Hey there everyone.

Welcome to your Monday treat to kick off the week.

For tonight in the Author Interview series, we chat to author Daniel Shand about his debut thriller novel “Fallow” and he shares his own personal motivations to write.

And now – on with the show.

 

Hi there Daniel, thank you ever so much for being our featured guest here today.

Hello.

Let’s start with your debut thriller novel “Fallow”. Your book has been hailed as an unpredictable road novel that focuses on two brothers bound by a terrible crime. There is much more to these two nefarious brothers than meets the eye. Please tell us without giving the game away why the antics of Paul and Mikey draw us in uncomfortably but compellingly for the ride of our lives, one page at a time.

I think we enjoy stories about people who are outside the law and we like to witness people unravel. I think most readers will catch on quickly to what’s going on in Fallow, but I think that’s part of the fun.

What specifically compels you to write in the crime thriller genre? Do you have any friends or family involved in law enforcement or is it a particular passion of yours that you tend to gravitate towards?

I don’t know much about the crime thriller genre, I’m afraid. I suppose I just wrote the book I wanted to write and that book was about a pair of murderers. I don’t know what that says about me.

If your novel was to be made into a film, who would you cast in the lead roles?

You would want something pretty intense for Paul, the protagonist. Maybe Michael Fassbender channelling a maniac.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

The easiest part is the first draft. For me, there’s nothing better than that. The real work is in the editing.

Who are some of the authors in general that inspire you?

Cormac McCarthy was the first big one. You read his fiction and realise that there are no rules, no limitations at all. Obviously, I wouldn’t dare to compare my work to his, but his novels were the first that made me go, ‘I want to try that.’

What sort of research did you do to write your book?

Not much at all, I have to admit — it’s not a very realistic book.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

Because it’s a lot of fun and costs nothing. You can write whatever you like — the only limiting factor is whether you can convince other people to believe in it.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

I set deadlines for myself and I’ve become quite good at thinking they’re real.

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

Reading (of course), going to the cinema, the pub. I’m doing more walking these days.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I’m working on a novel about a mother and daughter — that’s all I’ll say for now.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

Make sure you’re writing the sort of thing you would want to read yourself.

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for your time Daniel, we appreciate it and look forward to checking out your book, along with your future releases 🙂

Bio:-

Daniel Shand was born in Kirkcaldy in 1989 and currently lives in Edinburgh, where he is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh and a Scottish literature tutor.

His shorter work has been published in a number of magazines and he has performed at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He won the University of Edinburgh Sloan Prize for fiction and the University of Dundee Creative Writing Award.

You can connect with Daniel on the following Social Media channels:-

Goodreads:- Daniel Shand (Goodreads Author)
Twitter:- @danshand (Twitter)
Website:- The Website of Author Daniel Shand

You can buy Daniel’s book here:-

Buy Daniel Shand’s “Fallow” in Canada

Buy Daniel Shand’s “Fallow” in the UK/Europe

Buy Daniel Shand’s “Fallow” in the US/Rest of the World

If you too would like to be interviewed on my blog at TooFullToWrite and you have a book or a series of books that you would like us to chat about then fill out the Contact Me form here with your details and we can arrange a future interview slot.

Still want more? Well Daniel’s debut is all about witnessing the psychological unravelling of his lead protagonists after they commit a crime and then taking us along for the ride. For more articles relating the theme of ‘Witness’ then check out the links below:-

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