Interview with Francis H Powell

What genre do you write and why?

I write short stories. I submitted a short story a while back for a literary magazine and discovered I really liked working in this format. My stories are dark fiction with an element of wit.  They are very surreal and visual. There are also 22 illustrations that go with the stories (I am also an artist).

Interview with Francis H Powell
Tell us about your latest book.

My first published book is a collection of 22 short stories about misfortune characterized by unexpected final twists at the end of each tale. "With 'Flight of Destiny', I want the reader to squirm at the behavior of some undeniably despicable characters, be charmed by their wit under duress, and be totally drawn into the harrowing world of the oppressed, all while savoring these dark, surrealist stories," l. "'Into this anthology, I have injected my vast accumulation of angst and blended in my warped sense of humor."

What marketing methods are you using to promote your book? 

I spend every spare moment on the social media, I am always looking for new outlets to spread my book as far and wide as I can. I try to put “Flight of Destiny” and Author Francis H Powell everywhere. I guess it is what writers need to do in this day and age.

What formats is the book available in?

It’s a soft back.

Who are your favourite authors?

Rupert Thomson and Roald Dahl, who influenced my style of writing, with twists at the end of each story.

What advice do you have for other writers?

Stick at it, don’t fall on the wayside.

What's your favourite quote about writing/for writers?

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” (Oscar Wilde)

What's the best thing about being a writer?

Seeing a story progress, developing characters, storylines. Inventing devious sick characters. Thinking about ways of altering people’s perceptions of the world.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing?

I suppose visit my website. http://theflightofdestiny.yolasite.com/There are other interviews and some introductions to some of my short stories. I update my facebook page every day. https://www.facebook.com/flightofdestinyshortstories

Interview with Francis H PowellWho is you favorite character in your book and why?

There is a character in my book called Bugeyes. As you can imagine from his name, he has excessively large eyes (due to a genetic family fault).He is mocked cruelly and is rejected by his family from birth. There are other characters in my short stories like Bugeyes, I am heralding the underdogs, the oddballs, the outsiders of this world.

Why do you think readers are going to enjoy your book?

Hopefully they will be gripped by the stories and want to get to the end of each story to find out how they conclude. I try to include a dramatic twist. I think there is quite a diversity in my stories, they are set in different time periods/different settings. Hopefully readers will relate to my wit and humour and diversity and richness of vocabulary and the descriptiveness of the stories.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Quite a number of years to write the stories and then three years to edit and polish. It has been a long journey to arrive thus far!

Who designed the cover?

I did. Again it took a lot of work, as well as help from my wife.

Did you learn anything from writing your book that was unexpected?

Maybe not directly but I think my book is an out-pouring of a lot of my angst. Writing can be a very cathartic process.

Where can a reader purchase your book?

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Destiny-Francis-H-Powell/dp/0988664097/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
On Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0988664097
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0988664097

On Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/0988664097
On Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/0988664097



On Amazon Japan: http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/0988664097
                                                      
What are you doing to market the book? 

Everything I can, checking out any site I can put my book on.

Who inspires you?

For me many different creative people from different epochs.  I think Leonardo De Vinci, was an incredible person, almost well out of the era he was born into. Picasso was so prolific, Mozart blessed with a wondrous gift. I am really moved by the music of Phillip Glass.
People who stand up to adversity with great courage are very admirable, especially those who use non-violence to achieve their aims (Martin Luther King for example).  People who don’t follow the “herd” who are not afraid to be judged in a detrimental way, whatever the cost.

How do you research your books?

Sometimes I might go to websites to find out information.

What is your work in progress? Tell us about it.

At present my life revolves around promoting my present book. I hope in the future I will be able to have a follow up of short stories, in a similar vain.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing verses traditional publishing?

It a good thing that technology has opened things out for more people, who perhaps might have the opportunity to get their work to a broader public.  However there is something magical about a book that you can hold.

Who or what inspired you to become a writer?

I met the author Rupert Thomson, when I was a young student, he was writing his first book “Dreams of leaving” at the time. For a long time I had it in the back of my mind to do some writing. I had a “false start” while living in a remote village in Austria, then later once installed in Paris, I began to write short stories and got some published in a magazine called “Rat Mort” (translation “Dead Rat”). Later I started writing stories as well as poetry and had quite a lot published on various internet sites.  
Does your family support you in your writing career? How?

Not directly. I live in France and see my family intermittently. I am fearful they might be rather shocked by the subject matter of my stories.

What are you currently reading?

My time is eaten up at the moment. I have had to read a lot of university exam papers on British and American culture, which I teach.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?

As stated before Rupert Thomson and Roald Dahl are both influential in terms of writing, but no book or authors have directly influenced my life.

When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

When I have the chance I like to do many different things. I paint and make sculptures. I make music (electronic music) and make videos.



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