{"id":195,"date":"2013-11-09T15:30:21","date_gmt":"2013-11-09T15:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/?p=195"},"modified":"2015-02-28T11:49:26","modified_gmt":"2015-02-28T11:49:26","slug":"crifi-lover-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/?p=195","title":{"rendered":"CriFi Lover Interview…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CFL\"<\/a>Crime Fiction Lover (the cryptically-named site for lovers of crime fiction) just posted a fascinating interview on their website, as part of their ‘New Talent November’ section.<\/p>\n

The interview is with an exciting debut author whose first novel comes out on November the 21st. I really can’t recommend it highly enough, so please click here<\/a> to read it on their website, or scroll down for a copy of the text…<\/p>\n

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NTN: Interview with Alastair Gunn<\/h2>\n

By crimefictionlover<\/a> \u22c5 November 9, 2013 \u22c5\u00a0\u00a0 Post a comment<\/a><\/p>\n

Filed Under<\/strong> \u00a0Alastair Gunn<\/a>, christmas<\/a>, debut<\/a>, London<\/a>, NTN2013<\/a>, serial killer<\/a>, The Advent Killer<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"alistairgunn540\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"NTN<\/a>Feeling a bit cynical<\/strong> about the run-up to Christmas? The constant battering of the eardrums with boughs of holly, the jingle of bells that makes the hair on your neck stand on end because it\u2019s only November still? Alastair Gunn\u2019s debut novel The Advent Killer should provide suitable distraction. While the rest of London is getting ready for Christmas, each week, a murderer takes down a victim in what seems to be a ritual all of his own. We invited the author of this thriller to take part in New Talent November, and asked him about his start in crime fiction\u2026<\/p>\n

What were you doing before you became a writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had a fair mixture of jobs in my life. I\u2019ve worked as a retailer, an entrepreneur, a salesman, a manager, and a journalist. I didn\u2019t plan it that way, but I think it\u2019s been good preparation for being a writer. The more varied your experience, the more you discover about other people, which helps when you\u2019re trying to create compelling situations and characters.<\/p>\n

What made you decide to write crime fiction?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always enjoyed reading crime, but oddly, I didn\u2019t start out wanting to write about it. I had a concept for a particular way to tell a story, which required the two main characters to be kept apart. It turned out the best way to do that was to make one a wanted criminal, and the other a police detective.<\/p>\n

What do you think crime fiction lovers will enjoy about The Advent Killer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the books I enjoy reading have a relentlessness about them. Events and revelations come thick and fast, and I don\u2019t want to leave the characters at the end of each scene, but then I remember I\u2019m going back to another character whose thread I want to pick up again. That\u2019s the best way to keep me engaged. I think The Advent Killer has that relentlessness.<\/p>\n

\"adventkiller\"<\/a>The plot is fear-inducing \u2013 the fact that the murders are occurring in a sequence, at set times, and presumably for a reason. Tell us where the idea came from and how you developed it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My killer creates fear by telling the public that somebody will die at the same time on the same day, week after week. Everybody knows it\u2019s coming. What they don\u2019t know is how or why he selects his victims, which means anyone could be next. I wanted the reader to experience the tension as each murder approaches, which is why I divided the book into specific days. You really feel each countdown.<\/p>\n

Tell us more about DCI Antonia Hawkins. What sets her apart from other crime fiction cops?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hawkins isn\u2019t the finished article. She\u2019s actually a bit out of her depth as seconded DCI. She makes plenty of mistakes, both in leading the investigation, and with the people on her team. Her frustration is obvious a lot of the time, but she won\u2019t give up. I think readers will relate to that. It makes her more human.<\/p>\n

How much violence and gore is there in your book, and what do you think is the best way to write about fictional killings?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m really careful not to let my writing revel in gore or violence. Crime fiction needs the extreme end of human depravity to keep the stakes high, but for me it\u2019s more about the killer\u2019s thought process. A tangible mixture of intent and insanity on their part, and imagining what they might be capable of, is much scarier than describing someone\u2019s intestines.<\/p>\n

Which other crime authors do you find inspiring, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of them, actually. Anyone who makes it through the mind-bending process of writing a crime novel and getting it published is worthy of my respect. If I had to pick someone, I really enjoy reading Frederick Forsyth. He tells a great story, but afterwards you realise you\u2019ve also learned about the world.<\/p>\n

How did you land your deal with Penguin and how does it feel to see your first novel in print?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My deal with Penguin was the result of eight years\u2019 hard work. It\u2019s a clich\u00e9, but I just decided not to take no for an answer. I\u2019ve always loved writing, and I knew I had some talent for it, so I bought a few books on how to write a novel and get published, and just went for it. Every refusal (from agents or publishers) was an opportunity to learn or adjust. Seeing my first novel in print is amazing, but I certainly won\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

Watch for our review of The Advent Killer here soon, during New Talent November. It\u2019s released 21 November.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crime Fiction Lover (the cryptically-named site for lovers of crime fiction) just posted a fascinating interview on their website, as part of their ‘New Talent November’ section… We talk protagonists, violence and gore, and how it feels to see your fist novel in print.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":616,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195\/revisions\/616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alastairgunn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}