As I was roaming around the Rhône Alps this Summer, my book of the moment was “Walking Out Of This World” by Stephen Ford. It seemed an appropriate setting in which to read this book: Stephen is a walker and has walked in many wild mountainous places including the Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians. His writing is inspired by wild places, mountains, rivers and forests. A good holiday read, this book was a thriller with an out of this world twist…. here’s a quick book summary before I chat to the author, Stephen Ford:
BOOK SUMMARY
Emerging from the mid-October drizzle, Miles joins keen members of the Far and Fast Walkers Society in the Surrey Hills. An unnerving presence, he soon usurps the authority of the walk leader, enticing the party to Miteby, a mysterious village not on any map, where the walkers encounter long lost loved ones. Entranced, the group are compelled to return to this idyllic, nostalgic place, there re-living their past in better ways. But Miles has a nemesis, Lucifix, who intervenes, luring people to the Underside, where life’s fears, regrets, guilty secrets, obsessions, hatred and betrayal haunt those there. A place of hellish eternal torment. Walking out of this World is an epic duel between two spirits, Miles and Lucifix, that will determine the fate of the walkers.
THE INTERVIEW
Hello Stephen – welcome to the blog 👋
Hello! I am Stephen. I am the son of a geologist, with a varied and nomadic childhood in Africa and the Middle East. I have always been inspired by wild places, mountains, rivers and forests, places where nature reigns, not people, which is reflected in what I write about.
I took up writing seriously after retiring from a forty year career in Information Technology. I thought perhaps this is something I could do because in my work I often used to have to write technical documents, reports, specifications, user manuals and so forth. I used to spice these up a bit to make them a more inspiring read than they would normally be and it would give my colleagues a bit of enjoyment and a giggle.
These days I am Walks Secretary for the Surrey branch of the Long Distance Walkers Association, whose membership relishes longer distance treks at a brisk pace over challenging terrain.
Who or what inspired you to write “Walking Out Of This World”?
In my walks with the LDWA I always enjoy suddenly encountering a place or village that I had never been to before, or even knew it existed. It made me fantasise about these being a magic place apart from the real world and not on any map, so I thought I would write about it.
“Walking Out Of This World ” is a humorous/fantasy/thriller story set within the Surrey Hills & the fantasy village of Miteby. The characters are very believable – the walk leader Eddie, mysterious new member Miles, competitive Larry, Lycra clad Karen, friends Liz and Jenny – I loved them all!
I’m glad you enjoyed the story and the characters.
As you are Walks Secretary for the Surrey branch of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA), did you base a lot of your characters on you and people you’ve met in life?
My fellow LDWA walkers who have read my book keep speculating about which of their fellows inspired the characters and I invariably refuse to comment lest I get myself into trouble.
Actually none of the characters are exact representations of anyone I know, and I am not just saying that to protect myself from being sued!
I have observed most of the behaviours and quirks I describe in people who I have met at various times over the years but I am not going to say who they are.
Which character did you enjoy writing about the most?
Lucifix, the she devil who entices people over to the hellish Underside and torments her victims mercilessly.
Which character was the hardest?
Tim, the socially awkward man who is difficult to talk to.
The fictional village of Miteby – where did the inspiration for that place come from?
The idea of Miteby, a mysterious magic place not on any map, was the main inspiration for the book as a whole. The name came from the idea that this could be a place where people could re-visit their lives to explore what might have been, had they taken a different path, especially with respect to relationships that ended in the real world, but could have been something different and special in slightly different circumstances.
And the same question for “Underside”?
The Underside represents Hell, but not a Hell of fire and brimstone and demons with pitchforks, rather a hellscape made by humans themselves.
If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base your next novel in, where would you go and why?
I think it would probably have to be the deep dark forests and mountains of Germany or Austria. As a child I was always fascinated by Grimms fairy tales and the like, woodcutters, wolves, imps and so forth. There is layer upon layer of myth and legend, pre-Christian beliefs, vampires and all sorts to draw upon as well as magnificent landscapes and scary forests.
Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?
For a fiction writer I tend not to read a lot of fiction these days. I read a lot of non-fiction, delving into many topics especially historical events and futuristic technologies. In the realm of fiction I have been inspired by HG Wells (e.g. The Time Machine), George Orwell (e.g. 1984, Animal Farm), Huxley (e.g. Brave New World), CS Lewis (Narnia books, Space Trilogy and Screwtape Letters), PG Wodehouse (for the fun of it). I prefer reading actual books.
Is “Walking Out Of This World” available to purchase worldwide?
Yes, although the spelling and idiom is British. It hasn’t been specifically Americanised nor translated as yet.
Growing up had you always wanted to be an author or did you have other career aspirations?
No, when I was young I never imagined myself as an author, although I have always enjoyed expressing ideas and playing with words. I have only taken up writing seriously since I retired from my forty year career in Information Technology.
Being a keen walker, you have walked in many wild mountainous places including the Alps, Pyrenees & the Carpathians. I am a fan of the Pyrenees area myself – so where has been your personal favourite walking destination?
I keep going back to the Alps. I love the combination of breathtaking mountain scenery, woods, meadows and quirky little villages.
What’s no 1 on your current walking destination bucket list?
The wilds of Alaska, Canada and the Rocky mountains. I’ve never been there, but it looks awesome.
Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?
For going out and about in the wilds, depending upon the weather, it’ll be shorts and T shirt for warm weather, rugged water resistant trousers and jacket and wet and cold and well made trainers by way of footwear.
For more civilised conditions when I need to be reasonably well turned out I wear smart trousers and informal check shirts, slip on black leather shoes, jeans and trainers if it more casual.
Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?
Amazon seem to offer just about everything these days, so I use them a lot. Other than that I just browse to see what’s available.
What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?
I don’t have any really good jackets at the moment, so I am on the lookout for something that is simultaneously stylish, practical, warm and rainproof.
Boots or Shoes?
Generally I prefer shoes, being more comfortable than boots. Boots are sometimes better in outdoor wintry conditions, but I wear them out of necessity not preference.
Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc.
Great to catch up with you, Stephen. Thank you for a pre copy of Walking Out Of This World for reviewing. special mention to Ben Cameron Publicity & Marketing too.
Linda x
All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Stephen Ford.
Follow
