I am delighted that KEITH NIXON is joining me on my blog today. His crime fiction book - The Corpse Role - was published on 10 April 2015 by Gladius Press.
So Keith, what inspired you to write a book in the first place?
I've wanted to write as long as I can remember, but I kept hunting for an idea to hang the story off. The Eagle's Blood came from a visit to Maiden Castle. The Fix came from coming to terms with losing my job - I killed an ex-boss!
Where do your ideas come from?
Most of them - no idea! The initial kernel for a story really is the key to the whole thing. Usually this is character based - people are stories, after all. But writing is a constant stream of ideas.
Have your personal experiences influenced your writing? And if so, how?
Yes, and no. I've never murdered anyone, seen a dead body or been in the middle of a pitched battle between Romans and Britons. But I can write about them through research and imagination. And there are people I've met and conversations I've had that inspire certain events. Ultimately, books are a product of experience.
Describe your writing style in 10 words or less?
Short, punchy, dialogue anf character based, dash of humour
Do you have any strange writing habits?
Not really. I tend to write early in the morning before everyone else is up. And I typically get stuck 30% into a novel and have a serious look back, but neither are strange...
Do you plot out the whole book before you start or just start writing and see where it leads you?
A mix. I'll have the idea, some chapters plotted, an ending (which usually changes) and some characters. But beyond that, it evolves as the writing flows.
What do you consider to be the hardest part of your writing?
Getting beyond the 30% point! Being flushed with the idea creates a lot of energy, but once you're awash with problems and challenges to solve it becomes more of a grind. Persistence is the key requirement in being a writer.
Do you read? If so, who are your favourite authors?
As much as I can, I review for two blog sites. There are so many to list, but Ian Rankin I admire greatly, the late Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell and Tony Black. There are also indie authors pleasing a trail - Ryan Bracha, Mark Wilson and Gerard Brennan among many.
How has your life changed since becoming a published author?
I have a lot more to do now. I attempt to keep up a constant stream of writing, which requires time. My social media contact has expanded greatly, and I get a lot out of talking to writers and readers.
If you were writing a book about your life, what would be the title?
'Really?'
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Just keep writing - there's no such thing as an overnight success.
And lastly, why should people read your latest book?
People should read The Corpse Role, because it's a crime thriller with a hell of a twist at the end you'll never see coming!
About Keith Nixon
Find Keith Nixon on his Facebook page and follow Keith on Twitter: @knntom
The Corpse Role
Published by Gladius Press (10 April 2015)
Synopsis:
Not everything that gets buried stays buried… sometimes things have a nasty habit of resurfacing…
When the body of a security van driver implicated in an unsolved £1.2 million heist turns up in a shallow grave two years later, it's just the beginning for Detective Inspector Charlotte Granger. She embarks on an investigation that takes her into dangerous territory - a world of dirty cops, dodgy private investigators, local villains and nosy journalists. Meanwhile events from Granger's own past are threatening to come back and haunt her.
As people are killed to silence them and vital information vanished from files, can DI Granger get to the truth. And if she does, what will that truth reveal?
Find The Corpse Role on Amazon UK here
