Q&A with Chris McDonald
Q&As!
Another new author who is getting a lot of buzz at the moment is Chris McDonald whose debut novel ‘A Wash of Black” is released on the 4th February by Red Dog Press.
Chris originally hails from the Northern Irish coast but now lives and works in south Manchester as a teacher. Chris has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure, before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. He's a fan of 5-a-side football, has an eclectic taste in music ranging from Damien Rice to Slayer and loves dogs.
Chris is a great book blogger - go check out his site at macsbookreview.wordpress.com. He has some great reviews on there as well as a few Q&As.
I am lucky enough to be part of the blogtour for ‘A Wash of Black’ twice, with this Q&A and also later on I will be reviewing the book. So look out for it on the 7th February.
So let’s dive in with the Q&A!
1) We all have to admit that people who write crime fiction come up with some gruesome aspects in their work. Where do you get your inspiration from?
About ten years ago, I had this image of a body lying on an ice rink, the spilled blood a vivid red against the stark white of the ice. I imagined the camera would start close to the body, from above, and zoom out, revealing the scene in all its gory glory - a bird’s eye view of the crime scene. Then, I did nothing. Until one day, the scene came back to me. And I wanted to know what happened next! So I started writing it, with no expectations whatsoever.
2) What was your day job before your writing took off and how do you think it has affected the books you create?
I am still a teacher. I’d love to be a full-time writer / almost anything other than a teacher at this stage! The pressure from OFSTED is a nightmare! I think if I was a full-time writer, I’d be waaaayyyyyy more productive.
3) Whose is your favourite author at present?
At the minute, M W Craven. I recently read The Puppet Show (I know, I know – late to the party) and I bloody loved it. I now am about to read Black Summer. His characters, the setting and his perfectly taut storylines are fantastically written #TeamTilly
4) Who is your favourite of all time?
My favourite author has got to be J K Rowling, doesn’t it? Harry Potter was a series of books I loved, and still love. I went to midnight openings at Waterstones, went home and read until the morning. I love the Strike series too, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
My favourite book… oof! I don’t know. My favourite book memory is getting the coach back from Amsterdam to London, and reading Flowers for Algernon the whole way. I finished just as the boat docked in England. It’s a beautiful book, and one I still recommend to people. But, I’m not committing to that being my favourite of all time!
5) Is there a genre of books you just can’t stand?
There are certainly genres I don’t read. I bought 50 shades of grey once, because of the hype, though I had no idea what it was. I don’t think I even read the blurb, otherwise I feel I would’ve set it back down on the shelf! Anyway, I took it to a charity shop, covertly, after about 6 pages.
6) If you were only allowed to read one book for the rest of your life what would it be?
Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R Cross. It’s the biography of Kurt Cobain. I love Nirvana and the book is so in depth, so beautifully written about a very misunderstood and complex character. Nirvana’s music blew me away at the age of 12, and still does to this day. The last section of the book always gets me, especially when Krist Novoselic talks about the last time he saw Kurt before he killed himself. It’s heartbreaking.
7) How does the ‘location’ i.e. geographical area play it’s part when you are writing a book?
It’s massive for me! I love to imagine being there, almost as an onlooker to the action. If the setting is immersive, it can really pull you in. I’m just about to finish A Shot in the Dark, the first in the Mydworth series by Neil Richards and Matt Costello (Red Dog label mates) and the setting of a country house is superbly written. It’s a fantastic novella. I like being taken to Hogwarts and I like being taken the gritty East End of London. M W Craven (please don’t get a restraining order) used Cumbria so brilliantly in The Puppet Show – all those stone circles…
8) Describe your day when you are writing?
I get to work for 7:10ish and stay there until 5ish. Cook. Play with my children and then do bedtime. Then, I’ll write from about 8-10. Some of that time is spent researching, some is spent writing, some (very little) is spent planning.
9) Can you give us any clues about the book you are working on?!
My next book is called All I Hear Are Whispers. DI Erika Piper is called to a house with two dead bodies, both killed in a similar fashion, but with no murder weapon on the scene and no sign of forced entry. It’s proving to be a bit more complex than A Wash of Black.
10) How important do you think the blogging community and social media in the book industry?
MASSIVE!!! As a blogger myself, I love it when I recommend a book and someone tells me they have gone and bought it! I’m really buoyed by the early reviews, and I really hope that the bloggers enjoy it and spread the love! Know, please, that I value your opinions and am so thankful for the time you have given to read my debut! Saints and martyrs, the lot of you!
And finally a bonus question!
Okay what would you rather have as a method to kill off a character - a hundred penguins descending on a person or one solitary shaving nick which led to an infection and death? Why did you choose what you did?
I’d prefer a shaving nick, as I love penguins and would hate to paint them in an even more evil light than Wallace and Gromit did with Feather McGraw!
I think Chris and myself would get on!
