Blog tours are incomplete without getting to know the author a little more. That is why I’m thrilled to share my interview today with RJ Furness, the write of Shadows, the first book in Sapphire Smyth and The Shadow Five series. Written as a ‘serial’, this was a short book and I posted about it recently, as part of The WriteReads’ blog tour. RJ Furness is based in Southport, England, where he lived with his family, a dog and lots of fish, chickens and quails. He is passionate about great stories and has developed an overwhelming desire for mugs of tea, and good biscuits to dunk.
It was wonderful to connect with him! Enjoy the interview, and get some insights about the book, without any spoilers! 🙂
- You mentioned in the preface of the book how this idea germinated in your mind. Have parts of the story evolved in similar ways, by rethinking certain quick incidents [things that happen in a flash and we don’t notice them] that happened in life?
I’m not so sure about quick incidents, but a lot of the ‘Sapphire Smyth’ story is based on things I’ve seen in my own life. One big example is the fact that Sapphire has been raised in foster care. For a number of years, I was a foster carer, and therefore I got to know a lot of children and teenagers who had experienced living in foster care. Likewise, I’m a qualified counsellor, and in one role I worked with teenagers who had lived through similar circumstances to those experienced by Sapphire.
- How is the process of writing a serial different from writing a novel, or do you approach them similarly?
Personally, I approach them in a similar way. Whenever I am developing a story, it is planned quite thoroughly before I start writing. I have a process I tend to follow with most of my books, which begins with a broad definition of the story concept. I then continue to break things down from there. Eventually, I end up with an outline of each chapter, and a thorough guide to my characters and the world their story is set in. However, things can evolve once I start writing the story. On many occasions, I’ve found that once characters develop a mind of their own, things can change direction.
There were some slight differences with planning a serialised story, too, but they were only minor. The story had to be split into six parts which were similar in length. This meant planning each instalment as its own story, while still linking it to the next part (usually with a cliff-hanger). In other words, each instalment needed to be a story within a story.
- Some people take a notebook or notepad with them wherever they go, in case of a sudden flash of inspiration hits them. Are you one of them?
I used to be, but that notebook has now become my smartphone. I always have my phone on me, and I use the notes app regularly. To be fair, I still have notebooks, and I do use them on occasion. But the vast majority of those flashes of inspiration are noted on my phone. Also, my phone is always next to my bed when I’m sleeping (on silent), so that it’s there if I wake up with semi-conscious ideas. That said, I don’t tend to remember dreams very often, sadly.
- How do you select the names of your characters? Are they just names that appeal to you, did you look them up for a special meaning?
There are a few different ways. Sometimes, it seems appropriate to name characters based on the established meanings of those names. Other characters might just be given names which do appeal to me. With the latter, I also have a confession to make…
I look for names everywhere. If I’m out shopping, I always check people’s name tags. Then, if there is a name I like, I might look up that name’s meaning to develop a new character. In contrast, I might do things the other way around. If I meet someone who is quite a ‘character’, I might then look up names that suit that person (based on the name meaning). Honestly, names, their meanings, and how someone came to give people those names, it all fascinates me.
- In your bio, you mention you love tea. Are there any books that you love reading as you drink tea, and do you have any favorite flavours?
I’m what I’d call a traditional tea drinker haha. I don’t tend to drink flavoured tea, and I stick with English Breakfast. I drink (probably) too much English Breakfast Tea, but that is the only tea I drink. Boring, I know. In terms of which books I love reading while drinking that tea, I’d probably say any books. However, when I read that question, the Harry Potter books came to mind. I have no idea why. Now I’m thinking more; I might say Young Adult Fantasy, in general, is what I’d be found reading with my cup of tea.
- You have also written the Dissent Saga. What is that about? What inspired you to write that?
I’m going to start with the last part of that question—What inspired me to write the ‘Dissent’ saga? To be concise, I generally start a story with a ‘What if…?’ question. Take ‘Sapphire Smyth’, for example. I started with the question—What if dragons hid in the shadows and you could bring them to life by touching them?
Where ‘Dissent’ was concerned, I started with—What if most of the human species was wiped out by a new ice age? That might sound a little bizarre at first, but it all started after I watched the movie ‘The Day after Tomorrow’. In that movie, climate change leads to a catastrophe, and our world is buried in snow (to be brief). After watching the movie, I then wondered what would happen next. In the end, I decided that most of the human species wouldn’t be able to survive such a disaster, and that led to the ‘Dissent’ story concept.
So, ‘Dissent’ is/will be a dystopian book series. I haven’t published many of the books in this series because other projects have taken over. The first book is available, and there is also a novella which focusses on one of the characters in more detail. In the ‘Dissent’ story, there are only three colonies of humans known to exist, and those three groups have very different lifestyles. The story starts when conflict emerges, which begins to threaten the status quo in those colonies. I won’t say much more about the plot, but I will tell you that new creatures have evolved in the aftermath of this ice age. One of those creatures is particularly adored by readers, and it is called an ‘ORGO’. Orgo are creatures which people ride around on, and some people race them. I even have a series of middle-grade books (Orgo Runners) that links in with the ‘Dissent’ saga. That series is based on the adventures of a particular group of orgo-racers. So far, there are four ‘Orgo Runners’ books, but there will be more next year. I guess you can always search these books on Amazon if you want more detail on each one. Otherwise, I might be here for a week explaining it all haha
- Since shadows are a little creepy and we are nearing Halloween, what would be your top 3 horror/uncanny reads to recommend to book lovers?
My horror tastes are a bit bizarre when it comes to the age groups they cater for. When I was younger, I used to read a lot of Stephen King and James Herbert books. They are probably my favourite horror authors. I think my favourite Stephen King books are Misery, The Stand and The Green Mile. Ironically, I read The Green Mile in serialised form. My favourite James Herbert books are The Fog, The Magic Cottage and The Rats. But…
Now I’m older; I am more likely to be found reading one of the Goosebumps books.
- What would you tell your younger self when it comes to writing?
Keep writing, and NEVER lose any of those notebooks (I’ve lost so many over the years). You never know when one of those ideas may develop into something more. In fact, as your adult self, I will be very interested to see what ideas you dreamed up when you were younger. Have faith—there will be people who want to read your stories.
**Â Shadows: Sapphire Smyth & The Shadow Five # 1Â is now out in stores. **
Amazon Kindle (available on Kindle Unlimited)
This post is part of The WriteReads’ Blog Tour for Shadows: Sapphire Smyth & The Shadow Five # 1 by RJ Furness. Be sure to check out other blogs about the book and my thoughts on it here.
Cover image: Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash
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