Sci-Fi / Dark Fantasy
Date Published:September 2014
Small Town, Dark Heart…
A long way from anywhere, on a road going nowhere, lays a small, unremarkable town. It seems a peaceable, prosperous little place, on the surface at least.
Away from prying eyes however, in the shadows and the forgotten corners, there is a web being weaved through the lives of its inhabitants by the town’s urbane and mysterious Mayor. A man prepared to make a deal for your heart's desire and, maybe, for your very soul…
Welcome to Hawker’s Drift, a town where nothing is quite as it seems…
#1 – Do You See
Writing as a Career?
That is the dream – it’s more rewarding, the hours are
better and no one shouts at me if I spend too long staring out of the window!
However, if I quit the “proper” job I fear I’d very quickly be living on the
streets with all my worldly possessions in a supermarket carrier bag. I would
love to be able to make a living from writing, but with a mortgage to pay, plus
a hungry girlfriend and a high maintenance goldfish to support, I have to be
realistic.
#2 – What was the
Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
Self-discipline. Being a bit of a day-dreamer (or a lazy
good for nothing wastrel if you prefer) actually getting the hours in at the
typeface can be a struggle. As much as I enjoy writing, sometimes it can be a
slog, some scenes just don’t want to be written, some characters just won’t
come to life and some pieces of dialogue just fall flat no matter what (much
like most of my after dinner anecdotes). Finding the will power to stick with
it when the going gets tough and ignoring the distractions of day to day life
is probably the biggest hurdle I have to face as a writer.
#3 – Did you have any
One Person Who Helped You Out with Your Writing Outside of Your Family?
Oh dear. This is going to sound a bit conceited, but not
really no. Writing has always been a very private process for me. I shut the
bedroom door, power up the PC and hack out the words. It took my 12 years to
write my first series of books (In the
Absence of Light) and aside from my partner, none of my friends and family
even knew I was writing them.
#4 – What is next for
your writing?
I’m currently working on my second Hawker’s Drift novel, The
Path of the World, which I hope to have published in the first half of next
year. I’m also playing with a few ideas for a fantasy book after that, though I
try to stick to one project at a time – being a man I’m rubbish at multi-tasking.
#5 – Do you have an
addiction to reading as well as writing? If so, what are you currently reading?
I used to read avidly as a kid, every week I’d rush down to
the library, take out four novels, read the lot and be back again the following
week for more. I largely blame this for my spectacularly average exam results.
Stephen King was just so much more interesting and relevant than trigonometry revision
(don’t think anyone can argue with that).
I haven’t got the time to read as much as that anymore, but
I have a book on the go all the time. I’m currently working my way through Joe
Abercrombie’s fantasy books, very dark and bloody. Haven’t read any fantasy for
a while, but I’m really enjoying these.
DESCRIBE Your Book in
1 Tweet: A small town with a dark heart, where nothing is quite as it seems
& every soul has a price.
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3? Mp3 (The Cult of Apple makes me nervous).
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate (though ideally both
together)
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries? Fries
#4 – Comedy or Drama? Drama
#5 – iPhone or Droid? Droid (see 1)
#6 – Fantasy or Reality? Fantasy (Reality sucks, for
example, in the real world I’ve never
won the lottery!)
#7 – Call or Text? Text (I have a phobia about talking to
people if I can’t see their eyes. It’s just wrong. No, really…)
#8 – Summer or Winter? Summer (Ever been to Britain
in the winter?)
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate (coffee is
noxious puddle water – how do people drink the stuff?)
#10 – eBook or Paperback? (eBook)
Andy Monk lives in London with his partner and their goldfish.
After a high-flying academic career and glittering success in professional sport, followed by a jet-set lifestyle of wild parties, exotic holidays and beautiful women, he settled down to write internationally acclaimed best-selling novels.
Andy Monk has a tendency to exaggerate and has an occasionally tenuous grip on reality.
He does, however, have a goldfish.
Sci-Fi / Dark Fantasy
Date Published:September 2014
Small Town, Dark Heart…
A long way from anywhere, on a road going nowhere, lays a small, unremarkable town. It seems a peaceable, prosperous little place, on the surface at least.
Away from prying eyes however, in the shadows and the forgotten corners, there is a web being weaved through the lives of its inhabitants by the town’s urbane and mysterious Mayor. A man prepared to make a deal for your heart's desire and, maybe, for your very soul…
Welcome to Hawker’s Drift, a town where nothing is quite as it seems…
#1 – Do You See
Writing as a Career?
That is the dream – it’s more rewarding, the hours are
better and no one shouts at me if I spend too long staring out of the window!
However, if I quit the “proper” job I fear I’d very quickly be living on the
streets with all my worldly possessions in a supermarket carrier bag. I would
love to be able to make a living from writing, but with a mortgage to pay, plus
a hungry girlfriend and a high maintenance goldfish to support, I have to be
realistic.
#2 – What was the
Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
Self-discipline. Being a bit of a day-dreamer (or a lazy
good for nothing wastrel if you prefer) actually getting the hours in at the
typeface can be a struggle. As much as I enjoy writing, sometimes it can be a
slog, some scenes just don’t want to be written, some characters just won’t
come to life and some pieces of dialogue just fall flat no matter what (much
like most of my after dinner anecdotes). Finding the will power to stick with
it when the going gets tough and ignoring the distractions of day to day life
is probably the biggest hurdle I have to face as a writer.
#3 – Did you have any
One Person Who Helped You Out with Your Writing Outside of Your Family?
Oh dear. This is going to sound a bit conceited, but not
really no. Writing has always been a very private process for me. I shut the
bedroom door, power up the PC and hack out the words. It took my 12 years to
write my first series of books (In the
Absence of Light) and aside from my partner, none of my friends and family
even knew I was writing them.
#4 – What is next for
your writing?
I’m currently working on my second Hawker’s Drift novel, The
Path of the World, which I hope to have published in the first half of next
year. I’m also playing with a few ideas for a fantasy book after that, though I
try to stick to one project at a time – being a man I’m rubbish at multi-tasking.
#5 – Do you have an
addiction to reading as well as writing? If so, what are you currently reading?
I used to read avidly as a kid, every week I’d rush down to
the library, take out four novels, read the lot and be back again the following
week for more. I largely blame this for my spectacularly average exam results.
Stephen King was just so much more interesting and relevant than trigonometry revision
(don’t think anyone can argue with that).
I haven’t got the time to read as much as that anymore, but
I have a book on the go all the time. I’m currently working my way through Joe
Abercrombie’s fantasy books, very dark and bloody. Haven’t read any fantasy for
a while, but I’m really enjoying these.
DESCRIBE Your Book in
1 Tweet: A small town with a dark heart, where nothing is quite as it seems
& every soul has a price.
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3? Mp3 (The Cult of Apple makes me nervous).
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate (though ideally both
together)
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries? Fries
#4 – Comedy or Drama? Drama
#5 – iPhone or Droid? Droid (see 1)
#6 – Fantasy or Reality? Fantasy (Reality sucks, for
example, in the real world I’ve never
won the lottery!)
#7 – Call or Text? Text (I have a phobia about talking to
people if I can’t see their eyes. It’s just wrong. No, really…)
#8 – Summer or Winter? Summer (Ever been to Britain
in the winter?)
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate (coffee is
noxious puddle water – how do people drink the stuff?)
#10 – eBook or Paperback? (eBook)
Andy Monk lives in London with his partner and their goldfish.
After a high-flying academic career and glittering success in professional sport, followed by a jet-set lifestyle of wild parties, exotic holidays and beautiful women, he settled down to write internationally acclaimed best-selling novels.
Andy Monk has a tendency to exaggerate and has an occasionally tenuous grip on reality.
He does, however, have a goldfish.
September 9 - Mythical Books - Guest Post
September 10 - Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
September 11 - Twin Opinions - Excerpt
September 12 - Logikal Blog - Guest Post
September 13 - The Avid Book Collector - Excerpt
September 14 - Bound 2 Escape - Excerpt
September 15 - Fantasy Book Lane - Excerpt
September 16 - Deal Sharing Aunt - Interview
September 17 - Simplistic Reviews - Excerpt
September 18 - A Life Through Books - Review
September 19 - Life's Unfiltered Ramblings - Guest Post
September 20 - Chosen By You Book Club - Excerpt
September 22 - Texas Book Nook - Review
September 23 - My Reading Addiction - Review
September 24 - Little Book Pixie - Review
September 30 - The Word at My Fingertips - Review
October 1 - Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock - Review
October 2 - Book Suburbia - Excerpt
October 3 - Word to Dreams - Excerpt
October 6 - Book Publicity Services - Interview
October 7 - Ashley's Paranormal Blog - Excerpt
October 10 - Books, Authors, Blogs - Excerpt
October 11 - Must Read Faster - Excerpt
October 12 - Taking Steps Into Another World - Review
October 13 - Eyes on Books - Review
October 14 - Rhiannon H. Morris - Review
October 15 - Bea's Book Nook - Review
October 16 - D'eBook Sharing Reviews - Excerpt
October 17 - Illuminate Caliginosus - Guest Post
October 18 - Dalene's Book Reviews - Review
September 9 - Mythical Books - Guest Post
September 10 - Pieces of Whimsy - Interview
September 11 - Twin Opinions - Excerpt
September 12 - Logikal Blog - Guest Post
September 13 - The Avid Book Collector - Excerpt
September 14 - Bound 2 Escape - Excerpt
September 15 - Fantasy Book Lane - Excerpt
September 16 - Deal Sharing Aunt - Interview
September 17 - Simplistic Reviews - Excerpt
September 18 - A Life Through Books - Review
September 19 - Life's Unfiltered Ramblings - Guest Post
September 20 - Chosen By You Book Club - Excerpt
September 22 - Texas Book Nook - Review
September 23 - My Reading Addiction - Review
September 24 - Little Book Pixie - Review
September 30 - The Word at My Fingertips - Review
October 1 - Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock - Review
October 2 - Book Suburbia - Excerpt
October 3 - Word to Dreams - Excerpt
October 6 - Book Publicity Services - Interview
October 7 - Ashley's Paranormal Blog - Excerpt
October 10 - Books, Authors, Blogs - Excerpt
October 11 - Must Read Faster - Excerpt
October 12 - Taking Steps Into Another World - Review
October 13 - Eyes on Books - Review
October 14 - Rhiannon H. Morris - Review
October 15 - Bea's Book Nook - Review
October 16 - D'eBook Sharing Reviews - Excerpt
October 17 - Illuminate Caliginosus - Guest Post
October 18 - Dalene's Book Reviews - Review
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