Interview With Author John Hopkins
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in the Midlands in the United Kingdom. I moved to London for work after university, and have lived there since. I studied Physics at university, and still have a strong interest in science, especially space exploration, physics and cutting edge technology.
Although I do not have pets, I love animals, and travelling to see them in the wild and take photographs is something I really enjoy. I am an avid sports fan, and am notorious for watching practically any sport.
I have written two books – The Careless Fraudster a modern thriller and now Atomic Secrets, and Alt-History take on espionage in the 1940s.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Atomic Secrets
I have thought about writing for a long time, and had a stab a few times, but never managed to build up any momentum and finish something until recently. This book comes from a longstanding interest in alternate history and is inspired by books such as Fatherland and Dominion in the genre.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I'm not sure if these are unusual – probably not…
I have a vast backlog of research – things I find interesting that might make good plot points, or interesting additions. Bigger story ideas. It's all in a mass of OneNote pages.
I tend to have a lot of projects on the go, and across lots of genres – alt-history, modern thrillers, sci-fi.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Mark Dawson, John Le Carre and Ian Fleming are probably my favourite authors, although I have quite eclectic tastes. I read thrillers and sci-fi when I want to escape, but I also read a fair amount of military history.
Styles of writing inspire me more than particular authors. Things I aspire to emulate include; engaging descriptions of locations, places, events and people, everyday life and hopefully the occasional bit of informative content (I think Crichton does this better than anyone).
What are you working on now?
At the moment I am editing the second in the series following on from Atomic Secrets, and thinking about the plots for books three and four.
I also have an almost complete novella about an assassin.
And some ideas for a sci-fi as well.
And perhaps a sequel to my first book, The Careless Fraudster.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it because you enjoy it. I write when I want to, and never set myself a minimum word count.
Don't be afraid to stop and write (or do) something else and return to it when you have refreshed your mind. I "started" writing The Careless Fraudster a decade or more before I finished it.
What are you reading now?
Topgun – the story about the founding of the school
Camino Island – John Grisham
With a Mind to Kill – Anthony Horowitz's 3rd James Bond book
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?
Red Storm Rising
Time and Tide
The Complete works of Dickens (is that cheating?)
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