Q&A Interview with Jack Steele

Today I would like to welcome Jack Steele author of Loose Cannon which I highly recommend giving it 5 stars,to my blog page. Jack has kindly offered to take part in my Q&A Interview.....Without further ado here is Mr Jack Steele

Morning Jack thank you for joining me this morning

Morning Shell great to be here.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and background?

I was born in Hackney, London and grew up on the Bannister House Estate where my childhood seemed to be full of adventure. Unfortunately, by the time I was 12, drugs and crime had spiralled on the estate forcing us to move away to the Norfolk countryside.

At 16, I left school and started a 4 year printing apprenticeship. To say there were a few dodgy characters that I worked/mixed with would be an understatement. They included petty criminals, football hooligans and gangsters. Obviously great characters for my novels!

Now I work in a Derbyshire printers.

When did you know that you wanted to become a writer? and how did you go about it?

My English teacher, Bernard Phillips, was always positive and encouraged me to be an avid reader. I enjoyed all kinds of fiction but mainly Crime. As the years rolled by I became more discerning.

The books were either too descriptive with little action, or too many characters that confused me. I now had more spare time on my hands, so I decided to cancel the SKY subscription and write one that appealed to my own personal taste.  I watched countless documentaries and read fiction/non-fiction on the subjects of Organised Crime, the Mafia, Vice, Psychopaths and Policing.

I completed a creative writing course. Then I attended two workshops run by the Nottingham Writers Studio. Deborah Bailey led ‘Getting it out there’ and ‘How to interview your character’.

Angela K Foxwood took the second course ‘Developing your crime novel’. It was extremely useful and provided me with the tools I needed to shape my novel. Another change I made was to write under a pen name to keep everything separate from my normal life (Mark Homan). That’s why I prefer to write and use social media under the name Jack Steele.

Can you tell us what genre your books are and the audience you write for?

I write Crime Fiction and I am so thrilled with the feedback from those that have read my debut Crime novel. They are so supportive.

What is your writing process? and how long does it take?

The first draft takes a few weeks. Then it’s a question of 3 months per subsequent draft. During the writing I will visit locations in London to add realism to the setting. My wife accompanies me and she has been very supportive.

When I feel happy with the final draft I send the manuscript to two amazing friends who have editorial experience. Tracie and Gill gave me so much of their time; suggesting changes when a paragraph didn’t seem to work, correcting my grammar and pointing out ‘Too many He’s or I’s’ etc.

Then when I’ve incorporated their corrections and observations I send the story to my reading circle. Clive, Sandra, Chris, David and Paul who gave great comments that improved the book even further.

Are your characters based on anyone you know or are they just fictional?

A lot of my characters are based on old colleagues and acquaintances. My readers have enjoyed their own particular character in the book. Many have picked out the doorman, Norman, as one that could have his own series.

Have you wrote about a personal experience in your novels?

Yes, there was one instance in Loose Cannon. The sequel has a few more.  

What research do you do?

I spent five years researching books, magazines, documentaries, movies and internet articles on various subjects (some I have mentioned before).

The locations, buildings and pubs in my novels are all visited so as to get an idea of their atmosphere, which I hope comes  through in the novels.

Who would you like to co-write with and why?

I enjoy reading The Alex Cross books by James Patterson. He could give me a Masterclass with plenty of tips at the same time.

What's your favourite book?

The first book I read was ‘The Hobbit’ since then I have read literally hundreds of books. My favourite….To Kill a Mocking Bird.

What's your favourite food?

I love all kinds of food so if I had to pick one… it’s my wife’s Lasagne (points scored there!).

What's your favourite film?

The Dark Knight had such an amazing performance from Heath Ledger as ‘The Joker’.

Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’ was so sensitive (the ending still gets to me).

Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Alien, and The Long Good Friday….I can’t pick just one.

What's your favourite song?

I grew up in the 80s when there was New Wave & Punk. I went to loads of concerts to pogo and push everyone around. The one song that I really remember from that era was ‘Into the Valley’ by The Skids. They were at number one in the charts when I went to see them. During the concert, a guy I was standing next to threw a beer bottle at the lead singer, Richard Jobson. I pinned him down just as the singer leapt off stage to vent his anger. The bouncers led him off and Richard thanked me and I got invited backstage after the concert. I met the band and had a drink with them.

How can readers find out more information about yourself and your books?

Here is the link to purchase Loose Cannon  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loose-Cannon-Jack-Steele-ebook/dp/B01B41YM2K

Social Media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jack.steele.31508

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackSteele1961

WordPress: https://jacksteele1.wordpress.com

I am currently working on a website.

Thank you so much for taking time out to do this interview.

Thank you for inviting me