This last week has been taken up by mostly non-writing things so I thought that, rather than desperately scraping the barrel for something to write about, I’d borrow someone else’s scrapings instead. Here’s something that was going round Twitter last month. I always see these and think I should join in, but I know I’m too disorganised and too likely to be away from the computer on crucial days.

So instead I thought I’d do this for you now. A simple Q&A, presented for your delectation and delight. Bon appetite!

1. Me:

Hallo, I’m Rob and I write books. I also have a part-time job in a library/community centre and earn a little money as a freelance editor.

2. My books:

I’ve written seven novels. One of them’s been published (NIGHT SHIFT), one (HUMAN RESOURCES) will be published in November and two more may be published one day. The published/soon-to-be-published are SF/CRI. I also write urban fantasy and similar contemporary speculative stuff. Maybe one day I’ll get on to some of my other ideas too.

3. Writing fuel:

Coffee and music, both steadily drip-fed to me through the writing day

4. My biggest fan/Mascot:

My wife. She’s not a fast reader so not such a fan of my work, but she works full-time in part so that I can get on with my writing. What more can I ask?

5. A shelfie:

My shelves were tidy once. I promise. They will be again.

6. Inspiration:

Half-heard lines of lyrics. Old novels that won’t leave me alone. Television. History and the landscape. Fragments and wonders. The road not taken.

7. Swag/Stationery:

Confession time: I’m not a big stationery person, nor do I have much swag. But my publishers were grand enough to gift me a few notebooks and some bookmarks to distribute, so that’s what I’ll present here.

8. My WIP:

As I witter on about at regular intervals here, I’m currently working on an urban fantasy set in Brittany. Featuring werewolves, trolls, miracle-workers, dreamwalkers, acrobats, police officers and gendarmes and spies and much, much more….

9. Author fashion:

Sadly lacking. Though I have been known to wear a cravat.

10. Bookish bucket list:

I dunno, I’ve never given this much thought. Just to have a career writing, I guess, would be sufficient. Meeting lots of fascinating and like-minded people would be nice. Going to more conventions and mingling with fun, inspirational people – and not feeling like an outsider or a fraud. That’d be nice.

11. Goals accomplished:

Well I’ve been published. That’s got to be a pretty big one. Also appearing on a panel discussion with Adrian Tchaikovsky, Zen Cho and Anna Stephens – not so much a goal, more a ‘I can’t believe that actually happened’ moment.

12. Other fave media:

This is where I prove my cool/nerd quotient by saying how much I appreciate Star Wars, isn’t it? Well… it’s okay, innit? It’s never been the biggest influence on me, though. Similarly, I was late to the whole graphic novels thing and anything I can say will just be posturing – even though I do love things like Sandman, The Boys, Saga and, of course, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

No, my other fave media is resolutely small-screen. Buffy, Doctor Who, Blakes Seven… and, of course, my all-time favourite, Time Team.

Cool? No. Not I.

13. Writer friends:

I have lots of writer friends from my time in Abingdon Writers’, of which I was a member for seven or so years. But they ain’t (yet) famous. I’ve not yet ascended the great halls of writer bro-dom, though I dare say some moderately well-known writers will have heard of me from Twitter. My most prominent friend (I call him a friend at least; what he calls me is another matter) is Rod Duncan, who is lovely and wonderful.

14. Treat yourself:

Go on, then. A nice real ale, please, or possible a Speyside whisky. Or if we’re talking food? Chicken pathia if we’re going Indian; kung po if we’re in a Chinese frame of mind.

And that’s all for now, folks. It took me far too long to get even half of the questions answered so I’m going to take a break. I’ll bring you part two next week whether you want me to or not. Hope you’ve found this even vaguely interesting/entertaining.

Peace out!