My name is Sam Hill, I was born and continue to live in Stoke-on-Trent. I live in a little terraced house that appears to be either freezing or very warm, and never something in the middle. Of course, this may be because I have little clue when working the boiler!
Did
it take a long time to get your first book published?
It really did! From having the initial idea to getting the
book in my hand was around 6 years, although I left it alone for around 18
months after I had finished the first draft. Since then, I have changed jobs (a
couple of times) and moved house. Although it seems an age ago since the first
jottings, the longest wait of all seemed to be the time it took from the point
I knew it was going to be published until the moment I got the first copy in my
hands. That was only around three months, but seemed to be years and years and
years!
Do
you work another job as well as your writing work?
I work at the Stoke-on-Trent Gingerbread centre, which is a
charity that is supported accommodation for vulnerable single parent families.
Basically, lone mums and dads that are either homeless, at risk of
homelessness, or who are escaping domestic violence come to us with their
children and we provide them with a flat and help them get back on their feet.
My job is to help residents raise their aspirations and encourage them to make
positive choices like undertaking courses (I do a lot of literacy support) and
living more healthy lifestyles. I also train residents to be Peer Mentors to
support others. It was through this that our residents helped me to raise my
own aspirations and I went back to my book and it got published! I am really
proud to work for the Gingerbread Centre and love working with our families,
although I would like to write full-time.
What
is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20
words what would you say?
What would you look for if the world was ending?
The title is Remnants.
I would like to sum it up with this question:
What would you look for if the world was ending?
What
can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre?
Books of a different genre?
I would like to write a lot more books, that much I am
certain of. My preference is to write original stories that are unconnected to Remnants. I have a lot of ideas and I
tend to start many different projects, but they often die a natural death and I
make a vague promise to return to them at a later point. Having said that,
recently I have been thinking that there is the possibility I may return to the
world of Remnants at a later date,
although not as a sequel and the events would have nothing to do with the
characters in that book. At the moment I am working on a story and know where
it is going, but would to shape it a little more.
Do
you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in
a certain chair?
I have a very romantic dream of being a writer. I had this
plan that I would have the idea for a great story and would go to a little
cabin in the wilderness and write it. This cabin would be wooden, in the middle
of a forest, and you would be able to see a million twinkling stars every night
and on very special occasions, the northern lights would be visible in a
shimmering emerald green. That was the plan. The reality was that I wrote it at
home in Stoke, typing it up on my laptop in our front room and reading and
editing whilst in bed. Although I do have a picture of a wooden cabin hanging
up in my front room! Maybe someday I will be successful enough to write in a
special writing cabin!
Do
you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially
release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
No, no-one read Remnants
prior to publication outside of the publishers. In fact, no-one knew I had
written a book until I knew it was being published. When I wrote it, I never thought
anyone else would read Remnants, I
don’t really know why. I wrote it because I always wanted to write a book and I
had the idea to do so. A story is a really personal expression and you reveal a
lot about yourself when you write one, and I’ve always been quite shy about
displaying this. But my work helped me to get over this, as it involves people
in desperate situations who confide their experiences to us as staff all the
time. People reading my story still takes some getting used to, however.
Do
you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
The title was one of the parts of the story I found most
difficult. I had already written it without struggling for ideas or thread of
plot, but I had no title. Initially, the story was called ‘World’s End’. My
editor, although liking the story, did not like the title, believing it too
generic. Additionally, Simon Pegg’s new film is apparently going to have this
title! From my editor’s advice, Remnants
emerged, which I like better!
Are
there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like
Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
This is something I feel quite strongly about, to be honest.
If there are morals or hidden messages in a story, I believe it for the reader
to discern them. Reading is a personal act and taking in a story involves the
creation of a world. How a reader interprets this is up to them, I would prefer
my writing to guide and not dictate. Although I have my own ideas and
conclusions, I would want readers to enjoy Remnants
and to take from it what they choose without me saying this is what it is about
and this is the message.
Which
format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
I guess am old fashioned - I much prefer books to ebooks. I
love the feel of book, the sound of the spine cracking and the slightly salt
and vinegary smell of the pages in some books. I certainly see the appeal of
ebooks and as an author, I think they are great as people are more likely to
take a risk on your story as they are cheap and easily obtainable in this
format. But for me, I prefer books and I even have divisions within this. For
those books and authors that I really love, I get hardback copies. For those I
merely like, I get paperback. And if I find I really love a paperback, I look
for hardbacks!
Do
you or would you ever use a pen name?
I have never really understood pen names. As I said, writing
is such a personal expression and you put so much of yourself into it, why
would you want to attribute that to anyone else or any other name? For better
or worse, what you write is yours and you have to stand by it without hiding
behind a pen name. It seems strange to me. Having said that, this is how I feel
and having written one book doesn’t make me an expert in any way!
Where
can readers follow you?
Your web site? www.samhillauthor.com
Your Twitter details? @samofstoke
Your web site? www.samhillauthor.com
Your Twitter details? @samofstoke
And
any other information you wish to supply?
Remnants can be purchased from the following places:
Amazon:
(UK)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remnants-Sam-Hill/dp/1475949847/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350309526&sr=1-6
Barnes
and Noble (US only):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remnants-sam-hill/1112999917?ean=9781475949841
Waterstones:
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/sam+hill/remnants/9444654/
Love
Reading: http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781475949841/isbn/Remnants-by-Sam-Hill.html
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