Faceless shadows, a night that will never be the same, and a sinister force. If you go down to the woods tonight, you’re in for a sinister surprise.
When a stag party decide to camp in the woods, they soon discover that a malevolent force has them in their sights. As the unknown creeps ever closer, Joe and his friends must survive. To survive, Joe must learn to fight. If he fights, he could lose it all.
A rollercoaster ride of blood, sweat and tears, Shadows of the Woods will keep you hooked, all whilst throwing nostalgic homage to slashers of the late seventies and early eighties.
A Night Terror that you won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Welcome to day three of the Meet the Authors, today’s victim… I mean author is, Duncan, one of Panther Publishing’s horror writers. Duncan’s first book published by Panther Publishing is Shadows Of The Woods, which is an excellent mixture of classical and contemporary horror, you can find my review here! Previously only available in e-book format, you can now also own a physical copy that you can buy directly from the publishers here.
Thank-you Duncan, for taking the time to answer my questions, you’re such a star!
Just for fun I thought we’d start with a bit of either or:
Tea or Coffee?
Coffee – lots of coffee.
Morning bird or Night owl?
Leaning towards a nigh owl, but I don’t mind mornings when it’s light in the early hours. It’s the afternoons I struggle with. I’m often found asleep on the couch.
Bookmark or corner folder?
Always a book mark, even if it’s an old train ticket or receipt.
Tidily organised or Organised mayhem?
Organised chaos, is probably more accurate, but there is method in the madness.
No judgement of you chaotic organisation here, in fact I love your honesty…. and style!
What makes you happy? Could you share a photo?
Pizza makes me happy too, all your pizza needs is a good helping of pineapple and it’s the best pizza!
What is your favourite childhood book?
One of the first books I remember enjoying was a collection of Brer Rabbit stories. I also read a lot of Roald Dahl books: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach and George’s Marvellous Medicine were firm favourites.
Child you had great taste in books, James & The Giant Peach is one of my favourite films – I must read the book, I do own it!
What did you want to be when you grew up? Was it always an author?
Definitely an author. No doubt about it. I’ve had a variety of jobs since leaving school, but nothing I’ve really stuck with or progressed in; they were just to pay the bills while I worked at being an author.
If you could choose only one season to last forever, what one would it be?
It would either be spring or autumn. If I had to chose just one, I’d say autumn for Halloween alone.
Yes! Don’t forget those delicious Starbucks pumpkin spiced lattes! n autumn must have!
What is your current read?
I’m currently reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I haven’t read this since school and wanted to read it again after catching one of the many movies on TV a few weeks ago.
What do you enjoy doing outside of writing? Hobbies etc.
There are other hobbies? Just kidding – Music is my biggest passion after reading & writing, and I’m building up a nice collection of vinyl records. I used to be quite a movie buff, but since having children I don’t get as much time to see newer films like I used to.
What are movies again?! Sounds like you have hobby priorities covered though.
How many books have you written?
I’ve written four novellas altogether; a trilogy and one stand alone story. The first two novellas were combined into a single volume of work – Shadows of the Woods, which is out now.
No way, I couldn’t imagine it in two parts as it works so well as a combined work!
When writing a series, how do you keep it fresh? Is the second in the series always more difficult than the first?
Introducing new characters. This not only brings something new to the reader, but also presents new and interesting challenges for the existing characters. The interaction between the new and old characters creates new stories and scenarios. It depends how many instalments are in the series, but in the example of a trilogy, the second book is definitely difficult – you’ve got the find a way to tie together the beginning and the end of the characters’ journey.
When researching for a novel, do you always have all the research before beginning or do you research as you go? What is the process?
I tend to research on the fly. I’ll start writing and then when I get to a scene which needs to be fact-checked then I’ll do some research. For me the most important part is telling an entertaining story and creating memorable characters. If I find I’m spending more time doing research, I’m not writing the story I want to tell.
That’s fair enough, it’s all about the balance of an engaging storyline and facts, I get that!
Describe your typical writing day
I tend to write about 1,000 to 2,000 in a writing session. If I have a full day dedicated to writing, I’ll aim to do two or three sessions fuelled by coffee.
Ah coffee, the wake up beverage everyone needs! That should be your slogan, ‘Fuelled by Coffee’.
What do you find the most enjoyable / difficult thing about writing?
The most enjoyable thing I the storytelling; seeing your characters come to life and the world you have created take shape. The most difficult thing is knowing when to stop editing/rewriting. If I didn’t put my foot down with myself and hand the manuscript to my copy-editor, I’d probably still be rewriting my first book.
What is a publishing highlight for you?
Definitely when Panther optioned Shadows of the Woods. I’d previously self-published and it led nowhere. So when Panther offered a contract , it felt like all my hard work was finally paying off and my writing was finally being noticed.
Panther Publishing definitely has the eye for talent and i’m so glad that they snapped you up. I look forward where your reading journey goes!
We are halfway through ‘Meet the Author’ week and what a great way to get properly introduced to the newest Panther author! Keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks for the reviews of Shadows of the Woods during the blog tour – some cracking bloggers are taking part.
Have you already grabbed yourself a copy of this night terror? Share your thoughts! Thanks again Duncan for your time, it’s been great getting to know you more.
Tune in tomorrow to get to know another Panther Publishing newbie,
until then,
happy reading!
The Reading Closet 
BRILLIANT post! Love it!
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Thankyou 😘
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