What are your earliest memories of your hometown?
Walking on the beach by the sea.
Were there specific books or authors that influenced your early writing?
All Agatha Christie books.
How did your background as a probation officer, child protection officer, and Anglican priest influence your writing?
My work background gave me a focus about people in need. It gave me an understanding of their problems and I met many people who inspired my characters.
Can you describe your writing process? Do you have a specific routine or set of rituals when writing?
When I worked full-time, I had to write in the evening and at weekends. Since retiring I do not have a routine, I write every day but at different times.
What inspired you to write Sacred Memoirs of a Retired Failure and its sequel, The Resurrected?
I wanted to write about retirement, that it can be a very positive step forward. Even coupled with recent bereavement, there is always hope. I wanted to show that there is always hope, even when going through a long, dark tunnel. Life is about moving forward, why should that end when we retire or suffer bereavement?
Are the characters in your books entirely fictional, or are they based on real people you encountered in your professional life?
Most of my characters are based on people I encountered in my professional life. Some characters are fictional but I have learned so much from the people I met in my professional life.
How do you approach character development, especially when drawing from real-life experiences?
I consider the plot and the characters needed, how they should develop to be creditable. When using characters I have known, I pretty much keep them as they were in real life.
To what extent do you see yourself in the protagonist, Rev Doug Spencer?
There is a lot of me in Rev Doug. My disappointments with churches and ministry come through strongly. I feel there are many Rev Dougs out there who have either been silent or not had the opportunity to have their voice heard.
Did writing the books serve as a cathartic experience, given the personal and professional challenges your character faces?
In some ways I suppose this is true, but not entirely. It is more a matter of having something to say to a wider audience and being faithful in telling that story.
What themes do you hope readers take away from Sacred Memoirs of a Retired Failure and The Resurrected?
That there is always hope! Work life ends, people close to us pass away. Yet hope is always somewhere if we seek to find it. Love and justice are important themes. Without love, what are we? If we do not experience justice then we can become frustrated.
How do you balance the serious themes of disillusionment and loneliness with the moments of humor and adventure in your books?
With believable characters. All adventure or all humor are fine in books, but to balance the two is a skill which does or does not work. Correctly balanced, readers laugh and they cry (sometimes at the same time) which I believe enhances a story.
How do you manage to infuse humor into serious topics such as retirement, loss, and homelessness?
There is humor and sadness in all of us. I believe a story is best told by using humor in all the sadness, that characters are like diamonds, they have many facets.
Rev Doug Spencer faces the death of his wife in the books. How did you approach writing about grief, and what do you hope readers take away from those passages?
Rev Doug looks back but does not allow his grief and sadness to consume him. He uses them in a positive way, being realistic but not turning into himself. He looks outward and tries to help others. Friends are important, they can see what we need and wish to do and can ensure that our journey is successful. Grief conquers so many, they cannot get past or over their lost. This is a tragedy and I have endeavoured to show in my books that grief does not have to be the final chapter.
Do you have any upcoming projects in mind? Will you continue exploring themes from your previous works or delve into new territories?
Undecided. It may be that my next project is a further sequel. On the other hand, I may develop new characters but still continue with the theme of hope in a new venture.
How has your experience of working with AllAuthor been?
A good experience, AllAuthor understand my books and what I am trying to say. They are very supportive.
