What is your name, where were you born and where do
you live now?
Alan Cook; Born: Buffalo, New York,
USA; Live now: Los Angeles, California
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did
you want to be?
I have always written, but I didn’t
think I could make a living as a writer, so I went into the computer business
instead.
When did you first consider yourself as a
"writer"?
When I left the computer business and
started writing novels in the nineties I started calling myself a writer.
Did it take a long time to get your first book
published?
I wrote 4 practice novels over 10 years
before I published one.
Do you work another job as well as your writing
work?
Writing is my full-time job now.
My latest book is Dancing with Bulls, my first young-adult book. Quick summary: Matthew and Mason get whisked back to ancient
Crete and have to dance with a bull.
Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
Self-publish (Indie). That’s where the
money is for most writers now.
How long does it usually take you to write a
book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It takes me a year to write and publish
a full-size novel.
What can we expect from you in the future?
ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I’m not sure what the future holds.
I’ve published 3 adult novels in the Carol Golden amnesia series and one
young-adult book recently. Perhaps more young-adult.
What genre would you place your books
into?
My adult novels are mystery/suspense
with some action/adventure thrown in. Dancing
with Bulls is an adventure novel.
What made you decide to write that
genre of book?
I write mysteries because I like to
solve puzzles. I write adventure because I’ve traveled widely and like to visit
new places and see new things.
Do you have a favourite character from your
books? and why are they your favourite?
My favorite character is Carol Golden
from my amnesia novels (Forget to
Remember, Relatively Dead, Dangerous Wind) because she is feisty and
skeptical of authority. She does what she wants to without much concern for
other people’s opinions.
If you had to choose to be one of your
characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
The character I would want to be is
Gary Blanchard from 2 of my mysteries, The
Hayloft and Honeymoon for Three.
He has a more successful high school career than I did, athletically and
romantically speaking.
How long have you been writing?, and who or
what inspired you to write?
I have been writing novels for over 20
years. My inspiration was my first personal computer. I hadn’t considered
writing a book before that.
Where do you get your book plot ideas
from?What/Who is your inspiration?
My plots come from life and from my
imagination. Most of the locations are real, and some of my characters are
combinations of people I’ve known.
Do you have a certain routine you have for
writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I write in my study on my computer
every morning when I’m working on a book, until I’ve written at least a
thousand words, hopefully. Sometimes I keep going until I’m too hungry to
continue.
Do you have anybody read your books and give
you reviews before you officially release them? ie. Your partner, children,
friends, reviewers you know?
My wife is my first reader. Sometimes I
use an editor.
Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
I will gift E-copies of my books in
exchange for reviews.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Reading reviews can be painful,
although eventually I read most of them.
What was the toughest/best review you have ever
had?
I have had many good reviews; I don’t
have a favorite. Many of the “bad” reviews don’t make any sense.
How do you come up with the Title and Cover
Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
I try to have covers that are relevant
to the book. Janelle Carbajal designs my covers and did the illustrations for Dancing with Bulls.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then
choose the title?
Titles came first for several books,
after the book was written for others.
How do you come up with characters names and place
names in your books?
Character names I often draw out of a
hat. I try to give characters in a book names that aren’t too similar. Place
names are often real. Sometimes I change the place names slightly to protect
the guilty.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet,
tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Characters come alive as I write the
book. I keep a list of characters and their traits as I discover them
Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you
actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it
takes the story?
I don’t outline in advance. I outline
after each chapter to make it easier for me to remember what happened when.
How do you market/promote your books?
Marketing/promoting is difficult. I use
all the online sites I can, sometimes write blogs, give talks, try to get
newspaper coverage, anything that might work.
Have you ever suffered from a "writer's
block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
I consider writer’s block to be fear of
not writing well. I try to write through it, telling myself that I can always
revise later.
What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have
a hobby?
My hobbies are walking/hiking and
travel. My wife and I have been to over 60 countries. I have walked the
End-to-end in the UK from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
Have you ever based characters on people you
know or based events on things that have happened to you?
I have characters who are loosely based
on real people or a combination of several people. I have put real events in my
books, usually altered some.
Is there a certain Author that influenced you
in writing?
Ray Bradbury was a big influence on my
writing life because he spoke to our writers’ group every year for many years.
Alas, he is dead now.
(I remember a teacher reading us short stories by Ray Bradbury and I loved listening to them, I do intend to read more. Ray Bradbury was my introduction to sci-fi)
Which format of book do you prefer,
ebook,hardback, or paperback?
All my books are available as Ebooks.
Some are in paperback. A few are in hardback. Ebooks sell best for me.
What are you currently reading? Are you
enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
I’m reading Die Laughing, by Steve Allen. Yes, I’m enjoying it. He namedrops
real celebrities and locations a lot.
Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace
printed books?
No, printed books will always be with
us. But the use of Ebooks will grow.
Do you think children at schools these days are
encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
Parents should read to their children
when they are young and get them interested in books. My 2 grandsons are
voracious readers.
Did you read a lot at school and write lots of
stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I have always written poetry, stories,
etc., ever since I could hold a pencil. I wrote the lyrics for my high school
alma mater when I was thirteen.
Do you have a favourite genre of book?
I like to read spy stories as much as
anything, but I read in different genres.
Is there a book you know you will never read?
Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
I don’t see myself reading Moby Dick.
What do you think about book trailers?
I have done one book trailer (for Run into Trouble). I’m not sure they’re
worth the time and expense.
What piece of advice would you give to a new
writer?
My advice to writers is write, write,
write, write what you are passionate about, write your million words to learn
your craft.
Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I do not use a pen name.
If you could invite three favourite writers to
dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Writers I would invite to dinner
include Sir Walter Scott, Alan Furst and Ray Bradbury. (I have actually eaten
dinner with Ray Bradbury.)
Where can readers follow you?
Website: http://alancook.50megs.com
Purchase Links
Purchase Links for Alan Cook's Other Titles
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