Introduction to the Author
Cam Sinclair has a penchant for the macabre things in life, and as such it is only fitting that the stories he weaves are of the grim-dark fantasy family. Hailing from the city of churches in southern Australia has done nothing to brighten this author’s disposition or writing style.
HIs tales are as dark and twisted as any gothic romance, Blake masterpiece of feverish nightmare. He writes of broken heroes, foul corruption, draconian overlords, hostility, violence, brutality and betrayal. There are however themes of redemption to be found amid the smouldering wreckage of his yarns, hints of the good, and yes even … love.
Cam adores fantasy in all its forms, from the dizzying heights of epic dragons, knights and sorcerers, to the depths of the ground-trodden anti-heroes, whores, thieves, and cut-throats. This love has compelled Cam to render his own world, and spin his particular brand of tales.
Currently Cam is working away at a frantic pace to commit the words of the Kraven Kronicles to paper and release them from the confines of his fecund but foul mind.
As always he endeavours to produce the very best in mature, grimly dark, yet wholly enjoyable fantasy.
Welcome to The Fantasy Review, Cam Sinclair, and thank you for agreeing to this interview! To start this off, can you describe your book, Shadow of the Winter Moon in 3 words?
Thank you for having me on The Fantasy Review. Shadow of the Winter Moon in three words: Not for wimps!
The cover of Shadow of the Winter Moon is fantastic! How much input did you have on its design?
Thank you. I really like how the cover turned out as well. There was a fair level of back and forth with the designers but they really have to get the credit. I used Miblart and they were great to work with.
Do you have a writing routine? If so, what does a typical day entail for you?
My typical writing routine involves me getting as much done in the morning before other distractions capture me for the day. Unfortunately my day job tends to get in the way most days 🙂 I try to shoot for 1k words a day at a minimum. After that it’s editing and polishing.
Are you a planner or pantser? Or somewhere in between? How does this affect planning characters, worldbuilding etc…?
I’d say I’m a mix of pants and planning. I do have general overarching ideas and themes that I want running through the stories, but I like to let the characters live out their adventures as organically as possible. When it comes to worldbuilding I have a pretty detailed culture and history set, but I feel that if you let that overly dictate your stories at a personal level you lose something of the spontaneity. Additionally, there are certain events that I know must happen during the set time period, but again, just how we get there is largely up to how the characters play with each other as the drama unfolds.
We all have certain books that inspire us. What authors and books inspire your writing?
The one book that I can say kicked off my love of fantasy would have to be Magician by Raymond E. Feist. I think I was 12 when I first read it and fell in love instantly. Since then I have pretty much followed the usual fantasy author trends: Abercrombie, Martin, Jordan, Morgan, Lynch, Hobb, Gwynne and a legion of others.
Do you have any other favourite authors and books?
A Clockwork Orange is probably my favourite non fantasy book.
What are your future writing plans? Will we see many more books in The Kraven Kronicles? Do you have plans for other standalones or series?
Hopefully the Kraven Kronicles has the legs under it to support many books. The tale I want to tell is vast and complex and I can see it taking quite a few volumes. As long as folk read them I’ll keep pumping them out.
Check out Cam’s website for more information.
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