I'd like to extend a great big New York City welcome to my very good writing friend, Andrew Richardson from the UK. We've been critique partners since meeting on critters.org six years ago. I hope to finally have the chance to meet him in person when I travel to London for Worldcon in 2014.
Andrew writes a curious mix of supernatural horror and erotic fiction that never fails to terrify me or delight me--and his readers. He's got news about his Next Big Thing to share right now.
Thank you to Carole for inviting me to
take part in The Next Big Thing.
What is the title of your next book?
‘Dana’s Children’. The background is an Irish Celtic myth about
a tribe led by the Mother Goddess Dana.
Her people were forced to live underground when ‘modern’ man arrived.
Where did the idea for the book come
from?
I’ve always been fascinated by Celtic
myths and legends. The stories are
varied, with some being violent, some being romantic, and some
fantastical. Most of my books have a Celtic
element and I’m sure will provide me with inspiration for years to come.
What genre does your book fall under?
Horror, but it would be very difficult
to write a story based on Celtic myth without including a fantasy element, too.
Which actors would you choose to play
your characters in a movie rendition?
My heroine has green eyes and long
black hair. I think Megan Fox is
probably nearest.
My hero is a boy-next-door sort. A younger Tom Cruise would do nicely.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of
the book?
Modern day archaeologists uncover a
subterranean tribe.
Will your book be self-published or
represented by an agency?
Neither. I sent Dana’s Children to a publisher direct,
and it was accepted a few days ago – although I prefer not to name publishers
until contracts are signed, just in case something goes wrong.
How long did it take you to write the
first draft of your masterpiece?
Planning took about three months. The first draft took around nine months,
followed by something like another six months proofing.
What other books would you compare this
story to within your genre?
I’ve tried to think about this, but
failed. I’ll go with a couple of films
instead, and I think Alien or The Descent are reasonably close.
Who or what inspired you to write this
book?
I was doing some research for a novel
about Irish invasion myths, but I wasn’t happy with the story so discarded
it. I read about Dana’s people while
doing the research, and thought the concept of a hostile subterranean tribe had
possibilities so I went in that direction instead.
What else about your book might pique
the reader’s interest?
My Acquisitions Editor liked Dana’s
Children for a couple of reasons; firstly for the use of Irish folklore in a
horror story, and secondly because it has a twist ending.
Who is next to be interviewed?
I’d like to nominate Gianna Bruno and Philip McCormac.
* * *
Andrew Richardson lives in
Wiltshire, England, with his wife, teenage son, and a hamster. He is within easy reach of Stonehenge and
other historical places whose regal solitude provide a clear mind for working
out plot difficulties and story ideas.
Most of Andrew’s work falls
squarely into the ‘horror’ genre, but he also enjoys writing some erotica so
his characters can have some fun for a change instead of being scared out of
their wits.
He has a pathological dislike
of laptops, so adopts the old and quaint approach of typing with a desktop,
which at least has a screen big enough to avoid the need to squint.
Andrew has a background in archaeology
and has worked in several trenches. It’s
not really a surprise that most of his work reflects this interest and
experience, even if it’s as peripheral as his characters living the university
lifestyle.
When he’s not
writing or working as a science administrator Andrew follows Aldershot Town
Football Club and takes long walks over rugged countryside.
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