Daniel James

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

My name is Daniel James, and I'm an author from Liverpool, England. I have dabbled in a few hobbies over the years: playing bass in a few different rock bands (playing guitar in my room, much more quietly), kickboxing for several years, until I got increasingly lazy. I'd say my only surviving hobby is writing, which is ideal since I'm trying to be a writer! My interests are spec-fic novels, movies, comics, rock and synthwave music, and wondering if Chad Stahelski will ever give Michael Jai White a much deserved movie roll.

When and why did you start writing books?

I started writing about ten years ago. I was growing increasingly disinterested in my final year at university, and bizarrely — and quite late, I'll admit — I started to realise that I was far more interested, and put far more value, in exploring my imagination than my dull coursework, wanting to create characters and worlds, just to get them on the page and keep them from cluttering my thoughts. I wish I had pursued writing far earlier, as I was always a creative kid who did well with art and writing from an early age, loving comics, horror and sci-fi movies (many of which I was far too young to watch, but loved every minute of), but in my early teens I suddenly decided to try and be a musician and join my friend's band as a way to come out of my shell, because somewhere in my formative years I was beset by a crippling shyness. Through my teens and twenties I continued to read horror and urban fantasy novels, but never gave writing any consideration until I was completing my uni degree, content to let playing in bands be my one creative outlet. I still love music, and tend to create individual playlists that spiritually shape the books I write, but I stopped playing years ago as my writing increasingly took priority over gigging with the band I was in. I also go through periods of dabbling with illustrating, but I need to work on dedicating a bit more time to it.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I wrote a horror novel called Heartbreaker, which generated some interest in New York literary agent, Ethan Ellenberg. After a tortuous wait, he passed on it; personallly, I still really like the book's premise, and would like to redo it one day, but I'm now made up that he passed on it, as it was terrribly amateurish. After that I wrote a pulpy noir thriller called Pigs, and that same agent got back to me with surprising speed. Eventually, his agency published it themselves because he had faith in it, which was awesome of them. Much like Heartbreaker, I like the idea and overall story of Pigs, but I can't even look at it now, as it's still quite unrefined. Regardless, attracting a New York agent made he think I had some degree of talent, and so I decided to carry on writing. But truthfully, I might have continued anyway, even if only for myself, because it kind of feels like it's something that I have to do.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

I'd probably say my favourite book is still Hourglass. The sequels (currently writing book 5) have certainly grown the world and its characters into more exciting dimensions, but for me, there was something strangely exciting about writing that first book. It was summer, the evenings were bright and warm, and the whole thing seemed to come together effortlessly, making it so much fun to write. As for favourite characters, I would probably say Clyde and Kev, the two leads in the Hourglass series. Their friendship is cast-iron, but their own personal perspectives help create some unique, personal struggles that test their bond as they are thrust into a dark and dangerous world of covert agencies and monstrous dead worlds. And I like Clyde's ability to walk the Median, the dream realm anchoring souls between life and death.

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

Each book has had their own challenges. Sometimes in the first draft, working things out, or in later drafts as I'm trying to piece certain bits together, but I've come to accept that as long as I'm prepared to put the work in, I can get over any hump. For me, and many writers, the big hump in question is self-belief. I gave myself hell through the whole writing process of book 3 and 4 of this series, and I'm currently giving myself grief over book 5, but you just have to push through and not get lost in the Negative Zone.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Robert McCammon. He was the first author I read whose books really floored me, particularly Swan Song, Stinger, and They Thirst. His prose are always so colourful, perfectly crafting the scene in your head. He's fantastic with tension, suspense, action, and his characters, particularly his villains, are always memorable.

What book are you reading right now?

Out of the Dark (Orphan X book 4) by Gregg Hurwitz, and Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by Jason Pargin. Highly recommend both.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

I'm not really sure. Sometimes an idea or a character just pop out of nowhere, subconsciously or otherwise. Dreams are sometimes fruitful. I once got the idea for an old horror novel from an awful bout of sleep paralysis, the imagery and events of which grew into a larger story. It's when you can't shake an idea loose that you should pay attention to them. They might have legs, they might not. But they're worth exploring.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Getting out of the house to find a quiet spot to read and write. Going the cinema. I like the boring quiet life.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Book 3 in the Hourglass series, Hair-Trigger Smile, will be out later this year. Book 4, Nightmares in Glass will be out sometime in 2025, and I've almost finished the first draft of book 5, 'Nampires. I like a series that knows when to end, so I do have an endpoint in sight for Clyde and Kev.