Meet Raymond Pyke, author of 5 books of varied genre. He has written The Touch of the Universe, The Virgin Spirit, Forgotten Gold and Little Tales. He has also published an illustrated book Witchglade.
His books are imaginative with great storytelling. He has written sci-fi to children’s book, something for every age group.
So I asked him few questions to know the author behind the books.
Me: Tell me something about yourself.
Raymond Pyke: My brain was always equally divided between analytical processes and a love of the arts. At university I studied jointly the subjects of computer science and art for my BA degree. However, I realised that I would never have a reliable salary from working in the arts. Therefore, I took a job as a computer analyst and merely continued to write and to paint in my spare time.
Me: When did you first realize you wanted to write to be a writer?
Raymond Pyke: It was at school that I decided I wanted to be a writer. My English teacher used to set us homework for the weekend. He gave us a choice between writing an essay on a particular subject or writing a short story on our own theme. I always chose the short story option. When he marked one of my stories he gave me 9 out of 10 and noted ‘Is this original?’ I thought well if he thinks I stole that story from a professional writer then maybe I’m good enough to become a writer.
Me: What inspired you to start writing?
Raymond Pyke: I credit Stan Lee as my inspiration to write. He was the creator and author of the superhero stories for Marvel comics. I loved reading those comics when I was a boy. I tried to make my own comics, writing them and illustrating them myself. They were childish efforts, but they were the beginnings of both my writing and my artistic paths.
Me: Tell us something about your previous books. Where’d you get the idea to do a collection of short stories?
Raymond Pyke: Actually, this is my fifth book. My first book was a science fiction novel, my second was a supernatural romance, my third was an adventurous treasure hunting book, and my fourth was an illustrated children’s book about witches. It was whilst writing the children’s book that I also wrote some short stories for children. Really I was playing around with ideas for the illustrated book before I chose the story about the witches. After that fourth book was published I still found myself coming up with short story ideas, and so I decided to make my fifth book a collection of those stories.
Me: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Raymond Pyke: Publishing my first book didn’t really change my writing processes. But it certainly encouraged me to continue writing and to apply myself with more dedication in order to commit to paper the ideas that are constantly evolving in my head.
Me: Are you planning for another book? If yes can you please tell us something about the book?
Raymond Pyke: As I write this I can confirm that I am also writing the final chapter in my new book. I have been writing my latest novel since January 2019. It is the story of a young girl growing up, but it is written in a very abstract manner. The heroine of the story goes on a journey through a fantasy land, searching for herself and for her place in life. In the process she drifts through her teenage years and encounters many odd, and often amusing, characters along the way. I liken it to the story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, only with the ‘Alice’ character being older. I’m hoping for a publication date in 2021.
I will be eagerly waiting for his next book. I highly recommend his book Little Tales. It’s a collection of short stories written for the young audience. The audiobook has a very calming effect not just for the kids but also for the parents. Please click on the link below for my full review.
For Raymond Pyke’s other books, please see the link (these are not affiliate links).
Edited: One of the questions is edited from the actual question. I assumed the Little Tales is Raymond Pyke’s first book. The question now stands corrected.
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