Guest Post: Debut Author M.J. Howes - Feed - Chicken House


Firstly, I’m still pinching myself, still can’t quite believe I’m a published author. When you dream about something for so long, (and I have dreamt about getting published for years, probably driving my poor family crazy in the process), it’s a weird feeling when it finally comes true. So has it been worth all the hours of writing, waiting and rejections …? Absolutely!

FEED, is my first published novel and it’s certainly changed and evolved on its journey to publication, getting darker, scarier and even more gruesome with every rewrite. And I’ve loved it!
So how did I come up with the idea for FEED? It was really just an image in my head at first, of children in a playground being sucked up by an alien spaceship (I know, don’t even ask me where that came from). The seed was then firmly planted, wouldn’t go away and kept pestering me all the time until I had no choice but to sit down at my computer and grow it into a story.

I love asking myself – What if? And that’s exactly how I developed the plot for FEED. What if a travelling convoy of aliens needed to stock up on their food supplies? What if they saw Earth and its inhabitants as just animals, theirs for the taking? 
If we were travelling through space, wouldn’t we do the same if we saw a planet full of cattle-like creatures? Probably.

A few people have asked me whether I’m a vegetarian – I’m not. I really don’t have a problem with eating meat. It’s a choice we make or don’t make. But maybe we should think more about the way we see other species, the way we treat them, the way we farm them. We think we’re superior, but how would we feel if the tables were turned, and suddenly we were the livestock?
I adore my main character, Lola. She’s strong, feisty and fiercely loyal, yet she’s flawed, just like the rest of us. That’s one of the best things about writing for me, creating characters that I hope everyone can relate to and cheer on.     
I’m so excited that FEED is finally out there and I hope readers will find it as thrilling and gripping to read as I did to write.
So I’ll stop pinching myself now and get on with writing, because I don’t want the dream to end. 

Published by Chicken House 2nd January 2014

Thanks very much M.J. This is a GREAT read. Check out my book review: http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/2014/01/mr-ripleys-book-review-m-j-howes-feed.html

       

Comments

Gordy's Blog said…
This sounds awesome, can't wait to read it!!!! :-D
Unknown said…
I have read Feed and it is fantastic. Thrilling, very dark and fast-paced. Keep writing MJ!