Today I’m joining the blog tour for Blood On The Tracks. I’m sharing my Q&A with the author with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and to Guy Hale for answering my questions!

Have you always wanted to write?

I was 22 when l started writing short stories and had a couple published. I always kept doing a bit of writing but it wasn’t until l sold my business and retired early in 2018 that l finally had time to settle down and start writing novels.

What was your inspiration for Blood On The Tracks?

I was sitting in a restaurant in LA with US Blues Rock star Mike Zito, we own Gulf Coast Records together. Mike was telling me about how, in his early days, he did cabaret in a third rate casino in Nevada. Blackjack is based on this town. He had a dream that he killed someone and when he woke up the next morning the song was on his bedside table. Straight away l saw the whole story. The guy could only write a song when he kills, he needs 11 songs for an album. He’s a good guy so he only kills scumbags. It had to be dark and funny and the killer had to be loveable. I saw it as two trilogies. I just sent number three from the first trilogy, The Comeback Trail, off to my publishers.

What does your writing process look like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I started out as a pantser but on the 2nd draft of book one realised l had bought back to life in Chapter 16 someone l had killed in Chapter 3. Since then l have always put together a route map with certain events and characters l know are going to happen. Other characters start to talk to me when I’m writing and then they have to be included and new events evolve as the characters dictate.

How do you construct your characters? Do they have traits of people you know?

Oh yes, lots of folks familiar with the US Blues Rock scene will recognise characters in my books.
How did you research Blood On The Tracks? Did you enjoy it?

My research was running a Blues Rock label in the US for three years. I’ve been in the bars and clubs. I’ve travel in the van across the US. I know this world. Everything is based on real experiences…apart from the murdering…honest!

Who are your favourite writers? Are you influenced by them?

In the US Crime world it has to start with Raymond Chandler and Robert B Parker. Of the current generation Don Winslow and Adrian McKinty (Irish but living in US). Archer Mayor and Janet Evanovich. From the UK it’s Mick Herron, Anthony Horowitz, Joy Ellis, Val McDermid, Ben Aaronovitch, and Rob Parker to name just a few. Outside of crime it has to be James Salter, Gore Vidal, Philip K Dick, Evelyn Waugh, Laurie Lee and Len Deighton.

If you could invite three people, alive or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Gore Vidal because he had the greatest mind and a life full of great stories. Giles Brandreth because apart from being a lovely bloke he is also one of the funniest people alive and Billy Connolly because he is a national treasure, incredibly entertaining and a wonderful human being. I love conversation and laughter; life is too short without it.

Who would you least like to be stuck in a lift with and why?

Donald Trump because he represents so much that is wrong with the modern world. Self-absorbed, unlimited greed, disregard for others, failure to admit when he is wrong, inability to tell the truth and a terrible role model. That is just the tip of the iceberg but if you look at the terrible atmosphere of hate and alternative truth that he has created in the US it’s appalling.

Who would play the main character/s in a film version of Blood On The Tracks?

Matthew McConaughey. I wrote the books visualising him as Jimmy Wayne. Great actor and a great man.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Travel with my lovely wife Lou. Spend time with friends and family. We love going out to nice restaurants. I’m also a very keen cyclist and trainer. I love touring on one of my motorbikes and Lou and l have a couple of GT sportscars we use for touring in the UK and Europe. We try to avoid planes these days.

What is next for you?

I’ve just finished the first book in the Jimmy Wayne, The Comeback Trilogy, it’s out in May 23 and have now started on a five part Detective series set in 1927 Stratford on Avon. If the first series of Jimmy Wayne does well and there is a demand another trilogy is already outlined and ready to go. I have twelve books plotted and outlined so if I’m still breathing there is plenty more to come.

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Blood On The Tracks is available from Amazon.

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