WOW I can't believe it is November 1st . Today we are kicking of NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER helping out Reading Zombie group on face book . To celebrate the world of zombies and some horror indie authors . Through out the month I will be interviewing a few of them .
Today's victim is Christopher Artinian and his SAFE HAVEN SERIES
Hi Christopher thanks for stopping by today , its a pleasure meeting you
Thank you for having me
Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born and raised in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Wanting to escape life in a big city and concentrate more on working to live than living to work, I moved to the Outer Hebrides in the north-west of Scotland in 2004, and have lived there ever since with my wife and dogs. I am a huge music lover, an avid reader, and a loyal follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Tell us about your books
I released my debut novel, Safe Haven: Rise of the Rams in February 2017. This was the first instalment of a post-apocalyptic zombie trilogy. Book two, Safe Haven: Realm of the Raiders came out in July this year and has had a great response. Book three should be out before 2018.
For fans of the Safe Haven books, a stand alone short story was released as part of an anthology, Undead Worlds. I also wrote another zombie tale, unrelated to the books for the charity anthology, Treasured Chests.
Do you have a specific writing style
I'm not sure I have a particular writing style, but I do use a particular method when I'm writing. When I was younger, I did drama in school and started writing performance pieces. I would always write through the eyes of the characters, and that has stuck with me. I try and live through the characters in my writing. (This can be a little disturbing sometimes).
Where did your interest in writing originate
I have always been a huge music fan for as long as I can remember. When I was in my teens I started writing album and gig reviews for fanzines and magazines and it just developed from there. Doing drama in school helped massively with the fiction aspect of my writing and things just progressed.
Do you read your reviews and what do you do when you find a bad review
I do read reviews. It's hard not to. A lot of people like my work and some don't. At the end of the day, everybody is entitled to an opinion.
Do you have any writing rituals,
No rituals as such, but I have to have the door closed. It's easy for my train of thought to be broken. I also need lots of coffee.
Do you hide little tidbits in your stories that only a few people will get
Not deliberately. There are little bits that people who know me have said... well, that's you all over. But the key is to write what you know, so there are always going to be elements that people who know you will recognise.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager , to help you become a better writer what would it be
I would have read an awful lot more. I didn't read anything other than rock music magazines when I was growing up, and I really missed out on a lot.
how long on average does it take for you to write your books
It varies. I have quite a lot of other commitments at the moment and it is a juggling act. If I can clear the decks and concentrate fully on writing, I can do ten - fifteen thousand words per week. But like I say, that's in an ideal world.
Do you believe in writers block
I don't personally suffer from it, but my heart goes out to anyone who hits a brick wall.
NOW FOR SOME QUICK QUESTIONS
COFFEE TEA OR OTHER
Coffee... and wine... and other things.
FAVOURITE JUNK FOOD
PIZZA
FAVOURITE CHILDREN'S BOOK
Biggles Sees Too Much by W E Johns
DO YOU GOOGLE YOURSELF
Yes
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
What would you tell any aspiring writers out there
Never give up. There will be good days and bad days. Good weeks and bad weeks. But remember why you want to write.
WHERE CAN WE STALK YOU
Things to be Thankful for here is a great way to start of November!!Christopher Artinian is an awesome author!! He has a true connection with his fans. He is a lot of fun and his fan page is one of the best. His books are beyond great they are Epic! Pam TroupeJones
ReplyDeleteI've read both Safe Haven books and cannot wait for the third.
ReplyDeleteExciting and fast paced. Can't stop reading because you have to know what's gong to happen next with the characters.
Theresa Gibson