Brendon Bertram - Telling Werewolf Stories in a Fresh Way

Brendon Bertram - Telling Werewolf Stories in a Fresh Way
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Award-winning author, Brendon Charles Bertram occupies his time with travelling the globe, reading texts on philosophy and psychology, and exploring a deep fascination and passion for storytelling. He is especially intrigued by werewolf stories and started telling his own. As our Author of the Day, Bertram tells us all about his Moira Ashe series.

Please give us a short introduction to what Moira Ashe: Enemy Within is about.

Moira Ashe: Enemy Within follows the titular character Moira Ashe and Lincoln Clarke as they hunt a werewolf that has been preying upon the town guard. Not everything is as it seems, while the duo desperately tries to either slay the beast or to discover its identity, Moira fights to keep her own secrets hidden.

You like to travel the world. How much has this influenced the way you see the world and the way you write?

It has influenced me immensely, the exposure to so different perspectives and surroundings open the mind to new creative paths. All kinds of new stories and characters where sparked by my travels. I started writing after coming back home from a trip to Ireland.

What inspired you to become an author?

A few things but most the influential was fan theories. I was enthralled by the idea that things could be hidden with a story, or that you could hide clues in a story that could foreshadow future events or could reveal a shocking secret about a character. I loved this idea and incorporated them into my own stories, so when you read Moira Ashe, keep your eyes peeled.

Why werewolves? What intrigues you about them?

I have a fascination with psychology and what is a werewolf if not the physical manifestation of the primal side of the human psyche. There are a lot of themes to explore there, plus they are really awesome, werewolves are classic monsters for a reason.                                                                                               

Tell us more about Moira Ashe - what makes her such an interesting character?

There is a lot about Moira that drew me to her as a character. The story of her past in particular and how she lives with it. Moira is looking for redemption but finds herself torn between sacrificing herself for the good of others and self-preservation. It’s a struggle that often causes her to do some less than virtuous things.

Readers say this was a quick read.  Are you planning on writing a sequel?

I have a few of sequels planned after Enemy Within. The first sequel, Moira Ashe: Kindred Spirits, is available now.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I’m a bit of an idiot savant to be honest, I’m good at almost everything I do, I am fairly talented in drawing though, but not sewing. I can’t sew to save my life; Every time I try to thread a sewing machine it ends in disaster.

Your book hooked your readers from beginning to end - how did you pull that off?

The answer is simple; the story hooked me from beginning to the end. Moira Ashe possessed me when she sparked into my mind; I was extremely excited to share the story with others and I think that excitement comes through in the writing.

I also kissed the Blarney stone before I started writing, so that might have had something to do with it.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

There are a lot of books I would have loved to have been the original author for, but if I would have to narrow it down to one, it would have to be the Iliad by Homer. I love the idea of writing a story that could endure the ages and would have people enjoying it centuries after I’m gone. That would be lovely.

If you could choose one character from your book to spend a day with, who would it be? And where would you take them?

Without a doubt I would spend a day with Moira at a really good spa, with the amount of stress that she has to deal with on a day to day basis she deserves a day to take the weight off her shoulders.

For your book, you drew on a lot of werewolf myths. How did you approach taking centuries-old myths and telling them in a fresh way?

Werewolves are very popular creatures and people are very particular in what one should be, but there are a lot of different interpretations of what exactly a werewolf is. It was a bit of a balancing act to create my own version that was faithful to the trademark creature but still had enough of my own spin to make it unique.

Talk to us a bit about your writing habits. Do you write early in the morning, or through the night? Pen or laptop?

It’s a little bit of everything really. I usually work out the story in my head first while writing down little details and a general outline of the plot, then I’ll write in bursts. When I do write it will always be in the evening in the same room, it helps tremendously to keep a schedule and familiar surroundings, it keeps me in the writing mindset.

I find listening to music also helps keep distractions at bay while stimulating my creativity. The music that I listen to, it varies between metal, classical, techno remixes. As for whether I use a pen or laptop, I use both to an extent, I write down the small details and outline with a pencil while I write the actual story with a laptop.

What are you working on right now?

Currently I’m working on a short story called Moira Ashe: Keeper of the Dead. I’ve posted the first few chapters on my blog. The story follows Moira and another character called Flynn as they fight for survival amongst other survivors as they are besieged by a horde of undead while solving the mystery of why the dead have risen. After that story is over I’ll be diving full force into the sequel of Kindred Spirits titled Moira Ashe: Nature of the Beast.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I would love to interact with your readers!

My website would be the best place to visit for updates or new content, but I also post to my Goodreads and Facebook page.