A.D. Landor

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Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

Hi I’m A.D. Landor, author of the Azshael Series – dark fantasy thrillers set in a world of Machiavellian Angels and Bushido Vampires. When it became apparent to me that 'Sorcerer to the Queen' and 'Knight Errant' were no longer valid career paths I worked my way through 37 other jobs before arriving at writer. Along the way I looked after seals and bears at London Zoo, taught small children how to stay on a horse, wrote competition scripts for radio stations and told tall tales to anyone who would listen. I now live outside London, with the sort of book and music collection guaranteed to ensure the neighbours never stay long for coffee.

When and why did you start writing books?

I first started writing properly in the early 2000s and the Azshael Series is the first of the projects I have been working on since then to be fully realised through to publication. I have always had it in me – that desire to tell stories and bring characters and their universes to life. I wrote Angel Falling as there weren't enough Machiavellian Angels vs Bushido Vampire stories around!

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Technology caught up with a long running dream that needed to become reality.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Angel Rising is my favourite story so far. My favourite character is a hard one - I suppose Sariel but it's really a 3 way tie with Lytta and Azsh himself.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Angel Rising - I worked really hard on the intricacy and flow of the plot so it was a hard novel to write but a tremendous sense of achievement when it was finally complete.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Just one? Sheesh...Okay favourite author right now (it changes) is probably Joe Abercrombie - best book is Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein

What book are you reading right now?

I have a few on the go: Lavie Tidhar's 'By Force Alone'; 'Book of Night' by Holly Black and 'Resurrection Walk' by Michael Connelly

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

The million dollar question! The muse gives what she gives. For me it starts with the main character and once I understand who they are and what situation they are in, then everything else starts to fall into place. For the Azshael Series I did a fair amount of research into Angels across various religions and mythologies and built their world from there. For the Succae, that started with an interest in Bushido – the Japanese marital discipline associated with the Samurai culture and then I kind of built their world from there. Then it was a question of bringing the two worlds together!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I am very involved in table top gaming – especially role playing games like Call of Cthulhu, Delta Geen, Runequest and Traveller. Mostly I run games for small groups and occasionally play in them as well. I have adapted some of my campaigns into dramatized podcasts which you can find online – search ‘The Yellow King Sequence’ and you will find them. I love good books, good films and good food!

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes! The third book in the Azshael Series is nearing draft completion. It's called 'Angel of the Final Hours' - after that I am working on a second series of epic fantasy novels about a reformed thief returning to his homeland to find dark secrets from the region's past rising to threaten the future. The first novel in this series is called 'Children of Water'.