Blog Tour: Interview with AD Pascal Author of Fatal Longevity @lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Fatal Longevity by AD Pascal. I have an author interview for you today and if you like the sound of that, you can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about...

Five people at the height of their success die suddenly in different parts of the world. A villa in Portofino and a terrace in Capri, both in Italy. A flight to Singapore. A beach in Santorini, Greece. A luxury resort on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. All five are filed as “death by natural causes”. No doubts, no links. But an intelligence analyst and his television journalist girlfriend suspect there is a connection. And follow a trail of unusual coincidences. Meanwhile, a brilliant businessman chases a dream: prolonging human life to over 150 years. And in perfect health. An ambitious goal. That entices the billionaires club: the privileged few who own over half of the world’s wealth. The human mind possesses hidden talents. You just need to know how to make the most of them. But longevity can prove fatal.

Are you ready for that interview?

First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?

It happened by chance at school. I was very good in mathematics and science. At that time I was 10 years old, the school took us pupils to visit the main Italian newspaper in Milan. I started dreaming of becoming a journalist. Later, writing became my profession.

Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?

I have always done many activities at the same time, such as writing, teaching, creating advertising and videos and so on.

But writing has always been my main work, first as a journalist, then as a manager. Starting from Fatal Longevity, my first thriller, I became a full time writer.

Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer to write?

My personal style includes some ingredients, such as synthesis, humor, paradoxes, imagination.

I decided to focus on thrillers, creating a new category that I call 'techno-economic' thrillers, as it involves technology and money.

How do you develop your characters as you write, are any of them based on real people?

I have to admit that yes, I get some ideas from real people, that I know or I have been told of. I then mix the elements creating new characters.

What was the inspiration behind your book?

Well, there was already a long list of very good thrillers based on murders and policemen chasing them.

Writing Fatal Longevity, I tried to create a different scheme. Five people at the height of their success die suddenly in different parts of the world. All five are filed as “death by natural causes”. No doubts, no links.

The reader doesn't know till the end whether there is a killer or not.

What is your writing process-do you plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?

It's a mixed process. I start from a basic idea, that I call the “active principle”.

In the pharmaceutical sector, this term refers to the intrinsic chemical substance which induces pharmacological activity in a medicine.

Then I start developing the plot, collecting ideas from any source: people, books, movies, the media, Internet.

I work with a team of experts: doctors, lawyers, scientists, private bankers, managers, accountants, teachers and the like.

Once completed the plan, I write some pages every day. The whole process usually takes from six to nine months.

How much of you is reflected in your writing?

Not much. I try to write for the pleasure of the readers. I just put something of my sense of humor in the text. But in thrillers it's not easy, you can imagine.

What kind of research did you have to do before/during writing behind your book?

I aspire to surprise my readers. Therefore, there is a lot of research. I spend hours looking for something original, surprising, unexpected. Then I test the idea with a group of friends who patiently give me feed back.

How much attention do you pay to the reviews that you get?

At the beginning of my career I wrote reviews of books for newspapers. It's hard work. At least you have to read the book, while some people in TV talk of matters they don't know at all.

So I'm quite respectful towards reviewers. They judge writers' work. You can learn from them.

Are friends and family supportive of your writing?

They bear me, as I'm often completely absorbed by the task.

How do you feel leading up to your publication day?

It's just a celebration. That day I am already working on my next book.

Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?

There are many authors who inspired me, from ancient Rome to nowadays.

I have always appreciated writers able to express ideas in a simple but impressive way. It's a list of giants, Cicero, Dante, Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Wilde, Saint-Exupery, Hemingway, Dahl, Follet, Grisham, Dan Brown, Crichton.

Finally...what are you working on right now?

I am working on new episodes of the "Fatal" series. The first one is focused on the business of sport, the second one on diplomacy. The third one involves robots.

About The Author 

A.D. Pascal is an Italian writer. He lives in Milan. After graduating, he started his career as an economic journalist. Then worked as a marketing manager for multinationals.

He wrote several books on management as a ghostwriter.

 In his own words

 “Writing has always been my passion and the base of my activities. My purpose was to present facts and figures in a stimulating way.

Later, I realized that I would also be able to create exciting works of fiction.

'Fatal Longevity' is the first of a series of books I am working on. They will all combine real events with just a pinch of imagination”.

Thanks so much to AD Pascal for stopping by the blog today.