Hi there, thanks for interviewing me on your blog, it’s great to be here!
Where did your ideas for the Escape from Furnace series come from?
The genesis of the story was in the main character, Alex. He’s basically me, but a version of me that made a few bad decisions in his life. When I was a teenager, I went through a phase of getting into trouble – nothing as bad as Alex, but staying out all night, getting into fights, drinking in biker bars, that kind of thing. Thanks to my family I got back on track before it got too serious, but Alex was a version of me that didn’t get rescued. Whereas I grew up and lived my life, he never got the chance to – he was stuck in this weird purgatory in my mind. Years later, when I was looking for a scary story to write, I realized that Alex’s life was the perfect starting place. He wanted to live, to have a story to tell, so I kind of just sat back and let him tell it. Luckily for me that story involved a terrifying prison and some incredible adventures! I wrote the story exactly as Alex lived it. It really felt as though I was just transcribing the events, rather than creating them – sometimes the story moved so fast I could barely keep up with him!
Both Lockdown and Solitary are full of action and suspense. Tell us a little about what writing such action-packed stories is like.
So I just rolled with it, I just started writing. I threw myself into Furnace the same way Alex had been thrown in, without hope and without a plan. Because I’d done it like this, I felt as desperate as he did. Time was running out for him because the Blood Watch and the gangs were closing in. Time was running out for me because I was getting through the book and I still didn’t know how he was going to get out. I didn’t even know if he was going to escape! I think writing like this – writing at the speed of life – is what gives the books their relentless pace. I didn’t slow down when I was writing, I was living the story alongside Alex, so the story never lets up for a second. I love writing this way!
It’s not uncommon for authors to base bits and pieces of their stories on their own lives. The situations in the Escape from Furnace books are quite extreme, but is there anything in them that was inspired by your own experiences?
Unfortunately yes, although not in a direct way. Shortly after starting the book I went through a really bad time, a family tragedy. I threw myself into the writing to try and get through it. It was about the point where Alex first arrives in Furnace, so here I was alongside this version of me, trapped inside a horrific nightmare from which there was no realistic possibility of escape. We were both lost, both locked in the darkness at the bottom of the world. And I knew that if Alex didn’t find a way out of Furnace, out of the prison, then I’d never find a way out of this awful time in my life.
Alex kept me strong, because I saw how resilient he was under these terrible conditions, I saw how he kept faith even when all looked lost. I knew he was me, or a version of me anyway, so I understood that if he could do it then so could I. But neither of us could escape alone, we needed each other. This bond made the book harder to write emotionally, because I felt everything that Alex did – his fear, his hopelessness, his pain. It made it easier to write in many ways too, because I could see it all so clearly. I really was down there with him. As amazing as it was, however, I hope I never experience it again.
What was your favorite part about writing the Escape from Furnace books?
The friendship. It sounds weird – and I guess it is a little – but Alex’s friends inside Furnace were my friends too! I was so close to all of them because, like I say, we were all in Furnace together. The dialogue between Alex and Zee and Donovan – others too, but mainly those three – was an absolute joy to write. It still makes me smile when I think about some of the conversations they had, the ones I’d just listen in on. They had hundreds, and only a few of them actually made it into the book. They were cool guys to hang around with, even if it was just in my head!Which of your characters can you relate to the most, and why?
Definitely Alex, for the reasons I talk about above. Although Alex is a great deal cooler and braver than I am. The character I’d most like to be is Donovan, because he’s just awesome, but in actual fact I’m probably closest to Zee!
What was the most difficult part of writing Lockdown? Of writing Solitary?
They were both difficult books to write in many ways, not least because I was so entrenched in the story that it felt as if everything that happened to Alex was happening to me. His fear and his pain and his hopelessness are all real, because I was feeling them too. In Lockdown, I guess the most difficult part to write was the last few chapters, because even then I wasn’t sure exactly what was going to happen. And the most painful part of writing Solitary was around the end of the book too – those of you who’ve read it will know why. I think I must have cried solidly for a whole afternoon.
What is the most interesting thing you learned while writing the Escape from Furnace series? (This can be about yourself, about writing, or anything at all).
I think the most positive thing I learned while writing the books was that no matter how bad things get, there is always – always – hope. The fact that Alex held onto hope, no matter how bad things got, made me realize that there was always hope for me too. It let me know that if I fought hard enough, things would be okay. I think that writing is a great way of dealing with the difficult things in your life, not least because when you put them down on paper, when you turn those difficulties into words, then you have a little more control over them. It can’t always help solve those problems, but it helps you deal with them because you become the author, you can decide how to write your life.
What is the most rewarding part about being a young adult author?
Without a doubt it’s hearing from people who have read and enjoyed the books. I get letters and emails almost every day now – some wanting to say how much they loved Furnace, others asking questions about writing (it’s so awesome to see how many teenagers out there are writing their own books!), occasionally the odd one or two that aren’t so complimentary, but mainly just people writing to say hi. It’s an incredible feeling, knowing that people all over the world have enjoyed the books so much that they take the time and effort to write and let me know. I’m flattered and humbled whenever I get a letter or an email, and I’m so grateful to everyone who writes. Thank you! Oh, and all my contact details are on my website, (http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com) so feel free to get in touch!If there was one thing you could change about either Lockdown or Solitary, what would it be?
Well, it would probably be the same thing that I mentioned earlier, a part of Solitary – I don’t want to say too much for those who haven’t read it yet. But there is a death at the end of the book which was just heartbreaking for me as an author. I could never actually change it, though. Like I said, I wrote the story the way that Alex lived it – he can’t go back in time to change what has happened, and neither can I. To be honest, as much as I’d like things to have turned out differently for this character, I don’t know what would have happened if he had survived. He is such an important part of Alex’s life, even after death, that the entire shape of the story might have changed. I still miss him though!
What are you working on next?
I’ve just about finished the first book in another series. It’s horror again, but it’s very, very different to Furnace. It doesn’t have a title yet – every time I decide on one I find out that somebody else has already used it, grrrr! In a nutshell, it’s a zombie book without zombies. It follows a small group of unrelated children and teenagers who, for an unknown reason, trigger a brutal, violent reaction in every single other person they meet. Everyone – even their loved ones – turn against them, but as soon as these kids are dead, or gain enough distance, their attackers forget all about it and go on with their lives as usual. I won’t say why it’s happening, but it’s tied in with a terrible secret that could destroy the world! All going smoothly, it should be coming out in the UK in about a year, and it will hopefully be available in the US soon as well. If I can think of a title!
I’m really enjoying it so far, but it’s so strange writing something new after spending so much time with Alex. He keeps wanting to jump into this story as well!
Thanks again for interviewing me on your blog!
Alex Sawyer thought his plan worked, but temporary escape from Furnace Penitentiary didn’t mean that he was actually free. Just when he and Zee thought they would make it, the unimaginable happens and they are recaptured. Just like that, Alex and Zee are prisoners once more, but this time, Furnace has a lot worse planned for them—solitary confinement. If thirst doesn’t kill them first, the unraveling of their own minds surely will. But Alex has not come this far just to give in this easily. But what can one boy do? His friend Zee is also trapped in a hole in the ground while Donovan is being subjected to the horrors of the infirmary. Alex is going to need a lot determination and inner strength or at least some unexpected help if he’s going to take on the hellish horrors of Furnace again.
Alex Sawyer isn’t really a bad kid. Well, sure, he’s been living a life of petty crime, but he was definitely framed for the murder of his best friend that lands him a life sentence in Furnace Penitentiary. Alex has little time to dwell on this injustice, though, as he is introduced to his new permanent home and personal hell. Furnace is a prison like no other, where gangs of inmates are a regular threat and other unspeakable creatures menace the night. And worst of all: escape is impossible. Or is it? Alex may be “new fish,” but he refuses to let stories and rumors crush his will. There’s got to be a way out of this play, and Alex is willing to risk everything, even fates worse than death, to find it.
Amy made the decision to join her parents aboard the spaceship Godspeed and is cryogenically frozen. She thought she’d wake up 300 years in the future on a new planet, but the unexpected happens, and Amy’s cryogenic chamber is unplugged early, nearly killing her. Amy finds herself amidst an unfamiliar and unforgiving society that the people of Godspeed have formed, where absolute control is held by Eldest and Elder and anything—or anyone—out of the ordinary is viewed as a threat. Amy used to think she was just an ordinary girl, but Elder thinks she is wondrously different while Eldest views her as a foreign object that must be contained—or eliminated. There is no doubt, though, that for better or worse, Amy’s appearance is the beginning of something big—something that could drastically and dangerously alter Amy’s world and life aboard Godspeed as she knows it.
At St. Sophia’s School for Girls, dealing with the Brat Pack is the least of Lily Parker’s worries. And that’s actually saying something, because queen bee Veronica has practically made it her mission in life to make Lily’s life miserable. But Lily’s a little too busy fighting Reapers and figuring out how to control her firespell to be bothered by such little things. Things take a turn for the more sinister when Lily and her friends are attacked by strange creatures of the likes they’ve never seen before. Where did these enormous rat-like beasts come from, and more importantly, how can the Adepts destroy them before things get too out of hand? 
Nora Grey should be happy. She’s alive and has her own guardian angel, one who’s gorgeous and incredibly alluring. But something’s wrong. Her seemingly perfect relationship with Patch is strained when Patch starts hanging out with the hated Marcie Millar, the reappearance of Scott Parnell, a childhood acquaintance, is frustrating to say the least, and Nora keeps seeing her murdered father everywhere. Nora doesn’t know who to trust anymore, but she’s determined to uncover the secrets her life seems to have been built on, secrets surrounding everyone she knows—and with the potential to put her life in danger once again.
Kayla is the Oracle of Dating. She should know everything—or at least most things—about relationships and dating. Whose better advice to turn to than her own when Jared decides they need to take a break, right? Kayla will get over Jared; she knows that if she just listens to her own relationship tips and leans on her friends for a while, things will get better. So she decides that the best course of action is to devote herself to her website and her friends. But then there’s that one gorgeous and sexy French exchange student that Kayla can’t stop thinking about. She knows she shouldn’t be going after him because there are still days left in her rebound equation for Jared! Life for the Oracle is about to get a whole lot more messy.
Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to save the one she loves and paid the price. The very monster she sought to destroy in Daniel Kalbi now lies latent within her, and now her brother Jude, who infected her and is now claimed by the wolf, is gone. Jude’s disappearance is tearing Grace’s family apart at the seams, and Daniel’s fear that Grace will give into the wolf is causing tension between them. When Grace receives a mysterious phone call warning of danger to come, she knows it’s from Jude. She wants to—needs to—find him, but nobody will let her even though Grace is finally learning how to access her heightened abilities. So Grace starts looking on her own, but the closer she gets to the Shadow Kings, a strange gang of sorts her brother may be involved with, and the truth, the closer she comes to yielding to the wolf—and the closer she is to understanding what it truly means to be an Urbat. 
Sam is just your ordinary college dropout working fast food to pay for his crappy apartment. Or so he thinks. But Douglas, a powerful and very dangerous necromancer who stumbles across Sam by chance, knows better. Sam is just like him, even if Sam fails to recognize this. But Sam really has no choice in the matter. Douglas is none too pleased to have another necromancer in the Seattle area and gives Sam an ultimatum—become his apprentice or die. This gives Sam exactly one week to find his powers, learn how to use them, figure out what to do with his recently undead friend, and find a way to get around Douglas. Yeah, this is going to be one heck of a week.
Celeste Parker’s life is about to be turned upside down when the stories of her hometown Legend’s Run come to life. She always thought that those werewolf stories only served for a good Halloween scare. But when Brandon Maddox moves to town and saves Celeste from a pack of wolves, everything changes. Celeste is no longer content with her elitist group of friends and perfect boyfriend. She is strongly drawn to Brandon, even though he’s from the wrong side of town and not entirely the person—or being—she thought he was. Because although Brandon may be her savior, he might also be the live embodiment of the werewolf legends so famous to her town. Despite the danger to herself, Celeste refuses to shy from her new relationship with Brandon, but what can she do when the problem becomes bigger than the two of them?
Clara Gardner is part angel, one-fourth to be exact. Though she hasn’t been aware of this part of her heritage for very long, it has quickly become a huge part of who she is. Being an angel-blood has its advantages, such as being much smarter and stronger than the ordinary human, but it is also a great responsibility. Each angel-blood has a purpose that he or she is destined to carry out, and Clara is just starting to figure out hers. She keeps getting these visions of a mysterious boy and a forest fire, leading her to believe that her purpose is to save him. But when she meets Christian, the boy of her visions, and assimilates into a new life, everything changes. Suddenly, doing what she’s supposed to do isn’t as easy as it once was. Torn between two guys, how will Clara figure out how do the right thing—if she even knows what that is anymore?
