Coffee & Convo welcomes horror author, G.R. Yeates.
Tell us a little bit about your book, The Eyes of the Dead.
It is about vampires in the trenches of the First World War and it is set during the 1917 Passchendaele campaign. An ordinary soldier, Reg Wilson, finds himself being hunted across the Western Front by creatures called the Vetala. They are inspired by vampires from Hindu legend that feed upon fear and drive men insane.
Is The Eyes of the Dead part of a series?
Yes, it is the first in a series called the Vetala Cycle, which is currently planned to consist of nine books, sub-divided into three trilogies.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about The Eyes of the Dead?
I would hope they enjoy the atmosphere as this is an aspect that has turned up more than once for comment in feedback I’ve had on the book. I think atmosphere is one of the most important things in a good horror tale as it creates the sense of unease necessary to make the reader suspend their disbelief.
Where can we find The Eyes of the Dead?
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been writing for publication since 2006 and in that time I’ve completed around seven manuscripts. Before this, I was in a number of bands that never quite got off the ground and, as music was my ambition at the time, I trained for two years with an opera singer as well. However, I was writing a lot of lyrics and poetry too, all long since destroyed, so that shows writing has always been there really in my creative endeavours. It’s a part of me and always will be.
(Below are some links where you can find G.R. Yeates)
Why did you decide to become an Indie author?
I decided to take the leap of faith after a number of frustrating setbacks and also because I had previously struggled as a musician for some years before and ended up losing the spark completely. These days, I listen to a lot of instrumental music and I can’t help feeling that part of the reason is because hearing a singer reminds me of what I have lost along the way. I’ve not sung a note since 2006. So, when things did not work out for me with the traditional publishing route, I decided to try this new, less-travelled road. It was either that or quit altogether, for me.
Is this your debut novel?
This is my debut novel and it has gone through the most revisions, rewrites and edits of everything I have done to date. It did grow, it evolved, slowly and painfully.
Any future writing plans you wish to share with us.
As previously mentioned, I will be releasing the next two Vetala Cycle novels this year; The Shapes in the Mist and Hell’s Teeth. The Shapes in the Mist is set in London during the zeppelin air raids of World War One and features Jack the Ripper, though in a way different to how he has been presented before in the horror genre, I think. Hell’s Teeth is set during the 1916 Gallipoli campaign and forms a prequel of sorts, explaining more of my vampires’ origins. I’m also hoping to squeeze in a novella called The Last Post before the year is out as a Christmas special set during the 1914 Christmas Truce. In short, I have lots more writing ready to come out and scare the crap out of my readers. And I hope they enjoy it.
Thank you so much for being here today.
Lili Tufel
Thank you so much for supporting SAND!
