I wanted to write for a young adult audience and manifested the idea of a fantasy story that would arc over several books into a series. 

Andrew Marsh – 21 July 2020

The Back Flap

Jack Janson is nearly fourteen, an only child living with his parents who hate him almost as much as they hate each other. The only good things about his life are the girl next door, Sarah-Jane Farmer, whom he adores, and his Granny Jean in Cornwall who he spends the summer holidays with.His gran is cool but she has been hiding a HUGE secret. As her health fails, she decides to share the secret with Jack.Gran leads Jack to a cave.“Boom Tom tum” a loud voice echoes and a rock opens up to reveal a young giant called Winfred Storm Caller. Gran has been looking after the friendly giant since pirates killed his mother, but she now needs Jack to care for Winfred.Sarah-Jane arrives to help and they uncover The Book Of Lore hidden in the cave. What magic does it possess? Have they found a way to get Winfred home to his own lands?Are Sarah-Jane and Jack brave enough to use the book to save Granny Jean’s life?

About the book

What is the book about?

Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

The book is the first in the Jack Janson fantasy series about Jack, who at nearly 14 is unloved at home and bullied at school. His parents hate him almost as much as they hate each other and his home life is terrible.

He gets the chance to go and stay with his gran for the summer holiday and she treats him like an adult and they bond over her garden, growing her own food and baking. One day, she takes Jack to a cave at the bottom of the garden and there he meets Winfred Storm Caller, a giant. Jack discovers giant magic and from there his adventures begin.

The book also explores the relationships between Jack, his Granny Jean, Winfred and the girl from next door, Sarah-Jane, who he has a crush on and comes to stay for a while during the holiday.

When did you start writing the book?

September 2013 and I followed this with writing several more in the series.

How long did it take you to write it?

​ The first draft took me three weeks to write.

Where did you get the idea from?

I wanted to write for a young adult audience and manifested the idea of a fantasy story that would arc over several books into a series.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not in the initial writing, but the editing and reviewing process took me a long time, especially dealing with beta reader comments.

What came easily?

The writing flowed easily for me and I was able to get into the zone when writing the first draft.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

The characters are entirely fictional.

Do you have a target reader?

I have written this for young adults and adults who would like a good story.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

​I treat my writing like a job and usually write every day with a minimum of 1500 words per day as my target and I frequently exceed that by a considerable margin. I get in the zone and the writing comes freely and easily.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

For most of my novel writing I usually start with several pages of notes and ideas to establish plot, character and theme and once I have developed that sufficiently I start writing.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit at the end of the book. I concentrate on getting the first draft down then set about editing and reviewing.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

It depends. Most of the time I write in silence, but when I listen to music it is usually rock music.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I spent four and a half years, on and off, submitting to agents but didn’t get much more than the odd positive comment about the book but none wanted to take it any further.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Lack of interest from agents so with the book being the first in a series I wanted to get the first one out there so that I could begin to build an audience. I had written the first six books in the series before I was able to go Indie so there was a need to start making progress.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professional.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

In a manner of speaking. I post on social media, my blogs and do radio interviews when I can to reach my audience.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

It is absolutely imperative that the work is beta read by at least 2 other people and to have a good copy editor go through it meticulously before you consider publishing it in any form.

Have a plan for raising an audience, social media, radio and so on and get a blog to talk about writing and your book. Join writing groups on social media and local writing groups.

Always make sure that the cover is the best you can possibly get. There are so many drab and poorly crafted covers out there, make your stand out.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Crawley, West Sussex, England.

Where do you live now?

Glasgow, Scotland.

What would you like readers to know about you?

​I used to be a geologist in the construction industry but the credit crunch put an end to that. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when I was 51 and this has bought great clarify to my life and how I see myself.

I am starting a business as a speaker and coach to encourage employers to employ more people on the spectrum and have techniques that they can use to manage their workforce in a more inclusive way.

Jack Janson and the Storm Caller is the first book in a series that develops Jack into his later teens and as an adult.

What are you working on now?

Book two in the series, Jack Janson and the Pirates of Nathir is in the final stages of editing and all beta reader and copy editor comments have been reviewed. Book three is with beta readers and I am also working on a completely different contemporary young adult work in between times.

End of Interview:

For more from Andrew Marsh visit his website, his blog, and like his Facebook page.

Get your copy of Jack Janson & The Storm Caller from Amazon US or Amazon UK.