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Exclusive Interview with Bryan Barton | Insights & Stories on CraveBooks

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Bryan Barton

Member Since: 02/2023

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born in Preston, Lancashire in the UK and spent most of my childhood in foster homes, due to an abusive, physical home life.
As a child and teenager, I found solace in reading books, especially historical dramas like Sharpe, being a huge fan of Indiana Jones, I then began to write my own Indiana Jones-style stories, which I would spend hours illustrating.

Years later, while working in stressful conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan, I rediscovered my childhood love of sci-fi, action and adventure books and The Darkleich Series was born.

Inspired by my own struggles, I wanted the story of Darkleich to show younger readers and adults that they can overcome great hardships and make an important contribution to the world around them.

I now live in the USA, in Alexandria, Virginia, with my husband, partner, our dog Otis, and our three cats Mr. Humphreys, Elim, and Miss Slocombe. I love listening to classical music in my spare time and I am a huge fan of the classic rock, such as Neil Diamond and John Denver.
I believe I poses a great sense of humor and love regaling friends and family of funny stories from staying with my grandparents to family vacations to the Lake District.

WHY SHOULD YOU READ MY BOOKS

This book has an underlying message that is absolutely crucial and which I hope will touch you, help you and support you in all your endeavors: no matter what happens in life, and no matter how harsh life has been to you, you always have a way to make it, and accomplish what you want to achieve.

After all, look at me: I was told, from a very young age, that I was good for nothing, a loser. And now I’m happily married, I am a successful professional, and I am pursuing my dream of being a self-published artist, telling the exciting interplanetary tales of Darkleich and his crime unit, while also telling you that you should never let anything, or anyone hold you down in life.

These books are a toast to an emancipation from adversity – mine, yours and everyone’s! Grasp life, live it, love it, embrace it, be the best YOU that you can be.

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

I now live in the USA, in Alexandria, Virginia, with my husband, partner, our dog Otis, and our three cats Mr. Humphreys, Elim, and Miss Slocombe. I love listening to classical music in my spare time and I am a huge fan of the classic rock, such as Neil Diamond and John Denver. I believe I poses a great sense of humor and love regaling friends and family of funny stories from staying with my grandparents to family vacations to the Lake District.

When and why did you start writing books?

I had the idea for this book in 2006 whilst working in Iraq, as you can imagine the constant mortar attacks on the base would get intense. So my escape was to start writing and plunging myself into this new world. I was always told when I was younger that writing was a fool’s errand and I would amount to nothing as an adult or a writer.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

As a child I was abused by my mother and stepfather, so I ended up moving from children’s homes and foster homes, so writing was my way to escape from the pain and disappear from it all. Writing for me is therapeutic and fun, Growing up, I immersed myself in science fiction, from the epic adventures and space sagas set out by Arthur C. Clarke to George Lucas's Star Wars Saga, Science fiction opened up an endless array of possibilities for me, it was my way to escape.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Darkleich is my favorite character in the Darkleich Series, he is tough, has his own internal struggles, but every now and again he lets his heart out for the readers to see.

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

Elegant Violence was the hardest book to write, I drew on past painful experiences, putting them down in words brought back memories, but was also therapeutic.

Who is your favourite author and book?

I have to say Stephen King and the book 'IT'

What book are you reading right now?

I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

My inspiration is to create a never-ending world of excitement for the readers, it's the readers that inspire me the most, it's the readers that enabled me to create this world.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to cook and write.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I have a new series of books in the works called Black Watch