An interview with Daniel I. Russel and a great promotion from him!
Okay, Dan. This is a little Q & A to get to know a little more about you and thicken up those stalker portfolios.
1 – Milk or dark chocolate?
Milk, preferably rocky road please.
2 – What are your feelings in reference to LEGO’s?
I have a love and hate relationship with Lego, mainly hating it on Xmas day. My eldest son is mad on Lego Star Wars and Xmas day is usually spent building all the various ships and things. There is such a thing as too much Lego. However, I do adore the videogames and am currently building a Tatooine landscape out of recyclables for my son to play on.
3 – I know a lot of people as what the favorites are in regard to horror movies, but my question to
you...what is your favorite comedy and why?
Shaun of the Dead…and not for the obvious horror reason! It has most of my favourite comedians in it and just has the right vibe of some of the best comedy shows out there.
4 – What is the story/novel you are most proud of?
I think, oddly enough, Critique. It’s something that is way out of my writing comfort zone, swapping my usual blood and guts for something more restrained and thoughtful. It also has some strong messages in there, which goes against my normal writing for entertainment’s sake stance.
5 – What is the most interesting thing you have learned?
To play the drums. Something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a teenager and last year I thought what the hell and bought a kit. Not such an alien concept to me anymore and it’s bags of fun!
6 – Do you do a lot of research for your writing?
I try to write what I know, so I’ve had lots of characters with similar jobs, circumstances and problems as myself. But sometimes research is a necessary evil. For example, a curry or lasagne is the most fancy thing I can cook from scratch, so for Critique, I needed to learn a few elaborate dishes.
I even got to interview porn stars for my novella Come Into Darkness. That was interesting, just how it’s just another day at the office for them and all the other behind the scenes stuff you wouldn’t think about.
7 – Tell me about the collection you have with Dark Continents?
My novella Critique is my part of the Dark Continents line up released on New Year’s Day. It’s a story about desolation and redemption. A food critic who hasn’t had the most noble of lives meets a force that is determined to change him for the better…whether he wants to or not. Lots of horror and very fine food!
http://www.amazon.com/Critique-ebook/...
8 – How do you like to tell a story? Character driven, location of importance, or something else entirely?
I don’t really think about it to be honest, I just do it. I consider character to be the most important thing I suppose, as without having the reader on their side, no one cares what happens. Perhaps it’s our voyeuristic nature. Even though the character is fictional, we like to place them in a situation and see what they’ll do. Like watching a rat in a maze.
9 – What kind of music do you listen to when writing?
Swedish rock, it seems, has to be the first run of the day. Plenty of Whale and Psycore. Then it depends what I’m in the mood for. Punk for action and Portishead for tension.
10 – What is the most difficult thing you find about being a writer?
Honestly? Finding readers and controlling jealousy. There’s a lot of competition out there, lots of readers all wanting you to read their work, which is great! Means we always have great stories and I wish everyone’s hard work would pay off. But trying to carve out your own readership is tough and takes more time than writing a book in the first place.
And it’s a bitter pill to swallow when after writing a book, editing it, submitting and finding a publisher and going through the process with your editor, cover artist, etc, that a writer with no experience whatsoever can release a self-published Twilight rip off that is full of grammar issues, poor plot and barely formatted only for it to sell more copies. You can at times feel there’s no justice, or that you’re the sour old hack throwing venom at his monitor…but just like the music and movie industry, that’s life. Get on with it or get lost. I always have to write so that’s that.
11 – Something about you that no one would believe.
Tough question as I’m really quite open about everything and don’t have any deep, dark secrets. Actually, there is something…but I can’t divulge it yet. Ask me again this time next year and I’ll spill my guts!
12 – Okay, now promote yourself here, what else have you done that you would like people to know about?
Okay, we; besides the new novella releases Critique and Come Into Darkness, I also have the novel Samhane which is available in paperback and digital and was nominated for a 2011 Tin Duck Award. I also have various bits and pieces of republished works on my Amazon Kindle page.
If readers are intrigued and want to combine a few of these, we have a special offer for January. Simply buy Critique for Kindle and forward your proof of purchase to admin@danielirussell.com and the guys will send you the three ebooks Roots, Penanggalan and The Bell Jar Heart for free!
1 – Milk or dark chocolate?
Milk, preferably rocky road please.
2 – What are your feelings in reference to LEGO’s?
I have a love and hate relationship with Lego, mainly hating it on Xmas day. My eldest son is mad on Lego Star Wars and Xmas day is usually spent building all the various ships and things. There is such a thing as too much Lego. However, I do adore the videogames and am currently building a Tatooine landscape out of recyclables for my son to play on.
3 – I know a lot of people as what the favorites are in regard to horror movies, but my question to
you...what is your favorite comedy and why?
Shaun of the Dead…and not for the obvious horror reason! It has most of my favourite comedians in it and just has the right vibe of some of the best comedy shows out there.
4 – What is the story/novel you are most proud of?
I think, oddly enough, Critique. It’s something that is way out of my writing comfort zone, swapping my usual blood and guts for something more restrained and thoughtful. It also has some strong messages in there, which goes against my normal writing for entertainment’s sake stance.
5 – What is the most interesting thing you have learned?
To play the drums. Something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a teenager and last year I thought what the hell and bought a kit. Not such an alien concept to me anymore and it’s bags of fun!
6 – Do you do a lot of research for your writing?
I try to write what I know, so I’ve had lots of characters with similar jobs, circumstances and problems as myself. But sometimes research is a necessary evil. For example, a curry or lasagne is the most fancy thing I can cook from scratch, so for Critique, I needed to learn a few elaborate dishes.
I even got to interview porn stars for my novella Come Into Darkness. That was interesting, just how it’s just another day at the office for them and all the other behind the scenes stuff you wouldn’t think about.
7 – Tell me about the collection you have with Dark Continents?
My novella Critique is my part of the Dark Continents line up released on New Year’s Day. It’s a story about desolation and redemption. A food critic who hasn’t had the most noble of lives meets a force that is determined to change him for the better…whether he wants to or not. Lots of horror and very fine food!
http://www.amazon.com/Critique-ebook/...
8 – How do you like to tell a story? Character driven, location of importance, or something else entirely?
I don’t really think about it to be honest, I just do it. I consider character to be the most important thing I suppose, as without having the reader on their side, no one cares what happens. Perhaps it’s our voyeuristic nature. Even though the character is fictional, we like to place them in a situation and see what they’ll do. Like watching a rat in a maze.
9 – What kind of music do you listen to when writing?
Swedish rock, it seems, has to be the first run of the day. Plenty of Whale and Psycore. Then it depends what I’m in the mood for. Punk for action and Portishead for tension.
10 – What is the most difficult thing you find about being a writer?
Honestly? Finding readers and controlling jealousy. There’s a lot of competition out there, lots of readers all wanting you to read their work, which is great! Means we always have great stories and I wish everyone’s hard work would pay off. But trying to carve out your own readership is tough and takes more time than writing a book in the first place.
And it’s a bitter pill to swallow when after writing a book, editing it, submitting and finding a publisher and going through the process with your editor, cover artist, etc, that a writer with no experience whatsoever can release a self-published Twilight rip off that is full of grammar issues, poor plot and barely formatted only for it to sell more copies. You can at times feel there’s no justice, or that you’re the sour old hack throwing venom at his monitor…but just like the music and movie industry, that’s life. Get on with it or get lost. I always have to write so that’s that.
11 – Something about you that no one would believe.
Tough question as I’m really quite open about everything and don’t have any deep, dark secrets. Actually, there is something…but I can’t divulge it yet. Ask me again this time next year and I’ll spill my guts!
12 – Okay, now promote yourself here, what else have you done that you would like people to know about?
Okay, we; besides the new novella releases Critique and Come Into Darkness, I also have the novel Samhane which is available in paperback and digital and was nominated for a 2011 Tin Duck Award. I also have various bits and pieces of republished works on my Amazon Kindle page.
If readers are intrigued and want to combine a few of these, we have a special offer for January. Simply buy Critique for Kindle and forward your proof of purchase to admin@danielirussell.com and the guys will send you the three ebooks Roots, Penanggalan and The Bell Jar Heart for free!
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