Author
An interview by Dr Marta Garrido of Garev Publishing International
So, Mr. Alexander, after a successful career as a software entrepreneur you wrote your first novel - Theft of the Master. How much of your personal experience has gone into your book?
I think a degree of business acumen always helps the process of writing but my other interests – chess, photography, music, pistol shooting and performance cars contribute more to my work. Actually, there’s not much direct personal experience in Theft of The Master, my love of chess and my travels throughout America - especially a fondness for the coastline of northern California - certainly figure strongly in the book, but most of what I write is aspirational.
Many first-time writers take a creative writing course to get them underway. Is that something you did?
Absolutely not. I reckon either you have creative writing ability or you don’t; it can’t be taught. The craft of writing – the ability to manipulate what Winston Churchill called ‘the essential structure of the English sentence—which is a noble thing’ I learned first at school and later absorbed from reading.
So why did you chose to write a crime novel?
I’ve long believed that revenge is the most powerful theme in drama. ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, the ultimate revenge drama, has been described as the best story – as distinct from the best novel – ever written. The attraction of a revenge story is that it allows the reader to indulge the human passion for violence while feeling good about it.
The action of your book is set against political events in the history of several countries. Would you describe yourself as a historian?
I think I have a good grasp of what man has been doing to himself down the ages, but my real passion is news. I spend maybe an hour a day – every day – reading news, especially coverage of terrorism-related events. I believe it is highly likely that AQ are plotting a dirty-bomb attack on a major Western city. It will be the most sensational and significant news story in history; I don’t intend to miss the start.
Talking of plots, Theft of The Master has a very complex plot…
The plot is the hardest part for me. I try to write complex plots which nevertheless make sense, at least when seen from the end of the story. It developed as the result of long, unstructured discussions with my wife, much of it taking place as we drove the freeways of the south-west. Our penchant for the coast of northern California with its history of smuggling, my interest in WWII and the bizarre link between the Nazis and the occult, the fantastic story of Nazi art thefts (at one point they had a collection of 10,000 pianos stolen in France alone)… these combined to form the central idea. The idea of a stolen wood carving was prompted by one of England’s great eccentrics – Brian Sewell, art critic of the London Evening Standard - who drew to my attention the extraordinary work and even more extraordinary life story of German Renaissance sculptor Veit Stoss. I also wanted to set the opening events in a place once under Nazi domination but still relatively remote and little-known which resulted in the choice of Estonia. As you see, the process was as complex as the plot itself.
Your leading character Al Hershey is a private investigator with an interesting hinterland. How did you shape his personality?
Obviously I needed a tough character – timid PI’s have short lives – so it was natural enough to turn to an ex-Marine. His war in Vietnam gave him a no-nonsense take on life. On the other hand he needs to be sympathetic which led me to talk about his problems re-entering civilian life, the failure of his first marriage, his remarriage - his relationship with the second Mrs. Hershey reveals much about them both. Al’s a compassionate sort of guy you can have total confidence in.
You are English and you have chosen to make your main character an American. Why have you done this?
Out of respect. For a couple of centuries, millions of brave, reckless or desperate people quit ‘Old Europe’ for America. You guys are their descendants, we Brits are descended from the timid ones who stayed behind. Which is one reason why the US leads the world (and, of course, why it is such a target).
I understand it took five years for you to finish the book. It covers a lot of ground in terms of time and space. You must have undertaken a lot of research…
Indeed. Many hundreds of hours. Some was done directly – a fascinating visit to Estonia, long travels in the US for example. The remainder I owe to Google. It’s a remarkable fact that although my study has dozens of reference works within easy reach, my computer can get me quicker and better answers to most questions from some professor of something in New Zealand or Colorado without getting out of my chair. My detractors say that I substitute research for imagination. I’ll leave the reader to decide that.
Were there surprising results from any of this research?
The most surprising thing was the way total strangers responded when asked to help. It seems most people are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the creative process in any way they can. There is a world of difference between ‘I am trying to find out…’ and ‘I am researching a novel and wonder whether…’.
It is said that getting a first novel published is even more difficult than writing it. How did you manage it?
Hard work followed by good luck. I had forty rejection slips before being put in touch with Garev who liked it sufficiently to take the publisher’s gamble.
So what now are your plans for the next book?
A second Al Hershey novel is in hand and will be published in 2008. My usual dreadful struggle with the plot is this time compounded by the fact that I already had a 70,000 word draft of a story – again on the theme of revenge – but unconnected with the first book. In view of the positive reaction to Al Hershey, I am re-writing it to involve him. The resulting complications are challenging to say the least.. I also have in draft a couple of chapters of a novel ‘2015’ – not science-fiction, but a story of the struggle between the civilised world and al Quaeda.
You have a home in Crete. Have you considered a novel set there?
Indeed I have. The island is rich in history, much of it bloody. Even today the vendetta exists there. I have a young Cretan friend whose family is involved in one and the threat to life is real enough. Maybe one day.
What is your dream scenario for your future as a writer?
Having a best-seller would be nice, but more than anything it would be fun to see what Hollywood could do with Al Hershey. There is a screenplay in development and I’m open to offers!
Mr. Alexander, thank you.
