Interview with S.G. Grant
Published 2015-06-25.
What's the story behind The Tomb of Kings?
The Tomb of Kings is the first book in the epic fantasy Scroll of Days Series. Initially set in the walled city of Tristan, King Sebastian Vandemark has just been assassinated. But it isn't as simple as crowning the next king. Governed by an ancient prophecy only the true heir to the throne can be crowned or risk unleashing the unknown horrors that the prophecy predicts on the world.
Before he dies, King Vandemark tells Emily Bridwell about the unknown heir to the throne. With the murder of the king pinned on her she must evade Tristan's guards as well as bounty hunters to find the heir before it is too late.
When Lewis Hargrove, an archer in the guard rescues her from bounty hunters he has no idea how intertwined their lives are about to come. With the help of someone inside the castle they have to find the true heir while discovering secrets about the kingdom and their own past.
What are you working on next?
I'm currently working on the next book in The Scroll of Days Series, The Fires of Creation, which I'm hoping to release in 2016.
Away from that I'm also in the process of writing a coming of age story set in Scotland that focuses on a character called Heather McKenna who is trying to find her place in the world while dealing with the murder of her younger sister, an abusive boyfriend and an alcoholic mother.
What is your writing process?
I've always been very methodical with anything I do. When I'm starting with a new idea I start out with just a brief outline of what the book will be about, main characters etc. If it looks good I carry on and create a more detailed plan, usually chapter by chapter. For The Scroll of Days Series I currently have a folder that is the best part of two inches thick that is stuffed with everything that happened in The Tomb of Kings and some things for the future of the series.
When I write I've always found it easiest to just work from start to finish, I find things stitch together a lot better than writing a few chapters and then skipping a little way ahead and then going back and filling in the gaps.
Describe your desk
The short answer, a mess. Aside from my laptop it is mostly a jumble of pieces of paper covered in various notes for books as well as folders with manuscripts, complete and unfinished. More often than not they also cover a good portion of the floor as well.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town in Berkshire, England. Growing up I spent a lot of time outside, particularly in the woods near where I lived. Woods and forests are one of the things I really enjoy incorporating into my writing, when you're surrounded by trees as far as you can see it's like being in a completely different world to what is going on outside. It's also one of the few places I feel truly relaxed, a great escape from writing now and then.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I'm not writing I spend a lot of time playing games, anything fantasy like Dragon Age or Skyrim is an instant winner. Aside from that I'm quite into photography so spend a lot of time out taking pictures.
One of the most important things for me as a writer is finding time to get away from whatever I'm working on for a while, to do something where I'm not even thinking about writing or a scene I'm going to write three books down the line. It makes it a lot easier when the time comes to sit back down and carry on writing.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Vaguely. It was a spy thriller about finding an MI5 agent who had gone missing in Scotland. I still have a copy of the manuscript in a folder on one of the shelves below my desk. One day I would like to return to it, give it a revamp and complete the series.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first story I remember reading was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Growing up it was the first book that I had read and really enjoyed. Since then it opened up a whole different world for me, one where I started reading, and eventually writing, for pleasure.
Who are your favorite authors?
It would be impossible to answer this question without mentioning J.K. Rowling. If it hadn't been for her I never would have been as big of a reader as I am today. Another of my favourite authors, who also helped shape the direction I've taken, is Hugh Howey. His Wool Trilogy, not only being one of my favourite book series to date, led the way to self-publishing.
There is a whole list of other names I could throw around but for me those two have not only been favourites but also influenced me to a huge degree.
What do your fans mean to you?
Starting from the very bottom, every time I sell a book is special to me, it's someone taking time out of their life to explore a world that I've created. Right from the very start I've always said that if just one person enjoys reading my work as much as I do writing it then it would all be worth it. Having had nothing any fan means the world to me, new or old. It's hard to describe the feeling but I hope it never changes.
One book can influence someone so deeply, if it hadn't been for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone I might never have read for pleasure, I know I wouldn't have been writing like I am now.
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