An Interview with David Richards
Please tell us everything we need to know about your most recent book!
‘Bitches’ is the story of Catherine, the most powerful witch alive. Her powers are on the fritz so she enlists the help of a local coven to fix her up.
‘Bitches’ is the story of Catherine, the most powerful witch alive. Her powers are on the fritz so she enlists the help of a local coven to fix her up.
She’s also being hunted by a puritanical witch hunter who believes it is his divine duty to eradicate all witches from the face of the earth.
The main story is interspersed with chapters from Catherine’s long, long life where she has rubbed shoulders with some of history’s great and not so great figures.
What would you define your genre or style as..? Has it changed as you’ve moved from book to book?
Mostly sci-fi, but I do change genres. I would class ‘Bitches’ as urban fantasy with a splash of sci-fi.
My first book was about time travel, my next two were about a pair of murderous OAPs, then I wrote about superheroes, and my most recent one was about witches.
The thing that ties them together is that they are all set in the same Northern town, so if I were to define my overall genre it would be ‘Northern fiction’.
Mostly sci-fi, but I do change genres. I would class ‘Bitches’ as urban fantasy with a splash of sci-fi.
My first book was about time travel, my next two were about a pair of murderous OAPs, then I wrote about superheroes, and my most recent one was about witches.
The thing that ties them together is that they are all set in the same Northern town, so if I were to define my overall genre it would be ‘Northern fiction’.
Why do you enjoy working in your genre, and which books / authors / series would you recommend? Who made you want to write the way you do?
I’m obsessed with brassy, no-nonsense, Northern women. People who speak as they find and have a certain turn of phrase. I love creating these people and then putting them in outlandish situations.
Victoria Wood and Alan Bennett are definite influences for me. You are always told to write what you know, and working-class, Northern people are what I know!
Recommendations… ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King is an all-time favourite. For a frothy, camp read it would be ‘Little Me’ by Patrick Dennis, and for scurrilous fun, it would be ‘Hollywood Babylon’ by Kenneth Anger.
Victoria Wood and Alan Bennett are definite influences for me. You are always told to write what you know, and working-class, Northern people are what I know!
Recommendations… ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King is an all-time favourite. For a frothy, camp read it would be ‘Little Me’ by Patrick Dennis, and for scurrilous fun, it would be ‘Hollywood Babylon’ by Kenneth Anger.
What do you read for pleasure? What do you watch – and what would you recommend..?
I enjoy celebrity autobiographies. My absolute favourite is Lynne Perrie’s ‘Secrets of the Street’. I’ve read that more times than I care to admit!
Other than the books listed above, I enjoy anything by Robert Rodi, Jackie Collins, Sue Townsend, Richard Laymon.
I will watch almost anything, but my favourite shows have to be a little bit camp. Recommendations would be Kath & Kim, Galavant, Please Like Me, Let Them Eat Cake (or anything with French, Saunders, or both), Nighty Night, Difficult People, Broad City, Dinnerladies…
I enjoy celebrity autobiographies. My absolute favourite is Lynne Perrie’s ‘Secrets of the Street’. I’ve read that more times than I care to admit!
Other than the books listed above, I enjoy anything by Robert Rodi, Jackie Collins, Sue Townsend, Richard Laymon.
I will watch almost anything, but my favourite shows have to be a little bit camp. Recommendations would be Kath & Kim, Galavant, Please Like Me, Let Them Eat Cake (or anything with French, Saunders, or both), Nighty Night, Difficult People, Broad City, Dinnerladies…
I could keep going but I think that’s enough to be getting on with.
Tell us about the landscape and setting of your books. Are they all set in the same place, more or less..? Where in the world are we, and why should everyone want to go there..?
They are all set in Millston; a fictional Northern town that may or may not be ever so loosely based on a real Northern town.
I wouldn’t recommend going there, but if you did you would do well to watch out for witches, superheroes or a pair of old women that don’t suffer fools gladly.
I wouldn’t recommend going there, but if you did you would do well to watch out for witches, superheroes or a pair of old women that don’t suffer fools gladly.
How did you get into writing in the first place, and how did you first get published..?
I had always wanted to write, but other than a few false starts I didn’t complete anything until I had the idea for my first novel.
Everyone always says ‘If I could go back…’ or ‘If I could change the past…’ so I thought that I would write a story where somebody actually gets the chance. That ended up being my first novel, The ‘Lovely’ Past.
I had always wanted to write, but other than a few false starts I didn’t complete anything until I had the idea for my first novel.
Everyone always says ‘If I could go back…’ or ‘If I could change the past…’ so I thought that I would write a story where somebody actually gets the chance. That ended up being my first novel, The ‘Lovely’ Past.
Once I had finished it, I had a few copies printed off to give to people, just to say ‘Look! I’ve written a book!’
I only ever intended for it to be for close friends and family, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and, after a bit of persuasion from my husband, we put it up for sale.
I only ever intended for it to be for close friends and family, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and, after a bit of persuasion from my husband, we put it up for sale.
What’s the most wonderful thing about being a writer..?
People enjoying what I write.
I like that I can work to my own schedule and that I can just write when the fancy takes me, but hearing that people have enjoyed my work is definitely the best thing about being a writer.
I like that I can work to my own schedule and that I can just write when the fancy takes me, but hearing that people have enjoyed my work is definitely the best thing about being a writer.
And what’s the most challenging thing about the novelist’s life..?
Not letting things distract you when you sit down to write would be the main thing. A close second would be coming up with new ideas. I always worry that I won’t be able to think of something to write about.
What is your readership like..? Do they get in touch with you..?
They do! My readership is mainly women and gay men.
I’ve had Facebook and Twitter messages from people that have enjoyed my books and I absolutely love it.
They do! My readership is mainly women and gay men.
I’ve had Facebook and Twitter messages from people that have enjoyed my books and I absolutely love it.
What are you going to write next..?
I’m working on The ‘Lovely’ Old Dears 3.
After the second book, I had said that their story was done but Pam and Jean, the old dears, had other ideas, so they’re getting one more adventure.
After that, I have an idea for a sequel to ‘Bitches’.
After the second book, I had said that their story was done but Pam and Jean, the old dears, had other ideas, so they’re getting one more adventure.
After that, I have an idea for a sequel to ‘Bitches’.
Finally… tell us something surprising about yourself that your readers might not already know..!
In the very early 90s, I appeared on a local TV channel, Cable 7, dancing to ‘Vogue’.
I did this three times!
I did this three times!
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