Clayton Graham is an author I happened upon on the Internet and have known for a while now. He has a lot of varied interests besides writing. I’ll let him tell you his story.
Clayton, please introduce yourself. Tell us about your personal life, family, education.
As a youngster growing up in the cobbled streets of Stockport, UK, I read a lot of science fiction. I loved the ‘old-school’ masters such as HG Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and John Wyndham.
Settling in Victoria, Australia, in 1982, I am a retired aerospace engineer who worked in structural design and research. I have always had an interest in science fiction and where it places humankind within a universe we are only just starting to understand.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Visiting my daughters and grandchildren is high on the list of favorite things to do. When not writing or marketing my novels, I also love getting outside to just walk or tend to the garden.
I love traveling and enjoy sampling wine and food from different areas of the world, and in my own neck of the woods.
A Lover of Animals and the Natural World
Do you have hobbies? How did you get started in them?
I love animals, including well behaved pets, and all the natural world, and am a member of Australian Geographic. Not sure where my love of nature came from, there was precious little of it around where I grew up, but I am thankful for its presence. We are the guardians of this planet’s ecosystem after all. We need to protect it for the future, or it will forget how to protect us.
As a writer, are you an avid reader?
I have read a great many books, and still manage to read quite a few when time allows. Favorites are Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Nora Roberts. I don’t think ‘avid’ is the right word, though, maybe ‘keen’ would describe it better. I just like snuggling up, warm and cozy, with a good book.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I have written since my late teens, inspired by ‘old school’ masters such as HG Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and John Wyndham. In those days, I found myself penning short stories when I could find a rare quiet moment amidst life’s usual distractions. One of the short stories ‘morphed’ into Milijun, my first Science Fiction novel, written many years later.
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/milijun-clayton-graham/1123213251
Have you developed a specific writing style and why?
Probably.
I write when time permits and am lucky enough not to be lost for words on too many occasions. In my writing, I like to keep the action treadmill turning, but always have contemplative moments to let the reader mull over the plot and perhaps have a coffee or tea or whatever.
I love the idea that spirituality and science will one day be close friends. The paranormal is just the normal as yet unexplained.
My Influences
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?
Dean Koontz is my favorite writer. I find his works, especially the earlier ones, full of the mysteries of life, neatly linked with strong characterization. And the paranormal or ‘extreme science’ is never far from the surface.
I think he makes the paranormal appear normal – at least in many cases, and he spins a good tale. I do prefer his earlier offerings to his latest ones, though.
Do you remember the first book you read?
Excluding the usual learning books, I believe it is a tossup between Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Stand by for Mars, the first Tom Corbett space cadet book. This would be in the mid-Fifties. Both books told of different worlds in their own special way.
Is there an author, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
There are quite a few, but first up—definitely HG Wells. Main question – where did you get your ideas from? It would be fun to compare today’s technology with his writings.
A close second would be Dean Koontz. I would love to know how much research he does on his upcoming books.
Other Interests
If you could not write, how would you express what you wish to convey through any stories?
I have a web site so I guess I would be researching more about UFOs, the mystery of the universe, and the paranormal – well, more than I do now, anyway. I just love unsolved mysteries!
As an example here’s a link to a blog on Einstein and Oppenheimer and Other Intelligences:
When you see new authors struggling, what single piece of advice could you give them on a moment’s notice?
Keep a separate file for your thoughts and scribblings. Never throw anything away. If it doesn’t fit now, it may in the future. Much easier nowadays with computers.
Do you have a blog or website viewers can visit for updates, events and special offers? Include links to any and all of your sites.
Yes. I have a website and a monthly blog, an author Facebook page and a Twitter handle. I also have a monthly newsletter that includes updates and special offers, including works from other authors.
Find Me Here
A Thank You
I’m grateful, Clayton, that you completed this lengthy interview. It provides a revealing picture of just who you are and about your writing, and who or what compels you to write the stories that you do. I wish you the very best of luck with your writing.