A conversation with Grand Mal Press author, Craig Saunders

Today I am here with fellow Grand Mal author (and fellow Brit) Craig Saunders.  He's new on the scene but planning to make an impact.  If his latest novel SPIGGOT is anything to go by, he's going to be around for quite a while.

Hey Craig, could you tell us what work you currently have available?

I've got a bunch of anthologies out...I'm proud of all of them but I'm not going to list them here (I'm trying desperately not to preen!). I'm most pleased with BOX OF DELIGHTS, sharing a Table of Contents with one of my heroes, Steve Rasnic Tem. That's one of my proudest moments. I'm in another, called HELP! WANTED, with some great writers. I'm in a lot of anthologies...not all of them are on Amazon, unfortunately, but some are.  I've included a link to my Amazon pages below, for anyone that's interested.

Aside from the short stories, I also have a novella out with Blood Bound Books, called SCARECROW. It's a double feature with Robert Essig's THE MADNESS. That was a lot of fun to work on.

My first novel, RAIN, from Twisted Library Press, came out recently, too. I was so pleased with that first novel acceptance I might have cried a little bit (just don't tell anyone).

SPIGGOT, my second novel, will be out soon from Grand Mal Press. Coming under the Grand Mal banner's been really cool and they're putting out some great novels from great authors. I'm really pleased with SPIGGOT, and my publisher...but then, you know that, right? ;)

Tell us about SPIGGOT.

Spiggot's a Norfolk (UK) detective, and a git - to put it bluntly. He's a complete misanthrope. Fortunately for the reader (who wants to read about an arse?!) he's pretty funny too, and his partner, Francesca Trout, is his redemption, really. His nemesis, The Egyptian Lady, from Stoke, sends Spiggot's soul into the body of a mad axe-murderer...then Spiggot has to figure out how to get back to his body when the police and his enemies are after him...

It is, I guess, in a similar vein to Douglas Adams (if Douglas Adams had been on PCP when he was writing). I hasten to add, I'm not on PCP. My eyes always look like this.
For someone unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe your writing?

Short and snappy. A cool agent said it was kind of noir, like Dashiel Hammett, which is fantastic praise to my mind (still, they never took the novel on!). I don't know about Dashiel Hammett, but it's certainly short and to the point. I aim for story and character, pure and simple. I try to cut out all the parts of a novel that I wouldn't read myself!






What else do you have in the pipeline?

I write a lot of short stories, and I have several coming out soon...plus my third novel! I'm really amazed - I've been writing seriously for around five years and this year had three novels accepted. Amazed, and chuffed. I always post my successes and failures on my blog (linked below), so if you're interested, please take a look. Follow me, too - I'm pretty lazy, so it won't take long to keep up with me!

What writers have had the most influence on your own writing?

That's a toughie, because I think that to a certain degree all of them have. But my style's short and to the point, and I think with regard to style I'd have to say Lee Child, Terry Pratchett, GRR Martin. I think Martin's work's a big influence - the way his writing feels snappy and keeps you turning the page, even though you're reading what's practically a tome (when it comes to Song of Ice and Fire). I love Stephen King, too. I don't know that many people who think he sucks...but then most of my friends are horror buffs or writers!

On content, I think it's kind of an individual thing, rather than any specific influence. I always hated knock offs, and found myself getting so frustrated reading the same old things from the shelves of Tesco - the advent of eBooks has solved that problem for me, though, as I read a ton of work that's not out from the big publishers and isn't so restricted, creatively.
What was the last thing you read?

The last thing I read was Blake Crouch's Run.  I'd never read Crouch's work before and it was an eye-opener. Cracking page turner, really grabbed me from the get-go. I loved it. I don't, as a general rule, read much, but since getting my Kindle I'm finding I'm reading more and more...be reading a certain fella's ANIMAL KINGDOM soon, too. ;)

Anything else you’d like to tell us about?

I have another novel coming out this year, currently in edits, called the Love of the Dead. It's out from Evil Jester Press, so please keep an eye out for that, too. Cheers!
Lastly, I just wanted to say a massive thanks for this, Iain, it's been a real pleasure. I love doing interviews - I can pretend I'm all famous! Haha. Thank you so much, and good luck yourself...not that you need it ;)

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Saunders-Author/111333802221513

Blog: http://petrifiedtank.blogspot.com/

Amazon US Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Saunders/e/B003TYAKFO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1326102715&sr=8-1

Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craig-Saunders/e/B003TYAKFO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1326102715&sr=8-1