English writer and adventurer Emily Chance talks to us about her enthralling novel, Hermes. The book is called Hermes. Perhaps we should start by talking about the origin and the significance of the title. Hermes is the herald of the Gods. He is the protector of human heralds and travellers. The title operates on many levels with several messengers in the different epochs and of course, the sea creatures are sacred in Hermes world. Using the turtles in the story came from my love of Scuba Diving and the more general ecological message but they play back into the legend of Hermes and Hermes is also a trickster which resonates in the narrative on two levels. I wanted to start by asking if you had the title before you started writing this one? I did and what is odd about the choice, like so many elements of the book, is the synchronicity of the story and why it is called Hermes became more persuasive. What is the theme of Hermes? Oh dear, there are so many, but the central one is we make our way into the heavens to a place that has always known humanity; intimately. They already have a view of us. In Hermes, you explore the essence of what it is to be human. Do you think human beings are ready psychologically and socially to be led (by a greater intelligence) away from their “dark ending?” As the years go by, I become more and more certain we are not. I wrote this book in 2022 and the reality of it, the type of person who would sponsor a mission and that would set out for another world, humanity’s inability to speak with a single voice, state-sponsored industrial espionage, has only increased, life is imitating art. Are you gloomy or optimistic about the future in terms of the way we’re learning, or not, from past mistakes? Do you think we’re hardwired to self-destruct? Do you think it’s time to pause? Pause and soon Are there any experiences that shaped or informed the writing of this book? In each epoch, there are particular ones. Living In New Zealand and learning about the culture, inspired me to begin the story in a location on the Northwest Coast of the South Island among ancient man and their beliefs so nobly expressed in the Polynesian Tribal leader Nikau. My love of the history of Anglo-Saxon and Tudor England which I studied at GCSE A levels, a long time ago. Living in Abu Dhabi has made me intimately aware of the vision of the Sheiks which is beginning to emerge in a vision for a Cultural District, where I live, and extraordinary museums like the Louvre Abu Dhabi which is a location in my book. The hard-working ex-pat communities particularly the Indian one, which is reflected in the opening pages of Movement Three with the death of Elizabetha Chandrika’s father who hails from Kerala. The empty quarter of the Liwa Desert where Space City is located. Tell us a little about your writing process. I write very fast, the spine of the stories of my books are written in about six weeks. I do all my research first and then dip into it for clarification as I go through it. Once the spine of the story is written I polish and rewrite and polish endlessly. Hermes’s first draft was finished in six weeks, but I have spent two years bringing it to the standard it is at today. During that period, I use a reading group some of whom do line-by-line analysis others more general feedback and one in particular proofreads. My location is very important. All of my books have been written in Abu Dhabi and the polishing in Lombok and The Forest of Bowland. What characterises all three locations is I have no distractions. When it comes to this sort of writing, who are you influenced by? I am a very cinematic writer, indeed my writing emerged out of frustrations with certain films. Hermes was influenced by 2001 A Space Odyssey. I wanted to have that relationship with an enigmatic intelligence but tell the story in fine historical detail. So, when an author said to me it reminded them of 2001 but goes much further, I was very satisfied. I see my books as page-turners, so my love of early Wilbur Smith is in there or Dan Brown. I love Hardy, Haggard, Rooney, Fleming but I am not sure they get into my books. I think the film Lion In Winter gets into Hermes. A real love of music underscores the pages of the book. How is music important to you? What music meant the most to you growing up? Music is the soundtrack to my life it’s with me all the time. When I sit down for supper when I am sat under the stars, I play music throughout the day at home in Abu Dhabi. It is a constant oral embrace. Growing up I was a post-Beatles fan so all the music which embraced Jazz, Classical Folk was important to me. The band that took me from pop music to Bartok, Sibelius, Stravinsky the Guitar work of Bream and the Choral music of Byrd was Yes, the hugely successful progressive rock band of the seventies. I still love Fairport Convention for their storytelling and English Tradition, that flavour of Englishness fascinates me Can you tell us anything about what’s next for Emily Chance? The follow-through novel to Hermes is written, called Angelia. It needs a little bit of proofing, but it was written in 2023 in response to the excitement of Foreshore agreeing to publish Hermes. Like Hermes, it is prescient, horribly so, written before the October 2023 attack on Israel and its tragic aftermath. I am currently writing “Isosceles.” It was inspired by the opening scene of a movie directed by Ridley Scott in 2012, Prometheus. Hermes by Emily Chance is published by Foreshore in February in paperback.
Q&A: Duncan Saunders on his popular Young Adult “horror” novel ‘The Guard Cat.’ Q: It’s been almost a year since the release of The Guard Cat. How has post publication life treated you? It’s been busy. I’ve been involved in several events, signing copies of The Guard Cat, alongside my day job of teaching. Christmas has been my first break since the summer, when the publicity drive for The Guard Cat started in earnest. It’s been busy but enjoyable. Q: How would you describe The Guard Cat? What can readers expect from this story? I describe it as a supernatural adventure novel, set at Christmas in a small English village in the 1980s. It is a story full of mystery, and without giving away spoilers, cat lovers should find plenty to enjoy in the book. It’s ideal for children and young adults (and older adults) who enjoy an eerie, wintery tale. It’s the sort of book that is best read while curled up under a blanket in a comfy chair while the wind howls outside in the darkness of a winter night. Q: Writers have plenty of ideas and fragments of ideas, but not everything, “makes the cut.” What was it about The Guard Cat that persuaded you to put the blood, sweat and tears into its creation? When I was a child, we were snowed into the village where we lived a week before Christmas, during a power cut; I remember making toast over an open fire using a toasting fork and reading by candlelight. It was an experience which stuck with me and later on, led me to think “what if it wasn’t just a storm?” The story then took on a life of its own. I hope I’ve done justice to the dark and creepy atmosphere of that midwinter in the countryside. Q: Did you read much horror or weird fiction as a kid? Who were your favourite authors when you were 13 or 14? I was a voracious reader as a youngster. At 14, I’d graduated from Roald Dahl onto fantasy fiction; I’d discovered Tolkien by that time and had read a few Terry Pratchett books. I think I was reading the Dragonlance trilogy. A year or two later I discovered darker stories by authors such as Stephen King, so my love of the supernatural came a little later and it wasn’t until my twenties that I started reading more of the classic horror writers, such as Lovecraft. Q: Is it true you used to be a professional wrestler? It is; I think some of the matches can still be found online if you know where to look! I wrestled for a few years, mostly in the South West of England. I was a filthy villain called The Gallowman, who would cheat to win and used a hangman’s rope in his matches as often as he could get away with it. The storytelling and character aspect of wrestling always appealed to me; my wrestling days may be in the past, but The Gallowman as a character may one day make a reappearance. Q: Do you have a particular daily routine for your writing? What are some of the enjoyable, hardest, and strangest parts about writing for you? Being a teacher as my “day hustle” can make it a struggle when it comes to writing; my usual time is the last few hours of the day, before bed. This can be a problem if I get on a roll, as I’ll keep going and suddenly realise that it’s 3am! I absolutely love bringing characters and stories to life and hearing that someone has enjoyed something I’ve written is a huge compliment and the best feeling that there is. Q: What or whom have been the biggest influences on your writing? As mentioned previously, I love fantasy fiction; Tolkien, Terry Pratchett and later authors such as Tad Williams have all influenced my love of reading if not my writing style. The Guard Cat was influenced by classic horror such as Dracula and the works of HP Lovecraft, although it feels arrogant to mention myself in the same breath as such greats. As for my writing, I’d describe my ideas process as looking out of the window, asking “What if?” and then developing the ideas. Q: What advice would you give to other aspiring writers? Firstly, keep writing; like any skill, the more you practise, the better you get. The other thing that has helped me is to listen to all the advice you can get from people who have been there before, and then choose the parts that suit you. Everyone’s voice is unique, so use what you can to help you find yours. Q: What’s next for you? Do you intend to continue writing YA fiction? Absolutely; I’ve heard it said that a writer isn’t someone who chooses to write, it’s someone who can’t stop themselves writing. More specifically, a follow up for The Guard Cat is on its way. Watch this space for more details! BUY THE BOOK A wonderful gothic adventure about imagination, courage and friendship and the struggle of good and evil. In a small English village, cut off from the outside world during a snowstorm and blackout a few days before Christmas, something wicked is threatening life as they know it.. A trio of unlikely heroes ~ members of an elite organisation known as The Order of the Silver Shield ~ come to the rescue of the endangered inhabitants. Standing in their way is a dreadful life draining entity called The Unbeing and the cunning Dr Von Hawkfire. Will The Order of the Silver Shield be a match for the diabolic duo, or will darkness prevail? Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult fictionFormat: 232 pages, PaperbackISBN: 9781739394974 Add to Cart ABOUT THE AUTHOR DUNCAN SAUNDERS is a teacher and former professional wrestler whose first novel, Dinosaurs, Aliens and The Shop That Sells Everything (Ghostly Publishing) featured on the Amazon best sellers list for Children’s Sci-Fi. He lives in the shadow of the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire. His literary influences include Roald Dahl,
A Q&A with crime novelist Samantha Turner who discusses her book The Burning Truth, a gripping drama surrounding the discovery of a body in a locked, burning canal boat – the latest instalment in the Lizzie Holland crime series. What first inspired you to write The Burning Truth? The Burning Truth carries on the back story started in my first two novels, The Devil You Know & The Depths Of Murder which follow the protagonist, Lizzie Holland and the tragedies that befall her. The inspiration for the novel came from wanting to provide answers to the ongoing mystery as well as highlighting the struggle between Lizzie’s crucial role as a DI and her turbulent personal life. I have a close relationship with the canal as I can see the towpath and water from my patio. Seeing the array of colourful (in appearance and name) of the various barges sailing by and the houseboats that are permanently moored here, the story for The Burning Truth began to form in my imagination. Combined with the location of my local pub and other areas I have visited plus, a sprinkling of artistic licence the novel was brought to life. Themes of gender and violence pervade the novel. What inspired this decision? I find this question a little difficult to answer as I didn’t begin with this intention; I never do! The story develops a life of its own as I hit the keys. However, I am a writer of crime thrillers so my readers do expect some level of violence. As for gender, again I didn’t give it much thought. Violent crime can happen to anyone, and yes, we seem to hear more on the news about violence against women, but I feel we shouldn’t discount the risk to men. Whatever our gender, high-risk lifestyles, deciding to take that shortcut down the dark alleyway, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time all have the chance of ending in tragedy. How would you introduce Lizzie Holland to your readers? The Lizzie Holland we see now is quite changed to the despondent, negative woman from book one. Lizzie is a fiercely strong and independent Detective Inspector, at almost fifty years old she has only been part of The Lancashire Constabulary for ten years. Solving violent murders, rapes and other vicious incidents in the Major Crime Unit is her new purpose for living. Sometimes her need for justice can give way to vengeance if she allows her temper and past experiences to overcome her judgement. In her spare time, the once unfit and overweight Lizzie likes to run, practice self-defence and drink lots of strong coffee. She is also an avid animal lover and vegan. What research did you do in the writing process? I am fortunate to have an acquaintance who owns a canal barge and one who lived on a boat for many years. My other friend is an ex-police officer. I am afraid to say I bombarded them all with questions and I had the opportunity to view the barge in person which gave me a good insight into the layout etc. I also spoke with my local fire brigade and used my past career as a pharmacy technician for accuracy. While some of the locations in the book are based on real places which I visited I have invented certain names, pubs, and landmarks for the good of the story. What do you hope readers will take away from this novel? Firstly, I hope readers will thoroughly enjoy the novel. I also wish for readers to invest in Lizzie Holland, to care about what happens to her and to walk by her side. If the novel stirs emotions, creates suspense and instils fear then I have done my job. However, I have added a touch of humour for light relief. The novel hits on controversial topics, I hope readers aren’t offended by this and understand that as authors we have to portray all opinions, even if they seem cruel or out of date. The Burning Truth by Samantha Turner is published by Foreshore in the spring in paperback. SAMANTHA TURNER is an English crime writer, novelist and poet. She is the creator of the Lizzie Holland series and author of The Devil You Know and The Depths of Murder – the first two Lizzie Holland crime novels.
