Today on my blog I am delighted to introduce you to Thomas Welsh. Thomas is the author of upcoming urban fantasy novel Anna Undreaming which I’ve had the pleasure of reading and can’t wait to share my review with everyone once it releases. I’m even more excited that Thomas agreed to do an interview for my blog. So without further ado, here’s the interview and below that you’ll find all the details for Anna Undreaming.

Interview with Thomas Welsh Author

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

My name is Tom (or Thomas), I’m from Glasgow and I like Ursula K. Le Guin books, Souls games, pizza, maps and dark fantasy stories where women save themselves.

How long have you been writing?

All my life really, but with lots of stopping and starting. I’ve only written fiction seriously for the past two years. Before that, I wrote about games for my own website and freelanced for places like Kotaku, Unwinnable and GlitchFreeGame.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Was it a gradual decision or did you just suddenly know?

I remember writing a short story at primary school, and when everyone else went out to play football during the break, I stayed in to write more. It was amazing to think I could write whatever I wanted. I could create any type of character, situation or ninja-wizard-cyborg I could imagine.

What genres do you write?

Urban fantasy, horror and sci-fi, although I’ve started writing a grimdark fantasy story about a queer immortal knight who comes back from a thousand year slumber to murder the brothers who stabbed her in the back. It’s called “Hope is coming to eat your heart”.

What is your favourite story or character that you have written?

In book two of Metiks Fade, I’m having lots of fun with Pappi and Alby. The boy Alby is taciturn and serious, while the elder brother Pappi is wise and playful. They’re a great double act to write, constantly subverting expectations about how brothers interact with each other.

What time of day do you prefer to write?

Whenever I can! I’m not too fussy about where and when I write.

Do you have a special writing space?

Again, not really. Sometimes it is fun to write in a different place – a café or on a train. Sometimes, even just moving to a different seat in the same room can change the feel of your writing.

Do you outline your books ahead of time or just go for it?

I haven’t in the past, preferring to see which weird directions my imagination takes me, but as the trilogy has gone on, I’ve had to impose some sort of structure. The more you write in one universe, the more you need to go back and buttress the shakier parts of your story.

Who are your favourite authors?

Ursula K. Le Guin, Roger Zelazny, Frank Herbert, Marjorie Liu. 

Your latest book Anna Undreaming is an urban fantasy. What was the inspiration behind it and is there anything you would like readers to know?

For settings, I took inspiration from everywhere! From Glasgow where I live, from Bulgaria and the beautiful city of Plovdiv, from run-down industrial estates where everything is grey and covered with concrete, and from beautiful beaches where the sea stretches on forever.

For the characters and themes of the story, I’m inspired by my friends. They’re all creative, talented and good at arts and crafts and I’m not great at that stuff at all. My wife Nana is a musician but can make clothes, draw, sing and sew. Meanwhile, my closest friends are musicians, Silviya the pianist, Nikola the flutist. My childhood friend Gary even made a book cover for me and we’re working on a comic together. He’s creating the art obviously. The only creative thing I’m good at is writing, so I might as well write about creative people around me and how the skills and talents they have are a kind of magic to me.

Is this a series and if so how many books are planned for the series?

Three books! Number two is in first draft form, and I’m having fun beating it into shape. Book three is all dreams and crazy theories right now.

Where can readers find out more about you?

www.Calmdowntom.com

What are your working on now and when is your next book due out?

Book one of the Metiks Fade trilogy begins with Anna Undreaming, released on the 20^th March and available to pre-order on Amazon now. It’s getting great reviews so far, including one from you, and I can’t wait for your readers to get a hold of it!

Thanks for inviting me to chat Amanda.

Anna Undreaming (The Metiks Fade Trilogy Book 1)

Anna is a student surviving the city, and she lives by a simple credo, “Never play their game; their game is always rigged.” For every man she has ever known, it’s a saying that has served her well.

Especially when Anna becomes lost to the dark heart of the city. She finds herself hunted by Dreamers—artists, both good and evil, who construct new worlds—within a complex community that threatens to undermine reality itself. When Anna learns that she’s an Undreamer with powers she cannot yet comprehend, she must travel through their strange and treacherous creations to discover that there’s as much beauty in life as there is darkness. As her existence spirals into wonder and danger, Anna must look deep within herself and face the horrors of her own past, to save her old world as well as her new one.

Available to pre-order in ebook and paperback from Amazon now.

 

If you enjoy reading books with a strong female lead, Anna Undreaming is one I highly recommend. I can’t wait to see what book two in this trilogy will hold for Anna.

Until next time,

Keep reading and writing,

Amanda