Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: R.J. Bathgate: Those who stand behind you, protect them, those who stand beside you, respect them, those who stand in front of you, show no mercy!
M.J. Hall: Environmentally conscious, animal lover, likes reading and writing, and listening to and making music.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: Darkview: Psychosis is our debut novel.
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: Darkview: Psychosis was released, worldwide, on 6 June and is available from all the usual suspects: Amazon, B&N, Bookbaby, iBookstore etc.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: R.J. Bathgate: Distorted reality
M.J. Hall: Darkwave.
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: Darkview: Psychosis tells the story of Jack Cyrus – a man with nothing to lose. After his wife and unborn child are taken from him by cancer, he is plagued with demonic visions of a tortured past and subsequently given the label of paranoid schizophrenic. On the sixth anniversary of his wife’s death, he receives a cryptic, hand-written letter claiming to be from Chloe, his deceased wife, saying she’s still alive and in pain. She begs Jack to return to the place she spent her last days: Darkview, a small coastal town in the Scottish Highlands – where they both grew up. Jack knows that dead people can’t write letters, but desperate to hold on to any chance she’s still alive, sets off for the Highlands.
Jack makes two simultaneous journeys to Darkview – one in reality and one in his mind. In reality, Jack meets various characters who either help or hinder him and he must piece together various clues to find the truth. In his mind, he also meets various characters – each a representative of his troubled soul, which he must deal with to progress mentally, and rediscover his long lost sanity. Only when Jack can piece together all the clues and reconcile his troubled soul, can he reveal the true circumstances behind the death of Chloe, his wife.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: R.J. Bathgate: I love to travel. When I was in Canada, I visited a town in British Columbia, called Hope. There was this street where one side was immaculate and the other was hanging off a cliff, due to a landslide. The contrast between the two made me think of a split mind, and inspired our first book, ‘Darkview: Psychosis’.
M.J. Hall: I am presently studying BSc Environmental Science with the UK’s Open University. When I’m not studying or writing, I like to make music on my computer.
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: R.J. Bathgate: Stephen King.
M.J. Hall: Ken Follett.
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: R.J. Bathgate: ‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams.
M.J. Hall: ‘Personal’ by Lee Child.
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: R.J. Bathgate: It goes something like this: Silence, brainstorming, drinking Mountain Dew, writing, a cigarette break, more writing, repeat.
M.J. Hall: First, we brainstorm and write the first draft together. Then I go through and edit what’s been written, before passing it back to R.J., who either says ‘great’, or makes a list of suggestions on how things can be improved. There’s generally a bit of toing and froing before we’re both fully happy with things.
Q: Why do you write?
A: R.J. Bathgate: To release the inner demons, to exorcise the stress, and to evoke the imagination.
M.J. Hall: Writing is a form of catharsis. When we wrote Darkview, I definitely felt I’d released some inner demons. Writing is also a good way of expressing your imagination.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: R.J. Bathgate: Keep expecting great things, don’t settle for less. Sometimes in life, you got to say, ‘What the f**k!’ because, ‘What the f**k!’ gives you freedom, freedom brings opportunity, and opportunity sets your future.
M.J. Hall: Follow your heart, always keep going no matter what, and never give up!
