Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In fiction, I have written three novels, the latest being The Secret Keepers. It is the sequel to the award-winning thriller, Deadly Exchange, which won Honorable Mention in Fiction at the 2009 Los Angeles Book Festival. While The Secret Keepers is a sequel, it may be enjoyed as a stand alone thriller. I also authored, Murder of Sex (2013), a steamy romance suspense.
I have also authored a fair bit of non-fiction under the Muscle Balance and Function Development® education system, as well as wrote full-length feature articles for print magazines, such as, Iron Horse Magazine, Law Enforcement Technology, and Credit Union Business.
I have served as a second level judge for the Maryland Writers Association Novel Contest (2011/2012), and presented creative writing lectures for the University of British of Columbia and Simon Fraser University, as well as numerous book promotion events, such as featured author at the Foothills College Author Lecture Series.
Sharing an intriguing story with deeper themes and well-developed characters with readers is one of my greatest joys.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Latest novel: The Secret Keepers, offered in a Goodreads.com Book Giveaway Contest until March 1st, 2016.
The inspiration for this book came slowly, unlike others. After Deadly Exchange, readers were asking for a sequel, but I had no workable ideas. After an extended stay in Europe, a couple of new characters began to tell me their story, which would fit into a plausible sequel scenario. And so I began to write, but I am a slow writer, so it took a little time. One of the new characters, as opposed to carry-over characters, was a young Russian girl being held by sex traffickers, which leads to even deeper revelations about cyber security plots against Western nations.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As I mentioned above, I am a slow writer because I let the characters tell me their story. I never try to force a development or plot point. Writing thrillers is challenging because there are many elements to handle, such as a plausible storyline, logic, character development, twists and turns, and pacing, among others.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
For fiction, I’d say Graham Greene, Edgar Allen Poe, Olen Steinhauer, Alistair MacLean, Albert Camus, Charles McCarry, among others. I found Camus’s L’Etranger (The Stranger) to be truly incredible, especially for the time it was written. Shakespeare, of course, is a genius. Poe offered the reader such narrative drive, often with a peculiar type of humor. Greene’s works were magical in that the deeper themes blended so well into plausible stories.
What are you working on now?
Next up is new characters and a new series of books with them. It is a noir detective story in the present day. (Not allowed to say more-sorry.)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I struggle with marketing, especially in social media venues. I try, really I do, but I don’t think I’m very good at it. So not sure you want my answer. However, I really love connecting with readers, hearing their comments and views. I do like the sharing on Goodreads.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Even read genres that you do not write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Lao Tzu: It is fine to build a store, but do not attach to it.
What are you reading now?
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (My reviews and books can be seen at Goodreads.com-come be a friend.)
What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more and more stories and sharing them with as many readers as wish to enjoy them.
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?
Shakespeare Complete Folio. The Stranger by Albert Camus. Parcival by Wolfram von Eschenbach. I-Ching: Book of Changes.
Author Websites and Profiles
Geoffrey Gluckman Website
Geoffrey Gluckman Amazon Profile
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