Interview With Author Tony Brassell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Tony Brassell, and I am based in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, between England and France. I am supposed to be retired but things haven’t quite worked out that way. There always seems to be something to do. When I’m not writing you can often find me working in my daughter’s craft shop. I have written nine novels and am working on number ten. My latest book is currently going through a final edit and I hope it will be live on Amazon by the end of August 2024.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest Novel is called GULL and it is the third in my DI Karen Dee detective series. Karen is based in Sunderland, a city in the Northeast of England. My wife is from Sunderland, and we lived there through Covid for a period of three years before moving back to Guernsey at the beginning of 2023. GULL is the ancient Norse word for gold and the story is inspired by some magical time spent on and around Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I hear that writers often plan their stories before they start writing. I can’t seem to work like that. The words just flow and where they come from, who knows. My wife never ceases to be amazed at the things I write about. Although she does recognise many of the elements in my books as they often relate to the time we spent in Sunderland and all the places we visited while we lived there.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I tend to read science fiction so there is no direct influence there for my Guernsey trilogy or my detective series. I do occasionally read Lee Child and in science fiction I love the works of Ryk Brown and Christopher Nuttall. When my father was alive, we did share a love for adventure stories written by Clive Cussler. The first book I remember reading was the Kon Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl. I think that is responsible for instilling in me a sense of wonder in the world and the urge to see as much of it as I can.
What are you working on now?
I have a few irons in the fire, but as my wife often reminds me, I should focus on one job at a time. I have a third science fiction book on the go, which is nearly a third of the way through, so that’s the prime candidate, although I have another strong idea for a fourth DI Karen Dee book which is niggling at me. I would also like to spend time on a memoire but somehow that always seems to end up at the bottom of my to do list. I am always refining my work and revisiting my novels. I am currently working with a designer on a new cover for my book Journey Home.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Sadly, this is where I tend to fall down. Despite having a career in Marketing, promoting myself is not something I am comfortable with. I tried to put my work in front of a couple of publishers, but that was long after I started writing. I did not have any success. I do sell my Guernsey books locally to locals and visitors through three local shops, which is good, and of course they are all on Amazon. I am giving the Awesome Gang a go and hope that will prove a good avenue. I have tried Amazon promotions and Bookbub in the past with limited success.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am lucky that I don’t need to earn a living from my books. I would love to have a decent income, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t treat it as a job which I guess is where I am going wrong. What I do enjoy is the process and the escapism of writing. If you don’t enjoy it, then I would suggest this isn’t something you should be doing. I can spend months, writing and then honing a book until it is ready to go live, for little or no return. If that is something you don’t want to do, then focus on the day job. I get so excited about one sale, or someone reading my books through Kindle and love the idea that somewhere out there someone is reading my words. If they leave me a good rating, then I am over the moon.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ll give you four:
1. Don’t be upset by negative ratings. There are people out there who will be more than happy to denigrate your work. They don’t understand the toil and love that goes into writing. If they did, they would never give you a low number in the star’s column. If I don’t like a book, I won’t give a review.
2. Read you book out loud before you publish it. You will find loads of mistakes that way. Word has a read out loud option in their review section.
3. If you can afford it, get a professional to design your book cover. They say never judge a book by its cover, but believe me, if the cover looks bad, it won’t sell.
4. Enjoy your writing. Everyone has a story to tell, so they say. Just don’t leave it too late. Tomorrow is never promised, and procrastination has been the death of many a good book.
What are you reading now?
Funnily enough I am reading my latest book – GULL. I am a great believer in reading your own books as if you didn’t write them. I have a pad next to me and am constantly making adjustments to the text as I go through. I will be returning to the next Ryk Brown as soon as I am done.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I think seeing one of my books on screen, either as a series or as a film would be the icing on the cake. I have heard that someone was considering my first book, Ten Days One Guernsey Summer, for a movie and that would be a dream come true. More novels of course would be great and getting that Memoire off the ground would probably be a good end to my career, if I ever feel the need to stop.
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 think I would have to have my favourite book, the Kon Tiki Expedition. War and Peace would be great and would keep me busy. 2001, A Space Odyssey would fill my Science Fiction needs and my first book, to remind me who I am and where I came from. I would happily pass away with that novel in my hands.
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