Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: A thoughtful, sensitive soul who’s trying to make sense of the world.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: I’ve written five novels and all of them are published.
The first three form a light-hearted paranormal trilogy called the Sunray Bay Trilogy. The first book is called Slippery Souls (and is permafree). The second and third books are called The Forgotten Ones and Tattooed Gods. (They’re published under Rachael H. Dixon).
After my foray with vampires and werewolves, I decided to concentrate on dark horror instead. I’ve since written Emergence and A Storytelling of Ravens. (These are published under R. H. Dixon in order to separate the genre differences).
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: I’ve only just released A Storytelling of Ravens. My next novel, The House Next Door, will be out next summer.
Q: Tell me about how you come up with your titles for your stories. Do you create the title before or after you write the book, and does it ever change from the initial title?
A: So far I’ve chosen all of my titles during the very early stages of the first draft. I usually have a bit of a brainstorming session with pen and paper, then go with whatever stands out most.
Q: Out of all your characters in all of your books, who/what (sometimes a setting can also be an important “character”)do you think is the most interesting and why?
A: Tough question, I could name a few for many different reasons, but I’ll go with John Gimmerick from Emergence. I developed a bit of a soft spot for John and he really tested me as a writer. He’s something of an anti-hero, and since he’s the protagonist I had to be really careful to ensure I struck a balance of likeability. I needed to convey him in a way that the reader would root for him. And in the end, I think I succeeded.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: Supernatural with a hefty dose of messed up human psyche.
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: A Storytelling of Ravens is about four key players seemingly trapped in an unpleasant environment (a creepy cabin in the woods), each claiming they have no idea why. It’s a dark tale of obsession, largely playing on negativities such as hurt and paranoia, while exploring the uncomfortable confines of claustrophobia to its fullest extent.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: I have two whippets called Marvin and Delilah. I consider them my kids.
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: Oo that’s a really tough question. I’m torn. But if I have to choose, I guess I’ll go with John Ajvide Lindqvist. He writes the kind of psychological horror that I love: very character driven stories that play on the horrors of everyday scenarios that most people can relate to.
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: Naomi’s Room by Jonathan Aycliffe. It was a bit of an anticlimactic one if I’m honest, the first half of the book was fantastic, but the second half failed to convince me. I do love Aycliffe’s writing style though, so I’ll definitely make sure I devour his entire back catalogue.
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: I’m a forward planner. I like to have a novel loosely mapped out at least, chapter by chapter, before I begin. I’d be too worried that no storyline would reveal itself if I just winged it.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I love books: reading them and writing them. I guess I’m addicted to escapism.
Q: Do you read your own work a lot? If so, what does it do for you?
A: I read my own work an awful lot during the editing stages, which admittedly gets tiresome. Perhaps in time, though, I’ll re-read my books from a reader’s point of view. I guess in a way it would be like catching up with old friends. There are certain memories attached to each book, which would be kind of nice to recapture.
Q: What is your favorite type of music? Is there one genre (or song, band etc...) that brings out your creativeness more than others?
A: Metallica always serves to inspire me with their angsty riffs and great lyrics. In fact, Emergence was somewhat influenced by their song Prince Charming.
I’m not always a metal head though, in particular I also love the music and gorgeous lyrics of Mumford & Sons and Lana Del Rey.
Q: As an author, I find that the hardest thing to write (for me) is the synopsis that will be on the back cover or book’s description. When you write, what is the hardest line to write, the first line, the last line or the synopsis for the book?
A: I agree, writing a synopsis is the pits! I draft it up as soon as I start a new project, then change it repeatedly as the months go by till it’s nothing like how it started out.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: To my fans: thank you!
To future authors: accept that there’s always room for improvement and you’ll blossom beautifully.