Q&A with Author Joe Conlan

I had the pleasure of "meeting" Joe Conlan, author of the thriller Nameless, through Goodreads.com. I finished reading Nameless a couple weeks ago and have to admit, it is one of the best books I have ever read. Nameless has been at the top of Amazon's UK thriller bestseller list, even hitting #3 on Amazon's Top 100 list for the Kindle and doesn't seem to be losing any momentum. You will not regret reading Nameless. I have recommended Nameless to everyone I know and everyone that has read has thoroughly enjoyed it too. Joe agreed to do a Q&A with me and I am finally getting it to you! Here you go! What motivates you to write? I have been an avid reader since my early teenage years. The first time I picked up a novel to read it and couldn't put it down, I fell in love with the written word. I've always had a passion for language. So, I guess you could say that my inspiration came from other authors. I have always been partial to horror and thrillers, Stephen King and Anne Rice being two of my favorites. I wanted to write like they do. If I succeeded just 50%, I would be very happy. Why I waited until I was 50 years old to give it a shot is anyone's guess. But, I think I finally discovered what I was meant to do. Where did you come up with the idea for Nameless? That is actually a funny story. It was my daughter's 20th birthday and our family was gathered to celebrate it. During conversation, I announced to everyone that I have always wanted to write a novel. At that point, I was already retired with a lot of free time on my hands. My ex-father-in-law, in his inimitable way then asked, "Well what the hell is keeping you from doing it?" Realizing, he had a point, I asked the group what I should write about. My ex-wife suggested murder on a cruise ship. That day, I wrote the first words of Nameless. What book(s)/author(s) have influenced your life and writing? I guess I kind of cheated and answered this in question 1. Without a doubt, horror, crime fiction thrillers and fantasy are my favorite genres. Besides Stephen King and Anne Rice, I love Mary Higgins Clark, Michael Connelly, David Baldacci and Nelson DeMille. My favorite fantasy author is J.R.R. Tolkien. What are you currently reading? I'm ashamed to say that lately I have not had much time for reading. Since I am an indie author without much in resources to advertise and promote Nameless, I have to do most of it myself via the social media. Because of Nameless' great success in the UK, I am receiving many requests, if not demands :-), for a sequel. So, while I work with Nameless, I'm also writing feverishly to complete book 2 of the series. I'm hoping once it's done, I'll be able to get back to my favorite passtime which of course, is reading. What was the hardest part in writing Nameless? I would say that the Hannah Richards scenes were probably the most difficult for me. I have a soft spot for little old ladies and Shem's treatment of Hannah was nothing short of despicable. Believe it or not, I actually had to stop writing several times to settle myself. How did you manage to create such a character as Nameless? I wish I could give you a detailed explanation about how I created Shem. I'm not sure how many other authors have the same writing technique that I do. There wasn't much preparation before I began. I didn't create an outline, a list of characters or a timeline. I simply sat at my laptop to type and the story seemed to write itself, including the development of Shem Chassar. I can say that I wanted to create a character that the reader would hate to the core, but feel sorry for, at the same time. The rest was pure imagination. What are you currently working on? I mentioned earlier that I am writing a second novel in a series that I hope to continue for at least five or six books. The title of the sequel is When White Fades to Black. It has some of the same characters as Nameless. However, it is more of a political thriller in the style of David Baldacci involving white supremacy and domestic terrorism. I would tell you more about book 3, but I don't want to ruin the story for those who have not yet read Nameless. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I have two female Rhodesian Ridgebacks who take up a lot of my free time. I happen to adore them as well. I take them to a 26 acre dog park every morning to get their exercise. I also love to travel, cruising being my preferred way of vacationing. I bet you couldn't guess that. :-) When I have the time, reading is my absolute favorite form of entertainment. I'm also a huge tennis fan. After reading Nameless, please leave feedback/write a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and anywhere else you can leave feedback. Joe can be found at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/authorjoeconlan/info http://www.joeconlan.com Below are links to purchase the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nameless-joe-conlan/1114849327?ean=9780989038003 http://www.amazon.com/Nameless-Joe-Conlan/dp/0989038009/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373482291&sr=8-2&keywords=nameless