Roy Burgess interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW


A little introduction:

I’m Roy from Bradford in West Yorkshire. I used to be an IT manager. Now I get to sit in the tower in a converted textile mill and make things up all day. There is always music! When I’m not writing or staring out of the window, I present two shows a week on Over The Bridge Radio (overthebridgeradio.com)


When did your love of books begin?

I was lucky enough to be able to read before I started school. The local library was right next door to my school until I was nine and I was an almost permanent fixture there. I started with Dr. Seuss, Enid Blyton and The Professor Branestawm Books by Norman Hunter and went from there.


When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started to plot stories one the long commute to work. Unfortunately, after a full day at work I made up excuses not to actually write. I retired early to care for my terminally ill wife. A year after losing her, we were in the Covid lockdown and I had a lot of time on my hands!


How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I naively thought that getting to the end of the story was the end of the process. Wrong! If anything, editing is far more important than actually filling the pages for the first time. The bit I never thoughtabout was finding readers. With so many books published each week it is incredibly difficult to get noticed. I think that reviewers and bloggers are incredibly important in that process.


What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Do it! They say that everybody has a story in them. The trick is getting it down on paper. There’s no magic wand. It’s “backside to chair, fingers to keyboard”.


Tell us about your book/books:

I’ve so far published two books in The Fifth Trilogy. The first is called The Fifth Tweet is a humorous look at a dedicated under achiever trying to rebuild his life:“Would you trust the first five Tweets in your timeline to rebuild your life? Frankie did. It worked. Right up to the point where it didn’t.Frankie’s girlfriend has walked out and taken with her an original copy of Ziggy Stardust, two grand from their savings account, the charger for his electric toothbrush, and his best mate and business partner.As a result of the Twitter challenge, things improve.A fictional character based on his new girlfriend points the way to fame and fortune, but is The Woman In The Yellow Raincoat too good to be true? Is real-life mirroring fiction? How will our hero cope with atoothbrush on borrowed time?”The sequel is called The Fifth Thunderbolt, featuring the same characters.“Would you risk everything to work with your hero? Frankie is in love with Jen but is afraid to tell her. Together, they are working on a film script about a kidnapping. Roddy Lightning was a big star in the 60s, with his band, The Thunderbolts. A teen idol, with a habit of marrying his fellow Thunderbolts, he became a punk rebel in the 70s, a Hollywood star in the 80s, and a junkie in the 90s. At 78, he's a loveable senior with a twinkle in his eye, a lust for cake, and a failing memory. Frankie risks everything to make him the star of the film, but when Roddy disappears, all seems lost. Is real life mimicking the film? Can Frankie get the girl, find his errant star, make a success of his film and save his OEIC (whatever that is)?”


What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I love people being generous with their time, whether as writers offering advice or readers investing many hours to get to know your characters.


If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

It’s good to have favourite authors who we go back to time after time. I know I do, but the biggest rewards can come from taking a risk and trying something new. Most writers share a need for praise and reassurance (not to mention wine and chocolate). A review, however short,  gives that encouragement.


Where can people connect with you?

I’m on Twitter - @royburgess40 and my website is royburgess.com

On the website there’s a link to a short story (The Fifth Card) which is a prequel to the first book.


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