StanleyWheeler

 Author Interview with Matthew Davenport

Author of

Andrew Doran and the Scroll of Nightmares, and more

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

            Andrew Doran is an Archaeologist who studies the occult and tries to keep the monsters behind the veil from coming into our world. Unfortunately for him, it would seem that everyone else in the world is trying to do the opposite. This most recent work, Andrew Doran and the Scroll of Nightmares, pits him against a new enemy, a nightmare god from an alien world. In the first several books, Andrew has fought destiny, the horrors of war, and just about anything Lovecraft has dreamed of. This time around, he’s beginning to see that his actions have consequences and that not everything can be solved with a spell and some luck. We will also test how far he is willing to go, where his line on “too far” is, when it comes to protecting the world.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

            The series was a natural evolution from my love of Lovecraft and my own past as an Archaeologist. After reading so many great adventure stories by other authors, I just wanted one that tackled the mythos my way. That’s where this amalgam of Indiana Jones and Randolph Carter came into being. After that, I was just a kid in a sandbox with his toys. Andrew Doran is the most fun I have writing and his influences are infinite. From books, you get Lovecraft, Gaiman, Lumley, Hambling, Asimov, King, and Clines. From television, you get Indiana Jones, The Librarians, Supernatural, Warehouse 13, and more. Andrew Doran is just the culmination of everything I enjoy and twisted into my own stories.

Do you write in more than one genre?

            I write in several genres. Andrew Doran is pulp/adventure. Then there’s Satan’s Salesman and The Trials of Obed Marsh, which are both horror. My Broken Nights series is part of the superhero genre. I have even written a fantasy/young adult novel called The Sons of Merlin. I write what I enjoy, and my interests tend to fluctuate daily.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

            I write to entertain myself and tend to believe that the things that entertain me probably entertain others as well. If I’m not enjoying what I’m writing, then no one else will. That being said, my stories tend to take a likeable person and thrust them into impossible scenarios with the end goal being that person doing something incredibly normal, or incredibly human to get past the climax. And sometimes not.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

            I have been an archaeologist and I have been a salesman. A lot of Satan’s Salesman, the anecdotes within, and the characters, were built out of people that I have known at some point in my life and exaggerated into the characters you see in the story.

            Aside from that, I use a lot of my personal relationships and how I feel in moments from my memory to build believable relationships between my characters. I detail a lot of the background of scenes based on places I have been or lived and a handful of my characters have at least a basic template of someone I know that I can build off of and turn into the character that I need.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

            I write at my own pace and I love feedback and interaction. If you enjoy reading one of my stories, let me know in a review or through my website or Twitter. I love talking about stories in general and seeing people excited about the same stuff that excites me is the fuel to my creative furnace.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

            I don’t know about underrated, but David Hambling is the coolest guy out there. He writes Mythos stories with a pulpy feel, much as I do, but his are just better. His characters are thoroughly enjoyable and his adventures are just plain fun. On top of that, he’s just a great guy to talk to and shoot ideas off of. There is a lot of complex plot that wouldn’t exist from me if I hadn’t first felt out the ideas over long conversations with him. Go download Elder Ice by Hambling now. Or War of the God Queen. Before you get my books, go read that.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

            If I had to recommend only one of my books to an audience who’s tastes may vary, it would have to be The Statement of Andrew Doran, the first of my Andrew Doran novels. It’s fun and episodic and has a little bit of something for everyone. Adventure, history, scenery, fight scenes, romance, betrayal, zombies, I mean everything. If you end up enjoying it, there are two more novels and a ton of short stories in crossover novels with other Mythos writers. Something like 10 (ish) total Andrew Doran stories are out there and he’s far from done.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

            NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. About 12 years ago, I saw that it was happening and thought it might be fun to try. My first novel, Random Stranger, was born as a result of that. I’m a huge fan of it and refer to it as my “month-long holiday.” The event is a global phenomenon and aspiring writers, or even veterans, can find all sorts of community and tools available to assist the entire process.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

            “Excuse me, sir, but is this your hundred dollar bill?”

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

            “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” - Samuel Johnson.

______________

Thanks to Matthew for participating.

In my own writing this week, I've knocked out a couple more chapters in the prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. The prequel features the commander, Lucette, and at least one other character from the series--so far--and is likely to include a couple of other important characters before it concludes.

Threading the Rude Eye, the first book in the series, remains at 99 cents on Amazon. Also, the stand-alone novel of the dystopian future of next week The Shrinking Zone is also only 99 cents. Links are in the bar at the top of the page.