Interview With Author Mark Dickson
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Mark Dickson has lived a few lives most thriller writers only research: surgeon, farmer, global traveler, and student of the fighting arts. His debut geopolitical thriller, Enemy at the Helm, is a PenCraft Best Book Award winner and a top 5 Amazon Bestseller, praised for turning the world’s fragile shipping lanes into a high-seas chessboard of drones, warships, and very bad decisions. Readers Favorite calls it “absolutely rip-roaring” and “fast-paced,” lauding Dickson’s sharp, intelligent writing, heartbreaking characters, and his knack for making radar screens and storm-tossed decks feel like live fire. AuthorsReading.com hails the novel as a “high-stakes geopolitical thriller” and a sobering reminder of how one overlooked thread can unravel the entire global tapestry. TheBeardedBlackCowboy says “Enemy at The Helm, is a forecasted blueprint for what we see happening around the world. The author and his creative genius does an excellent job bringing us in.” And Literary Titan confesses, “. . .hit me harder than I thought it would”.
When he’s not sinking ships on the page, Dickson draws on his surgical precision and real-world experience to craft mayhem for readers who like their thrillers global, gritty, and just a little too plausible.
When he’s not working. . .Oh wait, he’s always working. . .And training for SWAT team qualification.
His upcoming novel, Pursuit And Pain, will be released soon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Enemy At The Helm came about after I noticed a Defender-class US Coast Guard vessel mirroring our heading and speed while leaving port for a Caribbean cruise. When I mentioned to my wife that I knew why he was there, and how to defeat it, she looked at me like I had two heads. After quickly describing a likely scenario, I finished with, “Wouldn’t that make a great story?” She replied with, “Yes, and you should write it.” So, she was the real inspiration!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I get the most writing done when I am traveling, when I don’t have the voluminous needs of the farm pounding at my brain. As a side effect of that, I get great ideas from my travels that I incorporate into my novels. I always learn something fascinating from the people I meet abroad.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Clive Cussler, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Daniel DaSilva, and recently, Gregg Hurwitz are fun to read. I aspire to cause people to think in a way they haven’t considered before, similar to those giants in “thrillerdom.”
What are you working on now?
Pursuit and Pain is the next novel in the series, continuing the story of the favorite characters in Enemy At The Helm and introducing new favorites.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I confess that marketing is not my strong suit. I am trying everything from social media to pitching local media and podcasts.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just start writing. Then go back to it later to see how you can improve it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“It’s not how tough you are, it’s how willing you are.” A Vietnam-era US Army Ranger told me that, and I recall it whenever I think my life is hard.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz, but I’m now studying THE STUPID-LOOKING PART – Why every breakthrough feels embarrassing before it works — and how to stay in the game long enough to win, by The Awesome Gang.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The next novel in my series is Pursuit and Pain, probably followed by a finale. After that, I’m planning a historical fiction account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, told from the point of view of my ancestor, who was a member.
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?
I’m always intrigued by that question. If I knew I was going to be stranded, I wouldn’t take any books. I would take as much food, containers to store water, fire-starting materials, and weapons or traps or hooks to catch as much food, as possible. If I didn’t know I was going to be stranded, I would have to make do with what I had with me, which likely would not include any books.
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