Dan McGrath

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

I'm divorced and avoiding entanglements, at least for now. I'm learning to fly airplanes and besides writing, I enjoy music and video production.

When and why did you start writing books?

I've always been a writer. I've enjoyed the act of creating with my mind for as long as I've known I could do it. In my adult life, I mostly used my writing skills for non-profit and political work, until I entered into a devastating relationship with a personality disordered woman. That story, I felt, had to be told.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

It's not exactly a career yet, but I am continuing to write books. After publishing The Adventures of Dan and Tina, I was inspired to return to my fantasy and science fiction writing that was a hobby in my youth, so I'm working on my first fiction novel just now.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

I loved Tyrion before HBO and Peter Dinklage showed the world who he was. Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone (also something of an antihero) has always fascinated me.

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

The Adventures of Dan and Tina required revisiting some painful experiences and exposing some unsavory and embarrassing parts of my life to the wide world. Writing (directly) about myself was something I'd never attempted before. Since it's been well-received, my confidence as a writer has grown.

Who is your favourite author and book?

George RR Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire series really blew past all my old favorites. My addiction to his work may have finally been cured by the wait between 2011's Dance with Dragons and the as-yet unreleased Winds of Winter, though.

What book are you reading right now?

I'm training for a pilot's license, so I have a stack of them, with fun titles like "Private Pilot Maneuvers Manual" and "Guided Flight Discovery."

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Inspiration isn't something I can pin down. Sometimes I'll see something that sets me off on a tangent that becomes a spark of an idea, but usually, it just comes to me out of the blue. I have a hard time writing when the inspiration isn't there burning the words out of my head.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I fly airplanes. I tinker with my keyboard and accompanying digital home studio. Sometimes I produce little videos. I like to shoot pool and I love spending time with my nieces and nephews.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes. I'm working on a new fantasy fiction novel where people from different clans are forced to seek shelter together in a mysterious structure. Conflict, plots and murder ensue.