'She stepped out onto the shop floor, oblivious to the dark, emaciated figure reflected in the bright metal of the dishwasher behind her, and strode quickly towards the staffroom. Her little black plimsolls, chosen for their comfortable fit against her aching feet, squeaked quietly across the shop floor.'

Revive; Prologue

Self-published Horror novelist, Thomas James Brown has just released his third novel Revive. The Art House Cafe, one of my favourite Southampton spots, was the location for the launch of his new book - which was very appropriate given that the setting for Brown’s latest horror is a coffee shop. I went along to have a chat with Thomas about his latest novel and what he’s got in store for the future.

 Originally from Oxfordshire, Thomas studied English at the University of Southampton. Writing has always been significant for him and he told us that ‘horror as a genre has always fascinated me’. His niche is the adoption of contemporary themes that people can identify with, but re-imagining them in a creative way. His latest novel Revive aims to explore commercialisation and focuses upon the ‘cappuccino culture’ of today’s society. The notion of increasing commercialisation is particularly relevant as we approach Christmas, and this novel aims to highlight some of these aspects.

Thomas told us that the main challenge he comes across when writing is the ability to detach yourself from your own writing - ‘as an independent writer it is often hard to re-evaluate your own work’. When asked what advice he would give to the aspiring writer, he believes ‘plug away at it, keep writing to improve and get read wherever possible’. Perhaps this is one of the hardest areas as an emerging writer, drawing in the fans. Thomas approached local publications and has since been featured in the likes of Hampshire View magazine. He also recommends displaying your writing online, on blogs and forums.

Always inspired to write, Thomas has been accepted onto a MA course in Creative Writing next year at the University of Southampton where he hopes to explore and improve his style and abilities. He has some short stories in the pipeline but, for the moment, he is enjoying the release of his latest book, and is looking forward to starting his studies next year.

Brown is definitely one to watch so keep an eye out for some of his future work. For a snippet of his latest novel Revive take a look at FUSSED’s features section in the December issue.

For more information and updates check out - tbrownonline.com