What
is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi, my
name is Bob Atkinson. I was born in Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. I
live there with my wife, in a little house by the shores of Loch Linnhe.
Did
you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I cannot recall a time in my life when I wasn’t writing little poems, or short
stories, or whatever. I sometimes think dreamers make the best writers; people
whose imagination is forever drifting off somewhere, detached from reality.
Did
it take a long time to get your first book published?
I started writing my novel in 2001, and finished the original version
about a year later. Over the next few years I revisited the manuscript,
cutting, pruning, gralloching.
‘Gralloching’ is a Scottish word that means to remove the offal. It’s a
word that is almost onomatopoeic. You can practically hear intestines spilling
onto a wet hillside.
Finally, about two years ago, when it was pared down to its leanest
form, I began sending it off to publishers and publishing agents.
What
is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20
words what would you say?
My book is
called “The Last
Sunset”. I would describe it thus:-
“The Last Sunset
is a romantic, action packed, time
travel adventure, set in Glen Laragain, in the Highlands of Scotland.”
If I
was allowed 21 words, and wasn’t so modest, I would also insert the word “fantastic” in there
somewhere.
Who
is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I had the great good fortune to have my book accepted by Greyhart Press.
Greyhart is an independent, up and coming publishing company, based in
Bedfordshire. The company is run by Mr Tim C Taylor; himself a writer of
considerable talent.
How Tim manages to balance his work as a publisher with his own writing
career is a mystery to me, and to many other writers in his stable.
Do
you have a "lucky charm" or "lucky routine" you follow when
waiting for your book to be accepted by a publisher?
After a
manuscript had been submitted, I would avoid walking under ladders. I’d throw salt over my left
shoulder. Help old ladies across the road. Avoid black cats. Smile at traffic
wardens. Be nice to children ( the little rascals ) and just generally do
anything to create a credit balance in the Karma account.
Somehow
or other this mish mash of sycophancy and superstition paid off.
What
genre would you place your books into?
My book contains elements of time travel, nuclear catastrophe, romance,
adventure, humour, and tragedy.
Basically, therefore, I would place it in the Dystopian, time-travel,
romantic, action adventure, tragi-comic genre.
And if there isn’t such a genre, then there should be.
What
made you decide to write that genre of book?
As with so many authors, I simply wrote the kind of book that I myself
would love to read.
Do
you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your
favourite?
Strangely
for a male author, I think my favourite character in the book is Shawnee
Cameron, an American woman of Scottish descent. She is small, feisty, and as
courageous as they come.
One
female reviewer from London remarked: “I was thrilled to find that the author has
taken physically diminutive female characters and armed them with a feistiness
that would make any Redcoat think twice!
I
realised, after writing the female characters, that they were composites of the
women in my life; primarily my wife and daughter, who are diminutive, feisty,
etc etc.
Do
you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially
release them? ie.Your partner,
children, friends, reviewers you know?
Initially my wife ( the small & feisty one ), who will tell me
bluntly if the story has wandered off the trail and into a thicket or swamp.
After that. my sons, daughter, sister, all get to cast an eye over the work.
All have been incredibly supportive, and this book would never have seen the
light of day without them.
Do
you read all the reviews of your book/books?
There is a real danger of becoming a review junkie. In crafting a novel,
writers inevitably bare a little piece of their soul. They look for approval,
for positive feedback. It can be incredibly hurtful if the response is harsh or
derogatory. Sometimes it’s a risky business thrusting your head above the
parapet.
What
was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
I’m happy to say I’ve had quite a number of very favourable reviews.
About one in five have been less than favourable.
One of the least complimentary, from America, stated, amongst other
things, that the moral standards of 20th century and 21st
century people would have created much more outrage amongst 18th
century clansfolk than is depicted in my book
Although the reviewer did admit that he or she knew very little about
Scottish culture or Scottish history.
I think my favourite review is from a fellow author from Texas, who
wrote:-
“I’ll start by
saying that nothing ‘jumped’ out at me – I was too immersed in the story.
And what a story: evocative writing, gripping tone, astonishing scope, lush
settings and individually realized and fully unique characters. I have nothing
to say except, Bravo, Mr. Atkinson – for
writing such a gem. You put me through the emotional ringer, making me
experience your novel versus simply reading it. And kudos to Greyhart Press for
snapping it up.
I sincerely hope that this book, and Greyhart
Press, receive the acclaim and attention it deserves.”
Would
you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about
your book/books?
No, I might not agree with their review, but everyone is entitled to
their opinion.
That poor review did bother me, however. I felt it was really quite
unfair. I know that the worst thing a writer can do is become involved in a
public slanging match. The writer has little to gain, and a great deal of
dignity to lose.
In the end I posted a brief response to the above review:-
Hi. I am truly sorry that you didn't enjoy my
debut novel "The Last Sunset" as much as I would have liked. Thank
you, however, for taking the time to read and review the book.
I have given myself a damn good rollicking, and will try to ensure my next effort is of a much higher quality.
Thank you.
I have given myself a damn good rollicking, and will try to ensure my next effort is of a much higher quality.
Thank you.
The next day I received the following reply:-
Hi. I'm sorry, I just reread my review of
your book and realized it was more than a tad unfairly harsh especially as I
thought your novel was a huge step up from the bodice rippers which seem to
dominate the genre.
I still can’t decide whether to be annoyed or pleased.
Is
there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
I love the late, great Ray Bradbury. Any aspiring author could do a lot
worse than treat themselves to a book of his short stories. His tales are maybe
a little dated now, but his writing, his unique way with words, is simply
wonderful.
Do
you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I have
to say I love my Kindle. I love having a library of novels at my fingertips. I
cannot, however, see a time when E-books will completely replace printed
books. To me, the electronic word is
just a quick, convenient imitation of the genuine article. There is nothing
quite like the feel of a real book.
What
piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
I think it’s very important to be self-critical. The Last Sunset had a
number of rewrites before I was completely satisfied with it.
My advice to any new writer, therefore, is to constantly ask yourself;
is what I have written the best it can be? Find your own voice and write about
what you know. Keep writing; learning and improving as you go along Above all,
never give up.
If
you could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and
enjoy chatting with?
I’m not sure they would qualify as writers, but my three ideal dinner
guests would be Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, and Marilyn Monroe. The idea
would be for Darwin and Einstein to become involved in some profound, esoteric
discussion, leaving Marilyn and I to become acquainted.
Although, knowing my luck, Darwin and Marilyn would probably hit it off,
leaving me stuck with Einstein.
Where can readers follow you?
Blog site:-
http://abrach1.wordpress.com/
Publisher's Web page:-
http://greyhartpress.com/meet-our-authors/bob-atkinson-under-construction/
Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/bob.atkinson.184?ref=tn_tnmn
Goodreads author page:- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15982935-the-last-sunset
Twitter details:-
https://twitter.com/Abrach1
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