May 26, 2016 Posted by Simon Rose on May 26, 2016 | 1 comment

Guest Author H Leighton Dickson

My guest today is H Leighton Dickson, author of wonderful books about fantastical worlds, including the recently released Cold Stone and Ivy, set in the Victorian era.

So tell us a little about Cold Stone and Ivy.

Cold Stone & Ivy is a Gothic thriller set during the murders of Jack the Ripper in the fall of 1888. It’s a little bit steampunk, a little bit historical fantasy and all mystery.

What inspired you to write this book?

Oh, good question. I was writing Mentalist fanfic at the time (all casefics, so intro, plot, red herrings, subplots, etc) and I started winning awards for this one that was a little odder than the others. That one (called ‘the Road lEss traveleD’) became my springboard for Cold Stone & Ivy, drawing heavily on my love of old writers like HG Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, etc.

Will you be creating more stories in the steampunk genre?

I actually love steampunk. I was steampunk before I knew it was a word, so yes! I have Cold Stone & Ivy 2 written, CS & I 3 planned, and two other series set in the same world. Locke and Keyes will be another steampunk mystery series, and the Steam Team, a midgrade series of young Victorian sleuths!

You also have an incredible fantasy series. Can you you tell us about that?

The Upper Kingdom is a great series, isn’t it? I started it years ago when I was penciling for DC Comics. It was going to be a Scifi/Fantasy graphic novel but the story just kept getting bigger and bigger, so I put the pencils aside while I concentrated on the story. That’s how and when To Journey in the Year of the Tiger was born! We’re at three novels now, and counting!

There’s also a collection of short stories featuring the characters before they met, isn’t there?

Yes, that’s Swallowtail & Sword. I loved writing that book. It was delightful, and fascinating how ideas must have been percolating inside my head for a very long time, and just needed a window to get out!

Have you always been a writer?

Yes, I’m one of those kids that wrote (and illustrated) stories about wolves and hamsters and horses! I actually had an opportunity to publish with KidsCan Press when I was 13 but my parents thought I was too young, so I didn’t! Shame, really…

What else do you get up to when you’re not busy writing?

I love to design book covers, so I do that a lot. I’m also very active in our local writing community so I’m always out for coffee with some writer or another! I have three kids (mostly grown), three dogs, three cats and a horse, as well as a very patient husband! My day job is as a graphic artist and printer, so I keep very busy. Too busy, really.

What’s next for you? Any current projects?

Yes, I’ve just finished edits for my latest novel, Dragon of Ash & Stars, about a war dragon in a Romanesque, Game of Thrones style world. It’s written from his perspective so imagine Drogon writing his autobiography. It’s great fun, and rather powerful, if my editors are to be believed…

Learn more about the author and her books at http://www.hleightondickson.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HLeightonDickson

One Response to “Guest Author H Leighton Dickson”

1. Rick Kirka says:

   May 27, 2016 at 2:17 am

   May the Upper Empire live long and prosper both before and after the present timeline.

   My own reading of “Swallowtail and Sword” makes it seem like some of the last stories take place a bit further in the future of the timeline. I welcome further data to flesh out my theory.