Interview with David Pryce
Published 2015-02-05.
How long have you lived in the USA?
About ten years now.
What's the story behind your latest book?
About eighteen months ago, my brother-in-law, who still lives in a small village in North Wales, with my sister introduced me to the story of a Welsh Prince named Madog. Who, legend had it sailed from Wales across the Atlantic; and into the Gulf of Mexico before eventually making landfall in what is now modern day Alabama. This was in the 12th century, thus predating the arrival of Columbus by almost three hundred years.
Intrigued, I started researching the story and found myself being drawn deeper into it. What started out as an idea for a blog, grew into a novel. Perhaps the fact that I completed the same journey (albeit many hundreds of years later and without the hardships and hazards that these intrepid explorers endured) as Prince Madog meant that it struck a poignant chord with me!
What do you miss most about the UK?
My family and the weather…just kidding – about the weather. Mainly some foodstuffs that we either don’t have, or that are super expensive over here.
Such as?
Pickled Onions (I make my own now) HP Brown Sauce, Black Pudding
Do you have a favorite part of North Wales?
I would have to say Anglesey; there is just something magical about it – maybe it’s the spirits of all the druids of days gone by?
I notice that this is the first in a series, how is the next one coming along?
It’s going well, thanks. I am about 25,000 words in.
Who were/are your favorite authors?
As a child, I read Enid Blyton, after that, Frederick Forsyth, Agatha Christie, Tom Clancy, Wilbur Smith and Jeffrey Archer
There are some great moments of humor in the book, was that important to you?
Yes, I grew up in a family environment that fostered humor, and I think that people tend to fall into the trap when thinking about medieval times, that it was all dark, grim, sword fighting and heads being chopped off. I don’t believe that individual personalities and sensibilities would have been so different just because there were no flushing toilets, TVs and microwaves? Although having said that, there are of course sword fights in Forgotten Dragon!
When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do?
Well I play bass guitar in a band here in Denver called One Second After, I am also a photographer – in fact if you shoot over to my Madog website www.wales2america.com you can see some of my photographs from my last visit to North Wales, which should help readers visualize the scenery in the book a little more vividly.
And finally…being from the UK - do you have that appealing British accent?
So I am told, but I don’t hear it personally!
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