Today I welcome back to the blog, author Chris Harvey, for an interview about his new book, The Fifth Coin. Enjoy!

Q01 What was the inspiration behind The Fifth Coin?

As a teacher I tend to write children’s chapter books and young adult fiction. I like sci-fi but prefer fantasy. I had started a few young adult books but the story did not really develop the way I wanted to.

One day I was sitting in my car and we had some change in that storage area between the dashboard and the gear stick (I don’t know what it is called but it is where money seems to end up!). I looked down and saw five one pound coins, they had fallen into a circle. They look almost majestic like they held some magical power.

As I drove I could not help but think about them and imagined what powers they would give. I started to change historical events in my head based on the powers I was creating. The story developed from that one view of some coins. Interesting how the most mundane things can make inspiration strike..

Q02 What was the most difficult part of writing The Fifth Coin?

Being a teacher I wanted to create an exciting story for young adults, one that would not patronise them but excite them.

I do not really like it when the child/young adult becomes a sudden hero as it feels unrealistic, even in a fantasy/alternative history setting. So making Daniel a rounded character whilst adding real world scenes without too much violence was difficult.

I worried I overstepped into adult fiction a few times but I think I reigned it back by implying violence rather than showing it. The problem with action and looking back at history is that the world is a very violent place. I do not condone violence but it is sometimes an essential part of a story.

Q03 What was the most fun part of writing The Fifth Coin?

Definitely the historical parts, being able to research what really happened and then adapting it slightly so the power of a coin could have influenced the outcome without being too obtrusive.

I particularly like the scene where Hiroka’s ancestor is fighting at the Battle of Torikai-Gata. Here the Mongol army invaded Japan and the Samurai and their armies fought to stop them. I created a character called Hiroshi Odajima who has the power of the fire coin. I love Japanese history, so enjoyed writing about it.

However, I have to say that seeing a Samurai warrior with a flaming sword is just such a cool image.

Q04 Do you have a writing routine?

I have signed up to the website 4theWords which means I need to write 445 words a day or do a writing related activity to keep my writing streak going.

4theWords is a role playing game where you have to defeat monsters and complete quests. You defeat them by writing, each requiring you to write a different number of words. I average about 500 words in 15 minutes so I make sure I do 15 minutes of writing activity each day.

It really depends on how I am feeling whether this is writing, editing, blogging or creating marketing items. I tend to focus on one main project, but do work on others as well. Basically, my job is hectic so I fit in the 15 minutes whenever I can. If I do more than 15 minutes in a day I store these up and use them on days I can’t write on.

Q05 The Fifth Coin just recently released. Are you already planning your next project or do you prefer to take some time between projects?

I’ve always got about five projects on the go. I have a sci-fi flash fiction collection and a poetry collection I work on.

These are both on Wattpad as a holding place so I can update and release regularly, although I will release free ebook versions when I feel they are complete. I have a children’s chapter book that I am illustrating, although I am not a great drawer (I cannot afford an illustrator!).

I also have the sequel to ‘The Fifth Coin’ that I am editing and am writing a short story prequel to one of my other novellas. There is even another manuscript written that I need to edit!

Q06 What will you do differently on your next release?

Not make the mistake of releasing early. Try to build up promotional content and get everyone excited before release.

I wanted to have a book trailer, vlogs of me reading parts of the story, a few ARC reviews and some blog spots out, but I clicked the wrong button and released the novel instead of setting a release day.

As I am a hobbyist writer and don’t get much traction so thought I would just go for it and hope for the best.

Q07 How much planning do you do for your writing?

Mostly I have a rough outline of key plot points and then try to write from one point to another.

If I am too strict it stifles the story and sometimes as I am writing, a new idea comes or I find that one I wanted to place in does not work. I also keep chapter details and character profiles but these are often updated as I write.

‘The Fifth Coin’ is the first novel I have written which contains real world events so I took quite a while researching and writing notes. Basically I am between a planner and pantser.

Q08 Are there any authors you’d love to meet in person? If so, who?

I am a massive Terry Pratchett fan and would have loved to have met him before his death. He wrote so well with great characters and funny stories and his world building was amazing.

I really enjoy a lot of authors, but no-one has had such an impact on me as Pratchett. Others I would be interested to talk to are George R.R. Martin, Natasha Pulley and Ben Aaronovitch.

Q09 Would you ever want to see any of your stories made into movies? If so, which one(s) and why?

I often visualise stories as movies as I am reading them. I do the same as I write.

I think that ‘The Fifth Coin’ lends itself to a movie. It has a lot of action, some tense parts and slowly reveals the history of the coins. Maybe a TV series with a few cliff hangers would be better.

My novella ‘A Close Shave with Destiny’ would also work as a movie I think. It is a comedy fantasy story set in a moustache so I would need to be careful it did not get too slapstick or silly. Comedy works best when the characters take themselves seriously.

Q10 What is the best piece of advice you ever receive as a writer?

The best advice given to me is to write what you would want to read. If you think the novel is something you would pick up if you had not written it then you are on the right track.

I am a hobbyist writer, so long ago I made the decision not to push for traditional publishing or try and make a whole career out of writing. I think, as a writer, you need to decide how far you want to go and be happy with any success you get.

I used to get down that I did not get many sales, now I am proud of myself that I have actually written books and that is enough.

Bonus – if you could pick any of your characters to be your avatar in a fighting game, who would you pick and why?

I would have to go with Bert from ‘The Fifth Coin.’ He has the power of speed so can get attacks in quickly.

Actually, no, I would go with one of his ancestors. The book opens with Aetius Tullius, a Roman cavalry man who has the speed coin. He takes out a lot of the enemy before they have even moved and is wearing Roman uniform which makes him even cooler.

I am all for looking cool in my head, even if I am a bit of a geek in real life!

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About Chris

Chris Harvey is an ICT and Computing Teacher working in England.

He was born on the Channel Island of Guernsey in 1983 and has a love for fantasy and sci-fi. He writes predominantly for children and young adults but does create stories he hopes adults will love too.

He now lives in North Yorkshire with his wife, son, daughter and the most important one in the house, the cat!

Website | YouTube | X

Check out Chris’s other posts:

Podcast episode: What Are The Benefits of Using Wattpad?

Writer’s Guide: A Writer’s Guide… To Being a Teacher (in the UK)

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About The Fifth Coin

Throughout history, five coins that grant the bearers extraordinary powers have altered major events.

Only known about by a select few, the coins have been used for good where possible.

In modern day, fourteen-year-old Daniel waits for his dad to come home from a business trip.

But when he is whisked out of school to visit his dad in a Spanish hospital, he is presented with an old Roman coin.

A coin that will change his life.

And what is worse, these coins might not be as secret as first thought.

Buy from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

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Big thank you to Chris, for joining me today on the blog. Wish him all the best with his latest release and please take the time to check out his links above.

Happy reading

Sources: Title Image from Canva. Headshot and book cover belong to Chris

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