Q&A with Mr Lay: Duncan Lay answers our questions

Fiona McIntosh: Voyager Author of the Month

Fiona McIntosh was born and raised in Sussex in the UK, but also spent early childhood years in West Africa. She left a PR career in London to travel and settled in Australia in 1980. She has since roamed the world working for her own travel publishing company, which she runs with her husband. She lives in Adelaide with her husband and twin sons. Her website is at www.fionamcintosh.com.

Her latest book, The Scrivener's Tale, is a stand-alone and takes us back to the world of Morgravia from her very first series, The Quickening:

About The Scrivener's Tale:

In the bookshops and cafes of present-day Paris, ex-psychologist Gabe Figaret is trying to put his shattered life back together. When another doctor, Reynard, asks him to help with a delusional female patient, Gabe is reluctant... until he meets her. At first Gabe thinks the woman, Angelina, is merely terrified of Reynard, but he quickly discovers she is not quite what she seems.

As his relationship with Angelina deepens, Gabe's life in Paris becomes increasingly unstable. He senses a presence watching and following every move he makes, and yet he finds Angelina increasingly irresistible.

When Angelina tells Gabe he must kill her and flee to a place she calls Morgravia, he is horrified. But then Angelina shows him that the cathedral he has dreamt about since childhood is real and exists in Morgravia.

A special 10th Anniversary edition of her first fantasy book, Myrren's Gift, will be released in December!

Q&A with Mr Lay: Duncan Lay answers our questions

Posted on July 22, 2009 by voyageronline

Duncan's first book

How does it feel to have a finished copy of The Wounded Guardian in your hands?

Opening that package was like the best Christmas ever! Holding it in my hands was almost as good as when I held my children for the first time – and as a bonus there was no vomiting, screaming or smelly nappies involved.

Describe your main character, Martil, in one sentence.

He’s a bitter, angry, haunted man who is trying to change but looking for peace in all the wrong places.

What was the first thing you did in your new role as a published book author?

A tie between looking up The Wounded Guardian on the HarperCollins website and sneaking into Borders and searching for myself on their system!

How did you earn a living while writing the Dragon Sword histories?

By working for the Sunday Telegraph and writing on the train, to and from work. I’m perhaps the only person who doesn’t mind when the trains run slow (more writing time).

When is the next book in the Dragon Sword Histories, The Risen Queen, due out

The Risen Queen is due out in January 2010, with the final book, The Radiant Child, out in July 2010. It hasn’t been a good time for fantasy authors lately, what with the likes of David Gemmell and David Eddings dying and Terry Pratchett announcing he has Alzheimer’s. Perhaps that’s why, when I say I’m writing a fantasy trilogy, people keep asking me if I’m feeling healthy and to make sure nothing happens to me before I finish the books. It’s a little scary, to be honest! But not only do I feel fit as a fiddle and plan to keep going for at least another 50 years, the writing is finished and with HarperCollins. Meanwhile, my hypochondria is coming along nicely, thank you very much!

What one piece of advice would you give aspiring fantasy writers?

Read Ian McFadyen’s hilarious online essay “How To Write A Fantasy Novel” And then make sure you avoid every cliché – or at least give them a massive twist.

Duncan Lay is a layout designer and headline writer at the SUNDAY TELEGRAPH. He has always worked in journalism and has worked for a number of different newspapers and media outlets. And he’s met Raymond E Feist! He lives on the Central Coast of NSW with his wife and two young children.