despair. Set it aside for years. I wasn’t going to turn my chunky outline (a 50 page draft, really) of Peace Fire into anything. It was over. (There’s my dramatic side again.) Then my old friend Ernest Cline sent me an ARC for his second book, Armada. I read it immediately, and a twist I anticipated (that didn’t happen, so I could use the idea for myself) got my brain whirring. It was also a reminder that it was possible someone like me could, with some hard work, persistence, and luck, make it. (You might recognise Ernie’s name as the author of Ready Player One, which is the book on which Spielberg’s current project is based.) Suddenly, I was optimistic and excited to write again. It inspired some new ideas and connections for my current series. So, it revived my career and reminded me that reading others’ things (and really drinking in the world) is part of writing. There’s more, but this answer is already long and that’s the spark that set it all off.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Again, as I’ve just the one, this is an easy answer for us both. Hurrah! Peace Fire should be available anywhere online (and, if it’s not in your local shop, they should be able to order it through their normal suppliers).  It’s the first in a short series, with a sequel in the works, and it feels on the page exactly like one chunk of my creative brain.

Also, because I know not everyone loves swearing, and because I have a few of those people in my life, you can look (I think it’s just on Amazon) for Peace Fire: Radio Edit. It’s the same book, but with edits to make the language much less swear-y.

 

You can find Amber at: www.amberbird.com

Amber Bird is a writer, a rockstar, and a scifi girl. She is the author of the dystopian science fiction book Peace Fire, the front of post-punk/post-glam band Varnish, and an unabashed geek. An autistic introvert who found that music, books, and gaming saved her in many ways throughout her life, she writes (books, poems, lyrics, blogs) and makes music in hopes of adding to someone else’s escape or rescue. And, yes, she was on that Magic card.

One Book Interview #26 – CJ Harter (Author)

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Dead bodies. Libraries. Poetry. Bedbaths.

You don’t usually get them all in the same place or at the same time.

Except in this interview.

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Manchester in the UK – CJ Harter.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

Gosh, is there such a thing? If pressed, I choose His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. It’s got something for everyone: love, passion, betrayal, adventure, quest, weird gadgets, religion, atheism, witches, talking polar bears and angels.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Remembrance Of Things Past/In Search Of Lost Time by Proust. Never read it. I’d be hoping it’s as good as they say it is. If it isn’t, what a time to find out!

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Most recently, The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances. I usually avoid thrillers that have subtitles like ‘The most gripping psychological thriller since the last most gripping psychological thriller’. And I write psychological thrillers!

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

So far, my only published novel is Rowan’s Well, a psychological suspense. I’m very fond of it, especially as it’s just won a Chill With A Book Readers’ Award and been shortlisted in the Words With Jam First Page Competition.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. As a child, Anne Shirley was my hero and role-model. She faced the world bravely, with love and humour, and had a rich imagination. I confess, she’s still my hero.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

If you mean books about how to write, then Stephen King’s On Writing is a must-read. I also love Steering The Craft: A 21st-Century Guide To Sailing The Sea Of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Rowan’s Well is out there and waiting for you.

Some friends you’re better off without.

‘A sophisticated, compelling thriller’ ‘I couldn’t put it down’ ‘Gripping to the last page’ ‘Extraordinary and uncompromising’ ‘Compelling family drama that wouldn’t be out of place as a BBC drama’ ‘Had me in its thrilling spell’ ‘Highly recommend!’ – Amazon reviews

I’m about to publish Fitful Head, a modern ghost story. Imagine you lose your mind, and something’s waiting to take its place. Widow Isobel Hickey thinks she’s being haunted by her husband, but she’s wrong.

Even before publication, Fitful Head has been runner-up in the prestigious Writing On The Wall Pulp Idol contest and shortlisted in the huge UK-NWC competition where it was placed 11th from 3,112 entries.

Keep an eye on my website for details of release date and pre-order. I’ll soon be publishing a taster short story The Haydock Haunting. Read it if you dare.

You can find CJ at: www.cjharterbooks.co.uk

I’ve dissected human bodies in Sheffield, shushed library-users in Wigan, shared poetry in Liverpool, organised bedbaths in Salford. Now I live in Manchester,UK, and help folk connect with their creativity through writing. I have a degree in Literature and Philosophy, I’m mother to two adults, wife to one and slave to two tiny dogs.