Firstly, a self-introduction. I am now 64 years old, a British citizen born and raised in London and my decision to become an author took place fairly late in life. There are many reasons why people become authors but a common thread is that they have an idea and then visualise a plot. From then, they put pen to paper or, as I have done, on a computer.
My first novel, “Kingdom Come”, was published in 2011 and came from an idea that started in the 1990s. I was well aware of the importance of oil and the economic impact that a large discovery would have on the United Kingdom, as it would enable any Government to be able to carry out its flagship policies without worrying about their affordability. I also appreciated the impact that such a discovery would have for the West in general, as it would significantly reduce dependence on the Middle East. But I also understood what might happen if new oil reserves were discovered off Scotland and Wales – both countries felt left behind after the economic restructuring of the United Kingdom which took place from the 1980s onwards and the discovery of such a precious resource might rekindle the desire for independence.
With no prior experience of writing novels, I searched the internet for a potential publisher. None of the main publishers appeared to be inviting interrest from new writers but, by accident, I stumbled across the concept of self-publishing and discovered AuthorHouse. They were willing to turn my script into a novel but I had to self-finance its publication and marketing. I embarked on my own sales drive which involved selling it to friends and acquaintences, publicising it on Facebook and putting free copies to read in pubs and in the library at work. Being a new author and without an agent, and with an economic recession taking place, sales were very low.
I had no plans to write a second novel but, in 2015, an idea came into my head which led me to write “Rotten to the Core”. The trigger was the decision by the then US Attorney-General, Loretta Lynch, to seek prosecutions against several leading officials from the world’s soccer federations, including the Secretary-General of the world body FIFA. This revealed there was considerable concern about the integrity and propriety of the world’s leading sporting bodies and took place against the backdrop of the controversial awards of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. The political landscape was also geting very interesting with an increasingly assertive Russia, a fast-emerging China, the election of President Trump, the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and the re-emerging issue of the strength of the union of the four countries which make up the United Kingdom in the light of Brexit.
I had learnt several lessons from having had one novel published. One was the importance of editing and I was fortunate that my publisher now offered an editing service which I took advantage of. This helped me make the narrative more focused and free of repetitions. Another was to use a professional graphic designer to design the cover. “Rotten to the Core” was published in the fall of 2017 and I was delighted when AuthorHouse contacted me to say that there was interest from Hollywood.