Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after which I became an Instructor at a Law Enforcement Academy. I went to China to study Chinese police training, got married there and lived in Chongqing (pop. 34 million) for five years. I taught martial arts for over forty years and also trained in China. My hobbies are sailing and writing. We live half the time in Canada and half in China. The attraction of China is that it is so interesting…like a different planet. I found that 95% of media reports in North America about China are completely false. I have been going there for 16 years and have never encountered anyone who wants to leave.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled, “Losing Weight Without Dieting: Losing Weight and Fat the Traditional Chinese Way”.
When I first visited Chongqing, China, I found there were no overweight people…never saw a single obese person (although westernization is now changing that). I was intrigued about this especially considering that they eat more calories daily than Americans.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I suppose the only unusual aspect of my writing is that I write both fiction and non-fiction books.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have always been an avid reader but no particular author has influenced me. I like authors who strike a balance between enough descriptive detail to set a scene, without going on and on with descriptions to the point of being boring or detracting from the story line.
What are you working on now?
I am sporadically working on a 5th novel in my spy-thriller series, “The Chinese Woman”. Otherwise, I am learning how to market my books on Kindle…not much use in writing books if no one reads them.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Too early to say…I am still a novice in the skill of marketing and promoting my books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Plan your book, fiction or non-fiction, before commencing to write and then proceed on write to the end. Don’t stop to review, edit or correct; wait until the finish to attend to those things.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be flexible. When you discover a new and better way of doing something, don’t hesitate to change even if you have been doing something in a particular way for years. You can always keep learning regardless of your age. Be open minded.
What are you reading now?
I am reading books by Dick Wolf, the creator of the “Law and Order” TV series. I like the way he researches his subject matter before writing. So many writers, in my opinion, miss the mark even if they are talented writers with interesting stories, because they don’t know enough about the subject matter of their novels.
What’s next for you as a writer?
People have been encouraging me to publish my “China Adventures” which I send out weekly to friends in the US and Canada when I am living in China. The consensus seems to be that I should put it in book form. If I find the time, I just might do that.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The first book would be one on how to survive on a desert island. Another one on how to build a seaworthy sailing craft from scratch. The other two would be books by Bernard Cornwell.
Author Websites and Profiles
Brian Cox Website
Brian Cox Amazon Profile