Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a California transplant from England. I’m a former competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot, an endurance cyclist and an occasional PI. I share my world with my American wife, Julie. Our lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund, three cats, three chickens and 10,000 bees. I’m the Anthony Award winning author of a dozen books and over 100 stories. My titles include Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper, Terminated, Asking For Trouble, We All Fall Down and the Aidy Westlake series. My latest thriller is NO SHOW, the first in the Terry Sheffield mysteries. I also write horror under the pen name of Simon Janus. Curious people can learn more at http://www.simonwood.net.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
NO SHOW is based on my 1st day in the USA. My wife and I met abroad and we took a chance on love as it were and I came to the US to marry her. I arrived with my world in a couple of bags and she wasn’t at the airport to meet me. I waited and waited. While I was waiting I realized how little thought I’d put into the situation. I didn’t know Julie’s address or how to get in touch with her. Eventually, she arrived about an hour late because of traffic, but it did make me wonder what I would have done if she hadn’t. As much as I thought I knew about the States, I was pretty naïve, so how would I have coped if I had been left at the airport with no friends or social network to help me. From there, No Show was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to do laundry when I have problems writing a scene that just won’t come out.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me most are Reginald Hill, Raymond Chandler, James Herbert and Alfred Hitchcock’s films.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a standalone thriller called THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ereader News Today has been very good for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. Revise. Submit. Repeat.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t badmouth anyone in public. That came from Doug Clegg.
What are you reading now?
NOIR by Richard Matheson.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The German editions of PAYING THE PIPER and THE FALL GUY are coming out in April & June. I have a couple of short stories coming out from StoryHouse at the end of April. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY comes out in the Fall.
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 LONG GOODBYE by Raymond Chandler
THE STRAIGHT MAN by Richard Russo
LOVE ON A BRANCH LINE by John Hadfield
Author Websites and Profiles
Simon Wood Website
Simon Wood Amazon Profile
Simon Wood Author Profile on Smashwords
Simon Wood’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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