Exile on Peachtree Street: Respectable

Hello everyone. We are going into a new realm of authors today. This is the continuation of my Respectable authors. Dare I say it? We're going undercover with crime, political thrillers and who knows what we will find eventually.This series began in November with a visit from crime novelist Steve Christie as he discussed the best-seller, Good Deed.

Today we welcome Nic Taylor to Exile on Peachtree Street. Nic is from England and has just released his first novel, A Plague of Dissent which is based in the United Kingdom. This is a book full of political corruption, corporate greed and illicit sex, something Americans know absolutely nothing about, so he will be explaining it to us.

Welcome to Exile on Peachtree Street, Nic. How are you? Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello Hunter, thanks for having me here today. I grew up in Penzance, Cornwall, England. I have taught diving and escorted dive parties to remote locations throughout the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Indonesian archipelago. I have designed the odd hotel or two in the Maldives and Thailand and expanded my photographic repertoire to become one of the foremost photographers in that region.

I eventually diversified into the motion picture industry to eventually shoot several short films and documentaries including Burning Earth for the Discovery Channel. I spent many weeks camped out in the burning jungles of Borneo and hung out of helicopters with a camera on my shoulder.

Two things have changed my life, the first my marriage and children. The second is my awakening to environmental issues. In Plymouth, UK I have joined forces with Plymouth University to continue with my environmental research and work towards a PhD.

I spend time equally divided between my research, the Plymstock Oaks Rugby Club, and I run several projects including coaching rugby.

I have worked as a photographer, cameraman and scientist and now I am trying to concentrate on my writing.

What inspired you to write A Plague of Dissent?

I guess the main answer to that question would be anger. Over the past few years I have been getting increasingly angrier with both the government and the main stream media. That probably seems an odd combination, you’ve read my book Hunter, so will understand, but for those that haven’t, for many years they have been working together for each other’s mutual advantage.

I will cite a specific example of how our present Prime Minister (Cameron) employed a News International editor as his PR man. The same editor that is now being charged with corruption along with one of Cameron’s best friends Rebecca Brookes another former Murdoch editor. This and a government that has completely lost touch with its populous, that is driving the country even deeper into a depression and making the rich richer and the poor poorer - those were the original drivers for my book.

Is this the first book you've written?

It is yes, although over the years I have sketched out a few ideas but never had the confidence to pursue them.

How did you develop your novel?

As I mentioned before the original driver came from what was occurring around me and I felt I needed to say something. This I could have done through a blog but I choose a different route.

I decided to wrap up the message I wanted to get across into an entertaining story, obviously it was going to contain a great deal of intrigue so it naturally became a thriller. I took the scenario of greed, corruption, strikes and riots that I saw around me and asked the question. What would happen if these events where used by others to further their own aims? A situation we have seen a lot of in the Middle East recently, into this I introduced the main protagonists and let the story develop from there, some of which is based upon my own experiences. I didn’t want to write just a thriller, so the plot contains a love story with lots of sex and moments of humour, I hope.

What is the message you want readers to take away from your novel?

Although I believe in freedom of speech, being a writer I think it would be very hard not to, I am of the opinion that the media who hold a great deal of influence and therefore power over many of their readers and need to use this power with restraint and a conscience . I also wanted the reader to think about of corruption that is happening in today’s society particularly amongst those that are supposed to represent us.

How do you believe A Plague of Dissent will translate to an American audience?

Good question and I don’t really know, you’ve read it and I think enjoyed it, so there should be no reason why the general American audience shouldn’t. There is as much corruption and personnel greed there as there is here and as Dianne Harman said in her review of my book “I am married to a man who has been in the highest echelons of California politics for years and I will tell you that, sad as it is, his insight into politics has merit”

Do you have any future novels planned?

A Plague of Dissent is just being published and I am presently working on two sequels, Gaia’s Warriors and another with a working title of Revenge.

Thank you for joining me today in exile, Nic. How can readers connect with

you?