Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.
Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?
My name is Anton Palmer (horror author) and I am 48 and 10/12ths (as at November 2017)
Fiona: Where are you from?
I have lived all my life in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. Not always in the same town, I have moved around a little bit – often the way when you get divorced and find yourself renting…
Fiona: A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.).
I was educated at a local comprehensive school up to ‘A’ levels. I must be honest and say that I failed my ‘A’ levels, so my sum qualifications in life are 5 ‘O’ levels (which were so long ago I’m not even sure what subjects they were in any more). I have been married twice and have a daughter from each marriage – one who is almost grown up and the other whose 6 – hard to tell, sometimes, which is the bigger pain in the butt!
Fiona: Tell us your latest news.
I was very proud to have a short story accepted (and paid for!) in the Matt Shaw produced anthology, ‘Masters of Horror’ which was released in November. It was great to see my work alongside other, more well known, names in the horror genre.
Also, my latest book, ‘Chillingworth Mews’ was released for Amazon Kindle at the beginning of November and is inspired by an old building that used to be part of my school before it was knocked down. The title comes from the name of a street in Gloucester – I always thought it would make a great title for a horror book.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I have always had an interest in writing from an early age. I can remember writing a couple of short stories at the age of around 6 – one about Henry VIII and his fleet of Lancaster bombers(!?) and another about Star Trek, with Captain Kirk asking for a plate of sandwiches.
In my late teens and early twenties I often started ‘novels’ but never finished them – I have a folder from those days filled with my handwritten scribblings. Once I had a family I pretty much gave up on writing (other than the odd short story for competitions) until the advent of Amazon Kindle. Now, finally, I had the opportunity to write a short story, novella or a novel and to publish it – free of charge – to a wide audience.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
As I’ve already stated, I always had the desire to write and as a teenager and young man I especially enjoyed the horror fiction of authors such as James Herbert and Shaun Hutson, so horror was the genre that inspired me most, leading to my aforementioned scribblings. As for my first (self-published) book? Well, that was an erotic horror short story (around 12,000 words) published on Amazon and called ‘Skewered’
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
When I first started investigating the ins-and-outs of ebook self-publishing, it appeared to me that the erotica genre was a big seller. Now, I’m a red-blooded male and even with the grim spectre of the big 50 looming on the horizon, I still have a very keen interest in all things sexual and my imagination in regard to these matters is as fertile as my loins – or at least as fertile as my loins would be if I hadn’t had the ‘snip’! So, I thought, ‘I could write erotica!’ – and I made a start. However, it soon became clear that while I enjoyed writing sexy scenes, my mind kept wanting to insert something horrific, so, the erotica story that started life as ‘Filled by the Beast’ soon became an erotic horror called ‘Skewered’!
How did I come up with the title?
Taken from the blurb…
…The beast is huge and all in proportion – few women are capable of taking it on – and surviving – most are literally skewered to death…
Yeah…it’s not exactly subtle, lol!
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Well, I write extreme horror, so by its very nature the reader is going to have to accept a little ‘suspension of disbelief’. I do, however attempt to make characters reactions and dialogue as believable as possible and in ‘Chillingworth Mews’ there is a scene where a 16 year old boy is having to deal with his first kiss (and first sexual experiences) and all the nervousness, anxiety and excitement around that which are very much rooted in my memories of my own adolescent encounters.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Hmmm…no! In my opinion, messages are for literature. I write genre fiction – designed to entertain and nothing more. If a message accidentally found its way into one of my books – then great! – I’d claim it, but it’s certainly not something I’m particularly interested in.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
At the moment it’s a hobby that pays a little bit. I would love to make it a career and earn a living from it and, perhaps over time, with more volume of titles, the income could rise sufficiently to make that a possibility…
I am aware, of course, that the extreme horror sub-genre is possibly a limited market and so I do have plans to write more ‘mainstream’ (or gore-lite) horror – perhaps under a different name to avoid ‘brand confusion’.
Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
I haven’t yet written a book that I could envision as a film, but, I have one planned for next year that I definitely think could work as a movie and for the main role? – Jason Statham!
Fiona: Any advice for other writers?
Sure – with the advent of the ebook, there are no longer any barriers to you putting your work into the marketplace. No publishers or agents who may only bother with 1 or 2 new authors per year. No restrictions on the length of the book you can publish.
Write your short story, novelette, novella or novel. Edit it to the best of your ability and stick it on Amazon.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
To be honest, I find it quite difficult to read now that I have taken my writing more seriously. I find that I can’t enjoy a book because I am always reading it ‘analytically’ rather than just as a reader.
Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?
Anybody who knows me will tell you that I laugh at the most inappropriate things! I will laugh at anything that’s rude or politically incorrect – as long as it is witty or clever. In my humble opinion, wit is wit, regardless of political correctness.
What makes me cry? Really cry? Kids suffering! Just the other week (I think it might have been when the ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ programmes were on) I had to leave the room because there was a young girl who was dying and had accepted the fact that all her painful treatment had failed. I can’t watch young kids suffering with disease and the painful operations or treatment that entails and I sure as hell can’t sit and watch a young child accepting her ultimate fate! That’s fucking wrong and life is fucking evil!
Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
Clive Barker. The man is a genius, his imagination and artistry with words is sublime. As a ‘writer’, reading Barker is like a ‘painter’ regarding the ceiling of the Sistine chapel!
Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?
I used to enjoy archery, but that was on a Sunday afternoon and my wife now works Sunday’s, so I’m at home with my youngest daughter. I intend to get back into it though as soon as I can.
Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?
My favourite food is Thai. There is a great Thai restaurant in Gloucester which I go to several times a year. As for music – rock and metal!
Pink Floyd, Rush and Metallica are my 3 favourite bands.
Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
Writing is not just words on a page or screen. If my brain was still functioning I’d still be writing – even if only in my head.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?
Nothing. I don’t want anyone wasting money on an expensive coffin, service or plot. Just burn me and scatter my dust!
Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?
Yep – WWW.AntonPalmer.CO.UK
Link to Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anton-Palmer/e/B015Y1MX54/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1512157590&sr=8-2-ent
Links to books:
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