TS James Author Interview

1. What first sparked the idea for your book, and did the story change much from that first idea to the finished version?

For me, a story usually starts with something quite small. It might be a place, a strange thought, a character, or just one of those ideas that keeps coming back when you are trying to get on with something else. Once that happens, I tend to follow it and see where it takes me.

Shamera was my first book, and it came from a love of fantasy adventure and wanting to create a world of my own. At the time, I was still working full-time in the NHS, so most of the writing had to be fitted around long days, tired evenings, and whatever spare time I could find.

I will be honest, I was learning as I went along. I did not sit down with everything perfectly worked out. The story changed quite a lot from the first idea to the finished book, mainly because I changed as a writer while writing it. The characters became stronger, the world became clearer, and I began to understand what the story was really about.

With the supernatural horror books, especially Ravenswood, the spark usually comes from atmosphere. A building, a shadowed room, an old secret, or the feeling that something is not quite right can be enough to start everything off. Working with Martin D. Smith has helped those stories become much stronger, because he is very good at spotting what is nearly there, but not quite sharp enough yet.

2. Which character, scene or moment in your book stayed with you the most while writing it, and why?

The moments that stay with me are not always the biggest or loudest scenes. Quite often, it is the quieter moments that mean the most to me. In horror, people expect the frightening parts to stand out, and of course they matter, but the human side of the story is just as important.

In Ravenswood, what stayed with me was the feeling that the past was pressing against the present. I like stories where old secrets have not gone away, even if people pretend they have. There is something very unsettling about a place that looks ordinary on the outside but has something dark sitting underneath it.

With The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Leave, it was different. That book has a much warmer feeling, even though it still has a ghost at the heart of it. What stayed with me there was the idea of loneliness, companionship, and someone unexpected coming into your life when you need them most. It reminded me that a ghost story does not always have to be terrifying. Sometimes it can be funny, touching, and a little comforting too.

3. What do you hope readers will feel, think about, or remember after they finish your book?

I hope readers feel they have been somewhere. That matters to me. Whether it is a fantasy world, a haunted house, a Christmas story, or a supernatural romance, I want the reader to feel they have stepped out of ordinary life for a while.

I also hope they remember the characters. A twist is great, and a frightening scene can work well, but characters are what stay with people. If someone finishes one of my books and later finds themselves thinking about a character again, then I would be very happy with that.

I like stories that carry more than one feeling. Even in horror, I think there should be warmth somewhere. Even in fantasy, there should be something that feels true. I do not want the books to feel cold or distant. I want readers to care about what happens, and not just turn the pages for the plot.

4. Every author faces challenges along the way. What was the hardest part of writing this book, and how did you push through it?

One of the hardest parts, especially early on, was believing I could actually finish a full novel. Starting a book is exciting, but finishing one is something else entirely. There are always moments when you wonder whether the story is working, whether the characters are strong enough, or whether you have taken on too much.

Writing around work was also difficult. After a long NHS day, it was not always easy to sit down and be creative. Some evenings, I was too tired to do much, but I kept going when I could. I learned not to wait for the perfect moment, because that moment rarely comes.

The main thing that helped was persistence. I kept reminding myself that the first draft did not need to be perfect. It just needed to exist. Once it was there, I could improve it, shape it, and make it stronger.

Having Martin involved on several projects has also helped a great deal. He challenges the work in the right way. Sometimes he sees what I am trying to do before I have fully worked it out myself, and sometimes he tells me when something needs more work. That honesty is important.

5. For readers who are discovering you for the first time, what would you say to make them want to pick up your book and begin reading?

I would probably say, give one a try and see where it takes you.

If you enjoy fantasy adventure, Shamera is a good place to start. If you prefer darker, more atmospheric stories, then Ravenswood might suit you. If you like ghost stories with humour, warmth and a bit of romance, The Ghost Who Wouldn’t Leave may be the one. A Christmas to Remember has more festive warmth and feeling, while An Eye for Vengeance takes the supernatural into a western setting.

I have never really wanted to be boxed into one genre. I know that can make things a little harder to explain, but I enjoy following the story that interests me at the time. What I hope connects the books is the feeling behind them. I want the characters to matter, the setting to feel real, and the story to give readers a reason to keep turning the pages.

At the end of the day, I write because my wife enjoys stories, two of the books were written for her. I enjoy the escape, the emotion, the fear, the humour, and the strange little ideas that grow into something bigger. If readers find some of that enjoyment in the books, then that means a great deal.