AUTHOR TONY FLOOD ANSWERS 20 QUESTIONS

 

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.