Today's Q&A is with Author Steve McHugh!
Enjoy & Comment.
What is the worst thing you’ve written,
how did you learn or know it was bad, and what did you learn from it?
The worst thing
I’ve ever written was when I was about 13 and I wrote a very short story that
if Terry Pratchett had read it, he’d have sued me for plagiarism. It was awful,
although the writing of it taught me to find my own style, so it was also very
useful.
Why did you start writing and when did
you decide to go professional?
I’ve been writing
since I was very young, maybe 9 or 10, and then from about 16- 21 I would write
bits here and there, but never get anything finished. My daughter was born when
I was 25 and that’s when I decided to get serious about it. I sat down and
wrote a book called, For Past Sins, that will never ever be published. But
after finishing it, I knew a lot more than I had before. I started Crimes
Against Magic then and once that was finished decided it was good enough to
publish. The day the book went onto Amazon, I knew I was hooked for life.
Do you write in more than one genre?
Which ones and which do you like the best?
I have an idea
for a Steampunk story and one for a full on epic fantasy, oh and an historical
fantasy too, but at the moment I’m writing my Urban Fantasy Hellequin books,
and making notes of the others when I get chance. Right now, Urban Fantasy is
my favourite. When I get round to writing the other books, I imagine that will
change depending on the day.
Do you read other author’s books when
you’re writing? If so, do you read the same genre or something different?
As I’m writing,
or thinking about writing, quite a lot, I have no choice but to write and read
together. I tend to pick up whatever looks good at the time, although since
I’ve started writing, my reading has dropped. Unfortunately this has meant my
backlog of books is ever growing. One day, I’ll make a dent.
What is the most difficult part of the
entire writing process for you? Queries, pitches, editing..etc.
I hate synopsis.
Hate them with an earthly passion. They suck. And I told my editor this when I
got my contract. Apparently everyone hates them, so it’s nice to know I’m not
alone in my feelings.
If you could have the same type of career
as any author currently publishing who would it be and why?
Neil Gaiman. His
work in comics, TV, movies and books (both children and adult) is quite diverse
and I think that’s something I’d like to be able to say I did. Also, he’s
wildly successful. That’d be nice too.
Optional:
Author Bio: Steve’s
been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an
English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat
with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The
follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got
him an A.
It
wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel that
was publishable, the results of which was Crimes Against Magic.
He was born in a small
village called Mexbrough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and
three young daughters in Southampton.
Crimes Against Magic:
Hellequin
Chronicles: Book 1
How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you
can’t remember?
Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with
no memory of his past—a gun, a sword, and a piece of paper with his name on it
the only clues to his identity. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful
sorcerer and has used his magical abilities to become a successful thief for
hire.
But those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet: when
they cause a job to go bad and threaten a sixteen-year-old girl, Nate swears to
protect her. With his enemies closing in and everyone he cares about now a
target for their wrath, he must choose between the comfortable life he’s built
for himself and his elusive past.
As the barrier holding his memories captive begins to crumble,
Nate moves between modern-day London and fifteenth-century France, forced to
confront his forgotten life in the hope of stopping an enemy he can’t remember.
Born of Hatred:
Hellequin
Chronicles: Book 2
There are some things even a centuries-old sorcerer hesitates to
challenge…
When Nathan Garret’s friend seeks his help investigating a bloody
serial killer, the pattern of horrific crimes leads to a creature of pure
malevolence, born of hatred and dark magic. Even with all his powers, Nate
fears he may be overmatched. But when evil targets those he cares about and he
is confronted by dire threats both old and new, Nate must reveal a secret from
his recently remembered past to remind his enemies why they should fear him
once more.
Born of Hatred, set in modern London with historical flashbacks to America’s Old
West, continues the dark urban fantasy of Crimes
Against Magic, the acclaimed first book in the gritty and action-packed
Hellequin Chronicles.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevejMchugh
Website: http://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com/
Crimes Against Magic: http://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Against-Hellequin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00CX5BYCI/ref=tmm_kin_title_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378489488&sr=8-4
Born of hatred: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Hatred-Hellequin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00CX5BYD2/ref=tmm_kin_title_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378489488&sr=8-3
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