1 – Can you start by telling us a little about your current book?
Out Of Sight is the 7th full-length DCI Warren Jones novel. It opens with a body in a ditch. No clothes, keys or wallet, his teeth have been smashed in and his fingertips sliced off. Whoever dumped him there didn’t want him to be easily identified. Warren and his team have to uncover who he is and then try and work out where he was killed, why he was there and why he was killed, before they can work out who was responsible.
2 – Are you a plotter or a panster?
Pantser! I have a few ideas about what I want the book to be about, usually know who did it and why, but no idea how I’m going to join the dots.
3 – Savoury or sweet?
Savoury, every time! And if it’s cheese-based, so much the better!
4 – Three books to a desert Island. Go!
The Enemy by Lee Child. This is the first time that Child decided to revisit Reacher as a young man in the army. A damned fine detective story and a real insight into what helped shape Reacher.
The novelization of The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern – I reread this every few years. No idea why, I just love it.
The Return by William Shatner and Judith and Garth Reeves-Stevens – This could have been the perfect follow-up to the film Star Trek: Generations; alas it never happened.
5 – Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Trek – my first love! I have a fantasy that one day, Pocket Books will call me up and ask me to write them a star trek novel…
6 – If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
There are so many superpowers that I could use to make the world a better place – but I’ve always wanted to fly, so I’m going to be selfish!
7 – Music or Silence when writing?
Silence generally – if I do have music on, it’s more to block out background noise than because I actually want to listen to it.
8 – If you could live anywhere in the world, and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose?
Toronto – I loved living there in the early 2000s
9 - Your favourite karaoke song?
Queen – Don’t stop me now!
10 – One piece of advice to an aspiring writer?
Don’t spend too long crafting that perfect sentence, it’ll break your creative flow. If it isn’t behaving itself, write it as it is, then just highlight it and return to it later.
11 – You win £1 million, but you must give half to charity. Which charity do you chose, and what do you do with the rest of the money?
The Trussell Trust. It is morally repugnant that our society (even before the pandemic) allowed a situation to develop whereby there are people who can’t afford to eat.
The remainder of the money would be spent on buying some land and building our dream eco home. Fully self-sufficient in terms of energy usage, carbon-negative building materials and captured rainwater. Oh, and a library, with floor to ceiling shelves and a ladder on a brass rail. 😊
12 – Horror films, yes or no? If so, any favourites?
No – I have nothing against horror as a component of a story, but I’m not especially interested if the horror IS the story. It’s rather like romance – I’m perfectly happy to read a book with two characters that fall in love etc, but I’m not interested if the primary purpose of the story is their romantic journey.
13 - What are you currently working on?
I just received the first round of feedback from my beta readers for DCI Warren Jones 8, summer 2022’s book. I am roughly halfway through the first working draft of book 9, due out summer 2023.