So, Richard, what do you write? Why this in
particular?
My books are predominantly
thrillers, but most have a scientific or technology element thrown in (such as
a deadly virus that kills women the moment they give birth). I try to write the
type of books I enjoy reading: an interesting premise, believable characters
and some good twists.
What got you started on writing
in the first place?
I have always been an avid reader
and had been meaning to try my hand at writing, but life always seemed to get
in the way. My first book, The Rage, took three years to write, and I finally
self-published it in late 2015. Since then, I have released another five books,
including the Decimation trilogy, at a rate of roughly one per year. My short
stories have also been published in anthologies by Bloodhound Books (Dark
Minds), Corona Books (The Corona Book of Science Fiction) and most recently,
Bridge House Publishing (Resolutions).
When did you decide you could
call yourself a writer? Do you do that in fact?
In my view, anybody who writes
should call themselves a writer. After six novels and three published short
stories, I most certainly classify myself as such.
How supportive are your friends and family? Do
they understand what you're doing?
My wife is very supportive, but
she is not a great reader. I think she is fed up of our discussions about the
plots of books I am working on. Unfortunately, to date she has only completed
my first two books.
What are you most proud of in
your writing?
I am most proud when a reader
enjoys my work. Last October, I received an email from a reader in Australia
who had been suffering from a serious illness and picked up my Decimation
trilogy. She thanked me for “an entertaining week of reading” and told me she
had “thoroughly enjoyed every page”. That message made my day! I read all
reader reviews (both good and not so good!), but I am also currently running an
advertising campaign on Facebook and have had several complimentary messages
about my writing in the comments section. Moments like those make all the hard
work worthwhile.
How do you
get on with editing and research?
I have an engineering background,
so research is something that comes naturally to me. The Internet is an obvious
source of information, but I also try to read books with a similar theme before
starting work on a new project.
I quite enjoy editing because I
know I am on the home stretch by that stage. I make extensive use of automated
tools, including ProWritingAid and Grammarly, but I also have a diverse group that
helps to review my work before publication, including an editor and several beta
readers, some of whom are authors themselves.
Do you have any goals for the
future?
I would like to accelerate the
rate at which I put out books to at least two a year. It would also be nice to
have a book picked up by one of the big publishers, mainly because it would
allow me to spend more time on the writing and less on the admin and marketing
side of things.
Which writers have inspired you?
In terms of authors, Blake
Crouch, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Andy Weir rank highest in terms of reading
enjoyment at the moment. I also particularly enjoy the work of Chris Whitaker, Lynwood
Barclay, John Marrs and Sibel Hodge.
But Ross Greenwood, who is published by Boldwood Books, is
probably my biggest source of inspiration. We started writing around the same
time and regularly provide feedback on each other’s novels. Despite his
increasing status as a writer of crime fiction, he still finds time to offer
his support to others in the publishing business.
Where did/do you get your ideas from?
Ideas often just pop into my head or originate from
something I have read or watched. Take Decimation, for example. I know Dan
Brown is a bit like Marmite with readers, but I quite enjoy his work. I was
discussing the plot of Inferno with my wife (terrorists plan to release a
plague that will sterilise the human race) when I had a flash of inspiration. I
asked her what would happen if, instead of simply making women infertile, a
virus killed mothers immediately after giving birth. Rather than the main
character trying to prevent the disease from spreading (as in Inferno), what if
the virus had already been around for sixteen years? And what if the main
character was pregnant herself?
How do you pick your characters’ names?
The name of the main character in Decimation, Antimone
(AN-TIM-OH-NEE), just came into my head. I suspect my subconscious mind was
influenced by the Harry Potter books (which my daughter loved as a child) and
the character of Hermione (HER-MY-OH-NEE) Granger.
If you could meet any author, who would it be and what
would you ask them?
It would have to be Blake Crouch. I’d like to ask him how he
got the ideas for his recent novels.
If you could re-write the ending to any book, what would
it be, and what would you change?
I’m not going to be specific, but I hate books where the story
is left unresolved. Cliff-hangers are a particular pet hate. Even in a series,
I think an author owes it to the reader to resolve the major plot points.
Is there a book you wish you had written?
I have to go with Recursion by Blake Crouch. When you find
your dreams are affected by a book, the author has done a good job!
If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title
be?
Made in Blackburn: the tale of an engineer and author
If you could invite any fictional character for coffee,
who would it be and where would you take them?
I’m fascinated by new technology, so I’d invite Marty McFly
(Back to the Future). I’d take him to a coffee shop a hundred years in the
future—if they still drink coffee—to see how the world has changed.
What are you working on right now?
My next book is in the planning stage and has a working
title of “The Last Thirty Seconds”. It will be a near future Sci-Fi / Thriller
story, but I don’t want to give too much away yet!
Tell me about your last book
My latest book, Annihilation: Origins and Endings, is the
third in the Decimation trilogy and was published in September 2021 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0917PF5XW).
The underlying theme of a deadly pandemic is apposite in these strange times,
but I published the first book (Decimation) two years before COVID-19 emerged.
The Decimation series takes place in a world where a virus
has infected every living person. It lies dormant until a woman gives birth,
then she dies. For the past sixteen years, no woman has survived childbirth.
Until now.
The third instalment, Annihilation: Origins and Endings, is
written in two timeframes, one that goes back to the beginning and covers the
initial outbreak, and another which follows the main characters as they help
the scientists to develop a cure. But not everybody is working towards the same
goals. There are several twists and turns, which eventually bring the two
timelines together.
