Steve Emmett – Author Feature

He has been compared to Stephen King. His readers ranked him over Dan Brown. Described as “Exceedingly Clever”, Steve Emmett has more than one Ace in his sleeve. As a published author and an actor, he will undoubtedly make his way into your book or film collection one day. What more can I say? How about I let Steve do the talking!

E.P. M.:Where did you get the inspiration for the story? Did  you travel to Italy?

Steve: I lived in Italy for many years and was still there when I began to write Diavolino. My study overlooked Lake Trasimeno and the islands. My work took me to some of the most mysterious and evocative medieval ruins and i was a frequent visitor to Rome. All of this tied in nicely with the kind of story I wanted to write.

E.P.M.:  How long did you work on it? Was it a full-time thing or something you were doing on the side?

Steve: All in all it took me 22 months from starting to landing the publishing contract. In the early days it was part-time – I was extricating myself from my long career – but towards the end I was writing full-time.

Steve: I don’t specifically draw on my acting. What I would say is that everything that happens in life can be an inspiration, you just have to find it at the right time. Mundane things, like taking a shower or going to the supermarket, can throw up something that a writer can use somewhere. So, in that respect, it is inevitable that experiences as an actor will provide material. I keep my eyes and ears open all the time.
I came to acting even later in life than writing. I had always felt the urge to do it but, like being an author, it’s just a dream, isn’t it? Once I was back in the UK and completed Diavolino, I sought out help and was put in contact with a well-known casting director in the north of England. She runs acting classes and promotes northern talent. I went to see her and basically said, if I’m rubbish just tell me and I’ll forget it. The rest is history. I started classes and was taken on by an agent two months later. I’ve just completed filming a dark short in which I play a priest. I can’t wait to see it on the big screen!

Steve: Traditionally. I never really wanted to self-publish. I wanted to feel the thrill of being recognised by a professional publisher. The book came out first as an e-book (I’m a real convert to e-books) and the paperbacks are scheduled for summer.

Steve: Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites in the Hellraiser films. He is such a fabulous creation – almost still human, utterly evil yet with a splash of wicked humour.

Diavolino is Steve Emmett’s debut novel. Already, fans and reviews are calling it a riveting read. But withoutfurther to do, here is a little introduction to the book:

The chance to build a dream home on a private island in Italy’s most beautiful lake offers architect Tom Lupton the fresh start he’s been yearning for. But when he arrives with his family on Diavolino, he finds the terrified locals dead set against his arrival. The island, whose very existence has been shrouded in secrecy for half a millennium, has a dark history that no one cares to remember, and as their opposition to Tom grows, so grows a brooding evil that will lead them to the very doors of hell…

I browsed Amazon for reviews, and I must admit that as an author, I don’t think fans could send a clearer message. Diavolino gleams praise after praise. Here is my favorite:

This book has it all–riveting plot, three-dimensional characters, and hideous monsters. Emmett also skillfully morphs the picturesque Italian setting into one that’s saturated with the evil permeating the book.

Although the threat of destruction is on a global level, the spotlight is on the Lupton family. Tom Lupton struggles to save his wife, daughter, and friends in an atmosphere of escalating danger. I felt the characters’ terror, and the book overflows with visceral horror.

The novel’s climax will leave you breathless. If you have to keep the light on to sleep . . . Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Fans of Steve Emmett will anticipate the sequel he’s already writing.

Convinced yet? 🙂 Feel free to leave any questions here for Steve, or catch him on Twitter (@chukkie58) or his website.

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Born in Harrogate, the genteel Yorkshire spa town where Agatha Christie hid away from the world thirty-two years earlier. He studied at the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and built a few houses before going off the rails. He spent time in New York then returned to Yorkshire where, amongst other things, he served as an elected councillor. He then moved back to London and worked in the real estate sector. For over twenty years he ran his own agency specializing in Italian country homes and, for almost ten years, lived by Lake Trasimeno in Umbria, the setting for Diavolino. Born at the end of the 1950s, Steve grew up on Dennis Wheatley novels and Hammer Horror films, and on many occasions started to put pen to paper. Completely dissatisfied and unfulfilled with his career, Steve decided in 2009 that he wanted to write and began Diavolino. He has also recently launched an acting career with the help of Northern Spirit Creative in Leeds. He currently lives with his partner and some rather large spiders in the Yorkshire Wolds, close to the ancient City of York. Diavolino, his first novel, is published by Etopia Press and available as an e-book from Etopia Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes and Noble (click on any of the links to buy) and other online sellers. A paperback edition will be out later in 2011.

You can find the other Pen Dragon Author Features below:

J. Michael Radcliffe | Fantasy
Sam Adamson | Fiction
L.M. Stull | Paranormal
Al Boudreau | Thriller
Claire Kinton | Fantasy
Steve Emmett | Horror