Pastime With Books: Author Interview with Keira Michelle Telford

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?

SILVER: The Lost & Damned is the second book in The SILVER Series, but have no fear – this book also stands alone. So if you haven’t read SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain) yet, don’t sweat it – you can start with The Lost & Damned and it’ll still totally work.

How many friends does a person need?

One: Your imagination.

Do you find the time to read?

Not as much as I’d like to. I don’t read while I’m in the midst of writing a book, and my schedule’s been so heavy lately I haven’t had a chance to read more than a few novellas here and there.

What is your favorite food?

My husband says I have no taste buds, and he thinks everything I like is bland and boring. Lately, I’ve been into Quavers and Jaffa Cakes.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Tenby, south Wales.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

Writing is the easy part. It’s marketing that’s the problem.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?

I learnt how to make C-4 explosives. You never know when that’s gonna come in handy …

What are your goals as a writer?

To do the voices in my head justice. I want to try and tell their stories as honestly and as authentically as possible … else they’ll beat me up.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully much the same as now, except maybe writing at a proper desk instead of a footstool in the living room. It’s where I see myself in thirty years that’s really scary, ‘cause by then, I’ll be a crazy recluse living with a hundreds of guinea pigs and only leaving the house at night.

Do you have any advice for writers?

Write what you love. Don’t compromise for anybody, and don’t be afraid to tell it like it is. If graphic language suits the text, don’t water it down to make it more palatable for the masses. If the story gets gruesome, then so be it – don’t tame it for fear of offending a potential reader or two. The trick is knowing what’s appropriate for the work, and that’ll start to come naturally with practice.