Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I am a former senior government official and political adviser who left the Australian government in 2018. Since then I have been the CEO of a charity dealing with PTSD and on the board of another charity that deals with animal assisted therapy. I live in Canberra, Australia with my wife and pet beagle, Louie. I have just completed my first draft of my third book, The Cry of the Lyrebird. My interests include history, travelling, music, animals. and football, being a mad supporter of Liverpool FC.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “A Season of Thunder”?
A2. Although written as a novel, the book is based on fact, dealing with my shooting as a four year old boy and the possible connection to my father’s war service in the former Yugoslavia. Exploring such a traumatic event had its challenges as I discovered that many things I was told about the shooting were untrue. Dealing with that was difficult. Also discovering the background to my family’s escape from Yugoslavia (way before I was born) was also very challenging as I finally understood the terrible situations they experienced.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. I read widely, so I enjoy many authors. In terms of weaving together a story, I think Stephen King’s early books were a big influence on me, especially with character development. I also was influenced by writers such as Le Carre, Leon Uris, Herman Wouk, Robert Ludlum, and more recently, Robert Harris and Mick Herron. Catch 22 and To Kill a Mockingbird are still my two favourite novels of all time – I would love to write an Australian version of Catch 22 one day. I am also greatly influenced by the American film director, David Lynch, and how he portrayed the mysterious undercurrents that lurk within small towns.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I am more of an international traveller these days – the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia and California are probably my two favourite places in the world because I love the sea and scenic, rugged coastlines. In Australia, Sydney is still my favorite place to visit – it is a historical city that offers everything, from fantastic beaches to brilliant restaurants and bars. Even for a large city, it relaxes me. Never get tired of visiting.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘A Season of Thunder’?
A5. As the youngest of four children, I wanted to record the story of my family’s escape from Yugoslavia for my siblings and their children. It is such an amazing story that I felt it needed to be retold within our family for decades to come so that those that live after us continue to honour the sacrifices that my parents and my oldest sister made.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘A Season of Thunder’?
A6. It took me about six months to conduct all the research for the book, and about eighteen months to write it.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. You can purchase the book through Amazon or order it online through your favourite bookstore such as Barnes and Noble etc. In Canberra, some bookshops carry the book.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘A Season of Thunder’?
A8. As for the book cover, I wanted something that conveyed a tree burning following a storm as that was an image my father recollected from the final days of the war. Fortunately I was able to find and purchase the perfect photo. My publisher who helped me with the book turned it into the perfect cover. As for ‘A Season of Thunder’ the title comes from my discussions with a Filipino Marist brother who I met in the Philippines in 2001. He explained to me about the Four Seasons of Life – the first being the Season of Thunder which details the events that led to your birth. That title fits perfectly with the essence of the novel.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.
A9. Always have a surprise or twist ready to go! Sometimes I didn’t even know what the twist would be until it came to my head.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Stay calm, trust your instincts, don’t be scared to seek and take feedback, and don’t give up!
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Sassy Reviews 