The Story of the Book

Letter from a Book 

by Paul Anthony

~

Dear Reader,

I'm absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the first letter in the book.  My writer and editor have been thinking about me for such a long time but they finally decided that I would be the very first letter on the very first page. Apparently, there's going to be about 100,000 of us in the book but I  am the first one chosen. In fact, between you and me, I am going to be - not just a letter - but a Capital Letter. And I'm going to be in a very large font called Garamond. It's the favourite font of my writer and editor and it's going to be the biggest font size in the whole book. Wow!

Of course, I'll be able to look down on the smaller capital letters and suchlike but I'm not going to let it go to my head. I'm just one amongst the 100,000. As I grow older I will be part of a word and then we are going to be in a sentence.  But it doesn't stop there. When we have lots of sentences we will be a paragraph. Of course, I'll have lots of friends. There's always a full stop at the end of every sentence and there'll be plenty of commas and semi colons and all kinds of symbols from my pals in punctuation. 

But I have to tell you the most exciting thing about being the first letter in a book. We get to meet Paige Turner. Paige helps us move on and develop into another page or more until we are a chapter. Wow!

Yep! Life as a letter just gets better and better for all of us. In fact, I'll let you into a secret. I'm not just in a book. I'm going to evolve and develop into a digital book too. So you'll find my letter on the paper and also in cyberspace or on your computer. 

So proud! Not just a letter! I have real meaning.

Which letter am I? Not telling! But I'm one of twenty six you can choose from.

Well, that's it for now. I'm not just a letter I'm part of a book, part of a volume, part of a trilogy, part of a series. I'm a member of a library. I'm on someone's bookshelf. 

Yes, I made it. A reader picked me up and read me. Of all the readers in the world, you decided to pick me and read me. Thanks! My writer and editor, long ago, said it would happen. They told me I would start all on my own as a very important letter and that one day I would end up with a reader. Well, I made it.

THANK YOU..... (Sorry, I'm just using my capitals to show how PROUD I am)..... Happy Reading....

Yours sincerely, the letter...

Paul Anthony is member of the Independent Authors Network and the League of Writers.

The Espionage Bog Tour 2013

MI5

THE ESPIONAGE BLOG 2013

ESPIONAGE is best described as a Government, State, or individual, obtaining information that is classified as ‘secret’ or ‘confidential’ by the owner or holder of that information. Often referred to as ‘spying’, espionage, by its very nature, is clandestine and unwelcome. It should not be confused with ‘intelligence gathering’ which can often involve the collation of open-source information received from anonymous ‘tip-offs’ or by researching publicly available data found in public writings, social media postings, and ‘gossip’. No, espionage in its truest sense, is a dangerous unforgiving activity that, when successfully accomplished, often involves the gathering of data about an enemy’s military, economic, or industrial capability. Spies can bring back all kinds of information and identify dissidents that can be influenced to ‘change sides’, to steal technology, to sabotage, to feed false information, to…… ?

Spying is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.

Welcome to the Espionage blog 2013.

Paul Anthony is trained in advance driving, surveillance, anti-surveillance, counter surveillance, industrial security, agent running, interview techniques and intelligence gathering. From his life in the world of counter terrorism he notes a strong similarity to the world of espionage. Now he is a writer and is pleased to welcome his friends in the world of the literary genre – espionage – to this blog tour.

The espionage genre is not about politics or imperfections. It’s about human relationships, emotions, love, hate, murder, war, peace, mystery, adventure, tension, suspense …. It’s about…. Thrillers…

Let’s hand over to THE SPYMASTER and see what questions he has for our guests….

MI6

To Paul Anthony:

Q. Welcome to the blog. Can you tell us something about yourself? Where do you live and what do you do?

A. I live in Cumbria, northern England, where I am a writer. I am a retired policeman who has previously served extensively as a detective in CID, the Regional Crime Squad, Special Branch, and other national agencies.

Q. Why do enjoy writing in the ‘espionage’ genre?

A. I do believe I actually write in a multi genre model. I don't write factual accounts from a previous life. That would be non fiction and not acceptable in some circumstances. But I do use an active imagination to plot energetic stories and hone them with the various elements required to make a 'good read'.  And yes, of course, I use life's experiences to bring reality to the work. I don't write about baking, cooking or gardening because I am completely unqualified to write about such things. I write about policing, detective working and espionage because I have worn the tee shirt.

Q. What distinguishes the espionage genre from the others?

A. Espionage is a genre that can be applied to either historic fiction, epic fantasy, or time travel futuristic tales. Indeed, you can probably work it into most of the genres known to readers. In my case, I entwine elements of the espionage genre into stories that contains mystery, murder, action, adventure, suspense and that kind of thing. You see, for me, the characters make a story work. So the characters, whether they be good, bad or indifferent, have to be well drawn out and accessible to the reader. The writer needs to describe the characters so that the reader is able to grasp what the story is about and what is perhaps going on in the mind of the character. Understanding the characters allows the reader to understand why certain things happen and why certain characters do specific things  in the story. I think lots of people thing espionage is a 'cover name' for political thrillers. Actually, some of my 'spies' fall in and out of love - some of them are based in history, and some of them are both 'foreign' and 'domestic' in the most truest of senses.

Q. Some readers often perceive espionage in the political context. Do your books support that political perception or do you deal with other individual desires?

A.Although I have political views I would not describe myself as politically active. I follow politics but I'd rather follow sport. That said, spies trying to steal secrets from others usually have a master of some kind. When that is a political master I try to deal with it in the storyline by arguing both sides of a coin and letting the reader take their own side. You can't escape politics in life but you don't have to take sides when you write a story. You can let the reader do that. However, in the final analysis, there is a secret war fought every day against terrorism and rogue States that do not share the democratic and peaceful values of many. So, yes, it's a war and that is political. Game on!

Q. In your books, have you created a particular spy character that you would like to share with us?

A. In The Fragile Peace, Bushfire and The Legacy of the Ninth, (the Boyd Trilogy) the main character is a Cumbrian detective called Billy Boyd who is a member of a special unit within the UK's anti terrorist branch. The unit comprises detectives from all over the UK and often works with Antonia, a red headed female member from the British Security Service. As the stories develop, Boyd provides the police side of things whilst Antonia brings the intelligence world into focus.

Q. In what part of the world and in what time era are your books set?

A. The Fragile Peace is based in Irish history whilst Bushfire is based in Portugal. These two particular books use true events as a backdrop to the stories. The Legacy of the Ninth is also historic fiction and begins in the Negev Desert in the middle east during the first century. The story ends in present day in a museum in Cumbria. The Conchenta Conundrum, Moonlight Shadows and Behead the Serpent all use the present day timescale as a backdrop. That said, details of the 'espionage' elements in these last three books are more up to date since we deal with cyberspace attacks as well as assaults on the monetary and economic infrastructure of a capitalist society.

Q. What elements of your books embrace the genre ‘espionage’ – murder, mystery, suspense, fantasy? What makes your book a thriller?

A. All the books are written as thrillers and will appeal to those looking for an intelligent read, plenty of useful action, and a well defined plot. In the Davies King trilogy - The Conchenta Conundrum, Moonlight Shadows and Behead the Serpent - Davies King is a detective situated on England's south coast. His second in command is Annie Rock but Davies deals regularly with the Admiral who is the head of MI6: The Secret Intelligence Service. These books have totally different characters to the Boyd trilogy and are perhaps more 'espionage' based since they deal with spies and intelligence officers who serve their country as well as intelligence officers who betray their country and are corrupt in their dealings. Once again, we see a mix of emotions and a blending of the genres as we plot and define the characters throughout. Boyd is very much a detective with a modern approach to life in the fast lane whereas, surprisingly perhaps, Davies King is more traditional in his approach but famous for flying by the seat of his pants.

Q. Where can we find out more about your books from either a blogsite, website or retail site?

A.I recommend the independent authors network HERE or the Paul Anthony Bookshop HERE where readers will find links to both the Amazon kindle stores for electronic versions or Lulu where the print versions are also available. My bookshop also carries some of the reviews relevant to the books.

Q. Thank you for joining the blog tour; is there anything else you would you like to tell us about your books. Perhaps a link to an extract or something like that?

A. For those who enjoy reading extracts, my Facebook Authors page HERE regularly carries extracts from my work as well as various news regarding other
authors and publishing stuff.

               

             

Thank you for visiting the blog. You can tweet this using #spy2013 or share it on Facebook if you wish. But The Spymaster also invites you to visit the following authors who deliver 'espionage' to the readers. Just click on the author's name and you'll be 'on tour'.....

Steven Konkoly

Larry Lavoie

Vic Robbie

A B Potts

Paul Anthony

Warren Bell

The Detective's Story

The Detective's story

I would like to draw their attention to an old story, first muted at my Detective Training School but adapted to suit. It involves a Detective Chief Superintendent who placed a notice on Force Orders to advertise for Detectives. The next morning his office was awash with applicants, all bright and many suitable. He made them all sit in a bigger room until he was certain everyone had arrived and then arranged them in rows and commenced to tell them a story and from this story he would judge who he would accept into the Detective ranks.

“A certain farmer,” began the DCS, “was troubled with a red squirrel that got in through a hole in his barn, and stole his seed corn; he resolved to kill the squirrel at the first opportunity. Seeing him go in the hole one noon, he took his shotgun and fired away; the first shot set the barn on fire.”

“Did the barn burn?” asked a promotion hopeful.

The DCS continued without answer, “And seeing the barn on fire, the farmer seized a pail of water, and ran in to put it out.”

“Did he put it out?” asked a Bramshill Qualified Graduate.

Bramshill ~ Where senior officers learn how to hold meetings!

“As he passed inside, the door shut to and the barn was soon in full flame. The hired hand ran in with more water.”

“Did they all burn up?” questioned a hopeful who had ambitions of senior leadership.

The DCS went on without a pause in his stride, “An old lady came out and all was noise and confusion with everybody trying to put out the fire.”

“Did anyone burn up?” asked another destined for great and wonderful policy making decisions.

The DCS, hardly able to contain his merriment and mirth continued, “There, there, that will do. You have all shown great interest in the story.” Suddenly he spotted one officer sat silently in the group wearing a suit, polished shoes and a necktie with a perfect windsor knot. He said, “Now my man, what have you got to say?'

The officer blushed, grew uneasy and stammered, “What became of the squirrel?”

“You’re the one. You shall start in my CID office on Monday morning. You have not been switched off by the confusion and the burning barn, the hired hand and the old lady. You have kept your eye on the squirrel !' So the moral of the story is......

Must get back to my book - 2/3 the way through and moving towards the climax - but I must keep my eye on the squirrel....

TAG! TAG! TAG!

Tag! You're an Author and You're "IT"

You may know this game, but not played in quite this manner before. So, you're the author who is now "IT". To play this game you have to share your Work in Progress (WIP) or it's a smacked bottom and straight to bed with no supper!

Clive Eaton tagged me, and these are the rules:

Give credit (including URL/link) to the person or Blog that caught you and who made you "IT" I was caught fair and square whilst running away.

Play by the rules - no pinching, kicking, spitting, Chinese burns, crying and definitely no tantrums! Which also means you must post the rules.

You must answer 10 questions about your current WIP, no matter the genre, because possibly we may like to get to know each other a little better. (To be honest it's only 9 because the 10th question is really only the next step.)

List 5 other authors or Bloggers with their hiding places (URL/Links) so that they can be chased down and made "IT" so we can all go home now we've finished playing. Go in, eat supper, and check out THEIR books.

To Paul Anthony:

Q 1) What is the title of your book?

Bell, Book and Candle

Q 2) What genre does your book fall under?

It's what I would call a 'multi genre' thriller. The work is primarily 'crime fiction' with elements of 'romance' 'intrigue', 'terrorism', 'mystery', and 'espionage'. At the heart of the thriller lies the relationships between the characters at both a local and global level.

Q 3) What actors would you choose to play the characters in the film version of your book? (should you ever, ever get that honour really)

Pierce Brosnan for the main man.

Q 4) What is the main outline for your book?

This is the fourth in the Boyd Quadrilogy - all of which are standalone stories with the same main character(s) appearing throughout. Although we travel through Afghanistan, Egypt, the Yemen, and Iraq, the heart and soul of the story is set in Cumbria's Lake District.  Boyd  is a Detective Chief Inspector in the Special Crime Unit which is part of the United Kingdom's Counter Terrrorist Command (CTC). I suppose in the broadest sense, the book deals with the UK's response to extreme Islamic terrorism, ritual and culture, as professed by elements of the Taleban, Al Qaeda, and various religious factions. But it also deals with organised professional criminality involving religious groups financing terrorism. We also manage to highlight the conflict between Sunni and Shia Islam whilst reading about some of the characters experience of Sharia law in the United Kingdom. So, to be honest, this book is about British detectives working in the Islamic Republic of the United Kingdom. The factual content might surprise some readers in the UK but - it is factual content - In the narrowest sense, the tale penetrates relationships between those carrying out acts of terrorism and those charged with preventing and detecting it. The mystery, for many, will be what on earth a Bell, a Book and a Candle have to do with it all. And therein lies the core of the work as it unfolds for the reader. Indeed, one might even credit it with the genre 'religious mystery' if there is such a genre. (If there isn't, we'll make one) That said, readers who have read the first three Boyd books will not be disappointed with Bell, Book and Candle. There's plenty of action, fact and fiction in this adventurous and intriguing plot. Boyd, Anthea, Commander Herbert and Antonia Harston-Browne are all alive and kicking and contributing to what I think is a really good storyline. And it all comes together in a quite momentous climax.

Q 5) Will your book be Indie published, self published or represented by an agency and sold to a traditional publisher?

The book will be printed under the imprint of Paul Anthony Associates. It will also be converted into kindle format for both the Kindle USA and UK stores and released in the next couple of months.

Q 6) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It took me a week to 'craft' the work and compile notes. A lot of the work is from personal experience. It will take me about three months from start to finish to write the book dependent on life / work balance. I'll then bury it for a month and craft another book. Then I'll resurrect this one with a fresh mind and re-read and edit it before I submit it to my own editorial team for assessment. As it is, we have regular meetings about the work in progress anyway, and a long established history of editing books for myself and various clients.

Q 7) What other books in this genre would you compare yours to?

The Boyd trilogy - namely #1 The Fragile Peace, which reached number one in its genre #2 Bushfire and #3 The Legacy of the Ninth. The entire quadrilogy is based on true crime, reality, historic fact, and thrilling fiction. Furthermore, the Boyd Trilogy is currently in #KOLL the Kindle Owners Lending Library and is enjoying status at a reduced and discounted prices for non KOLL members.

Q 8) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

It’s a natural progression from the Boyd trilogy and a nice break for me from the Davies King trilogy which I have also written. I'll return to Davies soon, I promise.

Q 9) What else about the book might pique the readers’ attention?

This is my tenth book and, like the ones before it, it deals with smooth running real time fiction for those looking for a highly exciting, pleasurable, and intelligent read.

Q 10) Thank goodness!!

For the Paul Anthony Book Shop - Click here

Phew I've ran as fast as I can and these are the author's I've caught (and any who don't have a Blog of their own are welcome to have a ‘sleepover’ at mine and post their answers here.)

Now for my five victims... Erm, five other authors who will tell you about their WIP (Refuse and the bear will be given your address!!):

CLIVE EATON

MIKE McNEFF

TINA GAYLE

BILLY RAY CHITWOOD

PAUL ANTHONY'S BOOK SHOP

Paul Anthony is a member of the Independent Authors Network and the League of Writers.

My Featured Authors - Scott Whitmore and Kenneth Hoss

My Featured Authors:
Scott Whitmore
Kenneth Hoss

Welcoming to my blog the hugely talented - Scott Whitmore with his novels Carpathia and The Devil's Harvest

This is what Scott had to say about....
The Carpathia Timeline

Although I'm interested in many genres, my first two novels, Carpathia and The Devil’s Harvest, are paranormal adventures stories with elements of Steampunk and horror. They comprise the first two entries in The Carpathia Timeline, which is the alternate history universe I've created. Parts of the stories include actual events and people, but far more are the product of an imagination in which I ask the question “what if” and then attempt to provide a suitably enjoyable answer.

That is, to me at least, one of the truly cool aspects of the paranormal and Steampunk genres: supposing what would have happened differently in the timeline of history. In Carpathia I asked what if: steam power had advanced in complexity and utility much more quickly than it did, vampires and werewolves lived alongside humans, and vodou and other forms of magic were real.

In The Devil’s Harvest the Timeline moves forward some thirty years to the mid-1900s. The "Great War" in France has become a stalemate with both the Allies and Central Powers staring at each other from trenches. A mad German colonel has an idea to break the deadlock, an idea involving using zombies as shock troops. Of course, the problem is the only sides a zombie recognizes are the living and the undead.

I'm in the planning stages for the third, and likely final, entry in the Timeline. Once again the setting moves forward, this time to 1950s Chicago. During the euphoria and good times brought about by winning the Second World War, a gangland war is brewing. A new gang has come on the scene, led by a charismatic man who just may be a werewolf.

My goal is to write an Indiana Jones movie, with action, romance, and thrills. Please note there is no explicit sex, language or violence in the Timeline; my template is the great black-and-white movies of the 1940s and 1950s that entertained, hinted at, but never revealed more than needed.

What some Amazon readers had to say about Carpathia

"I don't think I've ever read anything quite like Carpathia before. The book is an intriguing blend of historical drama, military action, mythological fantasy and steampunk. Although these elements might sound somewhat disparate, they are woven into a smooth and living whole, and the effect is a blend that is both convincing and original." Xenomike

"The idea of Carpathia intrigued me from the start as it promised a welcome return to vampire stories as they should be written. And this book didn't disappoint. Vampires. Werewolves. A zombie. Airships. What's not to like." Mr. Write

"It's not all testosterone for the reader; the story is filled out with a strong independent-minded heroine, and romantic elements are well handled. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Carpathia, and had no trouble envisioning it as a movie starring Daniel Craig as the tense and haunted (protagonist) Daniel Jameson." Prof. Bunny

The Carpathia Timeline on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCarpathiaTimeline?ref=hl

My blog: www.ScottWhitmoreWriter.Wordpress.com

My author page on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Whitmore/e/B007JL5SB4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

My author page on Goodreads.com:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782327.Scott_Whitmore

My author page on the Independent Author Network:

http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/scott-whitmore.html

Welcoming to my blog the hugely talented Kenneth Hoss with his novels Storm Rising and Storm Warning...This is what Kenneth had to say about the Kelli Storm series....

                   

                                 

What brought me to write the Kelli Storm series? In a nutshell, it was Kelli herself who convinced me to tell her story. The first book, Storm Rising, was my introduction to Kelli and the people in her life. Kelli is a strong willed, take no crap NYPD Detective, and yet she often shows her softer side when you least expect it.

In Storm Rising, the reader is introduced to Kelli and her life, both as an NYPD Detective and a loyal daughter to a mother with Alzheimer’s. She has her personal demons that she must fight on a daily basis, while at the same time dealing with drug dealers, murderers, and a Colombian Drug Lord out for vengeance.

Storm Warning, book two in the series, finds Kelli with a new partner, and she is once again unwillingly thrown back into the world of the drug cartels. Her new partner is shot and wounded by a street junkie and Kelli soon discovers the man has ties to the Colombian drug lord she thought was dead. She is aided in her investigation by a DEA Special Agent and an NYPD Narcotics Detective.

I am currently working on book three, Eye of the Storm, which may or may not be the final book in the series. This book picks up shortly after book two ends and finds Kelli and her partner investigating the apparent suicide of a Russian hit man. The investigation leads the pair into the underbelly of the Russian mob and they soon discover that things are not always what they seem.

What people are saying about Storm Rising and Storm Warning:

Storm Rising –

“This terrific novel is tightly paced with well drawn characters and a finely crafted plot.”

“Lots of action, realistic settings and dialogue, coupled with feminine introspection make this a believable and entertaining read.”

“Kelli is a fantastic character for women everywhere.”

Storm Warning –

“If you like hard and tough lady cops, Kelli Storm is the gal for you.”

“This character, Kelli Storm, is a kick!”

Links:
Amazon.com - Kenneth Hoss
Amazon.co.uk - Kenneth Hoss 
Kenneth Hoss - Blogspot

The Holiday Book Tour

Welcome to the Holiday Book Tour: a collection of books and blogs from international authors with that 'certified mustread'  for your holiday.

Paul Anthony invites you all to jump on board his aeroplane and take off to the sunshine this year.  Come fly with Paul Anthony and his associates.

Clive Eaton is navigating and Scott Whitmore is at the controls. Pauline Barclay is head stewardess. Francis Laveauz is dispensing your favourite holiday tipple and Zoe Saadia, Laura Johnson and Seumas Gallacher,  will be bringing you the very best from their 'Duty Free' trolley. Now hang on tight and watch Amy Metz run through the flight safety drill. We’re only joking, of course. Relax!

Enjoy your holiday.

You'll need your bucket and spade, a passport, and a couple of books. What? You've got everything except the books! Don't worry, we'll try and supply a few for you.

    

                          


Well, authors need readers and readers need authors.So,with that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to a bunch of authors who write in a wide variety of genres and have gathered together a collection of books for your holiday enjoyment. Each author has been asked a series of questions but each one has a different answer and a different selection of books on  offer. You're invited to join us on our tour and spread the word about these wonderful holiday reads. Those of us on twitter will be tweeting #holreads2013 but all we'd like you to do is read this post and then click on the names of the authors in the list below, visit their site, and compare their answers with the rest.
Why don't we crack on and make a start with Paul Anthony.....

Q. In which part of the world do you live at the moment?
A. Cumbria! I've got the best of both worlds in some ways. I live exactly one mile from the remnants of Hadrian's Wall and about twenty miles from Brothers Water: one of my favourite beauties in the English Lake District.





    











Q. Do you have any favourite parts of the world or any favourite holiday places?
A. Switzerland for skiing, Portugal and The Canary Isles for sunshine, and some big city breaks like Amsterdam, Paris, Glasgow, London, Dublin and Lisbon. But there's always so much to see in England: interesting, historical and intriguing places like Chartwell in Kent where Winston Churchill once lived.  You should take a look at some of my holiday snaps. This is the Churchill Statue at Chartwell.

This is me about to take a trip down the Medway on the Allington Belle.

 And this is one of my regular holiday places: Algar Seco, Carvoiero, The Algarve, Portugal. This is where I wrote one of my thrillers, 'Bushfire', and a few more actually.

Listening to Johnny Hooper and his saxophone in Albufeira Square, also on the Algarve. Anyone who has read my Boyd books knows who his favourite saxophonist is. Johnny, of course.

And then there's another of my most favourite places - Fuerteventura, where I crafted my murder mystery, 'The Conchenta Conundrum', by the pool.

 Just before the famous 'Carnival'

Come to think of it, I think holiday places inspire my writing. Wonderful places like Lisbon, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Switzerland are all important stop off points in my books.

Lisbon

Switzerland

The slopes of Mont Blanc

Amsterdam

Paris

Q. What kind of holiday do you prefer? Cruises, walking, beach holiday, city breaks,  villa, caravan, for example. Are you an explorer or do you just like to crash and relax?
A. My wife and I have both enjoyed 24/7 careers. i.e You get in from work and the phone goes to give you a problem to sort out. But in my line of work I was away from home for long periods so holidays represented that special time for our family. Undoubtedly, I prefer relaxing in the sunshine by the pool. Indeed, both of us would vote for 'crash'. That said,we love walking in the Lake District and have been lucky enough to enjoy some fabulous holiday breaks exploring most of the capital cities in Europe. I enjoyed Amsterdam and Lisbon particulary. They are both exciting cities on so many levels yet they are poles apart  in culture and architecture. 

Q. Do you feature international places in your books or are they a figment of your imagination designed to engage the reader?
A. Bushfire featured Northern Ireland briefly but focuses most of the action in Portugal. The lead characters travel to Lisbon but end up fighting an international drugs cartel in the Mountains of Monchique to the background of a bushfire. It's based, to some degree, on a true story. The Legacy of the Ninth is historic fiction with a twist of espionage, terrorism and old fashioned detective work. 'Legacy' identifies connections between the fortress of Masada, in the Negev Desert, and Hadrian's Wall, in Cumbria. We start in the first century but the climax doesn't come about until we hit modern times. The mystery is how the two great edifices are connected and who is behind the plot to kill an Israeli Minister of State on English soil. My most recent three books - the Davies King series - features characters on the south coast of England. But crime at the international level takes the characters and the readers on a whirlwind adventure through Dublin, Tokyo, Amsterdam and England before the final pages are turned.

Q. Do you write for the holiday maker or do you write for a specific market?
A. I write in the genres of crime fiction, thriller, murder mystery, espionage, and historic fiction. I try to blend tension, adventure, action and plot into intelligently written, well-researched novels for those looking for a good read. I tend to plot and craft my stories by the pool. Tap up notes on the netbook and  'write' the work at home. I find writing quite relaxing and it doesn't spoil the holiday at all. We'll happily enjoy walking in the holiday zone and exploring various things before partaking in the local cuisine. I love fish and wine, by the way. They say it's good for the brain. I say it's good for writers.

Q. Tell us about some of your books and why you think they will make good holiday reads.
A. The Boyd series - 'Fragile, Bushfire and Legacy,' all circulate around the detective Boyd and an MI5 lady called Antonia. The Davies King series tends to be more international in flavour and percolates around the head of MI6 and corrupt spies in the western world - and elsewhere. In print and kindle, they're all interesting and intelligent reads which my followers seem to be quite happy with. (But there's another one coming this summer). These books are not full of unnecessery swearing, gratuitous violence, or misplaced sex. As my editor once said, 'smooth running fiction without a hitch'. So there's a poetry book, a children's fairy story book, and a collection of short stories for the flight as well. I've enjoyed writing them immensely.

The Fragile Peace - in Print and Kindle - and a pal of mine on holiday in Cape Verde says... 'The fingers are saying what a good read this was,'....

 Q. And where can we learn more about these holiday reads?
A. Click on these links and they'll take you to where you need to be.
Paul Anthony's Blogspot and Book Shop
Amazon.co.uk..
Amazon.com
Independent Authors Network

HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY, wherever you're going, AND THANKS FOR JOINING US ON OUR HOLIDAY TOUR. Stay safe and enjoy.

Now please follow these cracking hand-picked authors to see what they have to say about holidays and holiday reads.

Seumas  Gallacher

Zoe Saadia  

Francis Laveaux

Paul Anthony

Pauline Barclay

Scott Whitmore

Clive Eaton
Laura Johnson
Amy Metz

Paul Anthony is a member of the internationally renowned Independent Authors Network and the prestigious League of Writers.

Dystopia? Behead the Serpent!

Behead the Serpent
Published by Paul Anthony Associates, January 25th, 2013

Genre: Fiction / Thriller  / Espionage / Murder / Mystery / Tension / Suspense

This novel is the third in the Davies King series and whilst it is a 'standalone' tale, it also follows on from the enigmatic and audacious thriller 'Moonlight Shadows'. Whilst the story is fictitious, many will clearly see a close proximity to the reality of life in the twenty first century.  In essence, the work describes a couple of megalomaniacs who attempt to blackmail the British Government by a series of threats. When they realise they aren't being taken seriously, the threats are extended and 'go viral'. With both Europe and the United States of America intimidated, the authorities must decide whether an attack will come from either cyberspace or by the deployment of a bombing campaign - perhaps both - and how they will counter it. But once the assault begins, it is obvious these criminals are capable of much more than was ever anticipated. The first stages of dystopia are experienced and leave communities reeling and in fear of a massive cyberspace attack. Neither historic, technocratic or futuristic, this novel delivers one element of the cyberspace war whilst probing the relationships of those involved on both sides of the fence. Although I say it myself, it is a very modern and up to date story of both personal and international relationships.


Synopsis

Compromising photographs discovered in a vacant office in central London are not immediately connected to a ferocious attack on Davies King. But when the campaign against the chief of detectives and his closest friends turns to blackmail, it becomes personal.

A series of horrendous bomb attacks and brutal shootings convince Davies to discharge himself from hospital and confront the two ‘most wanted’ criminals in the United Kingdom.

Disillusioned with a temporary chief constable, and anxious to relieve a stressed out bomb disposal officer, the chess playing detective joins forces with British Intelligence to challenge the megalomaniacs who are holding the nation to ransom. 

Her Majesty’s Government announce a Tier One threat level as the lights across the south of England are extinguished and parts of Europe and North America face the reality of the first stages of society’s breakdown - Dystopia.

It’s a simple question for the obstinate detective to answer. Does the country pay the ransom or do the lights go out?

It’s not rocket science, but who makes the decision, and why? 

Review:
Five stars awarded - A well written, bang up to date or even ahead of its time plot, written by an obviously knowledgeable, well informed author.... Peter Baxter, Reader.

REVIEW: This tale is so up to date it is unbelievable. Part mystery, part spy adventure, always a thriller, and at a  time when the world's hackers have carried out the biggest ever DDOS (Distributed denial of service) on the world wide web, Paul Anthony's typical multi genre work pre-empts reality with a fascinating story that penetrates the very essence of life in the world of Intelligence. A brilliant piece of fiction aided and abetted by some classic characters.
Dan, Reader... Grange Over Sands...

     
What are the 'spies' talking about? What are they up to?
What is the next move in the world of covert espionage?


REVIEW: Could a cyberspace war really happen? Read this fascinating novel and you realise, yes it could! Detective Chief Inspector Davies King flies by the seat of his pants taking everyone along with him as he tackles the problem threatening society... ‘Another cracking ‘unputdownable’ read from Paul Anthony.’

Pauline Livingstone, Editor...

          





REVIEW:

Another fast-paced, action-packed thriller from Paul Anthony. Davies King, the hard-nosed chess master detective, needs all his cunning, skill, and nerve to play a megalomanic and a terrorist at their own game. When the very fabric of not only his personal life, but that of society as we know it, is threatened, Davies has to be at his masterly best. The consequence of failure is disaster on an international scale.....    

 A real page-turner from start to finish... Meg Johnston, author.

Available in PRINT HERE
Available in Kindle (Amazon.co.uk) HERE
Available in Kindle (Amazon.co) HERE



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