Tuesday 8 January 2013

Author Interview: Matthew Turner

Matthew Turner has written Tales From A Tiny Thai Table and Beyond Parallel.


1. What is your name and where do you call home?
My name is Matthew Turner and I'm a writer from Yorkshire, England
 
2. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
Beyond Parallel, and it's set in the same mould as Sliding doors; a parallel tale where one focuses on Bella & Clark as a couple, and the other as though they never meet. 

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
It isn't part of a series, no, but I already have my next book planned. I'm going to take a few weeks off and then get stuck straight into it. I hope to release it in the early part of 2014. I must say, I'm rather excited about starting a new project. Beyond Parallel has been an amazing journey, but I'm eager to start a fresh. 
 
4. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I've always loved creating stories, but it was a bad breakup in 2006 that pushed me into creating Beyond Parallel. It was during this time that I realised writing NEEDED to be part of my life. I couldn't imagine not writing now. It isn't always the easiest job in the world, but it's so rewarding.

5. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I designed it myself, but not after receiving some amazing feedback from several people. I had a few ideas, but it wasn't until I spoke to readers and fellow writers that I was able to create the final cover. I'm not sure if it's worthy of a pro-designer, but I'm happy with the final outcome. 

6. How did you come up with the title for your book?
As it's told from two timelines, I wanted to have Parallel in the name (or something similar to this).  I settled on Beyond Parallelbecause I felt it was fairly catchy and memorable, but also touched upon the story as a whole. The question of what if shines through, and I hope the title makes you wonder about what the grander picture might be.
I suppose, in a nutshell, that's the reason for the name.

7. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
In general I hate Book Trailers. I find they try and mimic movies, which in general doesn't work. They usually end up looking rather cheesy, losing the plot, and coming across distant and cold.
I wanted to approach my videos differently and have them involve me more. I wanted to connect with the reader with the story, and I felt getting to know me would do this better than a standard trailer.
Therefore I've utilized readings, short videos, and a few other things to get Beyond Parallel on the screen. I'm a huge fan of videos, so I love to make them, but I didn't want to create just another trailer. I'm not sure if I've managed to achieve what I wanted to, but I'm happy with the one-on-one feel that all the videos have. This was my biggest aim. 

8. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I prefer non-fiction books to be in Ebook format, that way I always have them on me. I do enjoy reading fiction in paperback, though, although I don't mind the occasional Ebook, too. 
As for audiobooks, I'm afraid I don't have the attention span for them :)

9. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Yes, I'm a self-published writer and absolutely loving the process. A lot of hard work, but very rewarding. 

10. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
Absolutely! You can always tell when a cover is rushed and not thoroughly thought through. I know we shouldn't, but I do tend to judge a book by its cover. 

11. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I've been reading quite a lot of coming-of-age type stories recently. Books like Catcher Of The Rye, On The Road, The Virgin Suicides, etc. Part of this was to try and help me finalize Beyond Parallel, but part was due to the fact that I love these kind of books.
As for the format, I've been reading a lot of paperback recently. I had a rather unhealthy splurge at a bookstore a few weeks ago :)

12. If you could invite any four celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why?
Hmm, what a good question. I think it would have to be:
- Keira Knightley (my ultimate crush)
- Scott Fitzgerald (an amazing writer who I could talk to for hours)
- Morgan Freeman (I imagine he has some stellar stories to share)
- Bob Dylan (simply put, he's a legend!)
 

13. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
My advice is to read a lot and write whenever you can. I know it's cliche, but it's true. I don't care how well educated you are, it takes a lot of practice to even come close to perfecting this craft. I for one am nowhere near perfection (not even in the same stadium yet).
I think this was the best advice I got, and it wasn't from any one person in particular, rather the writing world in general. Like I say, it's cliche but oh so true. Read every day and embrace every genre you can. Challenge yourself and push on further and further. It's amazing what it does to your writing.   

14. Where can your readers follow you?






Thankyou do much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

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