I am delighted to announce that author Nigel Seed features next in the series. As you may be aware I asked authors on my facebook page if they would like to appear in a series of *interviews*. I wanted to connect with other writers, find out what they write about, why they write, their thoughts about the writing process, their drives, and learn a little more about them.
Please find the full interview below (also linked to my twitter, tumblr, facebook, Goodreads, and google + account).
Please do share with your circle of book friends and leave me a like/comment - thank you very much.
Tell us about your first novel? When did you start writing and why?
Having retired and moved to Spain I had time to do all the reading I wanted. When reading a book about the German V weapons of World War 2, I came across a statement that the Germans wanted to strike America, but did not have the technology. That started me thinking about a legend I heard when serving with the Army in Germany. With a little research I put together three German technologies of WW2 and I had the basis for my story. It is due to be reissued April 11th 2016.
Are you self-published or traditional?
I struggled to find an agent or a publisher who would look at my books seriously so I self-published the first three. I then found a publisher who could see the merit in what I had written and we signed contracts. So my books are being re-edited and reissued.
Could you give us an introduction on each of your books?
V4 – Vengeance Delayed
Major Jimmy Wilson, late of the Royal Engineers, has been obliged to leave the rapidly shrinking British Army. He needs a job but they are thin on the ground even for a highly capable Army Officer. Then he is offered the chance to go to Northern Germany to search for the last great secret of World War 2, a hidden U Boat base. Once he unravels the mystery he is asked to help to spirit two submarines away from under the noses of the German government, to be the central exhibits in a Russian museum. But then the betrayal begins and a seventy year old horror unfolds.
Golden Eights
In 1940, with the British army in disarray after the evacuation from Dunkirk, invasion seemed a very real possibility. As a precaution, the Government decided to protect the national gold reserves by sending most of the bullion to Canada on fast ships that ran the gauntlet of the U boat fleets. But a lot of gold bars and other treasures were hidden in England. In the fog of war, this treasure was lost. Now, finally, a clue has emerged that might lead to the hiding place. The Government needs the gold back if the country is not to plunge into a huge financial crisis. Major Jim Wilson has been tasked to find it. He and his small team start the search, unaware that there is a traitor watching their every move and intent on acquiring the gold, at any cost.
Two Into One
Following his return from Washington the Prime Minister’s behaviour has changed. Based on his previous relationship with the PM, Major Jim Wilson is called in to investigate. What he finds is shocking and threatens the peace of the world. But now he must find a way to put things right and there is very little time to do it. His small team sets out on a dangerous quest that takes them from the hills of Cumbria to the Cayman Islands and Dubai, but others are watching and playing for high stakes.
160 Degrees East
Major Jim Wilson and his two men are summoned at short notice to Downing Street. The US Government has a problem and they have asked for help from Wilson and his small team. Reluctantly Jim agrees, but he is unaware of the deceit and betrayal awaiting him from people he thought of as friends. From the wild hills of Wales to the frozen shores of Russia and on to the mountains of British Columbia Jim and his men have to fight to survive, to complete their mission and to right a terrible wrong.
I can see Jim Wilson as a popular character, I'll definitely be looking out for more of his adventures.
Any future projects?
I have ideas for future books. Maybe a second volume of children’s bedtime stories and maybe a sixth book in the action novel series. I also have an idea for a science fiction story that I would like to try and write.
Who is your favourite character of your books and why?
A tricky question. In my adventure series I have a group of three lead characters who work together. I could not single one of them out as my favourite. Though I am quite fond of Megan, the female character I brought into my fourth book “160 Degrees East”.
Where can readers find your books?
The first in the series is available for pre-order on Amazon and other good websites, such as Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. The others will follow during 2016.
Which authors have enthralled you?
Tough question, I like so many.
Bernard Cornwell has to be up in the lead, his Sharpe books are excellent and the other historical novels he has done are at very nearly the same standard. I also really enjoyed his first non-fiction book “Waterloo”.
I admire the writing of James Patterson. The way he draws his characters and the short punchy chapters that keep the story moving are great.
Clive Cussler writes books with really inventive plots that I admire.
Apparently Waterloo is to be re-issued because of some rather horrendous errors.
What writer or book has had the biggest influence on your work?
I have read a lot of good books over the years and all of them have influenced me. As I started writing seriously I read Stephen King’s book “On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft.” That helped a lot.
Where do you do your writing?
We hollowed out the mountain beneath our house and created a study down there so I have somewhere to hide away from everyone to work. If I really have to, I also let it be used as an overflow bedroom when we have guests.
How many hours a day do you write?
I am not a disciplined writer. I write when the urge comes upon me. Some days I write nothing. On other days I have started at ten in the morning and gone straight through until three in the morning the next day, when I had an important passage to write.
What challenges do you face when writing?
Once I have the idea or plot sorted out in my head I am able to focus on it quite firmly. Until I have that sorted out I can be distracted.
What has surprised you most about writing?
I was surprised at how seriously people took me when I told them I had started writing. I expected some gentle mockery, but it never happened.
What are the best and worst things about being a writer?
The best is when an idea starts to work and I can see how my heroes are going to overcome the massive problem I have given them. The worst is being rejected out of hand by agents with no sensible explanation of why.
What is the most exciting experience you've had as a result of writing?
I think the writing course with John Gordon Davis has been the best so far. Sitting with like-minded people discussing our books and how to improve them. Running a close second must be opening the box and seeing my book in print for the first time.
How do you structure when writing a book - do you start with an outline, plot each chapter or just write and see where it goes from there?
I have used both methods. For my first book I just started and went where my imagination took me. For the others I have written an outline, though only about two or three pages, just to see if the story hung together before I launched into it. Even when I have the outline the story develops as I go through it.
How do you market your books?
I have a Facebook and a Goodreads page. I have put up posters around this area in cafes and bars. I have submitted my books to bloggers who review books and I have an author page on Amazon. These methods were not very successful and I am hoping for much more when my publisher’s marketing plan kicks in.
Personally I don't have the money to do big sponsoring posts on facebook and twitter. I've tried Goodreads and not much happened. It was difficult to see what option worked best. Posters? Interesting idea. I might try a local library and see if they'll host me, but it's nice to read about other ideas.
How much do you feel you've improved in the last few years?
Considerably. It takes time to learn the writing craft, to spot the mistakes and correct them. The only way I know to improve is to do the work and then let others criticize freely. I have a small group of friends who have agreed to do that for me and it helps.
Who do you act out the scenes in your novels with?
I don’t act out the scenes, but I do run them in my head like a movie. If they work on the screen I am watching in there, I go and write them.
What's your favourite character archetype of literature?
A fairly ordinary person performing extraordinary actions.
What scene in your writing has made you laugh the hardest or cry the most?
Not an easy one to answer. There are a number of action scenes I am very pleased with. There are two sex scenes that make me smile as I imagine my kids reading them and being horrified at what Dad has written.
In my unpublished Robin Hood story I wrote his death scene. I wanted it extremely emotional. I re-wrote it and carried on until I made myself cry. I just wanted that impact.
What do you think makes good writing?
I think unless the author cares about his characters the writing can appear wooden or perfunctory. Plots must be credible and possible. Having incredible escapes will put the reader off as I feel that is lazy writing.
Do you believe in writers block? If so, have you ever had to overcome it?
I do believe that a writer can get stuck trying to work out how to make the next plot twist work in a credible way. I find that if I get stuck in one book I leave it alone for a while, for my subconscious to work on the issue, while I write something for one of the other projects I have on the go.
Lastly, what advice can you give to other writers?
Tell the story you want to read. If you believe in your work, don’t let anyone discourage you.
Thank you for your time, Nigel, all the best for your writing.
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