Featured Interview With Richard Ayre
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Northumberland and now live in Newcastle upon Tyne. I love the North East (apart from the weather!) I’m a biker and like nothing better than riding around the countryside in the sunshine. So that’s about 3 days a year then. I find it clears my head which is always good for writing. I teach History as a day job and I write in the evening and at weekends.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. When I was younger I always had at least 3 books on the go. One in the sitting room, one in my bedroom and usually one in the bathroom too. The first book I ever finished was a story about a scooter called Popper. I can still remember the feeling of pride when I had read it and still remember the wonderful pictures in that book. I started writing myself when I was in my mid twenties.My first manuscript was a paranormal thriller entitled Point of Contact. I have recently revised this massively and I hope to get it published at some point. After that I wrote Minstrel’s Bargain, a story that combines my love of horror fiction and my appreciation of rock music. Minstrel’s Bargain was published by Bloodhound Books in 2015 and when I eventually held the finished product in my hand I knew that writing is what I want to do forever!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was young I was an avid fan of the ‘Adventure’ series of books by Willard Price. I think these were the first books I properly devoured. After these I moved on to books that my dad had lying around, mostly Alastair Maclean and Desmond Bagley thrillers. My Grandad used to read the ‘Edge’ westerns of George G Gillman as well and I gravitated to these, borrowing them after he had finished them. These are very violent books and probably where I got my love of bloody realism from! It was also at my Grandad’s where I picked up a copy of James Herbert’s ‘Lair’ and from that instant I was hooked on the horror genre. I moved on to other horror writers after reading all of Herbert’s back log such as Stephen King, Shaun Hutson etc, but have always read and enjoyed lots of different genres, especially historical fiction by the likes of Bernard Cornwall. I particularly enjoy the books of Derek Robinson. I have read ‘Piece of cake’ so many times that my copy of the book has disintegrated. I have to say though, out of all these writers it is James Herbert that has had the biggest impact on my own writing. For me, he was the master of horror.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Minstrel’s Bargain is set in late 1980’s Newcastle and is the story of a small time music reporter who comes across a new rock band, the eponymously titled Minstrel’s Bargain. The reporter, Phil Sturgess is blown away by this band, as is everyone else who listens to them. However, shortly after reporting on their first gig, strange and horrifying murders and suicides start to occur. It seems the music of Minstrel’s Bargain is affecting everyone who listens to it. Sturgess begins to realise that he has to do something to stop the leader of the band, an imposing figure named Kick Bizarre, before his demonic mission can be carried out. With time running short Sturgess, and his unlikely companion, an old tramp, must figure out how to stop the horror before the whole of humanity is destroyed. Minstrel’s Bargain is the first in a planned trilogy concerning Sturgess and the demon called Minstrel. I am working on the first sequel now.
The original manuscript took me about a year from start to finish, with various revisions along the way. But it never got published. I tried and tried but no one wanted it so I gave up and put it away in the loft. It was twenty years before I tried again and Bloodhound books took it on. I can’t thank them enough for taking a chance with me. It is such an amazing feeling holding the book in my hands that has been a part of me for my whole adult life.
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