Liz Butcher resides in Australia, with her husband, daughter, and their two cats. She’s a self-confessed nerd with a BA in psychology and an insatiable fascination for learning. Liz was previously the former Executive Assistant at the Horror Tree, which is a mainstream resource for authors and has published a number of short stories in anthologies including her own collection, After Dark, in 2018. Fates Fury was her debut novel and LeRoux Manor, her stunning new novel set for release, September, 2020. More information can be found about Liz at her website: https://www.lizbutcher.com.au/

Q: Today’s guest is Liz Butcher! I’d like to kick things off, if possible, with you sharing a little bit about yourself and what types of stories you enjoy writing as well as which genres you write in?
A: Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I’m an Aussie indie author of horror and dark fiction, though most of my work crosses over into other genres too.

Q: I’d love it if you could share a bit about ‘Never, Never’ with me? First off, what is it about for anyone unfamiliar with it?
A:Never,Never is a modern retelling of Peter Pan, where Wendy Darling (who was just a girl in the original) is now in her 30s and a successful detective. Just as her mother passes away, a local teen vanishes from her room in the middle of the night, much like she did when she was a teenager. Detective Darling insists on working the case as she fears her worst nightmare is coming true—Pan’s back.

Q: I absolutely love that this is such a creative twist on a classic fairy tale, did you set out to write this story with that idea in mind or did it evolve into it along the way?
A: A little bit of both! I definitely had the idea to turn the original fairytale into something dark. I mean, what’s not scary about an entity sneaking into your children’s rooms in the middle of the night and luring them out the window? The how’s and why’s evolved as I developed the plot.

Q: You’ve published so many short and longer stories from over the years, how do you tackle writing each style differently?
A: Mostly in the research and the details. With the shorter pieces, especially when you’re adhering to a specific wordcount, there’s not a lot of room for back story etc. The writing needs to be concise. Novels on the other hand, require a lot more time and research into locations/characters etc.

Q: Of your short stories published, which is your favorite, why, and where can we read it?
A:Oh, tricky question! Off the top of my head, I would say Amber, which is a tale about a small village awaiting the announcement of their latest sacrifice. It features in my short story collection, After Dark which was published in 2018.

Q: It looks like ‘Sunrise’ is slated to be released soon. What can you tell us about the book and, from what it sounds like, the series?
A: Sunrise is still in the plotting stage but will take a look at mental health via a dark fantasy perspective. I’ve just started writing the first book of my series which centres around a woman named Luna Zimmer, who’s launching her own paranormal investigation venture in an attempt to find out what really happened to her parents, and who she really is.

Q: Where were you born (and/or are you from) and how has that affected your writing?
A: I was born here, in Australia, though because my dad was in the military we moved around. A lot. I think this is a bonus for my writing, as I’ve experienced so many different places and met so many people over the years!

Q: What inspired you to start writing?
A: In short? The sheer love of it! It’s really one of those things that you need to be passionate for.

Q: You’ve interviewed many authors over the years, how does it differ from being on each side of the table?
A: Interesting, haha! I think I’m far better at asking the questions than answering them.

Q: Do you have any tips for what you feel makes for a good interview? (I’ll be taking notes!)
A: Personalise the questions as best you can. It’s more enjoyable for the interviewee but the readers also if they’re not reading the same questions all the time. Plus people you interview appreciate it when they feel you’ve taken the time to look into the things that interest them and what they’re passionate about.

Finally, if there is anything else you would love to share with our readers, please do so here!

You can find me at www.lizbutcher.com.au

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