1--What is the title of your latest release?
HONEYCOMB
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Seven Days. Six Strangers. One Experimental Drug.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I really liked the idea of writing something about a bunch of strangers meeting in an old mansion. I thought there was a lot I could do to play around with the setting; the shadows in the corners, the draughty corridors, the cavernous rooms. Plus, there’s something so fun and spooky about the idea of being essentially alone in such a big, unfamiliar place.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I think the problem is, she wouldn’t want to hang around with me! Amanda is a recovering drug addict, but she’s also recovering from the effects of being very famous overnight, and then being banished from the limelight. So she doesn’t trust anyone, and is always on edge. But really all she wants is a hug and to be told she’ll be alright, and I think we’ve probably all felt like that at some point.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Determined, vulnerable, cagey
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
It’s the first book I’ve written that had multiple characters confined to one space, so that was a challenge. The idea seemed fun and interesting, but once you put six strangers together you then have to give them something to do! I had to work at first making each character feel unique and real, but then I had to present challenges, twists, and a building sense of dread. Essentially though what I learned was how fun it could be playing with setting and clashing characters. Actually, Honeycomb is the most fun I’ve had writing a novel.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I don’t really plan anything before I start writing; I just have a general idea, and maybe a few images in my head (for example, once I knew the novel would take place in a mansion, I had an image of a terrified woman banging on the windows from outside, but with the main cast of characters being unable to get to her). I hammered out the first draft in about two months, then let it sit for a while, before going back to it and inserting some additional chapters to help strengthen the characters. Then I did another general tidy up before showing it to anyone.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I generally tend to have quite a big appetite, but I do love anything covered in chocolate that I can dip into my coffee.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
It’s nothing fancy – I have quite a comfortable Ikea armchair that I wrote Honeycomb on (laptop on my lap). But now I just sit on my sofa.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I really like a Japanese author called Kanae Minato, but I think only two of her novels have been translated to English (Penance and Confessions – two excellent thrillers). I also adore S.A Cosby. These two authors are on my instant-purchase list.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Probably ‘Welcome to Dead House’ the first Goosebumps book by R.L. Stine. It was the first book I remember reading and finishing independently, and sort of opened up my mind to the idea of writing books.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
When I got the offer for Honeycomb, I was truly over the moon and felt quite a strong sense of relief. I was just so happy with the enthusiasm it received in-house. I really believed that Honeycomb was an interesting concept, but to have it confirmed was very special.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I tend to read a lot across all genres. I also read non-fiction. But I like dark thrillers that border on horror; something edgy and disturbing always goes down well!
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Probably Dawn of the Dead (1978). I watch it every Christmas, though admittedly, it’s not a very Christmassy film!
15--What is your favorite season?
I love Spring, but Fall is also nice. I buy one pumpkin spice latte every October even though I’m sure I don’t actually like them.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I try not to do much if I’m honest. I’m not really big on my own birthday. Last year I got the barbeque out and grilled for my family, but then it poured down with rain. But I love celebrating other people’s birthdays oddly enough.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I love The Last Podcast on the Left. So funny and morbidly informative. I listen to it when I go for my walks. But a TV series that I would recommend for people to watch is an Australian crime series called Mr. Inbetween. I’m quite prone to exaggeration, but I’d say it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever watched.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I like Caribbean food. And Thai. I like all cuisine really. I eat a lot.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
When I’m not working on a novel in the evenings, I try and squeeze some reading in where I can. Most nights if I plan to watch some TV when the kids are in bed, I end up falling asleep on the sofa. My wife and I occasionally get out to a cinema in central London that shows old movies, so that’s always a fun date night.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m doing some edits on my new manuscript – it’s a very dark thriller about a woman that committed a notorious crime when she was a teenager, and how that crime comes back to haunt her.
Seven Days. Six Strangers. One Experimental Drug
Big Brother meets Black Mirror in this high-concept thriller in which six strangers take part in a mysterious medical experiment in an isolated mansion.
Amanda Pearson was once the hottest rising star in the music world. Not anymore. Washed up, broke and directionless following a public breakdown, she is certain she will never be adored again. But she is very wrong.
Her old manager calls her out of the blue with an opportunity: a week’s stay at an isolated mansion with five strangers, all under constant observation. Every day they must take a pill. Five people will be taking a placebo, but one person will take an experimental drug that they are assured has no adverse side effects. So, what’s the catch? Amanda isn’t sure, but the pay is too tempting to turn down.
However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary experiment. Each day Amanda discovers more about her fellow housemates, that the old mansion holds horrifying secrets, and that there is no way out…
Horror | Thriller Psychological [Datura Books, On Sale: July 9, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781915523211 / eISBN: 9781915523228]
Born and raised in North London, SB Caves is the internationally bestselling author of A Killer Came Knocking and I Know Where She Is, which The Sun described as 'sinister, unsettling and gripping'.
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