Book Savvy Spotlight on Andrew D Malloy

Bringing you exclusive interviews with authors featured in the Book Savvy Newsletter.

Our Guest is Andrew D Malloy*
Enjoy the interview.

Q1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your book 'Bible John'?
I'm a father of four living in Central Scotland. I run a couple of businesses and due to my busy lifestyle, I often find it hard to find the time to sit down and write. Worse, I'm a real procrastinator! Maybe I'll tell you about it tomorrow! Seriously, businessman by day and father all of the time leaves little opportunity to get the creative juices flowing. Pity we have to sleep sometimes! The novel,' Bible John - Closure', is actually a sequel to my first book, Frantic! which was earlier released through another publisher. Ninety five percent fiction - serial killer Bible John did actually exist in the late 1960s - the book features the life and times of the detectives of Strathclyde Police Force and their struggle to catch a killer following his apparent return after more than forty years of inactivity.

Q2. When you write what emotion do you seek to evoke in your readers?
I read somewhere that a good writer creates characters people care about and subsequently begin to 'root for' during the course of a book. If I can attain that kind of plateau with every novel I write, I'll be delighted.

Q3. What provided the inspiration for you to become a writer in the first place?
A few years ago I read a magazine article about American bestselling author, James Patterson. I felt so unashamedly envious of his seemingly idyllic lifestyle and the trappings that came with it that I drove myself to open the laptop for business.

Q4. What do you enjoy most about writing? And the most challenging?
I like the freedom of writing about any subject I feel like. You choose the characters, their personalities, how they interact with each other. You control how the story twists and turns and how it all pans out in the end. The most challenging? It takes me about a year to write a novel from start to finish and it can be difficult to tie up all the loose ends.

Q5. How do you plan a novel? Do you plot the story or do you just get an idea and run with it?
I begin by drafting a very loose framework - a sort of start, middle and end - and try to fill in the blanks as best I can before I actually start work. Having said that, both books I've had published bear almost no relation to their initial drafts! Do I plan or run? I guess a bit of both.

Q6. Which authors/books have had the most influence on your writing style?
I love to read different genres but especially love crime fiction. I like to think I've picked up a few good habits from the likes of Richard Montanari and Jeffery Deaver. I hope so.

Q7. Are you basically a crime fiction writer or do you have plot ideas that might suit different types of genres?
My father is an ex-professional footballer and I'm currently working on an autobiographical account of his time in the game. I must say I'm loving the change of scene and I think I'm coping pretty well with writing in the first person. I'm also a big fan of Western movies and I'd love to have a go at this genre sometime in the near future.

Q8. What are your interests when you are not writing?
I'm a confirmed family man and I love to spend time with my kids. I'm also a big football fan, a keen golfer and I like to do a little DIY when the occasion demands. I'll also admit to a penchant for American crime dramas like Criminal Minds, NCIS and CSI. Can't get enough of them!

Q9. What is the first thing you did to promote your book once the publisher accepted your manuscript?
I did a couple of newspaper articles and local radio interviews back at the very start. Since then I've sent flyers to all my business contacts as well as emails to the various libraries in Scotland.

Q10. If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you've used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?
I think the articles in the local newspaper probably had the most productive effect on sales of the book. I believe that if you are not a household name or on the bestseller lists the place to begin the sales process is definitely your home town.

Q11. Do you do more promoting online or offline and which do you prefer?
I prefer to speak to people face to face or on the telephone. I've tried. I've really tried but I just cannot get into the world of social networking. But don't worry, I've enlisted the help of a good friend, a business associate who is going to advise me in all things electronic. Watch this space!

Q12. Are you concerned about the effect of e-publishing on traditional books?
My wife has a kindle and absolutely loves it. I much prefer the look and feel of a real book. Don't get me wrong, I can see a massive rise in cheaper to produce ebooks in the not too distant future. I suppose in these recession hit times any cost savings have to be applauded and encouraged.

Q13. What kinds of feed-back have you received from your readers, good and bad?
To date I've experienced only positive feedback for both books. I'm not daft, though. I know family and close friends will tend not to give it to you as straight as you would like. Conversely, I've seen many positive reviews of my books from people I have never heard of. I take great heart from this as I realise that if I've entertained a complete stranger I must be doing something right.

Q14. How do you see your writing career progressing? Are there more books in the pipeline?
As I mentioned earlier, once I finish the book about my father, it's back to the crime writing. I've even gone as far as structuring a loose framework for the next thriller which is, as yet, untitled. The book will introduce one or two brand new characters in among the usual suspects. Oh, and don't forget I'd like to have a go at writing a couple of old fashioned western novels.

Q15. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers or even fellow authors?
Try and write a little every day. Stay away from the negativity. Before you send your submission to an agent or a publisher make sure the sample of your writing is error free and makes sense. If it doesn't grab you when you read over it, change it until it does. Good luck!

Thank you for your time. We wish you every success in your writing career.

*Andrew Malloy was born in Cardiff, South Wales but considers himself Scottish as his family hailed from Scotland's Central Region. Over the years he's become more and more interested in crime thrillers, especially those written by some of the more talented American writers. He has many ideas for more crime thrillers for the future.
 Andrew Malloy is the author of Bible John - Closure.

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* Book Savvy is an e-newsletter of Pneuma Springs Publishing, featuring news and information about all published books and new releases with highlights about the authors behind the books. Look out also for helpful resources e.g. blogs, book reviews and of course, discounts, special offers etc.