Stone Ruins and City Smoke by Charlie Martyn / #Interview #BlogTour @ZooloosBT @adymartin63 @darkedgepress

On 9 mei 20226 mei 2022 door elsinMartyn Charlie - Stone Ruins and City Smoke2 reacties

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Recovering agoraphobic, Tom Maynard, runs a converted Cornish tin mine in Sennen Cove as a rural retreat for the rich and famous. Melanie Taylor runs a successful London hotel, and wants to buy shares in the property he developed in his late wife’s memory, but he refuses her offer.

Sensing a connection between the pair, his daughter, Amy, sets them up on a blind date. But while together in London, during a storm, Amy goes missing. As they battle the elements to save her, they must decide if the distance between them is also worth fighting.

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Q&A

When and where do you prefer to write?

I have a small 8×6 shed in the garden, which I bought from a friend. My wife snagged all the insulation from Marketplace for free when I was a student. It gives me a quiet working space away from the house where I can lose myself for hours upon end. It has everything I need, and thanks to modern technology, extremely reliable internet. Without it, and having four feral kids, I don’t think I’d be able to write. When I was studying, it also had a comfy recliner chair, but now it’s solely an office, no such comforts are afforded… I’d always be reading or asleep!

Do you need peace and quiet when you are writing?

I am one of those authors who needs complete silence. Outside background noise is fine, but I can’t have music, or something that will cause me to start singing along and forget what I’m writing about. If I were to listen to something like Metallica whilst writing a romance, the story could take an undesirable turn, especially as I write in two genres. However, the only music I can listen to, and I did this whilst writing many essays (because academic essays are the most boring thing you could ever write), is Alpha Wave music. I find it blocks out background noise without impeding on your concentration.

If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?

Can I pick two? Pretty please? Thank you. The first would be Dean Koontz as he was the first author to get me reading fiction in a way that I’d lose myself so much and even forget I was reading. The second, and if I had to pick one over the other, it would be this guy, Shaun Hutson. I’ve read so many of his books, but there was something about his writing style that continuously drew me in. The stories were always dark, often brutal, and I love them. I also like his anonymity, and how he keeps himself out of the limelight and lets his writing do the talking. Brilliant writer. One of my prized possessions is a signed copy of Dying Words, though it was a pre-signed copy, so I never got to meet him, unfortunately.

Say someone asks if they can use your name in a book. Would you rather be the ‘good one’ or the ‘bad one’?

Always the “Bad one”. I have a streak in me which is quite devilish, and bad characters can often be more interesting than good ones. We are not born bad, but what makes someone turn bad?

Who would you like/have liked to interview?

Author wise? Again, either Dean Koontz or Shaun Hutson. As Koontz has been interviewed by so many people it would have to be Hutson, purely because there are very few interviews with him, and he’s somewhat of an enigma.

Where can I find you when you are reading?

Pretty much always in bed. It’s where I am most relaxed and can enjoy every word. My wife is normally asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow, so I can indulge for as long as I like. If I’m really enjoying the book, it’s been known for me to read until the early hours, even if I have an early alarm. You sleep when you’re dead, but you can’t bloody read!

Where can I find you wen you are not writing/reading?

Ooh, tough one. My life is crazy busy, but football is a huge passion of mine and I’ve recently given up playing. But I’m still involved with the club I’ve been at for years, though normally just watching. Or, I will pick up a game somewhere, such as Plymouth Argyle. But my youngest is making me a happy Dad now as he’s following in my footsteps as a Southampton fan. Away from football/reading/writing you’ll find me spending time with my family and being bullied by my kids!

What goes through your mind when you hold your new book in your hands for the first time?

Honestly, for me, not a lot. I know a lot of authors get a bit emotional, but I don’t. That sounds really Prima Donna-ish! I don’t know why, but I don’t get a huge emotional charge from it. Probably more a sense of relief, if I’m honest. Similarly, I don’t go waving a copy under the noses of everyone I come into contact with either. I think the answer is because it doesn’t feel real to me, imposter syndrome strikes at this point, and its an incredibly fierce feeling. It’s an emotion I really struggle with.

How do you come up with a title for your book?

Stone Ruins and City Smoke was originally titled The Little Hotel on the Cliff, which when you read the book is an obvious title. But after a chat with an editor at the RNA’s annual conference in 2018, it was suggested I revise the title. So, I wanted to make it obscure. The new title is a double metaphor and refers to each on the main characters. Stone ruins, reflects how Tom’s life was once a perfect working machine, until tragedy struck and he crumbled. He then has to rebuild his life, just like the mine he reinvented, but for a purpose other than mining. The hotel. City smoke is a reference towards Mel, who is obsessed with London (the big smoke), and who struggles to see how communities function and thrive away from it. But smoke can clear, offering views we couldn’t see before, which is true for Mel.

How do you pick a cover for your book?

I have an image in my mind of how I think the story should be represented. The cover should drop hints at what is inside the book. So, when I’m presented with various ideas for a cover I like to see what details are offering clues to its content.

Thank you

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About the Author

Adrian lives in Cornwall with his wife and four children. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English with Creative Writing and a Master’s degree in Professional writing, both received from Falmouth University. Adrian grew up in Cornwall, only spending seven years away while serving in the British army. The inspiration for his writing is drawn from the landscape of the magical county – from the desolate moors to the rugged coastline.

Adrian didn’t discover the real joy of reading until his late teenage years, devouring such authors as Andy McNab and Dean Koontz. Writing came later while on active service overseas, starting with bad poetry before turning his hand to the novel. Originally published in horror, Adrian accidentally discovered his enjoyment of writing romantic fiction while at university, and subsequently enrolled on the Romantic Novelists Association’s New Writer’s Scheme – an affiliation he would recommend to any new writer.

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Author Links

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Charlie.Martyn177

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/charliemartynauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LornaDounaeva https://twitter.com/adymartin63

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