Rising Stars: Meet Jim – J.W. Pugh (Webb – Author Pen)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim – J.W. Pugh (Webb – Author Pen).

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Even as a small child, I was a natural storyteller. Decades (feels like centuries) later, I’m a novelist. Not sure how that happened – I drove big wheels for 24 years. I write fantasy fiction – my soul’s with JRR Tolkien’s L.O.T.R but my style’s more GRR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire (aka adapted for TV as – G.O.T.) Currently penned 13 books in my series with another 10 planned. How did I get here? Long Story …

Born in England, I attended school three miles from the infamous site of the Battle of Hastings, which had a bad ending from a Saxon (English POV.) Served in the Queens Household Cavalry during the Cold War, escaped and worked construction until somehow hopping on a tall ship in South Australia. That’s where I met Joanne, from Cartersville, GA back in 1985. She was gorgeous, but I was a headcase back in those days. Together with some folks in NC, we stayed very good friends. I traveled extensively during that giddy time. Eventually tying the knot with my lovely Rae, an Irish Astrologer and watercolor artist. I became responsible after considerable training. We stayed in Sussex. I drove steel rigs through the back streets of London, Leeds and Liverpool. Cussed a lot. Tough gig. We were broke but happy.

Around the turn of the century, we moved to Cornwall – a Celtic corner of the UK as close to Ireland as one can get. Known for the birthplace of King Arthur at Tintagel – à propos of nothing, I drowned a car nearby during the Great Boscastle Flood – August 16th, 2004.

Home of Tristan & Isolde, Dozmary Pool, The Knockers, wicked witch Madge Finny, Giant Corinius, later Jamaica Inn and wreckers – Cornwall exudes myth and magic and is the perfect place for Creatives. The Atlantic bears down on three sides. It’s windy and wild. Rae painted, I wrote between night shifts; I worked the dairies for the local cheese plant. But in 2012, I lost Rae to cancer and went into self-destruct mode. Around this time, I penned Gol, a prequel to my series. Darker than most of my books and written in a tiny caravan in our windswept field aided by real ale, red wine and whiskey, and constant visits to the pub. Joanne rescued me and we got together, marrying in 2014. I moved here to GA and set about writing novels full-time. I love Georgia. We have five daft pets and enjoy our life here. I am blessed.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m a self-published author. Once frowned on by the traditional publishers as not ‘real’ authors, there was considerable prejudice. You just have to work harder and multi-task. Those snooty days are mostly gone, thank goodness, though some dinosaurs still exist. Surrounded by naysayers, I’ve always believed in positive thinking. As a teen, I attended a survival school in North Scotland. The three mantras were:

Self Reliance, Positive Thinking, Leave Things Better Than You Find Them.

The more someone kicks you down, the stronger you get back on your feet. I practiced Kung-fu for many years. Last year I got very ill, still on the mend. Attitude and stubbornness and spirituality got me through. That and a love of Georgia blue skies, landscapes and gardens. Hope. And the kindness and strength of good people. Love Is All You Need, to quote John Lennon.

The biggest obstacle for most authors (not just Indie) these days is marketing, something I loathe but have tried most aspects over the decade I’ve been doing this full time. It’s hard. Be persistent. Such challenges reflect most worthwhile ventures in this life. The old cliche – destination doesn’t matter, it’s all about the journey. You might as well enjoy the road. It can end abruptly, with no guarantees of a way back.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My passion has always been the fantasy genre – mostly from the 70s and 80s, though some much older, like Tolkien’s Silmarillion and Poul Anderson’s The Broken Sword, which were a huge influence on me as a writer. I love to read though much of that these days is non-fiction. I like history, but it depresses me. We make the same mistakes over time.

In my books, I focus on gritty, three-dimensional players set to a fantastical and mythical tapestry which is Ansu – my evolving fantasy world. My work draws from Norse/Celtic myth and, of course, a love of stories. Strewn with badly behaved characters that cuss a lot. There’s plenty of action and suspense, but I like to weld morsels of wry humor between the carnage. I have a Monty Python philosophy sometimes.

The books vary in length. Some are mostly Sword&Sorcery adventure yarns, a few run deeper, probing at who we are and where we’re going. Aside from the ending, I never know what’s going to happen. I plant, not organized enough to plot. Aside from that, I’m a rebel. I don’t analyze word count like many scribblers I know. Discuss POV, the Oxford Comma, etc. I’ve two super editors that straighten things out.

How do you define success?
Ha! It’s subjective. I read a review of one of my audiobooks by a guy delivering the mail somewhere up north. He said he’d spent many hours listening, and it had made his work days a joy. That’s golden. To me, that’s success. If you can make another soul smile, you’ve achieved something special. I care little about awards, platitudes and titles. But if I can make a reader happy, that’s wonderful. A gift that gives back. Good Karma! And it is nice to pay off some bills. That too. 🙂

Contact Info:

• Website: jwwebbauthor.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/jameswebb61
• Twitter: @legendsofansu

Image Credits
Poster by Roger Garland, Late JRR Tolkien artist: lakeside-gallery.com Book covers and ad images by Ravven – cover artist. Author stock photos: On board the Brigantine Zebu off South Australia, where I met Joanne. Crackington Haven, near Bude, was our local Cornish Beach. Where I based the ghost story – The Haven (for Rae.) Reading to the cat.