Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing for a good many years, mostly for my own pleasure, but in the last five years I have taken the craft more seriously, and have started to edit and re-edit books I wrote years ago. The first one of these is AGAINST HER WILL, which was self-published on Amazon KDP last year. Since then with the help of my editor and proofreader I have been putting the finishing touches to my next novel, which hopefully will come out around August/September time.
I was born and bred in the West Midlands in the UK, and have spent all my life working in the finance sector. I have have always been an avid reader, my heros are King, Koontz, Ellory, Dickens, Connelly, Gerritsen, Follett, amongst many. My genre is Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological. I spend a lot of time writing and reading, and would find life so empty without this craft.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is entitled ‘AGAINST HER WILL’ It is about a beautifully young woman who is brutally attacked, and what follows is her struggle to come to terms with what has happened to her.
I’ve always felt strongly about how rape affects women, and how few of these women ever report these crimes to the police. Of those reported, many never come to trial and if they do conviction rates are low. Therefore I wanted to write a book from the victim’s perspective, to give an idea what she has to go through, and show how it can even destroy lives.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have always written in a certain way. I get an idea, write down the basic premise, then start writing by hand. I have no idea exactly what is going to happen until I write, although I may have some sense of how it will end. After the book is written, I then type it out, changing things as I go along. Then once that has been done, I go through it at least four times, before with my editor and proofreader I will go through each chapter until I am satisfied.
I write mainly at night after work, and in the afternoon at weekends and holidays. I usually like to have my earphones in and listen to music while I write. This I find inspires me, and helps me concentrate better. It can take me anything from two to three years to finish a novel. Of course if it wasn’t for my day job, I would be able to do this much faster. I live in hope that one day I may be able to write full time. That is my dream anyway.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have been influenced by lots of writers and books. As a boy I used to read Just William stories and also Biggles and Tarzan. At school I loved Dickens, in particular Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. Also I liked Cider With Rosie, and in particular To Kill a Mockingbird.
Later I was inspired by Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley,and Wilbur Smith’s great South African adventure stories. In later teenage years I discovered Stephen King, and Dean Koontz, both expects in the field of horror. I like to think I can read anything and everything and there are few genre’s I haven’t enjoyed reading.
What are you working on now?
At the present time I am working on another Mystery Suspense novel, about a young boy who goes missing, and the consequences of this for his family over time.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried lots of different sites and methods to promote my books, but I always limit myself to spending a certain amount of money, or it can get ridiculous. I mainly try to connect through the social media i e facebook, twitter,linked in, good reads etc, but find it difficult to make much headway this way. I have tried lots of promotion sites, and find sites such as Awesomegang the best, as they can send emails to their subscribers rather than putting your book on their site. I have found free promotions are still useful, so long as it’s for the full five days, and also you need to promote to as many free sites as you can to make any inroads in your sales. Bookbub is probably the best site, but it is very expensive, and selective, so this might put a lot of people off.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have a great story idea, get the story as good as you can get it. Rewrite and rewrite, hire a reputable editor and proof reader, spend a bit of money getting a fantastic cover as this is the first thing your readers see. Plan your promotion, and be prepared to spend a lot of time doing it, and hope for the best. There are millions of authors out there, it takes much hard work to be successful, and also luck can play a part as well as having a good damn book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be persistent and never give up, and keep on writing.
What are you reading now?
I usually read two books at the same time, one on the train on the way to work, another at home when I find a few spare minutes. The Flight by M R Hall at work, about a mysterious plane crash, and The Replacement by Patrick Redmond at home. This is about a set of twins who mysteriously find each other in later life.
What’s next for you as a writer?
There is always the next book to write. Any ideas I get, I write down in a notebook, and from this a new book is born.
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?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as it is the greatest book ever written, and one you can read again and again.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, a great historical book, that is so long but never boring.
11.22.63 by Stephen King, probably the best time travel book ever written, and near King’s best too.
Author Websites and Profiles
PETER MARTIN Website
PETER MARTIN Amazon Profile
PETER MARTIN’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account