Wrong Answers Only is a brand spanking new segment on the blog, where I ask authors some cliché questions and they have to answer it completely wrong. Yes, this interview is probably utterly pointless in the grand scheme of things, but it’s fun nonetheless. I mean, where else are you going to find a Wrong Answers Only interview with some of the finest authors in the industry?
My first victim—I mean, willing subject—is none other than one of the nicest authors in the business, Dave Jeffery. He is the author of the Beatrice Beecham series, which just so happens to be one of my favorite YA series. 🙂
Enough babbling now, let’s see how well Mr. Jeffery lies. *evil laugh*
Wrong Answers Only, Mr. Jeffery …
What inspired you to start writing?
It looked like a really easy way to get lots of money and worldwide fame without having to do any real work. I also had lots of notepads and I don’t like to throw anything out.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
A politician because they get to make things up, get things wrong and still get to keep their jobs. How cool is that?
How do you handle writer’s block?
I cry a lot and blame other people for my failings. Then eat curry. But not always in that order.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
Make stuff up as I go, sometimes I even keep the names of the characters the same all the way through the manuscript. Editors often point out my stories make no sense whatsoever. I tell them they don’t know what they’re talking about because my mum thinks my stories are just brilliant.
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?
That I can concentrate on something for longer than just a few minutes without falling asleeeeeeeepzzzzzzzzz.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I read other people’s books and use the ideas they come up with. I read somewhere that there are only so many stories you can tell, so why bother coming up with your own stuff? Some would suggest that this is actually stealing but what do they know, they’re not a writer.
Who is your favourite author and why?
Stephen King and Darren Shan because they seem to be worth a fair bit of money. I’d like to hang out with them and get friends to take photos of me with my ‘friends’ and use the images to flog my own stuff.
What is your favorite book?
Twilight because it shows that vampires and werewolves need love too.
What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
It was full of grim, important social stuff and had to be told with sensitivity and that was just too much hassle. I wish I’d written it as a comedy, or as Christmas episode of EastEnders. It would’ve been a right laugh.
On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
A little as possible. I mean, why write when you can binge watch The Big Bang Theory on repeat?
About the Author
Dave Jeffery is author of 14 novels, two collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. His YA work features critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series and Finding Jericho, a contemporary mental health novel that was featured on the BBC Health and the Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board’s recommended reading lists.
Jeffery is a member of the Society of Authors, British Fantasy Society (where he is a regular book reviewer), and the Horror Writers Association. He is also a registered mental health professional with a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies.
Jeffery is married with two children and lives in Worcestershire, UK. His kids think he’s quite odd and won’t walk with him in public.
Visit Dave Jeffery here:
A Quiet Apocalypse
A Quiet Apocalypse is available from Amazon Worldwide
A mutant strain of meningitis has wiped out most of mankind. The few who have survived the fever are now deaf.
Bitter with loss and terrified to leave the city known as Cathedral, the inhabitants rely on The Samaritans, search teams sent out into the surrounding countryside. Their purpose, to hunt down and enslave the greatest commodity on Earth, an even smaller group of people immune to the virus, people who can still hear.
People like me.
My name is Chris. This is my story.
