David Ayres has co-written Lazarball.
1. What is your name
and where do you call home?
My name is David Ayres, and I live in
Bradford, West Yorkshire, in England.
2. Do you have a pen
name?
No.
3. What is the name of
your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what
would you say?
The name of my most recent book is Lazarball which is book one of the
Anumal Empire series. To sum Lazarball
up in 20 or less words, I would have to say “Mankind is dead, Anumals now rule.
Lazarball is Thundercats meets Hunger Games in a unique and savage urban saga.”
That’s 19 words…I should have thrown in another adjective in there shouldn’t I?
4. Do you have plans
for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Lazarball is the first book of the Anumal
Empire series, which is set to span across seven books in total (and possibly
some more) so it’s a big old beast of a story. As well as this, I have a
writers journal fit to bursting with ideas and outlines for other future books.
5. What or who inspired
you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I have been writing for about ten
years or so. I was one of those people who was always bursting with ideas for
stories, but never knew how to realise them. How ever much I told my mum I
hated English, I secretly loved the lesson at school and was told I had a
natural flair for story telling. I have always been bought up surrounded by
books (mostly my dad’s collection) and I would often read many of them, as well
as the stories he would start writing. I say ‘start writing’ as he never used
to finish any of them. He was massively into Tolkien, David Eddings, Clive
Barker and H.G. Wells for example, and
this rubbed off onto myself. So the inspiration for me to start writing must
stem from my dad really. Now, ten years down the line, I have a degree in
English Language and Literature, and a completed book. My dad is very proud…he
bought me a pint.
6. Do you gift books to
readers for book reviews?
Of course. I am in a metal band, and
I adopt the same attitude with the book as I do with our music, and that is the
more people we can get to read / hear it, the better, even if it means giving
it away. It’s all exposure. To read a book is a huge investment in time,
especially when you are going to review it, so it is only right that they receive
the book for free.
7. How did you come up
with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
The cover came about from a brain
storm between me and the co writer of Lazarball
Darren Jacobs. We wanted something very eye catching, and not too cluttered and
complicated. The elements of the battered, rusted steel gives the book a
decayed urban feel, whilst the splashes of blood convey the animalistic
savagery and danger that is present in the book. The symbol on the front is
called The Mark of the New World, and plays an
important role in the story. Its placing on the cover seems to tie all these
elements together. I feel it is a great representation of what the book is
about. The cover itself was designed by my cousin called Ben Wilkinson who runs
his own graphic design company called Export 2 Reality www.export2reality.co.uk
8. Which is your
favourite cover of all the books you have written?
This one…because it’s our only one…but
there will be plenty more
9. Is there anything
you would change about your book covers?
No not really. I pretty much go with
my gut, and when something seems to click, and look just right, I don’t see any
point in messing with it. I loved our cover the first time I saw it. That was
good enough for me.
10. Would you have
different book covers for different countries?
Not so much different countries, but
I would for different demographics. Lazarball
was written to appeal to a wide spectrum of ages. In the past we have had some
amazing concept art done for the book by an artist called Steve Jones, and I
would consider using some of this art on the front covers so it may appeal to
wider tastes.
11. How did you come up
with the title for your book?
Lazarball has always been the one true name
for this book. At first, this name was used as a kind of umbrella name which we
called the project by, but since then it has just stuck. Lazarball is basically a high tech and brutal team sport, which
plays a pivotal role in this book and future books. However we felt we needed a
name that reflected the saga on a broader scale also, and not just one element.
That is why we have the umbrella name of the Anumal Empire series as well.
Anumals are hybrid human / animals, therefore the word Anumal is the same.
Anumal Empire seems to encapsulate all what the saga is about, and signifies
that a new breed now dominates earth.
12. Is there anything
you would change about your book? And why?
The length of time it took to write
it lol. Seriously though, Lazarball
was a huge learning curve for both Darren and myself. I wouldn’t change
anything to do with the story or the characters, but I know we are set to write
the next book to a slightly different game plan, which should make the whole
process a lot smoother.
13. Do you have a book
trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
We do have a trailer which one of my
friends did for us. It basically tells the viewer where they can buy the book
etc, plus it has music on it from my band Old School Enemy. I think trailers
are a great idea. After all, isn’t You Tube like the second or third biggest
search engine on the internet? It would be crazy not to exploit that and use it
for publicity. I have not come across anyone who dislikes book trailers, but I
do believe that in this day and age, where books become films, films become
games, games become books etc etc, that you have to appreciate and try and
utilise every medium out there.
14. Do you prefer
e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
Any, as long as they contain a good
story. I am a little late to the ebook party, but I am really getting into it.
However nothing beats the feel of a book in your hand, or that sense of triumph
inside when you thumb through the amount of pages you have read. As for
audiobooks, they are something I have never really tried, but I wouldn’t say
no.
15. Are you a
self-published / Indie author?
I am an Indie author. The way I see
it, is that the book industry, like nearly every industry, is out there to make
money. If the process of writing your own book, self publishing your own book
and marketing your own book teaches you valuable lessons in how the industry
works, then it can only be a good thing. Being an Indie author could be seen as
a proving ground, one where Indie authors can build a following and demonstrate
to publishers or the world that there is indeed a market for their work. I
cannot say if being with one of the big 6 is better that being an Indie author,
as I have never been with a publisher. But at the moment, I am really enjoying
learning the ropes, and loving the fact that our work is now out there for
people to read. Who knows what it may lead to, but you have to at least enjoy
the ride.
16. Have you ever read
a book more than once? And if so what was it?
The only books I have ever read more
than once are The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Wuthering Heights.
The Lord of the Rings was purely because I love the books. As for Wuthering Heights, I find the book massively
intriguing. Id love to write the middle section to Wuthering Heights,
something like “Heathcliff…The Missing Years!” I love the fact that he disappears,
and years later comes back incredibly wealthy, yet we don’t know why. I live
near Haworth (where the Brontes lived) so I
might nip up there and find some old relative and have a word. Watch this
space. (Sorry, went off on a tangent there.)
17. Have you ever
bought a specific edition of a book because of it’s cover? (For example a UK, US
or Canadian version)
No, not really.
18. Have you ever read
a book just based on it’s cover?
I don’t think I have. The cover
certainly draws me to the book, but I always read the back cover after, then
flick halfway through the book and read a page or two. I do this just to see if
the writing annoys me, for example if it’s too flowery and over descriptive or
if any of the dialogue sticks out as clichéd or unbelievable, or to see if the
writing actually flows. This sounds pretty harsh, but like I said, reading is
an investment in time, and with two kids, a job, Anumal Empire, a rock band and
a cat, I usually don’t have much time free, so when I do read, I want the book
to be great.
19. Has the quality of
the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
Possibly. Like I said above, I am
attracted to a good cover, so I will have probably over looked something with a
bad cover, even though there could be a gem inside.
20. What book are you
reading at the moment? And in what format?
Fear
and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson. This is in
paperback. I have a stack of books I now want to read. Having just finished my
degree, the final module was literature, where I had to study a range of texts
from Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko to James Joyce’s Dubliners. Don’t get me wrong, these were amazing books, but I’m
looking forward to reading something of my own choice now, and not something I
have been told to read. I have to admit though, my eyes have been opened to a
whole new world of books. It’s good to step out of your comfort zone once in a
while.
21. Do you have any
advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given
when it comes to writing?
I can’t help but sound clichéd here,
but the best advice to other writers is do not give up. Keep at it no matter
what. If you really want something, then work towards it. I think the best ever
writing advice I received was from one of my creative writing tutors called
Michael Stewart. He told me that with every story, always push it to its
furthest extreme. From there you can always pull it back. It’s like the old
saying, always better to be a mile too long than an inch too short. But this
has been great advice to work with, especially in the first draft of a book,
where you throw everything onto the page. If I could give one more bit of
advice, it would be to take writing seriously. There are many people who say
they are going to write a book, and just get to it, without any consideration
for learning the craft. That is why I studied English. I wanted to equip myself
with the best tools to really give it 100%. Learn the craft, keep on learning
it and don’t give up on it, I suppose that sums it up really.
22. Where can your
readers follow you?
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!
