Featured Interview With Dan Fletcher
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My family left England when I was 5 and moved to South Africa where my love of wildlife and safaris began. I have also lived in Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, as well as Canada, Spain and the UK.
I currently live in Wiltshire with my partner Clare and our six children – no time or room for pets at the moment but I have had dogs and cats in the past.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I got into reading full length books and thrillers at an early age due to the lack of TV in Africa, unless you count a couple of hours of broadcasting sitcom reruns on Friday & Saturday nights.
The first books I remember reading were The Famous Five and the Hardy Boys, then at around 11 years old I moved on to the likes of Alistair Maclean, Wilbur Smith, Terry Pratchett & Stephen King.
I have always loved reading thrillers and wanted to write books that pick you up and immerse you in a different world. Books are better than film in that you use your imagination to picture the characters and create a personal experience. It is this magical experience that inspired me to write.
Having always wanted to write I eventually got around to it in 2011 when I sat down for 4 weeks and wrote THE STASH. I realise now that I should have spent longer on research & editing but at the time got carried away in the magic of the moment and the realisation that I could write a full length novel.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre is thrillers, with the odd autobiography and historical fiction & non-fiction thrown in. In some ways I guess I have been influenced by all the books I have read but authors who have inspired me are Eric Van Lustbader, Alistair Maclean, Wilbur Smith, Terry Pratchett & Frederick Forsyth to name but a few.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Dawn of Deception is a book that I spent years researching and writing that delves into the world of international poaching syndicates and political corruption in Kenya. The historical background of ethnic cleansing and the criminal methods employed are accurate and well documented.
David Nbeke and the other characters are fictitious, although the evil mastermind Maliki is based on someone I met in Nairobi who had failed the lion hunt, bore the scars, and been ostracized from his tribe – unlike Maliki he was a warm and gentle soul. Although the history gives the characters more depth and motivation this is in essence a high-octane thriller as David Nbeke fights for justice and his own survival.
In the sequel, DIVIDED THEY FALL, David teams up with Clarissa May of the CIA to combat terrorists planning to blow up the American Embassies in Nairobi & Dar es Salaam – due to be released this summer!
I hope that people enjoy reading Dawn of Deception and the rest of the series as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
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