How long have you been writing for?
Forty years (on and off!).
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
The first and last page.
What genre do you generally write?
Post-apocalyptic/UF
Do you have a favourite author and why?
Sebastian Faulks; he unearths his characters’ souls. And Philip Pullman; fabulous adventures for children and adults alike.
What is your book called and how did you choose this title?
The Chronicles of Mercy (Dark Water 2); it’s a first-person narrative of my protagonist, Mercy Anne Browne. The idea for the series title ‘Dark Water’ originated from a documentary about different frequencies and how they can affect water purity. Mix that with the lively fracking debate a few years ago, and the idea was born.
Synopsis:
Thirst can kill. Quenching it will kill mankind. In a post-apocalyptic world where poisoned water turns humans and beasts into feral hunters, the threat of death always lurks. Mercy learns how to heal the ravaged valley she calls home from her mother, and the two are supposed to set out to find a legendary man who can help them heal the water beyond those boundaries. This man is Lieutenant Alex Nowak, who fought alongside Mercy’s MIA father before the apocalypse. He’s the only one her mother trusts to help them. But her mother is gone, and Mercy must set off alone to find this soldier, whose military skills are essential to completing their mission. Diseased monsters prowl the smashed landscape, and Mercy is uncertain whether Lieutenant Nowak even survived, but she must risk the perilous journey across it. If she doesn’t try, civilization will tread the dark water until it wipes itself out, and her with it.
Has your book been published and how did you go about this?
I self-published exclusively through Amazon. I wrote in Word; the book was formatted by Jo Harrison (thanks, Jo!).
Approximately how long did it take you to finish your book?
I wrote the first draft in two months; editing took a further seven months.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Set time aside to develop a daily writing habit, using an easily attainable goal. If I write for ten minutes per day, it’s a win; anything over that is a bonus (ten minutes sometimes turns into an hour or two).
What other ways do you market your book/s?
I am planning to create and develop an email list and to use that as my main marketing tool.
Have you enrolled your book onto Amazon’s KDP Select and how have you found it?
My book is enrolled in KDP Select. Alongside Amazon advertising, it’s an effective way to sell as you’re paid for page reads as well as book sales. Without advertising though, you’re still pretty much invisible.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I would probably plan the novel’s story arc before starting the writing. The Chronicles of Mercy started as a standalone novel but I felt that there was much more to tell; it’s now book 2 of an intended trilogy.
What books do you like to read in your spare time?
Multi-genre. From post-apoc to thrillers (I like Mark Dawson), literary fiction to historical, especially WW2.
What do you feel is the most important stage of writing a book?
The first sentence; without it, there can be no book.
How did you go about designing the cover for your book?
The latest (and final) cover was designed by the fabulous Jay Villalobos from Designs by Juan, based in Singapore. He’s designed all three covers for the Dark Water trilogy.
Are you writing or considering writing a follow-up to your book?
I wrote ‘Dark Zero’, which became Dark Water 1; it’s a novella of around 30,000 words. I am just about to start on Dark Water 3, titled ‘Captain Browne’.
Do you have a day job (if so, what do you do?) or do you write full-time?
I’ve just completed an MA in Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Sheffield. I work part-time for a large supermarket chain, write freelance magazine articles, and am considering embarking on a Creative PhD (if my upcoming MA grade is good enough!).
Anything else you’d like to include?
I wrote my first book (a handwritten, SciFi detective story) at age 14. Life got in the way, and I didn’t write another book for more than forty years. Don’t be like me!
Check out G.P. Moss’ latest book Dark Water: The Chronicles of Mercy
