Interview with Jack Croxall, author of Tethers
Yesterday I posted my review of Tethers by Jack Croxall. I really enjoyed the book, and Jack was kind enough to answer some of my questions about it!
Q: How would you describe the plot/what is the book about?
A: Tethers is a YA Victorian fantasy which follows Karl Scheffer and Esther Emerson as they find a mysterious notebook and are drawn into a treacherous conspiracy.
Q: What inspired Tethers?
A: Well, the first thing that happened was that I had a picture in my head of a Victorian boy excited by something he had seen in an old man’s house. I started writing with nothing but that in mind because I wanted to know what that something was, and why it intrigued the boy so much. The whole story just escalated from there!
Q: What sort of research did you do for the book?
A: I spent hours upon hours researching Victorian life on the internet and I must say it was fascinating, not a chore in the slightest! My favourite aspect was perhaps life on the waterways – a style of living that is non-existent in today’s society. Whole families would live in the single cramped cabin of a narrowboat as they transported supplies up and down the waterways. The life was incredibly tough and children would work full days as soon as they could walk.
Q: Why/how did you decide on the Victorian setting?
A: The picture in my head was a Victorian one from the start, I just went with it! At first I wasn’t actually aware of how much work a Victorian setting would entail, but I really have learned an incredible amount through the research and I think the novel is so much the better for it.
Q: Are there any other time periods you’d love to use as a setting for a book?
A: I’ve always thought a book set just as humanity was starting to spread across the globe would be good. Of course, that period would bring a huge amount of challenges from an author’s perspective!
Q: I loved Esther! Is she (or any other character) based on or inspired by anyone you know or purely fictional?
A: Thanks! Esther is my favourite character, and most people who read the book seem to agree. She is partially based on what I imagine someone I know now might have been like had she grown up in Victorian England, but I couldn’t possibly say who! As for other characters, Karl has a chunk of myself in him, but the majority of them belong to themselves I’d say.
Q: Can you give any hints about the sequel, and when that will be out?
A: I am working on the sequel right now but I’m not sure when it will be out. I’ve been pretty tight-lipped on the details so far but here’s a small nugget of info: Book Two will be set about eighteen months after the events of the first.
Q: What were some of your favourite books growing up?
A: I loved Roald Dahl and tried desperately to read and collect all his books! Then, when I was a teenager, His Dark Materials convinced me to try and become a writer.
Q:What’s your favourite book you’ve read so far this year?
A: Despite it coming out a fair while ago, I’d say Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. The book is set fourteen years after a modern zombie apocalypse and explores the nature of humanity – it is just a fantastic read.
Thank you Jack for stopping by the blog! I especially like the sound of a story set as humankind began! I also loved His Dark Materials, and Rot and Ruin is on my TBR list!
You can find Jack online via Twitter (@JackCroxall), Goodreads, e-mail (jack.croxall@gmail.com), and his website.
