Q1: Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Martin Nuza and I live in Gibraltar. I am 53 years of age and for the past 30 years I have been involved in the film industry as writer/producer and director on many audio/visual projects, everything from music videos, to documentaries, shorts and feature films. My website has a full breakdown of my work and many International festival awards through the years. https://martinnuzaproductions.com/ and IMDB profile is https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2796333/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise”?
Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise is based on real events and crimes onboard cruise ships, so the main challenge I had was to gather factual evidence of all the crimes before putting pen to paper and writing this book. I contacted the International Cruise Victims Association in the States and thanks to them and their lawyers, they presented me with all the research into their database from logged crimes, so I could gather the correct information during a three year research span.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
That is a good question as there are many, but my main influence for writing a crime novel such as Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise is from Stephen King, who I believe to be the master of modern day crime and mystery novels. Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise touches Mr King’s novels like “Misery” “The Shining” “Christine” and “The Green Mile”
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
As you know I am from Gibraltar, which is located in between Morocco and Spain, so we get the best of both continents. One of my favorite spots is to be at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar on a crystal clear sunset evening, and watch the magnificent sunset, stretching all the way between Africa and Europe, divided by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a magical sensation to watch and experience.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
Obviously before I dive into writing a book, the first thing I need is to get the facts correct, so here is where “Research” comes into play and you should get right. Then once you are happy with the information gathered, you need to then structure the book and I like to do it into three parts. How will the book begin? How will the book end? What will the middle of the book reveal? Once I have answered those three questions, I then do a breakdown of the main characters of the book and write their history, so I understand and know everything there is to know about them even before I begin writing them into the book. Once all that work is done and I have researched all the locations I want to introduce in the book, then the writing of the first draft can commence.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise’?
Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise took three years of extensive research before I even began to write the first chapter. Once all the information had been gathered and I wrote breakdowns for the main characters I then began the writing phase, which for me comes naturally and I wrote the first draft of the novel in just 2 months. The published novel is draft 9, and came 7 months after I first started to write, so to answer your question, 3 years of research and 7 months to complete the book.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your book?
Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise has been published by Michael Terence Publishing in the UK and can be found on any of the Amazon sites worldwide as a Paperback or Kindle format. It is also available on “Barnes & Noble”
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise’?
The publisher “Micheal Terence Publishing” in the UK works with an amazing designer called Karolina Robinson Zammit who I was introduced to by the Editor of the publishing house Mr Keith Abbott. I explained to Karolina what the vision was for the front cover of the book. It was basically an empty cabin, to give rise to the fact that someone has gone missing. Then it was smooth sailing from then on until she came up with the current design which has been published. As regards to the title, well it clearly describes the fact that someone is taken “Snatched” and their ordeal, as the ordeal of their family members becomes as an “unforgettable cruise” hence the title Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise because they will always remember their ordeal after being subjected to crime on board their ship.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
This is why the book needs to go through many drafts and in each draft you realise and understand what is working and what is not. I like to write as an author and then read the draft as a reader, so this will always keep things fresh and in perspective.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Oh yes, there are so many secrets from true crimes and ordeals in this book that it will make the reader think twice about going on a cruise again, as the harsh reality is that crimes continue to happen and people, both passengers and crew members, vanish and go missing without a trace. So this book will open up the reality to the reader of what the situation is really like, if you are not careful on a cruise ship, especially if you are travelling by yourself or with small kids.
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