Robert E Kreig

Verified Standard (Annual) Account

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

I'm Robert E Kreig and I enjoy telling stories. My interests and hobbies revolve around that fact, whereby you can often find me watching films, reading books or writing. I teach young children for my day job but I would love to write full-time.

When and why did you start writing books?

I've always dabbled in writing but published nothing until I reached my forties. The job of teaching demands a great deal of time outside the classroom, and I never found the time to really sit down and enjoy writing something I truly valued or felt proud of. One day, during a term break, I decided it was time to publish something or else it would never happen. Within six months of making that decision, I penned the first draft of Long Valley.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I don't know if I would call writing a "career" yet. It is most definitely an enjoyable hobby. It's also something I hope to turn into a full-time occupation. Perhaps one day.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Currently, my favourite character I created is Alice in The Woodmyst Chronicles. She's young, tough, and smart and eventually becomes an outstanding leader of her people.

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

My latest book, Pit Guard: The Tanner's Boy, was the hardest to write. It took almost three years to complete. During the Covid lockdown, I was required to teach my class from home. This meant an enormous amount of screen time in group video chat rooms with students, preparing visual interactive lesson resources and online meetings with other staff members of the school I work at. By the time I logged off from work, I didn't want to spend any time looking at the screen, reading any notes or using my brain to think about anything. Hence, the book I planned to write and release by 2020 was put on the back burner. I'm immensely pleased with the final result, however. I believe it turned out to be one of my best pieces.

Who is your favourite author and book?

This is too hard to answer. I have so many favourite authors and a library of books I love revisiting. Obviously, being a writer of fantasy, I love J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. I enjoy Stephen King and Matthew Reilly. Some others include Nathan M. Farrugia, Jack Heath, Tara Moss, Orson Scott Card, Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury and the list goes on and on.

What book are you reading right now?

I've just started Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I couldn't give you any thoughts about it yet. I've literally just picked it up and read the first chapter.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

My inspiration comes from many places. Generally, from reading. But a good TV show or movie might spark something that I eventually include in one of my stories.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Currently, I usually spend my spare time writing or reading.

Do you have any new books in the works?

Yes, I've just started planning something that may dip its toes into cosmic horror. I'm not entirely sure yet, but there's an idea developing.