To get us started can you tell us
a little about what you are working on or have coming out?
Well,
last year I self-published 2 books, Crimes Against Magic and Born of Hatred,
which in Feb this year were picked up by 47North to be re-published on 17th
September. They’re the first two parts of the Hellequin Chronicles, an Urban
Fantasy series about a 1600 year old sorcerer, Nate Garrett.
Currently,
I’m doing the copy-edits for book 3, With Silent Screams, which is out next Feb
and working on book 4, Prison of Hope.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Jason
Statham films. I know they’re stupid, but damn it’s fun watching him kick
bad-guys in the face.
Name one thing readers would be surprised to know about you.
I’m not
sure if it’s surprising or not, but I have several tattoos. A Harley Quinn on
my arm (we named our youngest daughter Harley) two wolf cubs on my bicep, a
samurai on my right upper-arm and daredevil sat around a cross on my left. Oh
and a huge half sleeve in a Japanese style with a snake and Kitsune (fox) mask.
I kinda like tattoos.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’ve
always wanted to live in the northern states of America or Canada. Being from
South-Yorkshire, England, I don’t really do hot weather very well. And the
scenery around there looks amazing.
How do you get yourself in the mood to write?
I sit and
start. I’ve got to be in a pretty awful mood to be unable to write at all. I
might not want to write, I might want to watch TV or read a book, but then I
feel guilty for not working. Self-imposed guilt is the short answer.
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why?
Crimes
Against Magic would be a good starting point, as it’s book 1. It shows a lot
about who Nate is and what he used to do. It also introduced a few important
characters, but honestly anything you need to know about book 1, I tell you in
book 2, so the choice is entirely yours.
Coffee, tea or other drink to get
you moving in the morning?
Tea.
Coffee is horrible and I can’t understand people’s love for it, including my
wife’s. Tea on the other hand is both incredibly British and lovely. Although
to be fair only the second of those is important when selecting a drink.
Is it hard coming up
with titles or characters names?
What do you feel is the most important thing that a first-time author should know?
Getting published, be it
traditionally or self-published, is a rollercoaster of highs and lows and
excruciating amounts of work. This is something you should accept and make your
piece with. Agents and Publishers will
turn you down, people will leave bad reviews and they will sting. But when it
works, when you get an e-mail saying how much they love your work, or you see
sales increase, every little bit of effort you’ve put in is worth it.
If you think you can just
write a book, slap a cover on and publish it and it’ll be a success, you’re
going to have a very short, sharp shock. But if you treat it seriously, if you
take time and effort to do it right, it’s the single best job I can think of.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Its summer in my part of the world and that means
summer blockbuster movies are coming out. Do you have a list of movies like me
that you are itching to see or have seen? What about ones coming up? Any that
draw your eye to it?
Pacific
Rim was the one I wanted to see and it did not disappoint. Giant robots and
giant monsters beating the hell out of each other for 2 hours made my geeky
self a very happy man. I’m interested in watching the new Keanu Reeves film, 47
Ronin and the horror, You’re Next, looks like great fun.
Born of Hatred
Book Two in the Hellequin Chronicles
There are some things even a centuries-old sorcerer hesitates to challenge…
When Nathan Garret’s friend seeks his help investigating a bloody serial killer, the pattern of horrific crimes leads to a creature of pure malevolence, born of hatred and dark magic. Even with all his powers, Nate fears he may be overmatched. But when evil targets those he cares about and he is confronted by dire threats both old and new, Nate must reveal a secret from his recently remembered past to remind his enemies why they should fear him once more.
Born of Hatred, set in modern London with historical flashbacks to America’s Old West, continues the dark urban fantasy of Crimes Against Magic, the acclaimed first book in the gritty and action-packed Hellequin Chronicles.
Crimes Against Magic
Book One in the Hellequin Chronicles
How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you
can’t remember?
Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with
no memory of his past—a gun, a sword, and a piece of paper with his name on it
the only clues to his identity. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful
sorcerer and has used his magical abilities to become a successful thief for
hire.
But those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet: when
they cause a job to go bad and threaten a sixteen-year-old girl, Nate swears to
protect her. With his enemies closing in and everyone he cares about now a
target for their wrath, he must choose between the comfortable life he’s built
for himself and his elusive past.
As the barrier holding his memories captive begins to crumble,
Nate moves between modern-day London and fifteenth-century France, forced to
confront his forgotten life in the hope of stopping an enemy he can’t remember.
About the Author
Steve McHugh lives in Southampton on
the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not
writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading
books and comics, and playing video games.
Website http://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/stevejmchugh
Giveaway time- Two winners receive both
Crimes Against Magic and Born of Hatred. All you need to do is fill out the raffelcopter below to be entered.
1 comment:
Looks like a great read. Definitely love my paranormal reads
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