BLOG TOUR: Stop the Succession - Russell Brooks

Today I am hosting Russell Brooks, author of Pandora's Succession. You can read my review of his book here.

Also, there is a giveaway:
Everyone that leaves a comment with their email address (in the body of your message) will win an autographed book cover. After the blog tour, 10 commentors  from all of the blogs will be drawn to win free autographed ebook copies of Pandora's Succession.

 

Now on to the interview:

Describe Pandora's Succession in five words.

Science Fiction meets spy novel.

Who was your favourite character to write in this book?

Dr Tabitha Marx. Whenever I read a novel or watch a movie, the villains are the ones that I always follow more closely. A great villain makes a great story, while a poor one can destroy a potentially good story. It was fun creating a modern-day mad scientist. It's the type of character we don't see too often.

An awful lot of research must have gone into the writing of Pandora's Succession, considering the different intelligence agencies mentioned, the guns and military transportation used and the country you based it in. How long did it take you to collect the information needed to write with such detail?

It took me a few months. Gathering information about guns wasn't so difficult since there are so many firearms websites. Info about the CIA and Boeisho was a bit trickier, but I learned a few things from reading former CIA Director, George Tenet's, biography. My brother is in the Canadian Army so he was able to guide me when it came to military aircraft. A buddy of mine (Jim) helped me select a sidearm for the main protagonist, Ridley Fox.

Will there be any sequels to this book or other books involving Fox and Parris?

A sequel is in the works.

What inspired you to become a writer? Who encouraged you along the way to become a writer?

I tend to daydream a lot. Always have been, and it's always been about some story. When I was in elementary school, I put pencil to paper and came up with a detective short story. My grade six teacher passed by and saw what I did, took it, and read it in front of the class. I got applause and she encouraged me to keep writing. She hoped to see one of my books get published.

Did you ever fell like throwing in the towel during this journey? Any tips to offer to aspiring authors who are feeling the same frustrations?

There were moments when I stopped. I was twelve years old when I started the first draft. I didn't know anything about writing or the publishing industry (which has evolved tremendously since then), so it was often an on-and-off thing. Things changed when I stumbled onto the website of my writing coach, Victory Crayne, who was able to coach me properly. I learned so much from here in one month than what I learned most of my life as a writer. After she saw my potential, she introduced me to Jerry Simmons of the INDY Publishing Group, who gave me some excellent advice, and point me in the right direction. He then introduced me to Jeff Rivera of Gumbowriters. It was then that I saw the potential in my novel and kept working at it. It's important to be patient, perseverant, and passionate about your writing. With the 3-Ps you can overcome any obstacle. It's also important to learn as much as you can about the publishing industry. JA Konrath has an excellent website www.jakonrath.com.  It has a wealth of information including his free ebook "The Newbies Guide to Publishing" which I strongly recommend.

If you could meet an author, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Kevin Smith. I have some ideas for a Superman and Wonder Woman movie. I'd ask him if he'd like to collaborate.

Where can people find you on the web?

www.russellparkway.com