Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday to you! I hope you are all well and keeping safe! Today, I’m delighted to be welcoming author Alan Gorevan to The Book Babe for an author interview. I recently read and reviewed The Forbidden Room by Alan, and it was absolutely brilliant! A creepy little novella that I raced through a finished within just a couple of hours! Today, I’ll be chatting to Alan about his books and his writing, so I hope you’ll grab yourselves a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!
1.) Alan, have you always wanted to be a writer? At what age did you begin writing?
It’s a pleasure to be on your blog, Becca. Thanks for having me.
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. It started with drawing my own comics and trying to sell them to my neighbours. By 12, I was obsessed with Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton, but during college I focused on more “serious” works. Thankfully, I later rekindled my love of thrillers.
2.) Are you a full-time writer, or do you work alongside writing? If so, what do you?
In addition to my writing, I work as a trade mark attorney.
3.) What genre would you consider your books to be?
I consider them thrillers. I don’t like to use the word ‘crime’, because that is a very broad term. There are many types of crime writing, and not all of them aim to have a fast pace. With thrillers, pace is everything. ‘You start with a bang, end with a bang, and have a lot of bangs in the middle’, as Dean Wesley Smith says.
4.) Your latest novella, ‘The Forbidden Room’, looks to be a pretty intense read. Could you tell us a little bit about it?
It was inspired by a trip I took to West Cork, which is a breathtakingly beautiful part of Ireland. The afternoon I went there, it was stormy and I spent a long time travelling through the wilderness. I started asking myself my favourite writer’s question: what if? What if your car broke down? And what if your phone couldn’t get a signal? Could you find help? What if you found help… but something wasn’t right? Happily, I had a much better time in West Cork than my characters do. Everyone I met was lovely.
5.) How would you describe your writing style?
Invisible, if I’m doing my job right. I want the reader to forget that they’re reading a book, and be completely absorbed in the world of the story until they turn the last page.
6.) Are there any authors who influenced your writing?
I love the way Shari Lapena and Linwood Barclay write. Two different styles but they’re both beautifully crafted to take the reader flying through the story. Harlan Coben is great at twists. Helen Fitzgerald is fantastic at voice. Liz Nugent is wonderful at creating appalling characters.
7.) What sorts of books do you like to read yourself? Any particular genres?
I think you need to read both in and out of the genre you’re writing in. I love thrillers, but I also read in almost every genre, plus a lot of non-fiction. I recently read a Nora Roberts novel. It’s not my usual reading, but I can appreciate her skill.
8.) Are you have a heavy planner when it comes to plotting your stories? Or do you like to write and just see where your characters take you?
I like to start with a rough idea where I’m going and figure the details out as I go.
9.) Where do your ideas come from?
Often by taking something mundane and pushing it to the extreme.
10.) Do you write daily, or whenever you can fit it in?
I write daily. In January, I got into the habit of writing every morning before heading off to work. I wrote a short chapter each day and ended up with a 31-chapter novella at the end of the month. If you’re consistent, the pages add up.
11.) Are you working on anything new at the moment? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?
I’m working on a few things at the moment, including a novel that I started in May 2019. It’s the longest and best thing I’ve written, so I’m very excited finish it and get it out into the world. I also have more novellas in the works.
12.) Can you tell us some books that you’ve enjoyed reading?
A recent read that I enjoyed was ‘The Chain’ by Adrian McKinty. He’s a fabulous writer and it’s a smart, thought-provoking book.
Another is ‘A Dangerous Man’ by Robert Crais.
13.) What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in regards to your writing?
Years ago, I took a class given by Donal Ryan. He said not to overthink your writing. It’s good advice.
14.) Who are your biggest supporters?
My family is wonderful.
15.) Do you have any long-term plans for your writing career?
I’d love to reach more readers. I have a lot of fun ideas I’d like to share with them. I also want to keep improving at my craft.
16.) If you could meet with any author, who would it be and why? What would you like to talk to them about?
I’d like to ask Fyodor Dostoyevsky why all his characters are constantly lapsing into fevers! I’m sure he would have been a fun guy to meet.
17.) Do you have a favourite out of your novellas and short stories you’ve written so far?
My short story, ‘While You Sleep’, is the first thing I published, so that’s got a special place in my heart.
18.) If you had to write in another genre, which genre would you choose and why?
I would choose a genre that’s closely related to thrillers, like horror. I love the way Dean Koontz’s books are all thrillers, but they have different flavours. He has science fiction thrillers, horror thrillers and crime thrillers.
19.) Are your family and friends supportive of your writing?
Yes, they are! Supportive and long-suffering!
20.) And lastly, what’s your favourite part of the writing process?
Probably that thunderbolt moment when I get an exciting idea that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into!
Alan, thank you ever so much for taking the time to answer my questions for The Book Babe. It’s been lovely to read your answers and after reading ‘The Forbidden Room’, I’m excited to see what’s next from you! Read on to find out more about ‘The Forbidden Room’.
What lies behind the door?
You and your partner are looking forward to a romantic break in the rugged landscape of West Cork, on the south west coast of Ireland. Cliff walks, seafood dinners and spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.
But a storm is brewing.
Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no phone signal. So you start walking.
You search for help.
And you find it. At an isolated house, a family gives you shelter… but something is wrong.
The husband has a head wound. The son is too terrified to speak. And the wife forbids you from going near her other son’s bedroom.
You can purchase your copy of The Forbidden Room by Alan Gorevan here.
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