An interview with Henry Anderson, author of Cape Misfortune

Hey, guys. Today I have an interview with author Henry Anderson. Please enjoy.

Tell us about your book.

The life of a sheriff’s deputy on a foggy Northwest Pacific coast is turned upside-down while investigating disappearances that may be supernatural in origin. It’s a fantasy adventure.

When did you realize that you were a writer?

I’ve always felt like a writer even during periods of my life when I wasn’t writing anything! I still have a story I wrote at the age of six my mother patiently typed for me. I wrote plays at university. Later I worked as a news reporter, so it’s always been part of my life. Having said all that, I didn’t feel like a writer-writer until my first book was published a couple of years ago.

Do you have any books coming out this year?

Cape Misfortune was released last week. I’m also writing a series of steampunk-inspired short stories which I hope to release as an anthology.

 

If readers are looking to connect with you, what’s the best way to do it?

My website henryandersonbooks.com has short stories, blogs and the latest news. I am also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

What are you working on right now?

My next book. It’s in the very early stages so I’m researching, staring into the middle distance, and occasionally writing things in my notebook.

 

Tell us about submitting your book. What was that like for you?     

Sometimes submitting is like being on a desert island and throwing a message-in-a-bottle into the waves. You wait forlornly for a reply, with steadily diminishing hope. Other times, incredibly, a freak storm causes a bottle to float back! I’ve been lucky to find a publisher for my last two books.

 

What author would you say inspires you the most?

Laura Hillenbrand suffers from a disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis, as I do, but manages to write great books.

What was your first favourite book as a child?

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. It is an incredible fantasy that mixes real life, folklore and landscape. Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” was full of never-ending comedy and inventiveness.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to when you first started writing?

Try and write every day. Be prepared to cut things that don’t work.

 

What would you consider the best thing you’ve ever done for your writing career?

Being a news reporter taught me to be concise. Also, not to use long words when short ones will do.

 

What would you consider the most fulfilling moment you’ve experienced as a writer?

My first book being published. Also, talking to people who have read my book. That always feels slightly unreal, but good.

 

What books would you suggest to anyone who wants to write?

I found “Poetry in the Making: A Handbook for Writing and Teaching” by the British poet Ted Hughes useful on poetry and writing generally.