This week I am delighted to welcome author E.M. Swift-Hook back to my blog for an extra slice!
In the words that Robert Heinlein put so evocatively into the mouth of Lazarus Long: 'Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.' Having tried a number of different careers, before settling in the North-East of England with family, three dogs, cats and a small flock of rescued chickens, E.M. Swift-Hook now spends a lot of time in private and has very clean hands.
Describe the types of books you love to read.
I enjoy a broad range of reading. Although I write mostly spec. fic, I find that reading other genres is a very healthy way of broadening my perspective. A good book, for me, is one that has at least one central character who I find feels like a real person, is well written and has a plot that I can’t predict. The genre comes second to those requirements.
Which authors inspire you to write?
Every book I read inspires me to write. But the authors that I can point to as having the most impact on me as a writer would be Dorothy Dunnett, Adam Hall and Mary Stewart.
Since we last had a slice of cake, what have you been working on?
I am really excited that I have just published the latest in my dark space opera Fortune’s Fools series. Not To Be is both the middle volume of the Iconoclast Trilogy and the penultimate book in the entire series. This has been the main focus of my writing for most of the last two years so it is great to have it finally out in the world.
I am also branching out into a new genre for me, LitRPG. This was prompted by my wanting to support an anthology of short stories in that genre which is being published to support an Australian wildlife charity to help with care for animals following the terrible fires there. As a player of MMORPGS myself, it was a really interesting experience to write in the genre – and the story is a humorous take on the theme.
I have also brought out more novellas and an omnibus collection in the Dai and Julia series with my co-author Jane Jago.
What is your next project?
I am working on the final volume of Fortune’s Fools which is called A Necessary End and aim to have it finished and published before the end of the year. That might be an over-ambitious target, but I am trying for it.
Have you recently tried any new cake? What was the last cake you baked?
I don’t bake – and do jam-filled doughnuts count as cake?
I'll weigh in on this one and confirm that doughnuts can count as cake lol. You can connect with E.M. Swift-Hook at the following places:
https://author.to/EMSH
https://twitter.com/emswifthook
https://workingtitleblogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Fortunes-Fools-1731568263776268
https://www.facebook.com/DaiAndJulia
Join me next week when I interview Simon Woodward. If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.
You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!
Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.
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