An Interview with Daniel James: Author of The Ferryman’s Toll

Daniel James is an author of speculative (and sometimes dark and weird) fiction from Liverpool, England. His character-driven, action-packed urban fantasy novel, Hourglass, received a Kirkus Star from Kirkus Reviews, and was voted one of their Best 100 Indie novels of 2021.

He first began writing as a hobby and creative outlet to distract himself from the mundanity of completing his Bachelors of Science at Liverpool Hope University. Growing up, he spent perhaps a little too much time daydreaming about superheroes and horror movies.

In his mid-teens, he got his first bass guitar and joined his first band. No points for guessing the quality of their output. But growing up he maintained his interest in music, playing in several better bands and gigging locally.

Having experienced a mugging at 18, he later decided to take up kickboxing and jiu-jitsu. Despite loving the thrill of getting soundly beaten-up several days a week, this bruising hobby eventually fell by the wayside. And that left only the writing, the one hobby he couldn’t shake.

His noir thriller novel Pigs landed him a New York literary agent in Ethan Ellenberg, who subsequently released it through his in-house imprint. Although Dan is currently an independent author, his previous involvement with a professional agency drove him to continue his writing pursuits unabashed. He has since released Hourglass, The Ferryman’s Toll (Hourglass #2), Fable, and Heathens.

Tell us about your book.

The Ferryman’s Toll opens with a bang. Following the events of the first book, Clyde, Kev and company are adjusting to their new official placements at the Madhouse, the New York branch of Hourglass, and their transition has been rocky to say the least. They are investigating a growing number of attacks against agency personnel, perpetrated by a rising number of paranormally enhanced murderers linked to the Cairnwood Society. Chief amongst them is the Hangman, whose lethality is instilling serious doubt into Clyde and his belief that he might be out of his depth, and still too human for the battles which lay ahead.

On top of Clyde and the team’s investigation into the Cairnwood operation, I wanted to dig into the character’s motivations and personal struggles a little more. And I also wanted to open up and explore another aspect of the Hourglass universe, by briefly turning away from the core conflict of the series in regards to Clyde, his team, and Konstantin “Gulag” Kozlov’s struggle against the Order of Terminus, to focus on the unexpected threats from NYC’s criminal underworld, which is integral to this novel’s plot, and introduces some very important characters who will continue to make waves throughout the series.

What tools or companies did you use, and what experience did you have?

Yanina Goldenberg at Kindle Book Publishing released the book, and they have always been very professional and helpful. Dr Stephen Carver, a talented author, and literary historian served as editor, and was invaluable in trimming the fat. Proofreading duties fell to Raven Young at WriteSmartly. And last but by no means least, the incredible cover art was created by Hampton Lamoureux at TS95 Studios.

Would you self-publish again?

I love the freedom that self-publishing grants an author. Of course, that is not an excuse for sloppy work, but it does enable authors to create stories unfettered by external meddling and decision-making based purely on what’s hot at the moment. Not wanting to name names, but I’m sure I’m not alone in being stunned at some of the atrocious mainstream books being vomited out. Fair enough, these books make the sort of money that I could only ever dream about, but my point is, traditional publishing is a business first and foremost, meaning product quality will always take a backseat to cash revenue.

Who are your biggest writing inspirations and why?

Authors who could seamlessly incorporate fantasy, horror and thrilling suspense like Robert McCammon, F. Paul Wilson, and Dan Simmons had the biggest impact on me as a young reader. That’s why my books never tend to be one specific genre. It’s crucial that a story remains tonally consistent, but I do enjoy blending exciting action with dark fantasy and various elements of horror and sci-fi.

I also take tremendous inspiration from James Gunn’s movies. It might sound odd, but I love how he went from the DIY roots of Troma and climbed to the top. I first created a lot of the Hourglass characters around 2012, before “Guardians of the Galaxy” came out, but after seeing that movie it was awesome to see how Gunn effortlessly blended an exciting and fun adventure, full of drama, camaraderie, humor, and pathos. So whilst books and movies are two very different mediums, I do try to channel that spirit of spectacle amidst the violence.

What are your plans now your book is published?

I am currently working on the first draft of the third novel, titled Strange Fates. So far it’s headache-free, which is always a bonus, and I’m very excited about some of the directions it’s taking.

Why did you write about this particular subject?

I’m a frustrated god, and couldn’t resist but try and create my own universe. Plus I get to put my characters through the wringer without feeling too bad. After all, they’re fictional.

What are your favorite literary vampire novels?

The Necroscope series by Brian Lumley. The Joe Pitt series by Charlie Huston. The Anno Dracula series by Kim Newman.

Since the Hourglass series is built on a strong foundation of comic book-styled horror and adventure, can you name some of your favorite horror comics?

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and B.P.R.D. are no-brainers. Absolute classics. Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing. Scott Snyder’s American Vampire is bloody gun fun, as is his Nocterra series. I haven’t read Justin Jordan’s Luther Strode in a long time but I remember really enjoying that too.

Also, I know there are no horror elements in it (at least not in any traditional “monster” sense), but Rick Remender’s Deadly Class is phenomenally entertaining.

What did you learn on your journey as an author?

That I have more invested in my fictional characters than a lot of the real flesh and blood people that I know. That’s probably a bad thing, right?

What’s next for you as an author?

Whilst I’m currently working on the third Hourglass novel, I know for certain that I have at least another four books in the series which will tally it all up to a healthy seven. I have core ideas for each of them, and I’m excited to know what lays ahead for Clyde and the gang. I also have an idea for a potential spin-off when the time comes. But I don’t like to put the cart before the horse.