Friday, September 21, 2012

Today's guest is Horror/thriller writer Shaun Jeffrey.

If you haven't read Shaun's work yet you don't know what you're missing. 

 The Kult (A Prosper Snow novel, Book 1)



1. When and why did you decide to become an Indie writer?
I guess I became a fully-fledged Indie Writer when I got fed up of the burning hoops you have to jump through where traditional publishing is concerned. You can only get burned so many times. That combined with not being paid on time and lack of support from certain publishers put the nail in the proverbial coffin. Going the Indie route I am in total control. In the words of He-Man, ‘I have the power’.

2. What genre do you write in and what genre do you prefer to read?
Most of my work is dark in nature (but then growing up in a house in a cemetery, I doubt it was ever going to be anything else), so I tend to steer towards horror and thrillers. But I don’t like to label myself with any particular genre, as most of my books are multi-genre, comprising elements of horror, thriller, mystery, action and suspense. In that way I hope to cater to everyone’s tastes. When I’m reading, I find that I primarily read thriller books at the moment.
3. Where do you sell most books, USA or UK, Amazon or Barnes and Noble?
Definitely in the USA through Amazon. God Bless America.

4. During your childhood who was your biggest influence?
As a child I guess my main influences were my parents. So they’re to blame.

5. Are you fortunate enough to write full-time?
Unfortunately not. I’d soon starve if that was the case. But even if I had the chance to write full-time, I don’t know whether I would. Writing is something I do for fun. If it was my job then it might take the fun out of it.

6. If Hollywood came knocking who would you want to play your main character?
Well Hollywood didn’t come knocking, but I was fortunate enough that my novel The Kult has already been filmed by an independent production company. The actors are not international stars but they all did an excellent job and they gave it 100%. The film is still awaiting release, but I’m hoping that it won’t be too much longer before it’s out in one format or another. There’s a trailer on youtube, but I believe there’s been a lot more editing since that was released: http://youtu.be/KS-ZF67cEiI

7. Name 6 people, dead or alive, you’d love to have as guests seated around your dinner-table.
Albert Einstein.
Jonathan Ross
Leonardo da Vinci.
Audrey Hepburn.
Bruce Lee
Marilyn Monroe

8. What one piece of advice have you found the most important in your writing career?
Nobody has ever given me any advice. Perhaps that’s where I’ve been going wrong. But if I had to heed any advice, it’s something Bruce Lee said in the film, Enter the Dragon: “Don't think. Feel. It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.” I think that quote can be applied to so many things, and writing is one of them. Writing is all about feeling, or more exactly, evoking a feeling. And if you concentrate on the miniscule, you miss the big picture.

9. What are your plans for the coming year?
To stop procrastinating and to write more. I’ll start eventually.

10. And finally, if you were stranded on a desert island what 3 books would you choose to have with you?
The SAS Survival Handbook.
A good cook book that gave simple recipes that you can make with basic food sources.
The Playboy Book.


4 comments:

  1. Fun interview! Shaun, you grew up in a house in a cemetery. That comment made me sit up and wonder what you meant. Could you explain more?

    I enjoyed your list of six dinner guests. Einstein and Monroe! I'd like to be a mouse in the corner listening to their conversation. I think Marilyn would hold her own just fine. :)

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  2. Thanks, Lyn. My grandparents were the cemetery caretakers, and my mum and I lived with them when I was born. It was certainly a unique place to live. I recall once being in a grave that my granddad was digging and him then pulling the ladder out and leaving me down there. So is it any surprise why I turned out the way I did? ;)

    But living there also gave me the opportunity to say that we lived in the dead centre of town ... (exits stage left to a chorus of boos)

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  3. I loves Shaun, his stories are ace!

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  4. Thanks, Lorraine. Now I need to convert everyone else to your way of thinking ;)

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