The Guardian: ‘Dark Vision is a sassy and often very funny fantasy romp…Clever and full of sharp wisecracks, this is more comic than horror, a deftly told entertainment that shows there is certainly room in the world for a Liverpudlian Charlaine Harris.’
Debbie Johnson has just released her first novel, Dark Vision.
First of all can you tell us a bit about Dark Vision?
Dark Vision is an urban fantasy set in modern Liverpool: a gift of a location for anyone looking for a globally recognisable setting that most definitely has a touch of the magical to it! It draws on the glorious stories from Celtic mythology, and the city’s strong Irish heritage, to tell the story of Lily McCain – a young woman who has been socially isolated throughout her life by the fact that she sees often devastating visions of people’s futures with just one touch. In time honoured tradition, there is more to Lily than meets the eye – she is inextricably tied to an ancient Earth Goddess called Mabe, and now has to decide the fate of the world. No pressure then.
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Lily?
As you might expect, I’m pretty fond of Lily. She’s had a hard road to walk in life, losing her parents when she was young, being raised by an apparently cold-hearted relative, terrified of the visions she sees. Yet she’s built a life for herself: a job, a home, a friend – only the one, but as friend go she kicks some serious butt! Lily is resigned to her solitary existence, and makes the most of it. When Gabriel – a centuries old Irish High King – turns her life upside down, she greets it the only way she knows how – with alcohol, sarcasm, and a stubborn refusal to give in to her ‘fate’. I know that the phrase ‘going on a journey’ has been hijacked by the X Factor these days, but it really is true of Lily – she goes from a quiet, unobtrusive life where she works hard to stay under anyone’s radar to being at the centre of a maelstrom of supernatural activity. She is suddenly surrounded by allies and enemies who all seem to want to tell her what to do – and at the heart of it all, beneath the Gods and Goddesses and witches and vampires – is the story of a young woman finding her own voice. One that swears a lot.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing Dark Vision and how do you feel about the end result?
I have absolutely no lofty literary ambitions for my career – my aim was to write something that could be thought-provoking and stimulating, but was mainly fun, entertaining and diverting. Real life can be quite serious enough, thank you – I search for escapism when I read, and also when I write. I can’t describe how important reading is in my own life, the way it offers me the chance to switch my busy brain off and to disappear into an alternative reality. I wanted to achieve that for other people, to make them laugh and smile and cry and go ‘oooh!’ and ‘aaah!’. On the whole, I’m pretty satisfied that I’ve done that. And if you disagree, please don’t burst my bubble!
How has your background from journalism influenced your writing? When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
I always, always wanted to be a writer. Once I’d realised that being a vet or being an astronaut was going to involve maths and science, anyway. I studied history at university and specialised in the Anglo Saxon period, which really is pretty fantastical in itself, and obviously never left its grip on me. I became a journalist in my early 20s, and stayed in the industry for about 14 years – 14 years I absolutely loved. I think my experiences at the Liverpool Echo really helped shape my fiction: I know Liverpool intimately, and working in a busy newsroom totally rocks – it fills your brain tank with crazy anecdotes, witty banter, and ‘no way…!’ stories. I also spent 10 years as a pop writer, which Lily also is – an incredible job where you get to go to gigs and listen to music, and interview famous people, and essentially get a glimpse of a very intriguing lifestyle. Liverpool, both as a city and as a hub for pop music, plays a huge role in the book – and I wouldn’t have that depth of knowledge without journalism. Having said that, there’s no way I could have written this book while I was still doing that job – my role was to write in article-sized chunks, thinking in a certain way. Once I left, I was able to eventually break free of that and indulge myself more. Also, I was spending a lot less time in the pub!
What is the hardest thing about writing?
I suspect that answer to this is different depending on the person, and also on what time of day you catch them! Sometimes, for example, I relish the solitary nature of it – it’s just me and my laptop against the world. But sometimes I hate that, and long for some company and some banter. When it’s just me and my laptop against the world and the world is winning, it’s not so much fun. When you suffer setbacks, there’s nobody to chat to about it – it’s a strange industry, publishing, and not one understood by anyone who hasn’t experienced it. I’m lucky enough to have a few friends who are authors so can bounce stuff off them, but it’s still a bit lonely sometimes. Your self-confidence goes on a real magical mystery tour, one minute thinking you’re writing something great, the next thinking you should give it all up and start your own dog-walking business instead. Also – 100% honesty – I struggle with plotting in advance. In fact I totally suck at it, and often don’t know what is going to happen from one sentence to another. All of which makes writing a synopsis really good fun. Not.
How do you market your book?
I think the marketing aspect is incredibly important, and one that most writers –me included – don’t really think about enough. When you are starting off, the most important thing is getting an agent or a publishing deal – and once those things are in place, you think you’ve made it. Not true – the hard work has only just begun! I am lucky enough to be published by Del Rey UK, which is part of Random House, so I have the support of a knowledgable editorial director, and experts in PR and marketing – so I have a big head start on self-published writers, which I really appreciate. But you really need to work at it – social media, your own website, being professionally nice to everyone, and generally pimping yourself out as much as possible. None of which comes naturally to me, if I’m honest – I’m far more attracted to anonymity than self-publicity, but these days especially, it’s vital. Depending on how your book is distributed – for example if it’s not on supermarket shelves – you might have quite a job to make people aware of it, and to drive traffic towards sales. You might have written the best book in the world (not that I have, I’d like to stress!) but if nobody knows about it, it’ll sink without trace.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I have a kindle, which when I first bought it seemed like the answer to my prayers: or at least the prayer that said ‘please don’t let me die underneath an avalanche of poorly stacked paperbacks’. And I do find it useful if I’m trying a book I’m not sure about, or to sample free books…but in reality, I have to say I do like a ‘proper’ book, one I can read in the bath! I mainly buy paperbacks, but certain authors are so good I can’t hold out and get the hardback – most recently James Lee Burke and John Connolly. Couldn’t resist.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I used to be a very eclectic reader, well-soaked in classics and Virago and modern angst, but I must say that after I had kids (three of them), both my available time and space-in-brain was vastly reduced. As a result I suppose my tastes have narrowed to what I know I will enjoy – mainly, crime fiction (largely American), fantasy, and for a real dose of self-indulgence, paranormal romance. Authors I have generally consistently enjoyed over the last few years are John Connolly, James Lee Burke, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, Robert B Parker, Dennis Lehane, Philip Kerr, Charlaine Harris, JD Robb, Tanya Huff, Trudi Canavan, Darynda Jones and Richard Kadrey. I will also, quite happily, still reread certain fantasy series I first came across when I was a teenager: David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar books.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
The aforementioned three kids take up a lot of my time – which is a joy, not a complaint! I spend a lot of hours in the park, at the beach, walking the dog, in museums (though not with the dog), doing childish stuff that kids give you a good excuse to do. I still love music, listen to it a lot and go to the occasional gig, and adore good TV and movies – getting lost in True Detective or The Vikings or Game of Thrones is an awesomely good way to waste time!
What’s next, what are you working on now?
I am writing the sequel to Dark Vision, which is called Dark Touch and will be out next spring on Del Rey. Writing a follow-up is a different skill, and a bit of a rollercoaster, but also satisfying. I also have a supernatural crime thriller waiting to see the light…I live in hope!
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More about Debbie Johnson at http://www.debbiejohnsonauthor.com/
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2014
