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?
