Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I love a challenge and have a habit of doing things for fun and then getting serious. I started jogging fun runs in my early thirties and ended up completing five marathons. My plan was to write one book, now I want to complete five, at least.

Why did you choose the themes in your book and were you aware of them from the start?

Yes, I had an idea about a mafia-based book, and I also wanted to weave in some contemporary ideas. So in this book, the now infamous “Big Build” gets referenced, as do the gang wars that we deal with daily.

How difficult was it for you to write this book? Did you face any obstacles?

I opened the very first word doco for this book on 22 June 2022. I was still finishing off The Family Cleaner – I think it was in the copyedit phase. By the time I’d wrestled that one into the publishing phase, Family of Lies was well under way. I then had a six-month interruption to build my partner a ceramic studio on our block. After the beta reading, I completed a re-write, and then the copyedit process had me deep in another re-write.

Do you always write in this genre or do you like to break out of the box?

So far, the three books are in the crime fiction area, albeit, The Chinese Doll had an espionage theme. My next book will be a departure from the genre, though it already has a splash of crime but not core to the story.

What are your writing habits or idiosyncrasies?

I write Monday to Friday mainly, though occasionally, I will work on a weekend if I’m up against a self-imposed deadline. I write in two different spaces and often have classical music in my headphones to focus. I also often play the double album of Leonard Cohen as he was really a poet who sang, and his lyrics are inspiring.

What would you do differently next time?

Well, I wouldn’t build a ceramic studio in the middle of writing a book. It took me ages to get back into my rhythm.

With hindsight, what would you say to yourself as a fledgling writer?

I can only consider this with the benefit of my experience. But I think reading and re-reading Stephen King’s book On Writing, and Pity the Reader – written about Kurt Vonneget’s writing style – would be key. Both books are brilliant and helpful.

If you worked with a professional editor, what was the experience like?

I used AJC Publishing professional beta readers, copyeditors and proofreading services. I’ve learnt so much from these people across three books, I can’t tell you.

What’s next for your writing?

Working title is “Intersect” A story of five different people whose lives only tangentially interface.