Author Interview: Graham Smith
Author Interview: Graham Smith
Today I am pleased to welcome Graham Smith on to the blog with a quick interview! He’s come up with some interesting answers!
Q&A
What is your favourite thing about writing books?
I love immersing myself in another world and observing characters, setting and the events which unfold as the story progresses. Basically, I’m nothing more than a stenographer for the voices in my head.
Who is your favourite character in your book and why?
This is like being asked which leg you prefer, left or right? I’m going to cop out and say it’s the lead character of whichever story I’m currently working on. I do though have a fondness for certain characters who occupy minor roles such as Shouty Joe who in his own words, “doesn’t just sleep under the newspapers, he reads them.”
What is your favourite drink to consume while writing?
Water. I drink at least a gallon of water every day and always have a glass of water on my desk. I’ll sometimes have a cuppa as well but it’s water that’s a constant.
Do you have any bad habits while you’re writing?
I’m a beggar for zoning out. Sometimes I’ll be so into the scene I don’t hear people speaking to me. Another bad habit is social media browsing. I now switch of all social media feeds while writing and I’ve seen productivity increase by around 50% which just shows what a time suck Facebook and Twitter can be.
How do you research your books?
However I can and however I need to. Where possible I try to visit actual locations I use to get a feel for the place. If I can’t visit I’ll use Google Maps and Streetview. I’ve spoken to cops and ex-cops, lawyers and have visited the local library as well. During one research trip I managed to get myself thrown out of a church.My research assistant Mr Google is very good at helping me learn facts. (And waste a lot of time looking at stuff that isn’t relevant.)
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a pantser who plots a few chapters ahead in a loose kind of way that may be adhered to and may be ignored if a better idea strides into my brain and sets up camp.
If you could live in any fictional world, which would you choose and why?
I’d choose to live in Wilbur Smith’s South Africa as his depiction of the word is so vibrant and enthralling. I’ve managed to visit one or two locations and would love to live there.
If you could befriend any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
My own DI Harry Evans. He’s a hard-drinking, fast-driving, profane, maverick who charges through life with a cigarette protruding from his scowl. The only problem I have with becoming his friend is that he’d either kill me or fit me up for a crime I didn’t commit as revenge for everything I’ve done to him.
About the Book
Jake Boulder’s help is requested by his best friend, Alfonse, when his cousin is crucified and burned alive along with his wife and children.
As Boulder tries to track the heinous killer, a young woman is abducted. Soon her body is discovered and Boulder realises both murders have something unusual in common.
With virtually no leads for Boulder to follow, he strives to find a way to get a clue as to the killer’s identity. But is he hunting for one killer or more?
After a young couple are snatched in the middle of the night the case takes a brutal turn. When the FBI is invited to help with the case, Boulder finds himself warned off the investigation.
When gruesome, and incendiary, footage from a mobile phone is sent to all the major US News outlets and the pressure to find those responsible for the crimes mounts. But with the authorities against him can Boulder catch the killer before it’s too late?
About the Author
Graham Smith is a time served joiner who has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000, he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.
He is an internationally best-selling Kindle author and has four books featuring DI Harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team, and two novels, featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder.
2018 will be a busy year for Graham as he has the third Jake Boulder being published and a Harry Evans novel and novella.
An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad.com since 2009
Graham is the founder of Crime and Publishment, a weekend of crime-writing classes which includes the chance for attendees to pitch their novels to agents and publishers. Since the first weekend in 2013, eight attendees have gone on to sign publishing contracts.
Are you a water guzzler too?
