***
Nine-year-old David Ryan is in mortal danger. He has a deadly secret that is unknown even to himself. But there is someone that does know: a relentless killer born of hatred, who draws upon dark powers to destroy God’s chosen ones.
As David grows into a troubled teenager, he has to confront the truth about himself to have any hope of stopping the malignant spread of evil that is engulfing his small town. He must accept his birth-rite, or the whole world will burn.
***
***
Q&A
When and where do you prefer to write?
I like to write first thing in the morning when I get the opportunity, but when I’m working intensively on a book I’ll also write at night.
Do you need peace and quiet when you are writing?
It depends what mood I’m in. I’ll often have headphones on listening to music if I’m in the editing process, although sometimes, when I’m struggling with a chapter I’ll make sure that I have total peace and quiet.
If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
Ah, that’s a no-brainer. Stephen King.
Say someone asks if they can use your name in a book. Would you rather be the ‘good one’ or the ‘bad one’?
I really wouldn’t have a preference. I’d just be grateful for the mention.
Who would you like/have liked to interview?
Probably Billy Connolly at his sharpest. A really funny guy.
Where can I find you when you are reading?
I will read anywhere. On my couch at home, in bed, waiting to see a doctor/dentist. Anywhere I can, really.
Where can I find you when you are not writing/reading?
Working from home or in my office in Chester, England. Otherwise at home watching movies with my wife, walking in the local woods or interacting with my grandchildren.
What goes through your mind when you hold your new book in your hands for the first time?
Happiness, pride and nervousness; hoping that people will like it.
How do you come up with a title for your book?
I like one-word titles as I find them punchier and I usually work them out when I’m out walking.
How do you pick a cover for your book?
I look at popular book covers in my genre in terms of images and colours and then work with a professional designer to come up with the cover.
Thank you, Anthony Steven and Zooloo’s Book Tours
***
About the author
I mainly write horror and paranormal thrillers although I am probably the most squeamish of people when it comes to watching horror movies and normally watch the scary parts through my fingers. Why I write in this genre of fiction is therefore quite ironic, but I’ve always been attracted to horror and thrillers in all their forms, whether on print or large and small screen. I have early memories of secretly watching Appointment With Fear with my older brother on an old black-and- white portable TV on Monday night’s when we should have been asleep. The image of Christopher Lee crashing through French windows in the first Hammer Horror Dracula movie, with blood on his fangs chills me to this day!
Predictably, I am a huge fan of Stephen King, but also love writers such as Dean Koontz, Joe Hill, CJ Tudor and James Herbert. When I was a kid, I was fascinated and enthralled by Robert E Howard’s sword-and-sorcery tales of Conan The Barbarian and several other creations, and then by Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion series. These stories really fuelled my imagination and made me want to write my own stuff. When my older brother introduced me to Stephen King, I was soon lost in even darker worlds and I haven’t wanted to come out of them ever since. My books are, therefore, quite disturbing, gory at times, but I try to also litter them with characters who, while flawed, display the finer human qualities such as bravery, loyalty, and above all love of other people above themselves. I hope that you think that I have succeeded in this.
In my normal life I work for a charity that supports blind and partially-sighted people and I am also a qualified psychotherapist. This is all after spending twenty-five years in the private sector, where I wasn’t just unfulfilled, but also monumentally bored. Working with people directly to help them solve their own problems was definitely a better fit for me.
I live in Cheshire with my wonderfully patient wife and our small dog, Bailey, who loves nothing better than cuddles, food, and waiting until I’m relaxed of an evening before she demands some attention.
***
Author Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GaryTwigg1
Website: http://anthonystevenauthor.com/
***
***
Book Links
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birth-Rite-Anthony-Steven-ebook/dp/B099BCGT6Q
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Rite-Anthony-Steven/dp/1838120459/
B for Bookreview 