 I live in rural Cumbria, England, with my partner Ann, a mad spaniel, two cats and four fish. I've also inherited two daughters and a grandson. I've had a varied career, having been a journalist for ten years, and also a designer and a retail manager in my time. The Jesus Man is my first novel, written throughout 2016 and based upon an idea I devised just under thirty years ago. Inspired by such luminaries as H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and H. G. Wells, I aim to deliver stories in a classic vein, but with a contemporary slant in both style and content. I aim to remain entirely independent too, producing my works my own way, without interference from traditional publishing houses. Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? Six foot, Sagittarius, likes Thai food … nah, just fucking with you! Erm, I have a mischievous sense of humour, a deep thought process and a drive to push the envelope where I can. In many ways I'm old school and have a DIY ethic. I don't want anyone telling me something has to be done a certain way. That's their ego trip and they're welcome to it. Also, I don't do rules and regulations very well, very much the square peg, round hole anomaly in society which has been the fuel that's propelled my goals (basically, a pain in the arse, lol). What do you like to do when you're not writing? In my spare time, Ann and me indulge our shared love of the mountains by scaling the many peaks of the inspirational Lake District National Park. Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing? In truth I'm very open to any kind of story. For me, it's all about a story well told. Provided it delivers and does what it's meant to do then I'm sold. Trouble is, I don't come across that very often, so that's a constant quest. The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations. What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions? I think now is actually quite a rich time for growth and development in this area. There's an abundance of new talent out there which is exploring the very limits of the genre and creating exciting new ways in which to present it. To some extent it's working, but like everything it depends on the game players. Some of them bring us some fascinating material and others produce results which, for me anyway, fall short of what they could've been. By that I mean great ideas that are badly executed. My own personal feeling on the term is that it's something which can play a part in lots of different works, not just a 'horror story/film' per say. I think in order to go beyond assumptions then I think creators have to make people think. Make them be immersed, not just shocked or repulsed. A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years? That's a very tough question to give any kind of definitive answer to, at least for me anyways. Obviously, art does mirror life and some has been resultant of certain socio, economic and/or political factors, but it isn't always so. One could think 'hell, the population is getting huge, the climate and resources are under massive strain' but that might not necessarily filter into the general creative psyche. On the other hand it might, just as easily, but in a certain sense as much as 'bad things' can be an influence they can also be things that drive a need for escapism too. What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author? Oh fuck, now that's a list that could easily take up the rest of this interview! Shit, where do I start? As I said before I'm pretty old school so that goes directly back to my early teens where I would watch VHS films with a pal of mine down the road. You see, he got every new thing on the market, computers, colour TV, games etc. He was an only child and I was the youngest of three in a poor area of the North East (England). It was cool for me though because his mum got him 18-rated videos from the local store and we watched them at like 14/15 at the time, so I saw stuff like The Thing, Alien, The Terminator and tons of other cool stuff like Blade Runner, Mad Max and The Exorcist. It was the storytelling behind all these which struck a chord with me. I read Wells, Poe, Lovecraft and Orwell and knew back then their works were pioneering creations which really spoke to me. There are so many more examples I could cite, which include inspiring actors and directors, but I'll leave that for another time. What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off? American author K K Edin is a sure-fire success in my eyes before he's even had any success. That's simply because his debut The Measurements of Decay is an effortless piece of exciting literature. His style and tone is accomplished and the delivery is clever. It's not a work of horror, but it's fantastic sci-fi. How would you describe your writing style? Left field. Mine is like Marmite, you'll either love it or hate it. If you enjoy it then that's great, I've done my job. If you don't, that's really ok too, but in truth I don't give a fuck because I'm not out to write diluted mainstream piss designed to please the masses. Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you? To date it's been about 99% positive. But I read the reviews to try understand what worked and what didn't for the reader. I think it's important to know that and see it from a different perspective, otherwise you'll just be absorbed in your own mindset. Can I say it will make me write any differently? I doubt it. It will simply make me realise that you're not meant to be a fan of my writing if you leave a negative review, and I really don't have a problem with that. I've never been the most popular person in the room, so I'm not about to start in my late forties, lol. What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult? Those days where you've simply got to grind it out. When inspiration is totally elusive. It becomes work then but you can't shy away from that because it's part of the process. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? Probably politics … yawn, I just nodded off at the thought of it. It does, however, amaze me that the least interesting people in the world get so much media coverage. If you were at a party with these drips you'd be drawing on their foreheads, pouring the contents of ashtrays down their pants and just generally giving them the kind of short shrift they deserve. I'm sure there are a minority amongst them who have genuine aims with a social conscience but, for me, I can't see them as anything other than self-serving rats in suits. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Names are very important because a reader has to have a kind of comfort with that. I'm more inclined to choose a name based upon the way it sounds as opposed to its meaning. I think the ultimate aim is to create a memorable character so, inherently, a name is part and parcel of that. Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? I've developed 'off grid' so to speak. I waited a long time to get the right set of circumstances to put out my first novel. So, I feel I was fully developed as a writer by the time I did that. I haven't, like many, put out work and then used the critique as a way of improving. I waited until I was developed in most aspects before showing people what I can do. I find a lot of it comes naturally to me anyway, but I think a good approach is to not be in a rush to get to market. What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers? A deeply creative mind, good solid insight and a drive to be the best you can be. What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing? An old school teacher from way back told me recently, after he read my debut novel, to 'keep my unique voice' as I pen new works. I understand clearly what he means and intend to do just that. Getting your worked noticed is one of the hardest things for a writer to achieve, how have you tried to approach this subject? There's quite an exhaustive list of things I've done to bring attention to my debut. It's been entered into competitions. But only a select few in truth. I've emailed agents who represent famous actors. I've also emailed the production companies of well known movie directors (Ridley Scott and John Carpenter for example). I did get a reply from Mr Carpenter's assistant, but that was a 'polite no thank you, he can't accept material for legal reasons' – whatever that means, lol. I've had interviews and articles in local media. Approached independent book shops to see if they'll stock my hardbacks or paperbacks (an ongoing process). Most of all I've simply tried to connect, on a genuine level, with folk on social media. I think that just being myself and being honest is the only real way of doing it. To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favourite child, and who is your least favourite to write for and why? Christ, some of these questions are tough! Well, at this point, I've only got one completed novel and I'm about halfway through my second so it's early days. I'd have to say I don't have favourites or, by the same token, a least favourite character. To me, they all serve their purpose and their interactions and what they bring to the story are what's important. I do enjoy creating them though and making them come to life with their own agendas and reasons for being integral pieces of a story. What piece of your own work are you most proud of? It could only be my debut The Jesus Man. When I've got six novels under my belt I'll maybe have to re-evaluate that. And are there any that you would like to forget about? Not yet. For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why? See above, lol. Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? Damn, another hard question. There's quite a few lines and whole passages I'm rather proud of and, in truth, sort of dropping them here (or indeed anywhere) kind of puts them out of context, so it's not easy for a reader to feel their impact. I think it best just to say they'd be better enjoyed for what they are, which is part of the whole experience of reading the story. Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? Well obviously the last one was the first one and it's a post-apocalyptic horror story. The breaking of the world was long ago and those who live in what is left of it have a very different daily existence. There are colonies here and there, but slowly, over decades, they've all fallen by the hand of an unearthly horror which has waged its celestial strategy in the pursuit of Earth. The last surviving colony must now face this evil, which unravels its society from within and lays low the last of men with a crushing malediction, which will claim their souls, their homeworld and ultimately their Godhead for all time. My second novel, and current WIP, is titled Nexilexicon. A young Dutch aristocrat embarks on an expedition to the Amazon interior in 1847. For this, he engages the services of an Italian skipper who has recently ran a shipment to Amsterdam. With additions to the crew, the 'Eva Contessa', a three-masted schooner, puts to sea only to suffer a string of strange occurrences en route. Eventually landing at Macapá, Brazil, the surviving crew are now fractious and close to mutiny. The smaller expedition party heads up river where eventually they meet an indigenous tribe that grants them time among them. During their stay, the aristocrat records aspects of their rituals in his journal and makes hand-drawn copies of the tattoos applied to the chosen males by their shaman. On the return journey, the Eva is captured and the fate of her crew is established. The journal is taken, along with other possessions and valuables and eventually lost. The time line jumps to the 1960s and wreck hunters discover the book on a Caribbean island. It is taken to America and eventually sold as a historic artefact. Subsequently, a friend of the buyer is shown its contents and, being a physicist, recognises the meaning of the tattoo designs copied in the journal. It makes no sense, atomic equations penned, albeit in a disjointed manner, in a 19th Century expedition journal. In a series of events, including murders, the book disappears once again, only to surface inside a secure facility in 2012, as the heart of a covert black op titled: Nexilexicon. A team, a particle accelerator and the upper echelons of government are about to punch a hole through to another dimension. What could possibly go wrong? If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice? Zombies. What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you? Last great book: A Scanner Darkly – last disappointment: Strange Weather What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer? What would you like to be when you (finally) grow up? Answer: Lifeless, in a pine box. Thank you for giving me the chance to prattle on, it's much appreciated. Keep doing what you do Jimbob, there's a great number of folk out there respect what you do ;)
 BOOK REVIEW: DEATH WITCH BY NICK CATO
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