Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
It has been a long time since I started writing my first book as a teenager. That unfinished work, inspired by a creative desire, was written on a simple pad of paper, then lost, but never quite forgotten. The creative seed remained, dormant, neglected and hidden somewhere in the recesses of a fertile mind. A business career took precedence, along with constructing a life. Then something happened, an incident that could have caused injury or cost lives reignited the spark, and what took shape over the subsequent years emerged as not one, but two books titled Dangerous Perceptions: The Road To Nowhere, and the sequel, Unintended Consequences.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of the second book is; Dangerous Perception: Unintended Consequences
It is the sequel to Dangerous Perceptions: The Road To Nowhere.
The Road To Nowhere provided the background to the characters and told the story of how they came into contact with one another under unusual circumstances.
The inspiration for writing the second book came from ideas of where the story would lead, and the reactions of the characters developed in the first book to pursuing opportunities to change their lives.
The Road To Nowhere sets the stage. Unintended Consequences is the dramatic unfurling of events unleashed as a result.
Men and women returning to civilian life after years in uniform often have an extremely difficult time adapting. They are suddenly alone, adrift and purposeless. These books are an exploration of what it’s like to be in their shoes, and of the fortitude, determination and desire to reclaim their lives.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t claim to know what is ‘usual’ to know if anything I do is unusual.
I am a developer of characters, and through them the writing process evolves in a way that is natural, fluid and constantly changing. No one knows where decisions will lead, there is only an expectation that doesn’t always pan out. And when it fails to develop as envisioned I rework the scene and the direction until it does. That’s my process.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Michael Robotham, Terry Hayes, Brad Thor, Ben Coes, Nigel Tranter.
What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a thriller skewed toward an interesting detective involved in a most unusual crime. This book has been exciting for me to write, firstly because it is a complete departure from the first two novels, and secondly due to the settings and characters that populate the pages.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Good question. So far I haven’t discovered the answer. But if I were pressed to provide a website where I have high expectations for success I’d have to go with Awesomegang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Follow your dream, try, give it your best shot and see where it leads. But don’t give up your day job. Being an author isn’t easy; it’s only the writing of the book that’s relatively easy. After you do that then the real work begins, and that starts with editing, over and over until you get it right. Then do it again, because it won’t be. Writing is a lonely process, and for most who try, the simply truth is that it won’t translate into success.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get to your last day on earth and know that there was something you always wanted to do, but didn’t even try.
I didn’t hear that from anyone, that’s my best advice.
What are you reading now?
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Promotion of the first two book is a top priority. As soon as they start gaining momentum I’ll switch back to the third book. There is a fourth that is well underway and in need of further development. So lots of things in the pipeline.
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?
A survival manual would be number one.
Number two would be… The biggest book I could find. I’d burn it to get a passing ship’s attention.
Number three would be my unfinished works. It would give me something to do.
The last book would be a book of jokes, humorous stories and inspirational tales.
Author Websites and Profiles
Stuart Murray Website
Stuart Murray’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account