Tim Lebbon is a Busy Guy!

I’ll start this short article off with the same six words as the title. (Well, that’s not technically true since I’ve already rattled off some 25 words that aren’t the same as the six words in the title but…oh, never mind.)

Tim Lebbon is a Busy Guy. Lebbon, the author of nearly 30 dark fantasy and horror books, has a lot of irons in the fire. He is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including The Island, Fallen, Dusk, Dawn, and, with Christopher Golden, Mind the Gap and The Map of Moments. His most recent book is The Heretic Land. He’s written the novelization for the movie The Cabin in the Woods, and he’s working on a novel set in the Star Wars universe—Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi—Into the Void.

Tim has won four British Fantasy Awards and a Bram Stoker Award, and several of his books and short stories are in development as movies. He lives in South Wales (UK) with his wife and two children.

He’s also the author of the terrific horror novel, Berserk, which Books of the Dead Press re-released this year as an e-book. He took some time out of this dizzying schedule to answer a few questions.

Being a UK writer, do you see any differences between the UK horror reader and one in the States? And do you write for one or the other?

I certainly don't write for any particular nationality of reader, no. And I don't think there are great differences, certainly not nowadays with the internet, instant communication, and any book you want available at the touch of a button.

I noticed that you run marathons. Is there anything you've learned from this physical activity that you've been able to apply to your writing?

Training for marathons and generally getting fit in my early forties has given me more of a can-do attitude than I've ever had before. I'd have never believe I could run a marathon a couple of years ago. And now I'm training for an Ironman. I think it does affect my writing in that I feel better and fitter than I ever have, and I'm generally more upbeat and filled with energy. It also does sometimes bleed into my writing because of reading I've done about exercise science and the like. Running a marathon is a horror story in itself...

Books of the Dead has republished Berserk. Tell me a little about the genesis of that novel and where you were mentally when you wrote it.

It was a while ago... I think it largely came from the image of the mass grave, and an ongoing fascination I have with Salisbury Plain and the military experiments that went on out there decades ago.

Do you have any unusual writing habits or things that you absolutely require a certain way when you write?
Not really. I use a laptop so I tend to move around the house, and sometimes out to a cafe if the kids are home and the house is noisy. I have to fit writing into a very full day that also involves family and exercising, so I tend to be able to write whenever I get a few free hours.

You just announced that you're writing a Star Wars novel. What's the most exciting part of this for you?
Well ... it's Star Wars!!! I've been a fan since I first saw it as a kid, so being able to play in the Star Wars universe is a real thrill.

Tim’s Amazon Author Page is here.

You can buy a copy of Berserk here.

Thanks, Tim!