Where were you born, and what was your childhood like?
I was born in Chesterfield in England and grew up in a small mining village close to Mansfield, a smallish market town. We were a working-class family, my parents and three boys. I was the eldest. All my friends grew up on the same few streets, we hung out together, spending our summers disappearing into the forest for as long as daylight lasted. We all went to the same schools. There was no expectation that anyone growing up in the village would do anything other than work in the mine or in a textile factory. It was a simple life.
What was your biggest dream as a child? Did it ever come true?
I watched the Apollo moon landing at school and can remember thinking: ‘That’s the place I need to be. Somewhere where people can do extraordinary things.’ Later, my teacher asked what I would be doing in the year 2000, I answered, ‘living in America.’ My wife Deanna had been given up for adoption in England, it wasn’t until after we met that she discovered that she was American through birth. She had found her American birth mother in 1999. In 2000 I married Deanna in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. We emigrated to the USA in 2004.
What are your thoughts on conventional publishing vs self-publishing? What route did you choose and why?
I think most self-published authors set out in hope that they will be signed by a good publishing house. One who will help get their work out there. However, as a new author the market is crowded and being noticed by anyone other than a vanity publisher is almost impossible. Self-publishing is a faster way to get your work out there. After sending samples to various publishers and agents with no success, I decided to self-publish. I needed to test myself within the harsh world of public reviews. Was my work good enough that some people would like it? I used both Amazon KDP and IngramSpark to test the systems. One provides an instant audience, the other greater independence. I also liked having some control over the cover design, I thank the folks at Miblart for their ability to craft a design from my ramblings.
When did you first realize that being a writer is something you wanted to pursue?
I always wanted to write a movie script.
What brought you to write your book "Whitby Rock"?
It came about through my first attempt at penning a movie script. My wife was stuck in the UK during the Covid lockdown getting our eldest daughter settled for school, I could have spent my time binge watching any one of the popular streaming channels, but decided I needed to get disciplined and start writing. This soon turned into a novel.
Why did you choose the title "Sherlock and Dracula" for your first book in the series?
To gain interest. I thought that the title would attract fans of both as the characters were already recognizable. The big risk in doing that is unless the story is stitched together well, fans of either character will dislike the end result. I carried out a lot of research and created a website www.sherlockdracula.com to record some of the facts that I found helped the story. I also thought it important to reflect the style of writing of both original authors. But incorporating that authenticity affected the creativity to some extent.
How many more books do you plan to write in the series, Lifeblood?
I have two ideas sketched out; they will run through time up to the present day.
What kind of impression do you hope your books will leave?
Just that people enjoyed them, maybe recognizing that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to get the story to appear on the page.
Who was the first reader that reached out to you? What did they say and how did you respond?
I had a message on Facebook from someone who really enjoyed the Sherlock & Dracula story. At that time, it seemed to be upsetting a number of readers who were attached to other authors, and I was getting some very negative reviews. It was the bit of encouragement I needed. I thanked them and sent out a signed poster of the cover. Everyone should understand that not every reader will like your book. I have taken those negative comments and looked how my next work addresses them, understanding that some can never be
What subtle errors have you found in books?
I made a huge error in my first upload to Kindle. I selected a pre-edited file – a disaster. So, please, if you are doing this yourself make sure that you have all your files named and saved precisely.
What other things, apart from writing do you enjoy doing?
Anything that makes my brain hurt. Learning new skills and challenging my abilities.
What are you most grateful for?
My family and having the opportunity to be in a position to have the time and resources to sit and write. There are a lot of very creative folks out there who do not.
Do you plan on exploring other genres and mixing things up a little in the future?
Yes, I get bored easily, so there will always be a chance that my writing will incorporate elements of other genres. I think all good books manage to engage readers by bringing together elements to surprise or twist.
Is there anything new that you're working on? When can we expect the next book to come out?
I am close to completing a new book. It’s a sci-fi horror set in 2035, within the arctic circle, check out www.frankenstein2035.com
What do you like the most about AllAuthor?
It’s a fantastic platform that allows authors to connect, provides resources and forms part of a wider marketing/publicity strategy.
