Alan Baxter, author of Bound
Tell us about your latest creation:
Bound (The Alex Caine Series, Book 1)
Alex Caine, a fighter by trade, is drawn into a world he never knew existed— a world he wishes he’d never found.
Alex Caine is a martial artist fighting in illegal cage matches. His powerful secret weapon is an unnatural vision that allows him to see his opponents’ moves before they know their intentions themselves.
An enigmatic Englishman, Patrick Welby, approaches Alex after a fight andreveals, ‘I know your secret.’ Welby shows Alex how to unleash a breathtaking realm of magic and power, drawing him into a mind-bending adventure beyond his control. And control is something Alex values above all else.
A cursed grimoire binds Alex to Uthentia, a chaotic Fey godling, who leads him towards destruction and murder, an urge Alex finds harder and harder to resist. Befriended by Silhouette, a monstrous Kin beauty, Alex sets out to recover the only things that will free him – the shards of the Darak. But that powerful stone also has the potential to unleash a catastrophe which could mean the end of the world as we know it.
Where are you from / where do you call home?:
I was born and raised in Britain, then travelled the world, met a lovely Australian girl and we got married. Now I live on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales, about half an hour south of Wollongong.
When you were a kid, what did you want to become? An author?:
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I also wanted to be a marine biologist and a martial arts instructor. Two out of three ain’t bad (I’m not a marine biologist.)
What do you consider to be your best work? Why?:
I would like to think my best work is yet to come. How’s that for an evasive answer?
Describe your writing environment to us – your writing room, desk, etc.; is it ordered or chaotic?:
I have a home office that also doubles as the spare bedroom and it’s a study in ordered chaos. Honestly, I know where everything is. Almost. I think.
When you’re not writing, who/what do you like to read?:
Everything. I’m a voracious reader. I love novels and short stories in all genres, but I tend to favour the dark fantasy and horror stuff the most, which is also mostly what I write.
What was the defining book(s) of your childhood/schooling?:
It’s hard to say, but there is no question that Clive Barker’s “Cabal”, Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” books and the “Hellblazer” comic series (particularly the Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis runs) were massively influential on me
If you were a literary character, who would you be?:
Batman. As if you need to know why.
Apart from books, what do you do in your spare time (surprise us!)?:
I teach kung fu (which is a job, rather than “spare time”, but also a lifelong passion), I play video games, walk the dog, look after my infant son and pay tribute in the form of sacrifice to the Dark Lord of the Western Nethers, upon whose whim the universe turns.
What is your favourite food and favourite drink?:
I love a good roast beef dinner, and I can’t ignore a good single malt scotch.
Who is your hero? Why?:
I have many heroes, for many reasons. In truth, anyone who is true to themselves, just and fair, and follows their dreams with passion is a hero to me.
Crystal ball time – what is the biggest challenge for the future of books and reading?:
It sounds trite, but a single bloody ebook format would be good. ePub is almost ubiquitous, but Amazon do insist on mobi. Pushing to a single DRM-free format is something that needs to happen, but I don’t know if it will any time soon.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AlanBax
Congrats on the honorable mention. I downloaded the list the other day--part 2 anyway--and happened across your name. Very cool, and she's not in the habit of praising "okay" stories, either.
And best of luck with the book signing. May there be a multitude.
Congratulations! I bet that made the rest of the professional development day a lot more bearable. :)
Great news, Aaron. Congratulations on making the list!
Congrats, man! And have fun at the signing!
I got such a thrill out of seeing you and Cate on that list. Well done, mate. I hope the signing goes well.
Thanks, Gef. Multitude? Doubt it. My goal is to give away all my candy and a bunch of bookmarks. Selling books would be nice, too, but people have to pay for that stuff. ;)
K.C. - Thanks! It did.
Thanks, Alan.
Lee - Congrats x3 for you, my friend!
Thanks, Michael. The signing is an experiment. Well shall see...
You rock : )
Thanks, Natalie!
Woot! Woot! Woot!
Cheers, Cate!
Awesome news! Those nods certainly help keep the butt in the seat and the fingers on the keyboard!
Very cool indeed :)
You're so right, Daniel. Just when I feel like quitting, they keep pulling me back in...
Cheers, Danielle!
God, I loved that story.
Yeah, late to the party again...
Excellent news about the Honourable mention list.
A total of 6 stories from the TOC of Dark Pages (from 14) made the list. Not wanting to blow my own horn or anything, but that seems like one great anthology everyone should buy...
But let's be honest, it was never going to be a great antho without great authors providing brilliant tales to fill its covers - and you were definitely one of them. I'm glad Cargo found a home and I'm glad I had something to do with it.