Edwin Downward

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

I grew up on the west coast of Canada splitting my time between going out o n the salt chuck in my dad's boat and exploring the amazing terrain that is the coastal mountains. In addition to writing I enjoy taking pictures of the many incredible places I've visited.

When and why did you start writing books?

I don't remember a time I didn't want to write or tell stories. In high school I took a creative writing class where I finished my first short story. From there I moved on to my first novel, that got caught in the I have to go back and fix that loop for years. After that there was a break before I knew it was time to begin writing for publication. Synergy of Hopes is the first novel that came from that decision.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I can't say I've ever been in the mindset to become a career writer. Writing happens. Where I have control is in which stories to write.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Synergy of Hopes is where it all begins and will always have a special place in my heart. Both Nivpul Exavent and June Trynamour are so central to the big story I need to write they will always be top of my thoughts.

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

This would be Synergy of Hopes, mainly because I wrote the first 2 drafts in a vacuum before reaching out to the larger writing community and discovering how much more I had to learn.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Always a tough question. There have been so many. For a specific book I always come back to Rendezvous With Rama by A C Clarke. For a wider selection it's the collective works of Andre Norton with an emphasis on any book that included the Galactic Patrol.

What book are you reading right now?

Right this moment I'm reading Bounty War by Kate Sheeran Swed. This will of course soon change since I read at the rate of about 2 books a month.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Where don't I get inspiration for my books? People watching can be done everywhere. Still, I think the biggest source of inspiration is other stories. Bad stories can make me think I can do better than that while good stories can give me a goal to shoot for.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Writing? Definitely time with my family. I also make time for long walks within a number of local river parks listening to the water and watching for wildlife. Lots of pictures to take too.

Do you have any new books in the works?

I have 3 books in the wild: Synergy of Hopes, Into The Crucible, and Sweep The Forge, and have begun drafting the 4th book in this series code named Adrift