Tony Flood, author of fantasy adventure book The
Secret Potion and celebrity revelations book My Life With The Stars, answers 20
questions from Lynne Hale. For further information about his books, which are
available on Amazon, check out websites: www.celebritiesconfessions.com
and http://www.fantasyadventurebooks.com/
1
What
first attracted you to writing? I loved the fact that
writing can provide others with so much information and can sometimes influence
them. That was why I created a school newspaper and became editor of it. Some
years later I joined a local newspaper as a junior reporter when I finished my
education at the South East London Day College and greatly enjoyed covering a
variety of news stories.
2
How
did you come to write your first book? I was keen to
write for children and when my wife Heather came up with the idea of a young
girl searching for her kidnapped brother, I developed it. This resulted in my
first fictional book The Secret Potion, with Jody Richards finding herself in a
fantasy world in which she has to battle against evil wizards and witches and
possibly the world's worst monster.
3
What’s
the best thing about being an author? Being told by
readers that your book – and the characters in it - have given them a lot of pleasure.
4
And
what’s the worst? Having to spend hours checking and
rechecking your manuscript – and then marketing your book!
5
Which
was your favourite book as a child? The first book I
can remember enjoying as a child was Enid
Blyton's Five Go To Smuggler's Top.
6
What
do writers groups offer? Writers groups help writers
develop their skills and grow in confidence by offering advice, feedback,
support and informative guest speakers. Facebook and Twitter can be useful
tools – if you have the time to fully utilise them.
7
Tell
us about you working experience (as a journalist.) I
was probably the country's youngest Sports Editor at the Lewisham Borough News
at the age of 17 or 18. I later became Sports Editor of the Kentish Times
Series, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and the Richmond and Twickenham Times.
I worked in Fleet Street for the Sunday Express, News of the World and The
People, and was Controller of Information at Sky Television. I was also editor
of a national magazine – Football Monthly.
8
Have
you ever had an embarrassing moment? Yes - interviewing
a Millwall footballer without knowing his name.
9
What
do writers need most? Endless patience and persistence.
10
What
are you reading? A thriller called Fallen by Karin
Slaughter.
11
Who
is your writing hero? Sidney Sheldon, the Academy
Award-winning American writer. The nearest I have come to emulating him is to
win the Anderida Writers' award!
12
What
did you want to be when you were twelve? A footballer
or a journalist. I settled for the latter as I did not have the skill to become
an English George Best.
13
What
is your proudest achievement? Being appointed editor of
Britain's oldest soccer magazine Football Monthly.
14
What
would you like to see happen in the future? Unknown
authors being given more coverage by the media and websites to turn their books
into best sellers.
15
What
are your fondest memories? Enjoying a happy childhood
living with my grandparents, who were publicans in South East London, and
visiting my mother at weekends.
16
What
do you think of other writers and/or authors? I greatly
enjoy and admire thriller writers who have the ability to develop plots within
plots like Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, David Baldacci and Paul James.
17
Tell
us about your hobbies away from writing. I still play
veterans football on a Sunday morning (some may say I simply shuffle about
nicking the odd goal and not contributing much else). I also love eating out
and going to the theatre – I write theatre reviews for the Brighton Argus.
18
Where
do you hope to be when you’re 70? That's not too far
away so I expect to be still be living in Eastbourne with my wife and fellow
author Heather Flood.
19
What
was your dream holiday? It was my honeymoon with
Heather which we spent in three fabulous locations – Hong Kong, New Orleans and
Hawaii.
20
What
superpower would you like to have? To be able to
foretell the future. Not only could I warn of impending disasters, but I could
make a fortune by investing in the stock exchange or predicting the outcome of
sporting events!
Thank you Tony for this interview. I was interested in how early you started your career and that your first job was as sports editor.
Thank you Tony for this interview. I was interested in how early you started your career and that your first job was as sports editor.
