indie author

Interview With Sim Alec Sansford – Welcome To Hollow Wood is Out Now!

~ ChanAtkins ~ 5 Comments

If you are a fan of slasher movies from the 90s and 2000s, such as Scream and I Know What You Did last Summer, if you’re a reader of YA murder/mystery books like One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus, then stay tuned! This is for you!

Sim Alec Sansford has a new book out and it’s got all the key ingredients of a classic teen slasher story set in an eerily too-perfect small American town.

Sim tells us all about what inspired this YA thriller, plus what to expect from him next. Link and blurb to the book at the end!

Can you tell us what inspired Hollow Wood?

Growing up I was always hooked on movies I was probably far too sheltered to be watching at the time––like SCREAM, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and a variety of other teen thrillers and suspense films. During my school years you would always find me in the library devouring anything and everything by R. L. Stine, too. I think that’s where my inspiration for not only this story but most of my writing stems … Good characters and irresistible twists, red-herrings, and reveals.

You’ve said this book idea came about a long time ago, but you only recently felt ready to publish it – can you tell us why it took so long?

Yes. This story first begun somewhere around 2012 when one of my university assignments for Creative Writing was to create the first six chapters of a novel. Whilst most of my classmates wrote deep, poetic romances and historical fiction, I was writing about teens and murder. At the time I couldn’t understand why they weren’t … It was so much fun!

Unfortunately, disaster struck when my laptop died and my hard drive failed to restore the file. I was devastated. All that hard work vanished, never to be retrieved. I thought about re-writing it all, but the idea of starting over and not capturing what I had upset me. I decided to put it to bed. However, over the years the characters wouldn’t stop running through my mind and in November 2021 I decided to add Hollow Wood to my list of work to complete by the end of 2024.

Does this book link to any of your others and if so, how?

In some ways this story does connect to others in the Sim Alec Sansford Universe (I really need to come up with a better name for it than that!). Hollow Wood is first mentioned in my debut novel, Welcome to Denver Falls, where it is the neighbouring town. In that book the there is a baseball scene where the Denver Dholes go up against the Hollow Wood Hawks.

Book two, which I’m working on currently, also makes reference to a character featured in my series Fortune’s Well. However, despite links to these series Hollow Wood is not paranormal.

What does your normal writing process look like from original idea to published book?

Blurb first. Possibly a little backwards, but I love creating engaging blurbs and mocking up cover art and teasers for my books. Yes—before I’ve even written them.

I find this helps me grow ideas, moods and themes for my stories. I find blurbs exciting. You get to hint at what readers can expect and ask questions that keep you hooked from the moment you open the first page.

From there I am very much a “pantser”, I let the story and characters take me and rarely force anything. If it doesn’t feel right then something in my gut is telling me to take a step back, evaluate and try again. This approach doesn’t work for everyone and it’s not something I recommend, but for me it works. I think of myself as a director plotting out a movie and I have to call cut a few times before I get it right.

Who is your favourite character in Hollow Wood and why?

That’s easy––Eliot.

I feel bad saying that because of all the characters who’ve stayed with me from the get go, Weaver is the one who’s been more prominent. In fact, he is the only one who still has the same name, home life, and personality traits from the original uni piece.

However, I love Eliot because there’s an edge to her. She is dark brooding, artistic, introverted, and absolutely addicted to music. In many ways I think she is a manifestation of a younger me. She’s also very damaged and spends a lot of her time pleasing others rather than thinking about herself. That’s a quality I definitely relate too, and although it has some draw backs I feel there’s a power in it.

You write in the YA genre – what do you like about this genre?

I feel like teen characters are far more complex. When you’re younger everything is heightened … love, lust, hate … revenge. It’s all so much more daring and exciting.

There is a nostalgia in YA too, it speaks to your inner self as a reader and a writer. It allows you to say the things you wish you had when you were that age. Do the things you were too scared to do. Likewise it allows you to revisit such a special, monumental point in your life. I’m not sure if I’d enjoy writing any other genre as much.

What are your favourite YA books and why?

I love a wide variety of Young Adult books. From paranormal romance such as Alexandra Adornetto’s Halo trilogy, to more contemporary realistic fiction like John Marsden’s Tomorrow series.

I just love reading about teen characters for the same reason I love to write them. Their lives are usually far more complex and the stakes are so much higher.

Halo definitely taught me a lot about romance and how powerful and all consuming love can be for younger people. Likewise, Tomorrow definitely showed me how strong the bonds of friendship can be and how ordinary teenagers (most often overlooked by the adults in their lives) can be the greatest heroes of all.

What do you hope readers will get from Hollow Wood? What kind of experience will they have?

I hope they get a story that they simply cannot put down.

I feel like this book, although short, has a lot of twists and turns which will keep readers on the edge of their seat. There will be answers, but ultimately a lot more questions. Again, this is a short novel for YA, but there is enough there to get readers absorbed into the world of Hollow Wood and fall in love with the characters.

I imagine the Hollow Wood series to be is a television show on the page. Book one is the pilot. It draws in the hype. You fall in love with the cast and fear for their fate in the sequel.

What are you working on now? What will be released next?

Currently I am working on the second book in the Hollow Wood series, currently titled Lie, Lie Again.

I am absolutely loving what I have so far and cannot wait to share it with you––hopefully very soon!

What is your favourite part of the whole writing process, for example is it the excitement of the initial idea, the first draft, or the last draft?

I absolutely love the feeling of having a new idea. That rush you get certainly can’t be beaten. When you get so excited about a story that you want to shout it from the rooftops. Ideas come easy to me, it’s the patience and dedication involved in writing that can be a challenge. I want so badly to spill everything out from my head and onto the page. I get so impatient. But then again, when you type those last few words and can see it all on there in black and white, it feels like such an achievement.

You never really know how a book will be received, but I write with one rule in mind––it’s all for me. I write the stories that I love to read. When other people love them too, it feels really great and affirming.

That’s the power of a great story, it make us feel a little less alone.

Thank you so much to Sim for talking to us today about his latest release!

You can grab it here https://amzn.eu/d/fUpsC43

and here is the blurb:

#WhatHappenedToKelseaGregory

That’s the question on everyone’s lips.

Everyone apart from Weaver Lawrence, Eliot Chase, Noah Castello and Beth Sinclair, the only ones that know the truth. At least that’s what they think. Little do they know someone else was there that night in the woods two years ago, and they’re thirsty for revenge.

On the surface, their town of Hollow Wood seems like the perfect vacation destination. Quaint countryside, large estates, wealthy residents with perfect lives and perfect smiles. But with senior year coming to an end and exams looming;for these four estranged friends, this year’s going to be an absolute KILLER…

At Night We Played In The Road – Out Today!!

~ ChanAtkins ~ 3 Comments

It is publication day for my latest novel, At Night We Played In The Road!

I honestly feel like I have let this book down by not promoting it enough but all summer I have been glued to Medium and other things. I have been working on the current WIP Black Hare Valley when I can, but even that has taken a back seat to Medium! I have just launched my own publication on Medium, The Wild Writers Club, so that has been taking up some time, as well as writing for others.

However, I am super proud of this latest book and the way it connects to a bigger universe of books. If you don’t already know, it is a spin-off from The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series and although it will give you spoilers for that series, it can be read as a standalone.

It also connects to books I have already written as well as the next two books to come out.

You will find the blurb and the link below, but first I’m sharing a wonderful review that just came in from Karen J Mossman’s World of Stories blog. Karen is a wonderful writer, blogger and a great support to indie authors like me, so do check out her blog and her reviews!

At Night We Played in the Road by Chantelle Atkins

Here is the review:

The story begins when Tom the youngest child is a baby and his single father tries to kill him. Alfie is there just in time and the little boy continues to protect his brother as they grow up.

Their father manufactures drugs to sell, this means a chaotic life for the young boys. They find themselves in different foster homes, and even that is fraught with danger.

At Night We Played In The Road, is a powerful and heartbreaking story. But, it’s also a tale of courage and brotherly love. Right and wrong, good and evil present themselves. Some people are born inherently bad, and lure others in. Good people get drawn into bad situations and this is Alfie. I championed him right through to the stiy’sy satisfying conclusion.

This is a big book with over 500 pages. Personally, I prefer shorter reads, but if you don’t mind you are in for a treat.

The author has a wonderful way with words and her writing is compelling. It’s worth checking her out as Chantelle Atkins has a great selection of books. Many cross over or connect with each other in a way I’ve never seen anyone do before.

And here is a link to read a free sample of the book:

As always, your support is invaluable to me, an indie author on a very limited budget!

The Story Behind My Next Book

~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

Last week I shared the news that my 22nd book will be released next month!

If you’d like to check it out, here is the preorder link! https://amzn.eu/d/0gSeWqen

At Night We Played In The Road was four years in the making and today I want to tell you the story and inspiration behind the novel.

Four years ago I was in the process of rewriting and revamping The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series. I still think having the power and control to change and revamp independently published books is one of the best things about being an indie author.

At the time, I was changing what was two books (The Boy With The Thorn In His Side and its sequel, This Is The Day) into a five book series. The original book was huge, and when I got the idea for new material and events that could be sandwiched between that story and the sequel, I knew I had to turn it all into a series. The original book was split into two, a third book with new events was written and made into book three, the sequel became book four, and just doing all of that gave me ideas for material for book five.

It felt like a crazy and risky thing to do at the time, especially considering I had lots of other books lined up to work on, but it felt like the right thing to do. And it was. I am hugely proud of that gritty 5-book series. I feel like it is a whole universe you can really dig deep into. The series, of course, links to other books I’ve written, where characters are mentioned or the same locations are used. This led to me creating a universe of inter-linked books and At Night We Played In The Road is one of them.

But back to where the idea came from…

At the time I had ideas for book 5 in The Boy… series, and one day I was watching the TV show Supernatural with my eldest child in her bedroom. She had been badgering me for years to watch it and when I finally gave in, I loved it. I’ve rewatched the entire thing many times since then! And one of the things that really hooked me about the show was the relationship between the brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester.

Some might argue it is an unhealthy and co-dependent relationship, and they might be right, but essentially it is a loving and protective one, with each brother prepared to kill and die for the other. The older brother, Dean, has brought Sam up and throughout the show, is also a father to him. This really interested me and their unusual relationship was one of my favourite things about Supernatural.

During that period I was also rewatching Breaking Bad. That is another show I have watched multiple times! With these two shows playing on my mind, I started to get ideas for two characters. Two brothers.

Inspired by the relationship in Supernatural, I created Alfie, four years older than Tom. When Tom was born, their mother died in childbirth and their father, Fred, has never forgiven Tom for it. Unable to bond with the baby that caused the death of his beloved wife, Fred all but abandons Tom. In fact, Fred is unable to even look at his younger son. Instead, he throws his attention and his dreams into Alfie.

Inspired somewhat by Breaking Bad, I decided that Fred would be in the drugs business, something he has taken over from his own father and hopes to pass down to Alfie. A family business growing and selling cannabis.

I then wrote these brothers into book five of The Boy With The Thorn In His Side and they became part of Danny’s story-line as he attempts to finally free himself from his criminal past. I had no intention of giving them their own book, but I fell so in love with them I started to get ideas about their back story.

As I wrote them into that series, the characters of Tom and Alfie just exploded to life in my head.

That’s the way it works and it feels like magic.

Suddenly, they had a back story, their own individual mannerisms and personality traits and their own dreams for the future. I still find creating characters one of the best aspects of writing! I absolutely love it.

I wanted Alfie to be the more serious of the brothers, the one with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He does not like what his father’s criminality has done to their family. His father seems oblivious to the harm he has caused his sons. ( He abandons the boys every time his own mental health declines.) A mixture of simply not being able to cope and occasionally being incarcerated, leads to the boys going in and out of foster care as children.

I gave Tom Tourette’s Syndrome as it was something I was researching a lot at the time. My youngest child was displaying a lot of verbal and physical tics and I spoke to a doctor about the possibility of it being TS, but eventually they calmed down, and though he still likes to make his noises, I don’t think an official diagnosis is needed. However, the research was not wasted when I gave these attributes to Tom.

Compared to Alfie, Tom is more sociable, friendly and reckless. He will do anything to get his father’s attention – including getting himself dragged into crime.

Alfie constantly feels like Tom is in danger and that he must protect him. He cannot let go of that feeling so he is unable to live or even develop independently as his own person. For this reason, he sometimes suffocates and stifles Tom, who eventually begins to rebel.

Tom adores his older brother though, and as he grows older, he realises that Alfie has given up everything for him.

The plot sees them eventually estranged as they take very different paths in life, and it alternates between the past so we can see how that led them to where they are now. And where they are now is a very dangerous place.

Alfie has not seen his brother in years but one day he is brought to his door with a gun to his head. Alfie must save his brother’s life one more time. And to do that, they must face the past they escaped from.

Here is the blurb!

When Tom Lane was born, he accidentally killed his mother and in the process, his father’s love.

Determined to protect Tom from their father’s criminal business, older brother Alfie must become Tom’s father, mother and protector. It’s the two of them against the world until the day Tom chooses a life of crime over Alfie’s dream of a normal life.
Ten years later the estranged brothers are reunited when a violent gang bring Tom to Alfie’s door with a gun to his head.

Tom’s partners in crime have turned on him and he needs his brother to save him one more time…


Thanks for reading!

See you next week!

My Next Book Is Out Next Month!

~ ChanAtkins ~ 8 Comments

It’s Friday – usually my blog-posting day, so what better news to share than new book news!

This will be my twenty-second release but honestly, it never gets old. It is still just as much of a thrill!

First, what do you think of the cover? I used my son again – he did the amazing book covers for The Day The Earth Turned series and he also recently updated The Mess Of Me and The Tree Of Rebels for me. This one was so hard to get right though! We went through three other designs before we settled on this one and even then we kept changing our minds about colour schemes. In the end, I think we got it right. It is dark and moody but also quite beautiful and I hope that is what readers will think of the book itself.

At Night We Played In The Road is a spin-off book from The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series and I got the idea about four years ago. At the time I was revamping and adding to that series and in part five I had introduced two brothers called Tom and Alfie Lane. They have small but significant parts in that story and it was obvious that they had an interesting back story to tell. They are drawn into a life of crime, but how and why? I wanted to go back to the beginning and find out what led them to that place.

Here is the blurb:

When Tom Lane was born, he accidentally killed his mother and in the process, his father’s love.

Determined to protect Tom from their father’s criminal business, older brother Alfie must become Tom’s father, mother and protector. It’s the two of them against the world until the day Tom chooses a life of crime over Alfie’s dream of a normal life.

Ten years later the estranged brothers are reunited when a violent gang bring Tom to Alfie’s door with a gun to his head.

Tom’s partners in crime have turned on him and he needs his brother to save him one more time…

A darkly brooding story of brotherly love, belongings and the beginnings that shape who we become.

And here is the opening paragraph:

The first time Alfie Lane had to think fast to save his brother’s life, he was five years old. That moment haunted his childhood, yet, in the years that followed, Alfie somehow found a way to bury the terrible memory. In fact, he has not thought of it since he was a kid, and, as it comes to him now, this fact alone seems somehow more strange, frightening, and catastrophic than the gun being held to his brother’s head. How could he have forgotten?

The preorder link: https://amzn.eu/d/0czWhf1a

Stay tuned because next week I will be sharing the inspiration and ideas behind this book and its characters!