Author Interview – Tony Healey

Tony Healey is a best-selling independent author based in the city of Brighton & Hove in the UK. His writing has been published alongside science-fiction legends Harlan Ellison and Alan Dean Foster. He has also had work appear with Piers Anthony, Scott Nicholson and J.R. Rain.
Most of his works are bestsellers, including his smash-hit science-fiction series Far From Home. Tony is married and has four daughters. For the latest on his various projects, visit www.tonyhealey.com

 

How would you describe your story in one sentence?

The best scifi adventure book you will ever read hahaha

What inspired you to write your story/characters/theme?

David and I collaborated on this sequel to my book “Age Of Destiny” and it picks up right where that one left off, both in terms of plot and character development. It truly is Book 2 in this series, meaning that it takes everything that next step further than Book 1 did. I’m very proud of David’s work on this one. I think it’s some of his best writing to date.

Which authors have influenced you?

Stephen King (though his later stuff is a bit of a wash-out); Alan Dean Foster; Harlan Ellison; Arthur C Clarke; Lauren Beukes – to be honest I’m just pulling names out of a hat here. There are so many influences. Some of them, like William Vitka, Bernard Schaffer and AD Bloom are indie writers churning out their best work right now.

Which are your favorite literary genres?

Scifi, Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Literary (I’m thinking writers like John Irving and Michael Chabon here), mysteries and thrillers, a whole wide range really. I read what takes my fancy. And from a writing standpoint, it’s good to read across the board. It’s all fuel.

What makes a book/story special for you?

Characters. Emotion. Backstory. The need to know more.

Where do you live? Did your hometown/country/culture influenced your story?

Brighton, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. There are things I work into my stuff, but I’ll leave it to readers to figure it all out.

How long you needed for writing this book/for your first draft/ for your revision/editing process?

It was a very smooth process, working with Dave and we nailed the edits in a couple of weeks. This manuscript is about as tight as we can get it.

Did you hire a cover artist/editor/proofreader?

I did the cover, and I served as editor (though Dave did substantial edits on his own), and a lovely lady gave the book a proofread when she read an ARC, which was very nice of her. There’s an important lesson for writers: network. If you’re creating great content, there will always be people willing to help you make it that much better.

Best piece (s) of advice for first time writers?

Slow and steady wins the race. You’ll get faster as you get better. Write tight prose – be ruthless with your own work. Simplify it down, make it barrel along at a lightning pace. I like to write no-nonsense prose with the odd flourish here and there. Try to be as active as you can, and have confidence. Try new things. Fuck it. When you’re done with your draft, try to eliminate any words that weaken your writing. Do a Find/Replace in Microsoft Word and have it highlight them. You can then go through your document from start to finish and decide which of those you REALLY need. If you don’t really need them, cut them out. Even if that means you have to restructure a sentence. Your work will be all the more stronger for it. There’s a lot to say, but the biggest would be: Don’t be precious about what you’ve written. Chill the fuck out and go with the flow. Roll with the punches.

Where can readers contact you in the internet? Do you have a blog/website?

www.tonyhealey.com and they can catch me on twitter as @fringescientist

What are you planning to write/publish next?

I have a mystery/thriller novel (the first in a series) sitting with publishers (Sorry, I can’t name names at this stage!) and I’m simultaneously working on the next entry in my Far From Home series, as well as a standalone novel that features a husband that goes missing as its inciting incident.

PLANET OF ICE is available NOW : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AGP28TO