Fifty/Fifty, and other stories

1. What types of books do you write?

Broadly speaking, I write fiction. I write a lot of short stories, some of which have been published and some of which are to be published soon. I'm also writing a vaguely historical novel, set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the '30s and '40s. Hopefully I will have it ready for publication next year. I don't really like pigeonholing my writing into a specific genre, as i think a good story can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of what they usually read.

2. What is the latest book you have written?
I have just published a collection of short stories, entitled 'Fifty/Fifty, and other stories'
On Sale, at Amazon

Below is the synopsis of the book:
Fifty/Fifty and Other Stories is a collection of eleven outstanding short stories by Northern Irish author Matthew W. McFarland.
In 'Fifty/Fifty', a policeman is called out to an attempted suicide on the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. His previous experience with 'jumpers' has led to one death and one life saved - his current record is fifty/fifty, but all that is about to change.
In 'Defenestration', a man is thrown from the twelfth storey of a building in mysterious circumstances. As he falls towards almost certain death, he contemplates his fate, killer whales, flying cats, and the untapped potential of the human mind.

In 'The Burning Bar', a man enters a burning building to rescue the love of his life, and becomes trapped, as the whole place collapses around him. Will he manage to escape before it is too late?
'What Have You Done?' deals with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland, as a civil servant comes face to face with an ex-terrorist, leading him to discover how the previous generation coped with living through the worst of the Troubles.

These, and seven other stories, touching on sport, fatherhood, arachnophobia, faith, and cannibalism, make up an exciting collection of short fiction which will leave readers wanting more.


3. Is it part of a series, if so which one?
Not part of a series

4. When did you start writing?
I started writing seriously about three years ago, but I think that I really learnt to write by studying a lot of English Literature at school and then University.

5. Why did you start writing?
I decided to take a creative writing class, as a bit of fun more than anything else, but I found that I really enjoyed it, that my writing seemed to resonate with people, and that once I had started, I couldn't seem to stop!

6. Who are your influences?
My influences range from Ernest Hemingway, to Hunter S Thompson, Colin Bateman, David Mitchell, Roddy Doyle, F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. What can we expect from you in the near future? Book signing events, other details
I hope to publish another collection of short stories in the New Year, followed by a novel at some point in the near future.