Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I got the writing bug at the age of 9 when I wrote a letter to a children’s comic in the UK and won the star prize. This success me up for many a subsequent fall until I began to see work appear in national newspapers, sports magazines and travel guides. But fiction was always my goal and after taking partial retirement from my role as a Senior Executive in the UK public sector, I began to take my writing more seriously – and hey-presto: we are here!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is entitled TWISTS and is an anthology of five novellas. I wanted to prove to myself I could write in more genres than just thrillers and this is the end-product. Although each is very different, they all have a common theme – a final surprise twist. At least, I hope they come as a surprise. I’ve failed if they don’t.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what a usual writing habit is! I guess there’s a couple of things that might be deemed unusual. Firstly, I always like to have at least two works on the go at once. I feed off cross-fertilisation of ideas. Probably a more unusual one is that I tend to do an initial draft in narrative then revisit it to incorporate the dialogue.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dean Koontz, Ira Levin, Tolkein, George Orwell, Michael Crichton. Lots of others, but they are the writers I tend to return to. But I don’t compare myself to them in any shape or form.
What are you working on now?
DEAD Heat, which is a full length novel sequel to my novella DEAD Lines.
I’m also working on a novel provisionally entitled Loggerheads. I’ve had the idea for around 15 years now and reckon it’s about time I got down to do something about it.
And, thinking ahead, I have an idea for a confused identity tale which came about by working in an office with two guys with the same – and unusual – name.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use twitter – not sure how sucessful it is but it’s the one that has some impact.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it for enjoyment, not the money – there’s not much of that out there, believe me. But, most of all, just ‘do it’.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Every book is just a combination of the same 26 letters”.
Whenever the muse escapes me, I focus on that and I know, some day soon, those 26 letters will form a meaningful sequence.
What are you reading now?
A sports autobiography entitled ‘Pavel is a Geordie’ about a Czech national who came to north-east England and became a goalkeeper for my local football/soccer team. Sadly, he passed away last year at the age of 47 days after its release.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve just graduated from e-book to paperback so I guess more of that. And, now that I have a small but loyal following, to focus on novels rather than shorts.
I’m also in discussions to ghost-write a non-fiction work with a world traveller.
What is your favorite book of all time?
What a question! If I must plump for one, it would have to be Lord of the Rings.
Author Websites and Profiles
Colin Youngman Amazon Profile
Colin Youngman’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account