Dissecting A.H. Syme
Today, we slice open speculative fiction author A.H. Syme to spill her writing secrets and learn the inspiration behind her series, The Cat's Paw Chronicles.
Welcome, A.H. Syme!
Tell us about yourself. When did your passion for reading and writing start?
I recall writing from a young age. I still have some yellowing papers with fading type about my first attempt at writing a Sci-Fi story (there are reams of it) and other writings. My enthusiasm was further instilled a few years later when my teacher at Gillan Primary School in Alice Springs wanted to put my story, 'A love of a tiger', in the school library. I like to think the little, paper, stapled book with drawings of striped socks with stick legs and little triangles on their heads (my tigers) is still there, some fifty-five years later.
What drew you to your preferred writing genres?
I love speculative fiction because it transports the reader away from everyday reality, yet it can also encompass ordinary things and people dealing with not-so-ordinary situations. Stephen King's The Shining was my first horror book, but his second, Salem's Lot, had me sleeping with the light on for a long time. I remember thinking, 'Why put it on?' It's like saying to a vampire, "Here, I am! I didn't want you tripping over my jeans and undies, or stepping on the cat." I might as well have hung a huge, flashing, neon arrow pointing to my bed. Yet, I had to switch the light on; I was so scared, and in the dark, my imagination was far worse — it still is! It struck me that if something I read can influence my thoughts, feelings and behaviour, what power that author must have. The pen had become a kind of magic wand, and after that, I was drawn to horror and to speculative crime and to mastering the skill to wield that inky wand as brilliantly as King, Koontz, Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov and Bradbury, to name a few.
How much of your writing is ‘‘write what you know’ or ‘researched to death’?
Of all the things gained from university, it's research, research and research. So, I research everything, I have to. Once my characters declare themselves, I want to know and understand what they are talking about. If I wrote what I know, it would be limited, but I strongly agree with the sentiment that the extent of my knowledge isn't limited to what I have done or experienced in my life. I am always learning, and research often leads me down so many irrelevant, yet strangely interesting, rabbit holes. And the wealth of things I know a bit about, from frogs and quantum science to death, serial killers, Morris dancers, moose, mice and more, makes life that much more fun and engaging. My number one personality trait is curiosity, so once I start....
Have you ever based a character on someone you know?
I don't think I have based my characters directly on somebody I know; more, perhaps, a combination of different people brought together into one character. I do use a dominant trait I've encountered in someone, but I add different characteristics and attributes. I'm fortunate that I'm what you would call a 'pantser' writer (write by the seat of my pants), or better said, a 'discovery' writer. My characters come to me as they are, and either grow and develop further, or remain unchanged, like Clive in the Cats Paw Chronicles. So, it is difficult to pinpoint where they come from; they must be drawn from my observations and interactions with people, and then they're all buried away and exhumed when I'm writing.
What’s your favourite part of the writing process?
Being in the zone. When the writing flows and the characters talk one after the other in my head, just bursting to be seen and heard, it can be like eavesdropping, particularly when the characters converse among themselves. It can be dangerous, though. I once forgot to pick up my kids from school; I was so 'lost' in my writing. When the school rang, I was utterly mortified and literally raced there to pick them up. I found it hard to explain to the teacher, beat myself up all night and the following weeks, gave the kids copious amounts of ice cream (fortunately they had no idea, but enjoyed the avalanche), vowed never, ever again and set an alarm clock the equivalent of a compass for the deeply-lost-but-you-have-offspring kind of people.
Do you write for entertainment, or is there a deeper message in your stories?
I write for entertainment, hoping to bring enjoyment and provide an escape for both the reader and myself, even if it is just for a little while. Sometimes, a story may have a deeper meaning, but if it exists, it wasn't planned; it is simply a natural reflection or consequence that the characters bring about.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
Like the core of speculative fiction, and similar to other writers, I ask, "What if? It's a boundless, vast 'What If' with my imagination being the only limit to its wanderings. I like how Albert Einstein summed it up: 'Imagination is more important than knowledge,' and 'Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.'
What has creating characters taught you about yourself and/or the people around you?
To be kind. We are all stumbling and bumbling our way through life, warts n' all. It's essential to stop and smell the roses, but it's more important to be able to laugh along the way.
How has being an author shaped you as a person?
It has given me some skills I didn't have before, and the skills I have are constantly being refined. Patience, understanding and appreciating the 'human' condition--apart from living--is further understood from writing, researching and importantly reading. Different races, different cultures, yet all of us fundamentally the same, putting on our trousers one leg at a time.
Is there a story you must write, and have you written it yet?
Yes, there is a story. It's just there. Inside. I just can't see it yet, but I can feel it. It's like a child in the womb, alive, growing, and now and again gently kicking. I'm just waiting.
What’s brewing? What are your next big writing goals?
To revisit my crime series. Write some speculative crime. To write more short stories. To keep more in touch with Black Hare Press, and to reach out and connect with other authors and get myself out there on social media!
Since becoming an author, has your worldview changed?
Through research, I have come to appreciate even more the wonders of nature worldwide and value the diversity of all the animals on Earth. I know it sounds trite, but it's true.
What’s your most favourite under-appreciated novel?
If I could answer it differently, I suggest any novel by Don Winslow, Jim Butcher and Stuart MacBride.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I know everyone says it, but it's 'Believe in yourself,' (particularly for my generation of women--on the tail end of the Boomers). Go for It! If you don't, no one else will do it for you; it's all up to you. And whatever you do, don't stop!
What does literary success look like to you?
For someone in a distant corner of the world to read my work and shiver and laugh, and find that once they've picked it up, they can't put it down.
Do you have a furry friend writing assistant ie dog, cat, bird, Hellhound, and how do they help you achieve your writing goals?
No pets at present, but I'm sure a muse or two visits me, and it helps enormously to have an understanding partner who always carries out the day-to-day tasks when I am once again, wholly and utterly 'lost' and forgotten that darn clock-compass.
In relation to your latest series:
The Cat's Paw Chronicles
What sparked the idea for this series?
Men. I like them; they make me laugh, albeit by just being men. They're funny, marvellous, simple, strong, enormously valorous, and wonderful beings, usually with two clay feet and a spare set on the side. Dean Shawker inadvertently gave me an idea that I totally turned around and 'What-iffed'.. Then, around the same time, I felt the 'MeToo' movement went too far in unfairly stereotyping men. Thank God the majority of men in the world are good. I wanted to create a couple of characters that would reflect this kind of intrinsic goodness, care, and quality traits, including the clay boots, and put them in precarious situations.
What challenges did you encounter to finish it?
Not challenges in the true sense, but my editor, Dean, originally wanted four in the series, yet, fortunately, being a writer too, I think he (and some other wonderful reader(s) who enjoyed all the stories) understood that the characters wouldn't shut up until they had told their story.
How did you come up with the stars/MCs in this series?
Ah, now that is where observing, listening, interpreting and living amongst men came to the fore. That dominant trait I spoke of earlier, which I draw from real people I know or have met and incorporate into a character, brought Moorehead and Clive to life. Many women have likely encountered them, and hopefully, many men can relate to them in some way; I hope both enjoy them. They made me laugh out loud.
Is there a particular message that you hope readers will take from the series?
Good question. I had to think about that. To me, Moorehead's message would be 'No matter what, there is always hope,' and importantly, to 'Enjoy this life'. And as the Eleventh Doctor, written by Steven Moffat and spoken by Matt Smith (2010), said, 'We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?'
Do you have a favourite scene?
Lots, but in Moorehead in the Devilments, when Moorehead has to face pure evil, I could feel every slinky, slithering step of that terrifying beast.
Out of all the books in the series, do you have a favourite? Why?
All of them! I can't say I have a particular favourite. I enjoyed writing them all. Why? Although I use mother-in-laws and exes in some of them, the humour associated with them and Moorehead is unique to each book. Each one presented a challenge in this way. Writing jokes is more complicated than telling jokes, where you can use your body, voice, and facial expressions. In writing jokes, I aim to keep them fresh, set it up and deliver the punch line quickly afterwards as a natural part of each character's dialogue. Sometimes that bumps a bit with my editor's grammatical concerns. Fortunately, the characters were funny, my editor is kind, and I had a good muse sitting on my shoulder.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Release order: 1
Publication Date: 7th September 2024
An absurdly hilarious journey of survival in a world where the line between the supernatural and the extraterrestrial blurs.
William Moorehead’s life takes an extraordinary turn as he finds himself entangled in a series of surreal events, orchestrated by alien captors on a mysterious island. This tale is an eccentric mix of science fiction, humour, and fantasy, with Moorehead navigating through a gauntlet of fantastical challenges including vampires, werewolves, and witches. Stripped of his normalcy and plunged into bizarre scenarios, he battles not just for survival but for his sanity.
Relish in a blend of dark comedy, vivid imagination, and a protagonist who is as bewildered as he is brave.
Moorehead in the Raw promises a unique, unforgettable experience that stretches the boundaries of traditional storytelling.
Moorehead in the West
Release order: 2
Publication Date: 5th October, 2024
Link: books2read.com/Moorehead-West-
Giddy-up—Moorehead’s lost his mojo, landed in the Wild West, and is one misstep away from becoming alien chow.
Just when Moorehead thinks things can’t get any worse, the aliens beam him back into trouble—this time, smack bang in a dusty old town called Dry Gulch. He’s lost his dignity, his trousers, and a vital part of his anatomy that’s refusing to function—and the locals? Let’s just say they’re not quite right.
Release order: 3
Publication Date: 29th September 2025
Link: books2read.com/
No one told Moorehead policing came with bloodsuckers, body snatchers, and a deeply personal crisis in a cop's uniform.
Back on the alien relocation express, Moorehead wakes up mid-patrol, confused, armed, and disturbingly called “B.J.” His new life as a rookie cop—inside someone else’s body, no less—is made worse by cryptic coworkers, a headache from hell, and the terrifying realisation that this isn’t just any ordinary beat. From bizarre traffic stops with suspicious stoners named Mary and Jane, to a terrified man whose twitchy ramblings lead them to 48 Gallows Street, Moorehead is once again neck-deep in strange. But nothing prepares him—or his poor, misfiring anatomy—for what waits inside a crumbling, boarded-up house on the edge of town.
As the bodies pile up and something far worse than drugs emerges from the darkness, Moorehead must overcome his own fear and find a way to fight what might just be a real-life monster. With nothing but a dodgy flashlight, a splintered stick, and questionable backup, he’s got one shot to survive.
Irreverent, hilarious, and genuinely horrifying, Moorehead on the Beat continues the twisted series with a cop-horror fusion of gallows humour, gallows addresses, and very literal gallows endings.
Release order: 4
Publication Date: 14th October 2025
Link: books2read.com/Moorehead-Dark-
Moorehead's latest body-hopping escapade shrinks him to knee-height and dumps him into a giant-sized world teeming with monsters, drones, and questionable sandwiches.
Moorehead’s not having a great day. Zapped once again by the alien landlords, he and Clive wake up in a towering city filled with people the size of buildings—and for once, they’re fully dressed. Small wins, right? As they attempt to navigate a world that sees them as little more than novelty pets, Moorehead and Clive dodge aggressive police officers, sniff out food in questionable places, and uncover something far more sinister than sore necks and near-misses.
Be warned: you may never look at your dog the same way again.
Release order: 5
Publication Date: 28th October 2025
Link: books2read.com/Moorehead-
When the Emperor’s soul is on the line, only two fools from the future can truly cock it up.
Strap in for another outrageously absurd Moorehead misadventure—this time in the debauched depths of Caligula’s Rome.
Zapped from their island paradise to the heart of ancient decadence, Moorehead wants answers, and Clive wants a drink. Or a dancer. Or both. As gladiators battle, orgies flourish, and philosophers wax lyrical, the lads must resist every carnal distraction if they’re to fulfil the mission they don’t even know they’re on. The atmosphere thickens with sin, and not just the fun kind—something truly dark is at play beneath the palace, something demonic, something infernal. But will Moorehead’s suspicions be enough to wake Clive from his wine-soaked stupor before it’s too late?
Rude, ridiculous, and razor-sharp, Moorehead in the Devilments delivers an uproarious blend of satire and horror, smuggling big questions into even bigger jokes. Will they save the world, or are they just two blokes with no togas and even less sense?
Release order: 6
Publication Date: 18th November 2025
Link: books2read.com/Moorehead-
When you’ve shagged an alien, battled a psychotic cyborg, and questioned the universe’s moral compass—what’s left but to save it?
Moorehead is back—stranded in space, barely clothed, and tangled in a galaxy-spanning mess that smells faintly of mustard and regret.
The mission? Save the universe. The plan? Largely improvised. The risk? Existential.
Yet beneath the chaos and cock jokes lies a surprisingly poignant tale about friendship, sacrifice, and what it means to be human—even when the definition keeps getting weirder. As Moorehead faces his most absurd and deadly challenge yet, he discovers the boundaries between good and evil, love and loss, aren’t always drawn in black and white—sometimes, they’re etched in cosmic neon and bad poetry.
Moorehead in the Cosmos is a genre-busting romp through the stars that will make you laugh, wince, and possibly reconsider your underwear choices. It's brash, irreverent, deeply human—and absolutely the wrong book to read on public transport if you're prone to laughing out loud.
A.H. Syme's Last Words
