It’s (not) Monday* and we have our scheduled King’s Crownng Authors(Cajoling Random Observations Now) interview. Please welcome Darragh McManus.
We are waiting for your wonderfully answers, Darragh.
waiting
1. If you could call to the house of any of your characters what would you bring with you?
Well, if I was calling to Sláine’s house, I’d bring a torch, an Arctic coat and a bottle of brandy, coz she lives in a rough old log cabin, in the middle of a dark, forest, currently trapped in an endless winter…
2. Twin Peaks is too creepy to watch.
Noooooo! Well, maybe yes. I can definitely see why someone would think that. It’s incredibly eerie and unsettling at parts; really taps into some deep, back-brain sense of dread and panic. But you must conquer your fear! Twin Peaks is totally worth it.
3. Do you have any pets in your writing space? (They almost seem compulsory to most writers)
I don’t…not even my children, ha. There is a cat, but she’s restricted to the back kitchen; that plaintive yowl drives me demented.
4. If you could write a song what genre would it be?
Grunge, definitely. Actually I have something in mind: “Doctor of Nothing”, a mournful dirge with sludgy guitar, minor chords, discordant singing, depressed and self-absorbed lyrics…what could be better?
5. Are you a selfish writer? Like, do you write for you or for readers?
That’s a very good question… I suppose every writer has that intrinsic impulse to write. If it’s in you to do it, that desire, it’s very hard to ignore or deny. But ultimately, every writer also wants to be read. Freud or someone said that, philosophically speaking, a book doesn’t exist until it’s read by another person. Until then, it’s just words on paper. That double-act between writer and reader creates the “book” itself. So I guess it’s a bit of both?
6. If I say, ‘burn books,’ you say
“Nightmare!”
7. If I say ‘deadlines,’ you say
“Welcome to my life. I don’t recommend it.”
8. Describe the smell of books.
Depends. New ones have that zesty, almost citrus-y smell. You know, like say the smell of tea tree oil on skin. Old ones generally have a mildly mouldy, dusty smell. Not unpleasant, not nice either. Just…there.
9. What is your favorite writing food.
Do cigarettes count as food!? If not, then coffee.
10. Use your answers to question 9, 7 and 6 to make a sentence recommending your book.
“Meet Aidan. He likes coffee, smoking and books – and his life is about to become a living nightmare.”
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Thank you, Darragh. Fun and interesting interview. Darragh, I, being King, dub thee crowned.
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About Darragh McManus
Darragh is an author, journalist, playwright and screenwriter.For more than a decade he has written reviews, features and opinion columns for several papers, including The Irish Independent, The Sunday Times and The Guardian. Several of his short stories have appeared in literary journals, in Ireland, UK and US. He lives in the west of Ireland and his latest book is Shiver the Whole Night Through, published by Hot Key Press.
See here for the details on #YAIE where a bunch of readers from Ireland will chat books on Twitter All are welcome!
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*Some weeks I have loads of author interviews lined up and they have to wait for a Monday to be published. Some weeks, though, I have no interviews to be published. So, I will try my best to post interviews twice a week and I will have one book review a week. This review will be in this format and will have many books. The weeks I have no interviews I will post round ups, kid lit chat/news or book reviews. So I will publish on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Michelle Moloney King 
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