Where were you born? Which is your favorite childhood memory?
I was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east of England. Apart from time travelling in Australia and Canada, I have always lived there. My favourite childhood memories are probably the ones of summer holidays to Canada with my family. I loved the heat and the food and all the swimming.
Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?
My wife Fiona! No question. She reads everything, edits and proof-reads it all for me too. She has been a great encouragement.
When did you decide to become a published writer? How has the journey been?
I realised I liked writing a long time ago, probably while writing essays at university. When I discovered novels, I thought it would be a good plan to combine my love of writing with my love of history. It has been a very fun but very difficult journey so far. Now that I am getting my novels out there, I can’t wait for people to read them.
What developed your particular fondness for Victorian literature?
I love the writing style of a lot of authors from the nineteenth century such as Jules Verne and Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle. I love the adventure and the mystery in their stories but I also love their style. I like the old gothic novels too such as The Monk, Dracula and Frankenstein. Pride & Prejudice is another I enjoyed very much. I would love to write a gothic novel one day.
Since how long have you been teaching History in the north east of England?
I have just completed my sixteenth year as a History teacher. I used to love it.
Which is your favorite William Dietrich novel?
I read Napoleon’s Pyramids and loved it. Full of history and adventure. Exactly my kind of story.
Who would win? A werewolf vampire hybrid or Dracula?
Not my area of expertise at all but I would guess, Dracula. He is one of the all-time great baddies!
What inspired the plot of your novel, Murder on the Titanic?
I love whodunnits, murder-mysteries and especially Agatha Christie novels. She is my favourite author. I have also taught about the Titanic for many years and it is such an interesting event. What could be more thrilling and suspenseful than an adventure on the Titanic when there’s a murderer on the loose?
What are some things you did to understand and perfect the craft of writing?
To be honest, I didn’t really do anything. I read a lot. That is the best thing you can do. I have recently read a book by Stephen King on the craft of writing which was interesting.
What are some ways you bump up the thrill factor in a book?
I try to make them fast-paced. I don’t want anyone to be bored when they’re reading one of my books. That is the worst feeling, when you’re trudging through a book and getting no enjoyment from it. Hopefully I am writing page-turners.
What's the strangest thing you have ever had to research online for your book?
I love doing the research part of writing but it is time-consuming and sometimes frustrating when all you want to do is write. My most recent book, The Breaking Dawn, is set in the first century AD during the reign of the Roman Empire. I had to do a lot of research for that one, especially the ordinary day-to-day things.
What is one of the biggest mistakes you made as a new author and how did you fix it?
For my first book, Murder on the Titanic, I didn’t plan it out in advance. I had the basic outline of the murder in my head, but basically just made it up as I went along. I know a lot of people do that and it works for them. But it didn’t work for me. Every book since, I have planned out chapter by chapter before I have started writing. That works much better for me and has meant I can write them a lot quicker.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Not really, only friends and family. They’re very complimentary, as you’d expect!
Which is the next book you are working on? Give us an insight into it.
I am currently doing a lot of editing for some books I wrote a while ago. It was one big book which I have had to divide into three. That has meant a lot of revising and rewriting. As a result, I haven’t written anything new for a while. It follows the lives of five main characters around Palestine in the first century AD. They’re all very different, for example one is a Roman Soldier and another a Jewish Pharisee. They have a plethora of interesting experiences and eventually their stories intertwine. In the final book of the trilogy, all of them, in different ways, encounter a controversial preacher from the Galilee.
When did you first join AllAuthor and did you join as a free or pro-member first? What are your thoughts on this website?
I joined on the recommendation of a fellow self-published author and went Pro when I got serious about marketing my first book, Murder on the Titanic. I have enjoyed seeing the banners that are made for me and get excited when I get new followers. I am hoping to get lots more books on there soon.
