Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
I don't smoke. I just don't get it, so my lead characters don't smoke either. You might think that old hippie Jeffrey Flint might have done the odd roll-up in his time, but if so he keeps quiet about it. In my crime reading pile, I have noticed that most fictional detectives smoke to a fault.... Continue Reading →
Okay, I know this is a family blog but we're going to talk about sex this week (stop sniggering at the back!). The book I'm working now on requires a frank and realistic approach to sex scenes, but has led me to look back on my oversexed hero of novels past. Jeffrey Flint is a bit of... Continue Reading →
Crime writer Jason Foss has vanished. In a move reminiscent of 1984, or the more paranoid Roman emperors his name has been erased from e-books on sale. Only a few hard-to-find first edition hardbacks remain of his five archaeological thrillers featuring offbeat lecturer Dr Jeffrey Flint. Suspicion falls immediately on his alter ego, Jason Monaghan,... Continue Reading →
In a recent debate on a writers' forum the question was asked whether you had to actually have visited a place to use it as a setting for a novel. My answer to this is both yes and no. YES if the place is well known, such as London, and many of your readers are... Continue Reading →
It was Scotty's iconic line from Star Trek, which of course broke the laws of physics every episode. This goes beyond Sci-Fi though and into the world of thrillers and adventure, whether books, TV or films. The special effects geek in 'When the Dust Settles' explains to Maddy that if a film director wants a man thrown... Continue Reading →
It was a divers' joke. The object they found was a blue-grey colour, heavy, metallic. It was the size of a man's oustretched palm, with a circular central hole and three vanes each with a screw hole. Three further supporting lugs added strength. They called it the Fiat Gearbox, or the Messerschmitt gearbox, thinking this... Continue Reading →
For the past few months I've been editing a book written by a colleague. Wrecked, Guernsey Shipwrecks, is the work of Patrick Martin. When Patrick was working at Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum he asked if he could write a book about the wrecks on display. This seemed an ideal opportunity to publish some of the... Continue Reading →
Don't we just love dinosaurs? Big, bizarre and scary, with impossible names from a land far away and long ago. Unlike, say dragons and unicorns, they are also real. Children don’t need to ‘believe’ in dinosaurs to find them fun. As monsters they make great toys, and as we grow up we find there is fascinating science emerging... Continue Reading →
You can follow the adventures of Jason Foss and alter-ego Jason Monaghan right here: Crime writing, Archaeology, Crime writing with archaeology, maybe even writing with no crime at all.