Interview with Author Zach Abrams

interview with Zach Abrams about Ring Fenced

1 What is your book about

My book tells the story of Benjamin Short in his various incarnations.  Benjamin is a very complex character and compartmentalises his life to an extreme.  His life is split into five different characters, each living under a variation of his name and the people in each of these lives have little or no knowledge of the others.  The one common thread weaving each of his lives together is his obsession for music.  There is an inevitability the divisions can not be sustained and the story deals with the unforeseen events taking place causing the divisions to become blurred with catastrophic results.

Benjamin is an anti-hero.  Although each of his characters has some redeeming features, they essentially are all different aspects of Benjamin's self obsession.  He is a sociopath constantly using other people to serve his own ends.  

2 How did you come up with the idea for your book?

That's the strange part.  I didn't have an idea for a book.  I was sitting thinking about writing something and I had the idea for the character.  He developed in my mind and I thought I'd start trying to write about him.  At first I though it would make an essay or a short story.  The ideas expanded as I tried to explain about the different aspects of his character and the story seemed to write itself.  At no time did I prepare or think through a plot and I didn't know where it was going.  Afterwards, when I read it through for the first time it was like reading someone else's novel. 

3  Does your main character resemble anyone in your family or circle of friends?

I certainly hope not.  True there are aspects of myself and of people I know but Benjamin is not based on any one person.  To survive in modern society, I, like most people have to compartmentalise.  Benjamin takes this beyond the boundaries of what is normal or reasonable.  Each of Benjamin's lives are reasonable normal if taken in isolation - it's only when they are combined under the same character and obsessively ring fenced that they become pathological 

4 Who is your favorite writer? Why?

There are many writers I love depending on my mood.  One that I particularly enjoy is the British author Michael Dobbs (to confuse matters there is a US author of the same name).  I became addicted to his books after reading 'House of Cards' where I adored his depiction of Francis Urquhart.  His own political experiences make his novels knowledgeable, insightful and amusing.

5 How long did it take you to write your book?

Once I started writing 'Ring Fenced,' I was consumed by it and wrote obsessively.  I completed the first draft within five weeks then needed a rest to draw breath.  The first edit took me about four months and it was over another year before I was sufficiently happy with it to allow anyone else, outside family, to read it. I waited a further year or more to embark on another novel and I competed and published 'Made a Killing during 2012.' It was less obsessively written but not by much  Its sequel 'A Measure of Trouble' has recently been completed and I hope to have it published quite soon

 6 What strange writing rituals do you have?

I don't know if I'd go as far as calling them rituals but I prefer to write into a word document while having a couple of windows open in the background.  I have one open to a dictionary /thesaurus and the other open in Google search.  This way I can often research or confirm small details I'm writing about while the thought is in my head.  Only recently, I've added a separate word document to the combination so I can make notes on my time line and characters as I go along.

I've recently noticed that I'm not too distracted by background noise so I don't have a problem with a television or radio being on while I'm writing.  It's maybe helped by my partial deafness but strangely enough I've found afterwards that I have a reasonable awareness of what the programme has been about and it hasn't significantly affected my writing - except maybe a few more typos to correct.

7 What are your hobbies? 

Hobbies? Are you serious?  Where's the time?  Seriously though, I still have a lot of work commitments and try to write whenever I can.  This involves the associated requirements to edit and publish and to try to mutually support other writers that I know.  Outside of all of this I enjoy reading, music travel and sports.  

8 What are you reading at the moment?

I've recently completed writing 'A Measure of Trouble' - a sequel to Made a Killing and it should be published soon.  I have two new projects on the go which together with writing, editing and publishing responsibilities I have little time left to read at present However when I can, I'm working my way through some of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series as they are easy and enjoyable reads. When I'm not writing at the same time, I love reading Indie books, as I find real originality whereas the mainstream mainly keeps churning out variations of the same thing.

Interview with Author Mel Toye

What is your book about?

Entice Me is about three women who are living their lives unsatisfied and unfulfilled but are unsure how to break free and live the life they really want. Which begs the question – what do they want from life? It is not until life forces them out of their daily routines that they are forced to discover what the world has to offer. Complication arises when one woman is set out to be the best in the business and when things don’t go her way no one suspects what she will do next.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Entice Me was created when I had just left a very demanding job that I loved but was treated very poorly. I had never felt fulfilled in any of the jobs I worked in and had spoken to many people who had worked in their careers for decades yet were unfulfilled, they were stuck. I wanted to create Entice Me to hold a motivating message through an entertaining story to not wait for life to force you to change paths, but to think about what are your ultimate dreams in life and each day work towards it.

After writing Entice Me, it seems my life has also changed directions, writing is my dream and at the time I didn’t realise it. I wanted to escape the rat race but I was not sure what I wanted to do. It seems I have been writing and telling stories all my life I just never realised it was my dream career until recently. Now I want more than ever to share with everyone to chase their own dreams. It can be daunting and push you out of your comfort zone to the max, but it is incredibly rewarding.

What makes your book different than others in your genre?

Entice Me is a chick lit novel that pushes the boundaries that this genre would not normally write about. Drama, suspense, eating disorders, fraud and even suicide make this chick lit a book that will have you hooked to your seat wanting to read more.  What makes Entice Me even more compelling are the characters which can relate to anyone in any stage of life.

Who is your favorite writer? Why?

Currently it is Janet Evanovich, I love her characters, her writing style and the fact that I can’t put her books down.

What strange writing rituals do you have?

Now, I write mainly in the evening, so I like to have a cup of herbal tea and something to eat as I sit down and write. For sanity purposes I have a pen and notepad in every room of the house as well as in my bag and in my child’s pram because when I get a thought for a good story or just a conversational piece, I have to write it down as soon as possible.

Is your writing style similar to any well-known writers? If so, which one(s)?

A good chick lit novel is one filled with girly fun and adventure, which is light and entertaining that will leave you smiling throughout the read. Entice Me portrays this and adds even more thrill to your read.

I don’t think I could really compare my writing to any one else’s, as all writers add their own uniqueness and specialty. I would say my story telling is combined with self-help as I want to inspire and send a message through my novels to chase your dreams in life but be sure to have fun on the way.

Who is your Muse?

My motivator is my son. I was writing before he was born but he motivated me to self-publish my novel and become a freelance writer. I love that I am showing my son that I am chasing my dreams and he can too.

What are your hobbies?

Writing! Generally all my spare time is spent on writing and marketing. But I love it. I love spending time at the beach and exploring new adventures and places too.

Does your main character resemble anyone in your family or circle of friends?

Most likely, one cannot help but write about personalities and traits that are known to the person. When my husband and brother read the first two chapters, they said ‘this sounds just like you’. Not that I would ever go around sleeping with strangers in a drunken manner and throw my underwear on their bed (as I am happily married!) but I guess my voice came through the novel, which is great.  Although once the characters where created the story just flowed through me, these characters created their own paths.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Longer than one would appreciate. I spent two years writing Entice Me, when my computer crashed I lost everything except for three chapters. I took four months off, when a friend suggested perhaps it was a sign to start again. Then I rewrote Entice Me again adding in Sally and Mr Perfect to really spice up the storyline. I believe most of the story changed but for the better. Took me another 1 year and a half to write Entice Me again. I was also working full time in another role. I would write in lunch breaks, at night time and on weekends.

What are some writing goals for the future?

My immediate goals are to become an International Best Selling Author. I would love for my novels to be turned into movies. And I will be aiming to write and self-publish some short stories and non-fiction eBooks as well as release my next fiction novel by the end of next year.  My main goal at this stage is to earn a full time living from writing.

If you were stranded on an island which book would you bring with you?

I would be sure to pack a notepad and pen so I could write my own story.

What was the most difficult thing you have learned being a writer?

When writing Entice Me I had to be absolutely focused to finish the novel. Then once I finished it, I had to let go of all my fear of rejections and go out and spread the word to the world about Entice Me.