Rapid Fire Spotlight: Interview With Horror Author Martin McGregor

July 21, 2019

Rapid Fire Spotlight: Horror Author Martin McGregor

By Tracey Elena Hill, Duran Duran Worldwide

Horror author Martin McGregor's stories awaken our fears by bending reality with the supernatural for haunting, spine-tingling journeys that dig deep into human nature. Keep Away From The Windows, Damaged Goods, and 24:7 The Return shocked our core, but Distorted Visions takes us into worlds of creatures, technological horrors, and revenge inspired from Martin's passion for Duran Duran. DDWW's Tracey Elena had the opportunity to talk with Martin about DD, horror, and what is on his playlist!

Tracey: Where are you located?

Martin: I live in Andover, deep in the beautiful Hampshire countryside, in the U.K.

Tracey: What do you do to relax?

Martin: I like to write, occasionally sing karaoke on the odd night out, and visit foreign shores as often as my budget allows.

Tracey: What are your favorite DD songs/albums/era?

Martin: Tricky as I love them all. Arena was a defining album for me. I have many fond memories of this time in my life. I soooo badly wanted to be Simon back then; he was my idol in those days and he still remains so now.

Tracey: What are your favorite horror movies?

Martin: I like old school gore like the Evil Dead, atmospheric scares like Alien, and recently It Follows was very clever, although some hated it. I am a big Walking Dead fan too.

Tracey: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Martin: I like to use the gym quite a lot, and I like spending time with my grandson Freddie.

Tracey: What's currently on your playlist?

Martin: The Kaiser Chiefs, the Killers, Evanescence, Bat for Lashes, Mansun, The Anchoress, Kate Bush, Inxs, Manic Street Preachers, Dido’s new album is amazing and Duran Duran of course!

Tracey: Most people don't think about Duran Duran and horror. What is it about these two different elements that inspired you to write the book?

Martin: I wanted to pay tribute to the band in some small way. I always slip in a few Duran references in every book. I felt that I wanted to do something more though. This was my way of bowing down in homage to my (paper) gods.

Tracey: Each chapter is based on the title of a Duran Duran song. Was this challenging in coming up with the stories and characters?

Martin: Every time I hear a Duran song, I have my own version of the video I would have created inside of my head. The stories evolved along with my own understanding of the lyrics, and I wanted to create something unique that didn’t relate to the lyrics of the songs, but to my own image of how I could differently interpreted the titles.

Tracey: Did you do extensive research of the band's music? Did anything surprise you?

Martin: I am an avid Duran fan, and I follow them religiously. I will read anything I can find about them online or in print. As such, I do have quite a good knowledge of the band. Nothing really surprises me about them, until I hear a new piece of music, and I fall in love with each new album in a different way.

Tracey: How long did it take to write the book?

Martin: It took around six months, as it started as a novelty project for my own satisfaction. I shared a few stories online with friends and family, and they loved the unique take on each title.

Tracey: What does your family think of your writing?

Martin: My mother Brenda is my biggest fan. My sons are not really avid readers, but I’ve had great responses from friends. Some of the tales aren’t what you might class as horror, but I am inspired by Stephen King, and some of his shorts are quite random. I like to think I am revealing strange pathways to my inner mind.

Tracey: What were your feelings when you saw the finished product?

Martin: I don’t think that any writer is ever truly happy and always wants perfection. I am still learning and I am very humbled that people would choose to read my stories.

Tracey: If any of the chapters were to be turned into a movie or TV series, which one and why?

What scares you?

Martin: I think all of them would work in a Black Mirror style show. My personal favourite is "Taste The Summer" as I was bullied at school similar to the main character in this tale, but ultimately it’s about believing in yourself and realising that people can knock you down time and time again, but if you believe in yourself, then you can overcome anything and succeed in any goal.

Tracey: What are you working on now?

Martin: I am currently working on a first draft of another horror novella. This one is based around an abandoned water park.

Tracey: *Bonus question* What lessons have you learned (if any) with writing the book?

Martin: I always learn something new with every book. With this one, I think I learnt that the things I love the most help to inspire me to reach for greater heights. I will always love this band for every gift they have shared with us and after reading the stories, other fans have reached out to me and said that they found some of the stories touching, and one said that ‘cracks in the pavement’ made her cry.