This week, we start a new series to help you get to know your favorite bestselling authors a little better.
A number of of our members have been BestSelling Authors for some time. And of course, they have grown as artists, professionals and people over those years.
Gray Justice, action thriller. Tom Gray loses his wife and son to a career criminal and decides that revenge just isn’t enough.
Gray Resurrection, action thriller. Tom Gray is living in the Philippines and is kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf terrorists. They are snot the only ones who want him dead.
Gray Redemption, action thriller. Tom Gray and his friends are heading back to England, but someone is determined to stop them.
So let’s find out just how. This week, we start with the master of the action thriller, Alan McDermott.
Tell us about your life when you decided to publish a book.
At 45, I was the bread winner of the house, twin girls had just come along, and money was tight. I’d tried a couple of other ways to make a little extra, and someone suggested I publish one of my short stories. I knew that wouldn’t make much, so I tried writing a full novel. That became Gray Justice, which has now sold over 300,000 copies. I gave up the day job four years later and have been writing full time ever since,
Did you send your first book to agents and publishers, or did you publish independently?
I sent out five query letters at the start of my writing career but go no joy, so I continued to self-publish until 2014, when a publisher approached me. They published my first ten books, but I have reverted to self-publishing once more.
Gray Retribution, action thriller. Gray comes to the rescue of his team in Africa, but a home grown menace awaits him on his return.
Gray Vengeance, action thriller. A terrorist group brings England to its knees, and Gray is caught up in the middle of it.
Gray Salvation, action thriller. When MI5 agent Andrew Harvey is captured by Russians, Gray is the only man they can turn to.
Is there anything about your first book that you wish you had written, or done differently?
If I could go back and change Gray Justice (I can’t, because it has to tie in with my publisher’s audio version) I would pay more attention to character development and avoid a ton of cliches and stereotypes.
How do you think your writing and your books have changed since then?
I’ve learned so much in the last ten years. When I look back on Gray Justice, I see how poorly I handled the story. The help and advice I’ve been given from a couple of great developmental editors has been invaluable.
Gray Genesis, action thriller. In this prequel, Gray and his SAS team fight to prevent a deadly virus tipping the Afghanistan war in the Taliban’s favour.
Trojan, MI5 thriller. A deadly virus is on its way to England, and MI5’s only clue is a young refugee and her baby.
Tell us about your work in progress.
My current work is the first in a series about an MI6 operative who is caught red-handed in Moscow. While his friend tries to find the person responsible for tipping off the Russians, Alex Mann must escape so that he can prevent a deadly attack on London.
What impacts, if any, has the pandemic had on your writing?
The only impact I’ve seen is a drop in sales. As a writer I spend about 14 hours a day at my laptop (half of that procrastinating), so not being able to go out and socialise didn’t affect me at all.
Run and Hide, action thriller. Eva Driscoll’s search for her brother’s killer reveals an enemy more terrifying than she could ever have imagined.
Seek and Destroy, action thriller. Driscoll helps Tom Gray search for his missing daughter, kidnapped by a deranged billionaire.
Fight to Survive, action thriller. Driscoll is forced to take on a mission to save a North Korean defector.
When Death Strikes, action thriller. A bar room brawl quickly escalates into a race against time as Driscoll and Sonny try to evade hired killer in the Peruvian jungle.
What are some things about others’ books that you love?
I like books that maintain the pace throughout. Each chapter has to have a hook to keep me wanting more.
What are some things about others’ books that you detest?
Going overboard with descriptions of people and places. People are aware of what a warm summer day looks and feels like, so why spend three pages telling them what they already know? If a book starts out with a great opening, then gets bogged down with back story and description, I’ll abandon it.
What advice do you have for new or aspiring authors today?
Go into writing knowing it’s a marathon, not a sprint. One in a few million will have a breakout first novel. The rest of us have to build up a readership over time. Also, invest in an editor; you can’t do it yourself. Finally, write every day. Even if it’s something you’ll come back and delete tomorrow, get words on paper (or the screen).
Motive, action thriller. Ryan Anderson finds work as muscle for a Manchester gangster, but all is not as it seems.
Fifteen Times a Killer, FBI serial killer thriller. A tip off leads to the discovery of a body buried years earlier. The serial killer is ready to take his final victims.
Alan Mc
Alan McDermott is the author of 15 bestselling thrillers. His latest, When Death Strikes, comes out at the end of August.
Visit his :
- BestSelling Reads author page
- website
- blog
- Amazon Author page