Interview with Anthony Price

Hi Anthony! Thanks so much for being a part of The Cavanaugh Connection! It’s so good to have you! :)

        Please, tell the readers a little more about yourself and how you knew you wanted to be a writer!

My full name is Anthony James Price, but my friends call me Ant.  I do get the occasional Tony thrown my way too.  I’m 28 years old and I live in Canterbury, Kent in the South-east of England.  I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  It’s something that I just did when I was younger to pass the time. My Grandfather was a cleaner at a local High School and used to bring home spare notebooks.  I would go around their house and we’d play cards for a while, then I’d dive in to the notebooks and scribble away.  I filled them all with stories and poetry. 

         So you knew you wanted to write, but what was the catalyst that made you decide to actually do it? 

      I know a lot of people who have the passion, but not the drive, or the self-doubt is too great.

When I finished my second undergraduate degree, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I always knew I wanted to get a Masters Degree under my belt.  When I found that I could study Creative Writing at that level, I jumped at the chance.  It reignited my passion for writing.  I think self-doubt was probably in me somewhere, but when I set out to do something, I give it my all. I just had to take the bull by the horns so to speak.

  What has been your greatest obstacle to overcome?

I think that my biggest obstacle to overcome has been myself.  I’m one of life’s many procrastinators.  I never thought that I would have the discipline and the drive it takes to succeed as a writer.  But as I said, I just had to knuckle down and get to it.

  I'm a big procrastinator too! How did you overcome it?

I managed to knuckle down and gave myself a big kick up the bottom.  Doing my Masters degree in Creative Writing really helped me focus my writing and got me in to a good working routine that by and large, I’ve stuck to.  It was a case of wanting it not being enough.  I had to apply myself to the task.  Thankfully, I did it.

  If your life were a movie, who would you want to play you?

Ooo, that’s a tough one.  There are so many great actors out there.  I did see James McAvoy play a character with a similar disability to myself.  He really did the role justice, so I’d be honored for him to play me.  Plus, he’s a great Professor Xavier.

  Haha. Yeah, he is great. Can you tell me a little bit about the first project you ever completed?

Funnily enough, The House of Wood is actually the first novel I’ve ever completed.  Up until that point, I’d only written short stories and poetry.  It was an amazing feeling getting to the end.

   Getting to the end has always been a challenge for me! Until recently, it never happened... Do you have any projects that have been put on the back burner for a while, sort of forgotten about? If so, do you think any of them will ever see the light of day?

I always tend to have several projects going on at the same time and quite often, a few of them get put on the back burner.  Ideas seem to just come to me out of the blue and I’m the type of writer that has to start work on them immediately until it’s out of my system.  I get very excited by the ideas.  Hopefully though, everything that has been put on the back burner will see the light of day at some point, whether it be a novel, T.V show, or film.  They all still hold a place in my heart.

         I think a lot of writers feel that way. I currently have like 6 started projects! What happens, during the writing process, for you to decide to push a book away and not continue to write it?

It’s purely down to the fact that I get this burning desire to work on a new idea as soon as it comes to me.  Nothing ever gets forgotten and it all goes in my notebook for a later date.  I am getting better at working on one project at a time though!

            

             Now what about The House of Wood, where did you get the inspiration for this?

The House of Wood started out as a small exercise on my Creative Writing Masters.  I was originally going to write it as a short story, but there were so many things that I could add to it and ideas just kept coming to me, that I couldn’t do it justice in a few words.  It had to be a novel.

        Can you describe The House of Wood in 10 words or less?

A chilling portrayal of one girl’s attempt to escape her past…Ooops, that was eleven!  We won’t count the “a”.

       I know this is your debut novel. How’s it seem to be going so far?

It’s been going great.  There’s been some amazing feedback with regards to reviews on Amazon.  I’ve been very humbled by the support and enthusiasm from my readers.  It’s been amazing. 

        Where can readers go in order to get their very own copy?

The House of Wood can be found at a lot of places online.  Readers can pick up a copy at…

Amazon UK (Paperback and Kindle)

Crooked Cat Publishing (All digital formats)

Amazon US (Paperback and Kindle)

It'll also be available at iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords!

        How long did it take you to write it? Would you say it was in the average of how long it takes you to finish a book?

It took me a very long time to write The House of Wood.  Around about three years!  It kept getting put to one side due to university commitments and short stories that I was writing to get my name out there.  But if I was to put all of my writing sessions together, I would say it took around about two, maybe three months to finish at an acceptable level to send off to publishers.  Then I spent another month polishing it off after it had been picked up by Crooked Cat Publishing.

   What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?

In all honesty, I think my favourite thing is actually The House of Wood.  It started off as something so small and has grown in to something so big.  I always believed in the story and its ability to entertain and enthrall people.  I really enjoyed writing it and bringing the characters to life.  So much so, I’m writing a spin-off for it.

        Oooh! That sounds fun!  What are you working on now? Or is it top secret?

I’m actually working on a spin-off novel from The House of Wood.  I can’t say too much, as it’ll give away some of the plot twists in The House of Wood.  Let’s just say, I’m upping the scare stakes!

        Sounds awesome! If you could go back and change one thing you did in your writing career what would it be?

Well, my writing career has only just begun, but if I could change anything it would be to go back and start thinking about writing as a professional career much earlier and not spend so much time playing computer games.  Focus is the key.

   I hear you! I feel the same way. If you could have lunch with any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
 

That’s a very good question.  I think as an alive person, I’d have to say Stephen King.  I’ve been a massive fan of his work since I was a teenager and if I become half the writer he is, I’ll be a very happy man.  I couldn’t pick a dead person, as they’re far too many people I admire.

  Stephen King is pretty awesome! As a writer, I’m sure you’re also a reader! What is your favorite genre to read? 

My favourite genre is definitely horror.  I’m a big fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Clive Barker.  But I’m also a history graduate, so I do enjoy a good historical novel, mainly Bernard Cornwell.  His Sharpe series is excellent.

   Who are some of your favorite authors?

As I said, my favourites have to be Stephen King and James Herbert.  James Herbert was the first horror writer I read with his Rats series and Stephen King single handedly saved the horror genre from obscurity by giving it a fresh, new take with Carrie.  I admire them both very much.

   Have you made any connections yet through one form of social media or another, where you got to have even a quick exchange with an author who you look up to or have inspired you? 

I haven’t been able to find Stephen King on Twitter and sadly, after his passing, I won’t get a chance to connect with James Herbert.  But, I have made a lot of connections with other authors from all over the globe.  They’re a fantastic bunch and I’ve made a lot of friends, particularly with the authors at Crooked Cat Publishing.  They’re always there with advice and support when needed.

   Thanks again so much for being here Anthony! Is there anything else you want to add before we say goodbye? 

Thank you for having me.  It’s been great chatting with you.  Thank you also has to go to anyone that buys a copy of The House of Wood.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Look out for future updates on me and my writing.

   Where can readers keep up with you? (You can include links to blogs, websites, twitter, FB profile, FB fan page, Goodreads, etc.)

I seem to be all over the internet these days.  Anyone that is interested in following me and my writing can find me at…

Facebook

Twitter - @anthonyprice84

About.Me

I’m also on Goodreads, but I haven’t quite worked out how to use it properly yet.  Watch this space!

The House of Wood by Anthony Price

 

 

Look for Anthony Price's debut The House of Wood, out April 5th, 2013! The Cavanaugh Connection will also have an interview with Anthony on April 13th to celebrate the release!

 

But for now, check out a quick little synopsis and excerpt of The House of Wood!

 Synopsis
 

IT SITS OUT THERE ON THE HILLTOP. Dark. Foreboding. The locals steer clear of it. The House of Wood. Rachel James, a college student in her third year at The University of Maine, knows the house all too well.

When she receives a phone call informing her that her parents have died in a house fire, she must return to her hometown. Rachel is forced to confront her biggest fear when she discovers the house of wood has been rebuilt in the last three years. But it’s not until she accepts a dinner date with the mysterious Dr. David Cochrane that things take a turn for the worse, as now she must recount the story of what happened at the house three years earlier.

Past and present collide in a haunting tale of friendship, betrayal and fear. The House of Wood is a story within a story, one that asks two questions:

What happens when a house sees so much horror it becomes evil incarnate?

And can a person ever really escape their past?

The answers are waiting for you..

House of Wood Excerpt

 

Her steps were slow.  Her breathing shallower than it had been before.  The constant drumbeat of blood in her ears was like a marching song, edging her ever closer.  She lowered her umbrella and grasped at her hands in an attempt to stop them shaking.  This is a bad idea, she thought, still moving forwards, never stopping.  Her mind screamed at her to turn back, to go into town and forget about this stupid need that had pounced on her during the fluid waking moments of the dawn.  There was some glimmer of false hope buried deep down inside her, pushing her on.  Maybe she had made a mistake?  Maybe it was just a similar looking place?  This was a small town; a lot of the buildings looked the same, especially the farmhouses.  Over and over again she tried to convince herself that she had been wrong.  Nobody would ever want to rebuild that thing.  And houses couldn't just rebuild themselves.  Could they?

            Looking up, she realised she had already reached the top of the hill.  The air stuck in her throat like a piece of hard food, as she inhaled sharply. 

It was there.  The house of wood, renovated to its former glory.  Gone was the flaky paint and rotten wood of the porch, replaced by a bright white coat stretching along its walls.  The wooden steps leading up to the front door were now perfectly square wooden planks, rather than rough, crooked teeth.  The windows were no longer encrusted with years of dirt and grime.  It was all a façade.  Still they looked out over the countryside like malevolent eyes, dark and dreary, as if it was watching for something, waiting like a coiled cobra for a time when it could strike again.  The long shadow cast over her felt frigid and desolate.  No amount of cleaning, or decorating, could remove the unwholesome stain that the building had left on the surrounding area.  On her own psyche.

This is ridiculous, she thought.  The house hadn't done anything to her, it had been him.  The house itself was just a building, an inanimate object that couldn’t do anything except look creepy.  So why did she feel such hatred towards it?  The dolls, she thought.  Nothing could explain the dolls...

**Check back on April 5th for links to purchase!**
~~~~~~

Visit Anthony Price's Facebook, Website, and follow him on Twitter @anthonyprice84

Upcoming Events (With a Few Openings Still!)

Wowz!

The Cavanaugh Connection is hopping! We have lots of exciting things happening this month and next month so far!

As for guests, our days will be as follows:

Tuesday's Weekly Musings (guest posts about industry)
Thirsty Thursday Quenchers (reviews or book excerpts)
Saturday Hangout (author interviews)

This month you can expect:
3.14 Thirsty Thursday Quencher - Zanna Mackenzie's "How do you Spell Love?"
3.16 Saturday Hangout - Take the day off ;)
3.19 Tuesday's Weekly Musings - Still Open
3.21 Thirsty Thursday Quencher - Anthony Price's "The House of Wood"
3.23 Saturday Hangout with Zanna Mackenzie, author of "How do you Spell Love?"
3.26 Tuesday's Weekly Musings - Still Open
3.28 Thirsty Thursday Hangout (We mixed things up a little!) with Kamy Chetty, author of "Falling into Paradise"
3.30 Saturday Hangout - Still Open