Friday 24 May 2013

An Interview with Andrew Scorah by Teresa Joseph Franklin

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
1.     What do you do when you are not writing?
First I would like to say thank you for having me on your site, it’s a pleasure to be here. When not writing, I’m like anyone else. I love spending time with my family, reading, listening to music. My secret vice though is singing on Karaoke, don’t tell anyone though or I’ll have to send the boy’s round.

2.     Do you have a day job as well?
No, I’m a house husband at the moment, so this gives me plenty of time to write.

3.     When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I first began as a teenager, I won a competition in school, and that’s what got me hooked. Life kind of got in the way until a couple of years ago when I decided to take it up again.

4.     How did you choose the genre you write on?
I think the genre kind of chose me, I guess because of the books I enjoy reading as well.

5.     Where did you get your ideas from?
I could say the voices in my head gave me my ideas but they stopped talking a long time ago...only joking. I wanted a hero that was tough but human also, with human foibles etc. That’s how my main character, Jimmy Dalton came to be, he is an ex soldier from a gang land back ground, but he’s also damaged by his experiences. He has the skills to get the job done but he sure isn’t happy about what he has to do.

6.     Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Not so far, I think if you have the story in your head or fully realised down on paper you should be okay.

7.     Do you work with an outline or just write?
I have the basics of the story in my head, then I let the story take me where it wants to go, I did try planning it out but for me this did not work.

8.     Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either by growing up or as an adult?
During my youth, I read a lot of pulp fiction, especially The Destroyer Series by Warren Murphy, and Richard Sapir, Robert Ludlums Bourne books, long before they became celluloid hits. I also guess the ones that had the most effect on me were by Eric Van Lusbader, and Marc Olden. These featured an East meets West scenario, with lots of Martial Arts action, this led to my love for the Martial Arts and Eastern philosophy. I spent about fifteen years training in various arts before I was hit by a car and could not train anymore because of damaged knees.

9.      Can you tell me about your challenges in getting your first book published?
The only real challenges I faced was in getting the formatting correct, and the appropriate cover, then marketing, biggest challenge of all.

10.                         If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I think the only thing I would change is learning as much as I could about the self-publishing industry before putting my first book out, but if ifs and ands were pots and pans there would be no need of tinkers, as my Nana used to say. We live and learn, and move on.

11.                         How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I don’t think there is any one avenue that works best, Facebook, Twitter, I use them both plus my own blogspot. No idea which works best, sales have happened when I have not marketed and other times when I have, I have had no sales. Go figure.

12.                         Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Not yet but I am sure there will be one in the future.

13.                         Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
My next book will be the sequel to Jericho Blues, which I have just published, it will be called Jericho Blues-Hour of the Wolf.

14.                         Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
It’s all imagination, although there are some people out there who claim they have experienced some of the events in Jericho Blues.

15.                         What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?
That’s a hard one, i have no favorites, I loved them all.

16.                         How did you come up with the title?
In Jericho Blues an elite group of families who have been ruling the world from behind the scenes step out of the shadows and bring down society as we know it just like Joshua brought down the walls of Jericho in the Bible.
17.                         What project are you working on now?
I’m working on Hour of the Wolf, and a novel called Drakesh, which is a horror.

18.                         Will you have a new book coming out soon?
It will be another couple of months before my next release.

19.                         Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
There are no characters, except maybe Paulie from Homecoming Blues, but I killed him off, as for themes and ideas, wherever my muse takes me I shall follow.

20.                         What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I’ve had a couple of bad reviews, but I don’t let them bother me, as far as I’m concerned all reviews are good, best compliment was my character, Jimmy Dalton being likened to Jack Reacher if he had come from a British working class background.

21.                         Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Write, write, write, read, read, read. Never give up on what you do, develop a thick skin because some people will hate what you do, while others will love it, and always be open to advice. You never stop learning in this game, never think you know it all, because you don’t and probably never will, learn the rules then know when to break them.

22.                        Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

All those who have read my work i would say a big thank you, and you shall get your rewards in heaven, peace out.



Eastern Fury and Other Tales- http://goo.gl/gB2U7

Dalton’s Blues- http://goo.gl/fTOqa
Homecoming Blues-http://goo.gl/jpdRV
Border Town Blues- http://goo.gl/NZoto
Jericho Blues- http://goo.gl/Wekfq
A Trio of Blues (Boxset)- http://goo.gl/Jp1O2
Author page- http://goo.gl/nCWwl








Thank you Andrew for being here on this site and it has been a pleasure to get to know you as well especially as an author. I for one will be waiting for your follow up to Jericho Blues as I have read it and could not put it down either.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for having me over, the pleasure is all mine.

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome Andrew and keep writing away I certainly am stuck on your books now !

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