1. So, tell me about your best-selling
thriller, The Revelation Room?
The Revelation
Room is the first in a series of books involving Ben Whittle and his friend
Maddie. Ben’s father, a private investigator, is taken captive by a cult whilst
looking for a missing girl. When Ben receives a terrifying phone call from his
father asking for help and imploring Ben not to call the police or else
“everyone will die”, Ben and Maddie are
forced to join the cult to rescue Ben’s father from the inside. After being initiated
into the cult, they soon find out that it is run by an egocentric psychopath
who will stop at nothing to ensure his orders are obeyed. With time running
out, Ben and Maddie have to find Ben’s father and somehow escape the clutches
of the group and the dreadful truth that lies waiting in the Revelation Room.
Amazon book page http://t.co/lIsDlOxk2u It's a fabulous read, folks.
Amazon book page http://t.co/lIsDlOxk2u It's a fabulous read, folks.
2. When and why did you decide to become an
Indie writer?
I’ve always loved writing, but a
combination of trying to find an agent and a publisher, coupled with a personal
tragedy which left me on my own to raise two young daughters, I lost interest
for quite some time. It was only the emergence of Amazon Kindle that rekindled
(pardon the pun) my interest in writing and made me think, why not?
3. What genre do you write in and what genre
do you prefer to read?
My stories are psychological crime
thrillers with a hint of dark humour. I like to lighten the mood a bit, especially
when the antagonists are so dark and twisted. As for reading, I love
psychological thrillers, virtually everything Stephen King has written, and
comedy, particularly Tom Sharpe. Some of his books have made me laugh so much
that I literally stopped breathing!
4. Where do you sell most books, USA or UK,
Amazon or Barnes and Noble?
Amazon. I seem to be most popular with the
American audience at the moment which is really pleasing, but I am only just
starting, so hopefully I can widen that audience in time to come.
5. During your childhood who was your biggest
influence?
Without a doubt it was Agatha Christie. She
lived about a mile up the road from me, and I used to be completely in awe of
this great writer. I loved her books. I would read them and reread them at
school. We used to go carol singing there as a kid, hoping that she would
answer the door. She never did, but expectation is everything when you’re that
age!
6. Are you fortunate enough to write
full-time?
No. That’s not to say I wouldn’t mind the
chance to write full time! I can’t think of a better job to have. If I have a
good day writing, I feel so happy and fulfilled. It’s like all this stuff in my
head is out. Purged. I’m on top of the world. For a while at least.
7. If Hollywood came knocking who would you
want to play your main character?
That’s a really tough one to answer, because
I have a vision of Ben Whittle in my mind and I can’t think of anyone who looks
like him, so it would have to come down to screen persona. Ben’s also pretty young,
22, and if I’m honest, I’m a bit out of touch with young Hollywood actors. Ben’s
quite tall, skinny and awkward with a mop on unruly dark hair. I really like
the guy who plays Jay in EastEnders, even though he looks nothing like Ben.
8. Name 6 people, dead or alive, you'd love to
have as guests seated around your dinner-table.
Agatha Christie – to ask her why she never
answered the door at Christmas! Seriously, I’d just like to thank her for
introducing me to the wonders of writing. Stephen King, because he is the best
and I would be interested in anything he had to say about writing. Catherine Cookson,
because she brought such vivid reality to her books. Tom Sharpe, the funniest
writer who has ever lived. His brand of humour has had such a huge impact on me
as a writer. I can’t compliment the man enough. Oskar Schindler. A fascinating
and intriguing man who was a member of the Nazi party and helped to save over a
thousand Jews by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories. He
was initially motivated by the profitability of enforced labour, but later
showed extraordinary dedication and tenacity to save the lives of those
workers. Lastly, I think I’d like David Attenborough. His amazing Life programs have captivated me. I
love his enthusiasm and his dedication to the wonderful nature of this planet.
Inspirational stuff.
9. What
one piece of advice have you found the most important in your writing career?
Keep persevering and keep learning. Always
keep learning. Of course, this is more important now than ever if you want to self-publish,
because there’s all the social media stuff to do as well as the writing. You
have to be a writer, a publisher, an editor and a promoter all rolled into one.
That’s all lot of hats for one head!
9. What are your plans for the coming year?
I’m in the middle of a house move at the
moment, so it’s quite difficult to fully focus on the book I’m rewriting. It’s called
The Eyes of the Accused. The story is about a missing girl who left work early
because she was sick and never returned home. Hannah Heath was four months
pregnant, about to marry the love of her life and settle down to family life
when she went missing. Ben and Maddie are asked to try to shed some light on
the case by Hannah’s desperate mother after the police failed to turn up a anything
significant other than a dodgy maintenance man at the nursing home where Hannah
worked. I’m hoping to publish it early next year and then start work on my
third novel.
10. And finally, if you were stranded on a
desert island what 3 books would you choose to have with you?
Under
the Dome by Stephen King. This book is 900 pages or so of sheer brilliance.
I love the way he gets right under the skin of the characters, and how, by
putting them all ‘under the dome’, a mysterious unbreakable dome that shuts all
the inhabitants off from the rest of the world, he studies them and sees how
they react under intense pressure. This book has got the lot for me. A great
ending, too, which I won’t reveal, but if anyone out there hasn’t read it, I highly
recommend that you do. It’s as if King has literally put life under the
microscope.
Indecent
Exposure by Tom Sharpe. This is the funniest book I’ve ever read. Set in
South Africa, it is a great satirical look at the South African police, with Kommandant
Van Heerden, Konstabel Els and Luitenant Verkramp in a relentless quest for a
perfect South Africa. Luitenant Verkramp, who has a hatred of all things
English, surpassed only by his fear of sex, sets in motion an experiment in
mass chastity. With the help of a female psychiatrist, the result of the
experiment is remarkable and with completely hilarious unforeseen results.
The
Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. What can I say about this
book. It looks at the meaning of life and life after death through the
protagonist, an elderly amusement park maintenance man called Eddie who dies
whilst rescuing a young girl from a ride called Free Fall. Eddie goes to Heaven
where he meets five people who were surprisingly instrumental in his life. As
Eddie travels through Heaven he learns more and more about what his time on
earth meant, what he was supposed to have learned and what his true purpose
was. There are dramatic flashbacks throughout the story with scenes from his
troubled childhood, his time in the army and his first and only love,
Marguerite. This book is just chocked full of meaning and compelling narrative.
I know I’ll never write a book like this, but I wish I could.
You can keep in touch with Mark at the following links:
Blog (Mark my Words) http://www.marktilbury.com
twitter handle - @MTilburyAuthor
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/marktilburyauthor
You can keep in touch with Mark at the following links:
Blog (Mark my Words) http://www.marktilbury.com
twitter handle - @MTilburyAuthor
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/marktilburyauthor